# Getting Fit Before Baby



## ireadyermind

Hello!

I'm a plus-sized gal and I'm trying to become UNplus-sized while waiting for my BFP! 

Anyone else out there who's in the same boat who wants some support? You can post your stats here, and we can celebrate victories, give pep talks after setbacks, share recipes, etc. etc.

Doesn't matter if you have 10 pounds to lose, or 100+! If you want to get your body in better shape so that you'll have a healthier pregnancy, join us!! 

:happydance: 

*Rules:*

Post your stats in a single post, then edit later as you have updates.
_(You're welcome to chat in the thread, it's just nice to have all your weigh-in info in one spot for the others to read!)_
Weigh-ins are every Monday, to help keep us from cheating over the weekend!
No starvation diets, no single food diets.. just healthy eating and exercise!
Be kind to one another!
​
Here's my recommended starter info, but you can include as much or as little as you want. :) I will continue to add weekly weigh-in results every Monday until I reach my goal weight, OR I get my BFP!

Things you might add include: reaching milestones, such as 10lbs lost, dropped a pants size, or halfway to goal; user names for fitness apps like MyFitnessPal, so that we can add one another and see daily progress; your daily calorie intake goal, or your exercise routines for the week; kudos to other participants for doing a good job or being motivating!

*Stats:*
Height: 
Starting Weight:
Goal Weight:
MyFitnessPal Username:

*Goals:*
Lose ___ lbs/kgs by: (date)
Fit into size ___ pants by: (date)
Be able to do ___ push-ups by: (date)
(Feel free to change these to suit your needs!)

*My Plan:*
(Include daily calorie goals or minutes of exercise, menu plans, workout routines, etc.)

*Weigh-ins:*
(date):
(date):
(date):
(date):

*Things I struggled with this month:*

*Things I did well this month:*​
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Links to Participants Stat Posts!*

&#8226; beccabonny
&#8226; BronteForever
&#8226; ireadyermind 
&#8226; MissDoc
&#8226; tulip110
&#8226; Ursaula

*Participants that don't have Stat Posts (yet):*
N/A

*Participants who got their BFPs!*
&#8226; Fern81
&#8226; miracleworker
&#8226; Mrs.Green2015
&#8226; Mrs.Tigger
&#8226; Swimmyj1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Health & Fitness Resources:*

MyFitnessPal - Food Diary, Exercise and Calorie Tracker App/Website
https://myfitnesspal.com

SparkPeople - Free Meal Plans, Recipes, Calorie and Exercise Tracker, Workout Videos, Support & Challenge Forums, Profile Pages, etc.
https://sparkpeople.com

Hungry Girl - Easy food swaps, low calorie recipe alterations, DIY versions of popular food & drinks like Starbucks, McDonalds, etc.
https://www.hungry-girl.com/

Youtube Channel: Yoga with Adriene - Excellent Yoga resource for beginners, intermediate and experienced "yogies"
https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene

Tone It Up: Offers both free and premium services. Free sections include workout routines and recipes.
https://www.toneitup.com/

Green Thickie Healthy Smoothie Recipes
https://www.greenthickies.com/recipe-index/

Let me know if you have found more useful FREE health and fitness resources, and I can add them here!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

*DISCLAIMER*

The participants in this thread, including me, are not giving you professional medical advice. You should talk to your physician before you take on any kind of reduced calorie diet or intense exercise program.

Remember: if something causes you pain, don't do it!


----------



## ireadyermind

UPDATED! Please visit iReadYerMind's Stats & Goals for my new stats post.


----------



## ireadyermind

*bump* 

Anyone interested? :flower:


----------



## cupcakestoy

I'll Join! :) My name is Stacie. I have struggled with my weight my whole life! I have a 15 dd (almost 16!) & a 13 ds by my ex-dh. Married my new dh almost 8 years ago, who has no children....I lost 110 pounds with WW & Walking/exercise then Had my Tubal Reversal in Nov. 2012, ended up with short tubes & dh has low counts :( We did our 1st IUI this time last year & did get a bfp, which we lost due to a Blighted Ovum :*( 2 more IUI's-bfn...Decided to go for IVF next fall, but NTNP for now with hopes that we get a Miracle before then. Between fertility meds, emotional eating & laziness I gained back almost 70 pounds, which I am determined to lose!!! Need to get my BMI down & get healthier to pursue our dreams :) Thanks for starting this thread & look forward to getting to know you!


Stats:
Height: 5' 2"
Starting Weight: 265
Goal Weight: 195 (to do IVF)

Weigh-ins:
December 15: 264
December 22: 264
December 29: 268(?)
Total for December: + 4 pounds :(

Things I struggled with this month: Motivation to stick with my good eating habits during the holidays & of course, getting off the couch! Excited to start Plexus as soon as my order rolls in! I need a good swift kick....
Things I did well this month: Apparently I ate well! lol I enjoyed the holidays & my family time!


January Weigh-ins:
January 5: 266
January 12: 260
January 19: 260
January 26: 257
Total for January: -9 pounds!!!

Things I struggled with this month: exercise & water retention

Things I did well this month: Sticking to my food plan & increasing my water intake...


February Weigh-ins:
February 2: 257
February 9: 256
February 16: 257
February 23: 259
Total for February: +2 :(

Things I struggled with this month:

Depression & emotional eating....& of course, exercise! UGH

Things I did well this month: Decided to officially start over & get my butt on on Weight Watchers!

Weigh-ins:
March 2: 256
March 9: 255
March16:254
March 23:254
March 30:251.5
Total for March: -4.5 pounds!!!

Things I struggled with this month: Sticking to my plan, but its getting easier! Getting in enough exercise & water, but I'm working on both! LOL


Things I did well this month: Did not gain any at each weigh in!!!!


April 6: 249
April 13: 251.5
April 20: 251
April 27: 245
Total for April: 4 pounds

Things I struggled with this month:
Getting in enough water & a plateau & gain at the gym! Felt awful knowing I worked my tail off, only to not see results on the scale!

Things I did well this month: Stuck to my work out plan at the gym & even added cardio!!!

May 4: 244
May 11: 243
May 18: 238
May 25: 239

Managed to get lazy the last couple of weeks :/ 
Total loss for May : 5 pounds! Total loss since joining this thread: 27 pounds!

June 1: 239
June 8: 236
June 15:-
June 22:-
June 29:-


July 6: 240 :(
July13: 236
July 20:
July 27:


----------



## ireadyermind

Hey, welcome! Good job on those first 10 pounds, and good luck losing more with WW! :) I've heard lots of success stories with them.

I've struggled with my weight since childhood, too. Mostly due to emotional eating, and the fact that I'm a bookworm -- not at all interested in sports! Haha

Not all that long ago (okay, I lied - it was 10 years ago!) I weighed almost 300 pounds. I've been losing weight, but agonizingly slowly! It will be really nice to work with others who are trying to lose weight and TTC at the same time.

I hope this helps you too!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Thanks for the welcome! Which eating plan are you doing? Any tips for getting into a regular exercise routine? I love to do functional exercise, like mowing, yard work/gardening, wood etc. But fail miserably at videos. LoL I do ok with walking & am playing with the idea of a gym membership, but just not sure it will be worth the money....


----------



## ireadyermind

I did a lot of research on various diets and menu plans before I settled into anything, and I eventually learned that many body builders or marathon runners focus on 3 main things: Protein, carbs, and fat. Their daily intake levels for each are something like 50% protein, 30% carbs, 20% fat - or some variation thereof. 

What that means for me is that I can eat up to 90g of carbs per day, 40g of fat, and something like 150g of protein -- possibly more, I don't have those numbers to hand. So while it's a lower carb diet, it's not as restrictive as the Atkins diet was, which makes it a lot easier.

We bought protein shake mix to help make up the gap with all the extra protein we're supposed to be eating, but it's hit or miss with those. The type we're trying now tastes SO gross... Haha.

I used MyFitnessPal to calculate all my food goals for me. They asked me what my daily activity level was, my height, weight, age, and gender, and they gave me some calorie ranges that would match what I was trying to achieve. On a day without exercise, I eat something like 1,500 calories, and on days where I do exercise, it's closer to 1,700. Since they say that the average diet is 2,000 calories, it's not too much lower than that. I'm not starving all the time, as long as I stick to my menu.

I can go more into detail on that stuff if you like, I just don't want to be too long-winded here! :) lol

When it comes to exercise... I sometimes have trouble staying motivated. DH and I have an exercise bike and an elliptical trainer, and also some small free weights to use. I usually focus on cardio, but I can totally relate to your preference for functional exercise! I get SO bored sitting on a bike and pedaling for half an hour, even if I have a book to read or a movie playing or something. It's just ridiculous.

I try to switch up my routine a lot, and sometimes that helps. 

On the days that I really don't want to work out, I try to get at least 10 minutes of cardio done. Often times what happens is I'll be on the bike for 10 minutes and I'll think -- what's another 10? Easy! And then I end up getting my whole workout in.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Thanks for the info! I know slow & steady wins the race :) Just getting out of the starting line is sometimes the hard part! lol


----------



## ireadyermind

Ugh, definitely! Weight loss is definitely something I struggle with, but having a support system of friends and fellow -- err, what should I call 'em, weight losers? lol -- makes things easier. If I have someone to vent to and someone to share successes with, I am generally more likely to stick with my plan. I hope your first week goes well!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Thanks!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies! I'll Join :flower:

I am following a low-GI diet combined with calorie counting.

*Stats:*
Height: 168 cm (5 feet, 6 inches)
Starting Weight: 145 kg (320 pounds)
Goal Weight: 90 kg (198 pounds)

*Weigh-ins:*
December 8: 126,5 kg (278,8 pounds)
December 15: 125,8 kg (277,3 pounds)
December 22: 123,8 kg (272,9 pounds)
December 29: 122,5 kg (270,1 pounds)
Total for December: -4,0 kg (8,7 pounds)

January 5: 121,4 kg (267,6 pounds)
January 12:118,9 kg (262,1 pounds)
January 19: 118,1 kg (260,4 pounds)
January 26: (On vacation; did not weigh in)
Total for January: -4,4 kg (9,7 pounds)

February 3: 117,1 kg (258,2 pounds)
February 9: 115,3 kg (254,2 pounds)
February 16: 115,3 kg (254,2 pounds)
February 23: 112,8 kg (248,7 pounds)
Total for February: -5,3 kg (11,7 pounds)

March 2: 112,3 kg (247,6 pounds)
March 9: (Traveling; did not weigh in)
March 16: (Traveling; did not weigh in)
March 23: (Traveling; did not weigh in)
March 31: 110,0 kg (242,5 pounds)
Total for March: -2,8 kg (6,2 pounds)

April 6: 106,9 kg (235,7 pounds)
April 13: 106,8 kg (236,5 pounds)
April 20: 106,8 kg (236,5 pounds)
April 27: 105,5 kg (232,6 pounds)
Total for April: -4,5 kg (9,9 pounds)

May 4: 103,5 kg (228,2 pounds)

[ Time away from boards, lots of travel - just maintained weight ]

August 3: 102,2 kg (225,3 pounds)
August 10:101,6 kg (224,0 pounds)
August 17:
August 24:
August 31:
Total for August: +/-

*Total Weight Lost:* 42,8 kg (94,4 pounds)​


----------



## ireadyermind

Welcome, Mrs. Tigger! :) 

Glad to have you! You've lost LOTS of weight already, that's so great! ^^ Good job! I look forward to losing weight with you in the coming weeks. :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Welcome Mrs. Tigger!!!!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Weighed in this morning as scheduled. Everything continues onward. 

Looking forward to see you ladies' results this week


----------



## cupcakestoy

Way to go Mrs. Tigger!!! I only lost 1 pound, but since I just re-started WW on Thursday, I'll take it! lol Hope you guys have a great Monday!


----------



## ireadyermind

Wow, amazing work Mrs. Tigger! Looks like that diet is really working for you! Keep it up!

Good job to you, too, Cupcakes! A pound is a pound, and that's a little bit further toward your goal!

As for me, AF is due today or tomorrow, and wouldn't you know? I woke up so bloated, my wedding band barely fit. I'm sure I lost weight this week, but the scale disagrees! I might weigh again once I'm feeling less puffy. Ack!


----------



## cupcakestoy

:( AF makes me gain 2-3 pounds of fluid too!


----------



## MissDoc

Hello iRead, Cupcake, and Tigger! Looks like you ladies are off to a good start. A loss is a loss, no matter how small. 

I participate in other fitness-focused forums, but I think it would be neat to have the specific kind of support of other TTCers, so I'll hop on board! I only have about 15 lbs to lose, but I've trying to lose this same 15 lbs for freaking ever, but lose motivation and consistency. Lost it all and regained it a couple years ago. I would like to get my BMI closer to the middle of the healthy range instead of bouncing between upper end of healthy and lower end of overweight. Looking forward to working with you all! 

Stats:
Height: 5 feet 6 inches
Starting Weight: 153 lbs
Goal Weight: 138 lbs

Weigh-ins:
December 8: (Wasn't participating)
December 15: 153 lbs
December 22:
December 29:

Total for December: +/-

Things I struggled with this month: Just starting today, but I can say I've definitely struggled with both eating habits (too many indulgences) and getting consistent exercise so far this month. The exercise portion is getting better and I'm working at getting my nutrition back on track as well. 

Things I did well this month: Drank plenty of water, focused on good posture/alignment, and consistently took my vitamins/supplements (e.g., folic acid, D3, etc.).


----------



## ireadyermind

Welcome, welcome! Happy to have another participant. :)

Are you on a specific diet plan, or counting calories, or something else? 

I look forward to working with you! :)


----------



## MissDoc

Eh, when I'm "on track" then I count calories and try to eat a primarily whole-foods, heavily plant-based diet and do various exercise programs (a couple of the beachbody programs, jogging, and Turbulence Training which is just basic strength training and interval training). I have NOT been on track most of this month though, trying to drag myself kicking and screaming back to the track. Lol.


----------



## ireadyermind

lol!

I hear you on that one. The beginning of this month started out great for me, but this past week, I have had zero energy and zero motivation. I haven't done a "real" workout in a few days. 

If only it was as easy to stick to a diet and workout plan as it is to set an alarm and take a BBT every morning! Erf. I can set a workout alarm all I like. It's not going to make me get on that elliptical trainer. Haha


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ugh....not done well today, as we have had our company party pretty much all day long! Oh well guess I'll count today as a cheat day & start fresh tomorrow.... Holidays are SO hard!


----------



## ireadyermind

Agreed! Not just for parties, but all the holiday-themed goodies! Peppermint mochas, candy canes, fruitcakes... Man. I'm glad I'm not exposed to that stuff much, 'cause I'd want to stuff my face every chance I got. 

It's bad enough DH brought home GIANT chocolate chip cookies last night! lol


----------



## cupcakestoy

See, I do catering on the side too so non stop candies & junk galore! Not to mention the crap brought in by kids & dh :(


----------



## ireadyermind

Eep! That's gotta be rough!

Does chewing gum help you avoid snacking? Sometimes it does for me.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Yes, that & I try to not work on my orders hungry! lol Usually I'm burned out in a few days, so it does get easier lol


----------



## cupcakestoy

MissDoc said:


> Hello iRead, Cupcake, and Tigger! Looks like you ladies are off to a good start. A loss is a loss, no matter how small.
> 
> I participate in other fitness-focused forums, but I think it would be neat to have the specific kind of support of other TTCers, so I'll hop on board! I only have about 15 lbs to lose, but I've trying to lose this same 15 lbs for freaking ever, but lose motivation and consistency. Lost it all and regained it a couple years ago. I would like to get my BMI closer to the middle of the healthy range instead of bouncing between upper end of healthy and lower end of overweight. Looking forward to working with you all!
> 
> Stats:
> Height: 5 feet 6 inches
> Starting Weight: 153 lbs
> Goal Weight: 138 lbs
> 
> Weigh-ins:
> December 8: (Wasn't participating)
> December 15: 153 lbs
> December 22:
> December 29:
> 
> Total for December: +/-
> 
> Things I struggled with this month: Just starting today, but I can say I've definitely struggled with both eating habits (too many indulgences) and getting consistent exercise so far this month. The exercise portion is getting better and I'm working at getting my nutrition back on track as well.
> 
> Things I did well this month: Drank plenty of water, focused on good posture/alignment, and consistently took my vitamins/supplements (e.g., folic acid, D3, etc.).

Welcome!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

MissDoc said:


> Hello iRead, Cupcake, and Tigger! Looks like you ladies are off to a good start. A loss is a loss, no matter how small.
> 
> I participate in other fitness-focused forums, but I think it would be neat to have the specific kind of support of other TTCers, so I'll hop on board! I only have about 15 lbs to lose, but I've trying to lose this same 15 lbs for freaking ever, but lose motivation and consistency. Lost it all and regained it a couple years ago. I would like to get my BMI closer to the middle of the healthy range instead of bouncing between upper end of healthy and lower end of overweight. Looking forward to working with you all!
> 
> Stats:
> Height: 5 feet 6 inches
> Starting Weight: 153 lbs
> Goal Weight: 138 lbs
> 
> Weigh-ins:
> December 8: (Wasn't participating)
> December 15: 153 lbs
> December 22:
> December 29:
> 
> Total for December: +/-
> 
> Things I struggled with this month: Just starting today, but I can say I've definitely struggled with both eating habits (too many indulgences) and getting consistent exercise so far this month. The exercise portion is getting better and I'm working at getting my nutrition back on track as well.
> 
> Things I did well this month: Drank plenty of water, focused on good posture/alignment, and consistently took my vitamins/supplements (e.g., folic acid, D3, etc.).

Welcome! :hugs:


----------



## MissDoc

Thanks for the welcome, ladies. :flower:

Oh the holidays. I've been so bad. Cookies, cocoa, snacks at work, even a holiday dinner tonight. Ughhh. I've kinda accepted that this week is just going to be pretty nutty. Not using that as a reason to freefall into the nearest plate of cookies, though (who am I kidding, I probably am)!

Do any of you use goal dates or are trying to lose a certain amount each week? Or do you focus more on letting it happen at its own pace? Just curious.


----------



## cupcakestoy

I've pretty much figured our that I WILL mess up regularly with my eating plan until after Christmas! My "goal" is not to GAIN thru the end of next week! lol Seriously tho...I try to aim to lose between 1-2 pounds a week, granted when I get serious about it I can do better than that, but that's the WW goal.....My Ultimate goal is to lose 70+ in the next year, which may be a little unrealistic but I figure if I could lose 110 in 2 years I can do it if I buckle down & WORK on it......That's the hard part! Thinking about getting a gym membership next month? Thoughts or anyone do that? I used to do curves, but I hated it & felt stupid doing it.....


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

MissDoc said:


> Thanks for the welcome, ladies. :flower:
> 
> Oh the holidays. I've been so bad. Cookies, cocoa, snacks at work, even a holiday dinner tonight. Ughhh. I've kinda accepted that this week is just going to be pretty nutty. Not using that as a reason to freefall into the nearest plate of cookies, though (who am I kidding, I probably am)!
> 
> Do any of you use goal dates or are trying to lose a certain amount each week? Or do you focus more on letting it happen at its own pace? Just curious.

Yes, holidays are super rough :-( I'm doing a good job of ignoring the bad stuff at work, and bringing my lunch everyday, but once per week or so there is a day where I am eating out because of holiday or business meal, etc. When I do eat out, I just try really hard to eat as sensibly as I can.

I know I have a food addiction -- in particular a sugar addiction. Since I went on the low-GI diet (because I thought I might have PCOS and I know that this diet is a standard treatment for PCOS where I live), though, my attitude has completely changed about food. I think my body might just be insanely carb-sensitive, but the way I feel from before the diet compared to now is like night and day.

I decided to also count calories (I eat 1.200 calories per day, since I work at a desk job) and, other than the meals out I can't really avoid, I am extremely diligent. I think learning to stop thinking of food as a reward, or as entertainment, or a comfort when I'm stressed or board, but instead of looking at food as simply fuel for my body has changed my outlook a lot. I found that, before eating anything, asking myself the question, "Will I be happy about eating this after I've eaten it?" has helped me re-train my brain.

Since switching to this diet, the weight has more or less melted off (that's why I think I must be super carb-sensitive). I'm down over 19 kg since the first of September, and that was including a 2 week vacation in the US where we were eating out all the time, and a week-long offsite at my job where we had all of our meals catered for the week. I've done a lot of weight losing (and re-gaining) in the past, but this is the first time I feel like I've had a true lifestyle change, so I'm hoping whatever I lose actually sticks.

I don't look for a particular number on the scale . . . . I just like to see progress in the right direction. I guess my ultimate goal would be to hopefully hit my goal way in 1 year after starting the diet if I don't have a BFP by then (so, by the end of next August). At that point, I know there should be no barrier in my getting fertility help, etc.


----------



## ireadyermind

Mrs. Tigger said:


> I know I have a food addiction -- in particular a sugar addiction. Since I went on the low-GI diet (because I thought I might have PCOS and I know that this diet is a standard treatment for PCOS where I live), though, my attitude has completely changed about food. I think my body might just be insanely carb-sensitive, but the way I feel from before the diet compared to now is like night and day.

This is the same for me. I'm pretty sure I have PCOS but I haven't been in for a diagnosis because the OB/GYN wants me to try TTC without help for a while first.

I can cut calories and change to healthier versions of things all I like (for example, from white rice to brown rice; from white potatoes to sweet potatoes; from chicken with skin to skinless breasts, etc.), but if I don't also cut down on the carbs, I could eat an 800/day calorie diet (okay, I'm exaggerating!) and nothing would happen.

I, too, had to change the way I thought about food. I don't eat until I'm stuffed any more, I eat until I'm not hungry. And if I'm not hungry, I don't eat. It's okay to have dinner without following it up with a sweet or dessert of some kind. I'm increasing my protein intake and trying to decrease my carb intake. Not as drastically as on the Atkins diet, but I believe my carb intake has been cut in about half from my previous eating habits.

One of the things I told myself repeatedly when I first started my new diet earlier this year was, "Food is fuel, not comfort." (Reminds me of "Fish are friends, not food.. lol!) 

DH and I always try to have 1 "date night" a week, where we go do something fun... In the past, that was always food related. We'd go out for ice cream, or to a sit down dinner somewhere, or both. Eep. Now we try to do things that don't necessarily require eating, like going to the movies, visiting the shops in old town, that sort of thing. Sometimes we stay in and have a movie marathon, or work on something to improve our home, or take the dogs on a car ride.

In the initial few months of that, it was SO WEIRD not using food as entertainment!



As far as goals go:

I'm aiming for at least 1 pound a week. I'm currently at a plateau that I've been fighting with since my surgery in May, and last week I finally broke through it... Only for PMS to kick me in the pants. This morning I woke up feeling so bloaty and puffy, my joints all hurt and I felt full even though I was hungry. Sure enough, I stepped on the scale to see I'm up almost three pounds. Ugh. I was hoping the water weight from Monday would be gone by now. Especially since I drank lots of extra water last night to help me flush out my system. No such luck. Bah!


----------



## MissDoc

It sounds like all of your goals and plans are pretty darn good ladies. I go through phases of being really committed and then just faceplanting off of the wagon and justifying my bad behavior. I am almost hopeful for a BFN (in the TWW right now) so that I can start the next cycle "fresh" and in a better place (more consistent exercise, higher veggie intake, etc.). Not to say I wouldn't be thrilled for a BFP, but if it isn't, I'll take it as extra motivation to make the next cycle extra healthy and purposeful in my behaviors.


----------



## ireadyermind

MissDoc said:


> It sounds like all of your goals and plans are pretty darn good ladies. I go through phases of being really committed and then just faceplanting off of the wagon and justifying my bad behavior. I am almost hopeful for a BFN (in the TWW right now) so that I can start the next cycle "fresh" and in a better place (more consistent exercise, higher veggie intake, etc.). Not to say I wouldn't be thrilled for a BFP, but if it isn't, I'll take it as extra motivation to make the next cycle extra healthy and purposeful in my behaviors.

That is EXACTLY my mindset right now! I'll be happy for a BFP, but if I don't get one, I will use next cycle to lose more weight so I'm in a better position for a baby once I get one. :)

BUUUUT

Today is CD39/16DPO for me. AF is now 3 - 4 days late, and I'm getting BFNs the past few days. I am beyond frustrated. I wish I knew one way or the other! :wacko:


----------



## MissDoc

That is really frustrating, ireadyermind! Does your AF start day typically fluctuate this much or is this a new thing?


----------



## ireadyermind

MissDoc said:


> That is really frustrating, ireadyermind! Does your AF start day typically fluctuate this much or is this a new thing?

It's only happened two other times this year: first because I had my copper/hormone free IUD removed, and my system had to adjust for the changes going on there, and it was exactly 7 days late as I had predicted to the OB/GYN - who didn't believe that the removal would cause any change at all (lol); second, because I had surgery on my cervix to remove cancerous cells. The combination of healing, pain meds, and anesthesia had me all screwed up and my period was a week or so late for that, too.

This time around, the only thing I can think is that I was sick earlier this month, for a good couple of weeks. I was sick last month too, though, and that didn't change my cycle any. 

Everything I consider as a reason for a late AF has counter-indications and I am dizzy from going around in circles with myself. lol :wacko:


----------



## ireadyermind

Phew! Seems like some of that water weight is coming off. My rings fit better today and I don't feel so puffy and full all the time. Thank goodness! Maybe the scale will have something nice to say to me on Monday morning! :)


----------



## MissDoc

Oh that's good. Love when the water weight chills out a bit. Hopefully Monday brings you a nice weigh in. 

I think I am getting a cold. Not fun. :-( Sneezy, sniffly, drainage, sore throat, fatigue, stuffy feeling head, blah!


----------



## ireadyermind

MissDoc said:


> Oh that's good. Love when the water weight chills out a bit. Hopefully Monday brings you a nice weigh in.
> 
> I think I am getting a cold. Not fun. :-( Sneezy, sniffly, drainage, sore throat, fatigue, stuffy feeling head, blah!

Aww, I hope you're feeling better soon! Colds are the worst when you're TTC. It's so hard to get into the mood for BD when you're feeling crummy.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Glad to hear your less bloated! Did AF show? 
Doc- get well soon!

I'm looking forward to last minute errands in the morning with my did, the a massage & reflexology, with possibly a nail job too! LoL Fridays are usually my "alone" days since I'm off, so I take it the max! Lmbo!


----------



## ireadyermind

Sigh.

Yesss, AF showed her ugly, horrible face late last night. This one's terrible, too. Usually I have a pretty mild handful of days, but it's like being late makes them worse. Looks like I'm spending the day wrapped up in a blanket in front of the TV! 
(Thank goodness I work from home and can decide to do that if I want. Haha)

So I guess it's onward to the next cycle for me! Wish me luck.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Book for AF! Hope she leaves quickly! & of course I wish you good luck!


----------



## ireadyermind

AF _did_ leave quickly. o.o Really only had heavy flow for about 18 hours and then light/spotting for another day, and that's it.

I read that when AF is late, it causes the clots and makes the flow heavier. I generally only have light AF for 3 - 4 days each cycle and that's it, so I suppose if there was very heavy flow for one day, it's possible that that's all that was needed to shed everything.

*shrug* Who knows!?

I'm hoping it means I have a more normal cycle this month instead of a 40 day one. o.o

Also I'm feeling good about tomorrow's weigh-in! Did about an hour's worth of walking yesterday and DH and I have really been sticking to our diet, so I'm hoping I'll have finally moved past the plateau of 225lbs!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Good Luck in the morning! Started spotting after bd this morning, so no surprise Christmas Miracle here either :( To be honest, I didn't expect one, so onto next cycle.....one cycle less to wait for IVF, I guess....I have to work the next 10 days starting tomorrow, so I'm HOPING I'll be too busy to eat a bunch of crap! lol Will check in in the morning with my weigh in, tho & try to peek in when I get a chance! Merry Christmas Ladies!!!!:xmas9::xmas9::xmas9:


----------



## drjo718

Hi all, I'd like to join! I need something to help hold me accountable. I reached a max weight of 188 during nursing school...lots of stress and eating unhealthy convenience foods. Since then I lost about 20 pounds but have since gained almost all of it back (the downside of being comfortable and happy in a relationship haha). I've been off the pill since April this year and conceived from one time without protection, but miscarried at 6 weeks. We've been actively ttc since then, but I only ovulate rarely and not in any type of pattern. I don't think it is weight related, as I've had this problem since I first got my period at age 13 (I'm 30 now), when I wasn't overweight. And it's the reason I was on the pill in the first place. But now clomid has failed me and I have to see the fertility specialist, so I've decided to focus on losing weight before that appointment. 

Stats:
Height: 5'6
Starting Weight: 184 lbs
Goal Weight: 145 lbs

Weigh-ins:
December 15: N/A
December 22: 184 lbs (one day early)
December 29:
Total for December: +/-

Things I struggled with this month:

Things I did well this month:

I'm not really starting a solid diet or exercise plan yet, as it's the holidays, but soon I plan to go back to my paleo type diet. I've done it for 2 weeks at a time twice before and lost 8 pounds each time. I also plan to start the 30 day shred again and potentially join the local gym that has a pool.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Welcome Drjo! I feel the energy building in this group! Good progress coming in 2015!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi all.

I weighed in this morning. Down 2 whole kg this week! :happydance:

I expect no loss next week, as my body has done this before (it tends to drop weight in large chunks, so a big loss, then small or nothing for awhile, and then a big loss again, etc). However, I'll take forward progress -- no matter how it comes!

:hugs: to everyone and good luck with your weigh-in this week, ladies!

Mrs. Tigger


----------



## cupcakestoy

WTG TIGGER!!! That is Amazing!:happydance::happydance::happydance: I tend to lose in "chunks" at times too, then stall or even gain a little back before another lose.....AFM :witch: flew in with a vengeance last night....Bloated & miserable. Friday I was down almost 2 pounds but not this morning :/ Met my goal of not gaining this week, but didn't lose any either.......Hope everyone else does great today!


----------



## MissDoc

Hi ladies, my weight is inching in the right direction, but only inching. Lol. 

Stats:
Height: 5 feet 6 inches
Starting Weight: 153 lbs
Goal Weight: 138 lbs

Weigh-ins:
December 8: (Wasn't participating)
December 15: 153 lbs
December 22: 152.6 lbs
December 29:

Total for December: So far down .4 lbs

DH and I have been seriously discussing pressing pause on TTC for a little while so we can prepare for it a little better (planning for me being off for maternity leave without pay, paying ahead on student loans, me focusing on preconception health, etc.). It's really hard for me to do that, as I said the 30 and over thread, because being in your 30s and deciding to wait any longer just feels crummy. And I'm sort of baby-crazed right now because I feel like I've been waiting the past 5 years to be in a stable enough place to start trying. I know if I got pg right now, we'd figure it out and make it work, but it would be stressful, whereas if I wait a little longer (6ish months perhaps) there'd be a lot less stress for us. I still don't know. Hard decision when you just want a baby. :-/


ireadyer-- At least that pesky AF didn't stick around for too long. I am crossing my fingers that January is your month (and that your cycle isn't 40 days long again, sheesh!). 

Tigger-- Congrats on the loss, that's great progress! My body does the same thing lose, then hold, hold, hold, lose again, then hold, and so on.

Cupcake-- Hey, even maintaining through this holiday season is an accomplishment! Sorry to hear AF showed up. 

DrJo-- Welcome! Ugh, sorry about the wonky ovulation patterns. That must make things so incredibly stressful during this process. Hugs to you.


----------



## ireadyermind

Welcome, Drjo! Great to have you with us! Looking forward to working with you and getting to know you along the way. :)

To those that celebrate, Merry Christmas and I hope none of us gains too much weight by December 30th! Haha

I've added my weigh-in info, lost almost a whole pound this week! Still dealing with some bloat from AF which arrived a couple days ago. Woke up feeling bloaty again this morning, snug wedding band and all, so I'm trying to pinpoint what I ate yesterday that might've caused it and I think I know the answer.

Has anyone tried dandelion tea? I have some that I occasionally use when water weight sticks around too long. It's a diuretic and it helps get all of that nastiness flushed out of your system. If you've used it, what are your thoughts?



MissDoc said:


> Hi ladies, my weight is inching in the right direction, but only inching. Lol.
> 
> ...
> 
> ireadyer-- At least that pesky AF didn't stick around for too long. I am crossing my fingers that January is your month (and that your cycle isn't 40 days long again, sheesh!).

I hear you on that "inching" thing! I did really well on my eating this week and even spent a total of two hours walking, when you add it all up, and I swore I was going to see a whole pound or more down on that scale, but no!

I will say that I'm always happier to see a tiny bit of progress than no progress at all! :)

As for my January cycle -- thanks! I hope January's my month, and yours too! 

And a cycle closer to 28 days would be so amazing. I had a 28 day cycle every month like clockwork last year, but then I had my copper IUD removed and all hell broke loose. Haha. Now I'm lucky if I see a 35 day cycle. Fertility Friend has estimated a 38 day cycle for me this month. Ugh.

I feel like I'm getting fewer chances at a pregnancy this way! But... Let's see if losing weight will help reset those cycles. Phew!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Never tried the tea, but definitely am feeling the bloat & water retention here as well....UGH Did I mention that I DESPISE AF????


----------



## nmv

Hey ladies, well done on your progress so far!!
I would love to join your group! :)
*
A Brief Intro:*
I am very conscious of my nutrition for the most part, having ups and downs like everyone...but when mom got diagnosed with cancer in Sept. 2013, I lost focus on myself. We lost grandma 2 days before finding out mom was in remission (March '14), then my uncle/second father passed (June '14)....
...THEN we had DH's grandma pass in late October, followed immediately by a miscarriage.... :angel:
It has been a crazy year, but I'm committed to making 2015 my rainbow after this year of rough storms!! 
We are due for some good things!
So I'm determined to fix my internal environment, making it so perfect and comfy that our next little bean will check in for the full 9 months.

*My Stats:*
Age: 31
Height: 5'1

Weigh-ins:
December 15: 130lbs 
December 22: SKIP (per pact with cousin)
December 29: 
Total loss for December: 

Things I struggled with this month:
The miscarriage threw my body WAY off, but yesterday I FINALLY started a new cycle, 47 days after the MC! It has been a huge emotional struggle, and all that stress *makes me retain/even gain weight*.

Things I did well this month:
I managed to give up sugars and grains for a little while, which was a very difficult addiction to kick...but this is meant as a detox of sorts before resuming a diet loaded with all the natural, non-processed foods I want. :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

*MY DIET PLAN:*
I usually dont prescribe to popular diet fads, but am currently trying out the Ketosis Diet (along with my cousin) for the weight loss part, so for moderate to quick fat loss at my height/weight/body fat % I should eat:
*Net Carbs* - 20g (Carbs-Fiber=Net Carbs)
*Protein* - 57.5g
*Fat* - 85-100g

I use the *"LoseIt"* app on my phone (loseit.com) to track my stats and its how I got it back under control the last time my consumption (sugar addiction) got out of hand. Anyone else use this app?


----------



## ireadyermind

Welcome! Thanks for joining us. :)

So sorry to hear about your miscarriage. I can't even imagine what that would be like. I hope that getting fit and healthy will help you the next time around!


----------



## nmv

I'm down a size!!!!! :happydance:

MUST start exercising! :thumbup:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ugh! Dreading Monday's weigh in...rings won't fit, swollen ankles & bloated tummy :( haven't done horrible with food or salt tho??? Wondering if its the femara I'm taking this cycle??? Oh well....I am excited to start plexus slim on a few days! Heard great things from people I know who use it! Hoping it gives me some energy! Tired of being tired! Ready to get this weight off & get on the road to ivf & our miracle baby!


----------



## ireadyermind

Good job, nmv! Keep it up!

Cupcake -- I'm there with you. I did really well on eating small portions and drinking water when I could over the Christmas holiday. I only had one alcoholic beverage and when we got fast food on the long (5ish hour) drive home, it was a kids meal instead of an adult sized one.

I'm going to have some of that dandelion tea tonight to help with excess bloat and hope for the best tomorrow. I don't think I'll have made any progress on my weight loss, but I'm hoping not to have gained much either!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies,

The weight-in this morning was surprisingly good to me; down a little over a kg this week, which I didn't expect.

That brings December's total to 4kg down. Here's to hoping everyone has a great and successful January!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Way to go! Wish my news was as grand, but I'm up FOUR pounds!?!?!? Granted I didn't follow my plan as I should have, but that's ridiculous! *sigh....Talk about motivation for the New Year.....Geez!


----------



## MissDoc

NMV-- Congrats on being down a size, that's awesome!
ireadyermind-- It sounds like you've done really well. Kids meals are a LOT lower in calories so way to go willpower! 
Tigger-- Congrats on the loss! Great way to wrap up December!
Cupcakes-- Oh man, that's a bummer. But you've noticed a lot of bloat so hopefully it's just water weight and not legitimate gain. But it always sucks to see the scale jump up no matter what!

AFM, I'm surprised that I made out okay on the scale today. Down to 150.6 lbs. I'll take it! I'm going to give more attention to my diet this week and try to keep up a really good water intake.

Good luck to everyone!


----------



## ireadyermind

Scale says I gained this week, too. Up by almost two pounds, but I'm not too worried by that. I'm back to my diet first thing this morning and I'm sure that those two pounds will come right off, especially since I'm pretty sure it's just water retention from a weekend of crummy eating.

I know I didn't get enough water while I was away for Christmas, either. We went to a city where the tap water is TERRIBLE (it's gray, no joke), and didn't have ready access to bottled stuff, so I avoided drinking it at all costs. Haha. One family member had a filter on her tap, so that was alright, but no one else did. Somehow all the rest of them thought that their gray water was perfectly fine to drink, and I couldn't bring myself to join them. Haha

Anyway -- on to January! The new weigh-in dates are up there in the first post, waiting for you to copy and paste them into your first threads to keep track of your progress. :)

Good job, all of you, for sticking to your diet plans and doing your best this month! Sometimes our bodies don't know what's good for 'em, but we'll get there!


----------



## drjo718

Stats:
Height: 5'6
Starting Weight: 184 lbs
Goal Weight: 145 lbs

Weigh-ins:
December 15: N/A
December 22: 184 lbs (one day early)
December 29: 183.4 lbs
Total for December: - 0.6 lbs

Planning to actually start my diet plan and exercise on new years! I see the fertility specialist on Jan 5 so I don't have as long to lose weight before the appointment as I was anticipating, but I'm ready to figure out what's wrong and have some help.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Way to go to all thw "losers" this month! lmbo I'm sure we all can feel the anticipation of the New Year creeping in! Super excited to watch us all melt away in 2015!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Good job losing a bit this month, DrJo! Losing weight around the holidays is always so difficult!

In fact, I'm really struggling even with the idea of exercise these past couple of weeks. As a general rule I don't sleep well unless I take some sort of sleep aid (usually herbal stuff like Valerian Root instead of commercially prepared stuff like Nyquil), and since I'm TTC I'm avoiding taking anything when at all possible.

I'm so tired by morning that the idea of expending energy on exercise seems crazy! lol

What do you gals do to get yourselves into "workout mode"?


----------



## cupcakestoy

I'm starting myself back on Vit d, b12 & b6 to help me get over the fatigue, as well as starting plexus when it arrives(scheduled for tomorrow!) I've decided to go ahead & join the gym next week too. Seem to do better when I pay to sweat?! LoL Most Dr.s let ladies use unison or benadryl for sleep during pregnancy.


----------



## EmmyReece

Hi, I was wondering if I could join in too? I'm trying to get as much weight gone as possible (I have a big chunk to lose) so that we can qualify for help if we need it, though I am hoping I get a bfp in the meantime.

I am trying to get back into the swing of things with slimming world after christmas, new year tonight and my birthday on saturday. I'm hoping not to put anymore weight on though at my next weigh in, so fingers crossed for that and I can start to repair the damage from Christmas (a 2.4 kg gain :( )

*Stats*:
*Height*: 5ft 5
*Starting Weight*: 167.2kg
*Goal Weight*: 95kg

*Weigh-ins*:
*January 7*: 166.5kg
*January 14*:
*January 21*:
*January 28*:

*Total for January*: - 0.7kg

*Things I struggled with this month*:

*Things I did well this month*:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Welcome Emmy! Glad you joined us! We ARE going to do this Sister!


----------



## deafgal01

Heard about this thru another journal so thought I would come over here to see... I am not too overweight but can stand to lose maybe 30 lbs. ideally, I should be 140ish for my height but I consider myself to be big boned so I would be ok with 155 lbs. I will do my stats after I have had my sleep.

*Edit: Back to add my stats... I hope to try yoga/pilates moves this month while maintaining my healthy eating habits (we decided last month to stop having poptarts for breakfast and trade that out for egg muffin like things instead to make it healthier for on the go breakfast).

Stats:
Height: 5'4
Starting Weight:192.1 lbs
Goal Weight: 155 lbs
Total loss: 2.4

Weigh-ins:
October 19: 188.8
October 26: 189.7
I got off track and gained a little back over the summer. The past two weeks I've been on Fall break so I told my husband we needed to start cutting back on our carbs and going for our daily 5k walks. That's finally giving us the results we have been trying to get - weight is coming off slowly finally.


Spoiler
April 6: 184
April 13: forgot to weigh in (183.3 Sunday to 184 Tuesday) 
April 20:


March 2: 181.5
March 9: 181.6
March: 16: 182.2
March 23: (gone on cruise- out of contact)
March 30: 184.6
Things that I struggled with this month: finding motivation to exercise and eat right
Things that I did well with this month: walking around a lot when on cruise

February 2: 184.6
February 9: 179.4 (note: I have been sick yesterday and Saturday- still sick today)
February 16: 183.0 (went out to Olive Garden with family Sunday plus cupcakes over past weekend)
February 23: 181.0 

Things that I struggled with this month: motivation to exercise (plus I was sick so for a week that reduced my ability to exercise and eat well).
Things that I did well with this month: increasing my numbers of steps during the week (weekends not so much though)


January 5: 193.0
January 12: 189.5
January 19: 188.1
January 26: 186.1
Total for January: -6.9

Things I struggled with this month: Finding motivation/time to do work outs (First half of month I did great with that, then the second half of month I kept having excuses or something kept coming up.)

Things I did well this month: Tracking my food daily (considering I ate out a few times and couldn't find the nutrition info for the restaurants) so I could see how that affects my weight.

Weightwatcher, Myfitnesspal, and Lose it! apps are all I have for tracking food/exercise so "Deafgal01" is the username to friend on those if you have those.
*


----------



## cupcakestoy

Welcome deafgal!


----------



## ireadyermind

deafgal01 said:


> Heard about this thru another journal so thought I would come over here to see... I am not too overweight but can stand to lose maybe 30 lbs. ideally, I should be 140ish for my height but I consider myself to be big boned so I would be ok with 155 lbs. I will do my stats after I have had my sleep.
> 
> *Edit: Back to add my stats... I hope to try yoga/pilates moves this month while maintaining my healthy eating habits (we decided last month to stop having poptarts for breakfast and trade that out for egg muffin like things instead to make it healthier for on the go breakfast).
> 
> Stats:
> Height: 5'4
> Starting Weight:192.1 lbs
> Goal Weight: 155 lbs
> 
> Weigh-ins:
> January 5:
> January 12:
> January 19:
> January 26:
> Total for January: +/-
> 
> Things I struggled with this month:
> 
> Things I did well this month:
> 
> I used to try myfitnesspal and weightwatcher- both of which I still have but haven't updated at all in at least a year.
> *

Welcome, deafgal! Good to have you with us. :) I hope our little support group can help you kick the last few pounds you want to lose!

I'm in the same boat as you are. The height and weight charts say I should weigh 165 pounds, but I'm very broad shouldered, almost 6 feet tall, have big feet, etc. and I feel that if I weighed 165, I'd look like a skeleton.

I'd be happy with 180 pounds and that's what I'm working toward. :) 

I haven't been exercising enough in the past couple of weeks and I think that's hurting my weight loss results, even though when starting this new diet it was recommended to me that I don't work out for two weeks to allow my body time to adjust.

I'm kicking that to the curb!

Anyway -- welcome, welcome and here's to sticking to all our new year's resolutions! :)


----------



## ireadyermind

EmmyReece said:


> Hi, I was wondering if I could join in too? I'm trying to get as much weight gone as possible (I have a big chunk to lose) so that we can qualify for help if we need it, though I am hoping I get a bfp in the meantime.
> 
> I am trying to get back into the swing of things with slimming world after christmas, new year tonight and my birthday on saturday. I'm hoping not to put anymore weight on though at my next weigh in, so fingers crossed for that and I can start to repair the damage from Christmas (a 2.4 kg gain :( )
> 
> *Stats*:
> *Height*: 5ft 5
> *Starting Weight*: 167.2kg
> *Goal Weight*: 95kg
> 
> *Weigh-ins*:
> *January 7*:
> *January 14*:
> *January 21*:
> *January 28*:
> 
> *Total for January*: +/-
> 
> *Things I struggled with this month*:
> 
> *Things I did well this month*:

Welcome, Emmy! Glad to have you with us.

I too am trying to repair the damage from Christmas. I did a good job with portion control and not overeating, but the TYPES of food I was eating were not the greatest, and I ended up gaining a couple of pounds in addition to retaining TONS of water due to all the sodium in the stuff. Blech.

I have heard that losing weight puts your body into "baby making mode" just because your cycles tend to regulate, and it's easier for your body to control the amount of hormones you need, simply because your body's smaller than it was.

I hope that's the case for all of us! I know there are many of us who are struggling with fertility issues (myself included!) and losing weight is the least expensive, most feasible option we have available.

Good luck and baby dust to you!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies,

First weigh-in for January: Down just over 1 kg from last week. It's still moving in the right direction, so I'm happy.

Hope everyone had a happy Christmas and a happy New Year. I've been more or less taking a break from the threads (except to come here to weigh in every Monday) in order to focus on non-TTC related stuff (focusing on TTC so much was really depressing me), so I'm not really up to date with what is going on anywhere, but I hope you are all doing well.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey Ladies!:hi: Down 2 pounds this week, so maybe I on;y gained 2 for Christmas lol Oh well at least its a loss. I did do fairly well with my plan until yesterday. DH was in the hospital & I did not get to take Plexus, plus we ate Chinese (my weakness is coconut chicken or shrimp lol) Sad to report that he passed yesterday while we were there. We knew he was terminal, but was shocked it happened so quickly...I am properly starting the Plexus products today, but will have to wait about joing the gym until Weds, as we have the viewing & funeral the next couple of days....This is my last Femara cycle & I have yet to get a +OPK, but I think I might have gotten it Saturday if my urine wasn't so diluted from the water! Anyways we have gotten in good bd so far, but not sure how it will go now. I will continue Opks for 2 more days, since the latest I have had is cd 16. Praying that God will give us a Miracle this last time around, but if not then onward we go! Hope the scales are good to everyone else today!!!!


----------



## littlejune

Can I join in? Just got my last bfn until we resume trying in the spring. Until then I want to be as healthy as possible!

My goals aren't necessarily weight related but I would like to lose bout ten lbs. 

Some back ground and goals: I suffered from a terrible not fully diagnosed ibd bout last year- I lost 25 lbs rapidly (which I have regained +10 or so) began losing hair and eventually my body shut down and I was hospitalized briefly. Needless to say this threw my body off big time I was way too skinny to ovulate or have a period. I am luckily healthy and able to get by without my toxic meds but my cycles are funny and my metabolism is dead. I want to create a perfect environment for a little bean come springtime! 


Dh and I have been married two years this summer and both work in jobs we love. I would have to leave my work if I had conceived this early since I work with kids who are pretty severe on the autism spectrum and regularly become violent. 

I'm a great encourager and cheerleader so there's my sales pitch haha! Can't wait to become the healthiest mamas (and mamas to be) as possible with you ladies!
:thumbup:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Welcome!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Welcome, LittleJune! You're more than welcome to join us. :) I hope we can help you and keep you motivated to make the perfect home for a little bean!


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, I stepped on the scale this morning to see that my weight jumped up almost FIVE POUNDS from my last weigh in! 

I know for a fact that I have not eaten 16,000 extra calories this week, and in fact I got a lot of walking in over the weekend, so I'm totally baffled as to where this 5 pounds came from.

It's the most disheartening thing! I'm really trying to lose body fat, and here I am, going UP instead of down. :cry:

So I went over my meals for the past couple of days with a fine toothed comb, and it looks like some of the meats I was eating (including boneless, skinless chicken breasts!) were SUPER high in sodium. Some of the chicken we'd purchased had been injected with a saline solution and it had 16% daily value of salt in it per serving! UGH.

To correct this issue, my meal plan for the week includes lots of fish (checked labels there, too. The sodium values are closer to 3% per serving -- MUCH better!), possibly eggs, and lots and LOTS of water.

I'm so frustrated. :growlmad:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Mrs. Tigger said:


> Hi Ladies,
> 
> First weigh-in for January: Down just over 1 kg from last week. It's still moving in the right direction, so I'm happy.
> 
> Hope everyone had a happy Christmas and a happy New Year. I've been more or less taking a break from the threads (except to come here to weigh in every Monday) in order to focus on non-TTC related stuff (focusing on TTC so much was really depressing me), so I'm not really up to date with what is going on anywhere, but I hope you are all doing well.

Good job Mrs. T!!!! Way to start off a new year!



ireadyermind said:


> Well, I stepped on the scale this morning to see that my weight jumped up almost FIVE POUNDS from my last weigh in!
> 
> I know for a fact that I have not eaten 16,000 extra calories this week, and in fact I got a lot of walking in over the weekend, so I'm totally baffled as to where this 5 pounds came from.
> 
> It's the most disheartening thing! I'm really trying to lose body fat, and here I am, going UP instead of down. :cry:
> 
> So I went over my meals for the past couple of days with a fine toothed comb, and it looks like some of the meats I was eating (including boneless, skinless chicken breasts!) were SUPER high in sodium. Some of the chicken we'd purchased had been injected with a saline solution and it had 16% daily value of salt in it per serving! UGH.
> 
> To correct this issue, my meal plan for the week includes lots of fish (checked labels there, too. The sodium values are closer to 3% per serving -- MUCH better!), possibly eggs, and lots and LOTS of water.
> 
> I'm so frustrated. :growlmad:

 Hang in there! Sodium is the devil! You'll see a BIG drop next week with your low sodium plan!


----------



## deafgal01

I did gain about 1 lb since last weight in. Oh well. We will see if this week changes me any with me going back to school to teach and being more mobile than laying on the couch all day.


----------



## littlejune

ireadyermind said:


> Well, I stepped on the scale this morning to see that my weight jumped up almost FIVE POUNDS from my last weigh in!
> 
> I know for a fact that I have not eaten 16,000 extra calories this week, and in fact I got a lot of walking in over the weekend, so I'm totally baffled as to where this 5 pounds came from.
> 
> It's the most disheartening thing! I'm really trying to lose body fat, and here I am, going UP instead of down. :cry:
> 
> So I went over my meals for the past couple of days with a fine toothed comb, and it looks like some of the meats I was eating (including boneless, skinless chicken breasts!) were SUPER high in sodium. Some of the chicken we'd purchased had been injected with a saline solution and it had 16% daily value of salt in it per serving! UGH.
> 
> To correct this issue, my meal plan for the week includes lots of fish (checked labels there, too. The sodium values are closer to 3% per serving -- MUCH better!), possibly eggs, and lots and LOTS of water.
> 
> I'm so frustrated. :growlmad:

ugh I HATE hidden food labels. When my digestive system flares up there is a LOT I can't eat so I fully understand the frustration of discovering hidden ingredients the hard way. Good thing that's mostly water weight so it should come right back off.


----------



## MissDoc

Welcome littlejune! Happy to have you.  

Congrats to you ladies who lost (Tigger, Cupcake)!! Keep up the great work! You're getting there. 

ireadyermind, I'm sorry about the water weight. That is always so incredibly annoying when that happens. Hopefully it melts right back off!

Deafgal, I hope yours comes off super easily too!

As for me, I didn't lose or gain this past week. Hopefully that changes this week! Trying to eat smaller portions and less junk.


----------



## ireadyermind

littlejune said:


> ugh I HATE hidden food labels. When my digestive system flares up there is a LOT I can't eat so I fully understand the frustration of discovering hidden ingredients the hard way. Good thing that's mostly water weight so it should come right back off.

I do, too! I thought everything was supposed to be clearly labeled, and so when I didn't see anything about additives on this particular package of chicken, I assumed (which is totally my own fault -- I should never assume!) that this brand didn't inject its products full of saline. The saltiness of those chicken breasts, though... eewww.

I drank 3 liters of water (that's about 12 glasses worth) yesterday and did an extra 10mins of cardio, and then today when I stepped on the scale, 2 of those 5lbs of water are already gone. So I'm going to keep up with the (drastically) reduced sodium diet for a few more days, keep drinking as much water as I can, and see where that gets me.

One thing I noticed was that I got a dull headache in the afternoon around my 8th glass of water. I have to assume that some of that was because my system was detoxing, and that caused a headache. I wasn't drinking the water so quickly that I was at risk for water poisoning, so no worries about that!





deafgal01 said:


> I did gain about 1 lb since last weight in. Oh well. We will see if this week changes me any with me going back to school to teach and being more mobile than laying on the couch all day.

Eep! Are you doing weight lifting or any muscle building workouts? Sometimes that can cause a small gain before the body's metabolism picks up and sheds some body fat. I hope it comes right off next week!





MissDoc said:


> ireadyermind, I'm sorry about the water weight. That is always so incredibly annoying when that happens. Hopefully it melts right back off!
> 
> As for me, I didn't lose or gain this past week. Hopefully that changes this week! Trying to eat smaller portions and less junk.

Thanks, I hope so too! Some of it has already come off since yesterday, thank goodness -- I don't feel like a human blimp this morning, and my pants aren't so snug around my middle. Woohoo! Haha

Hopefully we all see some good results in the coming week. I know I'm trying to get in as much cardio and weight training as I can, since next week I'm going on vacation and it's really hard to stick to a diet when you can't cook your own meals! 

If you didn't gain any weight this week, I'd count that as a good thing! It means that even if you had a few setbacks or crummy days, they weren't so bad that you can't repair the "damage". :)

Do you count calories or anything? What if you aimed to shave only like 100 calories off your daily intake, and maybe add 10 mins of cardio every day? That could be just enough to set your weight loss back in motion! I'm trying to add a few more minutes to my workouts too. Yesterday I had an extra 10 minutes and I even managed to increase the intensity, too, so I'm hoping it's a trend I can continue. :dance:


----------



## ireadyermind

I'm back to share this youtube channel I found which has a lot of high intensity cardio workouts that are pretty good! Some of them seem silly at first (I just tried the bed sheet workout and fell like a nutball for the first few minutes, lol!) but once you get going you realize they really are challenging.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBVhZfOJbmWsNUyExuTVS7Q

My only issue is that he sure does plug is website and products a lot! I could do without all the plugs, but his workouts are still free on youtube and so I can't fault the guy for trying to make a living. Haha

He IS encouraging and gives mini pep talks throughout his video, and says things like, "Don't focus on how much time is left, focus on how you're going to look when you're 20 pounds lighter," and, "If that voice in your head is telling you to quit, you tell it to shut up." lol


I'm hoping that I'll avoid my workout boredom by trying something new from his channel, and other channels, every day. Maybe that'll help keep me consistent!

If any of you gals try these videos, let me know what you think!


----------



## deafgal01

I don't exercise on a regular basis though I should so no i don't do weight lifting. Although I suppose shoveling snow for half hour counts as cardio seeing as I was outside and shoveling snow to the yard from driveway.


----------



## ireadyermind

Shoveling snow definitely counts! Especially if you got a little winded while you were shoveling, or if you broke a sweat. :)


----------



## deafgal01

Just looked at the bed sheet exercise. That does seem silly and too easy but I would try it... Looks fun enough!

I did break out into a sweat during the shoveling... So much that I had to change clothes after I came in and I was shocked at how cold my legs were but I felt hot still from all the sweating. :dohh:


----------



## EmmyReece

First weigh in for me and I've lost 0.7kg (which is the equivalent to 1.5lb), which I'm pretty pleased with as I've not been on plan 100% this week due to it being new year and my birthday. So any sort of loss I will happily take :happydance:

I've felt a bit bleurgh the past couple of days as at the moment I feel like a bit of a failure ttc wise as I know that it's my weight holding us back if we needed help.

So I've tried to turn that into something proactive and have ordered myself some new walking clothes (hoodie, sports bras, t shirts and joggers) and my dh has said he will order a pair of trainers for me. The plan is for me to start getting out and about with the dog more often and maybe try to work myself up to running (way down the line) :thumbup:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Way to go Emmy! 1.5 pounds is a Great loss for the week! Glad your motivated to get out more, wish I was this week. Dh's Grandpa's funeral was yesterday, so hoping we can have a little normalcy around here again. Joining the Gym didn't go as planned yet so I'm just doing a little extra around here....Hope everyone has a Fantastic Week!


----------



## MissCassie

Hi Ladies, 
hope its ok to join. 
i am planning on losing about 10-15kg in the next couple of months to make sure my body is ready to do IVF and to carry a little bean. i was taking duromine in December a weightloss pill and well i lost about 5kg so wasn't really worth it. but i now have my protein powders and weight loss powders to help and motivate me.

2015 will be my year to get pregnant i just know it and i wish you all the best with your weight loss journey and lost of :dust:

Stats:
Height: 5ft 8
Starting Weight: 84kg
Goal Weight: 65-70kg

Weigh-ins:
January 7: 84kg
January 14:
January 21:
January 28:

Total for January: - 0 at the moment only just starting 

Things I struggled with this month:

Things I did well this month:


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

EmmyReece said:


> First weigh in for me and I've lost 0.7kg (which is the equivalent to 1.5lb), which I'm pretty pleased with as I've not been on plan 100% this week due to it being new year and my birthday. So any sort of loss I will happily take :happydance:
> 
> I've felt a bit bleurgh the past couple of days as at the moment I feel like a bit of a failure ttc wise as I know that it's my weight holding us back if we needed help.
> 
> So I've tried to turn that into something proactive and have ordered myself some new walking clothes (hoodie, sports bras, t shirts and joggers) and my dh has said he will order a pair of trainers for me. The plan is for me to start getting out and about with the dog more often and maybe try to work myself up to running (way down the line) :thumbup:

Awwe, sweetie :hugs:

I feel like I can relate a lot to you. I wasn't quite as heavy as you when I started, and we haven't been TTC that long, but I knew my weight would be a problem, especially if we need help. And I know what it's like to have so much weight to lose it seems like a huge mountain that's impossible to get over.

I started out at 145 kg and am now down to 121 kg. I started a low-GI diet (basically avoids anything high in simple carbohydrates -- pasta, bread, potatos, candy, sweets, etc) and I count calories (I eat max 1.200 calories per day, there is usually 1 day per week when I'm not eating everything that I make myself, and I don't count, but I stick with the low-GI plan and I am super careful about my portions). This seems to have worked wonders for me -- since starting the plan just 4 months ago on September 1st, I'm down nearly 25 kg. My current end-goal is to get to 85kg, which would put my BMI in the range that will put me out of the 'obese' category.

Exercise is something I'm not very good at doing either -- in the past I have been more active, but in Denmark, particularly in the winter, it is cold and dark. I do have an exercise machine I can use at home, but I don't do it as often as I should. However, I notice a big difference in my capacity to even just do normal everyday stuff with the amount of weight I have gone so far. Exercise is really hard when you weigh a lot; it is painful. And I don't mean the "good" kind of "I'm working hard and burning fat" painful; I mean the "my joints are killing me" kind of pain. But what worked for me so far was just going at it 200% with the food alone, and then easing into the exercise (I'm still not good at exercising, but I'm getting better about being more active in general and starting to get better at exercising).

A different question: Have you noticed having also really long cycles? Does the Dr. attribute them to your weight?


----------



## deafgal01

Really long cycles? No. I don't think I have that issue with my weight. Least at this point. Perhaps my cycles do shorten by a day or two if I'm closer to 155, I don't know. Can't remember anymore. I think I've always been 30 days cycle girl. Not sure.


----------



## littlejune

Welcome Miss cassie!!

And good work tigger, sounds like you're very dedicated- I hope your hard work pays off soon! :dust:


----------



## MissDoc

Good Morning Ladies! I've been hopping on the scale every morning and that little rascal hasn't changed a bit, up or down. Holding at exactly the same number. Today I'm going to drink a lot of water and have a very clean eating day. My only non-clean splurge will be the flavored creamer in my morning coffee.  Hopefully a low cal day with lots of water will get things moving.

Good luck to you all!


----------



## deafgal01

So what has everyone eaten or done in terms of exercise today? I had two egg muffins and coffee this morning and then I hit the gym with my spouse since my girlfriend needed to hit the gym with someone who has gym membership considering it is too cold out today. I managed a 5K on the treadmill there in about 50 minutes. :wohoo: I alternated between jogging and fast walking in that time. Just now checked weight and it is 188.5 with the sweat I done between yesterday and today so about 3 lbs down which is the right way! We will see if I keep this up.


----------



## ajarvis

Hi ladies! Can I join! I gained like 8 lbs with my last pregnancy that just ended in MC. Oops. So I'm back on the clean eating routine - exercised and trained the whole time but had lots of deserts lol. Doing a weight loss challenge with some friends so hopefully that helps!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Welcome newbies!

I've had sauteed ground turkey with broccoli for breakfast & lunch LoL I could eat it everyday! Trying to get our routine down since funeral was yesterday! WTG on the workouts, I'm at work so nothing yet for me....


----------



## ireadyermind

deafgal01 said:


> Just looked at the bed sheet exercise. That does seem silly and too easy but I would try it... Looks fun enough!
> 
> I did break out into a sweat during the shoveling... So much that I had to change clothes after I came in and I was shocked at how cold my legs were but I felt hot still from all the sweating. :dohh:

Then that is certainly a good enough workout to count for the day! If you did that 3 times a week, you could consider yourself on the right track. I read an article somewhere that said people needed to do 50 minutes per day, 5 days a week if they wanted to see results, and I thought -- how ridiculous! What a discouraging thing to say to people who are already struggling just to get 15 minutes in on a daily basis! Ugh.

So I think ANY exercise you can get that is more than you were doing beforehand is sufficient. :) Keep it up!

*EDIT*: Let me tell you, that bed sheet exercise kicked my butt! I am sore ALL OVER this morning! I never thought flailing a sheet around would be a good workout, but it provided just enough resistance, and I was using my muscles in a way I normally don't. Whew! My legs, arms, and core muscles are all in need of a good stretch this morning, and now I can see why the man recommends only doing that routine 3 times a week! Phew!

And good job hitting the gym and getting those extra 3 pounds down! I'm a big believer that water really helps everything. You can't get rid of toxins or hydrate your muscles if you aren't getting enough, and that can really stall weight loss -- so keep on drinking up! :)





EmmyReece said:


> First weigh in for me and I've lost 0.7kg (which is the equivalent to 1.5lb), which I'm pretty pleased with as I've not been on plan 100% this week due to it being new year and my birthday. So any sort of loss I will happily take :happydance:
> 
> I've felt a bit bleurgh the past couple of days as at the moment I feel like a bit of a failure ttc wise as I know that it's my weight holding us back if we needed help.
> 
> So I've tried to turn that into something proactive and have ordered myself some new walking clothes (hoodie, sports bras, t shirts and joggers) and my dh has said he will order a pair of trainers for me. The plan is for me to start getting out and about with the dog more often and maybe try to work myself up to running (way down the line) :thumbup:

Woo! Good job on losing almost two pounds! I've heard that two pounds per week is the max you should lose if you want to keep the weight off later. It sounds like you're on the right track! I'm glad your husband is supporting you, too -- that's always such an awesome bonus. It's much easier (relatively speaking, that is) to stick with a new health plan when your spouse is encouraging you along the way!






MissCassie said:


> Hi Ladies,
> hope its ok to join.
> i am planning on losing about 10-15kg in the next couple of months to make sure my body is ready to do IVF and to carry a little bean. i was taking duromine in December a weightloss pill and well i lost about 5kg so wasn't really worth it. but i now have my protein powders and weight loss powders to help and motivate me.
> 
> 2015 will be my year to get pregnant i just know it and i wish you all the best with your weight loss journey and lost of :dust:
> 
> Stats:
> Height: 5ft 8
> Starting Weight: 84kg
> Goal Weight: 65-70kg
> 
> Weigh-ins:
> January 7: 84kg
> January 14:
> January 21:
> January 28:
> 
> Total for January: - 0 at the moment only just starting
> 
> Things I struggled with this month:
> 
> Things I did well this month:

Welcome, MissCassie! I'll add you to our list of participants. :)

15kg is a worthy goal, and one I'd be happy to reach myself! We'll be here to support you along the way. Good luck and baby dust, too! :)





ajarvis said:


> Hi ladies! Can I join! I gained like 8 lbs with my last pregnancy that just ended in MC. Oops. So I'm back on the clean eating routine - exercised and trained the whole time but had lots of deserts lol. Doing a weight loss challenge with some friends so hopefully that helps!

Welcome, welcome! We have a weigh-in chart in the first post in this thread, and you can paste it into your post and keep track of your weigh-ins, successes and setbacks all in one post. 

What is your total weight loss goal? Was it the 8 pounds you gained with your last MC, or did you have any additional goals?

Happy to have you with us! I hope we can provide you with some added support and motivation. :)


----------



## ireadyermind

deafgal01 said:


> So what has everyone eaten or done in terms of exercise today?


I try to plan everything in advance for the day, because it helps me stick to my diet rather than just decide on a whim what I want to eat.

The meal plan I stick to is high protein, low carb and low fat (though I still eat some of each and it's not quite so low carb as the Atkins diet), and I eat a small meal or snack every 3 hours. This prevents me from being so hungry at any given point that I end up binge eating. I also make sure to have a small serving of something sweet every day so that I don't feel starved of sweets and binge on those, either.

I usually get about 1,100 - 1,300 calories a day before exercise is taken into account. I also aim for a minimum of 2 liters of water per day, in addition to what I already drink with meals (like coffee or soda). If I don't get my minimum 2 liters of water, I don't get the soda I was planning on drinking.


Here's my break down for the day --

*Breakfast: *
8oz of coffee with 2 tbsp of flavored creamer & 1 tbsp unflavored, calorie free, non-dairy creamer
(I like my coffee to be pretty light, so rather than dump tons of flavored creamer into it, I do some flavored, some calorie free stuff so that I get the desired lightness with about half the calories and carbs. Woo!)

1 packet berry cereal from Medifast
This stuff is designed to be low GI, it has 11g of protein in it, and a bunch of added vitamins and minerals. Swapping a few of my meals every day with Medifast ones helps me stay under my calorie goal while keeping my protein intake high.​
*Snack 1:*
1 hard boiled egg
8oz Blue Diamond Original Unsweetened Almond Milk
​
*Lunch:*
8oz Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
12oz can Diet Dr. Pepper (I haven't had one in daaaaays! I am totally craving one now. Haha)​
*Snack 2:*
1 hard boiled egg
8oz Blue Diamond Original Unsweetened Almond Milk
​
*Dinner:*
5oz grilled salmon
1.5 cups of "Asian Salad Kit" mix, which has kale, cabbage, various lettuces, a sesame ginger vinaigrette dressing, some wonton strips and sesame seeds, plus almond slivers.​
*Dessert:*
1 Medifast chocolate chip cookie bake (it's like a single serving chocolate chip cookie mix, and you just add water and bake one)
2 tbsp fat free whipped topping​
Having done that vigorous youtube workout yesterday, and waking up sore in every muscle on my body (lol), I probably won't do much working out today. I am going to try to get 10 mins of cardio in on my stationary bike, but I won't beat myself up if I can't make that. My muscles took a real beating with that workout and they need to rest and rebuild! Haha


----------



## deafgal01

iready- your meals sound very healthy and 3 hours is a good plan to go with. I'd do that but with teaching, it's hard sometimes to snack in middle of day.

so for lunch, I had chili leftovers from last week. We cook a lot at home now- on a normal day when I go work/teach, I do have sandwich and cheese string stick. Occasionally I'll have vegetables with hummus too (carrots or celery usually). But anyways, yeah I had a bowl of chili with 1 serving of macaroni. No idea what is for dinner but we still have lasagna leftovers from yesterday and I have canned soup in the cupboards if we want something to heat up.


----------



## ajarvis

ireadyermind said:


> deafgal01 said:
> 
> 
> Just looked at the bed sheet exercise. That does seem silly and too easy but I would try it... Looks fun enough!
> 
> I did break out into a sweat during the shoveling... So much that I had to change clothes after I came in and I was shocked at how cold my legs were but I felt hot still from all the sweating. :dohh:
> 
> Then that is certainly a good enough workout to count for the day! If you did that 3 times a week, you could consider yourself on the right track. I read an article somewhere that said people needed to do 50 minutes per day, 5 days a week if they wanted to see results, and I thought -- how ridiculous! What a discouraging thing to say to people who are already struggling just to get 15 minutes in on a daily basis! Ugh.
> 
> So I think ANY exercise you can get that is more than you were doing beforehand is sufficient. :) Keep it up!
> 
> *EDIT*: Let me tell you, that bed sheet exercise kicked my butt! I am sore ALL OVER this morning! I never thought flailing a sheet around would be a good workout, but it provided just enough resistance, and I was using my muscles in a way I normally don't. Whew! My legs, arms, and core muscles are all in need of a good stretch this morning, and now I can see why the man recommends only doing that routine 3 times a week! Phew!
> 
> And good job hitting the gym and getting those extra 3 pounds down! I'm a big believer that water really helps everything. You can't get rid of toxins or hydrate your muscles if you aren't getting enough, and that can really stall weight loss -- so keep on drinking up! :)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> EmmyReece said:
> 
> 
> First weigh in for me and I've lost 0.7kg (which is the equivalent to 1.5lb), which I'm pretty pleased with as I've not been on plan 100% this week due to it being new year and my birthday. So any sort of loss I will happily take :happydance:
> 
> I've felt a bit bleurgh the past couple of days as at the moment I feel like a bit of a failure ttc wise as I know that it's my weight holding us back if we needed help.
> 
> So I've tried to turn that into something proactive and have ordered myself some new walking clothes (hoodie, sports bras, t shirts and joggers) and my dh has said he will order a pair of trainers for me. The plan is for me to start getting out and about with the dog more often and maybe try to work myself up to running (way down the line) :thumbup:Click to expand...
> 
> Woo! Good job on losing almost two pounds! I've heard that two pounds per week is the max you should lose if you want to keep the weight off later. It sounds like you're on the right track! I'm glad your husband is supporting you, too -- that's always such an awesome bonus. It's much easier (relatively speaking, that is) to stick with a new health plan when your spouse is encouraging you along the way!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> MissCassie said:
> 
> 
> Hi Ladies,
> hope its ok to join.
> i am planning on losing about 10-15kg in the next couple of months to make sure my body is ready to do IVF and to carry a little bean. i was taking duromine in December a weightloss pill and well i lost about 5kg so wasn't really worth it. but i now have my protein powders and weight loss powders to help and motivate me.
> 
> 2015 will be my year to get pregnant i just know it and i wish you all the best with your weight loss journey and lost of :dust:
> 
> Stats:
> Height: 5ft 8
> Starting Weight: 84kg
> Goal Weight: 65-70kg
> 
> Weigh-ins:
> January 7: 84kg
> January 14:
> January 21:
> January 28:
> 
> Total for January: - 0 at the moment only just starting
> 
> Things I struggled with this month:
> 
> Things I did well this month:Click to expand...
> 
> Welcome, MissCassie! I'll add you to our list of participants. :)
> 
> 15kg is a worthy goal, and one I'd be happy to reach myself! We'll be here to support you along the way. Good luck and baby dust, too! :)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ajarvis said:
> 
> 
> Hi ladies! Can I join! I gained like 8 lbs with my last pregnancy that just ended in MC. Oops. So I'm back on the clean eating routine - exercised and trained the whole time but had lots of deserts lol. Doing a weight loss challenge with some friends so hopefully that helps!Click to expand...
> 
> Welcome, welcome! We have a weigh-in chart in the first post in this thread, and you can paste it into your post and keep track of your weigh-ins, successes and setbacks all in one post.
> 
> What is your total weight loss goal? Was it the 8 pounds you gained with your last MC, or did you have any additional goals?
> 
> Happy to have you with us! I hope we can provide you with some added support and motivation. :)Click to expand...

Thanks :) First goal is the 8lbs Ideally 20 in total would be nice. That's what I'm going to work on while TTC to keep my mind off TTC. I'll go take a look at that first post :) 

Tonight I'm doing hills (I'm a runner) tonight I believe is 8 hills. I hope it's 8 and not 9. We shall see lol.


----------



## ajarvis

Stats:
Height: 5'3
Starting Weight: 169.5
Goal Weight:150

Weigh-ins: Monday
January 5: 169.5
January 12:
January 19:
January 26:
Total for January: +/-

Things I struggled with this month: Just finishing a miscarriage. So that's not been nice. But so far started my challenge on Monday and doing good!

Things I did well this month: Keeping up with exercise, and cutting out garbage food.

I'm looking to get back down to at least 160ish in the next 4-6 weeks. Then down to 150. Then reassess from there!


----------



## ireadyermind

AJarvis --

Awesome! Keeping up with exercise is probably the hardest issue for me. I can do really well for a week, sometimes two, and then I get SO bored with my routine that I just stop altogether.

I'm trying something new this month: every time I need to do a cardio workout, I'm going to try to find something new on YouTube, workout DVDs, etc. rather than sticking with the same two or three things I usually do. 

You seem to have some good habits in place. Good luck reaching your goal weight!


----------



## ireadyermind

deafgal01 said:


> iready- your meals sound very healthy and 3 hours is a good plan to go with. I'd do that but with teaching, it's hard sometimes to snack in middle of day.
> 
> so for lunch, I had chili leftovers from last week. We cook a lot at home now- on a normal day when I go work/teach, I do have sandwich and cheese string stick. Occasionally I'll have vegetables with hummus too (carrots or celery usually). But anyways, yeah I had a bowl of chili with 1 serving of macaroni. No idea what is for dinner but we still have lasagna leftovers from yesterday and I have canned soup in the cupboards if we want something to heat up.

What if you had protein shakes that you could take to work with you? When I worked in retail as a manager, there were days I didn't even get a lunch break on an 8 hour shift, and we weren't allowed to have food on the sales floor... BUT I could prepare a protein shake and keep it in a travel mug in the manager's office, and sip it whenever I had a chance to step away. We were all allowed to keep drinks handy as it prevented us from leaving the sales floor and slacking off in the break room every hour on the pretense of getting something to drink. Haha

The travel mug kept the stuff cold for long enough that I could drink it. I don't care to add ice to my beverages for the most part.


I currently use Muscle Milk brand shake mix and add it to my almond milk on days when I do intense workouts. There are some others I've tried, but thus far this one's the least terrible in taste. It's made with whey but still lactose free, which is what I need. I try to avoid too many soy products since I hear it can screw with your hormone levels.


----------



## ajarvis

ireadyermind said:


> AJarvis --
> 
> Awesome! Keeping up with exercise is probably the hardest issue for me. I can do really well for a week, sometimes two, and then I get SO bored with my routine that I just stop altogether.
> 
> I'm trying something new this month: every time I need to do a cardio workout, I'm going to try to find something new on YouTube, workout DVDs, etc. rather than sticking with the same two or three things I usually do.
> 
> You seem to have some good habits in place. Good luck reaching your goal weight!

Thanks! I am, and was during last pregnancy, training for a half marathon in February so it helps with consistency. I will start training over again from the beginning in February for June. I just need to get my eating under control :p


----------



## deafgal01

Not a fan of shakes unless it is wholesome fruits/vegs and milk or whatever. Too cold for cold shakes anyways so I will just make do and wait til lunch on days I work. I am still trying to think of healthy alternative that I can maybe suck on in the room like a piece of candy- similar idea to that anyways.


----------



## drjo718

Stats:
Height: 5'6
Starting Weight: 184
Goal Weight: 145

Weigh-ins: Monday
January 5: 183.0
January 12:
January 19:
January 26:
Total for January: +/-

Still not doing a diet or exercise plan, but haven't had any pop this year!


----------



## littlejune

Broke down and had beer and pizza tonight. ALSO had a hard day at work- VERY physically exhausting so skipped them gym. NOT letting this defeat me, back at it tomorrow. We got this, ladies!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hang in there! We all have bad days, but thankfully we get a "re-do" every morning! lol


----------



## deafgal01

That's the attitude, June! Reset today and be kind to yourself. yesterday is done and in the past.

So far I've only had coffee and 2 egg muffins this morning. I thought I was bad with my afternoon yesterday but I guess not because the scale said 188.6 so not too bad. I had chips for my snack (in a bowl- not out of the bag so I did follow portion I guess) and dinner was lasagna and ice cream. I did even let myself have a glass of wine and 2 cups of hot chocolate.


----------



## Jules8

Hi ladies! Do you mind if I join this group?
A little about me: I have been chunky all my life. It caused a lot of teasing that led to emotional eating problems. In high school I finally came out of my shell and started playing soccer. I was still a bit chunky, but with all of the running I was able to keep my weight down significantly. After high school I began to party a lot and started to gain. I settled down a few years ago when I met my husband.Shortly after meeting him I started a biggest loser program, losing about 35 pounds and went from a 18-10 so I was really proud of myself. However, after we got married last year I have been losing and gaining the same 10 pounds over and over. I really want to get past that 10 pounds and keep going instead of gaining it back just to lose it again. Its super annoying! lol I started eating low carb, high protein on Sunday and start at the gym tomorrow. It's been a long time since I have gone to the gym so I am nervous, but I feel like I need that motivation so I can stay on track unlike the past year. Workouts at home just don't work for me. Anywayyy..Hi!!! 
Stats:
Height: 5'2
Starting Weight: 203.6
Goal Weight:140

Weigh-ins: Monday
January 5: 203.6
January 12:
January 19:
January 26:
Total for January: +/-


----------



## ireadyermind

Welcome, Jules8! :)

I can totally relate to losing the same 10 pounds over and over again. I'm stuck at this plateau where I'll get a pound or two below it, then my weight spikes up 5 or more pounds the following week, EVEN IF I stick to my workout and diet plan. It's so aggravating! 

Hopefully we can all provide you with some support and encouragement. They say that having people to be accountable to is one of the biggest things that helps folks lose weight!

Glad to have you with us, and good luck! :)


----------



## ireadyermind

deafgal01 said:


> Not a fan of shakes unless it is wholesome fruits/vegs and milk or whatever. Too cold for cold shakes anyways so I will just make do and wait til lunch on days I work. I am still trying to think of healthy alternative that I can maybe suck on in the room like a piece of candy- similar idea to that anyways.

Hot green tea, maybe? That's supposed to be really good for one's metabolism and I've heard it helps suppress the appetite, but I'm not sure about that last bit.

I always chewed sugar free gum like crazy, because it helped curb my urge to snack in between meals. An added bonus: I had fresh breath all the time! lol


----------



## ajarvis

Question for ladies who've had a miscarriage. Did you workout during it? Did it make the bleeding worse? Were you advised for or against?


----------



## deafgal01

I don't even like tea.

Ajar- no advise here. Never been pregnant so can't say for sure about bleed after mc.


----------



## Jules8

Thanks for the welcome! Accountability is a big motivator for me. I always did better when I have someone to share my good and bad days with. 
ajarvis- I am so so sorry for your loss.I would say you could do a light workout. I would avoid any kind of cardio that involves jumping or intense ab work outs, but a walk or some light weights should be ok. I wish I could give you some more advice, but I have never had a miscarriage so I am not positive.
deafgal01-Do you need some breakfast or snack ideas?


----------



## deafgal01

Jules- just snack ideas for in my classroom. Something easy and doesn't need to be kept cold or heated up.

I have breakfast figured out- we do egg muffins. I imagine when spring/summer rolls around, we'll do smoothies again for breakfast but for now we'll stick with coffee for me/tea for my spouse and egg muffins for breakfast.


----------



## littlejune

Thanks for the encouragement deafgal- and good on you for portion control on the chips- I have the hardest time putting down food once I start so good on you!

Welcome Jules- you'll have plenty of support and accountability here!


----------



## cupcakestoy

When I M/C'd I didn't feel like doing anything other than laying around with my heating pad. I would say do what your comfortable with, from a medical stand point, it shouldn't make things worse....


----------



## Jules8

Deafgal01-I used to teach so I know how that goes. I used to make some yummy trail mix. Mine consisted of Cheerios(or whatever healthy cereal I had on hand), a small handful of dark chocolate chips, some almonds, and some dried fruit. I could munch on it whenever I had a minute. Protein balls are fun too. You can google and a bunch of recipes will pop up.Usually oats, peanut butter or honey, some raisins or chocolate chips, and then just make little balls. Make a big batch and keep in the freezer or fridge then take a few out and they are good to go. It is very filling. Homemade granola bars is another one.


----------



## ajarvis

I ended up going to bed lol. I had a pretty trying day emotionally. I feel much better today. I think I just needed rest. Will still talk to midwife today to see what she says. Just cause I'm curious and there's nothing on google haha


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hugs ajarvis! It was the most devastating thing I have been through thus far :( 

Hello Wonderful ladies! Hope everyone is well! Not weighed in latley, but I FEEL slimmer! LOL The Plexus has been great so far! I can for sure tell a difference in the bloat & my energy is up :) Haven't made it to the gym yet, with the funeral stuff, work & getting ready to leave for TCTC with our youth group today...BUT next week its on!!!! Hope everyone has a good weekend!!!


----------



## ajarvis

Thanks cupcakestoy! It was horrible. I'm slowly getting better. Last night was bad. But mostly good days now. 

I'm fairly certain I'm a pound down this week. And because my body is returning to normal I'm out of my fat pants lol. That alone helped me a ton emotionally this morning. I'd like to be down to my pre pregnancy weight from October before getting pregnant again. Want to start trying in February so need about 1.5-2lbs a week losses in January!


----------



## deafgal01

I did the evening relaxing yoga last night (it only required 15 min of my time) so I did that. I guess I shouldn't have been shocked at how much calories was in that pot pie I ate last night for dinner- but no damage done- I checked my weight this morning and it was only 189 so no biggie. I'll go to dance class tonight and pick my dinner choices wisely (nothing fried, nothing with fat in it).

So far today- I ate Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast- my usual medium coffee (no cream, no sugar, just mocha syrup) with a wake up wrap (just a basic one- egg and cheese). Then lunch was carrots with hummus and lasagna. We'll see what I decide to do for dinner- maybe olive garden. I should look up some points/calories info so I can make a good decision or at least plan in a good work out session to balance out the meal. I get to have my ballroom dance lesson tonight.

How's everyone doing with their meals/exercise for today?


----------



## ireadyermind

So far so good on my diet today. Still mustering up the determination to get some exercise. I have a terrible time sleeping at night, so I'm always exhausted -- but every few days I can get a good routine in. I figure as long as I get my 3x a week I'm doing well -- and I already got 2 days in this week.

Breakfast was 2 eggs and coffee.
Snacks include celery with fat free dressing, almond milk, and boiled eggs
Lunch is a cup of vegetarian chili
For dinner I'm planning on grilled chicken and mushrooms with steamed broccoli on the side.

The scale still hasn't reflected the last of the water weight leaving me so I'm still working on low sodium foods. So far I'm at 1,600mg of sodium when the daily recommended max is 2,300mg, so I think I'm doing pretty well there.

I am a little behind on water at this point, but I still have 8hrs to catch up! Haha


----------



## ajarvis

No exercise yesterday. But I cheated "in moderation" lol. Ended up at applebees cause we were going to see the Hobbit and my mom wanted to make a night of it. So had 1 drink. Entree off the "nutritious" menu -490 calories- small popcorn at the movies and no candy. Much better than a typical night would be! Oh and only over on myfitnesspal by 383 calories. Which my maintenance calories are 300 more than what's in there so only over by 83 calories for extra weight gain calories :) Have a run today and a super long one tomorrow planned.


----------



## deafgal01

Olive Garden was busy and we were short on time so we opted for a Thai place instead. I only maintained the weight from yesterday- 189.7 so not too bad of a gain (but if comparing to Monday's weight, it's still a loss of like 3 pounds or so). Haven't decided my work out for today yet.

Breakfast was cereal with milk and coffee... We'll see what I do for lunch today- perhaps the rest of my Thai leftovers.

How's everyone holding up with their food and exercise plan today?

Btw, good job aja for eating less than you normally would.


----------



## Jules8

I am not doing well w my work outs. I usually work out in our fitness/laundry room in our apt. Building or at work. However, I went down and it was like 10 degrees. Lol I got through 10 minutes on the stepper and my hands were frozen. I have also had a lot of meetings so exercising there hasn't worked out this week.( I am a supervisor of a group home and they work all day so i get it all to myself) I did find out that my new health plan includes discounted gym memberships..only $25 a month for any gym! It starts February 1st and I am taking full advantage. :)

Yesterday I underate..hard I know. But we ended up in the emergency room because my hubby had a stomach episode. 
Breakfast: protein breakfast bar Snack: string cheese lunch: leftover Alfredo pork chops and sautéed spinach snack 2: 2 hard boiled eggs dinner: no dinner :( 
Today- Breakfast: protein breakfast bar snack: hard boiled eggs Lunch: Last of the Alfredo pork chops Snack 2: string cheese Dinner will be broccoli and ham quiche.


----------



## deafgal01

:hugs: Aw Jules... Today's a new day. You should be able to get in your food today. I'm sorry it's been a bad week for trying to get exercise in and that your spouse was in the er. But that's excellent news on gym membership discount. I wish I had that option.


----------



## Jules8

Ajarvis- Good job making good choices! 

Deafgal01- do you weigh daily?

Ireadyermind- vegetarian chili sounds good! I have been in the mood for chili so I'll have to find one without beans. I also forgot about almond milk...so good!


----------



## deafgal01

Jules- I do lately. I prob shouldn't but I like knowing if I need to watch my portions in my meals for that day or if it's ok to splurge a little if I get asked to eat out with parents on weekends occasionally. I guess when I don't weigh myself and put the numbers down somewhere, I feel less likely to pay attention to what I'm doing to myself. I don't know if I'm making any sense.


----------



## Jules8

It makes sense! Lol just be careful because the only issue I ran into is that a lot of time I didn't see the gain for 2 days after my cheat day so just be careful. Sounds like you are doing well at being aware. :)


----------



## ajarvis

Thanks Jules! That's a great price for a gym membership! 

I got a 7.5km run in the snow in today :) -9 here with a windchill of -14. So much better than my last one at -26 haha


----------



## ireadyermind

Jules8 said:


> Ireadyermind- vegetarian chili sounds good! I have been in the mood for chili so I'll have to find one without beans. I also forgot about almond milk...so good!

lol -- well I'm glad I gave you some ideas! 

I have some serious lactose intolerance issues (since birth! Ugh), and with all the horror stories you hear about soy screwing up hormones, I try to avoid it when I can. THAT's hard, because just about every health product has soy in it, when it doesn't have dairy! 

DH and I tried this vegetarian protein shake mix a few weeks ago... Purely Inspired brand, I think, and it was... ew. So, so nasty. It had this faint mustard-like flavor to it no matter what we added (imagine mustard flavored chocolate milk?), and never mind just adding some to my almond milk and calling it good! We used it for 3 or 4 days, then found a lactose free whey isolate to use instead. Thank goodness. lol 

---


Didn't do too well on food today. We had breakfast at a local diner. I did manage to order a small entree rather than some kind of giant, 3-egg omelette the size of my shoe -- lol, and then DH and I skipped lunch, we were so full. lol

I did have a large frap from Starbucks a little bit ago, too. Eep!

At least we'll be doing something with grilled chicken for dinner tonight. That seems to be the old stand-by, and it's pretty healthy! lol

Exercise was basically all the walking we got in while running errands today.


*Note:* I'll be on vacation for the next several days, ladies! Won't be able to weigh in on Monday and likely won't be on the forums at all, since DH and I are celebrating our birthdays together and will be focused on stuff besides internet access for the duration. Good luck for Monday and I'll see you all when I get back! :hugs:


----------



## deafgal01

have fun iready! Birthdays are so fun to celebrate!!! and vacation is good too!


----------



## Jules8

Happy early Birthday! Have fun! :)


----------



## littlejune

wow ajarvis you're a rock star- way to go!

have fun on vacay iread! and keep up the good work ladies.

AFM- I put my strict dieting and rigorous exercise on a brief hold as I found out yesterday morning I am pregnant! Pretty crazy- this is my first ever pregnancy and I estimate I am near the end of 5 weeks. So I will keep up the healthy eating and regular workouts but they won't be so focused on getting super lean haha. 

Any mommies have good workout ideas for the first trimester?


----------



## ajarvis

Thanks! It comes with living in Calgary AB haha.

18K this morning :) Don't want to move this afternoon lmao.

littlejune while pregnant I continue as usual at a bit lower intensity. I find that's forced anyways as you get further along. First tri when you feel nasty, and tired etc. just get done what you can and take care of you!


----------



## cupcakestoy

LittleJune- Congrats & best wishes to you!!!!:happydance::happydance::happydance:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Sorry I have been MIA ladies! BUSY weekend with our kiddos, but what a blessed time as we saw hundreds of teens get saved, 6 of our own!!!!:happydance::happydance::happydance::happydance:

Hope everyone has great results with the scales today! AFM....I can't believe it, but I've dropped 6 pounds this week!!!!:dance::dance: All I can tell you is this is my 1st full week on Plexus, & I have ate more fiber & protein, increased my water & decreased my carbs. I did walk ALOT this weekend as well! Super excited about my loss, but am realistic in knowing I won't lose as much each week, but I can feel my dedication & motivation growing! lol


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies! Hope you all are well!

ireadyermind, I hope you have a lovely vacation 

I had AF visiting last week, so I was a bit bloated mid-week, but it seemed to sort itself out over the weekend. Overall, I did quite well with my diet. I have a ski holiday coming up in a couple of weeks, so I'm really looking forward to that 

I weighed in this morning and am down 2,5 kg (that's about 5,5 pounds). So excited for a big loss this week (of course it means next week's loss will likely be pretty small, but I'll take it anyway!).

Good luck to everyone weighing in today; I hope the scales are nice to you all.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Great job Mrs. T!!! I'm like you & don't expect a big loss next week, but at least I'm finally heading in the right direction lol


----------



## Fern81

Hi everyone :flower:

I've been following this thread since the start and wow ladies, well done to all of you for striving to live healthier, fitter lives. 

I've been on clomid from August last year and have picked up a lot of weight (for my frame) since then. I do believe the clomid is at least partially to blame for that gain, as I hadn't changed my eating habits. I'm just waiting out this cycle (AF should be here on Friday unless I get a surprise bfp), and would then like to join your thread, if that's OK :). I need the accountability!! 

If I'm not pregnant then I am going to take a proper break from clomid and ttc for a few cycles and definitely want to work on getting fit, losing weight and getting healthier. For self-esteem issues as well as for my overall health. I have hypothyroidism as well as endo; so I want to incorporate dietary plans to help my body cope with those 2 problems as well.

In the meantime I'm stalking!! xx:winkwink:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Welcome Fern! I gained a lot on meds & m/c too. Goodluck on your wt. Loss!


----------



## deafgal01

Weighed in this morning and 189.5 :wohoo: So total for last week was about 4 pounds lost. I only ended up exercising at the gym one day last week, yoga evening routine one night last week, and ballroom dance two days last week. So I guess overall, I did get more active in general than I usually am. :shrug:

This week's plan of action, keep watching portion sizes and hopefully increase my amount of exercise (or if nothing else, find ways to walk off the pounds). How's everyone doing with their weigh in today?


----------



## Jules8

Stats:
Height: 5'2
Starting Weight:203.6


Weigh-ins:
January 5:203.6
January 12:199.6
January 19:
January 26:
Total for January: +/- 4

Things I struggled with this week: Working out! I did not work out 1 day and I know I could have lost more if I had. I am forcing myself to dedicate at least 30 minutes 4 days to do some kind of exercise this week. 

Things I did well this week: I ate strictly to my plan with no cheat meal/day. I want to continue to go as long as I can. I have a wedding this weekend so I will allow myself to enjoy the festivities, but not go overboard. 

cupcakestoy- What an amazing blessing for those kids and for all of the people that helped them reach that decision. Such an amazing thing! Congrats on you loss, that is really great! Kepp up the great work! :)
MrsTigger- Congrats on your BFP! 

fern- Welcome! We are here to help you on this journey and support you through it! 

deafgal- 4 pounds is awesome!!! So exciting!!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Jules8 said:


> Stats:
> Height: 5'2
> Starting Weight:203.6
> 
> 
> Weigh-ins:
> January 5:203.6
> January 12:199.6
> January 19:
> January 26:
> Total for January: +/- 4
> 
> Things I struggled with this week: Working out! I did not work out 1 day and I know I could have lost more if I had. I am forcing myself to dedicate at least 30 minutes 4 days to do some kind of exercise this week.
> 
> Things I did well this week: I ate strictly to my plan with no cheat meal/day. I want to continue to go as long as I can. I have a wedding this weekend so I will allow myself to enjoy the festivities, but not go overboard.
> 
> cupcakestoy- What an amazing blessing for those kids and for all of the people that helped them reach that decision. Such an amazing thing! Congrats on you loss, that is really great! Kepp up the great work! :)
> MrsTigger- Congrats on your BFP!
> 
> fern- Welcome! We are here to help you on this journey and support you through it!
> 
> deafgal- 4 pounds is awesome!!! So exciting!!

Wow, 4 pounds lost is a great job.

I didn't get a BFP, though I wish I had. You must have meant someone else :hugs:


----------



## Jules8

I got you mixed up with littlejune, my apologies. Good job on your loss as well!!!


----------



## MissDoc

Great work everyone! Congrats on the losses. I did not step on the scale this morning as the witch arrived last night, so I knew better than to weigh this morning!

But I doubt I lost any anyhow. I didn't work as hard as I should have last week, and am going to really work on my consistency this week, particularly with exercise. It's tough because I work 9-10 hour days plus about 1.5 hours total commuting time, I can be away from home up to 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. By the time I get home I'm wiped out and need to figure out what to make for dinner, and sometimes still have more work to do. The very LAST thing I want to do is exercise with my free hour or two, but I know I need to just do it.


----------



## ajarvis

Down 3 lbs today ladies :) 

Stats:
Height: 5'3
Starting Weight: 169.5
Goal Weight:150

Weigh-ins: Monday
January 5: 169.5
January 12: 166
January 19:
January 26:
Total for January: -3.5


----------



## cupcakestoy

Wow! We are on a roll ladies!!!


----------



## Jules8

Ajarvis- With all that is going on right now that is a pretty great loss! Good job! 

I am so glad for this group. It really does help me feel more self-conscious of my health decisions knowing that I am being held somewhat accountable by weighing in. 

Everyone is doing great so far!


----------



## ajarvis

Thanks :)

Got a 20 min workout in this morning, and I have run club to look forward to this afternoon :)


----------



## MissDoc

I'm loving everyone's momentum this week.  I'm feeling a lot more motivated than I have been. Last cycle TTC was really stressful for me and I was just a mess. I am going to take a break from TTC (which makes me a bit nervous in my 30s) and just focus on prepping my body and my life for baby. 

So far I'm doing a better job at exercising and eating smaller portions this week. I got in good exercise Sunday, Monday, and plan to tonight as well. Tonight will be HIIT after work and hopefully DH will join me.


----------



## deafgal01

:hi: Hope you all are doing great this week!

I didn't get in any exercises so far this week but I definitely count my steps- I get more steps in lately walking around at work and going to places so I guess that helps because it means I'm being more active. Bonus- this Saturday I'm going out to eat with my girlfriends for lunch, and dinner with my guy so I will have to plan for my Saturday to make sure I minimize the possibility of going over my calories/points. I track my food on WW the past couple days to help me see what I'm eating that could be better "choice" than what I ate already.

I'm not too hungry tonight. Spouse had dinner at chick-fil-a and that sounded good but I didn't have any on the way home and the other options were fast food but I didn't feel like splurging my points if I plan to eat out Saturday (flex points being saved for that in case). So I opted for my popcorn instead (been a while since I had my popcorn and I have them air popped- and melt 1 tbsp butter to put on it) so I do eat as healthy as possible with my snacks on occasion when I think about it. Trying to decide if I want my wine or if I want ice cream or something else or am I just happy not having more tonight.


----------



## ajarvis

MissDoc I am focusing for this month on getting back down to where I was before I got pregnant in October. So trying not to think of TTC until next month! Give the mind a break too. I hope you had a good HIIT session!

Deafgal I too find tracking helps be aware of what you're eating - especially snacking on! I use myfitnesspal. 

I got my second workout in yesterday - 6KM run in the evening! Will be going out tonight as well. Not sure how far - probably 5 or 6K though. Not doing anything this morning. Needed some sleep!


----------



## MissDoc

Deafgal-- Way to go on the iron will power! That is awesome. I hope you enjoy Saturday.  I need to get back to tracking my steps... that reminds me, I should charge my fitbit!

AJarvis-- Two workouts in a day? Way to go! Yeah, taking a break can be really helpful sometimes. TTC can be pretty stressful!


----------



## drjo718

Good job on the losses, everyone!
I weighed in on Monday at 181.2, so down a little. Still not doing anything diet or exercise related, but i have just been diagnosed with pcos, so I'm going to try inositol which may end up helping me lose weight.


----------



## deafgal01

How's everyone's day going? Mine's going good. I just realized one other motivator I have for losing weight... I see myself in videos a lot more lately... Ick! I don't look too bad but I can feel better about my looks if I would look more toned I guess. I've been making more signing videos to demonstrate ASL for my students and families I am a Deaf Mentor for. But I am having a good day so far. I could prob fit in some exercise this evening at some point.


----------



## ajarvis

Got 5K in last night. Slept in this morning. Sore, tired body. Tired mind. So ready for Friday. It's my Birthday so I'm debating on doing a birthday run or taking a day off cause it's my Birthday.... Torn lol


----------



## cupcakestoy

Good Morning ladies :) Hope everyone is having a better week than I am! Been a crazy stressful week, but I have stuck to my plan. Not got to do but a couple days of actual activity tho :/ Good news is at least my weight hasn't gone, holding steady....Hoping since I'm off for the next 3 days I can get some exercise in & drop a couple of pounds before weigh in....


----------



## Jules8

So I weighed in this morning because I wanted to know where I was before the weekend. Only .6 down from Monday..I have been doing sooo good! I know its still something, but I am clearly doing something wrong or it would be more. I have drastically cut my carb, sugar, and calorie intake. I even worked out 2 days. 

I did look at what I have been drinking and I don't think I have been drinking enough water. I noticed I have been drinking more crystal light than I probably should be...my plan is to strictly drink water unless I really need a sip of something different. 

I will be gone all weekend for a wedding so I know I won't be able to stay on plan like I would like to, though I promised myself I am not going to go crazy. 

Wish me luck that I don't gain back everything I have lost in the past 2 weeks!! lol


----------



## littlejune

So proud of the willpower here, ladies! Way to go! I managed a workout yesterday- my first since finding out I'm pregnant. It was brutal- I'm SO tired and nauseated all day so my stamina was pretty weak but hoping to keep going and build up more endurance.


----------



## itsautumn

I'm a little late but I think I'll join you ladies! :happydance:


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies!

I hope the weekend is nice to you all. I weighed in this morning at 118,4, so only down 0.5 kg since Monday morning's weigh-in. I had a string of really good losses, so it makes sense it would slow down for awhile, so I'm not really concerned. I'm still doing great with staying on plan.

Tonight is date night for DH and I; I almost rarely eat out, but we decided to go out this evening, so this evening's meal is a 'cheat meal'. I usually retain a lot of water if eat a meal that is higher in carbs than I normally eat (I normally it only meat, fruit, and vegetables), so I'm not sure how that will affect Monday's weigh-in.

:hugs: to all!


----------



## deafgal01

Welcome autumn. Make sure you get your stats post so we can see how you're doing. It's on the first page.

Mrs.T- a date night is always fun! I have one tonight too.

I thought I didn't lose any this week cuz it steadily stayed at 188 for the most part- I suppose I should be glad that I'm maintaining it rather than gain. I went to the gym yesterday though after school and did a trailblazer work out for a change. However, I do have to eat out for lunch and dinner today so I'm going to try to make lunch light as possible- maybe split with one of my girlfriends (4 of us getting together). Then for dinner, it's thai food, so going to be hard to not "overeat" but I'll see what I can do. It may help that I'll be walking around this afternoon anyways as we're going shopping after lunch so we'll see what kind of damage tonight does for me. I do have the option of going to a dance party tonight after dinner so we'll see what happens with my day today. I hope I get to go to the dance party- I enjoy going to this studio's dance parties as it's mostly ballroom dancing type of thing.


----------



## littlejune

Welcome Autumn! Any mommies out there who managed to stay fit during pregnancy? I have gained 5 lbs seemingly over night which on my very petite frame is quite noticeable. I know weight gain is a good thing, but I'm only about 7 weeks so I don't even look pregnant yet- just chubby. UGH.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Af got me today, so I'm hoping since I'm the same weight as last weigh in that I'm retaining fluid & will lose when she leaves lol I'll officially weigh in the morning tho......

LJ-I actually lost the entire pregnancy the 1st time, but started out way over weight. The 2nd pregnancy I gained way to much & kept it! :( I wouldn't worry to much just yet!


----------



## ajarvis

littlejune the pregnancy I just lost I was training for a half marathon and still gained 8 lbs in 12 weeks! But 6 of those was like 7ish weeks in! My body gains and holds when pregnant. Just stay active. Do strength training, and cardio etc. will make the weight come off easier after baby is born too.

AFM I got my 18KM in this morning and I'm now relaxing on the couch watching packers playoff game :)


----------



## deafgal01

I ended up over-eating yesterday so I went to the gym this afternoon hoping to either maintain the weight or lose some. :dohh: But at least it was worth the fun day- lunch with the girlfriends were kinda light. Dinner was a bit heavy though. I hit the gym Friday afternoon too so hopefully the fact that I hit up the gym Friday and today helps offsets those extra calories yesterday.


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies!

I love this group's energy and motivation.:flower:

So AF arrived and I'm taking a break from clomid. Will be dieting and exercising, eating healthy foods and trying to follow the endo diet & thyroid diet guidelines for my overall hormonal health. Just ntnp this month and maybe next month as well. Need the break! Ttc is draining and threatening to steal my joy. So for a while, I will rather focus on what I actually have control over; one of those being (to a degree) my health!

I don't weigh _that_ much. But I have a really small frame and I do look overweight. My weight is also very unevenly distributed with a lot of fat around my middle/stomach. Now I know that is unhealthy and points to a high level of (toxic!) visceral fat. So my goal is to lose about 8-9 kg BUT more importantly, to tone up and lose the "bad fat", and build more muscle. So if I build healthy muscle and only lose about 5-6 kg I will also be very happy!

My motivation is self-image and health; e.g we want to start traveling a bit so I would like to feel more comfortable in a bikini. I also need to get my energy levels and stamina up and feel more healthy overall by decreasing my endo and thyroid issues as much as possible.

My biggest downfall is carbs and red meat. I try to cut out as much as possible but really struggle. I plan on doing the "banting" diet basically, but substituting plant protein (beans) for red meat. And if I really crave sugar then I will try to have a piece of fruit instead of sweets, cupcakes or chocolates! Will also be trying spearmint tea and EPO to help normalize hormone levels.

Stats:
Height: 1,65 m (5,4 ft)
Starting Weight: 59 kg (130 pounds)
Goal Weight: +/- 52 kg (114)

Weigh-ins:
January 5:
January 12:
January 19: 59 kg
January 26:
Total for January: +/-

Things I struggled with this month:

Things I did well this month:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Welcome fern & autumn! Good luck :)

Hope everyone had a good weekend! AF is kicking my tail :( Bloated ugg, BUT weight is unchanged! So hoping next week is extra good to me :)


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I weighed in this morning: down 0,8 kg. Nothing huge, but considering my string of big losses lately, I'll take it.

I won't be able (I don't think) yo weigh in the next two Mondays, because I'll be gone on holiday.

Hope you are all doing well :hugs:


----------



## EmmyReece

:dohh: I really need to start posting properly in here.

I've been pushing myself to get extra walking in and completely overdid it on saturday to the extent where I could barely walk on my right foot. I rested it all day yesterday and it feels better, but not quite 100% so it's only a short walk for today I think.

I've changed back to weighing in lbs as I've totally confused myself with kg and lbs and didn't have a clue where I was :blush: So I'll join in properly with the weighing in as of next month :D


----------



## MissDoc

Hi Ladies! Welcome to the new members. 

And congrats to those who lost (or maintained) this past week! Keep up the momentum!

AFM, my weigh in was 149.8. It's only a teeny tiny bit down, but I'll take it. My goal this month is the end January at 149 or under, so I'm headed in the right direction.


----------



## deafgal01

I checked Saturday and my weight was down to 185 something but with the eating out and everything, I am at 188.1 this morning. That's ok. I'll take it as it's still a loss compared to last week Monday's weigh in! :wohoo:

What is everyone's plan of action this week? I'm going to try and continue hitting up the gym/get in those walks as well as tracking the food I eat. Hopefully I'll still see a loss this week with less eating out planned compared to the 2 I had last week (I think the husband only agreed to Olive Garden- so we'll finally eat at Olive Garden to use up our gift card).


----------



## ajarvis

I'm the same as last week! 166. But. I'm sure if I weigh tomorrow it will be less because long runs make me hold onto weight sometimes, and combined with wine on saturday oops.


----------



## drjo718

182.6 today for me. Although I was 179.2 yesterday so it's probably just water weight. My goal is to be 176 by Feb 9.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

So, I was diagnosed with PCOS today :cry: This is apparently why I'm not pregnant yet. They did a scan showed my ovaries and I am not sure that you can find a better textbook example of polycystic ovaries.

My doctor says I'll qualify for treatment when my BMI is at 32 or lower, which means I need to get down to 90 kg for my height. I guess I'll take this as motivation to really stick with the weight loss and go as hard as I can.

I leave on Saturday for ski holiday (well, really snowboard holiday). I'm going to try to be sure to eat sensibly and see if I can use all of that extra exercise to my advantage and hopefully not gain weight (It's surprisingly easy to gain weight on ski holiday! Especially in Italy).

Fingers crossed for a healthy, happy week to everyone. :thumbup:


----------



## Fern81

Hi everyone!

So the diet is going good so far. Since even before the weekend I haven't had much of an appetite (pms was WEIRD this time around, couldn't even eat chocolate!). So that helped. I'm also back at work and I teach and talk all day long so there is not a lot of time to eat, which helps even more!

From tomorrow I'm going to try and replace coffee with green tea. Have started with the spearmint tea daily and am also having green smoothies daily (which I LOATHE so might stop in a few weeks).

I love the suggestion on this group earlier to drink more water to help with water-weight loss. 

Now must just start exercising.... will do HIIT one day, go running the next. A lot of ladies here are doing boot camp but I don't really like training in a group.

Mrs Tigger - my sister has PCOS and as soon as they started her on metformin, she was able to fall pregnant. She fell pregs both times on the first try. In fact she is pregnant with twins right now! So I know for a fact that PCOS can be overcome. x

:hugs: to all!!


----------



## EmmyReece

Rest day for me today, then hoping to walk 1.5 - 2 miles tomorrow and slowly start building that up. It's not worth the risk to push myself too hard to begin with otherwise I'm going to end up hurting myself even more and not be able to do anything for a while, which will have me back at square one.

Feeling a bit sad today. Yet another pregnancy announcement on facebook, a couple who got married a while after we did. I'm trying to keep positive and not blame myself for where we are, but it's getting more and more difficult and all I can do is just keep plodding on and try to get rid of the weight so we can finally get some help and tests :nope:


----------



## Jules8

Good job to all the ladies who maintained/lost this week!!

Mrs. Tigger- I am so sorry to hear that. :( We are here to support you until you reach your goal..you can do it!! 

Fern- I don't blame you for stopping those green smoothies. They are gross!!! lol I hear that on drinking more water too! :)

EmmyReece- I know that feeling. I feel like everyone is getting pregnant around me. I just keep reminding myself to keep my chin up and keep pushing forward because one day it will be my turn.
It is not your fault, we are all put in situations for a reason and you will come out at the end stronger. Sending you some good thoughts!! 

Well I did ok at the wedding. Didn't do great, but normally I would have ate a lot more. The biggest issue was all the drinking I did. I went up .4 pounds so not too bad. I made my menu up for the week so I am ready to keep going!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hello ladies! Will comment later when I'm at home....just wanted to pop in today to say I'm joining the gym today!!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

I'm back!

DH and I had a wonderful time on vacation. We did overeat a few days during the week, and some days the only food we could get was from a fast food joint -- BUT to make up for that, we did SOOOO much walking. Miles and miles of walking! lol

We went to Las Vegas, you see, and to get up and down The Strip, you have a few options: pay for bus fare, pay for monorail fare, pay for a taxi, or walk. Considering everything in Vegas costs many times more than it ought (for example, we typically pay a dollar or two for a liter of bottled water here in town, but in Vegas the water was FIVE dollars a bottle!), we walked as much as we could. The first day we were in town we got 1.5 miles in right off the bat. Whew!

The downside is -- I caught a NASTY flu bug either on the last day in Vegas, or on the flight home... From Sunday through today I was battling fevers, body aches and all the bad stuff that goes along with the flu. I was up all night Sunday and most of Monday morning with a high fever over 103°F... blech!

So no weigh-ins for me for the past two Mondays. I'm just resting, getting lots of fluids in and sleeping, for the most part.

I'm so glad to see how well you ladies are doing, though! So much weigh lost just in the week I was gone, hooray! :)

Keep it up! I hope to join you in celebrating losses instead of gains next week. I'm starting to think I have a thyroid or other hormonal problem that's causing me to gain weight even while on my diets. I can't imagine why else I'd gain weight for three months of working out and eating better, rather than lose it. Even if the scale stayed the same, but my pants fit better, I'd be happy with that! o.o

Before the surgery I had for my cancer back in May, I could lose a couple pounds a month at minimum. Sometimes 4 or 5 pounds a month if I was being really good. The surgery seemed to throw all KINDS of things out of whack that we never could have anticipated, so I'm hoping that my system continues to even back out and I can start making progress again.

We'll see what happens. DH and I are going to go on a break from TTC if I don't get my BFP this month. Part of that is so I avoid having a December baby, and part of that is so I can focus on getting as healthy as possible without stressing over ovulation and all that. We'll pick back up in May and I hope to have lost some weight by then!


----------



## ajarvis

Ireadyermind sounds like a fabulous vacation! With the scale maybe you're just changing your body and not losing weight? Tightening, gaining lean mass etc? Cause if your pants fit better that's a great sign!


----------



## MissDoc

I really shouldn't check my weight daily, because the past two days it's been up and I'm not really sure why, but it bums me out. 

ireadyermind-- Sounds like a great vacay! I'm sorry that you're body hasn't been cooperating and showing the progress you've been making in diet and exercise efforts. I'll hope you get your BFP this month, but if not, I'll be on the waiting train with you, so we can get healthy together before TTC again.


----------



## Fern81

Missdoc and ireadyermind- I'm also not officially trying atm. Getting healthy and fit before trying again! Fun :)


----------



## ireadyermind

ajarvis said:


> Ireadyermind sounds like a fabulous vacation! With the scale maybe you're just changing your body and not losing weight? Tightening, gaining lean mass etc? Cause if your pants fit better that's a great sign!

That's just it, they DON'T fit better. Nothing does. In fact, I've gone UP a pants size. I started this diet plan at 224 pounds and when I stepped on the scale today, I saw 230 pounds. I'm so disappointed!

At the very least, I've been eating at a calorie deficit that is suitable for my sedentary lifestyle/desk job. That should produce SOME results, right? Ugh.

But when you take into consideration that I'm also exercising a few times a week, I've started drinking more water and I've changed the KINDS of foods I eat to be healthier, leaner ones instead of just sticking to eating junk, I really can't understand why I keep gaining instead of losing.

I really don't want to have to resort to working out for an hour or longer per day, every single day, just to make a tiny dent.

A few years back, that's what it took. I rode my bike to work every day, rain or shine, for a 5 mile round trip, and I had a very physically demanding job at 8 - 10 hours per day... Even then I wasn't losing much weight, mostly maintaining even though I ate responsibly and drank several liters of water per day.

I'm considering seeing if we have room in our budget for me to find a personal trainer. Someone who can work around my physical limitations and build me a workout that will show me some progress. >.>

Fingers crossed!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Sorry your having a hard time. Just a thought but have you had your thyroid checked? Maybe low in vit d as well. I would check it out, maybe a full metabolic work up...


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> Sorry your having a hard time. Just a thought but have you had your thyroid checked? Maybe low in vit d as well. I would check it out, maybe a full metabolic work up...

I'd considered that and was tested for thyroid disorders a few years back, without any clear results. I might ask again, since I have a new physician now and the last one didn't seem very interested in me in the first place. Blech.

Seems to me if you have a patient coming to you saying, "This is crazy! Why am I not losing weight!?" and that patient is already making an effort to get in shape, then you oughta help 'em out, right? I mean, doctors sure make a point of telling me every time I go in that I need to lose weight, why not help me find out what else I can do to get fit? :dohh:

I'm not "morbidly obese", so insurance won't cover surgeries, injections or anything of that nature. Especially not since I'm trying to get pregnant, sooooo.... I dunno. Maybe I _should_ go back to that crazy all-day-long routine of busting my but at a tough job and walking or biking to get there? >.>

One thing I did think of as an option is just standing and walking in place at my desk during the day. I work from home so it'd be no big deal to make some adjustments there. It'd increase the amount of movement I'm doing all day long, which certainly couldn't hurt!

I used to have a FitBit (it was stolen, but I loved it!) and it starts you off at a goal of 10,000 steps per day. I already know I don't get that now, but walking in place at my desk is a start!


----------



## ajarvis

Ah. Sorry I misread. I'd also re-evaluate how many calories you're eating and why compared with your activity level etc. sometimes it just takes a small tweak to get things going again.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

:winkwink:Hi Ladies! :flower:

I'm feeling a little less depressed today and I'm mentally shifting into a mode where I'm just focused on weight loss and enjoying life and doing things that I won't be able to do while pregnant. I've got several work trips coming up in the next few months that that should be a lot of fun, so I'm looking forward to that.

In some ways it's kind of liberating to not be peeing on OPKs, symptom spotting, stressing, etc. I sort of forgot what it was like :winkwink:

I'm totally excited about snowboarding next week. The place where we're going is getting fresh snow as I speak, so conditions should be great.

I have been weighing in every day this week and no budge in my weight, but I know that it sometimes stalls for a few days before going again, so I'm just sticking to the plan. I'm a little worried about next week in Italy -- it's a touch place for a person with PCOS who needs to avoid carbs! :dohh:

I'm waiting for :witch: to come again so I can go in on CD3 for testing, both of my hormone levels and also for my thyroid. She thinks my thyroid is borderline underactive and would like me to be on medication for it before I get pregnant. I'm considering it a benefit of having to wait to get help, that we have time to get that sorted out beforehand (because having an underactive thyroid during pregnancy can cause miscarriage).

Hope you are all doing well this week with staying on plan. Stick with it, even if it seems like nothing is moving! It will eventually!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Mrs. Tigger said:


> :winkwink:Hi Ladies! :flower:
> 
> I'm feeling a little less depressed today and I'm mentally shifting into a mode where I'm just focused on weight loss and enjoying life and doing things that I won't be able to do while pregnant. I've got several work trips coming up in the next few months that that should be a lot of fun, so I'm looking forward to that.
> 
> In some ways it's kind of liberating to not be peeing on OPKs, symptom spotting, stressing, etc. I sort of forgot what it was like :winkwink:
> 
> I'm totally excited about snowboarding next week. The place where we're going is getting fresh snow as I speak, so conditions should be great.
> 
> I have been weighing in every day this week and no budge in my weight, but I know that it sometimes stalls for a few days before going again, so I'm just sticking to the plan. I'm a little worried about next week in Italy -- it's a touch place for a person with PCOS who needs to avoid carbs! :dohh:
> 
> I'm waiting for :witch: to come again so I can go in on CD3 for testing, both of my hormone levels and also for my thyroid. She thinks my thyroid is borderline underactive and would like me to be on medication for it before I get pregnant. I'm considering it a benefit of having to wait to get help, that we have time to get that sorted out beforehand (because having an underactive thyroid during pregnancy can cause miscarriage).
> 
> Hope you are all doing well this week with staying on plan. Stick with it, even if it seems like nothing is moving! It will eventually!

Glad your feeling better! It is nice to not be timing & over analysing everything! Yet somehow, I still manage a little hope right before af is due :/ Luckily for me its just a temporary let down when she shows, as I have come to terms that we will not conceive naturally, unless its a Miracle from God! But that's ok....Just more incentive to lose the pounds & save the big bucks to get to IVF & our THB! 

Everyone is doing such a good job! Glad I joined this thread! You ladies are a motivation!!! Hang in there, its not an easy path, thats for sure!:hugs:


----------



## MissDoc

ireadyermind-- Man that is annoying. I'm sorry. :-( Perhaps considering a standing work desk? It's supposed to be so much better for you. I'm considering tyring to convert my keyboard so that it and my mouse are elevated so I can stand more when I'm on my work computer.

Fern-- Gotcha! Wonderful! Do you have any thoughts on when you plan to start TTC again?

Cupcake-- I agree. It's great to have the motivation and support from this thread. Good luck with saving the big $ for IVF. So darned expensive!

Tigger-- That's seriously a bummer about the PCOS, but now that you know what it is you can be treated. You have a great plan! 

I fear I might have something "off" with my fertility too, but I'm going to track the next three months and see if I can sort out any patterns first before pursuing more testing. I'm on meds that supposedly can interfere with fertility (dermatology meds), so that might also explain my misleading high levels of estrogen and odd LH readings and potential lack of ovulation. I should start tapering those meds in a couple months and maybe that will right things. We'll see!


----------



## Jules8

ireadyermind- I am glad you had fun in Vegas! That is on my list of places to visit, I had a friend move out there and he really loves it. I am sorry you got sick at the end tho, hopefully your feeling better.:) Also, I feel ya on the doctor thing. I hope you find a new one that can help figure out what the problem is, it sounds super frustrating! 

Mrs. Tigger- I am glad to see that you are trying to switch to being more positive... It can be a hard thing to do!:) Your trip to go snowboarding sounds amazing, just going to Paris sounds amazing! lol I hope you have a lot of fun. Snowboarding can be great exercise! 

cupcakestoy- I really admire your positivity! :) I send you a lot of good thoughts and prayers for your journey to IVF. I know it can be a long process, but it will be so worth it. 

Missdoc- How do you plan on charting? Are you going to temp? Hopefully it helps you figure out what is going on. 

I have been feeling so groggy this week! I think it is the snowy/gloomy weather. I am so over winter, I just want some sun!!! I have been fitting in some exercise and sticking to healthy eating so I am pretty proud of myself. I am glad I joined this group. I love seeing all the positive vibes on here! :)


----------



## deafgal01

Has everyone gotten a little activity in today or this week yet? I managed to hit up the gym last Sunday and today. Probably will try again Saturday as well so I get in my 3 times a week activity. So far I have been pretty good mostly with tracking food. I may have gone over my alloted amount for day yesterday but not too much so I am not kicking myself over it. Exercise seems to have many benefits especially for getting me to be more relaxed and manage my stress better. I need to go dancing soon! 

MrsT it sucks to be diagnosed with pcos but at least the problem can be known and worked on to help you get pregnant.


----------



## cupcakestoy

MissDoc said:


> ireadyermind-- Man that is annoying. I'm sorry. :-( Perhaps considering a standing work desk? It's supposed to be so much better for you. I'm considering tyring to convert my keyboard so that it and my mouse are elevated so I can stand more when I'm on my work computer.
> 
> Fern-- Gotcha! Wonderful! Do you have any thoughts on when you plan to start TTC again?
> 
> Cupcake-- I agree. It's great to have the motivation and support from this thread. Good luck with saving the big $ for IVF. So darned expensive!
> 
> Tigger-- That's seriously a bummer about the PCOS, but now that you know what it is you can be treated. You have a great plan!
> 
> I fear I might have something "off" with my fertility too, but I'm going to track the next three months and see if I can sort out any patterns first before pursuing more testing. I'm on meds that supposedly can interfere with fertility (dermatology meds), so that might also explain my misleading high levels of estrogen and odd LH readings and potential lack of ovulation. I should start tapering those meds in a couple months and maybe that will right things. We'll see!

Good idea to track your cycles! I did this too & took them in to my Dr. along with a list of my concerns. He was impressed & has listened to my suggestions/fears & has been on board with most of my ideas...It's good to be prepared :)



Jules8 said:


> ireadyermind- I am glad you had fun in Vegas! That is on my list of places to visit, I had a friend move out there and he really loves it. I am sorry you got sick at the end tho, hopefully your feeling better.:) Also, I feel ya on the doctor thing. I hope you find a new one that can help figure out what the problem is, it sounds super frustrating!
> 
> Mrs. Tigger- I am glad to see that you are trying to switch to being more positive... It can be a hard thing to do!:) Your trip to go snowboarding sounds amazing, just going to Paris sounds amazing! lol I hope you have a lot of fun. Snowboarding can be great exercise!
> 
> cupcakestoy- I really admire your positivity! :) I send you a lot of good thoughts and prayers for your journey to IVF. I know it can be a long process, but it will be so worth it.
> 
> Missdoc- How do you plan on charting? Are you going to temp? Hopefully it helps you figure out what is going on.
> 
> I have been feeling so groggy this week! I think it is the snowy/gloomy weather. I am so over winter, I just want some sun!!! I have been fitting in some exercise and sticking to healthy eating so I am pretty proud of myself. I am glad I joined this group. I love seeing all the positive vibes on here! :)

I am SO over Winter too! It's so much easier to get out & get exercise when its warm & sunny! I've self diagnosed myself with Seasonal Depression! I have found that I feel much less blah since I started myself on Vit. D & Vit B12 though!



deafgal01 said:


> Has everyone gotten a little activity in today or this week yet? I managed to hit up the gym last Sunday and today. Probably will try again Saturday as well so I get in my 3 times a week activity. So far I have been pretty good mostly with tracking food. I may have gone over my alloted amount for day yesterday but not too much so I am not kicking myself over it. Exercise seems to have many benefits especially for getting me to be more relaxed and manage my stress better. I need to go dancing soon!
> 
> MrsT it sucks to be diagnosed with pcos but at least the problem can be known and worked on to help you get pregnant.

I had attempted to join the gym tuesday, but those plans got derailed when my DD appt at the oral surgeon took too long :( I am also on call for work this week, so not got much done here...

Feeling good last couple of days! AF has left & I feel like I have lost, but trying to just stay focused & not weigh everyday, as if I don't see even a slight loss, I get aggravated lol It's been an "ok" week at work, but I still have the weekend to go, so we'll see how that turns out....My DD got a new bottle calf last night. He's only a week old, so our dog is bigger than he is! He's a cute little guy, but will require extra care. He was born blind :( He sure is a lover tho & my DD is in love with her new "baby!" LOL


----------



## Fern81

Hi everyone!

MrsTigger - wow snowboarding sounds like so much fun! I've only seen snow once. And that was just a few flakes. It doesn't snow where I live! Hope you have a lovely time. What a good idea to enjoy everything that you won't be able to enjoy once you're pregnant. My sister is really struggling with her pregnancy (twins) and even at 14 weeks there is a lot she can't do anymore. While I would give anything to be able to conceive, I feel sorry for her and am glad that I can still travel, work hard, sleep late on some weekends, etc!

MissDoc - I agree with cupcakestoy - great idea to track everything. Then you will know your body better and also have that weapon of knowledge when you see a dr! What will you be tracking? Temps, CM, CP, ??? As for me ttc again; well we're not actively preventing atm. Just not spending any money on ttc. I'm also trying not to track too much (to help lower stress levels for a while) BUT I might temp from CD10-20 just to see whether my body manages to O at all without clomid. If not, I might start taking my last few packs of clomid next cycle just to get it all over with... or not... will decide when AF is here :)

Jules - I wish you could come visit me and sit in the sun with me for a day! I'm enjoying the summer heat and have quite a nice tan just from sitting and reading in the sun some days. Hope you feel less groggy soon, good job with the exercising that will definitely help lift your spirits and boost your energy levels. 

Cupcakestoy - I love calves! I also raised a pair a few years ago. Too cute! Hope you get some time in your schedule to join the gym like you've been planning. 

Ireadyermind - hope you will still be joining the thread even if you take a break from ttc! I love this thread for the very reason that it's not JUST about ttc but also more about being healthy and losing weight (and hopefully that might lead to a baby one day). So thank you for starting the thread, I think I speak for a lot of ladies when I say this! Sometimes it feels like ttc is impossible and we have no control over it. But at least we have some control over our health. Speaking of which; I would definitely go for metabolic testing if I were you. I have hypothyroidism and have to get my levels checked every 6 months as they can change in a short period of time. I hope you are able to find some answers. From what I've read you are following a super healthy diet and exercise regime. Hope your determination leads to the weight loss you want!

Deafgal - kudos to you for all the exercise you've been getting! 

AFM - I had my thyroid retested but STILL waiting for the results, for almost 3 weeks now. :wacko: I think the lab/dr lost my blood test results because I keep phoning and phoning and getting no answers! Would love to know if my levels are OK. Diet is going OK. Had a cheat day yesterday. I still haven't started exercising! Eeeekkkk!!! And have decided to start reducing the amount of dairy I consume. I have milk, yogurt, butter and cheese on a daily basis, and keep telling myself that at least it's better than chowing on sugary carbs. I absolutely love dairy esp full cream. But today I bought a bulk 2,5 kg cheese and _suddenly_ realized that I'm actually consuming wayyyy too much.:blush: Will do a dairy free week from tomorrow onward (just a small bowl of yogurt now and then) and see if it makes a difference in my energy levels and weigh-ins :).

Hoping everyone else is doing great!!

:hugs::hugs::hugs:


----------



## Jules8

Deafgal- Good job exercising! It sure does feel good to get the body moving! :)

Cupcakestoy- Awww! Do you live on a farm? I hope things let up so you can get to the gym.

Fern81- I am soooooo jealous! I will send all our snow your way and you can send the warm sun here..ok? lol It's supposed to snow all weekend, which means I will be stuck inside. It looks really pretty, but they are horrible with the roads around here..last weekend we had horrible ice fog and they didn't even salt the roads. We were on our way home going 5 miles an hour and still spun down a hill. It was scary, thank goodness it was just fields so thats where we stopped. 

I love cheese, but a lot of dairy really messes up my stomach and i'm slightly allergic to soy so I have avoid that too. I have really started to enjoy almond and coconut milk as an alternative. It takes a bit to get used to but worth a try!


----------



## deafgal01

Cupcake- hope u have time to join a gym next week. You sound like a busy lady with all the stuff you are doing- juggling work and appointments and a new baby calf!

:hi: to everyone else!


----------



## ajarvis

Hey ladies! 20k run in today and.... No spotting! Yay lol. Hoping this means all the side effects of the miscarriage is gone :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern81 said:


> Hi everyone!
> 
> MrsTigger - wow snowboarding sounds like so much fun! I've only seen snow once. And that was just a few flakes. It doesn't snow where I live! Hope you have a lovely time. What a good idea to enjoy everything that you won't be able to enjoy once you're pregnant. My sister is really struggling with her pregnancy (twins) and even at 14 weeks there is a lot she can't do anymore. While I would give anything to be able to conceive, I feel sorry for her and am glad that I can still travel, work hard, sleep late on some weekends, etc!
> 
> MissDoc - I agree with cupcakestoy - great idea to track everything. Then you will know your body better and also have that weapon of knowledge when you see a dr! What will you be tracking? Temps, CM, CP, ??? As for me ttc again; well we're not actively preventing atm. Just not spending any money on ttc. I'm also trying not to track too much (to help lower stress levels for a while) BUT I might temp from CD10-20 just to see whether my body manages to O at all without clomid. If not, I might start taking my last few packs of clomid next cycle just to get it all over with... or not... will decide when AF is here :)
> 
> Jules - I wish you could come visit me and sit in the sun with me for a day! I'm enjoying the summer heat and have quite a nice tan just from sitting and reading in the sun some days. Hope you feel less groggy soon, good job with the exercising that will definitely help lift your spirits and boost your energy levels.
> 
> Cupcakestoy - I love calves! I also raised a pair a few years ago. Too cute! Hope you get some time in your schedule to join the gym like you've been planning.
> 
> Ireadyermind - hope you will still be joining the thread even if you take a break from ttc! I love this thread for the very reason that it's not JUST about ttc but also more about being healthy and losing weight (and hopefully that might lead to a baby one day). So thank you for starting the thread, I think I speak for a lot of ladies when I say this! Sometimes it feels like ttc is impossible and we have no control over it. But at least we have some control over our health. Speaking of which; I would definitely go for metabolic testing if I were you. I have hypothyroidism and have to get my levels checked every 6 months as they can change in a short period of time. I hope you are able to find some answers. From what I've read you are following a super healthy diet and exercise regime. Hope your determination leads to the weight loss you want!
> 
> Deafgal - kudos to you for all the exercise you've been getting!
> 
> AFM - I had my thyroid retested but STILL waiting for the results, for almost 3 weeks now. :wacko: I think the lab/dr lost my blood test results because I keep phoning and phoning and getting no answers! Would love to know if my levels are OK. Diet is going OK. Had a cheat day yesterday. I still haven't started exercising! Eeeekkkk!!! And have decided to start reducing the amount of dairy I consume. I have milk, yogurt, butter and cheese on a daily basis, and keep telling myself that at least it's better than chowing on sugary carbs. I absolutely love dairy esp full cream. But today I bought a bulk 2,5 kg cheese and _suddenly_ realized that I'm actually consuming wayyyy too much.:blush: Will do a dairy free week from tomorrow onward (just a small bowl of yogurt now and then) and see if it makes a difference in my energy levels and weigh-ins :).
> 
> Hoping everyone else is doing great!!
> 
> :hugs::hugs::hugs:

3 weeks?!?!? That's crazy. I would be over impatient. LOL How's the "dairy free" going? I don't get enough dairy, as I'm not a big cheese/milk fan, but I try to work on it....


Jules8 said:


> Deafgal- Good job exercising! It sure does feel good to get the body moving! :)
> 
> Cupcakestoy- Awww! Do you live on a farm? I hope things let up so you can get to the gym.
> 
> Fern81- I am soooooo jealous! I will send all our snow your way and you can send the warm sun here..ok? lol It's supposed to snow all weekend, which means I will be stuck inside. It looks really pretty, but they are horrible with the roads around here..last weekend we had horrible ice fog and they didn't even salt the roads. We were on our way home going 5 miles an hour and still spun down a hill. It was scary, thank goodness it was just fields so thats where we stopped.
> 
> I love cheese, but a lot of dairy really messes up my stomach and i'm slightly allergic to soy so I have avoid that too. I have really started to enjoy almond and coconut milk as an alternative. It takes a bit to get used to but worth a try!

 We have a "mini" farm.....12 chickens, cows, a dog, some fish & 4 cats! We had horses but sold out a couple years ago when the kids lost interest in riding... 



deafgal01 said:


> Cupcake- hope u have time to join a gym next week. You sound like a busy lady with all the stuff you are doing- juggling work and appointments and a new baby calf!
> I am too busy! My resolustion is to slow down & learn to say NO! lol I WILL be joining the gym TODAY!
> :hi: to everyone else!




ajarvis said:


> Hey ladies! 20k run in today and.... No spotting! Yay lol. Hoping this means all the side effects of the miscarriage is gone :)

 Girl, you are motivated! Wish I had a tenth of your stamina & energy! lol

AFM-Did well this week! Lost 3 more pounds!:happydance: I did have a scare & went up almost 5 pounds the other day after Chinese! I only did meat & veggies, but assume it was fluid from the sodium! Luckily it came off over 2 days!!! Yesterday was tough, as I came home from work & found one of our older calves had died! No apparent injury, possibly the bloat, but not sure. Losing it is hitting the wallet & hurt our hearts. He was our little bull :(
Hope to hear good results today from everyone!


----------



## Fern81

Hi everyone!

Cupcakestoy - wow good job on the weight loss! And I'm so sorry that your little bull died. Both those calves that I hand raised 3 years ago are also gone - one was sold to the abbatoir (not my decision) and the other one (my baby) died when the caretaker let it have fresh lucerne. I cried my eyes out. You are so lucky to live on a farm!!!!!

Ajarvis - great job with your 20km! I would die if I tried that right now lol!!

Hope everyone else is doing great :)

AFM - no real weight loss; I suspect it's because I still have some residual clomid in my system (I have been having clomid side effects and read that it can stay in your system for a few weeks after stopping it.) AND of course because I cheated with carbs! But I got back my thyroid test results after my DH threatened the dr's office :haha:.... my levels are fine so I don't have to adjust my meds atm. Which means that I just need to work harder, diet better, start exercising TODAY and wait for the last clomid to leave my system... (until I start taking it again of course!). And I'm sure that good results will follow.

Today I haven't had any milk so far. The bulk cheese is cut into smaller blocks and in the freezer. DH will be happy to eat it by himself. I miss dairy already but I think it will be worth it! Just a small cup of full cream yogurt maybe every 2 days as per the Harvard fertility diet should be fine :).

We are going to a luxury resort/waterpark this weekend (Sun City's Lost City/ Valley of the Waves if anyone wants to google it!). Which means that I have to walk around in swimwear!! Not my decision; my sister wants to go before she gets too big with the twins. But I will just wear a swimming top that covers my stomach and enjoy the day and all the rides. Last night as I was fitting my swimwear and fretting over my cellulite and rolls of fat; one of my students (16 yo girl) contacted me to let me know she has to miss class today because she is vomiting blood and in agonizing pain. This poor girl has cancer and many other serious health issues. I was sitting there, looking at myself in the mirror, with the phone in my hand and was ashamed for feeling sorry for myself just because I'm fat and infertile; while this young girl is struggling just to LIVE and not be in chronic pain all day long. What a wake-up call!

May you all have a wonderful week and experience a lot of everyday blessings. :flower:


----------



## ajarvis

Good work on the 3lbs cupcake!! For me running is easy. It's the strength training I have to work at lol.

Thanks Fern! Good work on cutting down dairy. I never could lol.

AFM I'm down to 164 today :) 2lbs lost last week! Getting back to my old self slowly but surely. 6lbs down since beginning january.


----------



## Jules8

cupcakestoy- Way to go on the loss!! I am so sorry to hear about your bull. :(

Fern- Good job being dairy free! Keep working hard and the weight loss will follow. :)

ajarvis- Good job on your loss as well! I give you a lot of credit for doing all that running. I have tried to start running over the past few years, but hate it so much so I always end up stopping. One of my goals this year is to run 1 mile without stopping, I am not so worried about how fast I go as I am about pushing myself outside my comfort zone. 

I am down 2 pounds this week..though technically it is 1 pound in 2 weeks. I upped my water intake a lot over the weekend so I am thinking that may have something to do with not losing more. My pants feel looser so thats a plus!! :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Good job ladies!!!:happydance::happydance::happydance:


----------



## ajarvis

Well ladies my time to get fit before baby is out!
 



Attached Files:







jantest.jpg
File size: 12.9 KB
Views: 4


----------



## Fern81

ajarvis said:


> Well ladies my time to get fit before baby is out!

CONGRATS HUN!!!! Such good news!! :happydance::happydance::hugs::flower:


----------



## Jules8

CONGRATS!!!!! That is so exciting!


----------



## ireadyermind

Congrats AJarvis! :dance:

Also congrats to all of you who lost weight this past week! It's been a rough month for a lot of us and I'm proud of all of you for sticking to your guns and getting through it! :hugs:

As for me -- the past couple of weeks I'm finally seeing weight come off! I haven't really done anything different, so I'm thinking that maybe my body has realized that I'm not going to starve and is finally letting go of some of the body fat. Wahoo! lol

I forgot to weigh in yesterday, so today I stepped on the scale and saw that I'm down to 226 even, from 229 earlier this month. YAY! :dance:

And now that there's more and more daylight every day, DH and I are going to start walking again after dinner. I hate going for walks in the dark and cold, even though we live in a good neighborhood. You just never know what kind of people you'll encounter and it's just plain safer in daytime. Haha

No BFP for me this month, so now DH and I are putting TTC on hold for a few months. I'm going to work on losing the most weight I can and improving my health in general so that by the time we get back to trying in May (possibly sooner), I'll be set!

The good news is that my cycles already seem to be improving! I got EWCM for the first time in months this cycle, and also my luteal phase shortened from 18 days to a more reasonable 14. That made my overall cycle about 35 days instead of 40. Now if I could just ovulate earlier than CD23 every month I'd be headed in the right direction!


----------



## cupcakestoy

ajarvis said:


> Well ladies my time to get fit before baby is out!

 How Awesome is that!!! Congrats!!!



ireadyermind said:


> Congrats AJarvis! :dance:
> 
> Also congrats to all of you who lost weight this past week! It's been a rough month for a lot of us and I'm proud of all of you for sticking to your guns and getting through it! :hugs:
> 
> As for me -- the past couple of weeks I'm finally seeing weight come off! I haven't really done anything different, so I'm thinking that maybe my body has realized that I'm not going to starve and is finally letting go of some of the body fat. Wahoo! lol
> 
> I forgot to weigh in yesterday, so today I stepped on the scale and saw that I'm down to 226 even, from 229 earlier this month. YAY! :dance:
> 
> And now that there's more and more daylight every day, DH and I are going to start walking again after dinner. I hate going for walks in the dark and cold, even though we live in a good neighborhood. You just never know what kind of people you'll encounter and it's just plain safer in daytime. Haha
> 
> No BFP for me this month, so now DH and I are putting TTC on hold for a few months. I'm going to work on losing the most weight I can and improving my health in general so that by the time we get back to trying in May (possibly sooner), I'll be set!
> 
> The good news is that my cycles already seem to be improving! I got EWCM for the first time in months this cycle, and also my luteal phase shortened from 18 days to a more reasonable 14. That made my overall cycle about 35 days instead of 40. Now if I could just ovulate earlier than CD23 every month I'd be headed in the right direction!

Glad to see your on your way again! Maybe you'll get a bfp while taking a break!

AFM-I stumbled across a couple of old insurance polices I had when my kids were smaller that I had had cancelled by my work when my status changed at work with my marriage to dh.....Thought it was strange they kept sending me stuff 6 years later??? So I went to the website to close out the accounts & discovered I have $677.00 sitting there in cash value!!!:happydance: SO I did a surrender form to close them out, meaning we have extra that extra cash going into the IVF fund! :thumbup:Almost half way there now, not counting meds tho, but I'm supper excited! I had to make an appointment today with my podiatrist :( My right foot, where I had surgery a few years back has been terribly sore after walking, so time to get it checked out!::growlmad: UGH


----------



## Jules8

cupcakestoy- That is wonderful news! You are well on your way. :)


----------



## drjo718

Ajarvis, congrats! Are you really only 3+3? That's such a great line!


----------



## ajarvis

Yes I am! So early. My last ones were good lines around now though not this good. So cautiously optimistic here!


----------



## MissDoc

Congrats AJarvis, that's wonderful news! Hoping for a super sticky little one for you! 



As for me, whew, I have eaten TERRIBLY this past week. I was doing well, but then totally derailed myself. Today I'm trying to get myself back in the swing of things and focusing on better eating, hydration, and activity. On the plus side, I've been thinking that perhaps I am not ovulating at all, but the past 3 days I've had a temp shift, suggesting I o'd on CD 15. Hoping temps stay up to confirm that I'm in luteal phase. No chance of BFP this go round, but I'll just be happy to confirm that I'm ovulating at all. 

Hope you all are doing well!


----------



## Jules8

missdoc- We all derail ourselves every now and again. I know you can get yourself back to feeling more healthy! :) 
I sympathise with your situation with ovulating. It can be so confusing not knowing for sure. Have you had any testing done to see if you are ovulating? I hope that this shift helps shed some light for you. 

My temps suggest that I am ovulating each cycle, however I am not so sure as it has pinpointed ovulation several times throughout each cycle. It confuses me as to when I actually ovulated if I even did. I had some testing and most of my hormone levels are normal, however my DHEA came back a little higher than it should be. My doctor has referred me to an endocrinologist. I am happy to finally find out some answers and scared at the same time that they may find something. I looked into it and it can either be a simple fix with medication or an indication of PCOS. Does anyone have experience with this?
Other than that I have been doing good this week eating wise and started doing some small exercises each day just to get a routine going before I intensify it. I know that if I go too hard too fast I will just stop. I have been doing 15 burpees, 20 situps, and 20 pushups twice a day. My muscles have been a little sore, but the good sore.lol 

I hope everyone is having a great week! :)


----------



## MissDoc

Jules-- Thanks, it IS frustrating when you don't know for sure. I have not had any legitimate testing done. ObGyn says no evidence of polyps or structural issues from prelimary well woman visits. Wants me to try consistently for awhile before exploring possible problems. I am charting for the next three months and if I can't see a clear ovulation pattern I hope to go back armed with my data and ask for further testing.

When do you go to see the endocrinologist? I know that must be scare, but also relieving, bc it means you can get the help you need if you need it. 

And way to go and the 2x a day workout!


----------



## ireadyermind

Jules -- Good job on the mini workouts! I know I struggle with the same thing. I know what level I SHOULD be exercising at, but if I start off at that level, it's too much and I end up stopping and never picking back up again.

I haven't been to an endocrinologist before, but I can see why that'd make you nervous. Don't be, though! Women with PCOS or other issues often conceive after their issues have been addressed/treated. So if there's something they can fix for you, then be happy! :)



I'm consistently seeing weight coming off every morning when I step on the scale now. I've lost about two pounds so far this week. That's a huge relief for me, because previously I wasn't making any progress at all. Some weeks I was gaining weight, too. I kinda accidentally stumbled on a plan that works for me, so I'm sticking with that for as long as it works! Haha

Since I work from home, I have the (dis)advantage of being able to stop and eat whenever I need to. It's a blessing AND a curse, because if I happen to have the munchies, well, the food is not far away. 

BUT for a few days when I was really swamped with work, I fell into a routine.. and then weight started coming right off. It goes like this:

1. Wake up, make coffee and scrambled eggs, intending to immediately eat the eggs and catch up on emails and whatnot at the same time.

2. End up drinking all the coffee first, get around to the eggs an hour or two later (and by then they're cold. Reheat. lol)

3. Pop a piece of chewing gum, absent-mindedly notice a few hours later that the flavor's gone, realize I haven't eaten since breakfast, grab a small snack like a protein bar or handful of nuts and raisins. We also have some Muscle Milk shake mix that I whip up when I remember it's in the cupboard.

4. Back to work a few more hours, then a late lunch of another small snack, like veggie chips, or a cup of soup.

5. More chewing gum. I'm as bad as a chain smoker when it comes to chewing gum. Haha. I gotta have it! I feel like it helps me concentrate when some part of me is moving just a little. Plus, if I buy sugar free gum in many different flavors, it helps curb my sweet tooth.

6. Wrap up current work for the evening, start making dinner around 530pm. Eat a full meal of protein, veggies and some sort of grain.

7. Small dessert, like single-serving brownie bakes, cup of hot cocoa, jello with cool whip, etc.

And all day long I'm drinking tons of water, because I just keep a one liter bottle next to my chair at all times, and I go right through 'em.


Basically because I work for myself, I am always forgetting to stop and take breaks for lunch. When people in offices or other places of businesses get at least a 30min lunch break every shift, usually what happens for me is that I eat and work at the same time, or else I get so absorbed in what I'm doing that I forget to eat entirely. I don't want to starve myself, so I really try to stick to a schedule and at least grab a protein bar from the kitchen when I head in to refill my water bottle. That way, there's food handy when I realize I haven't eaten in a while. Haha

It's a lot less food than I was eating before, but I don't have issues with feeling deprived, tired, moody, or other indicators that I'm not eating enough. I also take vitamins every day, so I know I'm not being shorted on important nutrients.

Every few days I whip up a "fancy" dinner, with something extra that we don't usually eat, like pan fried potatoes or something. I think that little addition helps keep my metabolism all shaken up so that it doesn't settle into a routine and stop me from losing any more weight.

Kind of an odd way to find a successful diet plan, but I guess as long as I'm not starving myself, or eating nothing but cabbage or something, right? Haha


----------



## Jules8

missdoc- Well it sounds like you have a good plan going. Charting can be frustrating, but a good tool to help you and doctors see what could be going on. 
I haven't heard from the endocrinologist so I am not sure when, but hopefully soon! I am not really nervous about going. It is really just nervousness that I will have to be patient and see how things go instead of it just happening. 

ireadyermind- Thank you! Creating a working out habit is my first step then I will slowly add intensity. I figure even if it's 10-15 minutes a day that is way better than 0. Your schedule seems to be similar to mine..I just wish I didn't have to go to an office. lol I work out of someone else's home so it isn't too bad, I still get the quiet comforts of a home since my clients and employees don't get here until I am about to leave. Keep up the good work! It seems to be paying off for you. :)


----------



## deafgal01

:hi: Sounds like everyone's got a good plan of action in terms of diet and exercise that works for them. I've been slacking in my exercise but still on the move- i walk around my classroom a lot and I still go to ballroom dance lessons about once a week. I'm confident I'll finally see my weight fall below 180 for first time in February in a long time after checking the scale this morning and seeing it at 183.3 lbs, and hoping that I'll be closer to 172 for my vacation at end of March! Maybe by summertime I'll finally be closer to my goal of 155 (I'll be happy with 165 to be honest).


----------



## cupcakestoy

Just popping in to say hello! I haven't forgot you girls, just been crazy here!


----------



## littlejune

congrats ajarvis!!! Sorry I've been absent ladies, I haven't forgotten you all. I have just been a lazy, pregnant bum. I'm currently eating cake haha. However, I went for a walk and did pilates today- so that's something?


----------



## ireadyermind

deafgal01 said:


> :hi: Sounds like everyone's got a good plan of action in terms of diet and exercise that works for them. I've been slacking in my exercise but still on the move- i walk around my classroom a lot and I still go to ballroom dance lessons about once a week. I'm confident I'll finally see my weight fall below 180 for first time in February in a long time after checking the scale this morning and seeing it at 183.3 lbs, and hoping that I'll be closer to 172 for my vacation at end of March! Maybe by summertime I'll finally be closer to my goal of 155 (I'll be happy with 165 to be honest).

Yay, keep it up! 

It has to be so exciting to see your weight dropping so close 180. I know that getting nearer to my goals seriously motivates me to keep going, so you've got to be stoked too! :)




As for me -- I weighed a day early (couldn't help it! haha) and I'm down to 222.8 from Monday's weigh-in of 226! I'm super excited about that! I'll weigh again tomorrow just to see what the scale says, but probably I'll stick with what I saw this morning. :)

This is a big step for me, as for the past several months the lowest I could get was 225, and then my weight would almost immediately shoot back up by 5 or so pounds the following week. My body REALLY didn't want to let go of that weight! :dohh:

The height and weight charts say I ought to be somewhere around 140lbs, but when I look back to my high school years when I weighed about 190, that recommended weight of 140 is _ridiculously_ thin! I'm pretty broad shouldered, have big feet, etc. and I feel that the 140 recommendation is for someone much more slender than I am. 

Personally I think even 160 would be really thin for my body type -- soooo I'm aiming for 175 and we'll see what happens when I get there.


----------



## deafgal01

I agree with you on the weight suggestion not taking other factors into mind/account when saying when a person of a certain height should be at this weight range. Mine is 130 to 150. If I think about it and factor in my big bones and broad body type, that won't look so hot on me- 130? I'd be skinny as hell. I like a little meat in case I have to fall on my bum, ya know?


----------



## cupcakestoy

WTG Girl!!! It feels so good to see the scales go down!!!!


----------



## Fern81

Good job girls! 

Ireadyermind, glad you found an eating plan that works for you. 

I did so well last week; started exercising and lost 1,5kg. But then cheated again on the weekend and now I weigh even more than I did last Monday! So sad. Seems like I will totally have to give up my weekend cheats. Maybe just have one cheat meal a month, until my metabolism is revved up and I'm fitter. It sucks! But on the bright side, it's still not as hard as trying to fall pregnant lol. 

Keep up the good work everyone! !! 

Oh by the way I did O without clomid this month. But it was on my left side where the blocked tube is. And we were not focused on ttc. Just nice to know I did O and will get AF on my own.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern81 said:


> Good job girls!
> 
> Ireadyermind, glad you found an eating plan that works for you.
> 
> I did so well last week; started exercising and lost 1,5kg. But then cheated again on the weekend and now I weigh even more than I did last Monday! So sad. Seems like I will totally have to give up my weekend cheats. Maybe just have one cheat meal a month, until my metabolism is revved up and I'm fitter. It sucks! But on the bright side, it's still not as hard as trying to fall pregnant lol.
> 
> Keep up the good work everyone! !!
> 
> Oh by the way I did O without clomid this month. But it was on my left side where the blocked tube is. And we were not focused on ttc. Just nice to know I did O and will get AF on my own.

Sorry about it being the wrong side, but the opposite tube can pick up that egg! Unbelievable but true! Hang in there on the weight loss plan! It IS hard!!!!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey gals. Kinda disappointed this week! Worked hard, ate well & still no loss & that was after going to the bathroom! :( I KNOW when you build muscle & lose fat in the beginning you won't see much of a loss, but I can tell my clothes fit better/loser....So onward & downward I go! Have a great week!


----------



## Jules8

Good job ladies! Your doing really great! 

I am down 2 pounds from last week. :) I am happy that I am losing, but not seeing as much come off as I would like. I just know it is an indication that I really need to up my work out intensity...ughhh. lol 

Have a great Monday!


----------



## c beary83

Hi girls- can I join please? I'm currently 160 pounds and ideally want to get down to 130. I'm going to try and go to the gym 3 times a week, cut out the junk food and eat healthily. Starting from tomorrow :winkwink:


----------



## Fern81

Hi cbeary! Welcome! The more the merrier. I hear you on the junk food. I had 2 burgers this weekend! Saturday morning a junior chicken burger from KFC and Sat night a lovely thick homemade burger.... mmmm I just want to eat one now! GL with cutting out :) I will try to be an accountability buddy for you there lol.

Cupcakestoy - thanks for the encouragement hun! I'm really going to keep going with the eating plan and diet. It's all worth it in the end and I'm seeing what works for me and what doesn't. Before starting clomid I could easily cheat on weekends and not pick up weight but not anymore. I think with the new hormones my metabolism has changed. I guess it's all about knowing what one's body can handle at different stages in one's life hey. Good job on looser clothes! Then who cares what the scales say. :haha::winkwink:

Jules - 2 pounds a week is totally sustainable. I think crash diets and losing like, 15 pounds a week is not good because then the body goes into survival mode and hangs onto every scrap of fat that it can... and pounds that are lost too fast are gained back just as fast. in 2010-2011 over an 8 month period I lost about 25 kg. That was also done sustainably, around 3 kg per month. I've never had a crash diet with very fast weight loss give me any long-lasting results. Hang in there!!

BTW I totally agree with the ladies saying that we should take our own body type into consideration when deciding on a goal weight. My sister is broad-shouldered and has large bbs etc so for her to weigh an "ideal" weight makes her look way too skinny. She looks better with slightly more curves. I on the other hand have an extremely small frame (I used to wear kiddies clothes even into my 20's) so the extra weight that I'm carrying now is extremely noticeable and I look very fat & flabby even though my current weight falls into the "ideal" for my height!:dohh: We all know ourselves best after all. :hugs:

GL all with the week ahead!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Unfortunately I have to be a slave to the scale :( have to lower my bmi for ivf....I'll get there, just having a blah day here


----------



## ireadyermind

Good job, gals! Sounds like everyone stuck to their plans, more or less.

A word on "Cheat days":

I learned long ago that having an entire cheat DAY would totally throw off any loss I hoped to see for the week. What DH and I ended up doing was having one Cheat MEAL per week, and we'd try not to overdo it on that one meal either. So no buffet meals, for example, no ordering the biggest possible entree at whatever restaurant we're at. We'd go for burgers, or chinese food, or something, but we'd keep it at a reasonable level. Sometimes we don't go out at all, I just cook a "fancy" dinner with sauces or several different side dishes, or we'd have an extra scoop of ice cream for dessert.. something like that.

That really seemed to help, AND we chose a day for those meals that's as far away from Weigh-in as possible, to give our bodies time to flush out sodium, get rid of bloat, etc. So right now, that's Mondays or Tuesdays. So don't restrict yourself TOO much in terms of what you're allowed to eat! You might find that forgoing junk food altogether makes you crave it even more, and then you end up having a binge eating day where you just stuff yourself on all the things you couldn't have before. Eep!



C Beary83 -- Welcome! Make sure you get your stat post set up and filled out so I can link you in the first post and we can follow your progress! :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

c beary83 said:


> Hi girls- can I join please? I'm currently 160 pounds and ideally want to get down to 130. I'm going to try and go to the gym 3 times a week, cut out the junk food and eat healthily. Starting from tomorrow :winkwink:

Welcome! Good luck on your Journey!


----------



## deafgal01

I agree ready. My husband did not understand why I was avoiding using my flex points in my weight watcher plan. :dohh: I managed to stay as close to my suggested points of intake with food Friday only to go over again Saturday. Oh well. I blame Pms for it haha, that and I started my AF this past weekend so my mood was understandably all over the place.

Anyways got on the scale this morning fearing the worst considering I didn't stay within my points all weekend and to my surprise it was only 184.6 this morning up from the 183.3 I had recorded in my phone for Friday. Not too bad. So all in all if I compare it to last week's Monday weigh in, still a loss and coming down in the right direction! :wohoo:


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hello Ladies! :flower: I'm back!

I had a great holiday snowboarding with friends in Italy. I certainly wasn't counting calories and I was having dessert every day (sometimes 2x per day :blush:). I did try to stay low-GI as much as I could, though. And usually I split dessert with DH.

I was shocked when I climbed on the scale to see that I managed to lose 1 kg over the course of that week! The Friday before I left, I hadn't lost anything compared to Monday's weigh-in, so I know the 1 kg loss came over the course of the holiday. Maybe my body was getting into a rut and that 1 week off-plan (with lots of exercise that I don't normally get) was what was needed to kick me into gear again.

Today it's right back on-plan with no delays. We're having chicken and veggies for dinner.

I got super excited when I updated my ticker as well and it said 27,9 lost and 27,1 to go. That means I'm over halfway to my goal :happydance:

I'm a bit out of touch with what is going on here, but welcome to the new ladies and congrats to all who lost. I agree very much with taking your body type into account when trying to figure out an ideal weight, but, like cupcakestory, I must also be a slave to the scale for now as I need to lower my BMI to 32 in order to qualify for the fertility help I need for my PCOS.

I hope all of you lovely ladies are doing well and I'll be checking in regularly again now that I'm back. :thumbup:


----------



## Jules8

C beary- Welcome!! :)

ireadyermind- That is my philosophy, though I do 1 cheat meal every 2 weeks. I have also learned never to do my cheat meal when we are low on food, because then I tend to get lazy and feel like I can just eat whatever is left in teh house...which is usually my husbands snacks. He is a jerk and can eat a whole pizza with a package of oreos without gaining anything.lol So I always go to the store to stock up with healthy stuff prior to my cheat meal then try to keep it simple. Usually pizza or a burger with something healthy on the side and no soda whatsoever. If I go sweet then I crave for days. 

deafgal- Good job! :)

Mrs.Tigger- That is so exciting that you are over halfway to your goal! Congrats girl! :) So glad you had a great holiday! You must have been really active to lose. I will need some of that momentum soon. I am going to Disney in May...I am worrying already, because it's insanely hard to eat even remotely healthy there. lol


----------



## MissDoc

Hi ladies! I love checking in and reading the updates here. So many losses! Congrats to all of you racking up those lbs lost!

As for me, I was actually up yesterday, but I'm pretty sure it's artificial as I start AF sometime soon, so I think it's that. Yesterday I didn't have much of a deficit (mostly maintenance due to skipping exercise), so I'm shooting for a perfect day today.

My "ideal" body weight is 130 from most calculations. That is on the thin side for me. I've never reached that weight in my adult life. I tend to feel pretty good about how I look around 138 lbs, so I if I can get to that number I'll be really happy. I don't mind keeping a little "junk in the trunk", lol.


----------



## ireadyermind

Mrs. Tigger said:


> Hello Ladies! :flower: I'm back!
> 
> I had a great holiday snowboarding with friends in Italy. I certainly wasn't counting calories and I was having dessert every day (sometimes 2x per day :blush:). I did try to stay low-GI as much as I could, though. And usually I split dessert with DH.
> 
> I was shocked when I climbed on the scale to see that I managed to lose 1 kg over the course of that week! The Friday before I left, I hadn't lost anything compared to Monday's weigh-in, so I know the 1 kg loss came over the course of the holiday. Maybe my body was getting into a rut and that 1 week off-plan (with lots of exercise that I don't normally get) was what was needed to kick me into gear again.
> 
> Today it's right back on-plan with no delays. We're having chicken and veggies for dinner.
> 
> I got super excited when I updated my ticker as well and it said 27,9 lost and 27,1 to go. That means I'm over halfway to my goal :happydance:
> 
> I'm a bit out of touch with what is going on here, but welcome to the new ladies and congrats to all who lost. I agree very much with taking your body type into account when trying to figure out an ideal weight, but, like cupcakestory, I must also be a slave to the scale for now as I need to lower my BMI to 32 in order to qualify for the fertility help I need for my PCOS.
> 
> I hope all of you lovely ladies are doing well and I'll be checking in regularly again now that I'm back. :thumbup:

Welcome back! Glad to hear you had a good time, AND I'm happy to see that the week off plan seems to have helped get your body back into the fat loss mode! ^^ My vacation to Vegas did that for me too, I think. It's like our bodies get too accustomed to the low calorie and exercise routine and we just stop losing. So throwing your metabolism for a loop with a week of "whatever!" seems to really help! Haha

I agree with you and cupcake on watching the scale. Apparently all the physicians I see care about are what the scale says, not so much how healthy I am or the fact that I have excellent blood pressure and low cholesterol. So for us, watching the scale is a must because those doctors just want to see numbers going down. I've never had a physician check my body composition, and they don't seem to take into account what you're wearing when you weigh in, either. I always wear light weight sandals, empty my pockets, etc. because your clothing alone can add several pounds to that number! So what happens in winter time when you go in, and you're bundled up in layers of clothing and heavy duty shoes? Ugh! lol

In my opinion, they ought to weigh you while you're in your undies and a paper gown, just so your weight is closer to what you actually weigh, and not influenced by your attire.





MissDoc said:


> Hi ladies! I love checking in and reading the updates here. So many losses! Congrats to all of you racking up those lbs lost!
> 
> As for me, I was actually up yesterday, but I'm pretty sure it's artificial as I start AF sometime soon, so I think it's that. Yesterday I didn't have much of a deficit (mostly maintenance due to skipping exercise), so I'm shooting for a perfect day today.
> 
> My "ideal" body weight is 130 from most calculations. That is on the thin side for me. I've never reached that weight in my adult life. I tend to feel pretty good about how I look around 138 lbs, so I if I can get to that number I'll be really happy. I don't mind keeping a little "junk in the trunk", lol.


I finally found a chart that takes a person's build into account, and rather than the previous number of 125 pounds I was seeing everywhere, this one had a far more reasonable 160 to 168 for someone of my build. Like you, I'd be happy to be within 10 or so pounds of their recommendation. In my opinion, losing enough weight to get to that point would be AMAZING, and at that point, I would feel confident in telling the physician, "Listen, I have already lost almost fifty pounds in the past year. I'm working on getting healthier. I don't need you nagging me over a pesky 10 pounds when this time last year, you were nagging me over 50 pounds." Which I have done, by the way! I lost 30 pounds last year before my surgery, and when the OB/GYN was telling me how I needed to lose weight, I said, "I'm already 30 pounds lighter than I was a year ago. I _know_ I need to lose weight. I'm working on it. You don't need to point it out to me." She hasn't mentioned my weight since. Haha


----------



## c beary83

Hi everyone- I've had a really bad Monday- lots of junk food... But a really good Tuesday :happydance: I've not had any crap and been to the gym tonight

Quick question... When do we do the weigh in and where do I post my stats?


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi c beary83 :flower:

We weigh in on Mondays (to help keep us accountable over the weekend). You can copy/paste the stats page from ireadyermind's post on the first page of the thread into your own post, then she will add that to the list of stats pages linked to on the first page. Every time you weigh-in, just edit the post to add the new data.

:hugs:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Sorry I'm not good at posting much lately! I've been burning the candle at both ends! lol Got another calf that's puny :( So we've been in Vet mode for a couple of days, hoping to save it. Seems ok for now tho. DD has her surgery today, so praying its easier on her than it was on me! Not much else going on here. Doing ok with my eating plan & been getting some exercise walking the pasture & hills, but my dang foot sure doesn't like it!!!OUCH So ready for my podiatry appt next week! 

As for cheat days, I TRY my best not to indulge! It starts a pattern with me & I have found if I don't start it, I don't miss it! lol


----------



## c beary83

Hi- here's mine:

Stats:
Height: 5ft 9
Starting Weight:160
Goal Weight:130

Weigh-ins:
February 2: 158 (just a guess as I weighed myself on Tuesday with this one)
February 9: 157
February 16: 154
February 23: 154
March 2: 156 :(


----------



## Fern81

Week's diet has gone OK so far! Actually too busy to eat much, and luteal phase has got me feeling a bit blue so I don't have much of an appetite. Good, right? When I weighed myself this morning I had lost a kilo or so, despite having 1 hotdog last night.

So I've taken all the advice to heart and will try my best not to do a cheat WEEKEND but maybe just have 1 nice thing like a piece of toast with cheese or something.

I thought I'd make a summary of how I would ideally eat daily, just to get my thoughts straight....

_My ideal meal plan:

Breakfast: 2 boiled free range eggs; sometimes with spinach or tomato or leftover veg.

Lunch: Green smoothie (my own organic spinach blended with cucumber, green apple, mint or whatever other green veg I can get my hands on. Disgusting). Tablespoon of coconut oil. Small cup of plain full-cream yogurt (as per Harvard fertility diet - I have to eat SOME dairy hehe!)

Dinner: Salad with avocado oil OR cooked/stir-fry veg with coconut oil. Small helping white meat (chicken or fish) OR plant protein (boiled red-speckled beans are what I'm eating atm).

Spearmint tea, rooibos tea and rooibos chai (all caffeine free).

LOTS OF WATER.
_
See, it's supposed to be simple :wacko:.

My shortfalls are still mostly with red meat and some dairy; although I have managed to limit those. I try to cut out carbs & sugar and eat enough healthy fats (again, Harvard fertility and also Banting diet). I've started making my own organic dried herb and garlic blend, so easy and yummy I don't eat manufactured spices with all the carcinogens, anti-caking agents, etc. anymore at ALL!

Hmmm. Now to cutting out caffeine totally after my last cup tomorrow! Haven't gotten around to doing that yet. :blush:

Good luck with the weekend's healthy eating ladies!:thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

Just checking in. This week is so far so good for me. I returned from vacation on Monday, and was right back on plan on Tuesday. So far I'm staying under my calorie limit and avoiding the carbs, and it's looking like Monday's weigh-in will be good to me (so far); the scale this morning showed I'm down 1,4 kg since Tuesday morning's weigh-in. My body likes to drop big chunks of weight really fast, then slow down suddenly, so we'll see if there's more off by Monday or not, but in any case I'm still happy.

I need to get better at exercise, though :blush:

I am doing good at drinking more water this week, though. One of the problems I had been having before vacation was, erm (sorry, TMI), not really going to the loo the way I should. Which of course then also messes with the scale! I think so far the extra water is helping that -- I will do my best to keep it up.

:dust: to all the hopefuls and here's to hoping we have an amazing weigh-in on Monday!

P.S. - Maybe we should start a running tally of all the weight loss in the group combined? I think that might be cool to see climb up. :thumbup:


----------



## Jules8

TGIF!! Seriously, this week has felt like it has gone on forever and ever! 
I have done pretty well with sticking to my short exercises...even though I know it is not enough. On Monday I am sucking it up and adding some intensity. It's just so hard when I have nowhere to do a good exercise...and too broke to sign up for a gym. I will figure out something though. Eating has been good..I did have a serious craving on Tuesday for sweets so I made chocolate Gluten free/low sugar cupcakes and had 2.

I like that idea Mrs. Tigger! It would be interesting to do a group weekly tally! :)


----------



## c beary83

Hi Ladies. I did really well all week but had a bad day yesterday and drank some wine, ciders and had a take away curry :dohh:

Feeling really bad now on lots of levels.

I'm going to the gym today and going to try and get back on the healthy wagon for our weigh in on Monday.

Starting :sex: next Tuesday so that should help motivate me on.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hang in there Cbear!

AFM` NOT done well with my water the last few days! The cows & my DD have kept me hoppin'! Poor little calf wasn't getting much better, so yesterday we took him to the vet, as a lat ditch effort to save him....Good news is she thinks he will pull through! He is being kept up & was given IV's to get his strength back & will be given steroids for a few days.

DD did well yesterday, but over did it & feels bad today :( To top off our little hospital ward, our Rott dog has hurt his hip now:dohh: So if not better by Monday, that will be another Vet bill :/ 

Determined to end this week with a lose tho! Increasing my water & activity today if it kills me!!!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi ladies :flower:

I weighed in this morning down 1,8 kg (4 pounds) from last week. I'm quite happy and looking forward to working hard this week on a loss (though I do have Valentines Day dinner out with the DH, so we'll see :s).

I exercised on the rowing machine this weekend :happydance: I'm not normally good at exercising outside of my most basic daily work, so I'm happy about that. My ideal goal would be at least to work out on the rower 3x per week.

Good luck to all of you and looking forward to see your weigh-ins this week :hugs:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Good job Tigger! I lost around a pound & a half this week, but will decrease my ticker by 1 pound since I don't have a digital scale & its hard to get the exact ounces lol Good news is I'm hopefully over the hump! Af will find me tomorrow or Weds. My rings are tight today, so even with the fluid retention I lost! So happy today! Oh & both my DD & my Dog are feeling better! The calf sadly did not make it :( All the other critters seem to be doing well tho, so praying we are past all that too!


----------



## c beary83

Hey girls- I lost a pound so happy with that especially with my blow out on Friday.

So sorry to hear about your calf cupcake :hugs:


----------



## deafgal01

I too lost this past week. I lost more than I expected but i guess being sick has that effect. Especially when I lose my appetite and don't want to eat much of anything. Did not manage to get any exercise in but I will work on that after I get better first. Seeing the dr in about an hour and half to sort what is wrong with me (sore throat and tummy ache).


----------



## Jules8

Good job on the losses ladies!! 

Mrs. Tigger- 4 pounds is great!! The rowing machine sounds like a lot of fun.:)

cupcakestoy- I am glad your DD and dog are feeling better. I am sorry to hear about your calf tho. :( Also, yay for af almost being done! 

Deafgal- I hope you feel better!! 

AFM- I am down 1 pound. I am glad it's a loss, tho I know with more intense workouts I could be doing a lot better! 



c-beary- Congrats on your loss and moving forward after not eating well on Friday. :)


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies, congrats with everyone's losses!

I'm down a kilo, yay! Despite cheating a little bit over the weekend. Cheats were very small however and mostly I stuck to my diet.
I haven't really exercised last week. ... my boobs are sore and I'm really tired! I always feel this way during LP though. Must just start forcing myself to exercise even though I don't feel too great in LP! 

X Have a great week everyone X


----------



## ireadyermind

Well I've been MIA almost all week, haven't I!? Egh.

Sorry about that, gals. It was a rough week. My old foot injury (got it back in high school - the cartilage in the ball of my right foot was damaged badly and it took almost 10 years to heal to a point I could walk on it freely) flared up like mad last week, causing severe swelling, a burning sensation, and then finally I lost the feeling in my toes for several days before it decided to heal. 

The only thing I could do was take motrin and keep my foot propped up. Occasionally massaged it to get the blood flowing and help with healing. Therefore I did basically NOTHING all week, since standing up at all was torture.

I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that I haven't lost anything this week, right? Haha

Same weight as last week, so I'll have to make up for lost time THIS week with maybe some light exercise where my injury permits it. 10 mins at a time on my bike or something easy like that.

Congrats to everyone who lost weight this week! You guys are all doing fabulously!


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> Week's diet has gone OK so far! Actually too busy to eat much, and luteal phase has got me feeling a bit blue so I don't have much of an appetite. Good, right? When I weighed myself this morning I had lost a kilo or so, despite having 1 hotdog last night.
> 
> So I've taken all the advice to heart and will try my best not to do a cheat WEEKEND but maybe just have 1 nice thing like a piece of toast with cheese or something.
> 
> I thought I'd make a summary of how I would ideally eat daily, just to get my thoughts straight....
> 
> _My ideal meal plan:
> 
> Breakfast: 2 boiled free range eggs; sometimes with spinach or tomato or leftover veg.
> 
> Lunch: Green smoothie (my own organic spinach blended with cucumber, green apple, mint or whatever other green veg I can get my hands on. Disgusting). Tablespoon of coconut oil. Small cup of plain full-cream yogurt (as per Harvard fertility diet - I have to eat SOME dairy hehe!)
> 
> Dinner: Salad with avocado oil OR cooked/stir-fry veg with coconut oil. Small helping white meat (chicken or fish) OR plant protein (boiled red-speckled beans are what I'm eating atm).
> 
> Spearmint tea, rooibos tea and rooibos chai (all caffeine free).
> 
> LOTS OF WATER.
> _
> See, it's supposed to be simple :wacko:.
> 
> My shortfalls are still mostly with red meat and some dairy; although I have managed to limit those. I try to cut out carbs & sugar and eat enough healthy fats (again, Harvard fertility and also Banting diet). I've started making my own organic dried herb and garlic blend, so easy and yummy I don't eat manufactured spices with all the carcinogens, anti-caking agents, etc. anymore at ALL!
> 
> Hmmm. Now to cutting out caffeine totally after my last cup tomorrow! Haven't gotten around to doing that yet. :blush:
> 
> Good luck with the weekend's healthy eating ladies!:thumbup::thumbup:


You've got some definitely healthy options here, but make sure you aren't going below 1,000 calories in a day! If you go below that point, your body kicks into starvation mode and it hangs on to every calorie you eat, and you STILL won't lose weight. (Freakin' bodies, man! Can't they just let us lose weight!? lol )

Alternately, you can measure calories on a weekly basis instead. Let's say you do eat 1,000 calories a day, then that's 7,000 a week. If you measure calories on a weekly basis, it means that some days you could eat 800 cals or 1,200 cals or whatever and as long as you don't go over 7,000 in a week, you're good.

If you aren't using a calorie counting program, I highly recommend MyFitnessPal. It has a phone app you can download, which has a barcode scanner on it. That way you can just scan the package of whatever you just added to your meal, and it usually has all the info already included in a library of foods for you. You just indicate how much of it you're eating, and it'll get added to your calorie total for the day. :)


Some cheat meal ideas:

1. Home cooked breakfast with a couple slices of bacon or some sausage links, two pancakes (Sugar free syrup is ok!), fried or scrambled eggs and maybe some applesauce or other fruit. And nonfat chocolate milk is tasty, too!

2. A 6'' sub sandwich (incl. mayo and cheese if you want it), loaded with veggies, and served with a single-serving bag of chips and a diet soda or iced tea.

3. Kids meal from a fast food joint, either the burger or nuggets, and go ahead and get the kids sized fries and soda!

4. Sushi! You can ask 'em to make your sushi rolls with brown rice instead of white, if that's available.

5. Make a single-serving brownie/cookie in a coffee mug, and top it with some low fat vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. You can find all kinds of recipes for these around the internet, Pinterest has tons too.

6. Make a small batch of your favorite comfort food: home made macaroni and cheese, pasta, stew, or similar so that you can indulge in that for a night or two with your DH. This one's especially good for particularly rainy/gloomy days.


----------



## ireadyermind

Mrs. Tigger said:


> Hi Ladies :flower:
> 
> Just checking in. This week is so far so good for me. I returned from vacation on Monday, and was right back on plan on Tuesday. So far I'm staying under my calorie limit and avoiding the carbs, and it's looking like Monday's weigh-in will be good to me (so far); the scale this morning showed I'm down 1,4 kg since Tuesday morning's weigh-in. My body likes to drop big chunks of weight really fast, then slow down suddenly, so we'll see if there's more off by Monday or not, but in any case I'm still happy.
> 
> I need to get better at exercise, though :blush:
> 
> I am doing good at drinking more water this week, though. One of the problems I had been having before vacation was, erm (sorry, TMI), not really going to the loo the way I should. Which of course then also messes with the scale! I think so far the extra water is helping that -- I will do my best to keep it up.
> 
> :dust: to all the hopefuls and here's to hoping we have an amazing weigh-in on Monday!
> 
> P.S. - Maybe we should start a running tally of all the weight loss in the group combined? I think that might be cool to see climb up. :thumbup:


Good idea, Mrs. Tigger!

If you ladies would all go to your weight tracker posts and put in your *total pounds lost*, I will certainly update that every Monday! 

I can put it into the title of the thread so that others can see our victory first thing! :happydance:


Also, good job getting right back on track after your vacation, Mrs. Tigger! That's always hard to do and you just got right in there and got down to business! :) Nice work.


----------



## ireadyermind

c beary83 said:


> Hi- here's mine:
> 
> Stats:
> Height: 5ft 9
> Starting Weight:160
> Goal Weight:130
> 
> Weigh-ins:
> February Stats:
> Height:
> Starting Weight:
> Goal Weight:
> 
> Weigh-ins:
> February 2: 158 (just a guess as I weighed myself on Tuesday with this one)
> February 9: 157

Got you added to our "membership list", Beary! 

Good job on your weight loss this week! :thumbup:


----------



## Fern81

I need your advice ladies. I've been on a break but am reconsidering my options.

I'm out for this cycle, as expected, started spotting so AF should be here soon (wasn't ttc in any case). My dilemma is this: I really don't know what to do next. I'm praying about it but I still have no clear idea.
My three options are: 
* Trying a low dose clomid again
* Trying without clomid (I did O this past cycle without clomid but I suspect it was maybe because I had residual clomid in my system?).
* Going back on birth control pill... that might sound strange but I've had cramps for the past 2 cycles every single day. Today my left ovary (the one that is worst affected by endo) is very very sore. My back hurts. All those things make me suspect my endo is back. Cramping and spotting and feeling tired all the time is really dragging me down. So if I go back on bcp it will suppress the endo to a degree. ALSO, I won't have false hope every month and that will probably improve my quality of life. (I plan on making an appointment with an endo specialist for June, in any case.)

Now if I stop trying, the benefits are obvious as I described above. I really, really want to stop trying. The only downside is that my 1% chance of ever falling pregnant will become 0%. I'm scared that I would blame myself for making that decision one day when I'm too old to have kids at all.

Please give me your honest advice! 

I am praying that we have a baby but that God's will be done and that He gives me peace of mind with whatever road is the right road. I trust that your opinions will be part of an answer to that prayer.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey ladies! Good news, DD is recovered. Saw the foot Dr. & probably no surgery! Did get new shoes & expensive inserts,but it seems to be working already! Don't expect good news on Monday's weigh in tho :/ Today is our 1 year anniversary of our M/C & its been a rough few days. Haven't really been sticking to the plan....*sigh....But I plan on jumping back in tomorrow, so just hoping I don't gain & maybe splurging will reboot my system & I can lose again...Oh well, been a super sad day, I told dh no red roses, as he did bring them last year & I just can't see them today without crying, so I've told him we will go have Chinese to celebrate V-day. Have to say I am excited to have some Fried rice, since its been a long time! Hope everyone is doing well!


----------



## c beary83

Hi fern - I'm really sorry to hear that you are going through this. I don't know what to suggest but wanted to offer you lots of :hugs:

Cupcake- I'm really sorry to hear about you're mc. Hope you have a lovely Chinese :flower:

I've been doing well this week. Went for a swim this morning and been to the gym twice this week. Limited the junk food too.

We're having steak, chips and peas for tea with some red wine as a special treat.

I got my positive opk so will be :sex: tonight and tomorrow night.

I've been TTC for fifteen months - we've been to see the fertility clinic and they can't see anything wrong with us - Hubby's sa results weren't too bad- low morphology but the rest were fine so they said nothing to worry about. My bloods came back fine and showing ovulation and hormones fine. I've got to go for a hsg next which I'm not looking forward to. Then try clomid, then the only other option is ivf :cry:


----------



## c beary83

Hi- how's everyone doing? I've been really good all week up until today when I've had loads of peanuts and wine :( feeling quite bad about it


----------



## cupcakestoy

I've not done well at all since Friday, but I have allowed myself to take a break :/ so its my own fault, but I have relaxed & enjoyed myself....probably too much but I'll get back on track & hit it hard so I'm ok :)


----------



## deafgal01

I've been bad this weekend... I didn't really monitor my food intake today. Blah, I was just feeling out of it and wanted to enjoy myself so I ate at Olive Garden with my family since I hadn't seen my sister for a while. I probably gained a little compared to last week's weigh in. We'll see tomorrow morning.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I didn't do well this week -- no change on the scale :nope:

I'm sure it's because I was off plan on Friday and Saturday celebrating Valentines day with DH. When I go off plan and eat carbs, I retain a *lot* of water very very fast, so I'm sure I did lose at least a little (I was down 0,4 kg on Thursday), but it's not showing. I was back on plan yesterday, and I have no reason to go off plan this week, so let's hope for something impressive next week :happydance:

Looking forward to seeing the weigh-in from the rest of you ladies.

:hugs: and :dust:


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

So we've decided to continue ttc at least until I can see the endometriosis specialist whom I hope will give me good advice regarding which bcp to take or what other options are available. I will be taking a low dose clomid this month. I will obviously need to eat well and exercise properly for optimal chance at a bfp. I didn't even weigh myself today because I had a bottle of wine, pizza and chocolate over the weekend! Was just depressed because of AF and needed to celebrate Valentine's day & feel better!!

Here's hoping for a healthy week ahead xx


----------



## Jules8

Hey ladies. I weighed in and up almost 2 pounds. I did bad over the weekend so I am not surprised, but quite disappointed that I let myself get so carried away. I was down on Thursday too so I am really kicking myself in the butt. Cheat meals/days/snacks just really do me in, it is a real eye opener to how food has a hold on me. 
I am back at it today and am making some changes on how I go about things. I know I need to change my thought process about food. I came up with my own award system to replace cheat days. My idea...well pinterests idea is a pebble jar as a visual reminder for myself. Everytime I lose a pound I put a pebble in. When I get to 10 pebbles I will treat myself to something not food related. However, whenever I gain a pound I have to add an extra 10 minutes to each workout per pound that week. I am going to try it for a month to see if it makes a difference, if not then I will come up with something else. 

Does anyone else have ideas? 

Have a great week!!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hate to follow the trend, but AF is STILL here & I'm up a pound...which kinda makes me happy as I was expecting more! Moving on, we will all do better next week....I'm blaming V-day here! LOL


----------



## Fern81

Jules that is such a good idea! Visual - pebbles - mmm. Might try that one myself!!

x Good luck with the week everyone. We have NO reason to overeat this week, right? (Trying to convince myself lol).


----------



## littlejune

I think V day sent us all through a loop ladies, good job not letting it get you too far down- weight ebbs and flows.:dohh:

Fern, from your details in other threads I am glad you are continuing to try for now- I know a woman who had severe endometriosis and tried for a long time but finally did get pregnant and now has a wonderful 11 year old. There's hope yet!:thumbup:

AFM, I have been really having a hard time, as I've said before, with eating well and staying active. I feel 'hungover' pretty much all day everyday and then have the once or twice a week throw up or migraine days- so I've been eating pretty much what I can keep down and laying around when I can since work is so active. I really hope in the next few weeks I feel better and have more energy because I truly hope to stay healthy this pregnancy. Ugh. We will get there!


----------



## ireadyermind

Looks like it was a rough week for everyone, myself included!

I even forgot to weigh in yesterday -- was up and dressed, breakfasted and working before I realized I didn't weigh in before all that was taken care of. Sooo.. I stepped on the scale today, and I'm up about two pounds.

I expected it, though. I always retain water like CRAZY after ovulation and through to a few days after AF disappears. 

On the UPSIDE, though -- I think it's pretty encouraging that when I'm retaining water like crazy, I'm _still_ lighter in weight than I was when I started this diet! :)

Gotta find the silver lining, right?

So this week it's all about getting back into my workout routine, keeping up with my water intake and hoping that the bloat isn't as bad as this for the remaining 10 or so days until AF shows up. 

Good luck to everyone!


----------



## Fern81

Day 1 of clomid again. It will probably make losing weight harder again! But oh well gotta keep trying! I'm planning on going for a jog tomorrow for the first time this year IF it's not too hot. We've been having hectic heat waves all year so running in this heat has not been an option for me. Can't wait to get back outside! Running clears my head as well. 
X


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern- I gained a lot of my weight back due to fertility meds, of course stress & depression didn't help either :/ hopefully you'll do well tho & get your bfp! That would have definitely made the weight gain easier to deal with! Good luck :)


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

Just checking in. I'm currently down from Monday's weigh-in; hoping to do well on the scale next week. I had a work dinner on Tuesday and a celebration dinner with a friend today, so it's not going to be a super easy week, but I'm doing my best. It means I basically can't count calories those meals because I can't control my food :nope:

I hope you are all doing well :hugs:


----------



## cupcakestoy

I'm so discouraged. Being snowed in has sapped my will power ugh


----------



## c beary83

Im having a Chinese banquet tonight and going out for drinks and food tomorrow so not looking forward to Mondays weigh in!


----------



## ireadyermind

I stepped on the scale today to see if any of my water weight was coming off, and sure enough, it all came off AND I'm showing progress of about half a pound down compared to this month's first weigh in. Woo! I have a goal to lose approximately two more pounds by the end of the month, so if I want to meet that goal I need to step it up this week! 

Today I've been walking in place while doing things around the house, taking extra trips up the stairs, and I've already downed 1 liter of water which puts me halfway to my daily goal, and it's not yet 12:30pm! 

I think the big difference here is how much sleep I've been getting. Since DH and I are postponing TTC for a couple of months, I was able to take some sleep meds (after a stretch of three days on about 6hrs of sleep) and I've been getting a solid 8hrs of sleep a night now. Last night I didn't even wake up in the middle of the night, which is really rare for me.

All that good sleep has seriously improved my mood, my motivation, and my desire to work out and get things DONE!

So if any of you gals are really lagging or feel undermotivated, and you aren't sure why -- check your sleep schedule. If you aren't getting 8hrs a night I'd say that's a huge factor in your mood and progress.

I know some of you have small children and can't get that solid eight hours, but I bet even a small increase would do wonders. :)

Good luck to those of you with buffets and parties this weekend. Try to eat more veggies than meats and breads, avoid things with cream based sauces and opt for water instead of sodas, coffees, etc. and that will really help you cut down on your calorie intake. :)

See you gals Monday!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I did really well this last week, and the two days a bit off-plan seemed to be good for me. The scale showed I am down 2,5 kg (5,5 pounds) since last week's weigh-in. :happydance: My ticker is *really* showing that I'm past half-way now!

I think a bit of that is actually from the week before, but last week's weigh-in didn't show it. Still, I'm happy it's all going in the right direction. I really drank a lot of water this weekend, and I think that really seems to help.

This week, I'll be (somewhat) off plan on Wednesday (work lunch out at a restaurant) and Friday (office party). I'm planning on sticking with it and being very careful the rest of the week. After a big loss this week, I'm not expecting much, if anything next week, but now that I have enough data points to prove that a week or two on the scale with little to no change will end up with a week with a huge change, I can stick with it!

Looking forward to hearing how it went for the rest of you. Let's finish finish February off strong!

:hugs: and :dust:


----------



## Jules8

I am down 4.6 pounds since last weigh in. I am very pleased, but also know a lot of it was weight I have been gaining then losing over and over again so I still have not lost as much I would have like since the start. I added it up and I am down 6.6 pounds since the start. I have no plans of going off anytime soon, I want to see that number hit 10 in the next few weeks. 

To those feeling discouraged, weight loss can be very difficult thing to do especially when the weight has been there for a long time. Everyone feels that way at one time or another, but don't give up and use it to push yourself even further. We are here for you and it will all be worth it in the end! :)

Good job on the losses ladies!!!! :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ugh.....Up 2 more pounds this week! I'm going the wrong way!!!! No excuse other than being lazy & poor will power the last 2 weeks :( BUT I started back tracking food/points today so I'm not quitting.....Even though sometimes I really WANT too! 

Good job you 2 on an awesome loss!!!!


----------



## deafgal01

Good tips on checking sleep. I know this month has been awful for my sleep. I get about 6 hours on average and I definitely do better when I have had 8 hours.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey ladies! My dh & I have talked & I feel I'm struggling to lose now, due to being depressed about all the waiting for IVF :( Dh wants to go ahead & do 3 more IUI cycles while we wait. I was a little leary at 1st, but have decided to agree to this! I am going to use the IUI cycles as a goal to help me lose! I REALLY want to lose some more weight before we proceed, so I'm thinking our 1st round will be in July! We did get a bfp on our 1st IUI, but nothing on the last 2 rounds :( Figure this will help me feel like I'm doing something while we wait for IVF, & what if just MAYBE we get our bfp???? We can afford to do the IUIs without hampering our IVF fund, so I guess I'm in!!! I am excited, but nervous! I did do great with following my plan all day yesterday & I know WW works, as I lost 110 pounds on it before! Just don't like tracking since I got out of the habit, but I will do it! It's a slower process, but easier to stick with when I don't get off my points goal! Guess I'm officially starting over now!!!


----------



## MissDoc

Hey ladies. I haven't stepped on the scale in a while. I'm ashamed to say my health behaviors have been pretty poor. We've been eating out a lot and avoiding exercise (been blaming it on the crappy weather, but really I've just been lazy). I am going to scale back a bit on the weigh ins and just weigh in at the beginning of each month rather than each week. I'll of course hop on the scale in between sometimes, but want to reframe my official weigh ins a bit. 

Congrats to you ladies who are kicking butt and losing weight! 

Cupcake-- Wow, that is exciting that you'll do some IUI while awaiting IVF. What great motivation. My fingers are tightly crossed that one of those rounds will take and you won't even need to proceed with IVF!


----------



## Fern81

Cupcakestoy - that's great news! July will be here soon! Yay, hope it works and that you don't have to go the IVF route.

Oh well ladies I have also not been living healthy at all. Work is insanely busy; I work until about 11/12 at night and get up at 6 to work again (just for the past 3 weeks, until this coming Friday then things will calm down again). And I'm a bit of an insomniac so I only sleep about 4-5 hours and wake up a lot... so I've been very tired... haven't exercised at all this week and don't have time to prepare healthy meals. I just eat what I can get my hands on and drink coffee to try to stay awake long enough to get through that day's work....

I know it's not ideal. I have 6 quieter weeks ahead of me (as from Saturday) so I want to start trying to lose weight and be healthier again. 

Even though everything is crazy I feel very positive about ttc. Probably just the hormones (I always feel better during the days before O) but I will enjoy it while it lasts! 

OK so from Monday I'm joining in the weight loss program again! Hugs xx


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

Not as great this week as last week; I'm down exactly 0,5 kg (i.e, just over 1 pound). Still, I'll take it!

This is going to be a rough month for me; next week I am out of town for a work trip to the U.S., then back in Denmark for a week, and gone another week to the UK for a work trip.

Yikes, I need to borrow some willpower to take with me :-s

Hope you are all doing well; Looking forward to seeing your weigh-ins today!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Happy to report this girl is back on track! Down 3 pounds this week! Ate real food & even made brownies with pumpkin that were a great treat! Looks like March is off to a good start so far! Tigger, a loss is a loss girl! Good job! Be back later to update my ticker


----------



## littlejune

cupcake- glad to see that you're doing iui AND getting even healthier- this sounds like your year! Tigger, good for you too- loss is loss, like cupcake said.

MissDoc and Fern, I have been pretty bad at my health goals too. Don't get discouraged, keep going. 

I have been feeling better and better for the most part, as second tri grows near. I got a nasty cold that- thanks to my lowered immune system right now- has been hard to beat. I have been mostly over my MS and fatigue, so my excuses for not being active are getting fewer and fewer, but I do plan to start power walking and doing some prenatal yoga again, then of course come september once baby is here I will get back into weight lifting and sprinting.

Keep it up ladies, thanks for being a support system even though I've had a lazy two months or so.


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, I'm slowly learning that my entire Luteal Phase is nothing but one, big bloat fest. I don't even know why I bother weighing in during these two weeks!

Today the scale says that I somehow gained 6 pounds this week. Hah! There's no way on earth I gained that much FAT, especially since I was good with my diet *and* I got more exercise in this week than I normally do. In fact my thighs are still sore from all the stuff I did Friday and Saturday. 

So... thanks, AF, for nothing. lol

To those of you that felt like you did poorly this week (or even the past few weeks): try not to let it get you down!

Look at some photos that motivate you. Listen to a peppy song that'll elevate your mood. Is there a killer outfit you'd like to be able to fit into one day in the future? Print a photo of it and stick it somewhere that you'll see it every day! ^^

I need to do that. I look at pics on the computer a lot, but I thought maybe I could put some on my refrigerator, the bathroom mirror, etc. 

DH might think I'm nuts, but he won't complain when I'm wearing those awesome clothes! Haha

To those that are doing well this week: Keep it up! Even a small loss is a loss! As long as you keep moving in the right direction, you're golden! :)


Cupcake -- I hope it doesn't come down to IVF for you. I hope IUI works out and you get your BFP! 

Onward to March!


----------



## ajarvis

Hey ladies! I kinda fell off the band wagon what with all the crap going on from my miscarriage still last month. But back on! Anyone have a fitbit?


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

So instead of starting to diet again right away; I made a commitment to fast for religious reasons. So in other words I won't be following a weight loss plan, nor weighing myself, until about mid april. 

At that point I will do a starting weigh-in and join you ladies again. Lots of love and hugs!! And I will still read your updates and cheer you on from behind the scenes! Xx


----------



## MissDoc

ajarvis said:


> Hey ladies! I kinda fell off the band wagon what with all the crap going on from my miscarriage still last month. But back on! Anyone have a fitbit?

Ajarvis, I don't think I saw that you had a miscarriage. I'm so so sorry to hear that. I hope you're doing alright. 

I have a fitbit HR. I got it for my bday last month and love it. That's what I use to measure my calories burned for the day. 


As for my general update, today is day 3 back on the bandwagon and doing well. I've limited my calories, had lots of water, and been generally good about health behaviors this week and want to keep it up. I am weight monthly instead of weekly, but I'm confident I'll make good progress in March.


----------



## ajarvis

Thanks Missdoc. Miscarriage was in Dec. But had retained tissue last month. So it was a long drawn out process. If you want to be friends on fitbit let me know! I just got it Saturday so not many people on it yet!


----------



## Jules8

Hi ladies! I hope everyone is doing well. :) Congrats to those who lost and staying on track! 

I forgot to check in on Monday. I was down half a pound, it isn't much but I am happy any week I don't gain. 

Have a great weekend!!! :)


----------



## littlejune

ajarvis- I have one but it randomly stopped working. Weird? I loved it though, so helpful!

Ok ladies, for real this could be a struggle. Went for a power walk and now I want to barf. Real cool.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Lost 1 pound this week, evev with my b-day goodies AND AF showing up yesterday! So its been a good week! lol


----------



## Jules8

littlejune- Not cool at all! lol I give you a lot of credit for keeping up the exercise, I know it must be tough. Hang in there! 

cupcakestoy- Great job on your loss! Happy belated Birthday! :)

I am down none this week, however no gain so I guess it could be worse. I signed up for the gym so I start this week. I have 2 months to disney and would like to have an excuse to buy new clothes. :)


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies! Still stalking. 5 more weeks then I will officially join again.

Good job to all the weight loss so far this year and for everyone being an inspiration. Even though I struggled to find time to eat healthy meals and exercise in the beginning of the year, you ladies are really motivational and make me want to get a ticker, drop those pounds, etc!

Hugs!!!


----------



## MissDoc

ajarvis-- definitely! If you pm me your fitbit info I'll send you a request!


----------



## ajarvis

littlejune that would be annoying! I'm definitely loving it so far!

I just got AF so haven't weighed yet. Kinda dont wanna haha. I've been anywhere from 165-168 this week. Even 168 would be down though. So guess we'll see when I get home...


----------



## ireadyermind

I had a weekend that was bad in terms of food, but good in terms of exercise. Had family come down for a visit unexpectedly, and since I hadn't planned on feeding 6 people, we ordered vast quantities of fast food to take care of the last minute dinner plans.

On the other hand, we went for walks, played at the park with the kids, and Sunday I painted my downstairs bathroom which involved many squats and step-ups. I also worked out 4 out of 5 weekdays, so that's 6 of 7 days with a good amount of physical activity in.

My legs are a good kind of sore today, but the scale isn't where I'd like it to be. I'm taking a rest day today (chasing a 6- and 3-year-old around all weekend exhausted me! Not to mention the clean-up we had to do after those little whirlwinds went home. Haha) and then tomorrow it's back to the workouts!


----------



## MissDoc

Sounds like people are doing pretty well! Keep up the great work, everyone!

Last week was my first week back on track . I started the week at 152.4 (which was up), and ended it at 150.4, so going in the right direction. My hope is to get 1.5 lbs off this week, but we'll see what happens, as I think I'm getting ANOTHER cold. Sheesh. 
I've been doing a great job with water, taking vitamins, getting in veggies, and having at least SOME caloric deficit each day. I need to focus on increasing my activity level more purposefully and trying to hit consistently substantial deficits.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Went ahead & weighed in this morning, down a pound! Heading to Florida tonight, so hoping I do well while on vacation!


----------



## MissDoc

Hope the vacation is lovely, Cupcake!

I'm doing pretty well, overall. March has been a bit of a turnaround month for me-- I'm drinking water consistently, have reduced the quantity of food I eat each day, and am trying to be more active naturally (e.g., walking as much as possible to get fitbit steps, taking the stairs, a jog here and there after work, etc.). I'm down about three and a half lbs so far this month and hoping to get another 2 off before the end of the month. I'm finding it's easier for me to think in terms of the month rather than the week and am feeling motivated to see a good change. 

Hope everyone else is doing well!!


----------



## Jules8

Way to go missdoc! I am proud of you! :)

Have fun on your vacations cupcakestoy!

I weighed in and I am up again. I was very sick for most of the week and didn't eat anything so I am confused, though I did have a lot of broth, gatorade, and water so hopefully it was just from that. Have a good week everyone!


----------



## Jules8

Hiii!! Is everyone doing alright? 

I am down 4 pounds from last week...not sure how much of it was just me retaining water from being sick, but I 'll take it! :)

I found out that I have PCOS last week. It's a little disappointing, however it explains a lot of issues I've had. They put me on metformin and at first my stomach was a little upset, but I am feeling much better now. Hopefully along with helping some of my issues, it will also help aid me in my weight loss journey. 

Have a great Monday everyone!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Vacay was grand! Ate what I wanted, without over doing it and lots if exercise! No lose, but no gain! I'm good with that! LoL


----------



## ajarvis

That's a perfect way to come back from vacation!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Welp, my weight continues to go UP.

But since I've been more active lately and started a new workout routine, I'm hoping that this climb is from muscle gain and/or water retention than actual fat.

I'm going to double-check my eating habits, go back to measuring every least little thing I consume, etc. because for the past 4 weeks my weight's just been steadily climbing. What a bummer! It's seriously killing my motivation.

Also, not sure if I mentioned this before, but the local salad bar (the ONLY one in town!) closed down. Now all DH and I have if we ever want to splurge and eat a healthy dinner out somewhere is the crappy sorts of "salad bars" at pizza places or restaurants like Sizzler.

I'm so sad, because the salad restaurant had all KINDS of salad options, including fresh spinach, kale, tofu, tons of fresh and grilled veggie options, a wide variety of dressings including low calorie options... they served baked sweet potatoes, seasonal fruits, a range of soups, breads, and the list goes on!

In comparison, the local pizza joint has iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, croutons and bacon bits, plus like two dressings. It's crap!

Once in a while, a gal just wants to go OUT to eat and be waited on and have someone ELSE do the prep work and clean-up after! lol

Anyway. In terms of non-scale things, I've noticed that my thighs feel smaller. I hope that means I actually AM losing fat, and maybe just gaining muscle instead. Fingers crossed! 


Good job to you gals, too! I know some of us have had setbacks or aren't making the progress we'd like to, but the main thing is to keep at it! :)


----------



## littlejune

Cupcake- that sounds like a perfectly succesful vacation to me!

Jules- hoping your diagnosis brings some resolution and answers for you, also glad the medicine is settling in your system well and no longer making you too sick.

ireadyermind- watching the scale go up and down can be a complete hope crusher. However, before my wedding a few years ago I was on a pretty intense fitness journey and I weighed more than I ever have in my life- yet, according to my trainer's tools I was down about 4% body fat. My appetite increased and my scale kept creeping up, but it was muscle and not fat so don't lose heart. The number on the scale doesn't measure health or body fat so it could very well be you're losing fat and gaining muscle- SCORE.

AFM- I have been struggling with pregnancy headaches esp when trying to power walk, etc. However, I have found that having a LOT of water prior- during- and after exercise helps a ton. I haven't been doing a lot of workout routines per say, but trying to keep healthy and active. Similar to Missdoc. While I feel entitled to splurging on whatever food I want to eat, I have learned that baby gets what baby needs and if I don't eat adequate nutrients or drink enough water MOM gets to feeling crappy verrrrrry fast. And this new concept of taking snacks places- what? Heads up, get too hungry you just might get a serious dizzy spell. 

Keep up the hard work ladies, you will be amazed what a body can do when it's treated nicely. I'm proud of our efforts.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Woot! Woot! Down 2.5 pounds this week! FINALLY got to start working out at the gym last week, well only once, but its a start! I am up & ready to head out to get my sweat on this morning! Hope every one has a great week & Hang in there! It makes me a little sad that most of our folks have bailed, but if you want something bad enough, you will do anything to get it!!! Keep up the good work gals!!!!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I've been traveling for most of the month of March (first to the US and then to the UK). I'd been stuck around 112,3 kg for awhile, but my weigh-in this morning (one day late for this week, but since I was getting over a bout of food poisoning this weekend, I didn't trust yesterday's weigh-in to be accurate) shows me at 110 kg even! It's not a great month for me, but given that I wasn't able to calorie count the way I usually can, I'm happy overall. I didn't do so great when I was in the US, but I kicked my butt back in gear as soon as I returned to Denmark, and stayed on plan in the UK as well.

It means I'm now at 35 kg down and 20 kg to go, so I'm getting there, slowly but surely. I have confidence that I'll be at my goal by the end of this year and we'll be able to see the fertility specialist. Meanwhile I'm focusing on travelling and work.

I hope all of you lovely ladies are doing well :hugs: I'll be traveling for much of the month of May again, so the month of April will be a big push for me to lose, lose, lose as much as I can.

:dust: to all!


----------



## Jules8

Great job on the loss Mrs. Tigger and cupcakestoy!! :)

cupcakestoy- Once is definitely a start! Once you go a few times it will become much easier. :)

Mrs. Tigger- I hope you had a great vacation! I am rooting for you to complete your goal, I know you can definitely do it! :) 

Were hanging in there ladies! 

I started af on Sunday so I decided to skip weigh in this week. I am always up at the beginning of af so I didn't want to get discouraged. Now that we have had a few days of nice wether, my husband and I have been doing a lot of walking. I have 5 and a half weeks to Disney so my goal is 20 pounds. I know its a stretch, but I am determined to get as close as I can. lol


----------



## cupcakestoy

Thanks Jules! I have been both days this week, so far & am planning on 2 more! I know if I keep at it it will get easier, but after Abs & legs today I am SORE! lol I REALLY need to mow today, but just want to not move for a while! lol


----------



## ireadyermind

Good job, cupcake and Ms Tigger! You gals are doing so well!

I have a ttiiiinnnnyyy loss of about half a pound to report this week, but also PMS is rearing its ugly head, SO I hope that after AF disappears next week, I'll shed some water weight. 

I've been feeling really bloated, I'm absolutely exhausted for no reason, and starving all the time -- which is the usual experience the week before AF. Booooo.

On the other hand, I worked out HARD last week, and I'm trying to keep that momentum going this week too. But that PMS tiredness is kicking my butt! Gotta just keep chugging away at it, I suppose. "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!" Haha

Good luck on those pounds you want to drop before your Disney trip, Jules!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Good job! A loss is a loss girl! I'm sore, but less so today. Mainly just my thighs now! lol Managed to keep at though & got in 4 workouts this week at they gym, which will probably be my average, as the gym is on my way to work. Plan to take it easy today & hoping to tackle the rest of my yard work this weekend to keep up my activity! AF arrived yesterday....BOOO! Onward we go to next cycle, one less cycle til IVF!!!!!


----------



## cupcakestoy

I broke the 250s!!!! Weighed in at 249 today!:happydance: 3 pounds off this las t week, but trust me it wasn't easy lol We did take Friday, Sat. & Sun off from the gym, but I worked in the yard yesterday to get in a little activity. Hope to see good reports on here today!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

Good job, cupcake -- that's a great milestone!

I did well this last week -- down 3,1 kg :happydance:

Not expecting much, if anything this week, but I'm pushing hard. April is a month for pushing the weight loss really hard for me, as I'll be traveling most of May.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's weigh-in this week. Hope you are all doing well.


----------



## Jules8

Great job ladies!!! Those are some great losses! I am so proud that we are still pushing to make a healthier version of ourselves. :)

Despite being on af last week and not doing so great over the weekend due to the holiday I am down 1 pound. I officially hit 196...since the start the lowest I could get was 197 so I feel I am over that stubborn hump! I brought my gym stuff for after work and am determined to get there at least 4 times a week. :)


----------



## MissDoc

Hey ladies, it looks like every one is really working hard and trucking along! Congrats on each of the losses, big or small! 

I kind of derailed myself this past week (period was here) and am back to good behavior this week. I too want to make April a serious weight loss month. My weight is up, at 150, but I'm hoping some of it is water weight because I don't *think* I've truly gained a few pounds, but I might have. We'll see. Nothing to do but keep pushing through!


----------



## Jules8

Just sending some good thoughts! :) I hope everyone is having a good week. 

I am feeling good...gym 3 times so far this week and staying on track with eating healthy for the most part.


----------



## cupcakestoy

WTG! I've been 4x so far! My trainer has introduced me to juicing, so I'm going to give it a go til Monday & see how it goes! Was discouraged to see the scale bounced back up to 254 yesterday :( but he assures me its muscle & occurs often when you hit the gym....we shall see????


----------



## littlejune

good work jules and cupcake!! 

I went for a 30 min power walk today, but I guess I didn't have enough food in my tummy and felt sweaty, shaky and faint. I had to eat something and lay down for a while- still feeling weak and tired 2+ hrs later. Will have to talk to the OB about this, about the third time it's happened.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

There was basically no change for me on the scale this week, but I didn't expect much of one after last week's loss. I stayed perfectly on plan, though :thumbup:

Hoping you all do well this week :hugs:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hello :) my juicing lasted 2 days lol I like to chew :/ Anyhoo, not updated ticker yet but I'm up 2.5 pounds :( which is better than the 5 earlier in the week.... Guess I'll take it ugh. I can tell my clothes are looser & I have muscles under the flab!!!! Have a good week!!


----------



## MissDoc

Hey ladies, hope everyone is moving right along and doing well this week. Just wanted to drop in and say hello. I'm doing great so far this week with maintaining health goals-- lots of water, lots of walking/steps, and good food choices. The scale is moving in the right direction. I'm shooting for an average daily deficit of 800 calories (mix of diet and activity) for the next 16 days, in hopes of getting another 3.6 lbs off by the end of April. That would be really great, and would situate me well for meeting my May goals.


----------



## deafgal01

Blah I fell off the wagon. trying to get back on track. I was surprised I did not gain much on cruise- maybe only 2 or 3 pounds at most but I walked a lot like over 15k steps a day which is triple what I do at home typically.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Well, no change on the scale again this week. Now this is getting annoying. Will try to change it up this week and see if something will happen.

Hope you ladies do better than me this week :hugs:


----------



## cupcakestoy

deafgal01 said:


> Blah I fell off the wagon. trying to get back on track. I was surprised I did not gain much on cruise- maybe only 2 or 3 pounds at most but I walked a lot like over 15k steps a day which is triple what I do at home typically.

 Good job on the steps! Hang in there & throw yourself back on the wagon!



Mrs. Tigger said:


> Well, no change on the scale again this week. Now this is getting annoying. Will try to change it up this week and see if something will happen.
> 
> Hope you ladies do better than me this week :hugs:

I know the struggle when the scales don't budge. Keep at it girl!

AFM-I'm hoping to have broke through my plateau! Down only .5 pound but I'll TAKE IT!!! I sat down yesterday & made my meal plan for the week, as well as my gym schedule & Bible study time! LOL Yeah, a little OCD, but I need structure! Planning to replace 1 meal per day with a fruit/protein smoothie, as well as doing a PM activity everyday!!!! I am determined to break the 250 mark this week & keep it below there!!!!


----------



## Jules8

Missdoc- Sounds like you have a great plan going! You are right on track to get to your goal. :)

deafgal- I hope you had a great time on your trip! :) Gaining a little is normal for vacation and should come off super quick. 
Mrs. Tigger- Just keep at it and things will happen soon! I am proud that you haven't given up on it, hopefully a change up will be just what you need. :)

cupcakestoy- Great job on organization! I need some of your momentum for that. lol Your also doing an awesome job at planning out your meals, I don't blame you about the smoothies. They taste ok to me, but the texture is weird and makes them hard to drink. Keep up the great work!! :)

I think I need to re-do my stats. I did a little up and down for a few weeks so I am starting to get lost. lol 

I haven't been eating the best over the past 2 weeks, not horrible but not where I need/want to be. We both are on the same pay schedule and literally every bill due this month came out at the same time leaving us with $60 for food and gas for two weeks. It costs us $25 a week for gas for work, no way around it so I had $10 for groceries for 2 weeks. We have been getting through on basically boxed mac & cheese, pb&j, grilled cheese, and cheap canned soup..not healthy stuff at all. Ughhhh! I know it is only temporary and this has never happened before but it sucksssss. We both get paid on Friday and since all our bills came out last check we don't have anything due so I am getting right back to eating healthy! 

On a good note I have been doing really good with exercising! Things are getting easier at the gym and it has been a wonderful stress reliever. :) 

New Stats-

Height: 5'2
Starting Weight: 203.6
Goal Weight:140
Total since start: 8 pds

Weigh-ins: Monday
April 20: 195.5
April 27:
May 4:
May 18: (skipping may 11 due to Disney) 

Have a great week everyone!!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I'm down 1,3 kg this week :happydance: Only 15,5 kg to go to reach my goal. That's still a lot, but not so much when I think about where I started.

This month will be rough as I will be traveling for most of it. I'm trying to think of it as a challenge ;-)

Looking forward to seeing your weigh-ins this week :hugs:


----------



## cupcakestoy

WTG Mrs. Tigger!!!:happydance::happydance::happydance: 

AFM.....Drum roll please! Down SIX pounds this week!!!!:happydance::happydance::happydance: I guess the gym is working after all! Hoping to continue the trend! Good luck ladies & hang in there!!!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I hope you are all doing well 

This week was pretty good for me; I'm down exactly 2 kg (4,4 pounds) :happydance: 

I'm at home this week, but leave out for 3 weeks of travel on Monday, so I'm a bit worried about what the scales will say when I get back. But I'll do my very best! :thumbup:

Looking forward to hearing how your week went. :hugs:

:dust:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Wtg Mrs.T! I was a tad bit disappointed this morning, only down 1 pound :/ but after losing 6 last week I figured I wouldn't lose much this last week. I did work out hard & ate on track..... Back at it again this week. I keep telling myself to stick with it & I'll get there! I have lost around 11 pounds in the last 5 weeks so I am making progress!


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies!

So glad to see everyone who's working hard and dropping weight! Way to go!

I finished the 40 day fast mid April and then basically ate what I wanted for 2 weeks. Started eating healthy foods again today and will start exercising a bit tomorrow. Have stopped ttc and will see where that takes us but atm might as well get back on the weight loss wagon!

The fast did wonders for my weight and figure. Even though it wasn't for weight loss purposes, eating plain foods without sugar, sauces, creams etc was very easy and I felt really healthy as well.

Will check in again! *Hugs*


----------



## cupcakestoy

Wow 40 days! You go girl!


----------



## MissDoc

Hi ladies, 

I fell off the wagon a bit these past couple of weeks. Let work stress get to me and my motivation was so so low. I'm feeling better now and am back at it, but unfortunately weight is up a bit as a result of my poor eating habits. But you live and learn and get back up and keep going. No one said it was going to be easy.

I NEED to get 10 lbs off. I am going to keep plugging away slowly, and hopefully it'll be gone by mid summer. That is, unless I get pregnant along the way, which would be great too! Lol.

Congrats to the BIG losses and plateau busting these past weeks ladies, it looks like we have some ladies on the loss train!


----------



## drjo718

Hey everyone, I've been gone for awhile and definitely have not lost any weight. I had to take prednisone for pneumonia and gained 8 lbs in a week! So I'm now at 190.2 (eek!) and trying a new diet. I'm getting married and going to hawaii in october, so I really need to shed some pounds! I haven't been able to wear a bikinI for over a decade, and that would be amazing to do on our honeymoon. Even if that's not possible in 5 months, I still want to be comfortable in a bathing suit and summer clothing. Here's to a fresh start!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ugh.....Only managed to work out 1 day last week due to illness & really ate whatever I could keep down, mostly carbs & sodium based foods, so I'm up 2 pounds :( BUT I'm feeling better & have hit the gym hard today! I WILL lose next week for sure!

Where's everybody at?


----------



## Jules8

Hey ladies. I have been on vacation, which was wonderful. Unfortunately I ate whatever I wanted. 

I haven't weighed myself, I am just plain scared. lol I am just going to eat healthy and exercise when I can for the next two weeks then see where I am. 

I hope everyone else is doing well!!


----------



## cupcakestoy

My weigh in day has changed to Weds., since some of us girls started a WW group, so I'll update then! 

Don't feel bad about vacation splurging! We all gotta live it up sometimes!


----------



## Jules8

Do whatever is best for you guys! :) Honestly, I see this forum as more of a check in and motivation rather than a strict weigh in every week. 

I am trying not to be so hard on myself. I haven't lost a ton of weight yet so if anything I just gained what I lost. I will get there, it's a struggle that is worth it. 

Has anyone ever tried herbalife? It is all over my fb, but I didn't know if any one of you have tried it before.


----------



## cupcakestoy

WOOT! WOOOT! Down 5 more pounds this week! :happydance::happydance::happydance: Thinking I am starting to develop my gym addiction lol Find myself excited to go work out on Mondays, after taking the weekends off :/

Miss you ladies who have dropped off of here! Hang in there & stick with it girls!!!!


----------



## Jules8

Thats awesome!!! You go girl!! :)


----------



## ireadyermind

Hey guys -- sorry I've been MIA. Been dealing with a lot of crap and feeling emotionally drained.

Part of that was because I was waiting for results for my most recent cervical biopsy. I get them every 6 months, and the weeks before the biopsy and after it turn me into a nervous wreck every time. I got my results back and they're all clear! But man, the worry and stress during that wait always screws with me.

The biopsies themselves screw with me, too -- to the point that AF is usually 1 week late or more after one of these. Today is CD25 for me and I still don't have a +OPK *or* a BBT temp spike to indicate ovulation, and only just today thought that I could see some slight watery CM. My previous cycles for at least the last 3mos, I always O'd on CD18 or CD19, so you can see how badly this has thrown me off. Ugh.

To top it off, I haven't been losing weight at all. Even with sticking to a strict calorie count and eating lots of healthy things. I've been looking for a 30 day plan to follow in terms of a workout, maybe P90X or something similar, that I can do at home rather than at a gym, because my truck broke down and I don't have transportation now.

My GYN ordered blood tests for me to check hormones, cholesterol, etc. because I shouldn't be having the trouble I am with losing weight, especially if I'm eating less than I'm burning every day! For the past month I only lost 1/4 of a pound. Grr!

Anyway, hope all is going well with you ladies! Keep up your good work!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Welcome back! Sorry your struggling, hopefully the tests will give you some insight.

AFM, I've done great with keeping up my activity, but have slacked on my eating plan for the last few days :/ guess I've gotten lazy with tracking. So I'm going to sit down & make out a plan for this week to help me get back at it. I do wish it was easier to lose weight!


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

So my diet is going well, I am doing moderate exercise and eating:

Free range chicken and eggs
Red-speckled beans (not canned; dried. I soak them and cook in a little salt water)
Full cream unsweetened yogurt
Fruit (just 1-2 servings a day to limit sugar intake)
Lots of avocados (at least 1 a day)
Vegetables - fresh or cooked from frozen with a little salt, no sauces or anything
If I'm REALLY hungry I will have a little plain rice with avo oil or olive oil
Healthy oils: olive oil, avo oil, butter and coconut oil basically WITH EVERY MEAL (not oodles, just a tablespoon full). No sunflower or canola etc.
Sometimes a spoonful of oat bran on my yogurt
Drinks: water, coffee (only one a day, no sugar, full cream milk), rooibos and spearmint tea

And that's about it :). Will sometimes have a little red meat but not too much; especially if it's not organic.

Very low carbs, no sugar, no sauces, preservatives, trans fats, bad oils, no refined or processed foods. It's working a charm. I've already lost some weight and I never have to figure out what I can or can't eat since the list is so limited. Changing up the veggies gives it enough diversity. AND I decided to have one cheat item/meal a week :).

Ireadyermind - maybe try to cut out carbs? And replace them with healthy fats as an energy source; see the banting diet/ HFLC diet. It has worked for literally everone I know. What I'm doing now is low carbs, lots of healthy fats but some unrefined carbs allowed in small portions IF I'm very hungry. And it works. I've seen many people lose weight by cutting out carbs & replacing with fats. Especially is a low-fat diet doesn't work for you. Maybe worth a try? The research on HFLC diets is very interesting!

xx GL ladies.


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> Ireadyermind - maybe try to cut out carbs? And replace them with healthy fats as an energy source; see the banting diet/ HFLC diet. It has worked for literally everone I know. What I'm doing now is low carbs, lots of healthy fats but some unrefined carbs allowed in small portions IF I'm very hungry. And it works. I've seen many people lose weight by cutting out carbs & replacing with fats. Especially is a low-fat diet doesn't work for you. Maybe worth a try? The research on HFLC diets is very interesting!
> 
> xx GL ladies.

Yep, I do the low carb thing already. (With the exception of my weekly cheat meal, of course. Haha)

I try to get at least 3 days of cardio workouts done, for at least 30 mins. Today I did an hour of HARD cardio, with an at-home Spinning Class video, plus 15 mins of upper body strength training.

I stay around 1200 - 1300 calories a day and my FitBit says that on a day with exercise, I burn 1900 - 2000 calories, sometimes more if I do a longer workout, have a busier day or do really well on watching what I eat. 

That should add up to at least a 1 pound loss per week on average, taking into account the occasional bad day or whatnot, but this last week I gained two pounds instead of losing anything. My waist and thighs continue to expand, so I've had to go up a pants size and now my shirts are starting to fit poorly.

Soooooo I ramped up my exercise routine again. Instead of 30 - 45mins of cardio, I've gone up to an hour. 

My OG/GYN is sending me in for bloodwork and ultrasounds because it's looking like I have PCOS and insulin resistance. That would sure explain a lot... And if I can get on Metformin to help regulate insulin, I'd probably lose weight really well.

A few years back I was able to lose 80 pounds through diet and exercise over the course of like a year and a half, so I know how and what to do -- but this time even being really strict on myself, all that happens is I *gain* weight.

Take into account that my BBT chart this month is insanely rocky AND I'm at CD27 without a +OPK or a temp spike, and I'm fairly certain that it's my wacky hormones screwing me up. That doesn't make it any easier to tolerate, though. :nope:

The more I gain, the more I have to LOSE to reach a healthy BMI! It's so frustrating. I start to think, "Why should I keep up with all this exercise and dieting if I'm going to gain weight anyway?" and then I'll want to stuff myself with cookies and donuts or something. Ugh.


----------



## Fern81

Ireadyermind - urgh poor you. Now just imagine what would have happened if you DIDN'T follow a healthy diet & exercise plan. At least you are doing what you can to limit the damage done by possible underlying health issues. I think so many ladies would literally have given up and just lost control of their weight and their health completely. This just shows how incredibly strong you are. Such an inspiration!!!

Hope you can go for the pcos tests soon!!!! And have you been tested for thyroid issues? Once I started getting treatment for hypothyroidism I must say dieting and exercise was much more efficient.... I was a bit angry at that time that my doctors hadn't picked up on it sooner but now it seems like it's under control.

All the best to you hun, wish I could give you a hug! Keep on doing what you're doing, you awesome lady! I really have hope for you that the solution can be found. xx


----------



## ireadyermind

Thank you, Fern! It means a lot that you say that. :)

I asked my doctor if she thought thyroid issues were a possibility and all she said was, "If you had an under-active thyroid, you wouldn't be having any periods." But the reason I was concerned is that there is a history of thyroid issues on my mother's side of the family. And you don't have to show EVERY symptom of a disorder to have the disorder, right?

I've got several, including extreme sensitivity to cold, constantly achy joints and muscles, ridiculously dry skin, the weight gain issues, fatigue...

Though the upcoming blood test I'm supposed to do is going to check my thyroid levels too, I believe, in addition to cholesterol, insulin, etc. I just have to find a day where I can fast for 10 - 12 hours AND find transportation to the lab. Kind of a crummy time for my truck to die on me! lol


What prompted you to have your thyroid levels checked?


*Added as an afterthought:*

I did a killer stationary bike workout yesterday, coupled with about 15mins of upper body workouts... OMG I'M SO SORE TODAY! lol

But I found out that I have "outgrown" my exercise bike! It only has 10 levels of resistance. When we bought it a few years ago, the highest resistance level I could do was level 7. Last year, I could consistently pedal at 8, but it was hard. 9 was like pedaling through mud (I could barely do it, slowly, for a few mins) and 10 brought the pedals to a complete stop.

_Yesterday_ I was pedaling easily at level 8, with slight difficulty at 9 and only a little difficulty at 10! I even found myself wishing I could go up to an 11 or 12 because I wasn't getting my heart rate up high enough at 10 to give myself the workout I wanted. Wow! I'm pretty excited over that.

DH and I are going to look into trading this old bike in at the used sporting goods place across town, and we'll see if we can get a used Indoor Cycling bike instead. One of those kinds they use for spinning classes that has a ton of resistance levels? From what I understand, you can just keep on cranking those up because they use a resistance band around the wheel as opposed to just a few electronic levels. That means you can fine tune the settings, too, so that you can be halfway between one level and the next if you need to. I'm a little excited about that.


----------



## Fern81

Girl, you are soooo much more fit than I am :). At the moment I am just WALKING up and down the hill, doing a few push-ups, squats, lunges and planking! I have so little time to exercise (run my own business) that I always feel like I have to start over. 

I don't agree with your dr and thyroid issues... I've always had very heavy periods (except NOW; ever since I've started clomid, even now that I've stopped taking it 3 months ago, AF has dwindled to almost nothing). I went to my GP 4 years ago because I was feeling extremely exhausted. This feeling had been dragging on for months. And not just tired; literally I had NO energy. I thought I had a heart problem! She did a battery of tests including a thyroid check. It came back that my thyroid was almost completely inactive. I've had such a good response to the medication though. Looking back I had a few other signs like depression, brittle nails, eyebrows falling out (!) and weight gain. (Although I was comfort eating and drinking a lot at that stage so I assumed the weight gain was solely from that). My biggest sign was the extreme fatigue. Every person is different and not everyone will have the same symptoms. My dr said that hypothyroidism is very common in women. It's easy to diagnose and treat so it's definitely worth testing for!

Good luck with all the tests. It's not nice to find out that something is wrong but I guess it's also ironically NICE to find a medical reason for unpleasant symptoms, then it can actually be treated! So I hope they DO find out what's wrong. :)

All the other ladies working hard and dieting - thinking of you!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey girls! I've managed to be lazy with my eating habits the last few days(weeks) :( Going in the wrong direction! So I'm re-booting this week, back to the basics......again! Also decided I like Monday weigh ins, so that's changing back too! Hoping I can drop a couple of pound this week & get back at it!


----------



## Fern81

Hi all - cupcakestoy FX for you getting back into the diet. I also find that I'm constantly in and out. Ideally it would be a permanent lifestyle wouldn't it :) but I try my best.

Started with a HIIT exercise regime yesterday. One of the sequences goes like this:
squats
alternate lunges
push-ups
planks.... do 20 seconds of the first one, rest for 10 seconds, repeat for a total of 8 times. Then move on to the next exercise on the list.

Seeing as I'm so unfit I started off by doing 2 of each (and some walking up the hill, kettle bell swings etc to complete the workout). Today I did 2 of each, waited 1 min and then did 2 of each again followed by one other butt-exercise! Even though it sounds so simple, I am TIRED! And can feel my heart and muscles worked for a change lol. 

On Monday I might do a stats page again and even add a ticker :). Am quite fired up this time. Full-time work only starts again mid July (exam time so some of my lessons are cancelled until school starts again) and hopefully by then I will have a proper regime in place.

Enjoy the week's hard work girls!


----------



## deafgal01

Still struggling to get the weight loss going. I've given up tracking food and exercise as it doesn't do me much good to see it staying the same every week, or going up a few pounds. I start grad school classes Monday, and then in July I'll be in Colorado so I'll be fairly active this summer while I'm attending classes as I'll have to walk from dorm to the class everyday plus hiking on weekends. I've quit coming in Bnb so much too since I was busy with end of school duties (final exams to grade, and graduation duties to go to, parties, etc.) I'm not sure how busy I'll be with grad school starting up (that program will last about 15 months so I'll be in and out for a while).


----------



## ireadyermind

deafgal01 said:


> Still struggling to get the weight loss going. I've given up tracking food and exercise as it doesn't do me much good to see it staying the same every week, or going up a few pounds.


Aww, I can totally relate. I always feel like there's no point in me tracking all that stuff if it never makes any difference! It's so stressful watching everything you eat, working out, trying your best and then still coming up short. I think that's why so many of us end up falling off the wagon.

I know I'm constantly telling myself, "Well if I'm going to do all of THIS and still gain weight, why can't I just stick to eating junk food and accomplish the same thing?"

But keep your chin up! You'll find something that works! :) Hopefully being active with hiking and walking to and from classes will help you out. I know that when exercise was something I *had* to do in order to get to work and home from work, I was the most fit I'd ever been in my life! My husband and I didn't have enough money for gas in the car when we were first starting out, so we walked or biked _everywhere_. I was shedding inches from my thighs and waist like crazy.

So maybe this is the very thing you needed! ^^ I hope it works out for you.


----------



## swimmyj1

hey gals :) I was talking to ireadyermind on another thread and she recommended this one. Hope you don't mind me joining you. Just a little background about me. I've been off BC for about 2 years. but only actively trying for the last year. Recently got married in April (yay!) :happydance:

So far i've dropped about 25 lbs sense November but that was crazy hard and now I'm starting to go back up :cry: time to start getting back up and hiking and cut out the crappy food again. I still have another 50 to go to reach my goal weight. 

So i need some advise I got a positive opk the last two day (wondfo's) and started using the advanced cb digital and got a peak ovulation on that. But my doctor wants me to start temping for the next few months, but I work swing night shift and wake up at different times everyday so I don't feel like this could be that accurate. But now I'm worried because I haven't gotten a peak after the positive opks so does this mean I didn't actually ovulate? (sorry super long comment lol) thanks you :hugs:

Hope everyone has a lucky month


----------



## ireadyermind

Welcome, welcome! Glad you hopped on over! :)

For the OPKs, technically you could stop using OPKs after your first positive result. I know a lot of people (myself included) continue to use them for a few days, though, for curiosity's sake.

Once you get the very first positive, you're generally expected to ovulate within 12 - 36 hours afterward. It varies from person to person, so the rule of thumb a lot of ladies go by is to make sure to BD within 12hrs of getting that first positive, and then at LEAST every other day afterward for a couple of days, or as often as once a day for a couple of days.

Some people BD more than once a day, but I personally think that's too much. Sperm are supposed to be able to survive en-utero for 3 to 5 days, so BDing 2x a day is a bit excessive and it might start making your DH feel like it's a chore instead of something fun to look forward to.

I hope that helps! :)


----------



## drjo718

Hi swimmy, welcome and congratulations on your recent wedding! I went off the pill over a year ago in april and also had a 6 week miscarriage in june of last year. And I have about 50 pounds to lose to reach my goal weight. I worked night shift until a couple months ago and was worried that would affect temping, but I was still able to see when I ovulated as I had a significant temp shift, so I think you should try it. Forget the clearblue advanced opks, they're not good...stick with the wondfos. :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

deafgal01 said:


> Still struggling to get the weight loss going. I've given up tracking food and exercise as it doesn't do me much good to see it staying the same every week, or going up a few pounds. I start grad school classes Monday, and then in July I'll be in Colorado so I'll be fairly active this summer while I'm attending classes as I'll have to walk from dorm to the class everyday plus hiking on weekends. I've quit coming in Bnb so much too since I was busy with end of school duties (final exams to grade, and graduation duties to go to, parties, etc.) I'm not sure how busy I'll be with grad school starting up (that program will last about 15 months so I'll be in and out for a while).

Deafgal-I know its disheartening to be doing everything right & seeing little results. I do find for me, tracking helped, but that's just because I eat more than I realize & tracking puts it in perspective. I have been on the diet yo-yo for years, unfortunately whether I like it or not, the only way I can lose is to eat healthy, limiting my sugar, fats & carbs & actually exercising. Wish there was an "easier" way, but not for me :/



swimmyj1 said:


> hey gals :) I was talking to ireadyermind on another thread and she recommended this one. Hope you don't mind me joining you. Just a little background about me. I've been off BC for about 2 years. but only actively trying for the last year. Recently got married in April (yay!) :happydance:
> 
> So far i've dropped about 25 lbs sense November but that was crazy hard and now I'm starting to go back up :cry: time to start getting back up and hiking and cut out the crappy food again. I still have another 50 to go to reach my goal weight.
> 
> So i need some advise I got a positive opk the last two day (wondfo's) and started using the advanced cb digital and got a peak ovulation on that. But my doctor wants me to start temping for the next few months, but I work swing night shift and wake up at different times everyday so I don't feel like this could be that accurate. But now I'm worried because I haven't gotten a peak after the positive opks so does this mean I didn't actually ovulate? (sorry super long comment lol) thanks you :hugs:
> 
> Hope everyone has a lucky month

Congrats on your wedding & weight loss thus far! I agree to ditch the CB Advanced! They ARE not worth the money, as I had like 7-8 days of Blinking smileys! When I use the Opks, I use the regular digis with a smiley face, + for your surge. WAY less stressful!


Down 3 pounds this week, even tho I only managed to get in 1 gym day....I did ALOT of push mowing this Week! lol Hoping to keep with the losing trend, heading to the gym!


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

Swimmyj - welcome! Good job on 25 pounds. Sounds like you have a weight loss recipe that works for you and we will be here to cheer you on as you pick it up again. :) Re the OPKs: Peak reading and +OPK just means that you are due to ovulate in 12-36 hours and that you are thus at peak fertility level (as I'm sure you know it's best to bd before ovulation so that the swimmers are ready and waiting for the egg to be released). I am a very bad sleeper, some nights I don't sleep at all but I have found that I still get very accurate temp readings as long as I take my temp at the same time every morning. Everyone's different but maybe temping will still work for you! I find it empowering and it gives lots of information about what is going on in my body. Sometimes I find it overwhelming though and just don't want to temp for a whole cycle lol. GL!!!

Deafgal - all the best with your classes. Hope that the increased level of activity makes a difference for you hun.

Cupcakestoy - Wish I could see a before and after pic of you! Bet you already look great after the 37 pound loss.

Cheering on everyone else!!!!! :hugs::hugs::hugs:

AFM - diet is going well. I've only managed to lose 1 kg (2.2 pounds) last week but then again I think I can possibly only lose 7kg max (about 15 pounds). I weigh 56 kg atm (123,5 pounds), down 1kg from 57. I am very tiny though, very small build so a few kgs make a HUGE difference in how I look. I look fat and flabby at the moment but just that 1 kg has already made a difference in my tummy circumference and self confidence! Would LOVE to get to 50 but I don't know if that's a reality considering my age.... the lowest I've been since the age of 23 was 52 kg (after hard dieting just before my wedding 2 years ago!). Am 33 yo now so metabolically it does make a difference...... :blush:

Good luck with everyone's diets and exercise plans this week. Please do share interesting tips or easy/yummy diet recipes!!! xxx


----------



## ireadyermind

Ugh. Crummy weigh-in today. I'm almost 15 pounds heavier than when I started this weight loss plan and I'm at my wit's end! Apparently it doesn't matter to my body if I'm consistently eating fewer calories than I burn each day. :cry:

I know some of this weight gain is bloat. DH insisted that he take me to his favorite Indian food place yesterday. I've never tried authentic Indian food, so he suggested the lunch buffet, so that I could get little tastes of a variety of things to see if there was something I enjoyed.

Well, it was pretty much a bust. There were maybe two items on the whole buffet that were palatable to me (I *really* can't handle spicy foods! lol) and they were both dairy-based. Given that I'm lactose intolerant, that meant I couldn't eat a whole lot, even though I took an enzyme tablet to help with digestion, and the stuff I *did* eat left me feeling sick all day long. In fact, I woke up still feeling it this morning. :( Not in a 'food poisoning' way, but in an 'I've eaten something I shouldn't have' way.

I got in two good days of workouts last week and one day full of walking, and I hope to keep that up this week - but the temp today is forecast at a high of 103°F (about 39°C) and that kills any plans I had for more walking! I'll see what I can do on my bike today to try and make up for the buffet damage from yesterday. Haha


----------



## swimmyj1

I need to get back out hiking and kayaking, I'm planning on going tomorrow with my friends and working night shifts I just wanna snack lol.
Thanks for all the temping advice I really have no clue what I'm doing here lol. days off i'm up anywhere between 6-10 am nights i work I don't get up until 4pm. but have been setting an alarm for noon to temp so hopefully they are not too far off. I've had 2 days off a surge hopefully I get mine 3rd one tomorrow :) and it confirms I actually did. I admit I tend to over analyze things when it comes to getting trying. So many women in my family have "accidentally" gotten pregnant so I figured I wouldn't have this problem and none of them can relate or give me advise lol. 

I only did the clear blues this month because my wondfo's had expired and I hadn't noticed in time to order more. (CB are soooo expensive!) So I wasn't sure how accurate they would be but they seemed to have worked just fine lol. 

ireadyermind- you said that your doctor might think you have PCOS right? If they put you on metformin a lot of times that will really help you lose weight too. losing weight with pcos is really hard.


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> So many women in my family have "accidentally" gotten pregnant so I figured I wouldn't have this problem and none of them can relate or give me advise lol.
> 
> ...
> 
> ireadyermind- you said that your doctor might think you have PCOS right? If they put you on metformin a lot of times that will really help you lose weight too. losing weight with pcos is really hard.


OMG I know exactly what you mean! I have 2 younger sisters. The middle sister has had THREE babies accidentally, even while using birth control.

The youngest currently has a 6-month-old, also by accident.

Several of my cousins and friends have also gotten pregnant accidentally/unexpectedly and one or two got pregnant their first month trying... Ugh!

My BFF whom I've known since 3rd grade keeps saying things like, "You don't need to be using OPKs or temping. Just relax! I have two kids and I didn't have to do any of that." Her two children were also unplanned.

Drives me crazy! 

They are all saying things like that, even my mother, who has stopped with subtle hints about wanting more grandchildren, and moved on to the blatantly obvious comments. Even my 3 y/o nephew is starting to ask where MY kids are. 

I've told Mom that DH and I are waiting to have house and work in good order before we TTC -- mostly so she'll stop bugging me, but also because I want to surprise her with the news when it happens. :)



As for the PCOS... I'm supposed to go in for blood work and an ultrasound, however it has to be somewhere between CD1 and CD7 (so that any cysts they find on me won't be because of an impending ovulation) and since I'm currently at CD35 without ovulation, I don't even know when my next CD1 will even be! If I somehow happened to ovulate today, then I'd still have at LEAST two more weeks before AF appears, if she does at all. So far I've had to reschedule my appt twice because AF didn't show up exactly as planned last month either. Sigh.



On the upside! Last night I got an *almost* positive result on the OPK strip. I had to call DH in and ask him to look, because it was that close. We decided it wasn't a true positive, BD'd this morning because I was sure O was on its way in the next day or so, and I'll be using the OPKs every 6 hours today to try and catch that surge!

This morning it was still the "almost positive" color and I seem to get my darkest results at night, so I'm hoping I get the surge tonight, and an ovulation in a couple of days!

I actually have watery CM and tiny tiiiiny traces of EWCM for once, which I'm thrilled about. Usually very dry in there since I had some glands removed. Fingers crossed that this is my month! I've been watching for O like a hawk so I hope we can catch that egg!


----------



## swimmyj1

my bff is the same way both her kids were not planned. At least she know's whats going on and gets excited with me when I talk about +opk's and temps lol even though she has no clue what I'm talking about.

My grandmother actually sent me baby cloths and baby blankets in the mail today .... that is just not nice ugh. Trying to stay hopeful I went kayaking yesterday for a few hours but then came home and made some crappy food choices. 

Hope you get a temp rise soon and +opk! hoping we get some BFP this cycle!


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> my bff is the same way both her kids were not planned. At least she know's whats going on and gets excited with me when I talk about +opk's and temps lol even though she has no clue what I'm talking about.
> 
> My grandmother actually sent me baby cloths and baby blankets in the mail today .... that is just not nice ugh. Trying to stay hopeful I went kayaking yesterday for a few hours but then came home and made some crappy food choices.
> 
> Hope you get a temp rise soon and +opk! hoping we get some BFP this cycle!

I'm glad your friend is being supportive! I tried talking to a few of my girlfriends, but every single one of them had _zero_ problems getting pregnant, so none of them can understand that it's not easy for everyone.

I can't blame them. We grow up thinking that we'll all become immediately pregnant if we have unprotected sex just *once*, regardless of when in the cycle it occurs. Scare tactics that adults use to make sure youngsters use protection, I suppose. 


That grandma of yours, though! :dohh: Sending baby clothes! She probably meant well, but it doesn't sound like she stopped to consider how you might feel about the gesture. Once you've been trying a while, it starts to get really stressful and disheartening. 

I know that seeing all my friends and family cranking out babies like a factory assembly line (lol) all around me is so frustrating to ME, I can't imagine it being a cakewalk for anyone else either. :hugs:



AFM --

Got my +OPK yesterday, and my temps have been climbing upward for the past three or so days, so it looks like things are FINALLY heading in the right direction! :happydance:

Thank goodness DH and I managed to squeeze some BD in before he left for work yesterday, because this morning things have dried right up. I'm sure I O'd last night, since even my cervix has firmed up and whatnot. Just waiting for the temps to climb a little higher to confirm ovulation.

We timed everything so well this month, I really hope I get a BFP and sticky bean!

Had a chemical pregnancy in Dec 2014, so I'm just waiting for one that hangs around a full 9mos! :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Exciting news I've! Good luck & baby dust!
Hi everyone else, my apology for no personals, but I've got a bum ear again :( went to clinic & got steroids & drops so I'm sure monday weigh in will suck :/


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

I also totally understand the anger & frustration that comes with ttc, especially ltttc. _Everyone_ I know has kids. I am literally the only one in my "real" life that is unable to conceive. Even those with fertility problems have all since had their miracles. My sister fell pregnant the first month off the pill even though she has pcos; not once but twice!!! She is currently pregnant with twins. And I have told my mom that she's not allowed to say "you will definitely have children I just know it" ever again.

Anyhoooooo.... yesterday I had a bad cheat day. Ate well & very little all day. Then I decided to buy a treat bag of chocolates for the weekend (it's our anniversary & we are going out for a cheat meal so I just thought, why not). THEN I started spotting and cramping and it's even earlier than usual; after having really low post-o temps this whole cycle (Have been temping so I have something to show the new fertility specialist end of June). So it got me totally depressed because now I am spotting earlier than usual (nope it's not implantation I know my body by now :(...), have had seriously low temps so my progesterone is probably nearly non-existent... Have to accept I'm never going to have kids bla bla bla..... needless to say I had half the bag of chocolates _and_ mcdonalds for supper! 

Need to get the idea of comfort food out of my damn head.

Good luck ladies who are ttc this cycle! Will be so awesome to see some added validation of the hard work and healthy eating going on here ;).

And hope you feel better soon cupcakestoy!


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> Hi ladies
> 
> I also totally understand the anger & frustration that comes with ttc, especially ltttc. _Everyone_ I know has kids. I am literally the only one in my "real" life that is unable to conceive. Even those with fertility problems have all since had their miracles. My sister fell pregnant the first month off the pill even though she has pcos; not once but twice!!! She is currently pregnant with twins. And I have told my mom that she's not allowed to say "you will definitely have children I just know it" ever again.
> 
> Anyhoooooo.... yesterday I had a bad cheat day. Ate well & very little all day. Then I decided to buy a treat bag of chocolates for the weekend (it's our anniversary & we are going out for a cheat meal so I just thought, why not). THEN I started spotting and cramping and it's even earlier than usual; after having really low post-o temps this whole cycle (Have been temping so I have something to show the new fertility specialist end of June). So it got me totally depressed because now I am spotting earlier than usual (nope it's not implantation I know my body by now :(...), have had seriously low temps so my progesterone is probably nearly non-existent... Have to accept I'm never going to have kids bla bla bla..... needless to say I had half the bag of chocolates _and_ mcdonalds for supper!
> 
> Need to get the idea of comfort food out of my damn head.
> 
> Good luck ladies who are ttc this cycle! Will be so awesome to see some added validation of the hard work and healthy eating going on here ;).
> 
> And hope you feel better soon cupcakestoy!


Man, that's rough.

I'm sorry about your difficulties, Fern! :hugs: That's so crappy. I completely understand resorting to comfort food in those situations. I refuse to even BUY snack foods because I know the next time I feel a little blue, I'll chow down and finish off a whole bag of whatever it is. I don't have the self control to keep myself from doing that time after time, I guess. :dohh:



No temp spike for me today, but my temp didn't drop back down again either. If you look at my chart you can see all these steep drops all month long, followed by another spike, and another drop, etc. My temp only went down a tenth of a degree or two this morning, so I'm hoping for a spike up again tomorrow. 

CP is High - Firm - Open, and CM is creamy and almost gone, so O happened somewhere in the last two days or so. It's just that my temps haven't confirmed it. I really hope the spike arrives soon, because I'm already looking at a 51 day cycle here. Grr.



Also my back went out last night. It used to happen every year like clockwork, 'cause I was born with a spinal problem... but since I had started exercising and eating better for my wedding a few years ago, the back issues diminished too... Now I'm getting back up to this heavy weight again and my back flipped out as a result. All I did was carry my dinner plate to the table and sit down. Ugh.

That means no workout for me today, and possibly for the next few days as well. I was on such a roll, too! :( I decided that, to compensate, I'll aim for the lower end of my calorie range every day. I hope I can see it through until cheat day. Haha


----------



## swimmyj1

Fingers crossed on keeping below your goal! I went to the dentist today and just happened to sneeze while they were cleaning my back molar .... No joke ended up needed stitches in my mouth lol only this bad luck would happen to me. And I love the dentist. For some reason I got on the crazy bus and tested at 5dpo implantation doesn't even happen until like 6-12. I blame my nana and her box of baby stuff that has been looking at me all day.


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> Fingers crossed on keeping below your goal! I went to the dentist today and just happened to sneeze while they were cleaning my back molar .... No joke ended up needed stitches in my mouth lol only this bad luck would happen to me. And I love the dentist. For some reason I got on the crazy bus and tested at 5dpo implantation doesn't even happen until like 6-12. I blame my nana and her box of baby stuff that has been looking at me all day.

Oooo that's cringe-worthy! :o I've fallen asleep in the dentist's chair before, and then dreamt I was falling and jerked really hard when my dream self 'landed' -- thankfully no stitches though. Blech! I hope you're not in a lot of pain or anything.


Finally got a big temp spike today! Went from 97.72 up to 98.28 so that's good! It looks like I'm officially in the TWW! FF hasn't given me crosshairs yet, but its little info tidbits say that ovulation happens the last day of fertile CM. I believe that means I ovulated the same day as my first +OPK since things immediately started to dry up the following day. I think that means I *could* be 2 DPO right now, but not entirely sure.

Anyone wanna give me their two cents on that? I'm trying to figure out the earliest I could test! :dohh:


ALSO -- I keep having dreams about being pregnant, and so does my husband. This is the first time that's happened to me. In earlier months when I was way more obsessive about TTC than I am now, I didn't really dream about pregnancy at all. But this month I've had at least 5 or 6 dreams and even my husband had one (where I announced casually over dinner that I was pregnant). Oye. The one I had last night was of my Sister In Law telling me she was _certain_ I was pregnant and driving me around town in search of a physician who'd do blood tests for me same-day. Made me want to test right when I got up, but I knew it'd be negative since I'm only 1 or 2 DPO. lol

Any of you gals have the same sorts of dreams?


----------



## drjo718

I'm at a weight loss hypnotherapy session right now ladies! We'll see if it works... :)


----------



## ireadyermind

drjo718 said:


> I'm at a weight loss hypnotherapy session right now ladies! We'll see if it works... :)

Oo you'll have to keep us posted on that. I've always wanted to try it!


----------



## swimmyj1

I'm new to the charting but I agree I think your 2dpo. I have had some seriously real pregnancy dreams. I remember one that I had taken like 5 pregnancy test and they were all positive and we did ultrasounds and everything. I woke up and AF had shown up lol talk about a bad wake up. Right around my wedding I had a lot of dreams that i had already had a baby. Sometimes our dreams are just crewel. 

What is hypnotherapy weight loss???


----------



## deafgal01

ireadyermind said:


> Any of you gals have the same sorts of dreams?

I've had pregnancy or baby dreams. Never happened so it's just cruel way of my body for teasing me on my need/want to be pregnant.

I've had a really close best friend say she's dreamed of me having babies or symbols of having one baby because she dreamed of a baby onsie once or having me show her pregnancy tests revealing pregnancy. I'm taking it with a grain of salt though because we all know how hard this type of journey is and I don't even know if it will ever happen, I seem to get older and have no chance at conceiving without any dr help. The curse of male infertility factor...


----------



## drjo718

I don't think the hypnotherapy helped...I had a blizzard on my way home lol.


----------



## ireadyermind

drjo718 said:


> I don't think the hypnotherapy helped...I had a blizzard on my way home lol.

lol! Maybe it just takes time to kick in? Are you supposed to go for repeat sessions?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey gals! I'm feeling better, but this week has been a TOTAL fail! Ugh been in a steroid induced eating frenzy, which I will pay for when I'm sweating it off at the gym next week :/ Work has been horrific & AF is due tomorrow too so no need to tell you what my weekend had been like lol


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> Hey gals! I'm feeling better, but this week has been a TOTAL fail! Ugh been in a steroid induced eating frenzy, which I will pay for when I'm sweating it off at the gym next week :/ Work has been horrific & AF is due tomorrow too so no need to tell you what my weekend had been like lol

:hugs: Sorry to hear! I hope things turn around for you soon!


----------



## drjo718

ireadyermind said:


> drjo718 said:
> 
> 
> I don't think the hypnotherapy helped...I had a blizzard on my way home lol.
> 
> lol! Maybe it just takes time to kick in? Are you supposed to go for repeat sessions?Click to expand...

It was a one time thing but I do have a cd of the session I can listen to whenever.


----------



## littlejune

ireadyermind said:


> swimmyj1 said:
> 
> 
> husband. This is the first time that's happened to me. In earlier months when I was way more obsessive about TTC than I am now, I didn't really dream about pregnancy at all. But this month I've had at least 5 or 6 dreams and even my husband had one (where I announced casually over dinner that I was pregnant). Oye. The one I had last night was of my Sister In Law telling me she was _certain_ I was pregnant and driving me around town in search of a physician who'd do blood tests for me same-day. Made me want to test right when I got up, but I knew it'd be negative since I'm only 1 or 2 DPO. lol
> 
> Any of you gals have the same sorts of dreams?
> 
> 
> I had a pregnancy dream around the time I implanted back in january. I dreamt I was at my own baby shower. It was weird. Lo and behold, I'm due in sept.
> 
> Sorry for being mia ladies, I've been trying to stay fit thus far but it's hard to do so right now. I'm pretty much always uncomfortable so I walk about a mile or two a day and then my ankles and hands swell up huge so I have to stop haha. Oh well!
> 
> Good luck all, hope this month it the month!:dust:Click to expand...


----------



## swimmyj1

Random but has anyone ever take an opk during the ttw? My friend did the other day and she got a faint second line (so of course I tried it lol) and I did too. I know after I ovulated this month it went back to no line so I was just currious.


----------



## ireadyermind

I generally don't do OPKs after one or two positives. From what I've read, you have the LH in your bloodstream almost all the time. That's why the OPK test says that the read-out has to be _as dark as_ the control in order to be positive, not just for any line to show at all.

The opposite is true for pregnancy tests, because your body only makes that hCG hormone during pregnancy and no other time. So if _any_ line shows, it's a BFP.


----------



## drjo718

I have lines of varying darkness on opks all cycle long with no rhyme or reason. Doesn't mean anything unless it meets requirements of being positive.


----------



## swimmyj1

thanks guys :) sorry lots of silly questions this month lol. I am going to a "hot" yoga class tomorrow morning after work. I've never done it before but I guess it's suppose to be a good work out. I was gonna try zumba but I'm not very good at dancing didn't want to take anyone down with me hhahahaha


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey all. Officially up 5 pounds :( AF showed on schedule yesterday. Disgusted with my lack of will power this last week, granted I know with AF & steroids there is no way that the gain is ALL fat, so I guess it is what it is....Taking the week off from the forums, while I do a home makeover. wish you all the best this week!


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> thanks guys :) sorry lots of silly questions this month lol. I am going to a "hot" yoga class tomorrow morning after work. I've never done it before but I guess it's suppose to be a good work out. I was gonna try zumba but I'm not very good at dancing didn't want to take anyone down with me hhahahaha

I've heard of hot yoga. Never tried it though -- you'll have to let us know what you think of it! :) Also it's perfectly okay to ask lots of questions! We all have a ton of 'em or else we wouldn't have joined this awesome community. haha





cupcakestoy said:


> Hey all. Officially up 5 pounds :( AF showed on schedule yesterday. Disgusted with my lack of will power this last week, granted I know with AF & steroids there is no way that the gain is ALL fat, so I guess it is what it is....Taking the week off from the forums, while I do a home makeover. wish you all the best this week!

:hugs: Don't fret too much! You're right that it probably isn't ALL fat gain, likely some water weight due to AF. You'll be back on track in no time. :)

A home makeover sounds fun! I hope everything runs smoothly for you!


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcakestoy - try not to beat yourself up too much I usually see a 6-8lb increase while on my period that drops off after the witch is gone, and being on steroids is horrid for weight gain. :( you will get back on track

I tested today and got BFN, good news though with temping this month i know i ovulate later than i though so the last year of trying we have missed it almost every time :dohh: and my husband doc gave us a script for a SA :happydance: 

Also hot yoga was horrible I pretty much felt like a smelly sweaty pig rolling around on the mat haha the room was like 110. I will stick to hiking and working out i think.


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> Also hot yoga was horrible I pretty much felt like a smelly sweaty pig rolling around on the mat haha the room was like 110. I will stick to hiking and working out i think.

Blech! I wonder what the supposed benefits of Yoga in a hot room are? I can't imagine it'd be good for people to exert themselves in that kind of heat, but I'm no physician...!



AFM -- Weighed in today just to see how I'm doing and was happy to see I haven't really gained anything this week. Surprising, considering how poorly I ate for a few of those days. I seem to have caught a summer cold and all I could think about for the past few days is sleeping. So exhausted all the time, and getting bloody noses. I was starting to really think I'd get a BFP if I tested, so I used a FRER today (12 dpo) and got BFN. :(

So maybe it's just a cold. Sigh.


Anyway, I updated my diet so that I'm eating slightly fewer calories throughout the day. Added in a little more _easy_ exercise, since any exercise is better than none, and I guess that's helping me maintain.

We'll see what happens if AF shows up next week!


----------



## swimmyj1

ireadyermind said:


> Blech! I wonder what the supposed benefits of Yoga in a hot room are? I can't imagine it'd be good for people to exert themselves in that kind of heat, but I'm no physician...!
> 
> 
> 
> AFM -- Weighed in today just to see how I'm doing and was happy to see I haven't really gained anything this week. Surprising, considering how poorly I ate for a few of those days. I seem to have caught a summer cold and all I could think about for the past few days is sleeping. So exhausted all the time, and getting bloody noses. I was starting to really think I'd get a BFP if I tested, so I used a FRER today (12 dpo) and got BFN. :(
> 
> So maybe it's just a cold. Sigh.
> 
> 
> Anyway, I updated my diet so that I'm eating slightly fewer calories throughout the day. Added in a little more _easy_ exercise, since any exercise is better than none, and I guess that's helping me maintain.
> 
> We'll see what happens if AF shows up next week!

Don't count yourself out until AF shows up! Have you talked to your doctor about testing for PCOS? I'm sorry your not feeling good. With my little cousin here I've been eating all junk food not good. But i'm gonna blame AF for now lol. Gonna kayak again tomorrow I need to get back on a good program. We went and did my husbands SA today I can't wait to get the results back, and i'm having all of my fertility labs drawn this cycle. Gonna get some answers and then hopefully stop this stress eating.


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> Don't count yourself out until AF shows up! Have you talked to your doctor about testing for PCOS? I'm sorry your not feeling good. With my little cousin here I've been eating all junk food not good. But i'm gonna blame AF for now lol. Gonna kayak again tomorrow I need to get back on a good program. We went and did my husbands SA today I can't wait to get the results back, and i'm having all of my fertility labs drawn this cycle. Gonna get some answers and then hopefully stop this stress eating.

Yeah I've talked to my GYN about it. She's not the greatest doctor though. She's very curt, doesn't believe me when I tell her about allergies to meds, told me NOT to track BBT and things like that.

I'm really considering looking around town for someone else that's in the same network 'cause a doctor shouldn't make you feel like you _shouldn't_ discuss concerns! I also mentioned testing for thyroid issues, 'cause many women in my family have them, and all she said was, "If you had thyroid issues, you wouldn't have any periods." and wouldn't discuss it further. Humph! :growlmad:


----------



## swimmyj1

that isn't true at all thyroid issues can make your periods irregular or too long. Ya you need to find someone on your same network. She sounds more like a doctor who likes to deal only with patients who are "within normal limits" or as docs like to say easy cases. They annoy me as a nurse lol. 

I'm starting a new plan of eating better again I fell off the train and have started to gain weight again ugh why is weight loss so hard!


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> that isn't true at all thyroid issues can make your periods irregular or too long. Ya you need to find someone on your same network. She sounds more like a doctor who likes to deal only with patients who are "within normal limits" or as docs like to say easy cases. They annoy me as a nurse lol.
> 
> I'm starting a new plan of eating better again I fell off the train and have started to gain weight again ugh why is weight loss so hard!

Well you'd certainly be someone who'd know!

Though she was the person who handled my cervical surgery and adenocarcinoma diagnosis, so considering that, I'd have thought she'd been a little more open to my concerns...?


Anyway I have been staring at a squinter on this wondfo strip all day and it's driving me nuts!

What do you gals think!? Evap or pos? I'm afraid it's an evap but it looks pink, not gray? Aahhh!
 



Attached Files:







AAHHHH.jpg
File size: 88.8 KB
Views: 3









AAHHHH2.jpg
File size: 70.1 KB
Views: 1


----------



## cupcakestoy

I see a line, but can't decide on color! Poas again!

AFM, I'm gearing up to get back on track tomorrow! Going back to the gym & getting a grip on my eating habits. I've worked too hard to just set back & give up! Time to refocus!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Just showed up on a FRER within the 3 minute window but I can't get a good picture of it! Arrggg

I'm going to wait to test again until tomorrow or possibly Tuesday if I can manage that. >.>


----------



## swimmyj1

Oh that's looking like a pretty pink line to me!!! yay!!! can't wait to see your next test in the morning!! oh so glad someone got some good news! Congrats :)


----------



## ireadyermind

I'm so worked up, I can't sleep! It's almost 11pm here and my mind's racing while I lay in bed. I'm trying to convince myself that that line is an evap... but I can't ignore the FRER reading which showed in minutes. Eep!


----------



## swimmyj1

ireadyermind - any update?!?! i was thinking about u today hoping for your BFP

bad news for me my husbands SA came back and it wasn't good. Low count, bad morphology and slow swimmers bad all around :( getting a referral to a specialist now. This stress is not helping my diet lol.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey gals! Super excited as I have lost 4 of the 5 pounds! I KNOW mostly fluid, but still a good motivator for me. The home remodel projects contiue :/ Still have the deck to seal/resurface, but it won't stop raining long enough to cure out! UGH! Otherwise, I have accomplished most of what I set out to do!:happydance: Got my gym clothes on today, time to hit it again, I think I might DIE! LOL 

IRYM-Any new test pics or exciting updates?

Swimmy-DH has low counts & motility as well. His is related to lifestyle choices & working in the heat they think. We did get pregnant with IUI, but probably m/c'd due to a crappy sperm getting there 1st. Lots of folks get a bfp with IUI though with low counts. We just don't want to keep throwing money at that. We got a bfp on our 1st cycle, then nothing on the last 2. At around a $1000.00/cycle, We just decided since our chances are better with IVF, we would throw the IUI money at that instead!

Hope the rest of you ladies are doing well! Check in when you can!


----------



## ireadyermind

My lines don't seem to be getting darker on the Wondfos but they ARE getting darker on FRER!

Here's a pic for today's using FMU. The camera can actually capture it this time! I'm still going to wait a couple more days before calling this one an official BFP. Since I've had a chemical before, I'm worried that could happen again. But today I'm officially 16DPO/2 days late for AF and my temp just did a BIG spike today! (See my chart?)

I've attached pics of the FRER. :)

What do you gals think, can you see it?


Cupcake -- glad to hear that weight's coming off! Water weight always drives me NUTS!
 



Attached Files:







AAHHHH8.jpg
File size: 13.3 KB
Views: 10









AAHHHH9.jpg
File size: 13.3 KB
Views: 1


----------



## cupcakestoy

I see it! Stick baby stick!


----------



## Fern81

Yep Yep that's a bfp! Congrats, for how long were you ttc?


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> Yep Yep that's a bfp! Congrats, for how long were you ttc?

This is cycle #8, I believe. We originally started TTC around about April 2014 but then I was diagnosed with cervical adenocarcinoma and we had to put stuff on hold for a while. 

I re-started my TTC "calendar," so to speak, for the first follow-up appt that confirmed we got all the bad cells and my GYN approved us to go back to trying. :)


----------



## littlejune

I see the line! It's faint, but I see it! My BFP didn't show up until about 5 weeks, even though I tested at what would have been 4. FX!! :dust:

Sorry I've been so MIA ladies. Third trimester is not fun. I literally am always uncomfortable and try to go for walks and do yoga but some days I just can't manage. Ugh. Keep up the hard work all.


----------



## ireadyermind

littlejune said:


> I see the line! It's faint, but I see it! My BFP didn't show up until about 5 weeks, even though I tested at what would have been 4. FX!! :dust:


Thanks! The lines on the FRERs are getting darker, but these Wondfo HPTs are garbage! I wouldn't have even noticed the first line on Father's day if I hadn't seriously been looking for one! The faint faint Wondfo line is what made me test with a FRER, and of course that one game me a much better result. Phew.

I'm only using FRERs every other day to keep an eye on my lines, but I thought I'd use the Wondfos in the off days so I can see a progression there... nope! :dohh:

I wonder how they'll look a month from now. haha


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcakestoy - thank you for the advise I think I would see if the specalist will go right for the IVF if we can. But we are going to wait to see how my CD21 labs come back and hes going to keep trying fertilaid for the next few months. if nothing then on to the specialist (sooo expensive lol)

ireadyermind - YAY!!! I'm so excited for you!!! hope that bean is a sticky on and you have a happy and healthy 9 months :)


----------



## ireadyermind

Finally took a digital this morning, and I was SO nervous!

Someone told me that using the HPTs mid-stream instead of dipping was the best way to go, and I have to say I disagree entirely.

Mid-stream FRER was the same darkness as my FRER from two days ago, but the dipped Wondfo darkened considerably compared to yesterday's!

So I say always dip. It's hard to get enough liquid on the test stick, in my opinion.
 



Attached Files:







AAHHHH10.jpg
File size: 10 KB
Views: 2









AAHHHH11.jpg
File size: 33.2 KB
Views: 8


----------



## swimmyj1

oh im just so excited for you :) Keep me updated on how your pregnancy goes!! lots of hugs


----------



## ireadyermind

Thank you!

I have my first appt on Monday. We'll see what due date they give me and whatnot. I'm too excited!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Irym how was your appt?


----------



## ireadyermind

It was crappy! :growlmad:

Let me give you some of the back story:

When I called to make the appointment last week, I told the nurse when my last period was. I have long cycles, so that was May 6th. The nurse said, "Oh, that puts you at 7w4d! We'll get you right in for an appointment!" but I mentioned that I have long cycles and I don't think 7 weeks is right. The nurse replied that the scan would give us a better idea how far along I was, and scheduled me anyway.


So I did some research about what I could expect to see on a scan at 5 weeks. The responses ranged from 'nothing' to 'a whole heck of a lot' and so I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I was SO nervous and just certain I was going to hear the worst....

I meet the midwife, who starts telling me what we should expect to see on an 8 week scan, and once again I have to tell HER that I'm not 8 weeks. I told her that my first +OPK was only 20-some days ago and that 7 weeks is wrong too.

She just kinda stared at me, wasn't really listening, and then went ahead and did the scan -- and couldn't find anything in my uterus. No gestational sac at all, even though I could swear I saw a tiny blip before she moved the wand!

So rather than discussing with us (DH was there too) what could possibly cause this problem, like it being too early, or an ectopic pregnancy, she says, "Well, sometimes the egg never implants like it's supposed to, and that's called a Missed Miscarriage. Sorry!"


Logically, I'm telling myself that it was just too early, and none of those women believed me when I insisted I wasn't 8 weeks along!

I had blood drawn yesterday, I go back for more tomorrow, and I have another scan -- this time by an actual ultrasound tech and not the midwife, who admitted she wasn't really sure what she was seeing! - in 12 days.

DH and I were pretty upset by the whole thing. That midwife acted as though there was no other option but that I had miscarried, and she was entirely uninterested in discussing anything else, and rushed out of the room without even stopping to see if we had any questions!


The only way I've been able to cope is by seeing lots of old forum posts around the 'net where women have had the same problem, empty uterus at 5 weeks, only to go on to see a healthy little embryo and heartbeat at 8 weeks.

I could even be at 4w6d today instead! FF was never 100% certain where to put my cross hairs, and if I go by the first +OPK I could be a few days behind 5 weeks right now.

I can't believe they wouldn't listen to me! I thought for sure a midwife would, since her whole career is pregnancies.... ugh.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ugh....sorry they seem to be idiots! Hang in there!


----------



## swimmyj1

I'm so sorry that happened!! that is just total crap! my BFF is an ultrasound tech and i asked her about it. She said it isn't that uncommon for you not to be able to see anything at 5 weeks. I am definatly keeping my fingers crossed. Let us know how the blood work comes back. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. that was just really insensitive of your midwife ugh (being a nurse who really cares about her patients i can't stand when other health care workers are not compassionate or take time with their patients.)

Have you taken a home pregnancy test again? I hope your labs come back perfect and the 2nd day labs they increase your hcg!

Oh Wish you were closer so i could give ya a hug. Sending you and your DH lots of support.


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> I'm so sorry that happened!! that is just total crap! my BFF is an ultrasound tech and i asked her about it. She said it isn't that uncommon for you not to be able to see anything at 5 weeks. I am definatly keeping my fingers crossed. Let us know how the blood work comes back. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. that was just really insensitive of your midwife ugh (being a nurse who really cares about her patients i can't stand when other health care workers are not compassionate or take time with their patients.)
> 
> Have you taken a home pregnancy test again? I hope your labs come back perfect and the 2nd day labs they increase your hcg!
> 
> Oh Wish you were closer so i could give ya a hug. Sending you and your DH lots of support.

:hugs: Thanks for asking your friend for me! That was so thoughtful. :flower:

Yesterday morning I did another digital test before my appt. It read "pregnant 2 - 3" when last week's was "pregnant 1 - 2" so things SEEM to be progressing... but if they aren't going to tell me my blood test results, I can't really be sure. It's all so aggravating! :(


----------



## swimmyj1

no no you need to stay positive. Heck doctor offices by me won't even do an ultrasound until you are 12 weeks or further so moms don't get so upset lol. if its increasing in your urine it is defenatly going up in your blood. This is a great sign. If the egg didn't implant it starts dropping pretty quickly. I've had that happen and even at 6 weeks I still only got a 1-2 weeks on the digital. Be very excited (don't worry if you can't be i'll be excited for you hehe) at least until you see your little blip and then can be super excited yourself haha


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> no no you need to stay positive. Heck doctor offices by me won't even do an ultrasound until you are 12 weeks or further so moms don't get so upset lol. if its increasing in your urine it is defenatly going up in your blood. This is a great sign. If the egg didn't implant it starts dropping pretty quickly. I've had that happen and even at 6 weeks I still only got a 1-2 weeks on the digital. Be very excited (don't worry if you can't be i'll be excited for you hehe) at least until you see your little blip and then can be super excited yourself haha

lol -- be excited WITH me! I'm trying to remain positive. The biggest concern I have right now is that it's ectopic, however the ultrasound tech wouldn't say anything to me about the images she captured except that I'll hear back from someone in 48 hours.

I actually just got a notification that my blood test results are back -- but all they released to me was my blood type, and an antibody report! :growlmad: 

Why they wouldn't send me my hCG levels is beyond me. I'm entitled to receive a copy of my own records. Grrrrr.


----------



## ireadyermind

Update: Got an email from a different midwife at around 12:30am (whhhhyyyy?).

This midwife says that my hCG levels are very low, which indicates an early pregnancy and may explain why they aren't seeing anything on my ultrasound. I go in for a second blood test today, so fingers crossed!

EDIT: I emailed the midwife back, and told her that I have long cycles and late ovulation (CD33, for crying out loud!), and that I'm NOT 8 weeks right now, I'm 5 or less. SHE listened to me (finally, someone who listens!) and said that my hCG levels were 184 on Monday, which is what they'd expect to see at 5 weeks and makes sense why I wouldn't see anything on an ultrasound.

I am feeling a LOT better about things now. I know that miscarriage is still a possibility, but this midwife at least told me that there were other possibilities as well, and said it's better to be hopeful and wait for the little bean to grow, if it's going to!

So I've already had my 48 blood test done this morning, and we're just waiting to get results back on that. Fingers crossed!


----------



## swimmyj1

yay that hcg is pretty perfect for around then!!! oh so excited. :) can't wait to hear what your next labs say. My body is not being cool this cycle. FF says I ovulated on CD 10 which I know didn't happen. I should be ovulating today or tomorrow but now my CM is not fertile at all. GRRRRRR not cool. Hoping my labs shed some light on what is happening lol. Maybe I just won't be ovulating this month.


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> yay that hcg is pretty perfect for around then!!! oh so excited. :) can't wait to hear what your next labs say. My body is not being cool this cycle. FF says I ovulated on CD 10 which I know didn't happen. I should be ovulating today or tomorrow but now my CM is not fertile at all. GRRRRRR not cool. Hoping my labs shed some light on what is happening lol. Maybe I just won't be ovulating this month.

Just got off the phone with the doc.

hCG levels went from 184 (Monday) to 220 today. That's not even a 50% increase.

She said just because they haven't seen anything on the scans doesn't rule out ectopic pregnancy, and I could still miscarry... I have to go back in for another blood draw on Friday. Now I'm not so hopeful any more!

This has been a rollercoaster of a week. :nope:


----------



## swimmyj1

no no no you stay positive girly. They went up, plenty of women go on to have healthy beautiful babies without their hcg doubling. I'm sure you already have but google it, a lot of doctors have started to say that the 50% jump isn't very reliable and it scares more woman than anything. I will keep my fingers and toes crossed for you and remain the positive friend lol. I don't want you to get any bad news :(

It's too early to see anything on the scans. But if you do start getting a lot of pain on one side go to the ER (just in case). hang in there try not to stress too much (i know impossible to do) but go do something fun. I wish i was there to hug you for sure now. :hugs:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Sorry your in limbo. Hope your little bean surprises everyone!


----------



## swimmyj1

hey i was thinking about you today. How ru doing?


----------



## ireadyermind

Hey gals! 

I was away spending the Independence Day weekend with family. On the road out to Mom's house, I got a call about my Friday blood draw.

HCG levels are dropping. 

6/29 - 184
7/1 - 220
7/3 - 180

They're certain it's a miscarriage, and I go back in for yet another test Monday morning, plus I need a RhoGAM shot since I'm AB-. They want to make sure my levels are actually continuing to drop to confirm the miscarriage. 

Meanwhile, no cramping, spotting, or bleeding. I feel pretty much the same as I have the past several weeks, so I'm not really sure what to expect at this point. Some gals compare miscarriages to giving birth, others say it's like a bad visit from AF, others have no issues at all. Sigh. 

I have to admit, though, that I was a little relieved when I heard the verdict. Not because I don't want to be pregnant, but because I hated NOT KNOWING! Before, this pregnancy could go in one of three directions and no one could give me any details. Now, we've pretty much narrowed it down to the one option: miscarriage. I can mourn my loss, regroup, and try again.

If my levels are back up on tomorrow's test, I'm going to go CRAZY! lol


----------



## swimmyj1

ireadyermind - awe hun I'm so sorry :( my MC was just like a really bad AF and it lasted almost 2 weeks (not the painful part, that only lasted about 3 days).

I'm glad you have a goal of grieving and trying again. Hang in there girly I hope you have had some fun at your families for the holiday. Let me know how your testing goes. :hugs:


----------



## cupcakestoy

IRYM- I am so sorry to hear of your M/C. It breaks your spirit, or it did mine, but I agree the worst part was not knowing how it would go. Hope the physical part isn't too hard for you. My M/C was a blighted ovum & I waited to M/C naturally. Heavy cramps & a few days of heavy bleeding with clots & tissue, but nothing like labor pains for me....

In other news, I have gained back those same dang 3 pounds over the last 2 weeks!!!! I've been eating whatever & cheating on tracking :( Got a meeting with the trainer this morning...ugh....Sometimes I just want to give up & quit! I am so tired physically ALL THE TIME! :cry:


----------



## littlejune

IRYM- sorry for the rollercoaster of emotions you're going through with this! Geez, I can't even imagine. One good thing to take away from this is that now they know you're rh negative and can give you a rhogam shot, lord forbid you should become sensitized otherwise! I am B- and I honestly didn't know until my 28 wk appt where I had to get blood drawn AND get a shot to the butt of rhogam. Luckily, I didn't have any situations where I could have been sensitized, but there are risks always and it's better to know and get that shot so that the next little bean you have in there is safe. 

Cupcake- ugh those three stinkin' pounds. How frustrating. My body likes to get at a happy weight it wants to be at and stay there pretty much no matter what, it drives me crazy so I feel you. Right now I'm trying to stay positive about my thigh size and my cellulite increase. UGH. It's all for baby, right?! On the bright side, I can't always see my thighs beyond my bump so that's good.

Keep chins up ladies, fitness and ttc are both emotionally taxing journeys and especially when they're coupled, I can imagine there's a lot of extra stress on your shoulders. Try to go easy on yourselves. One thing I've been realizing lately, that I wish I had known during the months leading up to my BFP is that it takes the exact perfect combination of everything to create the baby you're meant to have. Someday when you have little one's you're looking at, all of the months of trying will be worth it knowing that if it had happened any sooner, they wouldn't be them.


----------



## swimmyj1

Hey hun how have you been doing? been worried about you. 

Have you ever had a +opk a few days after you ovulated?


----------



## ireadyermind

I've been hanging in there. Some pretty bad cramping the first night, but that's about it. Also a lot less flow than I expected for a miscarriage (it's way less than a normal AF, even) and it makes me wonder if my problem had something to do with not having a thick enough lining in there to support a baby...?

The OB says not to go back to TTC for at least two months, so I guess in the meantime I'm going to need to go back to working on losing some weight. 


Some other blood tests I had done revealed that my testosterone levels are elevated, which is probably what's causing a lot of my physical problems, like skin and hair issues, weight gain and energy levels.

I have to do some follow up tests on that front in a couple of weeks. DH and I are looking into the weight loss programs my doctor's office offers. It's essentially a medically supervised, low calorie diet & support program similar to the Medifast products. It's for people who have 40+ pounds to lose, but it's not covered by insurance so if we wanted to do it, we'd have to pay out of pocket.

They say you can lose up to 3 pounds a week this way, and are in no danger of losing muscle mass while you're on the diet, due to the formulation of the meals. I'm still looking into it, but it might be better to just get the weight OFF and then worry about maintaining it, so that I can help my body get back to its normal cycles and have an easier pregnancy when I finally do get my sticky bean. 

Since it's medically supervised, I might have more luck with it than with the diets I've tried by myself, AND if I follow their instructions to the letter and somehow don't lose weight after all that, they'll know there's a bigger, underlying issue and we can move to correct it.


----------



## cupcakestoy

The plan sounds intriguing! How expensive is it? I know some are quite pricey, but if they work I guess it'd be well worth it!

I've decided my new trainer is trying to kill me lol cut back my gym time to 3 days a week, but increased my time & weights....ugh also had me start calorie counting instead of WW.....which is a nice change :)


----------



## Fern81

IRYM - Just want to say how heartbroken I am for you but also positively inspired by the way you are handling the loss. You are such a strong lady and SUCH a motivation with your positive attitude hun. I really hope that all your dreams may come true one by one. xxxx

All the other ladies - hugs, keep on going strong with that weight loss, thinking of you all!

HUGS ***


----------



## swimmyj1

Definatly sounds like an interesting program. I need to get back to making good health choices I was doing so well before my wedding but the last 2 months I haven't :( thank you hun for inspiring me to get back to working out and eating right! (Will say it doesn't help that my DH eats junk food like crazy and doesn't gain a pound grrr)


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyjHave you ever had a +opk a few days after you ovulated?[/QUOTE said:

> Just realized I forgot to answer this one. I generally stop using OPKs after confirmed ovulation with a temp shift. So sometimes I get two or three in a row, but then I stop once I see the BBT rise and stay elevated. I don't use them in the TWW at all.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> cupcakestoy said:
> 
> 
> The plan sounds intriguing! How expensive is it? I know some are quite pricey, but if they work I guess it'd be well worth it!
> 
> I've decided my new trainer is trying to kill me lol cut back my gym time to 3 days a week, but increased my time & weights....ugh also had me start calorie counting instead of WW.....which is a nice change :)
> 
> I don't yet know what it costs. I imagine it's pretty pricey, too. DH wants to join me if I do decide to check it out, so we could be spending quite a lot of money. On the other hand, if I was able to lose 40+ pounds relatively quickly, I think it might be worth it...
> 
> I've never tried the WW plan. My mom did when I was a kid, and I imagine the plan is very similar to what they do today, but personally I've always done calorie counting. I like it better, because I can include a wider variety of foods in my diet than some other plans allow. Let me know how it works for you!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Fern81 said:
> 
> 
> IRYM - Just want to say how heartbroken I am for you but also positively inspired by the way you are handling the loss. You are such a strong lady and SUCH a motivation with your positive attitude hun. I really hope that all your dreams may come true one by one. xxxxClick to expand...
> 
> Aww, thank you! :hugs: That's so sweet of you to say. I really don't know how to react to those sorts of comments, though.. :blush: I'm happy I could help to motivate you!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> swimmyj1 said:
> 
> 
> Definatly sounds like an interesting program. I need to get back to making good health choices I was doing so well before my wedding but the last 2 months I haven't :( thank you hun for inspiring me to get back to working out and eating right! (Will say it doesn't help that my DH eats junk food like crazy and doesn't gain a pound grrr)Click to expand...
> 
> It's hard to stick to the plan sometimes! I know that when I go months with eating right and exercising and I don't see any progress, it makes me feel like I'm doing all the hard work for NOTHING and I can't understand why I bother. I fall off the wagon a lot.. but the important thing is getting right back on it as soon as you can! :hugs:Click to expand...


----------



## swimmyj1

My labs came back with very low progesterone so it doesn't look like I even ovulated this month even though my temp chart seems to look like I did. :( going to start on progesterone next cycle and keep trying. Going up north next week and gonna bike and kayak like crazy (and not eat marshmallows at the bonfires lol)


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> My labs came back with very low progesterone so it doesn't look like I even ovulated this month even though my temp chart seems to look like I did. :( going to start on progesterone next cycle and keep trying. Going up north next week and gonna bike and kayak like crazy (and not eat marshmallows at the bonfires lol)

Oo have fun! The best kinds of exercise are those you do because you enjoy them, not because you have to! Don't forget to drink lots of water!


----------



## cupcakestoy

How frustrating Swimmy! I was just thinking yesterday, when af showed up right on time, how I don't even get that false hope of a bfp anymore since she's so punctual! lol I don't have issues with ovulation though, but dh has crap for sperm & I have short ineffective tubes after my reversal....so no reason to hold out hope each cycle....*sigh....I do have crazy fantasies about being one of "those" women who get a bfp/thb with only like a 1% chance! A girl can dream right???

I'm liking the calorie counting so far! So much simpler to figure out lol

Hosting a slip n slide fun day for the kiddos from church today! God be with us all!


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> I do have crazy fantasies about being one of "those" women who get a bfp/thb with only like a 1% chance! A girl can dream right???

A long-time friend of mine was told she'd never get pregnant after years of issues with her cycle, weight, etc. They were so certain she wouldn't get pregnant, they told her she didn't even need to bother with birth control pills because they were a waste of money. So she stopped taking the pills, eventually came to terms with the fact that she'd never have the big family she wanted, and went about her life as usual for several years.

Well, this weekend is her baby shower. She's about 31 weeks pregnant with a boy!

So try not to lose hope. I know that's easier said than done, but really -- if my friend got pregnant when they told her there was ZERO chance, then I think you'll get there! :hugs:


----------



## swimmyj1

Well this is random I got a bfp today, I even took a digital and its for sure. I called my doctor and she said we can see what happens but with my progesterone only being 1.73 I probably will start bleeding in a few days even if I started taking progesterone now. Im gonna let this one go she is confident that with starting the progesterone next cycle and my DHs swimmers apparently doing better from his meds we should be pregnant within a year. Fingers crossed! 

I will definatly bring lots of water on my adventures, I do have a life straw I've never used it but carry it on me just incase


----------



## cupcakestoy

Swimmy!- I'm hoping she put you on Progesterone anyways & is wrong about it not working out!


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> Well this is random I got a bfp today, I even took a digital and its for sure. I called my doctor and she said we can see what happens but with my progesterone only being 1.73 I probably will start bleeding in a few days even if I started taking progesterone now. Im gonna let this one go she is confident that with starting the progesterone next cycle and my DHs swimmers apparently doing better from his meds we should be pregnant within a year. Fingers crossed!
> 
> I will definatly bring lots of water on my adventures, I do have a life straw I've never used it but carry it on me just incase




cupcakestoy said:


> Swimmy!- I'm hoping she put you on Progesterone anyways & is wrong about it not working out!

Yeah!

It's not over til it's over! Don't let her talk you out of trying to hang on to that little bean! GL!

:dust:


----------



## swimmyj1

My line didn't get any darker this morning, and when I took another one this afternoon it was fading already. so she's probably right its just a chemical (if I wouldn't have tested I would never know lol). I'm just going to stick to the positive and if I still have had no AF when i get back from vacation next monday I'll give her a call again.


----------



## ireadyermind

Swimmy -- Aaawwww. What a bummer. But it sounds like your DH's meds are starting to do the trick! I bet you'll get another BFP soon!



As for meeeee...

Just got back from another blood draw at the lab. My arms are so full of holes and bruises (Seriously, I've had nasty bruises in the crook of both elbows since July 3rd and they're taking their sweet time healing!) that the technician looked at them and went, "Holy crap!" She decided to draw blood from yet another spot on my forearm instead. I feel like a pincushion! Hah

We're hoping to see that my HCG went back to 0 so that I can continue my MC recovery and get back to TTC soon.

I had a dream last night, though, that my levels had rocketed into the thousands, and that I was still pregnant after the miscarriage. I woke up thinking, "Wtf is wrong with you, brain!?" lol


----------



## cupcakestoy

Sorry, swimmy :(

IRYM-Hope your levels drop quickly, mine took there sweet time even though they only got up to the 1800s....

AFM-I realized I have been doing a crappy job with keeping up with reporting my weights lol, but I lost 4 pounds this week!!!!!:happydance::happydance::happydance::happydance: I'm Really liking Calorie counting so far! Hoping to see a steady decline this week too. In other news it's HOT here! Like 105 heat index....I did get half the front yard push mowed, but am now for a mandatory cool down lol Goint to the gym Tues, Thurs & Sat. this week....


----------



## drjo718

Cupcake, where are you located? It's been super hot and humid here too.


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> Sorry, swimmy :(
> 
> IRYM-Hope your levels drop quickly, mine took there sweet time even though they only got up to the 1800s....
> 
> AFM-I realized I have been doing a crappy job with keeping up with reporting my weights lol, but I lost 4 pounds this week!!!!!:happydance::happydance::happydance::happydance: I'm Really liking Calorie counting so far! Hoping to see a steady decline this week too. In other news it's HOT here! Like 105 heat index....I did get half the front yard push mowed, but am now for a mandatory cool down lol Goint to the gym Tues, Thurs & Sat. this week....


Mine only got up to 220. lol... It's been over a week and my levels still aren't at zero. I don't know how long that's supposed to take! :dohh:

Hot weather is the WORST. We hit 115° over Independence Day weekend and I got the worst sunburn of my life, even WITH sunblock (and reapplying every two hours!). It's currently at the 'peeling' stage and driving me bonkers. Everything itches! lol

I hope things cool down for you soon! I always feel like I can't get ANYTHING done in that kind of heat.


----------



## swimmyj1

yay for the weight loss cupcake!! good job!! 

ireadyermind mine took a while to come down so hang in there!


----------



## cupcakestoy

drjo718 said:


> Cupcake, where are you located? It's been super hot and humid here too.

We live in East TN....



ireadyermind said:


> cupcakestoy said:
> 
> 
> Sorry, swimmy :(
> 
> IRYM-Hope your levels drop quickly, mine took there sweet time even though they only got up to the 1800s....
> 
> AFM-I realized I have been doing a crappy job with keeping up with reporting my weights lol, but I lost 4 pounds this week!!!!!:happydance::happydance::happydance::happydance: I'm Really liking Calorie counting so far! Hoping to see a steady decline this week too. In other news it's HOT here! Like 105 heat index....I did get half the front yard push mowed, but am now for a mandatory cool down lol Goint to the gym Tues, Thurs & Sat. this week....
> 
> 
> Mine only got up to 220. lol... It's been over a week and my levels still aren't at zero. I don't know how long that's supposed to take! :dohh:
> 
> Hot weather is the WORST. We hit 115° over Independence Day weekend and I got the worst sunburn of my life, even WITH sunblock (and reapplying every two hours!). It's currently at the 'peeling' stage and driving me bonkers. Everything itches! lol
> 
> I hope things cool down for you soon! I always feel like I can't get ANYTHING done in that kind of heat.Click to expand...

Hopefully you will see 0 very soon! I believe its supposed to drop like something half every couple of days? Not positive on that tho....Peeling is the WORST! I don't mind the heat, but the humidity & all the rain is killing me! I took off a week in June to work on the house & still haven't got to do the deck or the porch stuff since its rained mostly every day or 2 since :/ Hoping to get finished before winter....uggh!


----------



## Fern81

Hi girls!

I'm taking another cycle "off" ttc after a disaster of a last cycle. I am refocusing on dieting and exercising which had turned out to be quite difficult the past few weeks.... middle of winter and all *sigh*.:cold: I also had a hectic, stressful past few months (grandfather passed away really tragically, my sister had her twins prematurely, lots of unpleasant issues with the current owners of our new house) so I admit I have been comfort eating. :cry:

Jealous of the hot weather you all have been having! We are moving @ end July to our first OWN house (renting a flat atm) and the house has a swimming pool so I have to be bikini-ready for summer in December!!!:shipw:

Good job cupcake! You will have to post some before and after pics ;). I read something you said in another post and realized we're almost the same age! 

Swimmy and IRYM - don't know how true this is but I've read that ladies are more fertile after m/c. And that statistically it's more likely to fall pregnant if you have been pregnant before. I sincerely hope that's true in both your cases. xx

Have a good, healthy week ladies!


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> Hi girls!
> 
> I'm taking another cycle "off" ttc after a disaster of a last cycle. I am refocusing on dieting and exercising which had turned out to be quite difficult the past few weeks.... middle of winter and all *sigh*.:cold: I also had a hectic, stressful past few months (grandfather passed away really tragically, my sister had her twins prematurely, lots of unpleasant issues with the current owners of our new house) so I admit I have been comfort eating. :cry:
> 
> Jealous of the hot weather you all have been having! We are moving @ end July to our first OWN house (renting a flat atm) and the house has a swimming pool so I have to be bikini-ready for summer in December!!!:shipw:
> 
> Good job cupcake! You will have to post some before and after pics ;). I read something you said in another post and realized we're almost the same age!
> 
> Swimmy and IRYM - don't know how true this is but I've read that ladies are more fertile after m/c. And that statistically it's more likely to fall pregnant if you have been pregnant before. I sincerely hope that's true in both your cases. xx
> 
> Have a good, healthy week ladies!


Oo, don't be jealous of the heat here! I live in California, USA and we are in the midst of a terrible, several years long drought. Everyone's on water restrictions, the lakes are so low, it's scary, it hasn't properly rained in months.. blech!

If some of you gals could just send your unwanted rain my way, I'd appreciate it! :thumbup: Haha

I hope what you're saying is true! That you're more likely to get pregnant once you've already been, and that you're more fertile after a miscarriage. The OB wants me to wait two months before going back to TTC but I'm so impatient!

Trying to tell myself that I can use this time to try and get some weight off... DH and I bought some weight loss foods last night and we're waiting for them to arrive by mail. The medically-supervised diet plan my insurance carrier was offering was ridiculously expensive and they basically had you consuming nothing but weight loss shakes the whole time, so we figured we would try one more time on our own before resorting to that.

The stuff we got is high in protein and fiber, and loaded up with with vitamins, so it's supposed to help keep you full longer with fewer calories. The reviews for the product were good, so I'm hoping they work out! They say the average person loses 1 - 3 pounds a week on this stuff, so if that happens for me in the two months I'm WTT then I could lose approximately 16 pounds by then? I'm hoping, anyway. ANY loss would be beneficial at this stage.

And then if it works, I could just stick with the diet until my next BFP and see how far I get.


----------



## drjo718

Iread, is there a particular reason your ob wants you to wait? I only ask because it's outdated advice to wait after a miscarriage unless there's a very specific medical reason for you. Specialists typically tell you there's no need to wait, it just makes dating easier for obs if you do.


----------



## ireadyermind

drjo718 said:


> Iread, is there a particular reason your ob wants you to wait? I only ask because it's outdated advice to wait after a miscarriage unless there's a very specific medical reason for you. Specialists typically tell you there's no need to wait, it just makes dating easier for obs if you do.

She didn't give me a reason, just told me to wait -- via email through my medical carrier's website. 

I did some reading myself, and I'm getting a lot of mixed opinions from various medical websites. Some say wait 6 months, some say go after it immediately, and others say wait until AF has arrived at least once.

But some other articles I read said that progesterone is higher after a MC and that could aid in getting pregnant again. I really don't know what to believe at this point! What have your OBs told those of you who've miscarried?


----------



## drjo718

My midwives said it didn't matter if we waited or not since I was just 6 weeks. My close friend who is also struggling with infertility just had an early miscarriage a couple weeks ago. Her ob said to wait a cycle...but she just had her first appointment with the fertility specialist and he said there is no reason to wait and is giving her a higher dose of femara. OBs can figure out dating from an early ultrasound, so I hate their reason of their own convenience for making people wait after mc.


----------



## ireadyermind

Huh. Yeah I was at 5 or 6 weeks also, and there was never a gestational sac or anything visible on the scans. So the egg never really got far, and the miscarriage lasted only about three days.... I could understand the wait if I was much farther along, maybe.

My cycles are becoming so unpredictable, though, that it might even take two months just for one AF. I think what I'm going to do is see what happens this cycle, spend my current cycle on this new diet to see where it gets me, and the next time AF shows up, evaluate my situation and go from there.


----------



## ireadyermind

:cry: I have to rant to you ladies... Apologies in advance if I sound like I'm whining!


I just got off the phone with my mother. My younger sister is pregnant AGAIN with an unplanned child. This will be her fourth unplanned pregnancy. She isn't in any position to support another child -- she can barely support herself and the three children she currently has, nor is she taking any steps to ensure that she can support them in the future. Her boyfriend refuses to take on full time work to support his family, and the 5 of them are basically living in poverty despite the assistance my mother attempts to provide them, with the oldest boy (who is six) attending school only once or twice a week because my sister can't be bothered to get him to the bus stop every morning.

It'd be different if they were a poor family, but well cared-for. Clean, fed, and sent to school every day, even if they didn't have a lot to their name. When I was a child, my parents divorced and my mom was challenged with the task of making one income stretch to care for herself and three children, when before we'd had two incomes to do that. Things were tight, but we always had food, warm beds, and clean clothes. My sister can barely provide that for her brood as it stands. Now she's pregnant again?

Hearing this news, I'm angry, jealous, sad... I also feel certain that this one will be a girl. Which isn't normally a bad thing, but my sisters have both had only boys to this point, and I had been hoping that my first child would be a girl just for the... I don't know what to call it -- uniqueness? -- of being the first girl grandchild for my mother.

I haaaaaate that my sister is cranking out children she doesn't want/can't afford like it's nothing, while DH and I have been trying for almost a year and we've only had one unsuccessful BFP in all that time. :nope: I feel like throwing a tantrum. "It's not faaiiiiiirrr!" 


:growlmad:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hugs girl! No its NOT fair. I feel the same way about several people who have been blessed with a baby around us. I just don't understand why God will bless others, who in my opinion, don't need another, but here we sit...Waiting & wanting to have what they got. I can't make sense of it, but I believe in His timing & purpose, so I try top just avoid the situation or smile gracefully, as I die inside........Sorry this is in your path sweetie!


----------



## swimmyj1

I would be angry too! It's just not fair! I don't understand how people have children over and over when they can't really care for them. I'm trying to adopt my cousins child. Him and his gf are serious drug addicts their daughter is 2 1/2 and heck she "didn't know" she was pregnant until 8 months (bs). Her mom left her in a car this winter for 3 hours while she shopped and got her nails done it was -3 out! Not that your sister is the same at all but it's hard to watch people get kids over and over. I hope it isn't a girl, u deserve that! 

Not sure I asked you guys or not but do u think there is anyway I acutally ovulated cd 21 instead of 16? AF still is a no show and I havnt tested yet but I don't feel pregnant at all. I just want her to show up so I can start clomid and stuff lol


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> Not sure I asked you guys or not but do u think there is anyway I acutally ovulated cd 21 instead of 16? AF still is a no show and I havnt tested yet but I don't feel pregnant at all. I just want her to show up so I can start clomid and stuff lol

CD17 looks like it's possible, but then you also got +OPKs on CD20 and CD21... And ovulation doesn't occur until approx 24hrs after your first +OPK... :-k

I think CD21 is possible. You might not've successfully ovulated on CD16. Hard to say for sure!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Swimmy, I'm confused....didn't you get a bfp on the 10th, but was told you'd m/c due to low Progesterone levels?


----------



## swimmyj1

Yeah I did but I took another one and it was negative so I think it was an evap line. I haven't tested sense then. my doctor said if I hadn't started bleeding by my normal time they want a blood test and would start on progesterone. I just don't know if im past my normal LP or still on it


----------



## swimmyj1

But good news got on the scale this morning down 5 lbs in 2 weeks yay!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> But good news got on the scale this morning down 5 lbs in 2 weeks yay!!!

Good job! :happydance:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Great job swimmy! AFM....as of yesterday morning I HAD lost 4 pounds!.....This morning I officially lost 2 :( I guess the Chinese sodium content did me in lol oh well I'll take a 2 pound loss each week ;)


----------



## swimmyj1

Well AF showed up. Staying positive I get to use clomid and progesterone this cycle! fingers crossed!!

Gonna keep working out, this time I'm determined to eat better. After eating junk food up north I just feel icky.


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

Busy busy busy here, no time for ttc! I've lost about 2 kg but can't figure out how to update my ticker.... so I've deleted it from my siggie for now lol.

Hugs and good (slimming) wishes to you all x


----------



## MissDoc

Hi ladies, sorry I've been MIA! Thought I'd take a quick minute to check in. 

I've been staying off the boards as things keep disrupting our TTC plans. But on the weight loss and health front, I'm doing well. I'm done another few lbs and I'm on a roll. Exercising 5+ times a week, drinking over 100 oz water daily, eating well generally. Feeling good about that progress. Feeling bummed about continuing to put off TTC though. I'm thinking when all is said and done, legitimate trying probably won't happen until 2016. We'll see though.


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> Hi ladies
> 
> Busy busy busy here, no time for ttc! I've lost about 2 kg but can't figure out how to update my ticker.... so I've deleted it from my siggie for now lol.
> 
> Hugs and good (slimming) wishes to you all x




MissDoc said:


> Hi ladies, sorry I've been MIA! Thought I'd take a quick minute to check in.
> 
> I've been staying off the boards as things keep disrupting our TTC plans. But on the weight loss and health front, I'm doing well. I'm done another few lbs and I'm on a roll. Exercising 5+ times a week, drinking over 100 oz water daily, eating well generally. Feeling good about that progress. Feeling bummed about continuing to put off TTC though. I'm thinking when all is said and done, legitimate trying probably won't happen until 2016. We'll see though.

Good to hear from you gals. :)

Good job on the weight loss and healthy habits! Keep 'em up! 

As for me, I'm waiting for some of my health foods to arrive in the mail today or tomorrow. Unfortunately they weren't available to be picked up locally, so I hope they arrive in good condition. It's been so hot here the past few days, I worry that anything sent in the mail would arrive melted. Haha.

If the food doesn't arrive until tomorrow, that means we won't be able to start the new diet plan until Thursday, and that might not be the best time since I'm having family come down over the weekend and we'd need to accommodate THEIR food needs as well.... We'll see.

In the mean time I've been eating light breakfasts and lunches sort of in preparation of this new diet so that it's not a big shock for me. Drinking lots of water (aiming for at least 2 liters a day, but ideally 3 liters) too.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Congrats on the losses! My trainer wants me to drink 100-120oz of water daily, which is virtually impossible since I'm a Home Health nurse & in my car most of the day! I did it for a few days, but about peed myself between available bathrooms! lol I am drinking more, but usually only 3-4 bottles/day IF I get that in...ugh!


----------



## swimmyj1

lol I didn't know you were a nurse. so am I haha, hats off to you doing home health care I don't think I could do that. 

I wish I could drink that much water I get to about 1 1.5L and have to pee like crazy lol


----------



## ireadyermind

You do get used to drinking lots of water, it just takes time.

It was really difficult at first for me, too, but then your body adjusts to having plenty of water to work with and you start to crave it after a while. I start first thing in the morning, with at least one tall glass of water before I've even had my breakfast.

On really warm days I can drink 3 or more liters of water, and I've heard of people that drink a gallon or more a day! Yes, you do have to go to the bathroom more often, but it helps with digestion, skin moisture, energy levels, and it flushes the bad stuff from your system, too!


----------



## swimmyj1

Im gonna try it, cant hurt. I can always tell when I haven't drank enough water. I get bad headaches and just feel dizzy. Tonight at work i have been drinking lots and lots of water I have 2 L down. Bet i'm gonna be sorry when I'm trying to sleep hahaha


----------



## cupcakestoy

I've been doing home care for the last 14 years :/ After yesterday, I CAN'T wait to get our thb so I can quit my job & be a SAHM!!!! Honestly it's usually pretty good, but I guess I'm getting burnt out. All the new Medicare/Ins. regs make it impossible to take care of my patients the way they need to be.....frustrating!


----------



## swimmyj1

thats a long time to be doing home health care! lol I wish i could be a SAHM when we finally have kids but no way thats gonna happen. Honestly he probably would end up being a SAHD instead. I can't believe how many people are being seen now a days. No joke pt came into the ER after having surgery took 2 norco's pain didn't go to a 0 so they called 911 ....... :dohh:
How many pts do you see in a day?


----------



## cupcakestoy

5-10....my ideal # is 6 lol but right now we have a nurse out gone o Italy, another had an appendectomy a week ago. An RN quit last week, so we are running a skeleton crew lol


----------



## drjo718

We have a a lot of nurses in this group! I'm a labor and delivery nurse
:)


----------



## cupcakestoy

I did a little L&D YEARS ago, but mostly did NN :) Got to transition the new babe's, Got to do all the fun stuff without a crazy preggo lady yelling at me lol It was fun! I would do 24 hour call & just go in for deliveries.....


----------



## ireadyermind

Well gee, now I feel left out. 

I'm an artist, and I have minor to moderate skills in a number of artistic areas, including graphic design, Flash animation, website design, digital & traditional paintings, etc.

I'm lucky enough to be able to work from home, trying to make a living doing what I love. DH is a software engineer who works for a large insurance company here in town and dabbles in smartphone apps when he has free time.

Our jobs have us sitting at desks all day though, and that's part of why weight loss is difficult for us. Since we can't work if we're not at the PC, we can't simply 'add more steps to your routine every day' like I used to do when I was in retail management. Back then, I could walk laps around my store while I worked, using that time to make sure things were clean, customers were tended to, and signage was correct. I bet I walked at least a couple of extra miles every day by doing that.

Now, though, since I work by commission, I can't just be taking random breaks on my work since there are generally deadlines to adhere to. I set business hours for myself, though, so any time outside of those hours is my personal time, and I can exercise (or not) as I choose. It's just not enough I guess.


----------



## drjo718

Cupcake, even if you only came in for deliveries on my unit, you'd be there the whole shift. We do 10-20 deliveries a day. :) Yesterday we had a 31 weeker come in at 10 centimeters and breech so I had to scrub in and do a stat c section with a T uterine incision. Anesthesia almost didn't make it and the dr wanted to do it under local...so glad that didn't happen. Talk about an adrenaline rush! Fortunately I had a simple vaginal delivery of a 9 lb 7oz baby a few hours later to round out my shift. Always a good time. :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Wow. I did work some regularly scheduled shifts. One one than more occasion I would hook mom up to the monitors for obs, while normal L&D nurse was on her way in. A few times I got to ride to the OR with my hand in a uterus due to a cord prolapse....not my idea of a good time! Of course, there were times the Dr. drove too slow & I got to do the whole nine yards too! Thankfully the few deliveries I did were easy as pie.....stand there & catch pretty much lol...never did get a cut of the delivery fee though??? Lmbo


----------



## cupcakestoy

Needless to say I worked at a small country hospital...maybe 80-100 deliveries a year if that....they closed the ob unit down a couple years after I quit :(


----------



## swimmyj1

ireadyermind - hats off to you I admit i am not computer savey at all lol. Very envious that you get to set your own ours but idk if I would be able to disciplined enough to get stuff done hahaha. Have you ever had an exercise ball to sit on instead of a chair? We have a few computers set up with those at work and I really like having to use my core muscles while charting.

Random but this clomid has me feeling so light headed and "ditzy" thank goodness only 2 more days of pills.


----------



## drjo718

cupcakestoy said:


> Wow. I did work some regularly scheduled shifts. One one than more occasion I would hook mom up to the monitors for obs, while normal L&D nurse was on her way in. A few times I got to ride to the OR with my hand in a uterus due to a cord prolapse....not my idea of a good time! Of course, there were times the Dr. drove too slow & I got to do the whole nine yards too! Thankfully the few deliveries I did were easy as pie.....stand there & catch pretty much lol...never did get a cut of the delivery fee though??? Lmbo

Right?!? I think we should get the $$ for doing the delivery! :)


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> ireadyermind - hats off to you I admit i am not computer savey at all lol. Very envious that you get to set your own ours but idk if I would be able to disciplined enough to get stuff done hahaha. Have you ever had an exercise ball to sit on instead of a chair? We have a few computers set up with those at work and I really like having to use my core muscles while charting.

When I have commissions lined up, I'm very disciplined. I have alarms set on my phone to keep me on a schedule, I send end-of-day progress reports to the customer, and I 'clock out', so to speak, at 5:30pm every evening to get dinner started and housework done.

On the flip side, when I *don't* have any commissions lined up, and I set to work on things of my own choosing (mostly intended to help improve my skills or expand my portfolio), I'm _terrible_ at being disciplined. lol. I've had a drawing in progress for weeks now that would normally take two or three days if someone were paying me to do it. Ha ha

You can see one of my personal works attached to the post, one I made when I didn't have any commissions to work on, but still wanted to create something to keep my skills up to par (or improve them! I always aim for improvement. :) )


As for the exercise ball thing... I've tried it before, but for the number of hours I'm at the computer, and the work I'm doing, it's not always ideal. I try to get up and stretch every couple of hours so that I'm not getting stiff and achy, but there are times when I'm so absorbed in a painting, five hours fly by and I realize I haven't moved from my seat even once to get a drink, food, or use the restroom. >.>

The exercise balls don't have armrests to help support my arms when I'm drawing with my tablet, for example, or for when I'm using the mouse. That puts crazy strain on my arms and I end up with tendinitis in my wrists and elbows after too long sitting like that. So an unplanned 5 hour stretch of drawing and mouse usage would KILL me! :dohh:
 



Attached Files:







PointyHat_MarilynMonroe_wNoise2_Bandbupload.jpg
File size: 138.7 KB
Views: 1


----------



## cupcakestoy

Kudos IRYM! I only know enough about my PC to be dangerous! lol As for me, no loss this week, but I did get a strained muscle in my back(thanks dh) & had hot fudge cake! lmbo....Hot fudge is the devil!


----------



## swimmyj1

Holy cow you drew that!!! That's amazing! Lol and to think I've been trying to draw this tattoo i want and it's a super simple little thing and can't even seem to get that right hahaha

I've gained back 2 this week ugh DH has been offering to take me out too much lol so my food choices have been way to many burgers and fries.


----------



## cupcakestoy

I've slacked off at they gym :( Only made it once last week ugh....DH work schedule changed & we haven't been having to get up til 6am, which apparently is all it took to get me to stay in bed....Honestly I have done terrible for July. Feel like I'm fighting a losing battle at times. I mean I lost a crap load before, which I don't remember being tired ALL the time or hurting as much then! My hip hasn't been right since our 4th of July party, it gets sore & achy alot. I did push mow the front yard yesterday & plan to do back today, though, but had to I use Icy Hot & a rice bag at bed last night! Aroma of "Old Lady" lol I'm up today, trying to talk myself into to going to the gym, but I'm lazy, sore & know I'm mowing this evening, so it's not really going to happen :/ DH wants me to make a Dr. appt, but I figure its nothing serious, probably a strain or sciatica flare up since it doesn't seem to be getting too much worse if I take it easy....I think my old body just needs a break! Planning to stick with my eating plan this week, but will probably just do mowing & yard/house stuff this week...Hoping to do better in August :*(


----------



## MissDoc

I feel you ladies on the water front. I drink 100 oz a day and I pee constantly. It's so annoying to wake up multiple times in the night to pee!

Cupcake, you had me rolling with aroma of "old lady" bit. Maybe we should call it something fancy... eu de old lady?  Sorry your body hasn't been cooperating as much. I've been getting a lot of knee and foot pain since I've started exercising so consistently. 

ireadyermind-- love the art work. How impressive! I can draw trees. That's the extent of my artistic ability and I'm always so envious of people like you who have such talent!

Wow, there are SO MANY nurses on this thread. Love it. I'm a pediatric psychologist in a children's hospital, so my days are immersed in healthcare too. It's a mixed bag how many patients I see a day... if they're inpatient I get lots of steps, if they're outpatients I'm pretty stationary in one clinic. I do a lot of walking in place in my office while notewriting, lol. 

I've done pretty well this past week. Lost a bit more weight. I've cut out as many artificial sweeteners and additives as possible... no diet sodas of any sort, no carbonated flavored waters, no sweetened coffee creamers, no "sugar-free" anything, etc. I've been trying to eat more organic, whole food options where possible. Been exercising 5-6x per week. Trying to lose a lb-ish a week. It's going fairly well. Sometimes the scale reflects my efforts, sometimes not. I'm in the home stretch. 8-10 more lbs before I'm at my ideal weight. That feels great! But this last bit feels like it's dragging.

Hope you all are having a great week!


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

IRYM - I also sit down all day to do my job (I am a private tutor and sit at a desk with my students literally all day long). The nice thing however is that most days I have 30 min to an hour time off here and there, so I do have some time to exercise most days except when it's exam time! I just don't always have the self-discipline tbh. Diet is going OKish; I'm so stressed with the Big House Move this weekend that I don't really WANT to eat a lot. But now that all my kitchenware will be packed away, I will most probably be eating takeaways this weekend. I did make a lot of diet soup for the freezer so that the takeaways and paper plates stage doesn't have to last for more than a day or two!

Will be doing an hsg next cycle. Hoping to get some answers then.

Oh btw I've found that exercising in front of the TV while watching "my 600 lb life" is really motivating. Just seeing the people with those problems be so brave regarding weight loss, exercise and dieting as well as scary surgery, is really inspiring! 

Hugs to all you awesome chicks. We all have a "down" day/week every now and then. As long as the overall picture for this year is healthy living, that's really great. We shouldn't let the few bad times ruin the bigger picture for us - I believe we are all trying hard and doing a good job! :) xx


----------



## ireadyermind

Good to hear from you all! Congrats on being so close to your goal, MissDoc! That's got to feel so empowering!

My week's been good in an off and on sort of way. My nephews came over for the weekend, so it was difficult to stick to diet plans since we had to make or buy food that _everyone_ could eat, not just DH and I. The boys are aged 6 and 3 (both with birthdays coming up in the next couple of months) and the 3 year old is at a picky eating stage, where even foods he generally loves to eat, he will turn down just to be contrary. That is, until his brother says HE wants some. Then the 3 year old is all over it. lol

Anyway, those guys kept me super active all weekend.. chasing them around my house, up and down the stairs. We took them to a miniature golf/arcade/go cart park on Saturday evening and walked all over the place with 'em there. My feet just about died from all the walking. Haha.

Sunday, DH and I ran errands all over town after the boys and my mother went home - but then we purchased and shared a giant slice of pepperoni pizza and some ice cream. On the plus side, we shared those things instead of each getting our own, so it was half the calories it could have been!

By Monday it was back to the regular diet food with some leftovers from the weekend thrown in (I hate to waste ANYTHING!) and now today I'm back to the good routine. My only issue is that I don't really have the energy to exercise lately. I even put some small weights by my couch so that I have them there to work on my arms when DH and I are watching Netflix together after dinner, but lately I've just been eyeing them without actually using them. lol!

Tomorrow (Wednesday) marks the first official week of dieting with the new foods we bought (if you don't count the stuff we ate over the weekend, that is) and so I'll be weighing in then to see what I've officially lost this week. The thought of stepping on the scale tomorrow is really helping me to stick to the diet TODAY. I don't want to go off plan and end up all bloaty and heavy tomorrow morning, you know? lol!


Anyway, good job to you ladies for sticking with it!

Cupcake, I can relate to joint pain and other issues. I was born with a spinal problem that makes lots of different things painful, like using the elliptical trainer, standing or sitting too long, laying on my back in bed, etc. so I can understand the urge to just take it easy when you're aching all day. On days your hip is bothering you, what if you stuck to doing easy upper body workouts from home?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Thanks for the encouragement gals! 

IRYM-Excited for your new plan/food! Hope you get some seriously great results! Sounds like a visit from your nephews is just what you needed! Kudos for halfing the goods! If I REALLY want something, I've found its easier to eat a small amount. If I don't then I find other stuff to try to satisfy my craving, but then up caving & eating what I originally wanted in the end AFTER the other stuff....lolI do try to keep busy & do upper body when I don't gym, but its not the same as getting my sweat on.....But better than nothing I guess?

Fern-Goodluck on your HSG! I have watched that show a few times. I feel bad for those folks, but honestly it makes me feel somehow small if that makes sense.....

Doc- LMBO @ eu de old lady! Its definitely a dh deterrent! Which I may have to remember when I want to be left alone! lol Your job sounds fascinating, but I'm not sure how I could deal....We all have our callings though ;)

AFM-I am a bad patient lol I found some Meloxicam in the cabinet from dh's shoulder issues & decided to try it, along with some stretching suggestions from one of our PTA's at work & the old hip feels a little better, even after a call out with our VFD to fight a hayfield fire today! Yes I'm "that" firefighter chick too lol Well dh is coming to bother me, so I'll check in later!


----------



## ireadyermind

First official weigh-in shows that I lost a pound last week. It should have been more (DH lost 6 pounds even given what we ate over the weekend!), but I only have myself to blame for that! I won't be indulging like that this weekend, that's for sure! We'll see what next Wednesday brings. :)


----------



## Ursaula

Hello gals! :)
I'd love to join you if you don't mind. I have started my weight loss journey as of this past Monday. I'm on a relaxed form of "Atkin's Diet" as I have PCOS and carbs are really bad for it. My new healthy eating involves eating low carbs but I can eat lots of protein and veggies and such (thus why the "relaxed" version). WTT for Baby #1!

Stats:
Height: 5'8 (173cm)
Starting Weight: 375+
(Last time I weighed I was 375 although I know I got heavier than that)
Goal Weight: 180...

Things I did well this month: As for the month of July I figure I did well deciding to finally get my weight under control.

Things that need improving: My exercise routine.

*UPDATE NOVEMBER 12*:
Weight: 380.
Goal Weight 1: 330

Things I did well this month: This month I did well with deciding to make the change again and sticking to that decision. Getting back on track.

Things that need improving: I've been working on getting my nutrients through healthier choices. Waiting to get the ok to exercise after being sick for 2 months.


----------



## ireadyermind

Welcome, Ursaula! 

We're happy to have you, and glad you decided to join us. :) 

I've done the Atkins diet before. It usually did wonders for me, but this last time around I couldn't hack it. Haha. I kept cheating and eating too many carbs.

I bet you'll melt away the pounds though!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Welcome Ursula! Good luck on your Journey!

Made the mistake of hopping on the scales this morning to estimate the damage of my week off :( Holy Geez! Up 5 pounds! Gawd, stupid af is due in 4 days I think too so I KNOW its some fluid, but I also know my eating plan fell by the wayside.....again! I have GOT to buckle down!


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks for the welcomes! :)

I can't wait for my first weigh in, I feel really great so far. I've gotten in the habit of weighing too much (multiple times a day) so I'm trying to break that habit now-sooner than later.

ireadyermind, did you feel light headed at all? I found at the start I was getting really dizzy and fell over a few times even. I've figured out now how to avoid that but that was one of my biggest issues.

cupcakestoy, I hear ya! I feel like whenever af is due to arrive soon the weight just creeps back on. :(


----------



## ireadyermind

Ursaula said:


> ireadyermind, did you feel light headed at all? I found at the start I was getting really dizzy and fell over a few times even. I've figured out now how to avoid that but that was one of my biggest issues.

No, I didn't feel light headed. For me, the biggest issues were sugar cravings/withdrawal and lack of energy. I had read that it's only the first two weeks that you're supposed to stay under 40g carbs per day, and then you gradually add more back into the diet until you're right at the point where you can still lose weight, but your carb intake is more like 60g - 80g per day. Following that rule really helped me make sure I wasn't shorting myself on food.

Also picking healthier meats to eat did me wonders. The first couple of times, I included things like bacon and hot dogs. Those always left me feeling bloated, cranky, tired and miserable the day after! 

The diet I'm on now gets me something like 80g of carbs per day, but NONE of it comes from added sugar. It's all natural carbohydrates from vegetables, and a smidge from my morning cup of coffee, of course! So I guess it's a lot like the low carb diet, but my starting numbers are much higher than what the Atkins diet recommended.


----------



## swimmyj1

Ursaula welcome :) so nice to have more women on the weight loss train.

Sorry i haven't been on for a few days I was just going to do 20 miles of kayaking but when I got to my out point felt like I still needed to keep going and ended up doing 153 miles! took me 4 days but it felt great! I got on the scale though and I'm up 4lbs :( i'm hoping its muscle and water sense I don't feel like I did a lot of over eating on my trip. 

cupcakestoy - i tend not to weigh myself the week before up to the week after AF sometimes i've noticed i'm up as much as 8lbs!!!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I hope you are all well :hugs: I missed you!

I've been away from the boards for awhile, but everything's OK over here. I spent a lot of time the last few months traveling (mostly for work, a bit of vacation), so my weight loss slowed -- I basically just maintained. But now that I'm back home for a few weeks, I'm pushing it more and I'm on my way again :happydance:

This week I'm down to 102,2 kg, for a total of 48,2 kg lost since I started. I have 12,2 kg to go. My follow-up appointment with the gyno is October 19th, so I'm trying to lose as much as I can before that.

I've started working out semi-regularly, so my current goal is to stick with my low-gi eating plan and push myself to keep up with the workouts.

The weight loss doesn't seem to have had any positive effect on my cycles, but I've basically just accepted that so it's not getting me down anymore. :shrug:

:dust:


----------



## ireadyermind

Mrs. Tigger said:


> Hi Ladies :flower:
> 
> I hope you are all well :hugs: I missed you!
> 
> I've been away from the boards for awhile, but everything's OK over here. I spent a lot of time the last few months traveling (mostly for work, a bit of vacation), so my weight loss slowed -- I basically just maintained. But now that I'm back home for a few weeks, I'm pushing it more and I'm on my way again :happydance:
> 
> This week I'm down to 102,2 kg, for a total of 48,2 kg lost since I started. I have 12,2 kg to go. My follow-up appointment with the gyno is October 19th, so I'm trying to lose as much as I can before that.
> 
> I've started working out semi-regularly, so my current goal is to stick with my low-gi eating plan and push myself to keep up with the workouts.
> 
> The weight loss doesn't seem to have had any positive effect on my cycles, but I've basically just accepted that so it's not getting me down anymore. :shrug:
> 
> :dust:

Wow, good job! You've lost so much weight, I bet you feel amazing! :happydance:


----------



## Ursaula

Way to go Mrs. Tigger! Thanks swimmyj1 :).

I decided to have a cheat day yesterday but weighed in prior at 16lbs down in one week! I was feeling good other than the dizzy spells. Today I weighed in at 5lbs down from my starting weight (after my cheat day). I felt so ill and tried to start back up with the diet again but it ended in fainting. I think I'm going to adapt an eating style like yours, ireadyermind, where I allow more carbs than how many I'm suppose to consume on Atkins. My s/o suggested I have an eating plan made seeing I have allergies. We'll see though!


----------



## swimmyj1

cutting carbs completely can be dangerous so giving yourself a few isn't a bad idea. I hope that makes you feel less dizzy. 

Tigger - CONGRATS that is a huge weight loss! you should be very proud :)


----------



## ireadyermind

Ursaula said:


> Way to go Mrs. Tigger! Thanks swimmyj1 :).
> 
> I decided to have a cheat day yesterday but weighed in prior at 16lbs down in one week! I was feeling good other than the dizzy spells. Today I weighed in at 5lbs down from my starting weight (after my cheat day). I felt so ill and tried to start back up with the diet again but it ended in fainting. I think I'm going to adapt an eating style like yours, ireadyermind, where I allow more carbs than how many I'm suppose to consume on Atkins. My s/o suggested I have an eating plan made seeing I have allergies. We'll see though!

I would definitely look into adding a few carbs into your plan, then! It sounds like you were too low to have enough carbs for fuel during the day. Also your blood sugar could have been dropping from the drastic change, OR you could have been getting too few calories for what your body needs just to exist from day to day.

Have you looked into calculating your BMR? I found it was really helpful for determining how much I needed to eat to lose weight.

https://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ <-- that's a good site. It gives a basic explanation of what BMR is, and then gives you a calculator so you can see what your BMR is based on varying factors.

For example, my BMR is about 1800 calories per day. With my desk job, I don't get much exercise. So to *maintain* my weight, I could eat about 1800 cals per day. To lose weight, I can cut down to 1300 - 1600 and then work out at least 30 mins and I'd _ideally_ lose a couple pounds a week. But the longer you diet, the harder it gets because your body gets accustomed to operating at the lower calorie rate.

Right now I'm at about 1100 - 1200 and exercise 3x a week and I'm losing MAYBE two pounds a week if I'm really strict on what I eat, drink at least 3 liters of water a day and get plenty of sleep. I have found that if even one of those things is off by a little bit, my weight loss stalls out. It's rough!


----------



## ireadyermind

Today is my new weigh-in day (since that's the day of the week the new diet foods arrived when we started this thing.. lol) and I'm down 2 pounds over last week's weigh in. Huzzah!

This is the first time I've lost more than 1/4lb/month in what feels like *ages*. I will definitely be sticking with this weight loss plan. :D


----------



## Fern81

Hi all

Yay IRYM I hope it keeps dropping!! 2 pounds a week is totally healthy :).

Wow Ursaula that's so hectic to pass out from a diet. Do you have blood pressure or blood sugar issues? Poor you! Hope you manage to find an eating plan that works for your metabolism x

MrsTigger- such an inspiration with that weight loss! Keep up the good work :)

Swimmy - urgh I hate the 2 up-2 down game... wish that weight loss didn't consist of muscle & water weight fluctuations. Good luck with the tww ahead ;) just keep being healthy!

AFM - I guess AF will be here in a week or so. Then onto an hsg (hoping to get some answers!) and possibly back to ttc next cycle. I have NOT been dieting at all this past week. The house move was/is really hectic and frustrating because the previous occupants left it in an unbelievable state. I literally can't believe that people can live like that and just leave all their filth and mess for the new owners. Disgusting pigs, really. Anyway so I've had very little time for unpacking my kitchenware, much less cooking, since most of our time spent in the house so far was wasted on cleaning, scrubbing, disinfecting and clearing out rubbish! Fast food, bread etc have been my staple I'm afraid. Have picked up all the weight I've lost and grown back my tummy. :cry::cry::cry:
The only consolation is that it's still freezing cold winter here so no-one can see my body. (ATM I sleep with pj's, a thick robe over that, mittens, long thick socks and a woolly hat/beanie; under 2 blankets with 2 hot water bottles lol!).... and from all the cold and shivering I must surely be burning a few kilojoules.

Once we've settled in I will have to restart my diet from scratch. Oh yeah and we have a whole room devoted to a gym, right next to my office (since I work mostly from home). Yay so now I have somewhere "official" to work out. And a BIG pool so I can swim laps in the summer! :happydance:

Watch this space ladies.... I WILL look good in a bikini this summer, come hell or high water. :thumbup:

GL and hugs to you all x


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ladies!!! I am over the moon & terrified all at the same time! I got a BFP today!!!! Worried my lines were too light for 15-16 dpo, but I got a + Digi!!!! Starting Progesterone tonight & had HCG drawn today...Praying this is our sticky bean!!!!!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Started spotting so short lived excitement :(


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> Started spotting so short lived excitement :(

Ack! Is it a verified MC? Sometimes you can still spot and stuff and keep that BFP!


----------



## Ursaula

I agree with ireadyermind, spotting is still common in the first trimester. Don't lose hope yet!!

I was tested for blood sugar and such a while back and was fine so I'm not sure...maybe just a really bad diet for my system.

Keep up with the weight loss everyone! :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Should get 1st beta back today. Having dull achey cramps & red spotting when I wipe...started progesterone last night. Praying for the best & hoping we are one of those stories of success, even with cramps/bleeding....either way what will be, will be.....


----------



## cupcakestoy

Dr. called HCG-16 & Progesterone a measley 0.9! I am so sad & devastated. He wants me to pick up a new rx for P & come back in for re-draw on Monday. UGH Bleeding has picked up, I'm sure its over. My heart hurts & I just don't understand why we have been blessed unexpectedly with a bfp only to have our hearts ripped out again. I'll update officially on Monday, but for now this feels like our 2nd Angel:cry:


----------



## ireadyermind

Aww, so sorry to hear that!

:hugs:


----------



## swimmyj1

Im so sorry that is just so devastating :cry:

Sending lots of hugs your way :hugs: Do you think they will start you on progesterone now after ovulation just to be safe?

AFM - not feeling hopeful this cycle didn't get to bd on ovulation day only day before so we will see. :shrug: going on another kayaking trip for 5 days leaving Wednesday hope it puts me back in a better mood (and keeps me away from eating brownies sense i ate almost 1/2 a tin in 2 days :growlmad:)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Swimmy- I have a 60 day supply on hand now with refills! Dh & I talked today & since we did get a bfp, I think we will do 2-3 cycles of clomid in the fall & dh is agreeable to try clomid to increase his counts if MD thinks it will help. So that will be our "hail Mary" before ivf in the spring. My test is almost negative today, so I'm sure it will be 0 by Monday. Heavy flow too. Not as emotional today just ready to stop P & get back to the gym & over being lazy lol


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

First of all I just want to say - cupcake I'm SO sorry for your heartache hun. And like the other ladies on this thread who have struggled with the same issue recently, you are handling it with such a great attitude. Sending you massive virtual hugs hun.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's weight drop this week!

Despite eating junk food and bread all the time, my weight has dropped a bit and remained stationary thank heavens. I suppose it's because we are working hard physically in all our spare time renovating and cleaning the new house.

In other news: I'm having the weirdest cycle. (Well no, last cycle with the non-rising temps despite perfect 7dpo bloods, kinda positive hpts and AF 2 days late was the WEIRDEST!) OK so DH and I have been preventing this cycle by not DTD at all in my fertile week. And also whenever we did bd it was with a lube with known strong anti-sperm properties. AF is due around Tuesday or Wednesday if I go with my average cycle length. 
TMI ALERT: So on Friday, about 5 days before AF is due, I had very noticeable brown discharge whenever I wiped. It petered out on Saturday. 
*Now I've noted "spotting" on my charts for the last 2 days before AF every cycle since I started charting; but that was always light pink tinted CM, only visible when I actually checked CM. No mid-LP brown spotting/discharge. Even the months when I got excited and thought it was IB, it was always just pinkish CM when I checked.*
Any other month I would think that this was implantation bleeding (of course!!) but I guess it's just another unexplained cycle defect? If I actually conceived after _preventing_ this cycle I will just fall over laughing.

Have a good week ladies. In RSA spring is around the corner. Leaves and flowers are budding on the trees and the weather is heating up. Sending spring vibes to you all. :hugs::flower:


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcakestoy - i wish my husbands doctor would give him clomid. What kind of doctor is he seeing that they agreed??


----------



## cupcakestoy

Actually my on lol he's our PCP. Ordered his SA, then talked to a urologist buddy about dh & that was his recommendation...


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> *Now I've noted "spotting" on my charts for the last 2 days before AF every cycle since I started charting; but that was always light pink tinted CM, only visible when I actually checked CM. No mid-LP brown spotting/discharge. Even the months when I got excited and thought it was IB, it was always just pinkish CM when I checked.*
> 
> Any other month I would think that this was implantation bleeding (of course!!) but I guess it's just another unexplained cycle defect? If I actually conceived after _preventing_ this cycle I will just fall over laughing.

This is just a stab in the dark, but -- Maybe something to do with the lube you guys used? If any of it remained inside when the actual spotting started, it could have either held the blood IN there or caused a reaction with it that turned it brown. 

Just for an example (not that I think there's any of this IN there), hydrogen peroxide turns blood brown when it comes into contact with it. I'm sure it's not the only chemical that could cause a reaction like that. So maybe something in the lube lingered long enough to cause that?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Went in for repeat beta today......which was pointless :/ The nurse was so sweet & tried to give me hope that all is well, which I know I lost the pregnancy, but it was a nice gesture on her part. To soothe myself I got in some retail therapy & hit the gym Where I discovered the cause of my hip pain....ugh the Elliptical I love it, but guess I am doomed to find new equipment to work with. Back on track with my eating plan, since I had gotten lazy the last 2 weeks. It felt GOOD to sweat out some frustration today!


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcakestoy - I'm sorry :( i hate when nurses give false hope, I know they are just trying to be helpful but i always makes me feel worse.

Elliptical's can be evil on hips, i was very graceful one time and fell off of one once .... loved having that happen at the gym lol at least it was 2 am so there wasn't many people around. Working out always makes me feel better. I need to get a jump start on eating right again. Hoping when I leave Wednesday for my trip i'll be eating a lot of trail nuts and dehydrated fruit for 5 days will get me off eating chips lol. Unless my brothers gf has her way and we go out to eat all the time :dohh:


----------



## Ursaula

I'm sorry to hear about your loss cupcake, but I am thankful you're taking it well.

This past week for me has been a mess. I found a dog on the highway and picked it up and attempted taking it to the shelter and they knew EXACTLY who it belonged to. They said the owner abuses her but they legally can't take her away. Long story short I have a new dog...her name is Goldie. With that being said I haven't focused on my weight AT ALL this week and totally forgot to weigh today. Deciding whether to weigh tomorrow or just wait another week.


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

PMS eating, expecting AF tomorrow or so. Diet will have to restart this weekend!! 

I still have no idea why I had this weird mid-LP day and a half of abundant brown spotting (sorry for the tmi lol). It could be from anything I guess including the lubricant? (Although DH &I have been using it for the 5 years since we've been together, except when ttc around O time, since it's much less expensive than preseed! And haven't had this happen before.) If we had been ttc I would have immediately thought IB since it seemed exactly like what Dr Google describes IB as! But it couldn't have been. My progesterone levels are great so I guess the spotting will just remain a mystery.

Anyways - congrats on the new fur baby Ursaula! What a wonderful thing you did in that poor dog's life. You are my hero for the day!

Swimmy - enjoy the trip tomorrow! Hope it takes your mind off the tww.

IRYM - are you guys ttc this cycle? How is the weight loss going with the new food?

Cupcake - how are you coping hun?

xxxx hugs to you all! :hugs:


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> IRYM - are you guys ttc this cycle? How is the weight loss going with the new food?

Nope, not TTC this cycle (as you can see from my chart.. lol. We have been DTD but since we're preventing this month I haven't marked it all down) because my OB said to wait a month.

I decided that I was going to use that month to start the new diet and lose as much weight as I could while waiting for my next BFP.

This has been another loooong cycle (Ovulation appears to have happened on CD33 *again*, ugh!) so I suppose we'll go back to TTC next cycle. If it takes me 30 days to ovulate I could be losing more weight during that time!

I weighed in today (a day early for my new plan, a day late for this board.. lol) and I'm down 3 pounds since last week's weigh-in, _even though I ate junk food for dinner two days in a row_! That brings my new total to 5 pounds in 3 weeks. I'm pretty stoked!

Since I plan on doing a better job with my eating habits this week (only ONE cheat dinner, thankyouverymuch... lol) I hope to lose at least another 2 pounds in the coming week to bring my first month's total to 7 or 8 pounds lost.

I wanted to lose 30 pounds before I got my first BFP, which didn't happen. But maybe now I can lose it before my NEXT one. The better I do on this diet and curbing my junk food intake, the faster I can reach that goal.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Well girls, I had my repeat beta Monday....After all the bleeding & clotting & cramping & a P level of 0.9 I KNEW I had miscarried again. Didn't get the call until this morning that my HCG actually went up to 47???? I actually argued with the nurse that there is NO way I'm still pregnant after the blood bath I had. I am just in complete & utter shock right now. We have grieved this bfp as a loss already. Which with a 61 hour doubling time, along with the initial P level, I'm still not very optimistic to say the least. She had me come in this morning for repeat draw & said if I truly did miscarry then this level should be on its way down & that 61 hours is "ok" doubling time...Just spotted the last 2 days so far, still crampy, still taking the progesterone....*sigh Praying for God's will with this bfp. I do hope if its not viable its not in a tube & ends quickly as we are booked for vacation in 11 days! :dohh: I've googled til my fingers hurt & can't find any stories of such a low P level with a happy ending, so I am guarding my heart & not getting my hopes up....Will update on this craziness tomorrow when I can.......


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> Well girls, I had my repeat beta Monday....After all the bleeding & clotting & cramping & a P level of 0.9 I KNEW I had miscarried again. Didn't get the call until this morning that my HCG actually went up to 47???? I actually argued with the nurse that there is NO way I'm still pregnant after the blood bath I had. I am just in complete & utter shock right now. We have grieved this bfp as a loss already. Which with a 61 hour doubling time, along with the initial P level, I'm still not very optimistic to say the least. She had me come in this morning for repeat draw & said if I truly did miscarry then this level should be on its way down & that 61 hours is "ok" doubling time...Just spotted the last 2 days so far, still crampy, still taking the progesterone....*sigh Praying for God's will with this bfp. I do hope if its not viable its not in a tube & ends quickly as we are booked for vacation in 11 days! :dohh: I've googled til my fingers hurt & can't find any stories of such a low P level with a happy ending, so I am guarding my heart & not getting my hopes up....Will update on this craziness tomorrow when I can.......

Oh man! FX'd for you!
:dust:


----------



## Ursaula

FX'd for the best cupcakestoy!

Thanks Fern81 :) She definitely knows I saved her and is LOVING me for it! She's being just a sweetheart!

What do you gals do when you have a long cycle? I've sort of given up temping because I'm on cd65 (Ever since I was placed on bcp my periods have only lasted half a day IF I have them). I talked to the doctor about seeing an obgyn but I'm still waiting for the referral. I started taking Maca about 3 weeks ago in hopes to start some sort of bleed, but I'm wondering if you gals have any advice/tips on long cycles?


----------



## cupcakestoy

My cycles are always 25-26 days so no advice here, other than metformin maybe to better regulate if you have pcos??
Still waiting on yesterday's results. Not hopeful, but only occasional tanish/light pink spotting now. Hoping if it isn't good news that I'm done bleeding! Ready to move on, not that a Miracle rise in hcg isn't wanted!!!! Pessimistic today :/


----------



## Fern81

Cupcake - I'm holding my heart!!!

Ursaula - my cycles are very regular... I have no advice for long cycles sadly! FX that you get that referral soon, maybe provera and clomid will do the trick. xx

AF is kicking my BUTT!!! Urgh urgh!!!!! Feeling sooooooooo crap. :(
HSG booked for next week Wednesday. Very scared. But really hoping I get some answers as to why I haven't been able to conceive for 12 years.


----------



## ireadyermind

Ursaula said:


> What do you gals do when you have a long cycle? I've sort of given up temping because I'm on cd65 (Ever since I was placed on bcp my periods have only lasted half a day IF I have them). I talked to the doctor about seeing an obgyn but I'm still waiting for the referral. I started taking Maca about 3 weeks ago in hopes to start some sort of bleed, but I'm wondering if you gals have any advice/tips on long cycles?


At present my cycles are something like 51 days and getting longer. My GYN has established that I have high testosterone levels but we haven't talked about treatment yet. I have to go in for another blood draw to verify that the first one wasn't a fluke (I know it isn't, I've had symptoms of elevated testosterone my whole adult life) and I've been putting that off. >.> I know I shouldn't, but I went in for SO many blood draws with my MC last month that I really couldn't stand the idea of going in for yet one more. Especially since my arms were bruised all to hell from so many needle pokes.

As for advice... I have heard that losing 10% of your body weight if you're overweight can help move things in the right direction, so hopefully as we get in shape, we will see our cycles shorten to more manageable lengths soon! :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Up to 111! 38.72 doubling time. No more spotting today.....Trying to not get excited, but its so hard not to feel my hope growing! Re-draw tomorrow.


----------



## drjo718

I'm excited for you cupcake! 

Afm..This is a rough month. OH's dad passed away tuesday night. I had wanted so badly to be able to tell him of a baby on the way, but it just didn't happen. Additionally, I'm on CD 19 with no positive opk, crazy temps, and my fertile signs are gone. This is 16 months of ttc. I took 10mg of femara this cycle. And now I'm not ovulating. So not fair!!! Sorry, just have to vent. :'(


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern81 said:


> Cupcake - I'm holding my heart!!!
> 
> Ursaula - my cycles are very regular... I have no advice for long cycles sadly! FX that you get that referral soon, maybe provera and clomid will do the trick. xx
> 
> AF is kicking my BUTT!!! Urgh urgh!!!!! Feeling sooooooooo crap. :(
> HSG booked for next week Wednesday. Very scared. But really hoping I get some answers as to why I haven't been able to conceive for 12 years.

Fern- I've had 2 HSG's neither were painful, even with the last report saying my left tube was blocked. Just mild pressure & crampiness....I hope it goes smoothly for you!



drjo718 said:


> I'm excited for you cupcake!
> 
> Afm..This is a rough month. OH's dad passed away tuesday night. I had wanted so badly to be able to tell him of a baby on the way, but it just didn't happen. Additionally, I'm on CD 19 with no positive opk, crazy temps, and my fertile signs are gone. This is 16 months of ttc. I took 10mg of femara this cycle. And now I'm not ovulating. So not fair!!! Sorry, just have to vent. :'(

Hugs sweetie! I know how it feels, we have buried 3 of dh grandparents since we started ttc. None of them knew we were even trying. He has his little granny left & she know about it all, well except this little surprise. Not telling her or anybody in the family unless its happy news this time!


----------



## ireadyermind

So excited for you, cupcake! Keep us posted!


----------



## cupcakestoy

IRYM-Your chart is looking good!


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> IRYM-Your chart is looking good!

lol Thanks, but we were preventing this month. If I get pregnant after that, I'll be floored! Haha

I think this month's just off the wall because of the MC last month. >.> At least I ovulated a few days early this month, right!? :dohh:




Anywho! -- On the subject of weight loss, this week is a total bust. I woke up on my weigh-in day feeling absolutely PARCHED, hungover almost, dehydrated, etc. despite having knocked back FOUR liters of water the day before (I average 3 - 4 a day), and not a drop of liquor!

I was so bloated and puffy I had ZERO hope of the scale giving me an accurate reading, and when I finally stepped on -- yep. 6+ pounds of water weight packed on. This month's PMS is already killer. I bet AF is going to be a miserable handful of days. :cry:

Then to add insult to injury, the UPS delivery driver delivered our shipment of diet foods to gods know where.. it certainly wasn't OUR house, though they claimed it was. Since I work from home and I'm here all day, I think I'd know the instant they came by!

So we've been making do with what we have on hand while we wait for our replacement delivery, and that meant eating things that weren't on plan, since I didn't keep anything in the fridge except diet acceptable dinner foods... which meant 2 meals and 2 snacks a day that are just whatever I have here. Sometimes that meant healthy veggies, but sometimes it meant breads, noodles or rice that I'm technically not supposed to eat, and sugary things, and things that were high in fat, like bacon. >.>

I am really not looking forward to next week's weigh-in!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Well- I woke up at 4:30am with left lower quad pain, It felt like trapped gas or severe constipation, which I have not had. Got up & tried to go have a bm, no luck but did have gas, but pain got worse. Felt more like pressure & burning, but did get achey & sharp at times, so off to the er I go. Knowing they would see a bulging tube.....Nada :/ Nothing in tube, but did see a cyst? on left ovary. lining was ok, but no sac yet...:/ I'm only 5 weeks & 3-4 days, I think so I knew we might not see anything, but I was so scared that I'm sure that didn't help my pain....Good news is they did a beta & it is up to 517(52 hr DT) which is in doubling in range so far. I'm glad its ok for now, but something has got to give! I NEED to know WHERE this bean is 1st & foremost BEFORE we leave on SATURDAY!!!!! Not sure dh will want to go if we don't have answers, not sure if we'd have any R&R anyways, since I would probably be a regular in the Daytona ER...Geesh, God has a since of humor giving us this BFP, right before vacation huh, especially after all these years! If this is a sticky baby, my dh says its a girl since its giving us fits already....I'm saying its a stinkin' little man! lol


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> Well- I woke up at 4:30am with left lower quad pain, It felt like trapped gas or severe constipation, which I have not had. Got up & tried to go have a bm, no luck but did have gas, but pain got worse. Felt more like pressure & burning, but did get achey & sharp at times, so off to the er I go. Knowing they would see a bulging tube.....Nada :/ Nothing in tube, but did see a cyst? on left ovary. lining was ok, but no sac yet...:/ I'm only 5 weeks & 3-4 days, I think so I knew we might not see anything, but I was so scared that I'm sure that didn't help my pain....Good news is they did a beta & it is up to 517(52 hr DT) which is in doubling in range so far. I'm glad its ok for now, but something has got to give! I NEED to know WHERE this bean is 1st & foremost BEFORE we leave on SATURDAY!!!!! Not sure dh will want to go if we don't have answers, not sure if we'd have any R&R anyways, since I would probably be a regular in the Daytona ER...Geesh, God has a since of humor giving us this BFP, right before vacation huh, especially after all these years! If this is a sticky baby, my dh says its a girl since its giving us fits already....I'm saying its a stinkin' little man! lol


Eek! That has GOT to be nerve wracking! But it's so amazing, too! I hope those HCG levels just keep on rising! :hugs:


----------



## Fern81

Cupcake - I'm really hoping for you hun xxx

I am in such a bad place emotionally and physically. DH and I'm fighting constantly since the move (even though I have really tried to be positive); waiting on the hsg this week but honestly I can't be bothered anymore. Just comfort eating and wishing I was somewhere else where no-one knew me and no-one asked when I'm ever going to get pregnant :/


----------



## cupcakestoy

Oh fern, I'm so sorry. Have you & dh thought of counselling??? Sometimes it helps just to have someone to listen or referee in some cases......hugs sweetie


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern81 - im sorry me and my Dh ended up talking to someone. it really helped. 

cupcakestoy - im so excited for you. i hope they keep going up!! and that bean stays nice and sticky

AFM - got back from vacation and got a bfp! trying not to get too excited but its so hard. tomorrow i'm going to take a digital with fmu. I have an appointment with my obgyn Wednesday (was suppose to talk about infertility lol) hoping she does a blood test and keeps me on progesterone.
 



Attached Files:







FullSizeRender (3).jpg
File size: 38.4 KB
Views: 0


----------



## Ursaula

I'm so excited for both of you cupcake and swimmy!! During this time I pray for you both happy and healthy little bundles of joy!

Thanks irym :) it helps to hear from others what they're going through with it.

I feel similar to you right now, Fern. My s/o wants to move to Toronto, Ontario (We live in Manitoba currently). We've had a few arguments how one wants to move to Toronto to pursue a career as a professional drummer after attending a very expensive school. Whereas the other wants to buy a place and settle and have a family. We're planning on attending counselling, even though we're both very open, we want to discuss everything with someone neutral. I'm going crazy over it!

As for weightloss I have gained (no surprise). Mainly dealing with stress more than weight right now. Comfort food here I come! I did speak with a sexual resource nurse today and she's sent in some angry words to the gynaecologist I will be seeing to basically make an appointment with me and I've been waiting long enough. I'm to contact her again if I haven't heard within a week when my appointment is. Fx'd!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Congrats Swimmy!!!:happydance::happydance::happydance::happydance:


----------



## ireadyermind

Wow, congrats on your BFP Swimmy! 

FXd for a sticky bean. :)


AF is just around the corner for me. My temp dipped pretty steeply this morning and I usually have a 14 - 15 day LP, so I expect she'll arrive sometime this evening. Then DH and I can get started on TTC again. 

I hope to join you gals with a BFP on my next cycle! An O date of CD 20 would be MARVELOUS if I could manage it.... instead of around CD30 like they have been. Ugh. We'll see what happens!


----------



## swimmyj1

I'm being crazy today. I just keep worrying im going to start bleeding or it's just gonna be an mc. Can't wait to see my doctor tomorrow even though I probably won't get blood results for a few days. I need something to keep my mind busy


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ob appt went good. Another US, said lining was nice & thick. Paid attention to one area in center that looked like a ridge & was thicker. Felt it was possibly start of sac! Of course said we'd check again next week, but after we told him about our trip he said we would do bets Thursday & he'll give me a script for redraws in Florida. He said if they won't draw them at labcorp since he doesn't have privileges. Then we would just do an US on our return day. He did say he wanted me to swear I'd go to the er at once if I started bleeding or having pain tho. All in all he told us everything looked good & promising of a normal pregnancy praying he's right & glad to be leaving town to have welcomed distraction! Oh & spotting stopped....cervix is closed & high...


----------



## ireadyermind

Cupcake, that's wonderful! How exciting! :hugs:

AF showed up right on schedule for me, though a bit nastier than usual. Woke me up in the middle of the night with some pretty gnarly cramping, which doesn't usually happen. Ugh.

But! I'm looking on the bright side. It has been roughly 1.5mos since my MC and that means that DH and I can go back to TTC this cycle. I hope to join all you ladies with your BFPs by getting mine next month! :)


----------



## swimmyj1

I hope you join us too! So nervous I won't hear about my betas till tomorrow, but my doc agreed to a 6 week ultrasound. I thought I would be less anxious getting a bfp but I think I'm more :(

Sorry I know I'm complaining for no reason


----------



## cupcakestoy

Good luck IRYM!!!

Swimmy-I'm telling ya, its SO hard to not be all worried & doom & gloom after our M/C. I keep trying to be positive, but it takes just a twinge for my mind to go to those dreaded thoughts.....Its a struggle for me!


----------



## swimmyj1

My beta is 55 but my progesterone was only 10 and I'm already on 200mg so that has me worried. Doing an ultrasound in 2 weeks but I have no symptoms so that also scares me. Ugh this is a different kind of TWW lol if I don't start bleeding before then :(


----------



## cupcakestoy

Prayers swimmy. Limbo sucks....


----------



## Fern81

How is everyone?

Cupcake and Swimmy - I do hope you ladies just get good news each time you visit the doctors from here on out xx.

Things are a bit better between DH and I; not great but we are not fighting atm at least. Don't know if it's stress from the move or me just not wanting to ttc/bd anymore or what.

I had the hsg this morning and it wasn't that bad. The dr and nurse were both AWESOME and it was over fast. Everything looks fine so my previous dr had obviously made ANOTHER diagnostic mistake by claiming that my left tube was completely occluded.
Went to see the FS after. He says, so OK; hormones, lining, follies and hsg all look fine so we still don't know why I can't fall pregnant. He again suggested IUI but says that it doesn't really address any issues in my case because we have no male factor problems, also no cervix or CM issues so it won't really increase our chances. He says the one thing he would suggest is IVF because everything starts to point toward me having problem eggs or maybe even NO eggs. The IVF procedure will help determine and diagnose problems in that area.

My husband said that he wants to do 1 IUI and 1 IVF so that we don't look back one day and regret not trying everything.

So the plan:
Next cycle a CD 13 u/s and timed intercourse (dr said he won't charge me for the appointment)
IUI sometime this year (I'm still not convinced)
IVF next year or the year after (we will have to save up!).

In the mean time I still have some clomid in my cupboard.... and we will be dtd around O time this cycle again so I guess it counts as trying. So over this.

Also: diet and exercise starts up again this weekend. I am still determined to get a bikini body in 2 months ready for a hot South African summer! If nothing else I know it will improve my mood.

Hugs and hope you all have a good weekend x


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern-YAY for open tubes! Cross one more thing off the list! I'm glad you have a plan, even though in a perfect world TTC shouldn't have to be a jigsaw puzzle for us. I hope you are blessed beyond measure. Alot of times I feel bad for being so sad that I complain about wanting another baby, when I have 2 kids. I feel like sometimes they take the backseat :( I'm really concerned with this pregnancy now. Started having brown spotting after the 2 TV US, but then yesterday evening it turned orange/pink, now today its dull/dusky red :cry: Occasional cramps/backache. I'm going in for an HCG today, as I didn't make it in yesterday, but to be perfectly honest I feel like M/C is coming. Just a feeling of doom. My bbs still hurt & I'm gassy, but no more nausea. I had considered just not having more labs & waiting til we get back from vacation, but I just have to know. I can't wonder/worry for the next 10 days. At least if I do find out my numbers have dropped or are not doubling I can prepare for it. I'm just so sad & lost right now. Praying I'm wrong, since everything I'm experiencing can be "normal" per google, but I'm pretty much preparing myself for bad news :( Please pray for us...


----------



## swimmyj1

Hcg only went up to 83 .... So I'm out :( my doctor now wants to increase the progesterone but is there even really a point?? Retesting in 2 days but I kind of don't even want to do that ..... Just not in a good place emotionally


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern -- That plan sounds good, and I think your hubby is right: you want to try everything so that you don't regret it later! I really do hope they find something that will work for you! Mystery infertility is SUCH a crappy thing to have to deal with. :hugs:

Swimmy -- :hugs: I know exactly what it's like, having to deal with that. :( Your arms start to feel like pin cushions, you're not sure whether to hold out hope or consider it a loss so you can grieve and move forward... Reading 9723462376534098 articles on this forum and around the web, and some give you hope and some make you feel worse... It's not fun at all.

But we're here if you need to vent. I wish we could give you real hugs and not emoticons!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hugs Swimmy.....


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hcg only went up to 857, looks like another loss :( Just hoping its not in my tube....This is freaking ridiculous!!!!


----------



## swimmyj1

Oh cupcake im sorry :( this just isn't fair! How high was your last one? I hope it isn't your tube either! Thank you everyone for the love and support. It means a lot


----------



## cupcakestoy

It was 517 Monday.....


----------



## swimmyj1

I hate hcg # I'm really sorry cupcake I hope that it isn't the case. I'm sending lots of hugs your way.


----------



## ireadyermind

Hey, until the HCG starts going *down* don't count yourself out!

I've always been told that a rise is a rise. I know it's hard but try and stay positive! 

:dust:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Thanks ladies, I've arranged for redraws next week on Mon & Thurs while in Florida :/ hoping it's not a ectopic still, but dr. Wants me to stay on progesterone until we know for sure......


----------



## swimmyj1

Fingers crossed for you! We need good news! I'm gonna redraw either tomorrow or Monday morning. I'm not optimistic Im just letting it go, it's out of my hands and what will happen will happen. I'll stay on the progesterone until they go down


----------



## drjo718

Ok I'm losing my mind here...
after 16 months of trying, multiple medications amd vitamins every month, 2 procedures and a surgery...I think I may have a bfp. This is 3rd urine of the day. I tested on a whim. I think I'm 9/10 dpo. I use opks and temp. Someone tell me I'm not seeing things.


----------



## cupcakestoy

I see it!!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

drjo718 said:


> View attachment 891209
> 
> Ok I'm losing my mind here...
> after 16 months of trying, multiple medications amd vitamins every month, 2 procedures and a surgery...I think I may have a bfp. This is 3rd urine of the day. I tested on a whim. I think I'm 9/10 dpo. I use opks and temp. Someone tell me I'm not seeing things.

I see it! :happydance:


----------



## drjo718

Well no denying that!


----------



## swimmyj1

Yay!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Woohoo! So many BFPs one right after the other! I feel like we're a lucky thread. ;)

Congrats!


----------



## Fern81

Congrats drjo!!

Swimmy and cupcake - how are you ladies doing? Still in limbo?

Ireadyermind - how was the weight loss this past week?

AFM - I'm over the move & comfort eating and back on the diet train!


----------



## swimmyj1

Mine went up to 179 so I doubled, still very low so still playing the redrawing game. At least that made me feel a little better


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> Ireadyermind - how was the weight loss this past week?

I think I mentioned somewhere in a previous post: AF screwed me up BIG TIME this month. I gained a TON of water weight and it's still hanging around. I won't know for several more days, maybe even another week, where my weight loss actually is.

Today I resorted to some detox herbal tea (I'm drinking my second cup of it as I write this post), which is supposed to help with bloating, stomach upset and water retention. We'll see what happens.


----------



## cupcakestoy

I won't have my results til Wednesday :/ Hoping for the best, still feeling pregnant....


----------



## swimmyj1

Cupcake how did your levels come back I've been thinking of you. Sending lots of hugs. Mine came up to 424, still low but doubled again. They want an ultrasound in a week but idk with my levels low I don't want to go in and panic if I can't see anything.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Bleh....only went up 120 to 997 :( redraw tomorrow. No bleeding no pain, still on vacation & trying not to cry each day....


----------



## swimmyj1

Oh no I'm sorry cupcake :( try and have a good vacation I know that's impossible


----------



## drjo718

Cupcake and swimmy, I hope things turn out well for you both.

Afm, my repeat beta was 645 today at 14/15 dpo. It was 128 on monday. They scheduled my first ultrasound for Sept 15. I'm hoping this pregnancy sticks!


----------



## swimmyj1

Drjo, fingers crossed! My doctor said I don't need more betas sense they have doubled twice in a row but said I can if I want. I think I will one more time Monday just to see. I still just can't shake this bad feeling I have about it. Probably does not help that my DH told my mother and she has been extreamly negative. Ugh


----------



## cupcakestoy

Goodluck ladies, my hcg dropped to 517 on Friday, so I'm out :( Our miracle turned into a cruel joke. More mad this time than sad.....but back at it after the m/c ends.....ugh I hate this!


----------



## drjo718

cupcakestoy said:


> Goodluck ladies, my hcg dropped to 517 on Friday, so I'm out :( Our miracle turned into a cruel joke. More mad this time than sad.....but back at it after the m/c ends.....ugh I hate this!

So sorry to hear that cupcake :( hugs to you!


----------



## Fern81

cupcakestoy said:


> Goodluck ladies, my hcg dropped to 517 on Friday, so I'm out :( Our miracle turned into a cruel joke. More mad this time than sad.....but back at it after the m/c ends.....ugh I hate this!

Soooo so so many hugs to you cupcake hun! I agree it's too cruel :(. Wish there was something I could do for you. I am praying especially for PEACE and a tranquil mind. Also that your body may heal ASAP so that you can have a successful pregnancy very soon. :hugs::hugs::hugs:


----------



## Fern81

Hi everyone

Well with most of you ladies heading for winter I hope we will continue to support each other in this weight loss journey! Over here it's suddenly summer; literally in a week's time it went from cold to summer hot (strappy top and shorts for me today after church!). More ready than ever for my bikini body. However, after a week's strict dieting I actually picked up 2 kg!??? 

I also have no idea when I will ovulate. I guess things are weird this month because of the hsg. Having said that, my cycles are progressively becoming more absurd the longer I'm off clomid! Maybe I should tackle one of the clomid packs I have left in my cupboard next cycle.... it was so expensive and I might as well.... even though I don't want to ttc anymore my husband still really wants to try so I can't give up yet.


----------



## swimmyj1

Cupcake I am so sorry that is just so mean! Sending you lots of hugs. 

For me it's been the opposite it was so warm now cold the last few days. I'm not ready for winter I always pack on weight :( I say if you have one more pack of clomid might at well use it. I hate when my cycles were all screwy. 

Currently im fighting with my DH he can't keep his mouth shut, he keeps telling everyone we are pregnant! It's way to early, plus I just can't knock this bad feeling I have that this isn't going to be viable. IThis sounds horrible but I wouldn't be shocked if I went in Thursday for my ultrasound and was told that. I don't want all of our friends and family to know I've had a miscarrage I get enough pressure already. He just doesn't seem to understand that, I've asked him to stop then I turn around and he has told someone else! Sorry I'm just really upset about it. I actually asked to come into work tonight so I can avoid him :( 

Going to have my betas drawn again tomorrow just to see.


----------



## ireadyermind

So sorry to hear that, cupcake! :( :hugs: It's got to be really rough -- but try not to be too hard on yourself. I know that's easier said than done, but at least you know you still CAN get pregnant without IVF! It's just a matter of working out what will make one stick. :dust:

Swimmy -- I understand where you're coming from. For me, I told 2 close friends and my Mom about the pregnancy and left it at that. I knew that announcing a pregnancy at 5 weeks was WAY too early, because an MC was still a big risk. Turns out I was right, since I MC'd not even a week later. It's so hard to have to tell all those people that you miscarried after the pregnancy is announced. I hope your DH realizes that soon. :hugs:


AFM -- A friend of mine just delivered her baby two days ago. I'm happy for her, but also bitter.


And THEN -- warning, this is a rant coming! --

My middle sister is pregnant AGAIN, with an unplanned 4th child (FYI, all of her pregnancies were unplanned ones)... I've mentioned this before, but now my mother tells me that my sister is refusing any and all prenatal care. She has never had so much as a physical exam from a midwife. The only thing she did at all was to get an official pregnancy test from a clinic so that she can add this child to her welfare/gov't aid plan for the extra money that provides her.

She doesn't know the gender, she doesn't know if it will be a healthy pregnancy, nothing. I'm not sure how she does it; I'd be terrified not knowing! My mom and I were discussing it and we wondered: what if there was some terrible birth defect that they could have detected via ultrasound or blood test, and she is completely unaware of it? Not that she would love a disabled child any less, but she would be able to mentally prepare for it, prepare her home if needs be (for example, if her child was born without a limb?), if she knew about it in advance. Or what if there was a problem that would not allow the child to live without being hooked up to machines, or without major surgery almost immediately after birth? What if it has a problem severe enough that it can't survive after birth, period?

Not to mention, the state of California considers this complete lack of prenatal care to be akin to child neglect/abuse. The last time she had a child without any prenatal care, child protection services was called. Her home and current children were examined/questioned, her friends and family were interrogated, she was added to some kind of watch list... That's all going to happen again this time. It makes me sick.

All of us on this board want children so badly, and we're doing everything we can to better ourselves, ensure we're the healthiest we can be when we do get our BFP... and then there are people like my sister, who are so unconcerned with their unborn child, so neglectful, so thoughtless over it that they don't even make the time to walk into the free clinic for an ultrasound, or bother to even confirm a pregnancy after months of absent periods until she could actually FEEL the baby moving in her womb.

She currently has her 3 boys crammed into a single bedroom in a tiny mobile home, and now she has to make room for a fourth: what if it's a girl? As an infant, it might be okay for the girl to share a room with her brothers, but as she gets older?

At present, she isn't taking any steps toward readying her home (she's due in November), she isn't purchasing baby clothes because she doesn't know the gender... 

I just can't wrap my mind around it. I can't!

I'm sorry for the rant, ladies, but it just blows my mind to think about the way she's handling this -- like having one more child isn't any more important than a stray cat living in the crawl space under the house.


----------



## swimmyj1

Hcg only went to 803 in 4-5 days .... This just sucks! My doctor said to stay on progesterone recheck Wednesday but she said I will probably mc this week. Just not fair! Now because my DH has a big mouth we get to tell people. Sorry I'm just really angry right now. I messaged my mom and she was like it wasn't even a baby don't be so upset. You have lots to be thankful for and should just count those blessings. Ugh I'm just angry


----------



## cupcakestoy

Oh, swimmy, I was hoping this would be your keeper...My dr. says not to lose hope until the number drops, but its not worked out for me either time with a slow riser...*smh Life just isn't fair & I'm sorry your dh didn't listen to you! We made the mistake of telling early the 1st time & had to deal with questions & looks of pity with the M/C. This time we kept it quieter, not that it makes it easier, but at least I'm not reminded each time I see someone I know :( Love & HUGS!


----------



## Fern81

Uhhhh Swimmy hun I just want to repeat my message to you in the other thread.... so many hugs and good wishes to you. SO weird that we've had a few mc's in this thread when we are all particularly trying to be healthy. 

Hopefully all you lovely ladies soon have STICKY, healthy pregnancies. 

Best, BEST wishes to all of us!!!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Started bleeding this morning, not bad yet but cramps are picking up 
:( to add salt to the wounds, my Dr. Still wants me to come in for US today.....ugh I understand, but dread it!


----------



## ireadyermind

:hugs: 

I wish there was more that we could do for one another -- but know that we are all thinking about you ladies and sending positive thoughts your way. 

:hugs:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ty irym. Sorry that you have to deal with your sister's crap. I'd likely disown her myself, but I would worry about her kids....


----------



## swimmyj1

Yeah irym I know I wont find out the gender if I have a child, but no one in my family does. We just end up buying a lot of nutural colors. But no prenatal care is crazy! I'm so sorry that you have to deal with that. It's not fair that people keep getting pregnant when they shouldn't have kids and all of us are dying to have one and would be wonderful parents. 

My doctor canceled my ultrasound im kind of relieved. This morning a lot of my symptoms have gone away and cramping has become stronger. Idk why I'm even bothering for more labs tomorrow. Ugh. I'm hoping she doesn't make me wait 3 months before doing clomid again.


----------



## drjo718

Swimmy, why would you have to wait? Standard practice here is trying again right away. Just curious...

Afm, I've been having some very light spotting, both yesterday morning and today. Mostly a light peach color but one tiny spot of brown. I'm not crampy though, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed everything is OK.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Back from dr. Hcg dropped to 59! Dr. Doesn't feel it was ectopic. Expects bleeding to pic up in next couple of days....did say he will prescribe clomid or femara when I go back in October if we want & wants us to think about doing iui again, before we move onto ivf....excited we had a natural bfp. Idk what we will do, just glad the end is near! He also started me on wellbutrin, which already makes me happier. Ready to be me again :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hugs swimmy....
Drjo-i hope all is well! When is your appt?
Oh I forgot.....drumroll.....I've gained 11 pounds this last month 
:(


----------



## drjo718

Not until the 15th. I wanted to take another clearblue weeks indicator bc it should say 3+ now with the way my hcg was rising, but apparently they've all been recalled. So I took a frer instead and the line is way darker than it was 3 days ago, the control is barely pink, so I hope the spotting isn't anything serious.


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

First of all Ireadyermind I've been meaning to reply on the post that you wrote on your sister's situation... Hun I totally get how ragingly unfair it is and I WISH with all my heart that it was you rather than her! I know saying that won't make it better though. :( I believe that there is a reason for everything (even if that reason is to learn and grow), however having said that, a lot of the time I don't understand the world and I don't understand why women who should clearly not have more children just keep having one after another and, well, the rest of us don't always have that privilege. 

Swimmy and Cupcake - thinking of you ladies. Cupcake 11 pounds is nothing in the great scheme of things. You are a champ and will lose it again!

Drjo - I hope everything is fine :) it all sounds good though! 

AFM - So I'm pretty sure I ovulated yesterday. Weird thing is I was so sick this month the day before and day of O; nausea, headache, really tired etc! Googled and found that it's not unheard of. Sometimes women can just be sensitive to the hormone fluctuations around ovulation. I even had sore nips for about a WEEK before O! (Guess it's because I ovulated a week later than normal and maybe had higher estrogen levels building up?). So not only does every little thing in the tww feel like "symptoms"; apparently just ovulating can give pregnancy-like symptoms!

I've decided to make an effort not to complain too much to my husband about how hard and heartbreaking ttc is. DH still wants us to make every effort for a while and even try ivf next year (if we can afford it). Yesterday it struck me that while I have been ttc for 12 years on and off, he has only been ttc for 18 months. I have only been married to him since Dec 2013. I love him despite him driving me crazy sometimes and I will keep on ttc for now, for him.... (hopefully with frequent breaks lol). I mean I still REALLY want children even if I don't feel like going through the heartache of ttc... if you understand what I mean?

Sorry about the jumbled rambling. Trying to sort out my thoughts!:dohh::shrug:

In the meantime - diet is going strong. Will see if I've lost any by Monday. Trying to avoid carbs as much as possible.


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> Ty irym. Sorry that you have to deal with your sister's crap. I'd likely disown her myself, but I would worry about her kids....




swimmyj1 said:


> Yeah irym I know I wont find out the gender if I have a child, but no one in my family does. We just end up buying a lot of nutural colors. But no prenatal care is crazy! I'm so sorry that you have to deal with that. It's not fair that people keep getting pregnant when they shouldn't have kids and all of us are dying to have one and would be wonderful parents.




Fern81 said:


> First of all Ireadyermind I've been meaning to reply on the post that you wrote on your sister's situation... Hun I totally get how ragingly unfair it is and I WISH with all my heart that it was you rather than her! I know saying that won't make it better though. :( I believe that there is a reason for everything (even if that reason is to learn and grow), however having said that, a lot of the time I don't understand the world and I don't understand why women who should clearly not have more children just keep having one after another and, well, the rest of us don't always have that privilege.

Unfortunately, cutting my sister off means cutting those boys off, and their visits to my house are just about the only time they can get away from that environment. My mother (their grandmother) loads 'em up into her car and they come here for a weekend (I live a good 2.5hrs away). We go to the park, take walks, I let them help with cooking and little things like that. We don't do anything spectacular. It's not like I feed them ice cream, cookies and cake the whole weekend. We don't go to amusement parks and I don't buy them high-priced toys or anything. We just pay attention to them and do little things, like coloring or assembling puzzles. 

The middle child just turned 4 last month and he constantly asks my mom when they're going to come back to my house to visit, and when I show up at HIS house he hugs me SO tightly, like there's no tomorrow. It breaks my heart! 

My sister does not give those boys the time of day. She makes the 6 year old walk himself to the bus stop for school (on the days he actually goes, which aren't many because she can't be bothered to make sure they consistently have clean clothes and shoes that fit), she failed to get the 4 y/o enrolled for pre-K this year... all he needed was 1 booster shot and a copy of his birth certificate and he'd have been good to go. But he'd have to get a ride to school every morning and she didn't want to deal with that.

The littlest boy is turning two and you never see him with any clothes on. He has zero supervision, he's constantly breaking things, getting into cabinets, and he once ate rat poison that the landlord's extermination company left out where they shouldn't have.

CPS has been called on her numerous times, but every time they come out to investigate, they claim that there aren't any problems.

I am just SO sad for those boys. The 6 year old is essentially the 'dad' of the house, makes sure his brothers are taken care of. He helps them get dressed, he basically potty trained the 4 year old himself, and he's the one who tries to keep an eye on the toddler -- but he's six years old!

How can you carry a child in your womb for 9 mos and give birth to it and then just... not care? I can't wrap my mind around that!



As far as weight loss goes... ever since AF showed up two weeks ago I've been puffy, bloated and loaded up on water weight that just will NOT leave. I am heavier than I was when I even started this diet, and even though I'm still ON the diet, weight is just not coming off. I'm at my wits' end here! 

I finally thought I had found a combination of carbs/protein/water/exercise that worked, and now this.... It's so frustrating and I'm starting to feel desperate.

My second blood draw for testosterone went completely the opposite direction. Now instead of high levels I have low levels, and my physician doesn't think there's anything wrong with me any more. I really do not know what to do at this point. CLEARLY there is a problem, but no one I talk to is willing to believe that there is one. ](*,) I was telling DH: I think I can understand why some girls become anorexic, now. 

Not that I ever would choose that option, but after everything I've tried? I can see where the temptation to just avoid food altogether comes from.


----------



## swimmyj1

I'm so frustrated I could scream! My hcg levels only went up for 987 from 803. My doctors office still wants to just "watch it" and keep on the progesterone. I've flat out said to them there is no way this can be viable why should I stay on it and proglong a pregnancy that is not viable. No joke this nurse lectures me on good prenatal care and that miracles happen ...... I kind of lost it on her. How dare she give women false hope, at least I'm a nurse and know the facts but what about the next women she is saying this too. I'm done, I'm going to stop the progesterone and if there is a miracle I would eat my words but Im not going to keep riding this emotional roller coster.


----------



## cupcakestoy

My Dr. was the same way when I was slow rising with both loses. He says he's seen slow risers before, but I knew what was going on. I did take the progesterone, begrudgingly just because dh wanted me not to give up until the #'s dropped.....Sorry your going through this beta nightmare sweetie. I have decided IF we do get a bfp in the future I will not go in until I'm at least 6 weeks, unless I have signs of ectopic...Just too much stress for me!


----------



## swimmyj1

I'm so confused my beta only raised by 2 so I went in for an ultrasound to rule out ectopic and there is a fetal poll and a heart beat??? I Hate limbo this makes no sense. My doctor and ultrasound tech were stunned it makes no sense. I guess I'll get labs Monday and see if they rose even a little bit im done with labs and its out of my hands. I just know this won't be viable so seeing a heart beat is a little heart breaking. Idk how's everyone else doing?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Holy crap swimmy! That is strange with a low beta, how far along are you? What was the heart rate? Hoping you beat the odds!!!!


----------



## swimmyj1

6 weeks exactly HR 162 .... I'm still in shock and can't be too excitied because I feel like with betas that low and went from 987 to 989 in 2 days this just can't be viable. SOOOO CONFUSED!!!


----------



## cupcakestoy

I admit it is odd, to see anything with betas that low, but apparently your beating the odds! 162 is a great heart rate, especially at 6 weeks! Hoping your little bean continues to thrive!!!


----------



## swimmyj1

hows everyone doing with eating healthy, i admit i'm kind of sucking at it right now


----------



## Fern81

Swimmy - as I've posted in the clomid club hun I really hope everything turns out great hun xxx

Cupcake thinking of you and I do hope you are coping!! xxx

IRYM I'm so sorry to hear your diet is still not working! I can totally understand how people can get anorexic. I was borderline anorexic for many years throughout my teens and early 20s (when I first got married @ age 22 I weighed just 45 kg); I almost never ate anything. There were days when I only drank green tea & ate nothing. Then when I got divorced everything turned around; I turned to food (and other) for comfort and have been struggling with excess weight ever since. Sometimes I truly wish I can go back to the days when the idea of putting calories into my mouth revolted me. BUT I know that is totally unreasonable. I can just imagine how desperate you must feel for such thoughts to enter your mind (even if you don't actually think of *doing* it). Just sending you so many hugs; wish I could give you better advice re your diet but at least in the mean time you know you can write down all your thought/feelings here and none of us will judge you!!

Healthy eating wise - I have lost no weight :(. It's always been easy for me to shed a few kilo's just by restricting my diet (and then immediately pick it up again) but since starting clomid for the first time a year ago I've piled on some weight that I just can't seem to shift. 2 kg down, 2 kg up. I'm starting to think I really need to move more (my job involves sitting down basically the whole day); that my limited exercise program is just not good enough. And that I have to find some way of eating even less and NOT binge eat on weekends. 

Adding insult to injury; I'm 5 dpo today.... So this weekend (3 dpo and 4 dpo) DH and I had 2 "adult" date nights in a row each with lots of alcohol :blush:, well we have had some relationship problems recently and have decided to just relax and have a good time together this weekend without fighting. I figured that since 3 & 4 dpo are too early for implantation, any (im)probable fertilized egg will not be harmed. While we've had an amazing time, lots of laughs etc this weekend, THIS MORNING I find out alcohol can actually PREVENT implantation AND increase the probability of an early loss (especially considering the amount I consumed!). :dohh::dohh::dohh: Not just from anecdotal evidence but from actual studies done. <insert curse word here>. 
Yeah. Not a lot I can say about that except now I'm probably going to blame myself if I end up with a bfn AGAIN.

DH and I had a chat this morning and we've decided to not drink again until NYE for ttc reasons and to help us both lose weight (not that we drink that much normally but well these are calories we can definitely afford to give up!). The weekend together was worth it but urgh I feel like I've messed it all up again. :wacko::shrug:


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks, Fern.

Looking back, the only time I've been able to lose weight is when I'm on birth control. So that tells me right there that I have some hormonal issues holding me back. Erf.

Currently I'm waiting to O. It should be any day now, except that I'm not really showing any signs of fertility. The only reason I suspect it'll be soon is because my temp always drops to about 97.02°F a day or so before ovulation. DH and I BD'd last night just to be safe, even though my before-bedtime OPK was a very clear negative.


I'm really really hoping I don't have *another* 50+ day cycle. If I do, I'm taking my charts to the GYN and demanding she do more than just tell me that charts are unreliable and that long cycles "just happen sometimes." They've been getting progressively longer since I stopped birth control in May 2014 and if that's not a sign of something going wrong with my hormones, I don't know what is! 

It'd be so amazing if I could just O around CD 16 or so like you're supposed to instead of CD 30+.


----------



## cupcakestoy

I'm doing ok, have had a day or 2 with no tears, today was not one of those days, but that was due to someone who knows about our loss, complaining about feeling bad who is barely 7 wks pregnant....needless to say I told her I didn't want to hear it! Just insensitive, but how dare she complain to a grieving mom, not to mention 2 other ladies who are struggling with infertility as well. But anyways, we had a touching message at church today, tears of sadness & despair, but also some peace & comfort. I also have to brag on my dh, he's always been a good man, but these last few weeks he has been amazing! His kindness & love for me has reminded me of why I fell in love with him:) This loss has hit him too. This time has been different cause we have shared the grief, shed tears together & talked more about our loss, as well as our hopes, dreams & plans for the future. Well enough sappiness lol
Im back up to 248, 13 freaking pounds....*sigh....but I am motivated to get back at it! Hoping it comes off easier, but looking forward to the sweat & hard work to help work through this season....


----------



## ireadyermind

It's good that you're staying positive, cupcake. :hugs:

And some people only think about themselves! Your friend should have stopped to consider that maybe she's LUCKY to be pregnant, instead of complaining about something that is pretty dang awesome.


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, last night's OPK was about 25% dark -- a very clear negative.

This morning's OPK was about 75% dark! That was a HUGE jump in a time span of roughly 12 hours. DH and I will be BDing tonight for certain. That OPK could turn positive any time today, so we'll wanna take advantage of it for sure! 

Wish me luck! Hopefully we catch that egg!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Go get it girl!


----------



## Fern81

Cupcakestoy - are you doing OK today hun? I think of you ladies & your losses every single day - just keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. So nice to have a supportive hubby. You are truly blessed. Even though our husbands are far from perfect there are things that we will just always need from them - including support. And from what I've read there are so many men who just don't provide this support and stability to their wives. At least this trauma has brought you two closer together. x

Swimmy - any news? I hope you are still beating the odds!

IRYM - Woohooo for impending O! Hope this is it! Been thinking - in RSA you can get a blood sugar stabilizer (Antagolin) over the counter, as well as Inofolic (inositol). Both those products help treat the sugar-related abnormalities in pcos patients but also in pre-diabetic patients and others struggling with insulin resistance. If your dr won't listen and/or won't prescribe anything to help you lose weight, maybe that is worth a try? (If it is available in your country). It won't mess up insulin/sugar levels in non-diabetic or non-pcos cases, it just helps with proper glucose metabolism. I've tried it for 2 months after hearing about how it helps follicle development and had NO side effects; however it's a bit too expensive for me.

AFM - weirdest thing happened last night. So I don't really believe in signs. Last night I was playing a candy crush level which I'd been stuck on for a year. I said to God: "Well if I'm pregnant give me a sign; let me win this level which I'm as unsuccessful at as at falling pregnant" (I was not being serious. God knows that.) I immediately won the freaking level. After a year of trying. Wahaha! (Why didn't I ask to win the lottery as a "sign"??) Anyway, I thought that was something that only those struggling to conceive will ever find funny/ironic....! :haha:

I have an "implantation dip" today, am very dizzy/nauseous & crampy, have a super dry mouth, headache and I'm TIRED! I got out of bed this morning and got back in after 30 min... just couldn't move around. Some more classic preg symptoms to add to my list of "Despite all this I'm still getting bfn"-symptoms. Along with last cycle's "implantation" spotting, false positives a few cycles ago, etc etc etc! :wacko:

Also I'm struggling with eating the past 2 days. Everything makes me cringe. Everything looks & smells like it's wayyyy too oily and gross. Think I have high progesterone levels this month or some weird hormone fluctuations going on. So that has been helping me eat a bit better. I've been doing quite a bit of gardening (good workout!) and after the worst 2 days of AF are over next week I will definitely start HIIT training again! (Actually I want to take a cycle off ttc again... will see if DH will let me!)


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> Go get it girl!

You know it! :sex: :sex: :sex: lmao 




Fern81 said:


> IRYM - Woohooo for impending O! Hope this is it! Been thinking - in RSA you can get a blood sugar stabilizer (Antagolin) over the counter, as well as Inofolic (inositol). Both those products help treat the sugar-related abnormalities in pcos patients but also in pre-diabetic patients and others struggling with insulin resistance. If your dr won't listen and/or won't prescribe anything to help you lose weight, maybe that is worth a try? (If it is available in your country). It won't mess up insulin/sugar levels in non-diabetic or non-pcos cases, it just helps with proper glucose metabolism. I've tried it for 2 months after hearing about how it helps follicle development and had NO side effects; however it's a bit too expensive for me.

Wow, hey! I have never heard of the stuff, but thanks for sharing! I am definitely going to have to research those items and see if there's a way for me to get them here. It's definitely worth a shot! If I can't convince 3 different GYNs over the past 10 years to even start trying to troubleshoot my problems, maybe I oughta take matters into my own hands! Within reason, of course. No DIY liposuction. 




Fern81 said:


> AFM - weirdest thing happened last night. So I don't really believe in signs. Last night I was playing a candy crush level which I'd been stuck on for a year. I said to God: "Well if I'm pregnant give me a sign; let me win this level which I'm as unsuccessful at as at falling pregnant" (I was not being serious. God knows that.) I immediately won the freaking level. After a year of trying. Wahaha! (Why didn't I ask to win the lottery as a "sign"??) Anyway, I thought that was something that only those struggling to conceive will ever find funny/ironic....! :haha:

That's pretty funny. ^_^ Next time you have it in mind to ask for a sign, don't forget to think "Winning Lotto Numbers". Haha




AFM -- Got my first +OPK last night for this cycle, and I'm thrilled that it was NOT on CD33 like it's been the last couple of cycles! This means AF could be about 2 weeks away instead of a MONTH away - I'm pretty happy about that. I mean, I don't *like* AF, but if my cycles are trying to normalize themselves, I'm all for it. DH and I BD'd last night before we went to sleep, so I'm covered for today. 

Got a second +OPK this morning, a little less than 12 hours later. These lines showed up crazy dark and in under 2 minutes, so I know that's one heckuva surge! I wonder if that means anything in particular...? Like, are surges stronger when there's a healthier egg? Or multiple eggs? Or when you're going to ovulate a lot faster than 24 - 36 hours? 

My BBT went _down_ a little bit this morning instead of up. I've heard it said that you always get a little temperature dip on the day of ovulation, so that could have happened today! We'll see what happens.

I've had a nagging, minor cold for the past week, so I'm usually dead on my feet by 7pm. I had to really work to keep my eyes open long enough for DH to get home from work, settled in and ready for BD. lol.

If I can manage it, we should probably BD again tonight, just to be safe.

FX'd!


----------



## Fern81

So my temps are back up and I'm having slight brown spotting again... In an ideal world it would be "implantation dip followed by implantation spotting and the beginning of a triphasic chart, yay!" Lol but I know my body so well by now; it most likely is just another weird cycle. Ready for it to be OVER!!!

How's everyone's diets? I bought some whole organic chickens yesterday, these things are huge. I'll pop them in the slow cooker and make diet soups/ chicken and veg portions to go in the freezer. It's much easier when I have ready meals handy instead of having to cook 2 separate meals for DH and myself from scratch every night! 

IRYM - I think a super dark line just means loads of LH present. LH is necessary to stimulate the biochemical processes leading to the releasing of an egg from a follie. So an abundance of that specific hormone will hopefully mean a greater chance for a successful ovulation :)! Go get it girl! :)

Cupcake have you been able to start with your gym program again?

xx


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hello Ladies :flower:

I've been lurking a bit, but haven't really been commenting because I don't really have anything to contribute.

cupcakestory and ireadyermind: I'm so sorry for the losses you girls have had :hugs: I can't imagine what that must feel like. Hopefully it means that you'll be able to get pregnant again naturally and this one just wasn't sticky.

swimmyj1: I hope that you beat the odds. :hugs:

Fern81: Sound like you're doing great with the eating well! Keep it up, and just maybe this month is your month -- let's hope so :hugs:

AFM: I'm chugging along. I think the PCOS diagnosis this spring helped me make peace with the fact that I just won't get pregnant naturally and I should stop stressing over it (I mean, there could always be a surprise, but I don't expect it). Overall, I think this is good, but I admit there's a bit of depression that sets in from time to time. I've been traveling a lot for work this year and I've learned a lot about how to be reasonable and healthy with my diet and manage my PCOS, even when traveling and not having a lot of control over my food, etc. I've stopped weighing my food and counting calories and I'm still losing, which is a sign that I've changed my actual habits rather than just sticking to a plan I've written out. My weight loss is going well -- I've not been updating my stats page, but my ticker is always kept up to date. I just need to lose 8,6 more kilos and then I will be at a weight that they said I need to be to qualify for fertility treatments on the national health service here. I haven't had a period since May (the last 'natural' bleed was in March, then in late April the gyno gave me progesterone to bring on a bleed). I have a check-up with her on October 19th, so I'm looking forward to that. I should be close enough to my goal weight by then that I'll be able to start talking with her about what the next steps will be. The weight comes off a lot more slowly now than it did in the beginning . . . but I'll keep at it; I know I will get there!

I think of you ladies often and as I said, I do lurk here, even if I don't feel like I really have anything to contribute (I'm basically WTT).

:dust:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hello Mrs. T! Glad your losing :) I'm down 4 pounds since m/c ended, but think it was fluid related. I'm back at the gym this week & am doing the calorie counting again, not sure how successful that will be this time but starting there lol I'm feeling much better, less sad & worried, I think my meds are working! ;) I feeling like I'm almost back to normal.....blessed beyond measure this week with my dh & kiddos! It had been hard between them for a while, but with prayer & suffering its getting better. Just hard when a step parent is involved, but from my angle parenting is pretty hard work at times in general! I hope everyone is doing well & sorry about lack of personals, but will try to do better soon!


----------



## ireadyermind

Wonderful to hear from you, Mrs. Tigger! And thanks for your kind words. :hugs:

Fertility Friend took today's temperature and put my ovulation at a date when I hadn't even gotten a +OPK AND the temp it had selected didn't indicate a sustained rise in my overall pattern... I tried fiddling with the detector settings and it didn't really change, so I put it to OPK and right now it says I ovulated yesterday.

I'll wait until I get some more data, see if my temps stay up or keep rising, and then put it back to the recommended "Advanced" setting to see if anything changes. Meanwhile, DH and I will keep BD every other day until something's confirmed! If we can, that is. It's been a stressful week.

DH got into a car accident yesterday. Everyone involved was fine, but that just means that we might have to pay out of pocket for repairs if insurance doesn't cover the damage. We JUST paid that car off last week, too. Now, more expenses to worry about. 

He's been stressed at work, too. They're short a couple of people on their team and that means everyone's taking on an increased workload, and by the end of the day, sometimes the only thing you wanna do is go to sleep. Soooo we'll see if there's :sex: in our future... Poor DH.


----------



## Fern81

Ireadyermind - don't stress, FF just loooooves to put O date wherever a temp dip is spotted. I've also had cycles where FF marked O date as a date with low temps; when I had clear EWCM, +OPK, O cramps etc only a few days later (but didn't have an "ovulation dip"). I suspect that your OPK was right instead of FF's first guess! (Conversely, I've also had cycles where FF couldn't pinpoint O at all for me but I knew when it was based on other symptoms, and I have always been proved right when I count my LP backward from the start of AF).

Hope you manage to BD at least EOD girl. DH and I missed the day before O this cycle because we were both way too tired. :/ But EOD should cover all your bases! GL!!

All my tww "symptoms" are gone except for huge sore bbs (which I always get). Glad the cramping has stopped, also I haven't had any spotting again except for the one wipe woohooo! Counting the hours until this cycle is over :wacko: only 4 sleeps and AF should be here. Will be so happy once this tww is done. Hoping DH will let me take next cycle off again :) I initially wanted to take clomid next cycle but now I'm just blah, whatever.

I'm reading Bridget Jones' diary again. Laughing so much at her good intentions and emotional eating... Soooo familiar!
One good idea that I got from the book: I might have to start a food diary and work on my emotional issues with food (eating to feel better when I'm down, eating as a reward, eating "because I have to spoil myself", eating when it's AF time...). 
A tip that I found in a lifestyle newsletter this week, to help stop eating junk food: get busy. Whenever the craving hits, take a jog around the garden or walk/jog up and down the stairs a few times/ walk around the office etc. Reward yourself with a feel-good book or a bubblebath etc instead of succumbing to eating. Obviously it will take a long long time to retrain myself to stop snacking/eating junk food/emotional eating but I believe it's worth it. 
Which is what I'll be trying next. Clearly just trying to diet leads to binge eating for me. I should not just trying to stick to an eating plan and constantly cheating, but also trying to change my emotional habits & lifestyle surrounding food. MrsTigger you managed to do it and truly inspired me!! :hugs:


----------



## ireadyermind

I'm not really stressed over FF's antics, just wondering why it would completely ignore OPK results and other fertility signs in favor of a temperature dip?

And then today it didn't select the dip, it selected a random day altogether. lol! 

I'm pretty sure O day was Wednesday the 9th, since there was a slight dip that day followed by a temp rise.

DH and I managed to BD the day before AND the day after that shift, so I think I have my bases covered. We'll see what tomorrow's temperature says!


----------



## Fern81

Vent alert

Last night I had literally every symptom in the book. I had no appetite (again), had to force myself to eat where normally I have to force myself to STOP eating. I was nauseous, dizzy and had hot flushes (had to sit down while doing the dishes; had to go to bed early), couldn't sleep because I had to get up to use the loo 5 times during the night, blah blah blah... tested this morning with an early detection test and STARK WHITE bfn as usual.
To make matters worse I attended my darling niece's nursery school concert this morning. Every single lady there is either pregnant or cooing over their toddlers. Last year I cried so much at this same concert. This year I just refused to cry and tried to harden my heart. Where we were sitting, in the same row my sis is a mom of twins and there were THREE other couples with twins. Why the F**** can they have so many kids and complain about how crappy & difficult it is, while I can't even have one??

I've been working so hard to harden my heart and to accept that I will never have children (because infertility is soooo freaking traumatic). I've worked hard at moving on and focusing on everything else in my life. Have only started ttc again for DH's sake and already it's ruining my sanity. I feel like a useless piece of dysfunctional garbage.

I'm going to take some time off.


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> Vent alert
> 
> Last night I had literally every symptom in the book. I had no appetite (again), had to force myself to eat where normally I have to force myself to STOP eating. I was nauseous, dizzy and had hot flushes (had to sit down while doing the dishes; had to go to bed early), couldn't sleep because I had to get up to use the loo 5 times during the night, blah blah blah... tested this morning with an early detection test and STARK WHITE bfn as usual.
> To make matters worse I attended my darling niece's nursery school concert this morning. Every single lady there is either pregnant or cooing over their toddlers. Last year I cried so much at this same concert. This year I just refused to cry and tried to harden my heart. Where we were sitting, in the same row my sis is a mom of twins and there were THREE other couples with twins. Why the F**** can they have so many kids and complain about how crappy & difficult it is, while I can't even have one??
> 
> I've been working so hard to harden my heart and to accept that I will never have children (because infertility is soooo freaking traumatic). I've worked hard at moving on and focusing on everything else in my life. Have only started ttc again for DH's sake and already it's ruining my sanity. I feel like a useless piece of dysfunctional garbage.
> 
> I'm going to take some time off.

:hugs:

Seeing everyone else with (multiple) babies is the hardest thing when you just want ONE of your own... it sounds like a break is a good idea. I hope your DH is understanding and supportive of you while you go through this!


----------



## ireadyermind

Finally confirmed O today. It was just like I thought! So that means DH and I managed to BD the night before and the night after. I hope we caught that egg!

:dust:


----------



## swimmyj1

Fingers crossed there are some bfp this month! I've been up north at my cabin all week hiking and kayaking. Did a repeat beta on Tuesday before I left but asked not to know the #s so alls they said was we are back to being causiously optimistic. Ultrasound on the 22nd. But while I'm up here my 19yo cousin anouces her and her bf (of 2 months) are pregnant ... She took a test while she was up here. I wanted to just slap her. Ugh idk why people tell everyone so early.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Decided to take a HPT, just to make sure hcg is gone & It was stark white....which makes me glad, but a wee bit sad too. But in other news I have a ton of EWCM today, so my body is getting back on track! Took an Opk today, my last one, & it threw an error :/ My luck lol but dh & I have been bd at least every other day, sometimes twice a day lol so If there's a chance, we covered our bases :) In other news, I'm back on my plan & am down 5 pounds since the M/C....Only 10 more to go to get back on schedule.....*sigh


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> But while I'm up here my 19yo cousin anouces her and her bf (of 2 months) are pregnant ... She took a test while she was up here. I wanted to just slap her. Ugh idk why people tell everyone so early.

No kidding! Coworker of mine announced on FB the other day that she's pregnant... at 8 weeks. :neutral:

I've just always heard from everyone that you're not really out of the woods until you pass 12 weeks, and sometimes not even then! So when I got my BFP in July I only told my mother, my husband, and a close friend. No way was I going to announce it to the "public" or the whole family when we didn't even know if it was a viable pregnancy. 

I congratulated her and didn't really say anything else, but it just makes me wonder. If she DOES lose it, now she's going to have to announce that, too. :dohh:


----------



## ireadyermind

Weighed in today, and it seems my weight is going back DOWN instead of the slow upward creep it had been doing. That's good!

I hope it will continue to move downward... I didn't change anything in my diet or exercise routine, so I'm not really sure what spiked this sudden downward trend except maybe hormones. :dohh: I wish weight loss was an exact science!


----------



## swimmyj1

Yay for weight loss!!! I agree I wish it was a science that one thing worked for everyone hahaha.


----------



## swimmyj1

*update* started cramping a lot went to the ER, hcg dropped and no more heart beat .... this just sucks. i know i had a bad feeling about it but to be told for sure its over just kinda was horrid. Gonna eat ice cream and cry on my couch tonight then move on tomorrow. I just really hope i don't need a D&C that would just suck.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Oh swimmy, I was holding out hope for you! So sorry for such a cruel loss....hugs doll & take care of yourself!


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> *update* started cramping a lot went to the ER, hcg dropped and no more heart beat .... this just sucks. i know i had a bad feeling about it but to be told for sure its over just kinda was horrid. Gonna eat ice cream and cry on my couch tonight then move on tomorrow. I just really hope i don't need a D&C that would just suck.

Aww, so sorry to hear that! :hugs: Especially after hearing the heart beat... That's got to be so rough.


----------



## swimmyj1

I think i'm going to take cytotec if I don't start MC on my own by sunday. I don't want to drag this out. 

But on a super happy note I got on the scale for the first time in a long time and I'm down to 200 lbs! last year this time i was almost 240!! I need to keep this up I would love to be down to 160. I can tell being over weight is taking its toll on my body


----------



## ireadyermind

Wow, good job! That's an amazing amount of weight lost. Way to go!


EDIT: Siiiigh. Another pregnancy announcement in my FB feed this morning. I hope I can join them all with a sticky bean in a few weeks.


----------



## swimmyj1

I ended up having to take some friends off my fb feed. I just couldn't handle the bump pictures or the bfp announcements at 6 weeks pregnant. 

Soooo cytotec should be named the drug from hell. I have a very high pain tolerance and at one last night honestly believed I would die of pain. I was vomiting and passing clots the size of golf balls. Finally when the fetus passed it let up some but that was the longest 10 hours of my life. I thought I would be really sad seeing it but I was a little relieved it's over. And maybe im a few months I will also get a sticky bean.

Even though my DH was so traumatized over the side effects of the medication he said we are done trying and he's never getting me pregnant again. Hopefully he calms down some.


----------



## ireadyermind

Wow, that's ridiculous!

Did the OB/Physician who prescribed you that medication tell you that there'd be those kinds of side effects? Or did they just give it to you and send you on your way?

I know for me, I did not receive ANY information on what to expect while miscarrying, even though they knew that this was my first ever BFP and therefore my first ever MC. 

I wish that the people I talked to would have been more forthcoming. A lot of them expect you to know everything on your own, get irritated or talk down to you when you ask questions, and then ALSO get irritated or talk down to you when you do your own research first. Sometimes I feel like it's a lose-lose situation.

Anyway -- I hope DH does calm down. You can make sure to tell him it was the fault of the medication and not what happens every single time someone MCs that early. Maybe it'll help?


----------



## swimmyj1

I think my scale was playing tricks on me because im back to 210 :(
They didn't tell me anything about the medication, the only reason I knew kind of what to expect was because I looked it up in my nursing drug book. 
DH is doing better, we are waiting to hear if there are still spots open in a fertility seminar on the 30th that I want to go to. It comes with a free initial visit to a fertility clinic so that's kind of nice. 

Your chart is looking really nice by the way :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey Girls. Sorry I haven't posted lately, been taking some time to clear my head....Went to The Walk to Emmaus this past weekend, which was AMAZING & just what I needed! Had been carrying alot of guilt & sadness on this Journey that I was able to lay down, so I'm in a good place for now....I've only got 4-5 pounds to go to get back to my pre-m/c weight, but honestly I've not been motivated for the last week.....I've been attempting to count calories but not been depriving myself of all the good stuff lol :)

Swimmy-I hope your feeling better. Don't worry about the scale right now. Pamper yourself! My dh was the same way with our 1st loss, didn't want to put me or him through that again. Just remember he's hurting too. I didn't realize until much later that my dh was broken too!

IRYM-Glad to hear your weight is going in the right direction! Are you still doing the program? Sorry about the FB stuff, but I know your pain :/ I had a girl announce the day she got her bfp, which was like a week after ours....so needless to say she has been demoted since I don't want to see all her milestones....I really am considering deleteing my account on there, Too much drama & too time draining if I let it be!

Hello Fern, Drjo & anybody else i missed, how is everything going????


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> IRYM-Glad to hear your weight is going in the right direction! Are you still doing the program? Sorry about the FB stuff, but I know your pain :/ I had a girl announce the day she got her bfp, which was like a week after ours....so needless to say she has been demoted since I don't want to see all her milestones....I really am considering deleteing my account on there, Too much drama & too time draining if I let it be!

Today's my weigh-in for this week.. and my weight jumped _up_ FIVE POUNDS since last week. It's probably water weight, but I'm really upset about it!

I've been doing the same plan since the end of July and yet my weight has been going UP instead of down... If I cut any more calories from my diet I will be essentially starving myself. They say not to go below 1200/day and I think I'm at about 1000 on a low day and maybe 1500 on a high day, so it evens out by the end of the week.

I have an appt with my physician next month for a routine checkup, so if I can't get my weight down to at least the starting point I was at for this diet by then, I will ask for some kind of assistance losing weight. Maybe an appetite suppressant, since every time I work out or go walking or anything (even just going out for groceries or walking around the mall), I'm always *starving* afterward even if I stick exactly to my plan or eat a little extra. Lord knows I don't need the calories, with what I have sticking to my thighs and midsection! :growlmad:

This is part of the reason I haven't been working out much, 'cause when I do I'm like a bottomless pit for the rest of the day. I've been doing just little cardio sessions, 10-15 mins tops every time, but they're not doing anything for me.



As for the Facebook thing.. that same gal that announced her pregnancy at 8 weeks lost it the following week and put up a vague, mysterious FB post about it rather than just saying so. Though I would never wish MC on anyone, I had rather suspected it might happen and I was thinking to myself, "See! You should have waited!"

Then there was another announcement a few days after that one, though this couple waited until about 12 weeks to announce. I'm super happy for them! But it stings.



I think AF will show up tomorrow. My temperature dipped to 98.28 from 98.50, which is a pretty steep drop. My LPs are 15 days so that means I should expect AF tomorrow.

I still have a tiny shred of hope, though. My last BFP I didn't get a temp spike until a couple days after AF was due. Maybe it'll work the same this time around? Who knows. >.>


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

Swimmy - I was horrified to read about your ordeal. I can't believe in this day and age any woman has to suffer through something like that without painkillers, medical assistance or even BEING WARNED beforehand!? My gosh hun I really hope you are feeling a bit better emotionally. I can just imagine how traumatic it must have been for you both and you are super strong for wanting to try again. SO MANY HUGS!!

IRYM - hun I really hope the dr will know of something helpful for your weight loss issues! OMW. And I hope AF doesn't show...!

Cupcake - So happy to hear that you are moving along in the painful healing process... so hard to KNOW that nothing in this world is perfect and we can't just expect everything to work out.... But the true miracle is that we can still have a relationship with God & cope with this broken life with His help.

AFM - not trying this month; however I have a follicle tracking appointment tomorrow that had been arranged some time ago and it's free of charge so I will go and discuss BCP, maybe get a prescription; & also find out a bit more about possibly doing IVF next year. Dietwise I'm doing well I suppose by not overeating, I haven't really lost weight but I still have no appetite so not eating much. Drinking too much black coffee the past week or so because I'm constantly tired as well (working my butt off, not having time to exercise, not sleeping, not eating enough healthy foods all contribute to no energy!). And the coffee is suppressing my appetite even more... not good for ttc but yeah giving up coffee for a year didn't help either.

I got my first little rescue kitten and it's been so great to help her settle in & work on taming her (her mom was feral and this little one had a traumatic start to life). DH keeps saying she is our child :). We are getting another one mid November (this other kitten is also a rescue kitten but still super super small so is under foster care until old enough to be re-homed). It's been such good therapy to care for a baby even if it is not a human baby... A small bit of my mothering instinct is being fulfilled. :shrug:


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> Hi ladies
> 
> Swimmy - I was horrified to read about your ordeal. I can't believe in this day and age any woman has to suffer through something like that without painkillers, medical assistance or even BEING WARNED beforehand!? My gosh hun I really hope you are feeling a bit better emotionally. I can just imagine how traumatic it must have been for you both and you are super strong for wanting to try again. SO MANY HUGS!!
> 
> IRYM - hun I really hope the dr will know of something helpful for your weight loss issues! OMW. And I hope AF doesn't show...!
> 
> Cupcake - So happy to hear that you are moving along in the painful healing process... so hard to KNOW that nothing in this world is perfect and we can't just expect everything to work out.... But the true miracle is that we can still have a relationship with God & cope with this broken life with His help.
> 
> AFM - not trying this month; however I have a follicle tracking appointment tomorrow that had been arranged some time ago and it's free of charge so I will go and discuss BCP, maybe get a prescription; & also find out a bit more about possibly doing IVF next year. Dietwise I'm doing well I suppose by not overeating, I haven't really lost weight but I still have no appetite so not eating much. Drinking too much black coffee the past week or so because I'm constantly tired as well (working my butt off, not having time to exercise, not sleeping, not eating enough healthy foods all contribute to no energy!). And the coffee is suppressing my appetite even more... not good for ttc but yeah giving up coffee for a year didn't help either.
> 
> I got my first little rescue kitten and it's been so great to help her settle in & work on taming her (her mom was feral and this little one had a traumatic start to life). DH keeps saying she is our child :). We are getting another one mid November (this other kitten is also a rescue kitten but still super super small so is under foster care until old enough to be re-homed). It's been such good therapy to care for a baby even if it is not a human baby... A small bit of my mothering instinct is being fulfilled. :shrug:

Aww, that's so sweet with the kittens! I would LOVE to foster some animals, but DH and I have so many right now because I just can't turn away an animal in need... lol. We purposefully took on two dogs and a cat, but the other three cats and the parrot were all starving strays or cases of neglect that needed rehoming. So we've both agreed NO MORE ANIMALS until the older ones pass away. Beans is 16 this year, and there's no telling how long she'll stick around. She's a feisty little thing and I swear she'll live to be 100 just out of pure stubbornness! Haha

Good job taking care of those little ones. People can be so cruel to animals and they need all the help they can get.


----------



## swimmyj1

I swear pets are the best. I would not be getting through all of this without my dogs. Today I met up with my obgyn. She was all tearful and saying how sorry she was but she can't help anymore and wants me to see a specialist. Of course I had already made an appointment with them for the 30th lol. I'm hoping we don't need IVF or something sense we have gotten pregnant twice on clomid. and i hope they do genetic testing. 

PS i need to stay away from the pug rescue site or i'm going to end up a crazy pug lady.


----------



## Fern81

I saw the reproductive specialist again today for more ultrasounds etc. The verdict is: 
* My previous totally crap idiot doctor's procedure to remove my stage 3 endometriosis was ineffective. I have to go back on the Pill immediately to stop endo from causing more harm.
* All diagnostic signs point to me having damaged egg cells (everything is OK except for the fact that I have stage 3 endo & previous chocolate cysts; meaning that the endo probably damaged my ovaries, follicles & egg cell reserves)
* I have to start using a specific bcp to suppress the endometriosis from proliferating if I want any chance of success with IVF
* Clomid is totally useless for me and dr advised me not to take it atm. I actually DO ovulate on my own and have a huge follie growing as we speak (again, my previous F*ING dr's diagnosis of anovulation was incorrect)... however there is no guarantee that the awesome follie actually contains an egg cell/what the quality of the egg cell is.
* I need ANOTHER laparoscopy to remove all endo before IVF can be considered to have a chance of success..... my medical insurance will not pay for it so I have to make a plan to change insurance or save up.

This is all so overwhelming.

If we do manage to save up for IVF we will only be doing it once.

For this cycle: Dr prescibed a pregnyl injection to be done on Sunday just to make 100% sure I ovulate since this will be our last cycle trying semi-naturally. 

In other words I have 1 cycle with a trigger, then 1 IVF cycle ahead (IF we manage to obtain the funds!) ... so just more 2 tries to get pregnant, ever.

So much to take in.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Wow fern. I can understand you feeling overwhelmed. That's a lot to take in! I am glad you may be getting some answers & a plan in place tho! Let's just hope your big follow is the "one!"


----------



## ireadyermind

Wow!

Fern, it sounds like you had a completely incompetent doctor for a long time! That is really horrible... How do those sorts get to keep their jobs? You know that if someone in a less important position fumbled THAT much, (s)he'd lose their job! How crazy!

Well, it sounds like now that you have someone with two brain cells to rub together working on your side, you have a much better chance. We're all rooting for you! :hugs:


AFM -- Temp went back UP this morning? I expected it to drop to the cover line today and AF to arrive tonight. I'm a little confused. I took a HPT and I _thought_ I saw something on there, but most likely that was wishful thinking. As I write this I have mild cramps, but not the AF sort. I suppose I'll just be waiting around to see what happens.


----------



## swimmyj1

Yeah seriously Fern that sounds like a mess i don't blame you for being upset. 

ireadyermind- sorry to see AF showed up. not fair!

AFM - this month i decided not to temp of do opk's (I say that now but we will see lol). I'm really nervous about seeing the specialist on the the 30th. i'm not sure why sense its just a big meet and and great. no tests or anything this time. Hopefully we can schedule another visit for testing really soon after. I got into a big fight with my mother while she was out here. She's just so negative about me having kids i don't understand it at all. 

Started a new work out program with my DH every day my step tracker does not say i met my goal I have to put 20$ into our savings account. This could get expensive quickly hahaha, but so far with my workouts and hikes before work I've been meeting them. Fingers crossed I really really want to get down to like 160 but soooo far to go.


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

Swimmy - sorry if you have mentioned this before but are you trying at all this cycle? I know you said you wouldn't do OPKs but are you preventing or is there maybe still a chance of a bfp this cycle? GL hun! Love it that your hubs is doing the new program with you. It is just so much more motivational than if we are working out and dieting and they are just lounging in front of the TV lol.

AFM - diet is going strong; however since the day after the trigger (which was Sunday) I'm suddenly about 4+ pounds heavier!! And my tummy is soooooooo bloated it's insane! I will probably have to take the trigger shot again if we do IVF next year; for now I'm not liking the side effects. I'm EXTREMELY fatigued. It's really weird. I literally struggle to teach and the past 2 days while explaining the work to my learners I can't concentrate and forget what I was saying. I keep wanting to fall asleep and am STRUGGLING to keep my eyes open! NOT like me at all lol!! I get tired during the tww but NOTHING like this. It feels like my symptoms when I was first diagnosed with extreme hypothyroidism. Hopefully I will feel like myself again soon. I know I won't trigger ever again just for a natural cycle however since I always O on my own (dr just wanted to make 100% certain of ovulation this cycle since it will be our last try without IVF).

I don't believe for one second that this cycle will work as I have been ovulating on my own every single cycle so far and no BFP, all that will be different this cycle will be that ovulation was forced by the trigger so it will make no difference to the outcome as far as I'm concerned.

Toying with the idea of POAS tomorrow though just to see a second line at least once in my life haha.

I've gotten used to the idea of being forced to take bcp for 6 months. I'm sure it will be a relief not to ttc for a while and have NO chance of a bfp so no stress or tww'ing. That's after all what I thought of doing in any case; just hated the idea of having no choice in the matter. But oh well there is nothing I can do about it so I just have to accept it. I remind myself that I have always been able to lose lots of weight while on the Pill so there's that.

:hi: and :hugs: to everyone else! Watch this space. I'm going to be scarily thin before the end of the year :winkwink:.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Love your dedication Fern!!!!

I'm back at weight watchers.....*sigh* I feel like it worked before so I might as well hit it again....Made it back to the gym once this week...GRRR I'm on call for work & have been pulling crazy hours! I do think I've dropped a couple of pounds so far this week tho! I do believe AF is approaching!:happydance: 1st since M/C but I'm glad to get my cycle back to normal...Hate it being late, knowing its just a fluke thing, ready to at least have a slim shot at TTC again :) Toying with the idea of Opks, but not wanting to get hung up on ttc again? I would have loved to have gotten a bfp instead of af, but I'm not 100% sure I O'd this time, if I did I think it was around cd 16-17, when I was away for the weekend with out dh.....Oh well, what's another cycle after all this time? Our time is coming, one way or another ;) Now just to drop some weight!!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Cupcake: 

I hope WW goes well for you! I know people who have had success with it in the past. I know the whole group aspect helps a lot of people, you know -- accountability to the other people on the program with you?

Haha -- maybe that's why I'm not doing so well. I know DH would love me even if I weighed 1,000 pounds, so I don't have any real accountability like I should.

Anyway, keep us posted! I'm excited for you! :)




As for the OPK debate:

I feel like OPKs are almost a necessity for me personally. I just know that using them helps me determine when DH and I should BD (let's face it, I can't physically manage to BD every other day for 50 days!), AND it helps me know when to expect AF, since roughly 15 days after +OPK, the witch shows up.

My cycles range from 35 - 50+ days and I never know what's going on, 'cause in all that time, Fertility Friend will put dotted crosshairs on my chart at random and move them around every other day. :dohh: Haha

But if it wasn't for the Wondfos internet cheapies, I'd go broke using OPKs. I have to start on CD 15 or thereabouts, and use them twice a day, and sometimes I don't O until CD 30 or later... that's 30 OPKs in a single cycle! >.>

They don't really cause me stress about TTC. I look at them as just another tool to help me understand what my body is doing THIS time, rather than as tools for conception. Even if I wasn't TTC, I'd still want to know when to expect AF so I could be prepared, you know?

Just my two cents!


----------



## cupcakestoy

The Witch has arrived! Ugh....Be careful what you ask for! She's not being nice at all! DH was sad she showed, I guess he thought we'd get lucky right away? It will be 3 years next month since this nightmare of TTC started! Praying we don't have much longer to wait!


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcakestoy - booooo to the witch. I know mine should be here in about 2 weeks even with my last MC she was right on time (evil!!!) hope WW works for you. I was never very good at group weight loss. 

I'm just gonna say i hate dieting and eating right it sucks lol. I want to sit on my couch, knit, watch tv and eat a ton of ice cream (and drink wine). But instead im eating a rice cake and going for a hike hahaha. I don't even want to get on a scale because unless it says i lost 20lbs i won't be happy (totally unrealistic) 


Pretty sure I will be ovulating in the next few days, and DH is out of town for the week so no chance this time. Meeting with the FS was good. Found out insurance covers 50% (IVF not included) which is really nice. Plan to see on the 22nd. Get a SA, repeat labs. the next cycle i think we will try clomid and higher dose of progesterone. if that doesn't work moving onto IUI with a sperm wash. FINGERS CROSSED!!! they said about 70% of people seen get pregnant within a year resulting in a successful pregnancy.


----------



## ireadyermind

Oo, 50% coverage is nice!

And I'm right there with you that dieting sucks. >.> I've been sick this past week and all I want to do is curl up on the couch and eat comfort foods like pies, pastas, and potato soup -- none of which I should! Especially since working out is on hold until I can breathe properly.

You're doing great, though! Keep up with those hikes and healthy foods!


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

I totally agree dieting sucks. I hate doing it. 

Went to buy my pack of Qlaira to start next Tuesday (when AF arrives)... it will be weird to be back on the pill after so long. And to have nothing to say ttc wise anymore. For now; not feeling the trigger side effects too much anymore. I can't imagine that it will make any kind of difference; not symptom spotting this month, nada. It's like even my subconscious has given up. 

Raising the rescue babes from the cat shelter is taking up a lot of time lol I have babies crying in the house which I love . It's really awesome to have a little warm body in the house even though it's not human. And unlike human babies, these lil ones can be locked up and left on their own safely with food & beds when I have to go to my classroom etc. They are a Godsend and helping me heal!

Swimmy - awesome that you have a plan!!

Cupcake - so sorry AF has been mean to you hun. Sending you extra hugs xx

IRYM - Hope you're feeling better hun!

I will have to get back on the "no preservatives, organic meals only" train to prepare for ICSI next year.... at my age it can't hurt to try and improve egg health esp since dr said my eggs are probably next to useless from the endo! I still haven't lost the hsg trigger weight and am starting to be hungry constantly. Booooo! I want wine, cake and hamburgers!!!!!

My resolutions for the week:
* Definitely try and exercise a bit more (get up earlier! I'm so busy urgh)
* Distract myself when I'm hungry or want junk food (seems to be working)
* NOT reward myself with junk food or sweets... eat no junk food or sweets at all this coming weekend (have NOT managed to stop cheating so much on weekends yet. Will be hard)
* Keep a food diary (have started, will continue. It definitely helps)

Hugs!!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks, Fern. I am feeling better now and managed to get some time in on my elliptical trainer yesterday. Go, me! Haha

My weigh-in was today. It looks like my crazy upward weight spiral has stopped and I'm headed back down a smidge. That's a relief... I wasn't looking forward to what I would see this morning, but this little decrease is better than nothing.

The elliptical trainer is much more of a challenge for me than the exercise bike is. I think I've "outgrown" that bike in a fitness capacity, so I'll be switching over to the elliptical trainer this week.

On the bike, I wouldn't break a sweat at a medium intensity level even after 30 minutes... The elliptical had me sweating in 5 minutes. So maybe the added challenge will help me get back to LOSING weight and inches instead of gaining them. 

We've been doing pretty well on the eating side of things, too. I haven't been snacking as much during the day, and when I do, I choose things like raisins, carrots or an extra protein bar instead of junk food. We don't even really HAVE junk food in the house this week, so that's good too.

We haven't eaten takeout since our cheat day on the weekend, too, so that's good. I hope I can keep this momentum going.

How are you ladies doing?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Yeah for a Loss IRYM!!!:happydance: I do the Elliptical too. Tried the ARC machine a few times, but it hurts my back :shrug:Then I do strength training too, at least my arms mostly everytime, since I hate my "wings" lol

Proud to say I'm doing WELL with WW this week! :happydance: We (dh & I) sat down Sunday afternoon & planned our menu for the week too, which helps tremendously, as I know what I'm cooking & no mad dash to throw "something" together! 

Hope everyone is having good weather! Still mid 80s here & day #4 of painting/sealing our deck! Thinking I can finish the floor today....Well hoping so, since we have a chance of rain tomorrow :( Would LOVE to get it all done this weekend, but not sure that I will since I'm doing my 1st official 5k on Saturday! Wish me luck!


----------



## ireadyermind

Good job! Meal planning was always a big help to me. I batch cook things -- that is, I make 2 or 3 nights' worth of food on one night, so that I don't have to cook every single night of the week. It's more efficient, and it encourages me to eat healthier because the food is already THERE, just waiting to be eaten. :)

I have, like, *zero* excuse to grab takeout when there's perfectly good food waiting in the fridge. Haha


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

Good job on everyone's energy this week, and the great workouts you all seem to be getting in!!

Oh good reminder on meal planning! I need to cook & freeze up a storm this weekend before term starts again. 

I tested yesterday just to see if the 5000 units trigger was still in my system (11dpt) and it was. Clear pink line (faint but there). Today it's mostly gone except for a slight, slight shadow. So not only am I not pregnant (which I totally expected so no surprise!) but also I have a slow metabolism urgh which I did NOT expect! I calculated that the trigger should have left my system in around 7 days (rule of thumb is 1 day per 1000 units; I calculated the conservative 7 days based on Pregnyl's half life of 33 hours) and today at 12 dpt it still shows a shadow!! Wakeup call for Fern to exercise more& wake up my sluggish metabolism!

One great thing about this cycle though (wonder if it's due to the trigger); I haven't started spotting yet, yay! 

GL for the weekend's dieting girls :)

Swimmy - hope you are doing OK hun. xx


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hoping your lines never fades out, but comes back stronger!


----------



## Fern81

Hi gals

Ooooowwwwww it was a mistake to test "just to see what lines would look like"... Of course I kept forgetting to test and then only tested 11 and 12 days past my 5000 unit pregnyl trigger. As previously mentioned I got a faint but definite line 11 dpt and a light shadow line 12 dpt. NOW I'm googling like crazy and it seems very unusual (though not totally unheard of) for a trigger to last that long, even a 10000 unit trigger. Can't believe my last tww for this year ended in line spotting just because I decided to test "for fun" lol. :dohh:

I am at a stage where I've accepted the reality that I can't get pregnant, so I'm like there's NO WAY those lines could be from any true hcg; I'm probably the odd duck out who just has the trigger linger forever! I also don't feel any more pregnant than any other cycle. Having said that, I got another (of the same early detection brand) hpt and will poas tomorrow morning... just to settle the matter once and for all. I will be 12 dpo then and 14 days past trigger.

Diet and exercise wise - we've cleaned up the pool at our new house and I've started swimming & doing water aerobics. We are suffering from the same El Nino conditions as you all... in RSA where I live we're having VERY hot weather and drought after a very cold winter. Which means I'm finding it impossible to go running, and am so so so grateful for the pool. Such a good workout it actually leaves me dizzy after, lol.

How's everyone else? Cupcake are you ttc this cycle? IRYM FX for O soon!!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Jealous of your pool! It's turned cool here today. Leaving for the 5k here in a bit! Excited to do it!

Actually we are TTC, even though dh thinks we are still just enjoying each other & still NTNP lol Which I guess we could be classified as such :/ I'm not doing Opks, but will bd extra next week! I also did a Castor Oil pack a couple days ago, which I plan to continue up until O day & I took Soy Isoflavones this cycle just so I feel like I'm doing something to help :shrug:
Not likely to work, but why not try? I am going to take my OB up on restarting Clomid next month as well to try to get my right ovary(open tube side) to produce, as my left is dominant & has a longer tube, but is probably blocked.....

Good luck on your test tomorrow!


----------



## Fern81

Well now I've started cramping and spotting bright red blood 11 dpo PM. So much for no spotting. I guess I'm out REALLY early this cycle! Normal LP is 13 days but every cycle has been so unique and weird these past 18 months.... nothing's impossible anymore it seems except a bfp of course. Maybe it's the endometriosis.

No more ttc until we manage to save up for ICSI!! If one of you ladies win the lottery, I will take good care of your money for you ;) :)!


----------



## Fern81

Ooohh I just saw your post cupcake, thanks for the support in any case :).

And all the best to you, hope all your extras do their job this month! 

I hope all of you ladies get sticky pregnancies BEFORE the end of the year!! In the mean time I will still be cheering you on while trying to get as fit & healthy as possible; because being super thin will make me happy :) & also in preparation for our one shot at ICSI.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Boo for spotting, unless its implantation lol I really hope we all get our keeper bfps soon, all of us! Well I survived my 1st 5k! Not to shabby of a finish either! My hubby & I were in the top 20! Of course now I'm convinced that the elliptical is a liar, since my time today ended up being around 15 minutes per mile, not 12 :/ but I'm still proud! A year ago I don't think I could have finished without stopping, so I guess I am making progress ;)


----------



## Fern81

Stark white bfn and more spotting!

Booooo! It really still was the trigger at 12 days past trigger :(. My metabolism really IS that slow! It even took me 2 weeks to lose the 2 kg that I gained from the trigger shot. 

I'm super emotional today... I hate ttc.... but I hate the fact that I can't have kids even more. I have to go back on the pill due to a medical condition, not by choice. My husband and I will never be able to make a little baby by making love; and we only have one try at ICSI IF we ever manage to save up for it & a laparoscopy. The finality of the situation after 12 years is just really bitter. Accepting the reality doesn't mean that I like even one second of it, I just realize I HAVE to move forward because I have no choice. :growlmad::cry::wacko::shrug::nope:

Goals this week: 1) to redirect focus to all the positive things I have in my life. 2) To lose 2 more kilos before next Sunday (family function). 

Hugs to everyone xx


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hugs fern! I'm sorry, we all deserve our the! I feel selfish at times since I do have 2 kids from my ex, but so long to give my dh a child. Infertility, whether primary or secondary is horrid, a loss is devastating, this journey is so unfair!


----------



## ireadyermind

:hugs: Fern, I'm sorry you're feeling so low. We're all thinking of you! 



I went up to my sister's on Saturday, originally for my nephew's birthday. But on the way up, my sister went into labor. She delivered her (4th) baby around 10pm that night. I caught myself acting very... bitter, I guess is the right word. I was happy for her, but I was also envious. Sigh. 

Then my mom starts talking about DH and I as though I was already pregnant, realized what she was doing (we'd asked her not to share any info about our TTC), and immediately goes, "And [my name] told me she's not having any kids!" Great, Mom. Great.

Here's hoping we get our BFPs, gals.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hugs all around! Things have to start looking up for us soon! 

I am happy to report that I lost 3# last week on WW, should have been 5#, but I had horrible willpower over the weekend lol A loss is a loss tho, so onward I go!


----------



## swimmyj1

hey gals, sorry i haven't been on much just needed some time healing. cant wait to meet with the fs on the 22nd. Really hoping we get a sticky bun within a year, but I am prepared for more loss. Spent my week with my little cousins which is always bitter sweet. Doesn't look like my aunt is going to let me adopt my cousins little girl which was heart breaking to me... Shes going to be 60 and acts more like a grandmother than a parent (which heck she is the grandmother) but this poor little girl stays up till 2 am eating chips and drinking pop and she isn't even 3 yet. Then i get even more angry about it when i think about how my cousin and his gf had a baby while both using a ton of drugs and shes overweight. ugh ok bitter rant over lol

I'm really disapointed in myself I have been hiking like crazy and using arm weights got on the scale and have actually gained 5lbs!!!! I've been eating less staying under my cals and hiking at least 4-5 days a week.


----------



## ireadyermind

Swimmy -- With all that activity, it's entirely likely you're gaining more muscle than you're losing fat. Have you taken your measurements lately? How are your clothes fitting? Putting on muscle can make the scale go up -- so that's when you have to start checking other measurements.

MyFitnessPal recommends measuring around your waist & hips, and you can also do things like your thighs, upper arms, wrists or neck. If you're losing inches in any of those places, it's excellent progress!

And remember, increasing your muscle mass will increase your body's metabolism and you should be able to burn fat easier that way. FXd for you!




Cupcake: 3 pounds in one week is awesome! I am struggling to lose even one pound in a week these days. I hope I can get back up to some kind of consistent losing streak like you are. Good job!



AFM -- Positive OPK this morning! Thank goodness DH and I BD'd last night. I'll be okay to BD tomorrow night without feeling like I'm forcing things. I'm also glad the pos OPK wasn't on Friday morning, since I was at my mom's over the weekend out of town. That would have been a little awkward. Haha


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

As you've probably guessed AF got me... Monday morning was so bad I thought of going to the ER at one stage but had no-one to drive me (DH was away). I can't remember the last time I've had such bad AF pains and heavy flow. I was literally curled in a ball and couldn't move. (Which kinda confirms for me more and more that the endometriosis is indeed back). However the horrible pains only lasted the one day & I've been OK since yesterday. I'm still very sad & anxious!? Yesterday morning I woke up at 5 AM with a panic attack. (wth??) Trying my best to cope and move forward but regardless this grieving process is much harder physically & emotionally than I expected. Just have to keep fighting forward.....

I haven't lost any weight yet this week! My stomach ulcer is back in full force so I haven't been able to eat much. Hopefully I will have lost some before Sunday!

Swimmy - ah hun I hope things turn around regarding the adoption! It's so unfair that some people have oodles of children and don't give a crap about them. And then all of us who will make wonderful caring parents are suffering from infertility (primary or secondary; I agree with Cupcake. For each of us, our unique situation sucks in its own right). 

IRYM - I love tww'ing on someone else's behalf lol if it's not my own tww then it's not stressful - just exciting! I always hope so hard for all of you during your tww's :) and now again! Keep up the good "work" hehe!

Cupcake - yay for 3 pounds! You're almost halfway to your goal ;)


----------



## cupcakestoy

*sigh..,.bought cheapie opks & got a + today. Cramping has begun, so will O soon, but dh has been an ass all week, do I have no desire to be at all....ugh what a waste of the soy this cycle.. ...


----------



## ireadyermind

Aww, sorry DH is being a mood-killer, Cupcake!


I don't know WHAT is going on with me this cycle. I got that +OPK a couple days ago, but I haven't had any other fertile signs to match except a day or two of watery CM. My temperature has been hovering around the same level for the past few days, only increasing or decreasing by about .02 every day. 

My cervix has remained firm, doesn't seem to be open, and isn't really all that high, PLUS this morning my CM was creamy bordering on sticky. I'm thinking that my body was trying to O this week and didn't manage it. I'm really hoping that I don't go another 20+ days before a successful ovulation. I don't think I could handle another 50 day cycle! 

I have an appt with my GYN in two weeks for another biopsy and checkup. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens with this cycle, and ask her about it when I go in.


----------



## cupcakestoy

IRYM-Sorry your in limbo, it sucks for sure....

Thinking I may get lucky tonight ;) but I'm sure its a day late at least....My left Ovary was screaming last night at bedtime. Of course since it was my left side, not much hope anyways! UGH!


----------



## ireadyermind

Man, I'm just so confused about this whole cycle!

I've been feeling like I have PMS for the past week or longer, rather than O symptoms.

My FF chart put dotted crosshairs on today, but only after I removed my +OPK info. In my cycle notes, I had written for a couple of days that I was noticing slight signs of fertility but nothing like normal. CP seemed to remain closed the whole time, or only partially open -- nothing like normal. CM was only barely watery and barely stretchy for a couple of days and immediately went to dry and sticky. 


And when I look at my temps for the past 5 days, they are almost exactly the same as last month's post-O temps, including those three days of temps that are almost a flat line. That's what makes me think that I missed my first +OPK and just happened to get one later in time.

Anyone care to take a look at my chart and provide their two cents? Maybe one of you gals can see something I'm overlooking, or...?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Not great at charts, but O looks like its right, unless it actually happened on Sunday where temp is missing? On your other chart I saw W on O day as well :/ Not a lot of help I know lol

I FINALLY got some Lovin'!!! Last night & this morning!:happydance::happydance::happydance: Not that it matters TTC wise, but I'm much easier to get along with when I'm not sexually frustrated lol Spent the day cutting, splitting & loading/unloading wood for our fire dept :/ 3 blisters & tired aching back, but it was a productive day :)


----------



## ireadyermind

Yeeaahhh, that missing temp was from the day after my little niece was born. We all went to bed at like 3am and I slept right through my alarm and breakfast. lol. That temp would have been WAY off even if I had managed to take it at 8am like normal!


----------



## Fern81

Lol cupcake DH and I also haven't had sex for 2 weeks so I finally jumped him this morning hahaha :) much nicer when not ttc!

IRYM - I also agree as far as possible with FF. Sheesh I hate weird cycles! Hoping today is your implantation dip ;). Did you have any O pains? Just wondering, has your dr ever suggested clomid?

Well after a week it feels like I am getting used to the Pill.... horrible acne flare-up has started to die down, sore boobs, dizziness and nausea abating, bloating subsiding... great. Two awesome things - the perioral dermatitis that started when I came off bcp last year (and has been causing me much pain & embarrassment), has cleared up! Also, my appetite is nonexistent. I've had 2 people mention this weekend that I look really thin, even though the scale doesn't say so! :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern-Love how you find the silver lining! Maybe I should do bcp as a weight loss aid :/ Naw, I always gained on them in the past.....my luck I guess....

I'm continuing on WW & am happy to report the scale is going down :) Plus I've been more active, so I'm sure that helps ;)

IRYM-Fx'd for that dip!

Hello to the other ladies! Hope you guys can check in soon!


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> IRYM - I also agree as far as possible with FF. Sheesh I hate weird cycles! Hoping today is your implantation dip ;). Did you have any O pains? Just wondering, has your dr ever suggested clomid?

My ovaries hurt every day, so I don't know which pain is Ovulation and which is just the general, run-of-the-mill sort. :dohh:



cupcakestoy said:


> IRYM-Fx'd for that dip!

This cycle's post-O temps are almost exactly the same as my temps on my BFP cycle! I'm becoming cautiously optimistic. Like, I want to get excited but then I don't want to get excited. Haha



I've also had ridiculously sore BBs the past two weeks (even sore under my arms), and this morning some pinching in my abdomen which I don't usually get. If my temp shoots back up around the 98.4 level tomorrow, I'm going to go nuts. Haha. That's what it did on my BFP cycle and hasn't done it before or since.


----------



## swimmyj1

Fingers CROSSED!!!! That would be so great if you did get a BFP this cycle.

Idk what im doing wrong, still haven't dropped any weight and my measurements haven't changed at all, if anything I feel bigger .... whatever just need to keep going!! I'm sure it will start dropping sooner or later lol. 

How long does it take for AF to show up after most MC. My one before this AF showed up 2 weeks after. This time im a week late. And can't do any of the stuff at the fertility clinic Thursday if AF hasn't shown up :dohh:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Seems like mine took forever each time, on average its usually 4-6 weeks I believe, of course that depends on how long it takes your hcg to go back to 0 as well....


----------



## ireadyermind

It took me the length of one regular cycle after my hcg went back to about 4. But I have long cycles, so for me that was roughly 5 weeks. I didn't bother with OPKs that cycle but I did continue to temp, so I still knew when to expect AF. Hopefully it won't be too long for you, swimmy!

I'm also betting that the MC is what's making your weight stall. Your hormones are probably all out of whack. :/




AFM -- My temp DID spike back up to 98.44 today! This is almost exactly like my BFP cycle. Cautiously excited now! :dohh:

If you'll allow me to go all Computer Geek on you gals -- I included a side-by-side comparison of this cycle and my BFP cycle for reference. It hasn't done this in any cycle before my BFP, and this is the first time it's done it since then!

I know it's still too early to know for sure and that I'm just over-analyzing everything, but your guys' thoughts are always appreciated. :)
 



Attached Files:







sep-oct2015_FertFriend_ChartComparison.jpg
File size: 38.8 KB
Views: 6


----------



## cupcakestoy

They do look similar. Good luck & when is test day? lol


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> They do look similar. Good luck & when is test day? lol

Since I have a GYN appt on Monday for a follow-up Pap Test & Biopsy, I'll need to POAS on Sunday morning. If I get a BFP then they'll put off the Pap Test. If not, they'll go ahead with it. 

I'm hoping that if it IS a BFP that it will actually show up on Sunday! I'd hate to have this test cause problems.


----------



## swimmyj1

Fingers crossed!!! 

My doctor never kept checking my hcg after it went down to 18 at my follow up appointment after the mc. She said i was still bleeding so it would keep coming down. So i probably have at least another week to wait. Oh well i should be looking at the bright side that at least we will have a plan with the FS when she does show up lol.

PS working midnight's is sooo hard when trying to eat better 230 am all's i want to eat is chocolate lol


----------



## Fern81

IRYM - all I can say is if I were you I would be hopeful too!!!! I can't wait to see what Sunday brings.

Swimmy - sorry hun that you are in limbo and also that you are struggling with your weight. This past year I've realized what a huge impact hormones have on our weight... at least you are doing your best to be healthy and fit & that's what counts!

Cupcake I'm also thinking of you hun and hope you're still making progress weight-loss wise x

Not much going on here. Freaking extremely busy at work until this weekend so I don't have time to exercise (sneaking in 5 min for the forum lol). 
Today I told a friend (who has been following our struggles) the news about how I can't have kids and just have one "maybe" shot at ICSI if we ever manage to obtain the insane amount of funds for it.... and I didn't burst into tears. Progress, I suppose. 
We are getting another baby rescue kitten on Saturday (her mom was shot dead in a mall parking lot & the teeny 3 week old kitty had to be rescued from under a container!). Our other one, the 5 month old cat that we've had for a few weeks now, was rescued from an abusive home and I'm happy to report he is doing EXTREMELY well & is so loving and healthy now. I'm definitely going to turn into a crazy cat lady.:happydance::thumbup:
Wish my husband was open to adopting a human baby.

I really have been feeling OK-ish the past few days. Trying my best to look on the bright side. I'm looking forward to the December holidays and DH & I have been getting along quite well. One of my best friends told me the other day about how sad she is that she does not have a husband (she is 38 and never even had a serious boyfriend, also not dating at all). She will also probably never have kids because realistically at age 38 with no husband or boyfriend in sight and also such severe PCOS that she hasn't had a period in years she is looking at a future all alone. (She won't do IUI because of our faith, also why IVF is a bit of an issue for me but that's a discussion for another day). It just made me realize that at least I have my husband and the rest of my family. That in itself is already such a blessing. After my divorce I thought I would never be happy again and here I am.

Sorry for rambling on but, yeah, it's therapeutic to type it all out. 

:hugs: to all xxx


----------



## ireadyermind

:hugs: Fern! You're making progress and trying to be positive. That is such a GREAT thing, rather than wallowing in self-pity or being nasty to other people or what-have-you. That shows you're a strong lady! You know we're all rooting for you for that miracle baby!



Swimmy-- I wish my doc made smart decisions like that. Mine wanted to continue checking hCG until it went all the way to zero, even though the last draw was at like 4. Since I knew from research that anything under 5 was considered 'not pregnant,' I didn't go in for the last draw that she wanted. It didn't make sense to me, and lab fees for such a simple test are outrageous out here, even with insurance!



My temp went up a little higher this morning. AND I'm starting to see blood in the kleenex when I blow my nose. That is another thing that happened on my BFP cycle, so I'm starting to get anxious! I almost broke down and POAS this morning, but reminded myself that it was too early. If Monday was an implantation dip, there wouldn't be much hCG in my system right now anyway -- though this time I hope I get a blazing pink line on my tests, and not the faint ones from last time!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hugs Fern :/ Must be something going around today, as I've been in a mood.....sigh.....
I made my F/U appt for a repeat PAP for the 6th today. Ugh! We are going to discuss Clomid vs. Femara as a Hail Mary for 3-4 months before Spring, so I guess I should be excited, but I'm really not :( I have been super lazy the last couple of days. not getting up in time to hit the gym, not sure why I do this, when I know I still have at least 40 pounds to go? Oh well, I still have time to lose a pound or 2 this week, IF I find my mojo.....
Hope your excitement is well founded IRYM!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> Hugs Fern :/ Must be something going around today, as I've been in a mood.....sigh.....
> I made my F/U appt for a repeat PAP for the 6th today. Ugh! We are going to discuss Clomid vs. Femara as a Hail Mary for 3-4 months before Spring, so I guess I should be excited, but I'm really not :( I have been super lazy the last couple of days. not getting up in time to hit the gym, not sure why I do this, when I know I still have at least 40 pounds to go? Oh well, I still have time to lose a pound or 2 this week, IF I find my mojo.....
> Hope your excitement is well founded IRYM!!!


Oh man, but you're doing so well with your 33 pound loss already! You have got to feel like a new person, losing that much. I wish I could have any kind of consistent loss. Don't beat yourself up too much over only a few days. :)



As for me -- I broke down and POAS this morning.

Last night I kept feeling even more symptoms that were the same as my BFP from June. For example: I coughed, and felt my abdomen spasm and burn like a pulled muscle. I NEVER felt anything like that except for the week following my BFP. I was told that an expanding uterus can cause that sensation.... So the rest of the day I was researching everything I could find on Google about it. lol

I finally just said -- Fine! I'll test in the morning! Knowing full well that it's too early, too. So I wasn't surprised that I got a BFN. 

I didn't get a BFP in June until 16DPO and I'm only 10DPO right now, so it serves me right! lol

I'll wait and test again in 2 or 3 days. I have to test right before my appointment anyway, so we'll see what happens between now and then!


----------



## deafgal01

Sorry if I disappeared on you ladies. I'm still around, I don't check in as much these days with graduate school keeping me so busy.

Over the summer I went back up to 190-195 and stayed in that range. This month I said that was finished and suggested that my husband and I both cut back on carbs (I suspect that's what preventing the weight loss anyways) because we were still doing exercises like 2 times a week at least. So for the past two weeks, I have seen it finally get under 190 for the first time in months. My husband suggested I go back to swimming because that seems to work for me best (I used to swim in high school and that's how I shrunk down to size 8 if I remember right). During my fall break over the past two weeks, I have made effort to do a daily work out of some kind whether it is a 5k or something else. I have limited my carbs to just one meal a day instead of not limiting it. I eat more proteins and I have vegetables every night with dinner.


----------



## ireadyermind

Good job, Deafgal! Sounds like you finally found something that works for you!

I think the low carb diets were the most reliable ones for me, but I always had a problem keeping the weight off when I was done losing it! It all came right back the instant I added so much as a slice of toast to my meal plan. Oye!

Have you reached your weight loss goal? If so, what's your total loss? If not, how much is left to go?


----------



## deafgal01

Not yet reached my weight goal. I probably won't reach it for a long time. Ideally I'd like to be back in the 155-160 range. I feel like that'd be perfect for me. Total loss well, when I joined this, I was in the 190 range so I've not lost much yet if I go by that as I was 188 on Monday - so about 5 pounds or so.


----------



## ireadyermind

Aw, sorry to hear that it's been slow going for you too! 

I hope this low carb plan you're on really works out for you! I'm considering going back to that, but I know it's bad for me to keep switching. It just seems that for me, once I've been doing a plan for longer than a month, it stops working. Oye. I wish the human body wasn't so vague and confusing! lol

There ought to be a plan. "If you eat XXXX calories a day, you will lose weight regardless of hormones, age, height, gender, ethnicity..." You know?




On the TTC front -- my temp went up to 98.66 today. I'm hoping that it continues to climb! I have some FRERs on the way (I ordered them online instead of going to the store yesterday, to force myself to wait until they arrive to use them!) and I'm trying to hold out... I guess I'll see what tomorrow's temperature does. If it takes a steep drop, I guess I can assume AF is on the way? Looking at last month's chart, my temp spiked up to 98.6 and then dropped the following day and kept going down. FX'd that doesn't happen this time. I have so many similar symptoms as my BFP cycle, I'll be really peeved at my uterus if it's BFN this time around! lol


----------



## swimmyj1

I swear I could rant about weight loss all day. Finally got on the scale again only down 3 lbs sense my MC :( but this week I haven't gone hiking once just been working a ton, but today I have off and they only thing I want to do is catch up on sleep lol. 

Did a ton of labs at the fertility doc. Genetic, egg quality, thyroid, blah blah blah. Doing a sonohystogram in 2 weeks and clomid this cycle with progesterone sense we already know my levels are way low. 

Ok but seriously ur temo chart looks so good!! Fingers crossed it's not just playing tricks on u!!


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> I swear I could rant about weight loss all day. Finally got on the scale again only down 3 lbs sense my MC :( but this week I haven't gone hiking once just been working a ton, but today I have off and they only thing I want to do is catch up on sleep lol.
> 
> Did a ton of labs at the fertility doc. Genetic, egg quality, thyroid, blah blah blah. Doing a sonohystogram in 2 weeks and clomid this cycle with progesterone sense we already know my levels are way low.
> 
> Ok but seriously ur temo chart looks so good!! Fingers crossed it's not just playing tricks on u!!

:brat: I'm so impatient to see what happens! lol

I've been trying to pass the time doing various chores around the house, in addition to my 'job' of creating new art and whatnot...

It's only 10:15am right now and I've already done dishes, cleaned the whole kitchen, prepared dinner (from scratch!) and tossed it into the slow cooker... At this rate I'll be done with every household chore that needs doing by like noon. Haha

I know they say "the best way to kill time is to work it to death," but man - what happens if you run out of things to do!? Haha. I want it to be the end of the day already, so that I can go to bed and see tomorrow's BBT temp. o.o

I guess if I run out of the 'regular' chores, I can start doing the little stuff like scrubbing base boards.... Not looking forward to that though! Haha


----------



## Ursaula

I'm back! Sorry I have been absent the last x amount of weeks. Our 12 1/2 year old pug dog passed away and it really affected us. My s/o and I have had a lot of talks since then and we've decided to finally start really trying!! I see my doctor on Monday to do a few tests before he gives me a subscription for Metformin. I'm planning on losing weight with you gals again as we all work on getting healthier and ready for our babies :).

(P.S. I'm going to go back and read everything from where I left off so I'll be up to date with you gals again :).)


----------



## ireadyermind

Ursaula said:


> I'm back! Sorry I have been absent the last x amount of weeks. Our 12 1/2 year old pug dog passed away and it really affected us. My s/o and I have had a lot of talks since then and we've decided to finally start really trying!! I see my doctor on Monday to do a few tests before he gives me a subscription for Metformin. I'm planning on losing weight with you gals again as we all work on getting healthier and ready for our babies :).
> 
> (P.S. I'm going to go back and read everything from where I left off so I'll be up to date with you gals again :).)

Welcome back! :hugs:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Welcome back! Sorry bout your pooch.


----------



## ireadyermind

~Rant Warning~

Arrgg! Look at my chart. My temps keep climbing and I *still* got BFN on a FRER today! There wasn't even the barest hint of a line.

AF is due Tuesday, but I have that appt on Monday... I really hope I get a BFP tomorrow so I can call in and cancel that appt! You can't have cervical biopsies when you're pregnant. Uugghhh


----------



## cupcakestoy

:/ fxd for today! I have heard charting after O is not an accurate indicator of a bfp, unless you have 18 days of consecutive high temps, but then you throw in implantation dips, triphasic charts & etc..... Too confusing, not to mention disappointing..... I do hope you get 2 solid lines today!


----------



## Ursaula

I just finished catching up where I left off. I'm so sorry for those who mc. :'(

IRYM: I looked at your chart today, do you think af is coming? I hope it spikes back up!

Cupcake: Thanks for your condolences in regards to our dog. Congratulations on the amazing weight loss thus far though! :)

Swimmy: When do you expect the lab results to get back? I hope they figure something out for you...

AFM...We had our Thanksgiving supper this past weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving is in mid October), so I know my weight isn't going to be the best...I plan to weigh tomorrow morning before I go to see my doctor to get the metformin subscription. Do you gals know if metformin works on its own? I read up that it is usually paired with clomid, any advice?

I've had two friends post on Facebook that they're expecting...yay?

Some more exciting news! I'm starting to plan an engagement proposal for my s/o. I'm really excited and nervous at the same time. I can't decide when to do it though as we have a few things planned over the next couple years. When is the best time to propose?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ursaula-my Dr. Prescribes it for me to take to increase ovarian function. I have used clomid & femara in past, but take the Met. 3 x every day. I do Ovulate on my own & don't have pcos, but I do believe it will encourage O in pcos. Good luck!
Irym-sorry to see that drop today, hope AF doesn't come tho!


----------



## ireadyermind

Ursaula said:


> IRYM: I looked at your chart today, do you think af is coming? I hope it spikes back up!
> 
> 
> Some more exciting news! I'm starting to plan an engagement proposal for my s/o. I'm really excited and nervous at the same time. I can't decide when to do it though as we have a few things planned over the next couple years. When is the best time to propose?


Thanks, me too! The BFP I got in June was preceded by a dip just like the one I got today. I went back through my previous cycles and from what I can see, I always get AF the day after my temp hits 98.0, so there's still some hope!

I read that you can implant as late as 12DPO so I could still be a couple days away from a BFP. At the moment I don't have any AF cramps, but I'm a little moody today and my stomach's still a little queasy. Most of my other symptoms from the past week are gone.

We'll see what happens!

In regards to the engagement thing.... I don't think there's a "best" time. You just propose when it feels right, or when it has meaning to you and your SO. Good luck!






cupcakestoy said:


> Irym-sorry to see that drop today, hope AF doesn't come tho!

Me too! I'm hoping it spikes back up tomorrow. It's entirely possible that I implanted late and won't see a BFP for a few days. Last time I kept getting BFPs until I was 3 days late! I'll be taking a FRER tomorrow morning before my GYN appointment just in case... I hope there are two lines and a healthy temp spike!


----------



## Ursaula

Cupcake: Thanks! I don't believe I'm ovulating at all as I haven't had an actual period in about 5 years. I'm a little nervous to start it but I feel so ready.

IRYM: FX'd for you!! It sounds very promising but only temps and testing will tell, can't wait to see what tomorrow brings! Thanks for the input about the engagement piece. I'm getting butterflies just thinking about it.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Well, even after buckling down for the last 4 days & busting my A*# splitting & hauling wood with dh & son, the scale is stuck today! I was excited to weigh, since I had weighed yesterday evening & had been down 2 pounds. Since it was later in the day I figured it would be a good loss week....:/ Guess this just proves AF will be here right on schedule, which I fully expect since I was not properly exposed! (yes I'm still ticked about that!) SO over this cycle & for once I welcome AF!!!!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Ursaula -- Wow, no period in 5 years? I'd be nervous too! A gal could get used to not seeing AF show her ugly face every month. lol


My temp spiked back up today! :brat:

Ugh. I don't know what to think. BFN on a FRER this morning... I might ask my GYN whether she feels like we should proceed with the biopsy, or I should go have blood drawn. >.>

Usually my temps are on their way down to 98.0 by 2 days before AF, and AF is due either tonight or tomorrow. I'm going nuts trying to figure this out! Man.


----------



## cupcakestoy

I had a + frer with an hcg of 16, so I would think you should see something by now, unless you just implanted....goodluck & kup


----------



## swimmyj1

Ursaula - welcome back. I'm so sorry about your pug. mine is 12 this year idk if i could ever not have a pug now. they are such great dogs. As for your proposal I agree never a "perfect" time to do it. My DH was so nervous he asked my dads permission then asked me less than 2 hours later in a bowling ally hahaha he later admitted that he planned a big romantic proposal when we were going on vacation the following month but was too worried my dad would change his mind hahahaha. Congrats!

cupcakestoy - i'm sorry af is on her way :( i really hope she stays away!

ireadyermind - what did your doc say? I got a +wondfo when i was like 20 on blood 

AFM - no results yet, sonohystogram i got moved to wednesday. even on clomid this cycle and having the prefect work schedule to bd on time i just don't feel hopeful this cycle, I just want my labs back so i hopefully have some answers.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Thanks Swimmy, but I'm 99% sure I'm out, since we only bd 4 days before O & the day after since dh wasn't cooperative this time around?! He actually told me that I need to tell him if its time to bd??? I was like REALLY???? I DID!!!!! Guess I'll just start saying, "hey I got a +OPK today, you have to put out tonight..." How romantic lol We did that route for the 1st year or so after my TR, bout destroyed us....Men just don't get it, if we want to bd, whenever, just do it & don't ask questions lol


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> I had a + frer with an hcg of 16, so I would think you should see something by now, unless you just implanted....goodluck & kup

Thanks!

I'm wondering if I just implanted late. Today is 15DPO. AF is due today and so far I don't have any signs that she's on the way. My temp is still WAY above coverline, and in every cycle I've temped so far, the day before AF, my temp drops to almost exactly 98.0. Today it was 98.61!




swimmyj1 said:


> ireadyermind - what did your doc say? I got a +wondfo when i was like 20 on blood
> 
> AFM - no results yet, sonohystogram i got moved to wednesday. even on clomid this cycle and having the prefect work schedule to bd on time i just don't feel hopeful this cycle, I just want my labs back so i hopefully have some answers.


GYN said they'd only do a pee test. I read that the HPTs that doctors use tests for 100miu sometimes, so I was like... fine, but it's gonna be negative if my FRER was!

Thankfully they only took one biopsy from my cervix this time instead of the usual 3. Faster recovery time, less pain... that's a win all around. Haha

But my GYN also said that since DH and I have been TTC for a year now and have only had the one MC, that she's referring us to a specialist. :/ I'm on the fence with how I feel about that one. On one hand, I'm excited to get the ball rolling. Maybe a sticky BFP is right around the corner? There's no history of infertility in my family.. maybe there's something small they can fix!

On the other hand, this stuff's not covered by our insurance, and it's not cheap! It might turn out I need surgery or IVF or who knows what, and that's a big stress factor. :(


Today.... Temps still well above coverline. BBs only a little sore. My back's sore, but it's that way almost every day 'cause I have scoliosis and that causes problems. No spotting this morning, not even from yesterday's biopsy. No cramping, either. If AF doesn't show tonight, I'm testing again in the morning!


----------



## Ursaula

Cupcake: I was told the best time to weigh in was in the morning as soon as you wake up as your body fluctuates in weight a lot during the day. Maybe it was like that or the hard work will pay off in a few days? I'm glad your hubby is getting so into doing it at the right time, makes me laugh!

IRYM: Not having af in 5 years has its pros but when I wasn't wanting to end up pregnant it was very scary sometimes because I didn't have that monthly update that I wasn't. Now though I'm going crazy because all I want to see is af and to know I'm ovulating so I know when to check and everything. I never really felt like I fit in on this site or any pregnancy site because I wasn't even regulating at all. I feel happy now though!

I've also been stalking your chart like crazy! I'm so eager to see what comes of it, fx'd and prayers it's a BFP!

Swimmy: Thank you. It was more of a family pug dog (with my parents) but I grew up with him too. My parents have just sent a deposit in for a pug puppy, they pick him up on November 14, I'm so excited for them! I laughed in regards to your hubby, how cute! I have a plan in mind but I feel I need to know what goes on in the next few years before doing it...I don't know, I might just burst it out at the mall or something.

I hope they find something that's an easy fix for you. Fx'd they get to the bottom of this!


AFM: I saw my doctor yesterday and he's wanting some more information from a previous GYN of mine before doing bloodwork and getting me on Metformin. I'm hoping by the time I see him next month everything will be sorted out.

I also didn't get a chance to update my weight! I weighed in at 381, 6lbs heavier than I was hoping...I'm thinking of seeing a dietitian to get help again with meal plans. I've brought it up to my doctor as well.


----------



## cupcakestoy

That was 1st thing in the morning ugh Oh well, I can see a difference in my clothes & my muscles are for sure growing, so I'll just stick with it & see how next week is! Feeling very Pms-y & craving chocolate :/ Must resist the urges lol
Glad you got a plan start Urs! I'm sure once you set your mind to it, the pounds will drop off!

IRYM- Still holding out hope for you!

Hi Swimmy! Anything new?


----------



## ireadyermind

Ursaula said:


> IRYM: Not having af in 5 years has its pros but when I wasn't wanting to end up pregnant it was very scary sometimes because I didn't have that monthly update that I wasn't. Now though I'm going crazy because all I want to see is af and to know I'm ovulating so I know when to check and everything. I never really felt like I fit in on this site or any pregnancy site because I wasn't even regulating at all. I feel happy now though!
> 
> I've also been stalking your chart like crazy! I'm so eager to see what comes of it, fx'd and prayers it's a BFP!




cupcakestoy said:


> IRYM- Still holding out hope for you!

Thanks gals!

I'm going nuts with the waiting though. I did the "Q-tip test" where you swab around inside your lady bits with a clean q-tip and check it for blood? Came back clear. All I had was the weird paste they use post-pap test to help prevent infection. No blood. I am dying to check my cervix, but I don't want to irritate it so soon after that biopsy.

I _just_ put a pot of coffee on because I was expecting company -- now let me point out: I'm a coffee addict. I *love* coffee. Coffee ice cream, espresso, Starbucks, coffee at home, etc. etc. BUT... Just now, the scent of coffee brewing had me so so so sick! Like seriously, if it wasn't for the fact that I hadn't had lunch yet, I'd have been puking. I can't make that up, right? My favorite beverage suddenly makes my stomach turn? What on *earth* is going on with me?

If this is not due to a pregnancy, I will have to b*tch slap my uterus. Haha. I've never had this kind of nausea as a PMS symptom in all my years dealing with PMS.


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> That was 1st thing in the morning ugh Oh well, I can see a difference in my clothes & my muscles are for sure growing, so I'll just stick with it & see how next week is! Feeling very Pms-y & craving chocolate :/ Must resist the urges lol
> Glad you got a plan start Urs! I'm sure once you set your mind to it, the pounds will drop off!

In the days immediately after a muscle workout, your body retains water so that it can help repair and strengthen your muscles. That's why the scale doesn't go down right away even when you work your butt off.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Guess that & impending Af would explain it then! I even "felt" like I had lost over the weekend.....today....well not so much :( Bloated & miserable ugh


----------



## ireadyermind

!!! Guys!

After nearly puking over the smell of brewing coffee I *had* to test... But I was too impatient and couldn't hold my urine for 4 hours and used up my last FRER in the middle of the day! Not to mention I usually drink several liters of water a day and my urine's pretty dilute...

Is this a line, or is it an evap!? Yesterday's test (the top one) doesn't have an evap... are FRERs bad for evaps?

Give it to me straight, what do you think? BFP or evap?
 



Attached Files:







October2015.jpg
File size: 21.4 KB
Views: 5









October2015_invert.jpg
File size: 21.4 KB
Views: 3


----------



## deafgal01

I must have bad eyes because I can't even see the second line in the pictures. I'm sorry? Try in the morning when your urine is more stronger and not as diluted with a proper pregnancy test.


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: I SEE IT!! Did you take the photo during the time window? I believe I see colour! Ahh I'm so excited now for you. Fx'd!!

Cupcake: Thanks for the encouragement! I have a lot of weight to lose so I'm hoping to see big numbers at the start.

AFM: I know it's kind of silly for me to test as I don't think I'm even ovulating, but I like POAS and they're cheapies...so I tested. Stark white, not even a fun line like IRYM!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Well I see a line, but not sure if its an evap. It looks a little thin & greyish to me. Is it pink IRL? Does it look the same before you took it apart? I'm on the fence with this one! Excited, but just not convinced....poas in the morning!


----------



## ireadyermind

Same! I think I see pink but that could be wishful thinking. Lol. I'm on the fence... and need to go buy more FRERs. I might wait to see if AF shows tomorrow before I POAS though. I have some FR rapid results, but those aren't as sensitive


----------



## cupcakestoy

Any updates????

CD 1 for me...finally! TWW is SO much longer when you no there is no hope of conception lol


----------



## ireadyermind

Nope, still waiting on AF. 16 dpo today, and no sin of her! No cramps, no spotting.... I'm waiting for some cheapie HPTs to arrive by mail. 

My last BFP didn't show until I was 3 days late. We'll see!


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

Sorry I haven't been on in a while, I have been reading along on my phone but can't post from there. Been so busy I've hardly had time to breathe! And then in the middle of it all I got VERY sick with a weird stomach flu virus and spent about 3 days flat on my back in and out of delirium. SO, SO many people in my neighborhood got sick& many had to go to hospital. I'm thinking it's due to this heat wave we've had and maybe our water supply or food somewhere got infected with an opportunistic pathogen? Most quality control standards in South Africa have been non-existent these past few years especially the municipal services, well for that matter hospitals, food industry, schools, you name it. Everywhere you go, South Africa has for the most part turned into a totally crappy third world country, except of course if you have lots of money you get to experience the shiny side of the country...

IRYM - I can totally see the line on the second test and keeping everything crossed! I wish your time zone wasn't so far behind mine because now I have to keep waiting and waiting to read your updates lol.

Swimmy - I see you're back on clomid hun - well that might TOTALLY explain the weight issues. Clomid made me pick up so much weight. The first month I took it, I went on a 3 week cleansing diet where I basically only ate veg and small amounts of protein... after those 3 weeks I couldn't fit into my jeans which was 100% due to the hormones!!! So be kind to yourself, fertility meds & hormones totally mess with water retention, bloating, fat storage, etc etc etc. You just keep being your healthy self and hopefully it will all be worth it. Hugs!!

Cupcake - uh, lol husband, we can't get pregnant by ourselves! GL to you also hun and I hope your next cycle is better :).

Something is reeeeeaaaalllllyyyy bothering me. My husband seems to have lost all interest in me sexually since we have stopped ttc. Well things in the bedroom have been strained BECAUSE OF having to stick to a bd schedule but now we're not doing it AT ALL anymore despite me trying to seduce him. WTH? I don't really care if I never have sex again but I know it's a big deal for men (used to be a HUGE deal for DH!) so if he doesn't want to do it anymore I don't know what's up? Any advice? :(


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey fern! My dh tends to keep to himself when something's bothering him. I usually give him space for a couple of days, then just flat out ask him what's going on. I would put him in the spot & ask why he isn't interested & let him know how it makes you feel....hugs that its nothing serious going on!


----------



## cupcakestoy

IRYM-Just wanted to say........POAS!!!!!! YOu are KILLING me here lol


----------



## ireadyermind

I only just woke up an hour ago, gals! lol. And for the record, I *did* POAS on 14DPO and got BFN.

Anyway, AF got me this morning, two days late! :growlmad: It was so odd. I didn't have a single cramp, no feeling of wetness, no sore BBs or mood swings or anything. I woke up thinking, "Well, this is gonna be another day of wondering!" but when I went to the bathroom -- nope, there she was.

Now, an hour later, the cramps have really set in. Why must every cycle be so wildly different with me? Arg!

I guess it's on to the next cycle and getting started with the fertility specialists. I hope DH and I can get a BFP before we get too far into the tests and whatnot. I can dream, can't I? lol




Fern81 said:


> Hi ladies
> 
> Sorry I haven't been on in a while, I have been reading along on my phone but can't post from there. Been so busy I've hardly had time to breathe! And then in the middle of it all I got VERY sick with a weird stomach flu virus and spent about 3 days flat on my back in and out of delirium. SO, SO many people in my neighborhood got sick& many had to go to hospital. I'm thinking it's due to this heat wave we've had and maybe our water supply or food somewhere got infected with an opportunistic pathogen? Most quality control standards in South Africa have been non-existent these past few years especially the municipal services, well for that matter hospitals, food industry, schools, you name it. Everywhere you go, South Africa has for the most part turned into a totally crappy third world country, except of course if you have lots of money you get to experience the shiny side of the country...
> 
> IRYM - I can totally see the line on the second test and keeping everything crossed! I wish your time zone wasn't so far behind mine because now I have to keep waiting and waiting to read your updates lol.
> 
> Swimmy - I see you're back on clomid hun - well that might TOTALLY explain the weight issues. Clomid made me pick up so much weight. The first month I took it, I went on a 3 week cleansing diet where I basically only ate veg and small amounts of protein... after those 3 weeks I couldn't fit into my jeans which was 100% due to the hormones!!! So be kind to yourself, fertility meds & hormones totally mess with water retention, bloating, fat storage, etc etc etc. You just keep being your healthy self and hopefully it will all be worth it. Hugs!!
> 
> Cupcake - uh, lol husband, we can't get pregnant by ourselves! GL to you also hun and I hope your next cycle is better :).
> 
> Something is reeeeeaaaalllllyyyy bothering me. My husband seems to have lost all interest in me sexually since we have stopped ttc. Well things in the bedroom have been strained BECAUSE OF having to stick to a bd schedule but now we're not doing it AT ALL anymore despite me trying to seduce him. WTH? I don't really care if I never have sex again but I know it's a big deal for men (used to be a HUGE deal for DH!) so if he doesn't want to do it anymore I don't know what's up? Any advice? :(

Wow, so sorry to hear you were sick! That sounds really bad. I'm glad you're better and didn't end up in the hospital though. Yeesh!

In regards to your husband... best thing to do is just ask. Men aren't all that great with subtle cues, and even if you dropped him a few hints to try to get him to open up and talk about it, he might miss them entirely. At least, that's my experience with men in general. Haha. 

He could be preoccupied over something else altogether. I know that this month, my husband and I missed several days of BD because he was so stressed out for work he couldn't get his mind into it, and couldn't "perform" as usual because of it. He spent a week of nights going to bed almost immediately after dinner and sleeping like a log the whole night, poor guy.


----------



## cupcakestoy

:( sorry girl


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> :( sorry girl

Thanks. That was a weird cycle, for sure. I'm not too down about it. At that point I was really just like, "I need to know one way or the other!" lol

I told DH that he's not allowed to slack with BD this month. lol. Our timing wasn't the greatest this month because he was super stressed from work and whatnot. 

I think I'll have a little bit of liquor with dinner tonight, since I've been going without for the past 3+ weeks just in case I actually was pregnant. Besides, all the friggen nausea (which vanished as soon as AF started, btw) wasn't really making me want to drink or eat anything in the first place..! lol


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - boo I totally saw a line. I just started my journey with the fertility clinic and it is intimidatingly expensive, but my insurance does help some.

My sonohystogram came back perfect, and my labs are fine ugh. Except for the progesterone of course. Next ultrasound is in a few days to check how many eggs are gonna drop. I'm now really nervous for the genetic tests (we still haven't gotten those back). I'm trying to hold onto hope that we are gonna get a healthy pregnancy within a year. Idk just feeling really down today.

Good to know that clomid can make you bloated and gain some weight. I'm sure all the Halloween candy doesn't help lol.


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> IRYM - boo I totally saw a line. I just started my journey with the fertility clinic and it is intimidatingly expensive, but my insurance does help some.
> 
> My sonohystogram came back perfect, and my labs are fine ugh. Except for the progesterone of course. Next ultrasound is in a few days to check how many eggs are gonna drop. I'm now really nervous for the genetic tests (we still haven't gotten those back). I'm trying to hold onto hope that we are gonna get a healthy pregnancy within a year. Idk just feeling really down today.
> 
> Good to know that clomid can make you bloated and gain some weight. I'm sure all the Halloween candy doesn't help lol.

The insurance we have doesn't cover ANY infertility treatment, unfortunately. So it all comes down to what DH and I are willing to pay out of pocket. The initial office visit alone costs the same as the sonohistogram, which I find rather ridiculous! But we'll keep TTCing naturally while along the way. We know I *can* get pregnant, it just takes a long time and nothing sticks! 

I'm hoping it's something simple like low hormone levels. Since my cervical surgery last year, AF went from 5 days of moderate/average flow to 2 or 3 days of scanty flow, almost what you could just count as spotting. So there's _something_ going on, and if it's as simple as a low estrogen level, then I'm hoping it's an easy fix!

FX'd for you gals! I hope we all get sorted out and our BFPs by Christmas!


----------



## ireadyermind

Firstly, for those that celebrate it: 

*HAPPY HALLOWEEN!*

Secondly: So I spoke with my doctor about how I'm having problems losing weight. I got the "There's no magic pill to make it all come off" lecture, and then she told me I should attend one of their health classes and see if I can learn something there that will work.

Soooo I am signed up to attend one in mid-November. It's basically a class for people who have zero idea what they're doing, so I know I'm going to be bored to death -- BUT -- if I can speak to one of the attending nutritionalists or whomever else is there, show them my food diaries and exercise logs, and say "I'm already doing all that, now what?" maybe we can move on to looking at hormonal imbalances.

Since I _still_ suffer from daily facial and body acne and have since puberty, I know there's something wrong. We just haven't been able to pinpoint it yet. I'm thinking this might be my foot in the door to having some weight management stuff covered by my insurance. If you can prove that your weight is caused by other health problems and not by laziness or overeating, they're more likely to cover all or part of the fees. FX'd!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

Just popping in. I've been so busy I've been away from boards, not even really up to date with what is going on here, but I will do my best to catch up  I saw briefly that there were some hopefuls that ended in AF -- :hugs: to ireadyermind and the rest of you. :nope:

AFM: My weight is stuck around the 46-47kg down mark. Which is a lot of weight lost, but unfortunately I need to lose at least 6 more kg to qualify for fertility treatments. :-( My gyno (who is currently managing my PCOS) is convinced we need to treat my thyroid, but my GP is convinced that since it's sub-clinical hypothyroidism, we shouldn't change it because the numbers are on the borderline of being OK. I last saw my gyno a couple of weeks ago, and she sent me for more blood draws (as she's analyzing whether she thinks metformin will help me), where she re-tested my thyroid again, and I was told "If anything's crazy out of balance, you'll hear from me, otherwise we'll go over you results in your follow-up 7 weeks from now." Two days later, I got a message about needing to see my GP about my thyroid again, so maybe the numbers are off enough that my GP will agree it's worth treating? Let's hope so. I see the GP on Tuesday. Otherwise, I'm actually back at home for like 3 weeks straight, so I am going to work super hard on making the scale move (I travel so much this year, it's been hard to keep up with the weight loss). I just returned from a trip to Dublin where I had a few vacation days with DH, so my weight is slightly up, but I'm back on top of it. Getting frustrated (been TTC since July of 2014 and been working on weight loss since September of 2014), but happy that my gyno has decided I've lost enough weight on my own that we need to consider metformin. I have a couple of snowboarding trips planned in December and January as well, which will keep me distracted. We splurged a bit budget-wise to fit all the holidays in, but since this is (hopefully) our last few months to take some vacations with just the two of us, I don't have regrets. Regarding :witch:, well, no sign of her since May :nope:, so I'm on a round of progesterone now to bring on a bleed.

That's about it for now; will write more once I've caught up a bit more. :hugs: to you all!


----------



## swimmyj1

Mrs. Tigger - so good to hear from you and way to go on the AMAZING weight loss!!! Snowboarding sounds like lots of fun. My husband use to be a pro when he was younger and still loves going (scares the heck out of me lol) 
Hope you get some results soon and that it won't be long till your bfp!!


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

Just checking in. I've tried to chat to DH about our issues but he is not really listening or taking me seriously. Idk what is going on; stress over the year-end rush and/or our dire financial situation... urgh I just hope we have a restful holiday and that we can grow a bit closer again.

MrsTigger - your weight loss is so inspiring. Let's hope they start thyroid treatment. It really made a HUGE difference for me when my hypothyroidism got under control - even a small change makes a difference in energy levels, concentration, mood etc. And it should help you lose those last few kgs. :)

IRYM - all the best with your weight loss class. I really hope a medical professional starts taking you seriously! So many hugs.

Swimmy - GL with the genetic tests, keep us updated when you get those back. And when you've had your sonogram!

What's news cupcakestoy?

I've got some news.... I'm doing one last round of clomid next cycle :blush:. AF should start in 4/5 days. I'm going to go all out with 100mg clomid and black cohosh (that I have in my medicine cupboard!) next cycle. The reason is that I have to change my medical insurance plan in order to get the laparoscopy before IVF next year. The new insurance plan costs A LOT more than my current one. We have to confirm my insurance change on December 10 so that gives me one more cycle that I can theoretically try to get pregnant before committing to all the IVF expenses. (Even though my dr recommended that I stay on BCP!)

DH and I am telling NO ONE irl that we will be trying next cycle, especially not my dr. It will probably not work in any case but then at least I will feel like I did everything I could before committing to IVF. So only my thread friends know! It's going to be a looooonnnnngggg cycle!

By the way such a funny thing happened on Sunday. I was stalking a bunch of ttc threads like I always do!! And wondered aloud why I'm always checking to see if other ladies got pregnant even though I don't know who they are irl and even though I don't post on their threads. (Superstalker :winkwink:). DH glanced over at the screen with the list of all the threads on the "ttc groups and discussions" forum, saw this thread name "Getting fit before baby" on the list and said: "Ooohhh why don't you join that one???" Haahahahaaa! Such a great idea, husband. The reason why it's funny is that I'VE ALREADY TOLD HIM THAT I'M A MEMBER. :dohh::dohh:

Something that I've wondered about, just for fun. How did you ladies come up with your usernames? I chose mine because I have a degree in Botany; a fern was one of the first plants I ever studied & found it really beautiful, resilient & interesting. :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey Fern! Not alot going on here, Just managed to get a nasty cold & sinus infection so I'm the mucous queen:sick: I'm on my last day of Soy Isoflavones this cycle, bound & determined to be exposed thhis time around lol I, too, feel like I NEED to do something before paying out all that money in the spring! :thumbup: 
I chose my user name, because dh's highschool nickname was cupcake & when he's frisky he "wants to play", thus toy lmbo. silly I know, but I like it :)

On the weight loss front, had a good week; 4 # gone! Officially at my "wedding day" weight!!!!:happydance::happydance::happydance::happydance:
I'll have everything crossed for you & lift you up in my prayers Fern, that this IS going to be YOUR TIME!!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Good to hear from you Tigger and Fern! :)

We just got our questionnaire in the mail from the infertility clinic yesterday. Spent a little while filling it out, then handed it over to DH to do HIS section, and he sits there and reads every question aloud to me, laughs at it, and then fills it out. It would be like, 

DH: " 'What ethnicity are you?' HAHAHA! Why are they even ASKING me that!? It doesn't matter!" 
Me: "Yes it does. There are genetic issues that certain groups are predisposed to and they can test for them." 
DH: "Oh." Then he'd move to the next question. 
DH: "HAHA! Have I had a hernia surgery? Uh, no!" And he'd check "NO" on the form, while chuckling. And of course any mention of "Penis" got a laugh too. :dohh: Sometimes I think men are really just overgrown children.

I finally had to say, "You know, you really don't need to read me every single thing they're asking you unless you're confused about something. I read through the form already." He took the hint and filled out the form in silence after that. lol

So now that the form's filled out, it's just a matter of seeing what days DH has available to come with me for the preliminary appointment. I'm both nervous and excited! Nervous because I'm afraid they'll find something seriously wrong, but excited because I feel like there's a possibility that there will be an "easy" fix and we'll be pregnant in no time. It's an odd mix of emotions! Haha



As for my username -- iReadYerMind is a user name I chose back in high school. I'm usually pretty good at reading people, and people were constantly telling me "I was JUST going to say that! What are you, psychic!?" So as a joke, I created the iReadYerMind username for chats and forums, and it's been my default username on social sites ever since. Just something I know won't already be taken, is easy to remember, and has an email account to match. :)


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

Just checking in again. Apparently my TSH is risen a bit but is still in "upper normal" (up to 3.7 now). But my antibodies were 97 (supposed to be less than 60). Due to the fact that I am trying for pregnancy and am struggling with losing weight, I'm on thyroid medication now and will have my levels re-tested in January.

@ireadyermind - So exciting to move on to fertility clinic! I can't wait until it's my turn :-D I hope it goes well for you and they find a nice quick fix.

@swimmy - Thanks! :hugs:

@cupcakestoy - Such a great job on the loss. It must be amazing to be down to you wedding weight again. :thumbup:

@fern - Good luck with the clomid, I hope this month is your lucky month :hugs:

My name is simple -- 'Tigger' is DH's pet name for me. I have a pet name for him as well that also starts with T :winkwink: And sometimes we become "Mr. & Mrs. T" as a joke (our last name doesn't start with T). And, I dunno, Mrs. Tigger seemed cute and memorable.


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> On the weight loss front, had a good week; 4 # gone! Officially at my "wedding day" weight!!!!:happydance::happydance::happydance::happydance:
> I'll have everything crossed for you & lift you up in my prayers Fern, that this IS going to be YOUR TIME!!!!

Wow, you're doing so well! I'm soooo jealous! Haha. I have to lose about the same amount of weight as you and right now, the scale just keeps going UP!

I am trying to be really really strict with myself in terms of diet and working out so that when we go in to speak to the specialist, I can confirm that I'm trying hard to lose weight, you know?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Mrs. T sorry you had to start on meds, but glad that your Dr. Is keeping a close eye on things! I'm happy to be at wedding weight, but would love to get back to my weight at time of reversal :/ ....that's still 40 pounds away, but I'll get there!


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: Boo! I really thought it was a BFP. I'm glad you're looking at the positive side of things though :)

Cupcake: 4lbs! Way to go!! I have no doubt that you'll make the 40lbs or a weight you feel comfortable at.

Fern: I had two imaginary friends in elementary school, Chip and Ursaula. Ursula, but I didn't know how to spell it at the time, so it came out as Ursaula on all of my drawings. I've used the name since I was 10 when I started on a kid-friendly forum. I use it for everything now. Also, fx'd for you this month! I hope good comes of it.

Tigger: How does progesterone work for you? (Or anyone else who has tried it...) I'm a little confused about it...

Swimmy: How are you doing? Any medical updates?

AFM: I've been struggling with depression a lot lately and just getting out of bed seems to be a chore but I thought I better at least send some sort of an update. Weight wise...when I get feeling blue I eat a lot (emotional eating) so let's just say Halloween and feeling down didn't go well together. I decided to take my measurements for a start since the number isn't always the most important thing.


----------



## swimmyj1

Cupcake - congrats!!! I'm so proud of you! I have fallen off the wagon and have been eating like crap :( and my scale broke so i haven't even looked at my damage yet lol. 
Mrs t - hopefully with the beds you get the bfp soon!! 
IRYM - hang in there! Have you done measurements too? Muscle weighs more if you've been working out more. I laughed so hard when filling out the paper work for our fertility specalist. Some of the questions they asked for the mandatory therapist meeting had me turning bright red. # of times we have sex in a week, do we feel anything comes between us sexually, are our needs met sexually with each other. I wrote on every line will discuss questions in interview hahaha. My husband was bright red when on his form it asked how often he masterbates hahahaha. 

AFM - still no news on the genetic testing and it has been driving me crazy!! Went for my folicle scan, only have one mature folicle ugh so next cycle we are upping my dose if no bfp. But at least my lining is nice and thick.


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> Cupcake - congrats!!! I'm so proud of you! I have fallen off the wagon and have been eating like crap :( and my scale broke so i haven't even looked at my damage yet lol.
> Mrs t - hopefully with the beds you get the bfp soon!!
> IRYM - hang in there! Have you done measurements too? Muscle weighs more if you've been working out more. I laughed so hard when filling out the paper work for our fertility specalist. Some of the questions they asked for the mandatory therapist meeting had me turning bright red. # of times we have sex in a week, do we feel anything comes between us sexually, are our needs met sexually with each other. I wrote on every line will discuss questions in interview hahaha. My husband was bright red when on his form it asked how often he masterbates hahahaha.
> 
> AFM - still no news on the genetic testing and it has been driving me crazy!! Went for my folicle scan, only have one mature folicle ugh so next cycle we are upping my dose if no bfp. But at least my lining is nice and thick.

I've actually had to go UP in clothes size, so my measurements aren't going down either. But I'm proud of myself for buckling down and really working out yesterday! I did the full 30mins I intended to do, even after my workout was interrupted by a phone call from the fertility clinic. My calves are aching today because of it, but it's the good kind of ache. I hope to keep that up. 

When I talked to my doc about it, she said that if I was "only" relying on exercise to lose weight, I had to do at least 5 days a week. Well, I told her I was eating at a calorie deficit AND exercising, not just one or the other, and she says, "Well, excercising 3x a week is only for weight maintenance." I asked, "Even if it's 1 hour or longer on each of the 3 days?" I was doing at-home spinning classes and they were intense enough that I was positively _pouring_ sweat by the end of them, and she just shrugged and said, "Maybe the health class we'll send you to can tell you how to adjust things so you will lose weight."

And you know -- I had my cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels checked, and they're all in VERY healthy ranges! Which proves that I eat right and take care of myself, so that says to ME that there's something else at work here.

If I wasn't doing all this, my cholesterol and blood pressure would be sky high! Right? Ugh. I really hope that talking to a nutritionalist will help me get the assistance I need.



As for the questionnaire -- a lot of those questions were ones I expected them to ask. The # of times you BD a week, for example -- if you never have sex, how do you expect to conceive? Lol. I bet there are some people who are like, "Oh, you know, we have sex like twice a month!" haha

But my husband was laughing at even the most routine of questions. Like it was asking for family medical history, such as if there was a history of any mental disorders, or bone growth issues, etc. and he was like, "HAAAAA!" Really, I'm not sure what he found to be so humorous! Haha


----------



## cupcakestoy

ireadyermind said:


> cupcakestoy said:
> 
> 
> On the weight loss front, had a good week; 4 # gone! Officially at my "wedding day" weight!!!!:happydance::happydance::happydance::happydance:
> I'll have everything crossed for you & lift you up in my prayers Fern, that this IS going to be YOUR TIME!!!!
> 
> Wow, you're doing so well! I'm soooo jealous! Haha. I have to lose about the same amount of weight as you and right now, the scale just keeps going UP!
> 
> I am trying to be really really strict with myself in terms of diet and working out so that when we go in to speak to the specialist, I can confirm that I'm trying hard to lose weight, you know?Click to expand...




Ursaula said:


> IRYM: Boo! I really thought it was a BFP. I'm glad you're looking at the positive side of things though :)
> 
> Cupcake: 4lbs! Way to go!! I have no doubt that you'll make the 40lbs or a weight you feel comfortable at.
> 
> Fern: I had two imaginary friends in elementary school, Chip and Ursaula. Ursula, but I didn't know how to spell it at the time, so it came out as Ursaula on all of my drawings. I've used the name since I was 10 when I started on a kid-friendly forum. I use it for everything now. Also, fx'd for you this month! I hope good comes of it.
> 
> Tigger: How does progesterone work for you? (Or anyone else who has tried it...) I'm a little confused about it...
> 
> Swimmy: How are you doing? Any medical updates?
> 
> AFM: I've been struggling with depression a lot lately and just getting out of bed seems to be a chore but I thought I better at least send some sort of an update. Weight wise...when I get feeling blue I eat a lot (emotional eating) so let's just say Halloween and feeling down didn't go well together. I decided to take my measurements for a start since the number isn't always the most important thing.

Thanks! It's not a matter of where I "feel" comfortable, I have to get my BMI down before I can do IVF :/ Sorry you've been struggling with depression. I am in the same boat & actually am doing better since starting on Wellbutrin. I am an emotional eater as well :(



swimmyj1 said:


> Cupcake - congrats!!! I'm so proud of you! I have fallen off the wagon and have been eating like crap :( and my scale broke so i haven't even looked at my damage yet lol.
> Mrs t - hopefully with the beds you get the bfp soon!!
> IRYM - hang in there! Have you done measurements too? Muscle weighs more if you've been working out more. I laughed so hard when filling out the paper work for our fertility specalist. Some of the questions they asked for the mandatory therapist meeting had me turning bright red. # of times we have sex in a week, do we feel anything comes between us sexually, are our needs met sexually with each other. I wrote on every line will discuss questions in interview hahaha. My husband was bright red when on his form it asked how often he masterbates hahahaha.
> 
> AFM - still no news on the genetic testing and it has been driving me crazy!! Went for my folicle scan, only have one mature folicle ugh so next cycle we are upping my dose if no bfp. But at least my lining is nice and thick.

Good luck with your Follie! I only had 1 with my 1st IUI that I got a bfp with. It only takes 1 good one! :)
I have days of eating crap as well, I think its ok as long as you pick your self up & start over.....

IRYM-It's so hard when Dr.'s don't HEAR what you are saying! Hope you get some answers soon!


----------



## swimmyj1

oohhh I think im gonna ovulate this tomorrow or the next day so fingers crossed. Your right cupcake I shouldn't be so negative it only takes one egg


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

I just *loved* hearing about your usernames, thanks for sharing!!!! 

Ursaula, I read back a bit and saw you had lost your family dog. Aaawww hun I'm so sorry. Losing a beloved pet is much like losing a family member. Lots of hugs xxxxx. I understand suffering with depression. I've suffered with it all my life, it basically wrecked my life for YEARS, lost my first husband to it, and even tried to commit suicide a number of times... that's in the past now but I still have to work really hard at keeping my head straight. I can't use antidepressants at all (get really bad side effects) so I have had to find other ways to cope & carry on. Feel free to PM me at any time and we are always here if you need to talk. xx

IRYM - lol husbands are weird sometimes!! I really hope you get some answers regarding your weight soon. It's ridiculous that drs seem to think that weight issues always stem from being an overeater and being lazy, clearly NOT in your case!!!! Your doctor seems so dismissive, urgh hun you deserve much better.

Cupcake - well you are on track with your weight loss; slow and steady keeps it OFF. GL with your cycle too this month, which CD are you?

Swimmy - well yay for one follie at least!! FX it's the "perfect" one!

MrsTigger - yay for being on thyroid meds! I hope it makes a huge difference for your health xx

Thanks for your support ladies. I've loved the weight loss effects of being back on bcp... I've lost a kg this week without trying (even had ice cream every day!) and my tummy is so flat I could wear a tight top yesterday that I haven't worn in 2 years. I know taking clomid will make me blow up again but hey, it will just be for one month. So in 5 days I'm going to have to reeeeaaallllyyy cut out carbs etc and this just in time for my & DH's birthdays, our anniversary & holidays lol. It will be worth it though to feel like we did ALL we could before IVF.

Hugs, talk again soon!


----------



## cupcakestoy

CD 9 here. Finished up my Soy for this cycle, & getting a repeat pap tomorrow.... Then its bd time ;)


----------



## ireadyermind

Weellllll I just got back from the lab. They took NINE vials of blood... holy smokes! And the techs can never find my veins. I've been repeatedly told that if I would just drink more water, I wouldn't have that problem -- well, I'm sorry, but when I'm supposed to fast for 12 hours and essentially get right up out of bed, get dressed and come in, there's not time for me to drink those whole 2 liters! lol

I chug as much water before I come in as I can stomach, and I have a glass before bed too -- but man, you'd think they want me awake every 2 hours for water. Bah humbug! Haha


Anyway, now we get to see what's going on with my hormones. I'm almost 100% certain there's an issue with estrogen. After reading up on what low estrogen symptoms are, and having just about every single one, well -- I don't want to self diagnose, but we'll know for sure in a few days. Wouldn't it be nice if all I had to do was take some hormonal supplements?


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: I hate when doctors think that no matter how hard you're trying you still aren't doing something right. Being bigger boned (not necessarily overweight) is hereditary too so maybe it's some of that, right? Good luck though and share what you learn! As for bloodwork, I have a very visible vein in my left arm and they always seem to want to use a different one. I'm almost always poked about 2 or 3 times before they go to that vein to get the blood. IVs are awful too for me. With IVs they try putting warm towels on you to get your blood circulating more, maybe try that before going to bloodwork?

Cupcake: I see now about the BMI, I wasn't aware of that. I haven't heard of Wellbutrin, is it an antidepressant? The one and only thing I've had second thoughts on pregnancy is not being able to be on antidepressants at the same time. I want it to be as natural as I can possibly have it, but I do realize if it isn't going to affect the baby and it keeps me alive I should take them. How do you deal with emotional eating? Also, I appreciate you sharing.

Swimmy: Did you ovulate? :)

Fern: I appreciate the hugs :) I've tried a lot of different antidepressants, a lot of them I had side effects like severe migraines, and even increased suicidal thoughts. I've been diagnosed with depression since I was 10 and just had some fancy new diagnosis added last year when I was admitted into a psychiatric centre. Not a day goes by when it isn't a struggle but my s/o and I actually met in a self help group for it and are each others supports when we fall. Thank you so much for sharing.

AFM: I think I ovulated! Not sure yet as I missed one temperature so ff can't count it yet but I made sure "things" happened so if I did ovulate we'd be covered. I'm on cd151 right now. Also, after my "maybe ovulation" I got a really bad chest cold and ended up in the hospital overnight last night so I don't know if that would change the temperatures? Fx'd I did!!!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hope your feeling better! 
Wellbutrin is an antidepressant, started it after my last M/C, as I just couldn't hold it together anymore. Doing better now, but still have my "days".....As for emotional eating, I TRY to get out of the house & stay busy. Lately I have been working in wood lol Weirdly, I have found that splitting wood is a great outlet for me...not to mention good exercise & its something dh & I can do together ;) Strange, but I like the feeling of strength I get when I crack a piece of red oak in 1 swing.... Yes weird, I know, but I guess I'm not your typical Southern belle lol


----------



## Ursaula

I'm glad you're feeling better on it as I know those "days" can turn into weeks or months of scariness without it. Trying to get out of the house can be such a chore with depression. I'm thinking I'll shovel snow off the deck and sidewalk to get out and do something, thanks for the idea :). Have you tried building things with wood? Do whatever works for you! I can understand how wood is soothing though. My parents heat their house every winter with poplar wood they cut in the summer. They love doing it and the outcome of firewood smells good in the house too.

Just to update, I am feeling better from the hospital stay and the antibiotics. I OVULATED!!!! I'm so ecstatic! But I am also worried the antibiotics will harm what chance there is for fertilizing and implanting. Any suggestions?


----------



## cupcakestoy

LOL I actually am an "amateur carpenter" I have made a bench from pallets, done deck repairs & built nesting boxes for my hens :) I bought a new splitting maul today.....lol It's the simple things....

Went to my Dr. today for the repeat PAP. While I was there I got him to give me refills on my Progesterone & a script for Clomid 100mg in hopes of waking up my right ovary, as that tube is for sure open. He offered me a trigger to use with a + OPK if I wanted, but I declined for now...may change my mind later though. My plan is to do medicated cycles in Dec. Jan. & Feb. Until then I'm hitting my weight loss HARD! Also had him switch me from the Wellbutrin to Lexapro, as it helps too with increasing Seratonin & is just once a day, instead of twice. He seems to have had better success with Lexapro helping with anxiety, as well as a weight loss benefit, better than Wellbutrin....so I'm in! excited to get to bd this weekend as dh & I are having some alone time. DS is gone with his Poppy to deer hunt, DD is working....so........:happydance::sex::happydance: lol


----------



## ireadyermind

Ursaula said:


> IRYM: I hate when doctors think that no matter how hard you're trying you still aren't doing something right. Being bigger boned (not necessarily overweight) is hereditary too so maybe it's some of that, right? Good luck though and share what you learn! As for bloodwork, I have a very visible vein in my left arm and they always seem to want to use a different one. I'm almost always poked about 2 or 3 times before they go to that vein to get the blood. IVs are awful too for me. With IVs they try putting warm towels on you to get your blood circulating more, maybe try that before going to bloodwork?

They've tried heat packs on my arms too. No luck. I really only had one time out of like a dozen when they easily found my vein, and I hadn't done anything different that day than any other! So I'm not really sure drinking more water does anything for me. 



The test results came back today --- but they didn't test my hormones at all! I'm baffled.

They tested my thyroid levels (again! I just had that done in July!), looked for STDs, ran a platelet count -- and I should point out that I've already been tested for many of these things by my GYN either during my MC in June, as part of my normal physical, and/or before my surgery last year. 

As I already knew, I don't have any STDs or STIs. My TSH levels always come back normal, and I don't have high cholesterol, syphillis (yes, they tested for that!), etc. They even checked my blood type AGAIN when all that info is already in my medical file. 

It's actually a little frustrating that they ran so many of these a second time, when clearly those things weren't needed... they could have looked at all the blood tests I had done from June of this year, and they'd have known all kinds of things about me already. :dohh: I mean, I'm paying for all this out of pocket, you know? Ugh.

I hope they don't want me to keep repeating this stuff. Like if they make me go in for another pap smear when I just had one in October. I'll refuse that one!


----------



## cupcakestoy

IRYM-I would be so livid! I mean, surely, even if they didn't take the time to read your chart, they would assume that your GYN had covered the basics.....Wow. I hate to pay co-pays on labs/appts, let alone to pay for repetitive non sense!!!!


----------



## Ursaula

Cupcake: Ooh, how fun! I like building things out of popsicle sticks if that counts, haha. Have fun this weekend ;).

IRYM: That is SO annoying! I'm in Canada and hearing about having to pay every time for tests, let alone tests you've already done, that's so frustrating! I'd bring it up on the next visit.

Forgot to add my update. I've been having a really weird feeling in my lower right area. I'm not sure if this is normal but I'm going to be looking it up. In regards to weight loss I had my s/o home the past couple of days and they brought me so much chocolate. So not looking forward to weighing myself in the next few days.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I'm still here, hanging in there! Weight has finally started moving again, for whatever reason. I don't know what's different now, but I won't complain!

DH was gone last week so I was probably eating a bit less; I need to stay on top of it this week now that he's back. Next weekend I am having a birthday party, so that'll be a 'bad' day, but otherwise it's all going well food-wise.

Thyroid medication going well; no side effects that I've noticed.

*ireadyermind:* That is _so_ annoying! Are you paying for all of the labs out of pocket, or only co-pays? Sheesh I remember those days; the healthcare system is one of the reasons I'm really glad that I moved from the U.S. to Denmark -- especially now that we're facing needing fertility treatments. :hugs: Are you going to ask/demand them to check your hormonal panel?

*cupcakestoy:* It sounds like we're in a similar situation, actually -- needing to lower BMI to some doctor's threshold to get access to fertility treatments. What's your target BMI, if I may ask? I'm supposed to get down to 32 in order to qualify to start treatments (no idea where that number came from). It drives me nuts that there's no consideration for bone structure, etc. Good luck with your medicated cycle :hugs:

* Ursaula:* I don't have any advice :nope: but I wish you :hugs: Willpower around weakness foods is super hard! I had to teach my DH to stop bringing stuff I don't need to be eating into my house!

* Fern81:* I'm surprised that going _on_ bcp helps you lose weight (usually it's the opposite), but that's awesome! At least you know you have it to look forward to as well someday (after you're safely snuggling your new little lovebug :winkwink:). Good luck with the medicated cycle; hopefully it works!


----------



## cupcakestoy

I only need to get mine @ 35 to do ivf, even tho the nurse said usually below 36 is ok. I had to be below 37 to do my reversal, so I know I can do it, going to schedule my RE appt in 36 pounds/1st of April...which is good since clinic is 2 hours away, I don't want to have to worry about snow & ice screwing up a cycle....oh! I picked up my scripts today, got home & found 3 months worth of clomid in the bag! Still have a refill too! Not sure how MD called in script or if pharmacy screwed up, but I'll take a 3 month supply for the cost of 1! This also means I'm starting it next cycle at the end of the month, instead of waiting a cycle! So at least 4 cycles, hoping I don't need them all. At least it will help pass the time til spring tho.....


----------



## Fern81

Hi everyone

Omw IRYM I can't believe they did all that and let you pay for it!!! WTH??? It's like they had no idea what to test for and just went eeny meeny miny mo on the bloodwork form. I personally would contact my dr, complain, refuse to pay for unnecessary or repeat tests, etc. Just to clarify: why exactly were these tests done? To check for general health issues, fertility issues, m/c issues or...? And no hormone tests? Sounds more and more like they mixed up your testing instructions with those of of a different patient! They don't make sense to me. Your healthcare providers are frustrating the heck out of me, just reading your stories!!

Cupcake - maybe your insurance covered some?? Sorry if you've mentioned this before but you have used clomid before right? Maybe it will help you superovulate because you do O on your own too... and you end up with twins :)!! (100mg clomid seems to give me 2 mature follies per cycle so that's why I'm taking it again).

Swimmy - hi hun, any news on the genetic tests?

Ursaula - ooohhh shame that you ended up in hospital! If you don't mind me asking, how did you confirm ovulation? Did you do OPKs or..? Because sickness will unfortunately mess up your temps so they can't reliably predict ovulation :(. Will you be doing 7dpo progesterone tests? Of course I'm very positive that it did really happen for you after so many years! My sister conceived twice using only metformin to control her pcos. xxxx

MrsTigger - Great news! I'm sure your weight loss has started up again due to the thyroid meds hehe IDK but they made such a difference in my life and my metabolism; my hair and nails are growing like mad, those meds helped me shed about 25 kg 5 years ago, helped improve my depression etc. I will always be an advocate for proper T3 and T4 levels :). I can't remember now, are you ntnp atm? The specific bcp that I'm taking has very low levels of hormones, suppresses excess estrogen etc so that the endometrial cells don't overgrow. So I guess that's why it helps me lose weight & bloat too. After this cycle I will be back on bcp permanently until we manage to save up for IVF. I don't even know if that will be next year or the year after. SO expensive and we are struggling financially a bit atm due to the problems of our new house!

Cd3 here, starting clomid tonight! I'm also taking black cohosh and EPO with multivits, b6 and folic acid this cycle. I know it's too late to influence my egg health for this cycle (if indeed I have any egg cells) but hey I can try my best to optimize hormone levels etc right. I honestly don't think I will conceive because we've tried this sooooo many times before without success but we still feel we *have* to. I almost told my sister last night... we had a family function and everyone commented on how thin & healthy I looked (of course it's from being back on bcp) and I said something about how this month I will get fat again from the hormone treatment.... she looked at me funny and I quickly changed the subject. I'm a bit tired of involving my family in this, none of them understand. :shrug:

Ladies - are any of you using/have used/plan on possibly using donor eggs/sperm? I've started thinking more and more of the very real possibility that I have no eggs/crap eggs and then donor eggs might have to be considered. I don't know how I feel about that. At a molecular level it's just human DNA in a healthy package which might enable me to have a baby.... but at the same time I feel very conflicted. If DH had a sperm issue or if I was single, I don't know how I would feel about using donor sperm. For some reason I think I would be happy doing it if I *didn't* have a male partner. Probably because we haven't really considered anything like this before, I can't even think of all the arguments for or against. Would like to hear your opinions. x


----------



## Ursaula

Mrs. Tigger: Thanks for the encouragement :) My only issue with no unhealthy food in the house is when I start feeling depressed I'm the one who brings it in not noticing...frustrating!

Cupcake: Fx'd for you these next few months. I'm really hoping with the weight loss and prescription you'll have a very sticky bean soon! (Or maybe beans ;) )

Fern: Ff confirmed ovulation using temperature I'm assuming, which is why I was hesitant. I think I'm 11dpo and not 5dpo because I checked my cervix when ff confirmed temp ovulation and to me it felt probably low, firm, and closed? This was the first time I checked cervix and then the next day I was out with being sick and wasn't well enough to check for comparison. If ovulation was when I personally think it was I'd be 11dpo today. I did a test yesterday at 10dpo and got a BFN. So my plan is to check at 12dpo, 15dpo, and if it's still BFN I'll wait until Nov. 16 to check incase ff got it right and I o'd then. I really think it was just because I was sick though where ff chose. I was surprised it wasn't the timing before. Either way, my s/o and I somehow dtd two days leading up to both dates (for ff o we also dtd one day after). My temp now seems to be dropping about one degree daily, but is still above cover line. I can attach a photo if that would help more than me explaining it? You can see what you think that way.
I really hope for not only your financial situation but for you overall that this "last" try is going to work. I have thought a LOT about donor eggs/sperm. (A bit about my life...my brother is transgender and was originally female. I use s/o for my "girlfriend" because she feels female but her sex is male as of right now. I am young and don't have my life together but due to my s/o wanting to get on hormones, that will decrease her fertility greatly until the point she switches everything over and is fully sterile. We've discussed freezing the sperm but it's too expensive for us right now. So we had to consider that as well as my doctor has been pushing me to get a hysterectomy since I turned 18.) I say all this because we thought of getting one of my brother's eggs before he gets his hysterectomy done in April and either trying my girlfriends sperm or a donor because my girlfriend doesn't like the idea of her DNA. But again, it's something that won't be covered by healthcare and we just don't have the funds to do it. The idea of having an unknown donors sperm frightens me though and I'd much rather have my girlfriends...just a personal opinion. Haha.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ursaula-Share your chart please & we'll have a look ;) 
Sorry I got a little lost in your post, so to clarify....your partner is now a man, but will be looking into reassignment surgery to become a woman? 
We briefly discussed egg donation, if mine are crap, bit honestly I'm jot interested much, unless dh pushes for it. If I didn't have 2 kids, then yes I would do it if need be. We started this mess because we want a baby together, not to just have another kid in the house. I know yhatsoubds harsh to a lot of people, but its our circumstances....


----------



## Ursaula

Sorry for the confusion. Yes, he is currently a man wanting to become a female through gender reassignment surgery.

I understand wanting to have a baby together completely, I'm in the same vote too, other than I have no children from previous relationships. It just feels special the thought of having a child with the love of your life and it makes me feel really complete inside. A warm feeling.

Any news from IRYM or Swimmy?

I also attached my chart below. I ended up in hospital on cd150, so cd151 might be from sickness. Todays temp though is much higher? Do you gals think I o'd cd143 or cd149? The temps that are taken at different times are all within a half hour of the regular temping time. Would be nice if I had cd147 in there but I didn't even get 3 hours of sleep that night.
 



Attached Files:







Screen Shot 2015-11-08 at 7.20.56 PM.png
File size: 24.7 KB
Views: 2


----------



## Fern81

Thanks for sharing ladies. I agree with both of you in that it is a very personal decision at the end of the day and it will depend on the individual's background, circumstances, faith/belief system etc. I'm already questioning & praying about IVF, which I'm also still conflicted about... None of this is a decision to make lightly.

Well I started 100 mg clomid last night as well as 120 mg black cohosh which according to studies greatly improves the pregnancy rates of clomid... and decreases the side effects of clomid. I haven't tried the two together yet. 
My tummy has INSTANTLY bloated up again and I feel soooo fat. Clomid diet starts today!


----------



## Ursaula

Fern & Cupcake: What are the side effects you have when taking clomid? If metformin doesn't work on its own my doctor will likely add clomid. I'm worried about adding medications to my already well-medicated body, especially when they have severe side effects.

Weight loss wise I plan on weighing this morning once I get out of bed. I feel SO bloated and thirsty all the time so I won't be surprised if I've gained weight. I also had a nose bleed when I woke up? Haven't had it in like 10+ years...is it a possible symptom?

Waiting to hear from the other gals too! :)


----------



## Fern81

Ursaula sorry I actually wanted to reply to you personally earlier, but then my student arrived and I just hit "send" lol I don't want them to read my posts. Wanted to comment on your chart - just going by temps it looks like FF could be right; but then of course your temps could be messed up a bit because of the illness. I really, really hope you DID ovulate. Cervical position is not too reliable for me personally because I've found it can change several times during the day, also depending on whether you have a full bladder/bowels etc. Cervical mucus on the other hand has been a BIG sign for me with fertile CM starting 4 days before ovulation and starting to dry up the day of ovulation. I also used to do OPKs and I can feel serious O pains while it's happening (although apparently we can feel O pains before, during OR after ovulation). Before I seriously started charting and checking everything, I had no IDEA when I ovulated.
I would suggest doing a combination of CM checking, temping, doing OPKs from CD12ish onward, etc. After a few cycles you will find what works for you personally :) (hoping that it doesn't take too many cycles though lol).

How long will you and your s/o still be trying naturally? Do you have a time frame planned out? :hugs:

Clomid side effects also differ from person to person. I used to get hectic hot flushes, painful swollen ovaries, headaches and feel a bit nauseous. This time I'm not feeling anything weird so far :). The worst thing is that when on clomid, you basically get all the early pregnancy signs during the tww!! Grrrrr!!!! Some people feel absolutely fine when on clomid though and it helps to take it at night because then you sleep through the worst.

Definitely going to start exercising again tomorrow.... Exams are winding down so I'm not working 12-14 hour days anymore thank heavens. It's almost my birthday so I'm going to try and not cheat at all until then! Turning 34 makes me feel old especially considering my infertility. :cry:

Hugs to you all x


----------



## ireadyermind

Sorry, gals!

I was helping my mother move house this weekend and that was chaos! I ache everywhere, and not in the good "I used my muscles" sort of way. More back and joint aches, and I'm pretty sure I caught the cold that the school-aged nephews had when I went to visit them. Oye.

I'll try to answer everything as best I can, I skimmed through the replies since my absence but I haven't even finished this morning's cup of coffee and I'm still a little foggy.

1. Yes, I'm paying for all infertility testing & treatment out of pocket. My insurance doesn't cover a single cent. :(

2. Apparently all these tests they ordered *were* part of the infertility program.... I still don't know why they re-tested some things like my blood type. That's not going to change even if I live to be a million years old! lol

3. I will be asking about testing my hormone levels. It seemed to me like that ought to have been the FIRST thing they looked at instead of something they aren't even considering, but... well. The American health care system is garbage. As a general rule, they care more about what they can charge you for than how they can heal you. I do know there are exceptions. When I injured myself at work and my boss lied and would not fill my workers' comp claim, I had a doctor who covered parts of my bill himself because he was so outraged at the position I was being put in at such a young age. 


ANYWAY --

Next up for us is DH's semen analysis, which they permit you to do from home. That was supposed to be done this morning, but he's clumsy and - well, DH'll be picking up another kit from the doctor's in the next few days. :dohh:

Then they want me to go straight to the HSG, where they inject dye into your uterus and see if you have scarring, blocked tubes, a tilted uterus, etc. I got to thinking about it the other day and I suspect I might have a retroverted uterus. When I had my MC in July, the midwives kept insisting that there wasn't anything IN my uterus and at first they argued that I must not actually be pregnant. Then my blood tests came back and I was pregnant, and the levels were increasing for a while too. 

Well -- TMI warning here, but -- when I was miscarrying I actually expelled the little gestational sac intact. So I *know* it was in there, but the ultrasound couldn't find it. And that makes me think that my uterus is positioned oddly.

I'm gonna try that child's pose after BD this month and see if that makes a difference!



In other news, I've been strangely feeling like I'm already about to O, and it's only CD12! I have never O'd this early before in my LIFE, but I wouldn't be complaining if I did! That might mean I'll have a regular 28 day cycle this month! Wouldn't that be something? Haha

It might also mean that my hormones are self regulating for some reason. Not sure why or how that'd happen, as I haven't really changed much in the past year. But if my body suddenly wanted to get onto the right track, I'm not gonna complain. lol

Now I'm glad I started my OPKs early this month just so I could be 100% sure I wasn't ovulating at a strange time. I'll be able to catch the very start of my LH surge for SURE this time and not have to guess at it like last month.


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: So good to hear from you! I honestly know very little about the American health care system. I dated a boy from the states when I was around 12 and I just remember my parents talking about getting insurance because they will charge for every little thing.

Will the midwives still allow you to be under their supervision with a retroverted uterus? I looked into midwives and they said they wouldn't touch me because of the possible complications I could have with having PCOS and being overweight, etc. I'm wondering if it will be the same for you?

I don't know your cycle for your whole life but I will say that would be AWESOME if your hormones were balancing out on their own and you were going to have a "normal" cycle. When do you usually expect ovulation to occur?

I've noticed on your signature a few times about the 17mos cervical cancer free. Assuming you had cervical cancer, are you completely cancer free now?

Fern: I will admit I was a little pouty when there was no comment from you, haha!

My temperature dropped to 97.6 today, which according to ff would be 6dpo, possible implantation drop I'm thinking. I found my cervix really hard to find so I'm not quite sure I actually even found it. Also, in regards to CM, when I was younger I'd have very noticeable CM but once I lost my periods I've been dry. I did notice when I was checking my cervix that day there was some form of CM, but I didn't know how to explain it. Nothing like I used to get though. (Sorry TMI)

I've looked into OPKs but I don't exactly have a "12dpo". I started my ff chart on June 8 after a pap and there was like a speck of blood. I decided to just put it as I had a light period because I was being hopeful. In February it will be 6 years without having an actual period. I'm really hoping my cycles begin to regulate. I was tested a couple years ago for my testosterone level and I had more testosterone in my body than estrogen. I can't imagine what the levels are now.

With that said, I've had the same doctor since I was born and he's aware of it so he gave me a shot of something the last time I was there to force my body to have a period. He said ovulation would be possible too so to keep charting. I can't recall what it was? He had it all ready for when I got there though.

My s/o and I have been trying for 7 months now and with my doctor knowing my cycles he decided it's been long enough to wait for treatment. I see him again on Nov 20, which if my period has come by then, he'll be prescribing me metformin.

Thanks for the advice on clomid too! I looked it up a little but I find asking people I "kind of" know for their experience is a little more helpful.

Happy Birthday if you don't get on when it is your birthday!

AFM: I weighed in today at 381lbs. Not as scary as I was expecting so I'm hopeful for that. Started doing my shakes again today but still waiting to be 100% back to self before exercising. I don't want to end up with that cold again!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ursaula said:


> Fern & Cupcake: What are the side effects you have when taking clomid? If metformin doesn't work on its own my doctor will likely add clomid. I'm worried about adding medications to my already well-medicated body, especially when they have severe side effects.
> 
> Weight loss wise I plan on weighing this morning once I get out of bed. I feel SO bloated and thirsty all the time so I won't be surprised if I've gained weight. I also had a nose bleed when I woke up? Haven't had it in like 10+ years...is it a possible symptom?
> 
> Waiting to hear from the other gals too! :)

Usually when I took Clomid, I had a dull headache & some hot flashes along with bloating.



Fern81 said:


> Ursaula sorry I actually wanted to reply to you personally earlier, but then my student arrived and I just hit "send" lol I don't want them to read my posts. Wanted to comment on your chart - just going by temps it looks like FF could be right; but then of course your temps could be messed up a bit because of the illness. I really, really hope you DID ovulate. Cervical position is not too reliable for me personally because I've found it can change several times during the day, also depending on whether you have a full bladder/bowels etc. Cervical mucus on the other hand has been a BIG sign for me with fertile CM starting 4 days before ovulation and starting to dry up the day of ovulation. I also used to do OPKs and I can feel serious O pains while it's happening (although apparently we can feel O pains before, during OR after ovulation). Before I seriously started charting and checking everything, I had no IDEA when I ovulated.
> I would suggest doing a combination of CM checking, temping, doing OPKs from CD12ish onward, etc. After a few cycles you will find what works for you personally :) (hoping that it doesn't take too many cycles though lol).
> 
> How long will you and your s/o still be trying naturally? Do you have a time frame planned out? :hugs:
> 
> Clomid side effects also differ from person to person. I used to get hectic hot flushes, painful swollen ovaries, headaches and feel a bit nauseous. This time I'm not feeling anything weird so far :). The worst thing is that when on clomid, you basically get all the early pregnancy signs during the tww!! Grrrrr!!!! Some people feel absolutely fine when on clomid though and it helps to take it at night because then you sleep through the worst.
> 
> Definitely going to start exercising again tomorrow.... Exams are winding down so I'm not working 12-14 hour days anymore thank heavens. It's almost my birthday so I'm going to try and not cheat at all until then! Turning 34 makes me feel old especially considering my infertility. :cry:
> 
> Hugs to you all x

 Oh to be 34 again lol :( I'll be 38 in March:cry: BUT I still hold onto hope that I still have time! 



ireadyermind said:


> Sorry, gals!
> 
> I was helping my mother move house this weekend and that was chaos! I ache everywhere, and not in the good "I used my muscles" sort of way. More back and joint aches, and I'm pretty sure I caught the cold that the school-aged nephews had when I went to visit them. Oye.
> 
> I'll try to answer everything as best I can, I skimmed through the replies since my absence but I haven't even finished this morning's cup of coffee and I'm still a little foggy.
> 
> 1. Yes, I'm paying for all infertility testing & treatment out of pocket. My insurance doesn't cover a single cent. :(
> 
> 2. Apparently all these tests they ordered *were* part of the infertility program.... I still don't know why they re-tested some things like my blood type. That's not going to change even if I live to be a million years old! lol
> 
> 3. I will be asking about testing my hormone levels. It seemed to me like that ought to have been the FIRST thing they looked at instead of something they aren't even considering, but... well. The American health care system is garbage. As a general rule, they care more about what they can charge you for than how they can heal you. I do know there are exceptions. When I injured myself at work and my boss lied and would not fill my workers' comp claim, I had a doctor who covered parts of my bill himself because he was so outraged at the position I was being put in at such a young age.
> 
> 
> ANYWAY --
> 
> Next up for us is DH's semen analysis, which they permit you to do from home. That was supposed to be done this morning, but he's clumsy and - well, DH'll be picking up another kit from the doctor's in the next few days. :dohh:
> 
> Then they want me to go straight to the HSG, where they inject dye into your uterus and see if you have scarring, blocked tubes, a tilted uterus, etc. I got to thinking about it the other day and I suspect I might have a retroverted uterus. When I had my MC in July, the midwives kept insisting that there wasn't anything IN my uterus and at first they argued that I must not actually be pregnant. Then my blood tests came back and I was pregnant, and the levels were increasing for a while too.
> 
> Well -- TMI warning here, but -- when I was miscarrying I actually expelled the little gestational sac intact. So I *know* it was in there, but the ultrasound couldn't find it. And that makes me think that my uterus is positioned oddly.
> 
> I'm gonna try that child's pose after BD this month and see if that makes a difference!
> 
> 
> 
> In other news, I've been strangely feeling like I'm already about to O, and it's only CD12! I have never O'd this early before in my LIFE, but I wouldn't be complaining if I did! That might mean I'll have a regular 28 day cycle this month! Wouldn't that be something? Haha
> 
> It might also mean that my hormones are self regulating for some reason. Not sure why or how that'd happen, as I haven't really changed much in the past year. But if my body suddenly wanted to get onto the right track, I'm not gonna complain. lol
> 
> Now I'm glad I started my OPKs early this month just so I could be 100% sure I wasn't ovulating at a strange time. I'll be able to catch the very start of my LH surge for SURE this time and not have to guess at it like last month.

Oooooo...I hope your cycle is settling down! I guess O-ing early is in the water this month???? I got a + Opk on cd 11 at bedtime!?? I guess the Soy caused it, even though it hasn't changed in the past? Oh well, We got it "covered" & I felt my RIGHT ovary throbbing this morning, so far nothing on the left yet!:happydance::happydance: Excited that the right side is waking up a little! HAHA

Nothing else going on here....No change in my weight this week :/ But I am sticking with the "muscle repair" theory as we worked in wood all weekend & I'm sore today! Did get off work & am "spring" cleaning lol


----------



## ireadyermind

Ursaula said:


> IRYM: So good to hear from you! I honestly know very little about the American health care system. I dated a boy from the states when I was around 12 and I just remember my parents talking about getting insurance because they will charge for every little thing.
> 
> Will the midwives still allow you to be under their supervision with a retroverted uterus? I looked into midwives and they said they wouldn't touch me because of the possible complications I could have with having PCOS and being overweight, etc. I'm wondering if it will be the same for you?
> 
> I don't know your cycle for your whole life but I will say that would be AWESOME if your hormones were balancing out on their own and you were going to have a "normal" cycle. When do you usually expect ovulation to occur?
> 
> I've noticed on your signature a few times about the 17mos cervical cancer free. Assuming you had cervical cancer, are you completely cancer free now?

The "Midwives" that saw me weren't the sort that handle home visits, home births, etc. They're midwives, but they work exclusively out of the doctor's offices and the labor & delivery center on the other side of town. Because of that, I'm thinking that having a retroverted uterus wouldn't really be an issue for them, since I essentially have to go to the hospital or the OB/GYN offices for every visit. Not 100% sure on that since I haven't been officially diagnosed with anything, but I guess we'll see!

As for the cancer -- the cancerous cells were surgically removed, but I go in every 6 mos for biopsies to make sure that what I had hasn't come back yet. According to my GYN, it *will* come back eventually and there's nothing we can do about it except a radical hysterectomy. That's why we're on the "fast track" to the infertility clinic. They would likely have made me wait a little longer before I saw a specialist, but given the special circumstances, I was able to get in earlier.

Then once I decide I'm through having babies (and provided the cancer doesn't come back), we will almost immediately do the hysterectomy. 



One of my problems with getting pregnant, I'm sure, is the fact that they had to remove some glands from my cervix when they removed the carcinoma, and I can barely produce EWCM on my own any more. Sometimes I'll get some, but it's rare and not very much. So that can't possibly be helping matters any. :dohh:




cupcakestoy said:


> Oooooo...I hope your cycle is settling down! I guess O-ing early is in the water this month???? I got a + Opk on cd 11 at bedtime!?? I guess the Soy caused it, even though it hasn't changed in the past? Oh well, We got it "covered" & I felt my RIGHT ovary throbbing this morning, so far nothing on the left yet!:happydance::happydance: Excited that the right side is waking up a little! HAHA

I don't know if something's in the water, but if so -- why didn't they add it in there sooner!? Hahaha

I'll just have to make sure that DH and I aren't slacking off in the next week or so while I see what's going on with my freakin' ovaries. Haha


----------



## Ursaula

Cupcake: Thanks for the side effects! I haven't heard of the muscle repair theory, what is it? Spring cleaning always makes me feel so new and fresh, helps with losing some weight too I find.

IRYM: It's hard not to let your mind race to the future with things like a retroverted uterus. My mind would be going crazy! Interesting about the midwives though, I'll have my fx'd for you in that regards. Definitely something I'd check into once you know what's going on.

I understand now about the cancer. I find it happens to the best of people. How many children are you wanting and how long are you willing to "risk" it? I'm glad you got in sooner to see help.

AND GIVE US SOME OF THAT WATER! Haha.

AFM: I'm thinking I'm 6dpo now and if implantation dips is a thing that my body does then I believe I'm having it. Lots of weird things going on, not sure if they're symptoms or not.

I had two of my shakes today and ate some potato/ham soup. Yummy! Hoping to lose a bit before Monday.

On another positive note, my parents are getting their new pug dog this upcoming Saturday. I thought I'd share him with you guys to bring some smiles!
 



Attached Files:







20151107_193020.jpg
File size: 30.1 KB
Views: 0


----------



## cupcakestoy

Such a cute pup! The muscle repair theory, is that after you have a hard work out, or work hard your muscles have little tears & inflammation so you retain fluid so they will heal :) IRYM filled me in on it lol


----------



## swimmyj1

Sorry it's been a while girls I have been off on another hiking adventure and this time decided to leave my phone in the car. That puppy is so cute! i love pugs!

IRYM - I would be so mad about the tests, my doctors repeated all of mine too though, i understood the thyroid sense I hadn't had mine checked in over a year but they rechecked everything else too. They don't do blood hormones at this place sense they can fluctuate so drastically during the day but said that because of my short LP alone they knew i had a problem with progesterone. 

AFM - finally got a call about the genetic testing today and it's not good news i guess. All's they said on the phone was that there was some abnormalities and they want us to come in tomorrow and go over the results...... I'm really kind of freaked out. It's not like you can fix genetics. I'll let you guys know tomorrow after I talk with them. Right now i just need to keep staying busy, hiking and knitting. It sounds crazy but I'm actually looking forward to snow I want to be able to snowshoe soon lol.


----------



## cupcakestoy

I hope your news isn't as glum as you think Swimmy! Keep us posted!


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks Cupcake and IRYM for the muscle repair theory information!

Swimmy: Any news yet? Don't let bad news bring you down!


----------



## swimmyj1

He has a genetic disorder called 47 xyy so an extra chromosome. It is usually found in men that are very tall (which he is) so we are on to see a genetic councler hopefully in 2-3 months when they can get us in to talk about all the possible risks that come with it and our chances of getting a healthy baby. It all depends on what the extra chromosome is. My fertility doc said that its not something that is genetically passed but it can cause increase in mc so we can keep trying but it's a good chance we will have more mischarrages before a healthy baby. Or we can do IVF with genetic embroy testing. At least I have some answers it was just a lot to take in.

Thanks for listening to me vent :)


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

Swimmy - many many many hugs!! Well your husband lives with the extra chromosome so even if your future baby does get it, seems like there is still a chance of a full-term healthy baby? So there is a chance that the baby doesn't get it at all, and also a chance that it doesn't have adverse health effects, if I understand it correctly? Hope you don't have to wait too long before you have the final answer. Just hoping & wishing for you that you get your little rainbow after what you've been through. xxx

Ursaula - just love that puppy! 

IRYM - my friend has a retroverted uterus and was only able to get pregnant with a specific pose after bd. Also; if your cervix & cm is problematic, has your dr suggested IUI?

Cupcake - so are you tww'ing? You definitely still have a shot at age 37 :) after all you had a surprise bfp recently! It might very well happen again!

I haven't started picking up clomid weight yet yay! I started exercising again yesterday (swimming; it's too hot to do anything else in this INSANE heatwave). This morning I weighed in at 56kg. I would love to weigh 50 but 52 is more realistic (that's what I weighed when I got married 2 years ago). Yes my weight is low but I am really tiny so for my body that's too much. I have a very flabby belly, fat butt and arms! And my face is round. So it's not just getting the kilos down but also getting more fit and healthy. My knees &back are starting to give me problems so I need to move more & stretch more!! I really need to find time during the day to exercise. Working 12 hour days is starting to get ridiculous.

My regime until AF starts again (with the exception of my birthday end Nov):

TTC regime: 120 mg black cohosh, EPO, clomid 100mg cd3-7, prenatal vits, b6, folic acid, 2 cups spearmint tea daily. All of that to boost hormones.

Fitness regime: swimming or exercising as much as possible. Thank heavens it's almost my holiday (one more week). Stretching daily. Dry skin brushing twice a day!

Diet regime: I've found that if I limit the types of foods I allow myself to eat, dieting is much easier. I'm LITERALLY ONLY allowing myself:

Black coffee, rooibos & spearmint tea
Water
1 spoon peanut butter (the type with no added sugar/salt)
2 eggs
meat without sauce
any plain veg/salads (no creamy sauces!)
1 fruit 
1 small portion plain oats OR rice 
olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil
cinnamon
full cream yogurt & a little bit of full cream milk
Small piece of cheese as a cheat....

...to mix n match daily, until AF shows! Upon which I will reevaluate. Hoping I have some good things to say about my weight and fitness at the end of this cycle.

Hugs xx


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> IRYM - my friend has a retroverted uterus and was only able to get pregnant with a specific pose after bd. Also; if your cervix & cm is problematic, has your dr suggested IUI?


We haven't made it that far yet. Every time I told my GYN about issues, such as really light AF (Barely lasts two days!), no EWCM, pain in/around ovaries, she would just write it down and wouldn't say anything else on the subject. I've been having to ask other doctors/nurses about it instead. I really do seem to have bad luck with physicians!

I haven't had an initial consult with the infertility folks yet. They wanted to get my initial blood test results back and do the HSG, and THEN talk to DH and I about everything. Seems a little backwards. Wouldn't you think they'd want to talk to us about our TTC issues first, and decide what to do from there? I mean, I know they had us fill out that questionnaire, but that didn't cover all of my concerns and there wasn't a place for us to write in any additional questions or concerns for the doctor, and I can only call to talk to the nurse. They won't set me up an appt with a doctor yet. SIGH.


*Ursaula -* I would LOVE to have another puppy! I'm so jealous! Haha


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: So good to finally hear what's been going on for you. I went to university to become a pharmacist and learned a lot about chromosomes. 47 xyy if I remember correctly only affects males, and the only thing it really affects is having lower testosterone levels and a slower learning curve? Height as well...that is if I remember correctly. I'm thankful it isn't something that would cause dramatic issues...although this is pretty hard to take in as well. I hope you're taking it well.

Fern: Funny about the heat wave, we're having a snow storm! Are you into yoga? Yoga feels so good to me and really tones my body.

IRYM: Are there any other physicians you haven't tried in your area? I would've liked a meeting before tests so you'd all be on the same page...


----------



## ireadyermind

This is the only infertility clinic in town that is in my insurance provider's network, so I'm kind of just at the whims of whatever procedures they think I need to follow, unfortunately.

Though really, since we're paying out of pocket for everything anyway, I could probably find a different clinic to work with. It's just less of a hassle to have everything done by one system, with all my files accessible by their network so that I don't have to keep filling out release forms, faxing stuff between offices, etc.




So let me ask you gals a question:

Any of you ever experience really sharp ovary pain, either from cysts or not? I do have cysts on my ovaries, I just generally don't feel these stabbing sorts of pains.

I had some yesterday on BOTH sides that were sharp enough that they'd make me jerk upright whenever one hit me, and a couple of times I actually went "Ow!" out loud. I generally have a really high tolerance for pain, so it was odd to me...

Anyway, the stabbing is gone now. I was thinking it might've been ovulation related, but my OPKs and BBT don't seem to indicate that I ovulated at all. 

I'm half hoping it means I'll ovulate from both sides this month -- twice the chances for a BFP, right? Haha. My mom was pregnant with twins when my youngest sister was born. She lost the other one of the twins due to MC, but they managed to save one.. Anyway it means that twins run in my family and it's possible I could release two eggs --

BUT

The main thing is that I'm confused about the sharp pains and was wondering if you gals experienced it at all, and what the outcome was. Thanks in advance for your input! :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hugs Swimmy. Even though this can be a hurdle, you still have hopes of success! I googled & apparently this is common in 1 in 1000 males. It goes on to say that most have normal testosterone & normal fertility being able to father children. Also its not hereditary either, so don't freak out just yet!

IRYM-I've not had a cyst that I know of, so no help here......I do have painful O type sharp pains at times though????

Fern-Yay for no weight gain!!!! Wow that's pretty strict! Hope it works for you! We are in Fall here, but pretty nice temps so far....Expecting more rain tomorrow though...*sigh.....Not much else here, just in tww.....:coffee:


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> IRYM-I've not had a cyst that I know of, so no help here......I do have painful O type sharp pains at times though????

Well, like I said -- cysts or no cysts. So if you did have them, do you know what caused it? Was it before O or after? How long did it last?

Since mine are several days before when I usually ovulate, I'm confused. :dohh:


----------



## cupcakestoy

I've had aches a day or so befor . Then sharper pains/cramps on O day.....nothing severe, just discomfort


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: Interesting about the twin situation. Do you want twins?

As for the pain...I started getting a severe pain when I was about 15 years old to the point where I would be hunched over and couldn't move. No medication would work for it, the only thing that worked was sleeping it off. They aren't sure still if it has something to do with cysts on my ovaries, or if my intestines knot up sometimes. That's the only pain I've really had that might be ovary related.

Cupcake: How many dpo are you? I'm excited to start seeing tests! Haha, I plan on testing Friday and again on Monday. Bought FRERs yesterday in preparation!

AFM: I ended up in the hospital again today. I thought I was having a heart attack but they have it all figured out now. Last week when I ended up in the hospital they thought it was due to my lungs. They figured out today I have a tear in one of my muscles on my ribs and it's become infected and is now the size of a golf ball. My entire rib cage is inflamed. I was scared to go on medication because of the possibility of pregnancy and I talked with the doctor I had and she got me on a medication that will help with everything and is also safe for a baby, if there is one.

But anyway! My question for you ladies...would you prefer a girl, a boy, same sex twins or opposite sex twins, and do you have any names you particularly like for both sexes?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Oh no Urs! Hope you recover quickly! LOL @ testing early! We have been at this for 3 years, so I don't test unless I'm past 14dpo, since that has been my longest LP....I think today is 3dpo for me :coffee: Staying busy helps pass the time! Just found out last night that I have a part in our Christmas Program this year! LOL Silly, but I'm excited! I used to LOVE being in plays when I was a kid, but its been YEARS since I've been on a stage. The guy that is directing our play actually is a Pro! I went to high school with him. He was always big in Theater Arts, but after graduating he landed a job directing at a local play house, then moved onto going to New York & directing on Broadway!!! Not sure why that fizzled out, but now he's like the main director at the play house....Anyways, the program will be a good distraction......


----------



## Ursaula

Cupcake: Thanks and I'm sorry you've been trying for 3 years. I understand after waiting that long how it would get disappointing and expensive to continuously test every time early. I'm just excited because this is my first confirmed ovulation since I've been tracking.

I miss having Christmas plays. We aren't allowed to have them anymore because Canada is open to all religions and not all religions believe in Christmas. It's bs in my opinion. It seems the government is paying attention to every religion BUT Christianity (Catholic, Baptist, etc.). It's a big ordeal over Starbucks having a red and green coffee cup right now and how it's a "Christmas" cup and it's offending other religions. ANYWAY, I too love theatre! Very cool about the director, I hope you have tons of fun! Let us know how it goes!

AFM: I am 9dpo, trying not to test. I plan on testing tomorrow morning with my first FRER, super excited. I feel fairly positive, not too sure about some of my temps though, I guess I'll find out tomorrow/for sure by Monday.

Decided to weigh in this morning as I was feeling really good and I lost a pound (380). Not as much as I was hoping for but I'm taking it a lot slower than last time and making long term changes. Also glad I lost some weight too :)


----------



## Fern81

Hi everyone

I love that the thread's been so busy recently :hugs:.

Ursaula - that sounds soooo painful, hope you recover soon! I'm so curious to see your chart again, if you don't mind please post a pic again :). GL with testing. A snowstorm right about now sounds so nice. It doesn't snow here. In my 34 years I've seen snow ONCE, a freak weather phenomenon which saw a few flakes coming down in my city 2 years ago in winter. Interesting to hear about Canada's approach to Christmas. I find it so funny that my country adopted the European Christmas decorations; including spraying fake snow, snowmen and reindeer everywhere, despite the fact that we live in AFRICA and Christmas is during peak summer time... more lions here than reindeer... Hahaha!! (I actually don't do the christmas tree & winter deco & santa stuff; but, each to his own). Oh yeah and for the same reason I don't do yoga (my own personal beliefs :flower:)

As for your question re gender preference & names... Boy or girl doesn't matter to me. My sister had twins a few months ago, so after seeing how hard raising multiples is I would prefer to just have ONE (she is suffering!). However after 12 years ttc I would be happy with what I get. (And if I don't have any, I'll cope. :thumbup:) Names: We like Milan for a boy and Anouk or Annika for a girl. Bear in mind English is not our home language, I don't know if these names sound weird to other cultures.

Cupcake - I feel you on testing early! I don't either if I can help it hehe. I actually poas the day I started clomid just to be 100% sure I wasn't pregnant... I think it says a lot that I threw the stick away without even checking it; I totally forgot! Congrats on the part in the play! It sounds like SO much fun, I wish I could go watch it!

IRYM - I've had ovary "cramps" before ovulation once, I was taking 100mg clomid and went for a run a few days before O. Was so bad I curled up in a ball. I assume I put too much strain on my swollen ovaries. Were you exercising or straining to pick up something maybe? Other than that I also have loads of pains and aches and cramps all through my cycle but that is due to endometriosis, so maybe my experience won't be much help to you. Hope you O on both sides :) double trouble!

AFM - nothing much, stomach super bloated urgh... still no s/e except being very emotional. Last night I BURST out sobbing at a scene in CSI. Luckily DH wasn't home to see it! Almost on holiday.... almost.... I will be doing loads of gardening then too so that's some extra exercise! Can't WAIT! :happydance:


----------



## ireadyermind

Ursaula said:


> IRYM: Interesting about the twin situation. Do you want twins?

Well, sometimes I think it'd be nice to have twins. I only want two children, so if I could get two of them with only one pregnancy, and then have the hysterectomy I need so that I don't have to deal with cancer or AF for the rest of my days, it'd be great!

On the other hand, two babies at once would be really difficult!



Ursaula said:


> As for the pain...I started getting a severe pain when I was about 15 years old to the point where I would be hunched over and couldn't move. No medication would work for it, the only thing that worked was sleeping it off. They aren't sure still if it has something to do with cysts on my ovaries, or if my intestines knot up sometimes. That's the only pain I've really had that might be ovary related.

I had similar issues like this when I was still using my copper IUD. It gave me cramps so bad, I was in real trouble if one hit me while I was driving because it made it very difficult to maintain control of the vehicle! O.O



Ursaula said:


> AFM: I ended up in the hospital again today. I thought I was having a heart attack but they have it all figured out now. Last week when I ended up in the hospital they thought it was due to my lungs. They figured out today I have a tear in one of my muscles on my ribs and it's become infected and is now the size of a golf ball. My entire rib cage is inflamed. I was scared to go on medication because of the possibility of pregnancy and I talked with the doctor I had and she got me on a medication that will help with everything and is also safe for a baby, if there is one.

Oh no! That sounds awful! I hope you're feeling better soon!




Ursaula said:


> But anyway! My question for you ladies...would you prefer a girl, a boy, same sex twins or opposite sex twins, and do you have any names you particularly like for both sexes?

I'd like one of each gender. The first names DH and I have picked out are Logan (boy) and Gwen (girl). If we have two boys or two girls, then we'll have to do some more brainstorming. lol





Fern81 said:


> IRYM - I've had ovary "cramps" before ovulation once, I was taking 100mg clomid and went for a run a few days before O. Was so bad I curled up in a ball. I assume I put too much strain on my swollen ovaries. Were you exercising or straining to pick up something maybe? Other than that I also have loads of pains and aches and cramps all through my cycle but that is due to endometriosis, so maybe my experience won't be much help to you. Hope you O on both sides :) double trouble!

My ovaries generally hurt a little bit every single day. But the other day they were positively stabbing. Sharp, quick stabs. Not like anything I've experienced before.

I wasn't doing anything strenuous. They happened while sitting, standing, sleeping... I hadn't done any weight lifting that day and the most exercise I'd done was housework in the form of sweeping, mopping, and so on. 

It was gone by morning, and hasn't been back. And no sign of ovulation on OPKs, temps, or cervix -- just watery CM. My usual O day is somewhere around CD18, so I still have a few more days to wait. 

I guess I won't know what was going on with my ovaries until I either see a BFP or a BFN in a few weeks! :dohh:


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks everyone for wishing me better, I'm soo ready for it!

Fern: My chart actually has me slightly worried...I've had "lower" temperatures and I've been testing a lot. Mind you, I've only been using cheapies. I looked on another site where I get the pregnancy test information and the cheapies I'm using don't even pick up 50% of pregnancies until 10dpo, and I'm only 9dpo today. Whereas FRER is over 60% by 9dpo. So I will admit I'm nervous to test tomorrow with a FRER, especially with the lower temperatures...fx'd though, right? FRER detects almost 80% of pregnancies by 10dpo (and I have the old ones), just over 90% by 13dpo, which is the day I'll be using my last FRER. Sorry, you gals probably know all of this already, I just worry a LOT about EVERYTHING.

My family and I still celebrate Christmas, we go to church regularly. It's sad though, our church only has 4-7 members on a good day. My family (2people) included. I'm losing faith in people these days in regards to Christianity. It seems I find Christians only far and few between.

I apologize about the yoga, I wasn't aware.

I do know two girls by the names of "Anika" and "Anouk", both are of indigenous decent. I see more indigenous peoples having unique names that tell a history in them than caucasian, here anyway.

What do you enjoy gardening?

IRYM: I see where you're coming from completely in regards to twins. Double the love, yet double trouble. I'm praying for you that you get your two sticky beans soon and as you see fit (twins or not), before it becomes an issue again.

I imagine our abdominal pain was similar, although I haven't had a copper IUD, but it sounds similar to what I feel as well.

I like both Logan and Gwen, however I know people with those names and I have issues with that for some reason. I don't like naming things someone else's name, if that makes sense? Good choices though!

Have you been dtd even though there is no positive OPK, temps, or cervix change? (Sorry if it's personal...)Watery CM sounds promising and I'd be dtd now just incase, as well as later. Praying for a BFP for you as well as everyone else! :)

AFM: I think my s/o and I are going to stick with just one baby, seeing as (s)he wants to get on hormones asap. We've talked about not even having a baby recently and it hurts me, even though I know my s/o wants to start hormones already, I feel like it's all my fault now.

ANYWAY, if we have a girl I like my middle name, Anneliese, and my grandmother's middle name, Mae (she goes by Mae). Mae is also my mother's, as well as my cousins, middle name. It's like a family tradition. So, I'd like Anneliese Mae. Or I'd combine both grandmothers names, Mable Mae. My s/o however wants the first name as Mae...so we'll see. As for a boy, that's up to my s/o, I get the say on a girl name, s/o gets the say on the boy name. Both parties have to agree upon it though.

My chart should be attached. I'd appreciate if all of you could look at it and tell me what you think? (Todays test is BFN. Again, all the temperatures are within an hour of each other.) Thanks in advance! :)
 



Attached Files:







Screen Shot 2015-11-12 at 12.52.48 PM.png
File size: 27.4 KB
Views: 1


----------



## ireadyermind

*Ursaula -* Yep! If you take a look at my chart, you can see it listed where we've BD'd. This week since there's watery CM we're switching to every other day. Normally I just kind of try to keep things going myself, in terms of BD. You know, trying to make it feel more natural than if DH and I scheduled everything. But last night I flat out said, "The next week or so is important for TTC, so we will be BDing every other day at _least_." lol.

I just feel like if he's aware of the fact that it needs to be done that often, it'll take some of the pressure off of me _and_ make sure we BD consistently. We'll just keep BDing every other day until I get a +OPK with a sustained temperature rise.



As for your chart... hm. Lots of open circles, but I think you said you have a weird sleeping schedule or something, right? 

The main thing isn't that the temps are higher or lower than previous months. What you want to look at is whether they're staying above the cover line or not. Yours are, so it's a good sign thus far. What you can do is look back and see in previous charts if your temps dropped below the cover line before AF showed up, on the same day as, or after AF showed up. THAT is a pattern that will normally repeat from cycle to cycle and will help you guess what's coming up.

And a note about using HPTs this early: even with FRER you aren't guaranteed to get a positive until your missed AF. It's possible, but it's not the most likely thing to happen. I know that for me, I didn't get a positive until AF was 3 days late, and that was with a FRER too! It all depends on how much pregnancy hormone is in your system, when you implanted (which could be as late as 12DPO!), and the reliability of the test. 

So if you implanted on 12DPO, it'd take about 48hrs for HCG to show up in your urine, which would mean that not even a FRER would give you a BFP until 14DPO.

For now I'd say just keep watching those temps and hope they don't drop below the cover line!


Article about conception and implantation:
https://implantationspotting.net/ho...-does-implantation-occur-the-answer-revealed/

_"Once a sperm meets an egg and conception takes place, the resulting blastocyst will complete the journey in the uterus where it implants into uterine lining. No soon had the implantation occurs than the embryo starts producing a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin commonly known as HGC. This is a key hormone during pregnancy. Whenever a person carries pregnancy test, it often tests the presence of HGC hormone. Depending on the day of fertilization, this process can take 6 to 12 days. However, research has shown that it often takes approximately 10 days in over 80% of women."_


----------



## Fern81

Ursaula said:


> I apologize about the yoga, I wasn't aware.

Hun this is not a place where any of us should be apologizing for differences in our personal beliefs/opinions/preferences or anything :flower::hugs:. That's one reason why I love chatting here.

I adore Anneliese! It sounds a lot like a name from my language :). Beautiful and unique. I like Mae too.

JUST by looking at your chart, those temps look good. I hope you get good news. We all feel like that in the tww!! (Like crawling up the walls.) It's made a bit difficult though by not having other ovulatory charts of yours to compare to (I know you haven't had proper cycles thus far), it would have been easier to see whether any pattern is unusual for you in particular. If you don't get a bfp then I hope your dr will be willing to place you on metformin or something so that you can at least start getting more regular cycles. A girl deserves that much at least, if at all possible! That should make ttc much easier. xx

I love digging and planting & all garden work, at least everything that I can manage lol and that is not too heavy to lift etc! My favorite is growing vegetables, fruit & herbs for my kitchen. I have loads of summer seeds that I just have to get in the soil asap.

FX for your FRER :)


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks IRYM! I do have a weird sleeping schedule. It's really hard for me to sleep because I have insomnia so bad and even with my sleeping pill it's a hit and miss. I try to keep it within an hour of the time previous when temping just because I sometimes don't fall asleep until around 4am and I wake up during that time...it's confusing so I'm hoping with how I've been doing the temps that it is still fairly accurate.

Thank you for the article as well. I've looked up quite a lot of things but seemed to have missed when to take the tests so this was very helpful. If I take my first FRER tomorrow at 10dpo, when would you suggest I take the second one? I'm not sure when af will show up but I know if I don't get a BFP she will eventually since the doctor gave me that shot.

Also glad to hear you've been BDing. You guys know a lot more than I do but just thought I'd ask to make sure! :)


----------



## Fern81

IRYM we crossed posts! I see we agree on it being easier to have a few charts to compare. What a pity that there ARE so many of our charts though and not just a quick bfp, oh the irony. :winkwink:


----------



## Ursaula

Thank you Fern. I've just been having a really hard time with this chest thing going on and my mood is all over the place. I'm pretty sure I've apologized to my mom today at least 10 times for her looking after my dog while I was at the hospital.

My doctor gave me the shot to get af to come and as soon as she does I'm starting metformin (unless I get a BFP of course). I'm nervous to have af because it has been so long, I feel fairly positive about getting a BFP though as I haven't had any sort of the symptoms I'm feeling now previously, however it could just be from the shot too.

I started a fairy garden this past summer, have you considered making one? They're so fun to make. I enjoy vegetables and herbs, although our garden can't produce any...we had corn one year and after that, nothing. We just grow plants now.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Finally home so I can respond! lol Been a long day at work :/

Good job on losing a pound Urs!!!:happydance: 1 less to lose is 1 less to lose! YOur temps are still above the coverline so that's good, like I said earlier, I am NOT a chart expert, as I did it for only enough cycles to see that I was O-ing & my consistency on O day. It drove me batty to keep up with it everyday! Btw When did you get a shot to induce af???

Fern-I'm a gardener too! Veggies & flowers, except roses & I refuse to plan stuff that doesn't come back! lol I have way to many beds to waste my time & money on seasonal things.....I do have a concord grape vine & a red raspberry that I love too! I'm not anygood with roses tho.....Only have 1 left out of like 9 :/

IRYM-Have you been checked for Endometriosis? Just curious if that could cause your daily aches/cramps etc? Not saying that I think that's the issue, but it just popped into my head lol

AFM-Just ate some pineapple, jut because I like it lol Having a Shrimp Boil for dinner tonight! Excited about that lol Sorry I missed the ? about babies. Ideally we would love to have twin redheaded boys! Yes I'm crazy! Names are set.....Mason Glenn & Kimber Faith are 1st choice...If we do end up with 2 boys the 2nd will be Clay Matthew...Not got any farther than that lol


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks Cupcake! :) My last doctor appointment was October 26 and that's when I had the shot...still no af though, but it did make me ovulate (I believe anyway). We scheduled my next one for November 20 because I'm suppose to have af by then so he can prescribe me Metformin. Fx'd I get a BFP tomorrow though!

I saw you mention Mason and was like wait what? (My last name is Mason) So you could say I love the name! Haha. Twin red-headed boys...oh dear, I can hear the trouble already. I also like Kimber Faith, very nice.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Oh, ok....I hope you get your bfp soon & can forget about the witch LoL That's cool that that's your last name!


----------



## swimmyj1

Thanks for doing some research cupcake the nurse at my fertility clinic really had me freaked out but when i called the genetic's lab the next day she had me feeling much better. She said that as long at my DH has 10+mill sperm no reason we can't have kids without ivf (if thats our only issue of course, which so far it is). Still waiting to hear back from the genetic councler on when we can get in but I at least feel a little better. 

I caved and took a test today (because i have all the same symptoms as last time) and decided not even to look at it and tossed it out. I need to just wait until cd12. 

I'm glad everyone is doing so great with their weight loss! Work has been keeping me crazy busy so I haven't had as much time as i like the last few days to be outside. Doesn't help we have had some really really bad storm the last 2 days. 
I think for my night off sunday I'm going to do corned beef in the crockpot yummmmmmm


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ahhh Swimmy your welcome! I honestly can'y help myself lol Its just a nurse thing of mine, when I don't know about a condition I want to find out about it! My "obsession" has come in pretty handy a few times.....:)


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> IRYM-Have you been checked for Endometriosis? Just curious if that could cause your daily aches/cramps etc? Not saying that I think that's the issue, but it just popped into my head lol

So far the only thing we've done to look into the ovary issue is a diagnostic ultrasound, and the GYN gave me a pelvic exam. At the time of the ultrasound I had a rather large cyst on my left ovary, but that wouldn't explain why BOTH ovaries hurt, alternately.

The next thing they have planned for me is an HSG (where they inject dye into your uterus and watch where it goes with XRay), but I'm hoping they don't find anything major!


*Swimmy* - I love corned beef! Especially with steamed cabbage, carrots, and boiled potatoes. That sounds so tasty!


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - I had an hsg done it wasn't the most comfortable but I've heard if you have a block it hurts more. I would take something for pain before going in. I hope they don't find much. Also that's exactly what im making hahaha you can't make corned beef without cabbage, potatoes and carrots :) yummmm

DH and I got into a big fight before i when into work. I think him for sure being our issue seems to have upset him more than he wants to lead on. I think we are gonna look for a therapist that specializes in infertility I figure it can't hurt.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Sounds like a good idea. I know when dh got his SA results back it was a blow to his ego and he had a hard time with it.....


----------



## ireadyermind

Strange how they expect us to just deal with infertility issues when it's the woman who's to "blame" (though you can't blame anyone unless the damage was from heavy drug use, or some other controllable factor!), but when it's the man who's the one with the infertility issues, they get so offended!

As though the men aren't allowed to have fertility issues. Bah.

*swimmy* - The doctor's office sent me an informational sheet that recommended taking 600 to 800mg of ibuprofen before the procedure. Yikes. I'm not looking forward to it. But it can't be worse than having grain-of-rice-sized pieces of cervix cut off for biopsies... they don't numb me for that!

I'm hoping that AF just won't show up this time, and that I get a BFP instead and won't even need the HSG. Haha


----------



## cupcakestoy

I've had 2 hsg's. Forget to rake ibuprofen both tomes lol Neither were painful at all! Kinda like a PAP, just a little discomfort & cramps afterwards. Last report said mt left tube was blocked, even though the radiologist had said both looked fine during the test???? So idk if its blocked or not, but my last bfp was from left side....


----------



## drjo718

I forgot to take ibuprofen before my hsg, and it was uncomfortable when the dye was in but then fine as soon as it was over. That's when they saw what ended up being my fibroid.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hi Drjo! How are you feeling/doing? Can't believe your almost halfway there!


----------



## drjo718

I'm doing alright. Still fighting nausea which is worse in the evening, and I have migraines again. I doubled the amount magnesium I was taking and that seems to have settled the headaches to tolerable levels, although I still get them about 4 times a week. Overall things seem to be ok!

I still read everyone's posts, I just don't say much!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Boo for headaches & nausea, but glad things are going well for you!


----------



## ireadyermind

Hello there, Drjo! Good to hear from you! I'm sorry you're dealing with those headaches. I read once that grape juice supposedly gets rid of those really well, but I haven't tried it myself. It might be worth a shot? Hope they go away and stay away!


AFM --

Finally got a +OPK last night! And it was SO dark, the test line showed up before the control line did! Wowwie. I hope that means good things for me this cycle! Last cycle, my OPKs were questionable. They didn't seem to be true positives. I had a temp shift on my BBT chart last month, but I'm still on the fence about whether I actually O'd or not, you know? And good news, this +OPK came 2 days earlier than they normally do! So I might see a BFP (or AF, but let's hope not) at the end of November instead of in the first week of December. That'd be pretty awesome! FXd!


----------



## Ursaula

Hello gals.

Sorry I've been absent...it's a long story, but looks like I'll be on and off in chunks now for a bit.

Anyway, I tested on Friday (10dpo), BFN. Then I've been reading up on using SMU instead of FMU for some women so decided to try that today using a cheapie. (Saving last FRER until tomorrow or Tuesday. Thanks to IRYM for letting me know about the 14dpo implanting). I'm 12dpo today. Think I see something very faint so I tweaked it and I see a very faint line. I decided I had line eye so I took away the marker line and the C and T so I couldn't use those as markers to tell where the line is suppose to be. Then I looked at it and put a black dot where I thought I saw the line. Then I placed that photo onto the original and the black dot matches exactly where a positive line would be...if that makes sense!

Let me know what you gals think and when I should test with FRER. :)
 



Attached Files:







2015-11-15 11.22.31.jpg
File size: 31.2 KB
Views: 5









2015-11-15 11.22.45.jpg
File size: 30.7 KB
Views: 7


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

Ursaula - I'm sorry hun but I see nothing :(. May I ask: that shot that the dr gave you, what was it and when did you have the shot? If you are not pregnant now, then at least you can confirm whether you really did ovulate by AF arriving about 14 days after suspected O. And hopefully your next cycle will be easier to track etc especially if you get metformin to help a bit with metabolism & hormone issues. FX for you!!

IRYM - I can't recall whether I posted on here around the time I got my hsg a few months ago. I was PETRIFIED, couldn't sleep, cried and all before the procedure! I took the morning off work and took 2 VERY strong codeine/paracetamol tablets (only thing that helps my period pains, I heard that you should take period type painkillers) an hour before the procedure. It ended up being painless; just uncomfortable getting the catheter in. Over very quickly. I had some cramping afterwards though. Some advice: take some time off work and even take a "you" day if possible. It isn't a nice procedure and quite invasive so you will definitely deserve some personal time with blankets & hot chocolate after. Wear loose, comfortable clothes that don't constrict your lower abdomen. Also take a pad along because you might have some contrast fluid/bloody discharge after (sorry!). Getting a cervical biopsy sounds more painful though so I'm sure you can handle it :).

I am totally fed up with ttc atm. Yesterday I woke up in tears and wanted to close down my IVF fund & just spend the money on our URGENT expenses. Then of course I heard about Paris and my problems paled in comparison. I just want this cycle to be over already. Yes I probably am super emotional because of the hormone freakout this month... I keep bursting into tears at the drop of a hat. Also, my ovaries & uterus are really painful and crampy so I HOPE it means super-ovulation is in store for me and not crazy endo overgrowth!

I want to start not wanting kids anymore!


----------



## ireadyermind

Ursaula said:


> Let me know what you gals think and when I should test with FRER. :)

I plopped your HPT pics into photoshop and tweaked them this way and that, but I don't see any line unfortunately. You might have learned to spot where the dye indent is by looking at so many tests! I have learned to do that with FRERs and a few others, and it drives me crazy because I always think it's something else.

But it's not over until AF shows up! FXd!





Fern81 said:


> IRYM - I can't recall whether I posted on here around the time I got my hsg a few months ago. I was PETRIFIED, couldn't sleep, cried and all before the procedure! I took the morning off work and took 2 VERY strong codeine/paracetamol tablets (only thing that helps my period pains, I heard that you should take period type painkillers) an hour before the procedure. It ended up being painless; just uncomfortable getting the catheter in. Over very quickly. I had some cramping afterwards though. Some advice: take some time off work and even take a "you" day if possible. It isn't a nice procedure and quite invasive so you will definitely deserve some personal time with blankets & hot chocolate after. Wear loose, comfortable clothes that don't constrict your lower abdomen. Also take a pad along because you might have some contrast fluid/bloody discharge after (sorry!). Getting a cervical biopsy sounds more painful though so I'm sure you can handle it :).

Yikes!

I'm not too worried about the pain level or anything. I've had so many biopsies and paps (I get 'em every 6 mos!) that a catheter doesn't worry me at all. What DOES worry me is that there's a chance we'll find out I have some enormous problem. That's my biggest fear. We know I have at least one tube open, since I got pregnant in June -- but that's all we know. The ultrasound didn't reveal any large masses in my uterus though, so I suppose that's good. It's just that my brain jumps to worst case scenarios. Like we'll find giant malignant tumors or something. :dohh:



Also -- is it just me, or do any of the rest of you for some reason feel really proud of yourselves after you BD in your fertile window? I always feel like DH and I have accomplished an amazing feat, and I'm not really sure why that is. Someone give me a medal! :haha:


----------



## cupcakestoy

IRYM-Congrats on a possible early O!:happydance::happydance: I, too, feel like we accomplished a huge task when we have great timing! lol This TTC business isn't easy, for sure!

Urs-Sorry but I can't see a line :nope: Of course, I'm not the greatest at lines tho....Any updates????

Fern-:hugs: sweetie! I understand the not wanting to want to keep trying part. I've prayed repeatedly, that God would take away the desire from me as well, if its not in His plan....I hope you find peace in which ever avenue you guys go for.....

AFM-No loss this week, but no gain either, which I'm happy with since I made a Pumpkin pie cheesecake on Friday & have been super bad with my eating pretty much all weekend.....:shrug:Couldn't resist!

BUT I have done super good today, even worked outside in wood, before it started raining for an hour & got my sweat on! lol

Hope we all have a good week ladies!


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, got my temp spike today! I *may* have ovulated a day earlier, but so far it's looking just like a normal O date. Phooey! haha

1 DPO (possibly 2) today, and I'm already dealing with RIDICULOUSLY sore BBs. Sigh. This is going to be a loooong TWW.


*Cupcake*- I love cheesecake! I don't think I'd have been able to resist it either! But good job on not gaining any weight. :D


----------



## swimmyj1

ooohhh you gals are making me want to eat some yummy food i should avoid. My scale broke a few weeks ago so I haven't been on to assess my damages. 

Ursaula - sorry hun i also don't see anything

IRYM - i feel super accomplished when i get the timing down lol. My cycle we got pregnant it was a prefect every other day for a week and a half i was super proud, and dh thought i was nuts. 


I'm meeting with a fertility therapist this week and next I really hope it helps I just have not been in a good place and have been making some stupid reckless decisions lately that I'm not proud of. 11dpo and still bfn going to test again tomorrow and if nothing then im gonna stop the progestone and on to trying next month with the higher dose of clomid. With more eggs hopefully we can get a healthy embryo that wants to grow (or i'm gonna end up with 5 babies and can start a tv show lol)


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> IRYM - i feel super accomplished when i get the timing down lol. My cycle we got pregnant it was a prefect every other day for a week and a half i was super proud, and dh thought i was nuts.

Oh good, I'm glad it's not just me! :haha:




swimmyj1 said:


> (or i'm gonna end up with 5 babies and can start a tv show lol)

lol! You crack me up. Starting a TV show might not be a bad idea! 

I hope the counseling helps. I'm sorry you're feeling so badly over TTC. :hugs:


----------



## Fern81

Hi everyone

My ovaries are reaaaaallllly painful, both sides! Uterus too. EWCM has started. I decided to start tracking my cycle today; I suddenly realized I have no idea which CD I'm on and I have to stop taking black cohosh sometime! BD plan is ed CD14-17, 24 hours apart like my dr advised me for previous cycles.

The more I read up about IVF and especially ICSI, the less I want to do it! I really want to stop trying and just accept that it will never happen. I really really want a baby but at the same time IVF is sooooooo expensive and I feel so conflicted about the IVF/ICSI laboratory procedures. If it was just my decision I would have stopped trying already but of course it is DH's decision too... This is such an emotional journey and I guess none of this ever gets any easier. (I don't want to discuss on here what my issue with IVF/ICSI is but if anyone is interested I would be happy to discuss it in a private message.)

Cupcakestoy - pleeeeeease pm me the message for the cheesecake! It sounds divine. Thanks so much for your support & prayers hun. Yes I keep praying for peace too and I must say I have moments & days where I'm very depressed but most of the time I can cope with the idea of not having kids (not liking it, but at least I don't want to gouge out my eyes and die). DH and I have a good life for the most part. Not having kids will not remove anything we already have in life nor take away any of the people I already have to love. BTW Good job with working out so hard on the farm! Do you still have cows? :)

IRYM - have a happy tww!:happydance: 

Swimmy - All the best with the therapy, that really is a brave step and I hope it makes a huge difference in both your and your husband's lives.

Ursaula - Any news?

Drjo - so happy that everything is still going well for you!

Eesh I have so many good intentions but not following through! My strict diet plan went great for a week and then I cheated so much on the weekend! The thing I struggled with most this year was self control and that's definitely something I need to work on. I have all the perfect plans for my diet & lifestyle in place and I try to follow it but slip up too often (emotional eating & laziness)! Well I can't let it get me down, just have to keep trying, right.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern~The concept of IVF is TERRIFYING to me! Just so many unknowns & so much hormonal manipulation. Guess it doesn't help as I am a bit of a control freak :/ Just trying to cross 1 bridge at a time, so to speak....

Yes I still have cows lol actually the blind calf, Moses, went to live back with his owner a couple months back. Was sad to hear that he had gotten hurt by another cow & died! :cry:Apparently it twisted his stomach...Poor guy!

AFM, well so far so good this week.....I did get my flu shot yesterday & yikes! My arm is SO sore! Needless to say, I didn't sleep well :/ Also working extra this week, as 1 of the other nurses is off for a family emergency.....

How is everyone today?


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks, *Fern*!

*Cupcake* - Oh man, so sad what happened to the calf! We raised a steer for beef, once. He was so lovey. Mom and sisters made the mistake of getting attached to him, so when the time came for slaughter, they were SO upset. You don't really think of cows as the friendly, cuddly sort until you're up close and personal with calves like that!

AFM, FF finally put cross hairs on my chart. I think the cover line is a little high, but other than that it looks to be spot on. DH and I tried to BD the day of ovulation, but he was exhausted and stressed from work and we just couldn't manage it. We did get the two days before O, though, so that's a plus. :)

I have ridiculously sore BBs still, and sore lower abdomen too. It was hard trying to get to sleep last night because no matter which way I lay, something was twinging and making me uncomfortable. Bah!

I'm already ready for this TWW to be over! Haha


----------



## Ursaula

Hello gals!

Long story cut short. My s/o told me he no longer loved me so we split up. The past few days have been very hard for me and it wasn't until today we finally had a chance to sit down and talk about everything. We're still going to remain good friends but he has to work on himself for a while before we can continue on our journey together.

I had a blood test taken at the hospital at 13dpo and it came back negative, so I'm assuming I'm not pregnant, what do you gals think? How long before a blood test would be positive? I've taken my last FRER since and it looks to have a faint line when tweaked maybe - it's kind of like the last one I posted so I'm not hopeful. I have started metformin to get things going...with that said though, I'm not sure if we'll still be ttc seeing as we are "apart", so until we figure things out I'll come on here to give you gals support. :)

In regards to weight loss, I have dropped a bit of weight over the weekend, I am down from 380 to 377, so I'm happy about that 3lbs.

Praying everyone else is doing well! :)


----------



## swimmyj1

Ursaula - I'm so sorry about your separation :( that is so hard to go through. I'm glad that you can remain friends though. As for a blood test by 13dpo it should be showing hcg for sure. Usually by 9 they get a + blood. Congrats on the further weight loss!!! keep up the good work I know its so hard with the holidays coming up

Fern - we are on the same page, I thought I really wanted to do IVF with genetic testing but the more I look at it the more doubt and concern I have. I think we are just going to try with clomid for a while and see what happens. Maybe actually get a donor.

IRYM - Hope this TTW goes by quickly.

AFM - I also got my flu shot (ouch!) I think this year was worse than lasts (what do you think cupcake?) Still waiting on AF kind of wish she would hurry up lol. curious to see how many follicles I get with the 100mg this time. Still waiting to hear back about an appointment from the genetic specialist which is driving me crazy. I really like the therapist I met with, she has also been through a few losses. So I felt like it was easy to talk with her about what i'm feeling.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Urs~So sorry to hear about your split....It's hard, but usually it all works out the way its supposed too! Your Mr. Right may be right in front of you & you just don't see it yet! Give yourself time to grieve & love yourself!:hugs:
Congrats on 3#!!! That's Super!
I agree with Swimmy, if your O date is right, you should have a positive blood test by this time...:(

Swimmy~My arm STILL hurts! lol I'm really not a big whiny baby either, but geez! It is worse this year for sure! Are you still doing monitored cycles with the clomid or just going at it blind? lol


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

Ursaula - I'm so sorry that you are going through such a stressful & hurtful situation. I hope you meet a lovely man who will truly love you and with whom you can fully share this journey of ttc. Many hugs! xx. Taking metformin I believe is a good idea even if you are not necessarily going to ttc right now. PCOS negatively affects insulin metabolism, hormones etc, all of which influence the whole body & general health... so if it is treated then your whole metabolism and many organ systems function better. My sister takes it as chronic medicine even though she is done having kids. 

If you are taking some time off from ttc, please stay on the group if you want to (I'm hoping you will)! We all will still support you on the weight loss journey before you start ttc again. After this cycle I'll be back on bcp but will still post here for weight loss support for sure. New years resolutions and all ;)! Congrats on 3 pounds lost!

IRYM - why oh why is ttc so full of cramping, pains and aches? I've got lots of sympathy for you. I've been having the worst uterus, ovary and lower back pain the past few days and not even O'd yet, it's getting progressively worse. I have even cancelled a ladies night out tonight. (Hoping it's MANY follies getting ready, but with my luck it's probably rampant endo lol.) FX for you!! One of us HAS to get a bfp for Christmas :).

Cupcake - oh so sorry to hear about Moses! And your sucky flu shot! Where are you in your cycle, aren't you far along on the tww somewhere? x

Swimmy - Sorry about the bfn. Will you be testing again or just wait for AF? I hope you do well on the 100mg. Also, so glad you found a therapist with whom you connected. :hugs:

I can't WAIT for this cycle to be over! I'm in soooooo much pain. I feel more and more like not going through with IVF. We can do so much more with that money. Maybe it's time to stop throwing away money, energy and time on the one thing we can't have, and just focus on everything else life has to offer! Since last year I've been working so hard on focusing on everything DH and I already have, and on finding peace. Every day that goes by I feel like I'm more ready to let go. I tried to discuss it with my husband again last night but he just ignored me and played clash of clans grrrrrrrrrrrrr! Hope I ovulate soon and get rid of some pressure/pain.


----------



## ireadyermind

Wow, so much happened last night while I was away from the forum! 

*Ursaula* - Man, I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm glad you were able to sit down with him and talk things through. At least things ended on civil terms rather than in some kind of horrible fight or something. :hugs: for you, and we're always here if you need some shoulders to cry on!


*Fern* - So you're feeling aches and misery too, eh? I've been getting the back aches from hell lately, and the pain is driving me nuts! And since I'm allergic to tylenol, and motrin & aleve aren't safe for pregnancy, I'm not taking ANYTHING since I'm in the TWW and I don't want to jeopardize a potential BFP. It's been rough. It makes basic housework feel like I've been running a 3 day endurance competition or something. Oye. 


No real news for me today. My BBT shot way up this morning and now it looks like a "proper" post-O temperature. Everything else seems to be the same so far.


----------



## Ursaula

I really appreciate you gals being here and plan to stay for the weight loss portion and cheer each of you on with weight loss and future ttc plans and BFPs! :)

Swimmy: Thanks for your input on the blood test. I'm just confused why I haven't seen af when my doctor gave me the shot to make it come. Do you mind if I ask you why you have second thoughts on IVF? Super happy you found a therapist that you can connect with, sometimes that's half the battle.

I too had my flu shot in between my illnesses but found it only gave me a little bump and I had no pain at all. Also, thanks for encouraging my weight loss! :)

Cupcake: Thank you as well for your input in regards to the blood test. As I said, I'm not too sure why af didn't start, but I see my doctor tomorrow (Friday) and will hopefully have answers by then.

Thank you too for the encouragement.

What cd are you on?

Fern: Both doctors I have seen also agreed that taking Metformin is going to be a very good idea whether ttc or not. I just hate the side effects but I'm excited to have things regulated throughout my body.

I do plan on staying on the forums and cheering everyone on weight loss and ttc. My New Years resolution is focusing on me and my health problems, which will only get better with this weight loss. By the way, thank you for the congratulations on my weight loss. I'm feeling pretty good even though it wasn't a lot. Every pound counts!

Fx'd for those follies!!

Have you taken anything for the ovaries and back pain? I also wasn't sure if you had mentioned previously if you had looked into adoption or if it's something you would maybe consider?

IRYM: Thank you so much :) I can't remember all of the medications in the United States but I use Advil (ibuprofen) when I have severe pain, not sure if you're allergic though. I agree with not taking anything incase of jeopardizing something but it was just a thought.

AFM: I'm living in my parents basement so I get to see their new puppy a lot. My puppy ADORES him and mothers him, too cute!

I'm planning on doing one final test on Sunday because I love poas. I see my doctor on Friday still to talk about everything that's been going on. I received a phone call from the other doctor I had seen mentioning something about diabetes so I'm really concerned now.

Praying for all of you :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

CD 23 here, somewhere around 10dpo....usually have an 11-12 day luteal, but since I took the soy iso. I'm not sure if it will delay AF or not. It didn't last cycle, but I'm not getting excited unless AF isn't here by Monday!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Ursaula* - Motrin is just another brand name of Ibuprofen here in the states. I've been told not to take any of it during pregnancy, so I figure I will err on the side of caution and not take any in the TWW since my and DH's timing was so good this month.

Same goes for liquor, caffeine.. I have my one cup of coffee a day, but I'm really trying not to overdo it. Just in case!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Well Poo! Af flew in this morning, out of nowhere! Leaving me with a 10 day luteal.....sigh Oh well, no more Soy for me! Starting Clomid on Monday! Fx'd for next cycle!

Today is when we are taking our Sr. Youth to the Hearts on Fire conference in Gatlinburg! Not sure how I got talked into chaperoning, but I have been assured its because I am the "cool mom" lmbo! I think I'm in charge of TEN teenage girls :/ God help me!!!!


----------



## Fern81

Guess what!! My husband said last night that he is also tired of this black cloud of ttc hanging over us and that we can stop trying! Whoop whoop! I guess I will definitely still be going onto the new medical insurance plan to at least get a proper endometriosis removal done, and then ivf is OPTIONAL, IF we feel up to it.

Ursaula you sound so positive. GL with your dr's appointment! I hope you get some answers. Keep us updated!

Cupcake - enjoy the conference hun x

IRYM - only 9 or so days before poas :happydance: hehe!


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> Well Poo! Af flew in this morning, out of nowhere! Leaving me with a 10 day luteal.....sigh Oh well, no more Soy for me! Starting Clomid on Monday! Fx'd for next cycle!
> 
> Today is when we are taking our Sr. Youth to the Hearts on Fire conference in Gatlinburg! Not sure how I got talked into chaperoning, but I have been assured its because I am the "cool mom" lmbo! I think I'm in charge of TEN teenage girls :/ God help me!!!!

Oh no... Just try to avoid pulling out all your hair while you're there. haha





Fern81 said:


> Guess what!! My husband said last night that he is also tired of this black cloud of ttc hanging over us and that we can stop trying! Whoop whoop! I guess I will definitely still be going onto the new medical insurance plan to at least get a proper endometriosis removal done, and then ivf is OPTIONAL, IF we feel up to it.
> 
> Ursaula you sound so positive. GL with your dr's appointment! I hope you get some answers. Keep us updated!
> 
> Cupcake - enjoy the conference hun x
> 
> IRYM - only 9 or so days before poas :happydance: hehe!

That has got to feel like such a relief! You both agree that IVF is optional instead of "mandatory". That's going to do wonders for both of your guys' moods and everything. I'm happy you guys are both on the same page, so to speak.


And yeah, only 9-10 more days! IF I can wait that long. I keep having strange baby dreams every night, which I never get. I didn't get them last month when AF was two days late, either! It's making me want to get up first thing every morning and POAS. It's getting harder and harder not to! haha


----------



## Fern81

Ursaula I realized I never answered your question; nope we are not considering adoption. I've been taking pain tablets daily for a few days now and I wonder if it will interfere with ovulation..... no anti-inflammatories but still. Atm I don't even care! :)

IRYM will you test before AF is due?

Cupcake- boo for a 10 day lp.... at least it's not that way every cycle right. Gl for your Clomid cycle.


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> IRYM will you test before AF is due?

I'm going to have to. Wednesday of this coming week at the latest, because holiday festivities always means alcoholic beverages at my family's. I'll need to know if I'm pregnant or not so that I know whether or not I can have any alcohol.

If it comes up BFN, I will likely only drink one or two drinks that night just to be on the safe side. Sometimes it's just a steady stream of booze all day, starting with mimosas at breakfast. Haha!

I feel like, having said that, I need to point out that aside from holidays, I only drink once or twice a month, and then only one drink with dinner. So not to worry that I'm a raging alcoholic or anything. :blush:

Wednesday is 10dpo and I only have internet cheapies to test with, but if I see even the barest hint of a line on there, you can bet I'll be running out to grab FRERs!


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: Good plan in regards to limiting yourself on certain things (caffeine). Good luck not poas sooner!! It's funny how addicting it gets...also sounds like you're going to have a lot of fun! :)

Cupcake: Boo for af! Praying for your next cycle though :)

Fern: I'm happy the both of you have agreed upon it being an option. Only the future knows what will happen. Fxd for you it turns out just how you want it.

AFM: I had my doctor appointment and it shows my sugars are in the perfectly normal range so no diabetes...confused now so my usual doctor is going to recheck them.

How many mg of Metformin is the usual amount before cycles begin to regulate? I know I have a long way to go as I'm only taking 250mg right now...side effects are finally letting up.

I have also officially decided I will become a crazy cat lady and look quite forward to the future with my cats.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern~So glad to hear you & dh are on the same page so you can be less stressed!

Urs~Yay for NO DIABETES!!! That's great news! All of labs always come back good! People are amazed you can be over weight & not be diabetic or have high cholesterol lol We have 5 cats here...of course 4 of the 5 are strays who ended up adopting us! lol

IRYM~"Raging Alcoholic" made me chuckle! Good luck when testing starts! I'm no longer a drinker, socially or otherwise, unless once every couple of years counts lol, but I used to partake more than I should have......:shrug:

AFM~Conference was great, until I had to deal with a 13 & 14 y/o "couple" who were making out at every chance they got!:dohh: Lots of drama & rudeness...I really wanted to slap them, but thankfully I refrained! I did have a convo with each of their parents & I think they go slapped anyways!:happydance: Both apologized to me at church yesterday, so onward we go! Other than those 2, no problems with the others. Great music and great food! I figured with af here & our trip this weekend, that this week was a bust, BUT I lost 2 pounds!:happydance::happydance::happydance:


----------



## ireadyermind

My cholesterol and blood sugar levels are excellent, too. It's upsetting to see how many people assume you're big because you're unhealthy. Sigh.


Anyway I've been ridiculously sick these past couple of days with some kind of stomach flu. Had a fever of 100.44, vomiting, body aches... Yesterday all I could keep down was about 1/4 cup of apple sauce and some Gatorade. All day. And I slept and slept and slept....

Still have a low fever today. I'm at 99.5ish, so it's improving but not great. I'm worried that this is going to cause problems with possible implantation, since I'm 8DPO today. I hope not!


----------



## Fern81

Hi all

I had a post typed out and my cat deleted it lol. Let's try again.

Ursaula - great news regarding your labs!! I am so happy to see that so many of you ladies also love pets especially rescue babies :). Yay for being a fellow crazy cat lady! :happydance::happydance:

IRYM - stomach flu SUCKS! Well it's normal to have a lowered immune system in the tww (apparently to reduce the chances of the body rejecting the blastocyst). I hope it doesn't affect you chances of implantation.x

Cupcake - your weight loss is going great! 39 lost, wow. I need to see before and after pics already! Lol I remember being the age when all you want to do is sneak off and kiss the bf.... good old days sigh!

Swimmy - sorry AF got you! Hope 100mg does the trick. x

AFM - well I didn't really get a lot of CM this time around, which was very weird as I usually get lots & quite obviously EWCM. I also had so much constant pain that I'm not sure which day I ovulated... Am thinking it might have been very late last night as I felt the most pain & pressure then. Not too bothered to be honest. 

As for the drinking.... I've started drinking too much the past few months (like, every weekend & sometimes I'd get very drunk!). It just crept up on me; this weekend I decided to stop drinking completely for at least a year. I don't drink much usually, months can go by without me having any alcohol. It's just healthier and less expensive! So to realize that I have started indulging in this type of reckless behavior on a regular basis (maybe as a coping mechanism?) is not something I want to allow in my life anymore. Speaking about alcohol. :winkwink:. And it's full of empty calories & NOT actually allowed on my list of healthies! So, there!


----------



## Fern81

I think I'm in the tww? 1 or 2 dpo... my temps are not rising however. Will see what happens in 2 weeks.

In the meantime: This week is my last week of work for the year, also my birthday, whoop whoop! Going to relax and enjoy the rest of the week. I've been eating better and swimming a lot. Feeling quite healthy!

Thinking of you all x


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Happy Birthday!

My birthday's in a few weeks. Wondering if I'll get a BFP as a birthday present.  


My fever broke yesterday, finally, and this morning's temp was VERY low, almost to the cover line. In previous charts I always have a dip at 6 or 7DPO, but this month it's looking like a dip at 9dpo. Implantation dip? Who knows! But I hope that's what it is. 

I will be testing tomorrow with a FRER using FMU so that I know whether or not I can have a few drinks over the holiday. FXd!


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks everyone for being thrilled with me not having diabetes, I'm SO glad that isn't the case.

Cupcake: YAY 2lbs!! That had to make you feel great after all that teenage drama, I'm happy they at least apologized to you.

IRYM: It really upsets me that people assume I'm unhealthy because I'm overweight. You CAN be in SHAPE when you're overweight or obese. Most of my issues aren't even from my weight either. I can only think of one that IS from my weight. Phooey on them!

I'm glad to hear your fever has disappeared and I'm praying it's an implantation drop. I'll be watching your chart.

Fern: Happy Birthday! :)

My pets are definitely the reason I'm still alive, they're my babies!

Very cool to hear about the lowered immune system, I wasn't aware that during the tww it changed. Praying for your tww to end up as an excellent surprise!

I'm also glad you were able to notice the drinking had increased a little and be able to do something before it had gone a lot further. My "ex"s mother is an alcoholic (not saying you or anyone on the forum is even close to that) but she doesn't even realize or admit when she is drinking from the moment she wakes up, all through work, until she passes out back at home.

AFM: My temperatures are still higher than normal so I feel like I'm still in the tww even though I'd be on 21dpo. I haven't tested since 15dpo because I kind of had given up so I bought the last 3 tests at dollar tree and have used two of them and plan to use the last one up on 23dpo or later if my temps don't change.

Metformin was sitting a little better with me but my doctor wanted me to start increasing the amount. Side effects galore again.

For those of you who are celebrating their Thanksgiving this Thursday, what are your plans? :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Happy Birthday Fern! I am SO jealous that your done working for the YEAR!!!!!! Good job on getting in more swimming & eating better! I'm jealous of the swimming part too! :/ It's freezing cold here at night now, 50's during the day though....Actually had snow flurries Sunday on the way into church....ugh

Good luck on testing IRYM!!! Glad your getting over the crud!

Urs-I didn't have many s/e when I took 500mg twice a day, but since I've been on it 3 times a day the only thing I have noticed is that I tend to have looser bm's(TMI) Hope you get some answers soon on this cycle!

AFM-Well I made it to the gym today & am going tomorrow too! It was tough but it felt great to be at it again....Going to try my best to get back in the habit at least 3 times a week for sure. I've started Thanksgiving prep! Just got a yummy cheesecake out of the oven. This one is just a plain one with a sugar cookie crust ;) Also got my dressing & broccoli casserole made and in the fridge! Turkey's thawing as we speak lol Just having dinner for our family, though my parents & dh grandma may come too. Working on Black Friday, which is fine since I'm not going shopping in that mess! I am excited for saturday though! We are taking the kids to our 1st ever UT football game!!!! DH used to go with his G-pa, so not new to him, but still excited though!


----------



## swimmyj1

Sorry gals I've been a little MIA this week. Glad to see everyone is doing good :) I was taking a little time away for me. I made some very rash decisions over the last few weeks and have been having to deal with the consequences. I almost slept with someone else with the purpose of getting pregnant .... I was just so fed up with the red tape of using a donor or that my fertility clinic won't even let us get a plan in order without talking to the genetic specialists first. Thank god I came to my senses and told my DH that I had been talking with someone and I know its going to take time to get his trust back. I'm just so grateful I didn't do it ... I didn't want to sleep with someone else I just hate that we will be coming up on 3 years of ttc and we more than likely have a lot of MC in our future. I actually started seeing a therapist and am feeling a lot better. I forgot how nice it is to be able to vent everything out and know that it will never get back to anyone I know hahaha.

Finally got an appointment in with the genetic specialists on the 18th. Unfortunately its 3 hours from our house so its gonna be a long day, but hopefully we get some more answers and can keep going from there.


----------



## cupcakestoy

:hugs:Swimmy! I'm so sorry that you've been having ir so hard, but I am glad that you are getting in some therapy :) I'm sure guilty of that thought running through my head at times, well I was during the nitty gritty of ttc, especially when dh wouldn't bd! LMBO, I was never really "talking" to someone though.....just daydreaming about some random Ginger stranger I guess! I'm horrible at lying though, so it never would have worked! I do commend you for coming clean with dh! Its always good to clear the air! Much love & Prayers sister!


----------



## ireadyermind

*swimmy* - That sounds so tough. :( I'm glad you didn't go through with it and came clean. :hugs:

*Ursaula* - Same here. I don't have any health issues that are strictly related to my weight. Shouldn't that mean that the weight is hormone induced and not due to crappy eating, poor lifestyle choices, etc? Why can't physicians connect the dots like that?


AFM -- Tested this morning after having BFP dreams all night and got BFN. Boo. But I'm still feeling a little off from that flu bug and will be telling the fam that I'm taking it easy because the last thing I need is to make myself even more sick, you know? So a couple of drinks, but I don't intend to get _drunk_.

Besides, 10DPO is still early and I wouldn't normally be testing this early if it wasn't for the fact I planned on having alcohol this holiday. So!

It ain't over until AF shows her ugly face, and I have to wait all the way til Monday for that, at the earliest. I'm glad I'll have some distraction in the form of this family get-together.

EDIT: Oh! And my temp spiked back up to 98.46 today. Hmmmmmmm, interesting!


----------



## Ursaula

Cupcake: Thanks for your input. I decided to check in with my doctor via phone call today to ask about them because I was concerned. He said as long as I am ok with having them then there isn't anything to be concerned about. I'm use to most of them as I have irritable bowel syndrome. The only different one is nausea which I get regularly anyway when starting or ending a medication.

Super happy you're able to get in the gym! That has to make you feel great! :) Your Thanksgiving already sounds delicious and have a lot of fun at the game!

Swimmy: I'm really glad you were able to talk the idea down and speak to your hubby about it. Therapy is really an AWESOME way just to vent out some of the angry energy. I'm also grateful you were able to share this with us. I pray for you and your hubby to get through this together. I hope you get the answers you're looking for on the 18th.

IRYM: I had a physician tell me a few months ago I'm "not allowed" to have children yet because of my weight. I was furious leaving because apparently we need "permission" from strangers to tell us how and when we can have children. I hate people sometimes, haha!

I agree 10dpo is still really early but glad you tested anyway just incase before the holiday! I'm loving your temp increase and praying Monday and afterwards lead to NO af!

AFM: Doing one last test tomorrow morning and feeling a little heartbroken over it. I'm not very hopeful for it as I would be 23dpo tomorrow and what are the chances?

Also having a rough day as I gained 6 pounds (I know why). Planning to see a dietitian soon to really help me with this emotional eating thing.

I'm confused as well...my "s/o" and I have decided to remain friends but the past couple times we've seen each other we ended up in bed. Is this normal, what should I do about it?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Urs-in my opinion I would tell your s/o, that it can't be both ways. Either you work at your relationship, romantically or you remain friends. Either way sex would be off the table for a good while for me. My ex husband did the same thing the 1st month we were separated, or tried to. With us it was a matter of familiarity. He thought he would use me for sex, but that plan wasn't working with me....good luck testing today! As for the weight gain.....hugs! I've had that happen too a few times.. Very discouraging, but its usually mostly water retention. Hang in there!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are eating around 1:00, then driving a plate & some necessities to a patient of mine who is all alone in this world & struggles to make ends meet. So sad as her dh & dd have long ago passed. Hoping to make her smile today & realizing how greatly we are blessed!!!


----------



## Fern81

Happy thanksgiving!!!! Even though it's not a South African tradition, I want DH and I to also focus on what makes us thankful especially today. Hope you all have a GREAT day!

Thanks girls I had a lovely birthday. Still eating birthday cake but I'm swimming and eating loads of salads & veg too... as soon as all the birthday food is finished I'll attempt to go back on the healthy eating plan. :)

Calling 4 dpo; I think I ovulated very late Sunday night, going on O pains. We'll see.

Out of all the cycles that we've "tried", I think we have the smallest chance this cycle. Even though I had such good intentions to eat well etc, I didn't do as well as I had planned and had a few too many drinks in the beginning of the cycle. I also ate more junk food than I had planned (like I said earlier, I guess due to emotional eating & feeling angry and skeptical). So obviously my health, while not bad, was not optimal. I had barely any EWCM and we didn't bother using preseed or anything similar. We also dtd in the mornings so I would have to get up right away after and most of the *important stuff* would run out (sorry if TMI). I definitely didn't have time to lay down with my legs in the air for 30min each time. On top of all that my temps aren't really rising like they should so I'm guessing my progesterone levels aren't optimal/estrogen is too high OR my body is not responding to the progesterone properly.

I think I really have given up, I didn't have any energy to try this cycle (not trying to sound bitter, I'm really doing OKish). On my birthday my husband gave me a card "from the cats", saying "happy birthday MOMMY". It made me so sad to think that I will ever only be mommy to my pets. It was such a poignant card. But I didn't cry about it and felt better thinking that at least my rescue kitties DO have a "mom" even if I don't have a human baby.

I won't be using clomid again next cycle even though I still have a pack left. I will go back on bcp and see what happens from there. I'm hoping that if I'm only concentrating on on slimming and fitness and NOT on ttc, I go back to losing weight and being healthy (it worked for me last cycle when I was on bcp!). Hopefully I won't have the anger and cynicism next cycle, because I won't be focused on ttc which I know won't work... and that should mean less emotional eating & bad decisions. 10 days until AF arrives, then I can start working out harder etc. I'm so happy that I've decided to cut out all alcohol, just going to aid in the slimming process.

Swimmy - Lady I just have so much respect for you for coming clean to your husband and not going through with your desperate thoughts. We are ALL human and all have so many weaknesses and failings but you actually had the guts to fix something that could potentially have ruined your life/marriage. STANDING OVATION chicka. I'm praying for you, that you might find peace. Sending you a whole heap of hugs. You are so strong. xxxx

IRYM - awwww I was keeping my fingers crossed for a bfp!! Hoping it's just too early!

Cupcake - good job on getting back in the gym! All those consistent lifestyle changes are very inspiring. x

Ursaula - that is really a though situation with your ex. After I got divorced 10 years ago at a young age, my ex and I used to see each other and I'm sorry to admit we also ended up in bed a few times. I couldn't get any emotional distance from him and the breakup dragged on for a number of extremely painful months. Even today the thought of him causes me pain and I don't have 100% closure. It really messed with my emotional health and after going through that, I personally think a clean break is best. Sending you positive thoughts. I hope the two of you manage to decide on what your boundaries are. We all deserve to be happy and feel safe in a relationship whether it be friendship or a romantic involvement.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern- I'm so wishing I could just hug you! I honestly don't feel like your just going to end up being a mom to just your cats! I think God has a special plan & purpose for you & dh. Not sure how it will all play out of course, but I do believe in happy endings! Much love to you!


----------



## Fern81

Hope everyone had a fab feasting day. Cupcake that's so nice of you to share with a less fortunate acquaintance. It just makes the festivities so much more special and meaningful. Supermarkets here sell large buckets filled with necessities like nonperishable foods and toiletries, and also a few sweet treats. The bucket is large and strong enough to be used around the house after it's been emptied, too. We plan on handing out a few to a number of less fortunate families, it's so affordable and I think it's a great holiday gift. 

IRYM - any updates? Holding my breath over here....!

Well I started running again today, whoop whoop! My knee was fine :) but that might have been because I was taking things really slowly and walking more than running! I am in the tww after all hehe. And I swam a few lengths too. Getting really tanned already from all the swimming & sunshine. I must say it's sooooo much easier to exercise now that I'm on holiday. I must just find a way to get fit and get a routine going that will still work when the teaching madness starts again in January.

Something else - today I've suddenly started thinking of the other cycle I had such slowly creeping temps (June cycle of this year). I had a 7 dpo progesterone test and my levels were quite high even though I was super cynical! Also, that was the month I had 2 tests turn positive (well after the time limit though)... and AF was 2/3 days late. Maybe I had a chemical pregnancy? That in itself would be astonishing and it would mean that I do still have egg cells. Just musing.:blush:


----------



## Fern81

Anyone there? Or are you all still recovering from thanksgiving and black Friday shopping :)


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks gals for your input in regards to the relationship with him. We had a talk a few days ago and discussed boundaries that need to be put in place and both agreed no sex and a few other boundaries were set. We both had plans to go on a trip together this weekend and decided to go on it anyway. It was a hard trip as I watched him fall back into a past drug addiction when he met up with one of his old druggy buddies to "catch up". My heart aches for him yet I know this was a good move as he needs to get his s**t together and I still have a few things I'd like to work on.

I know something positive will come your way Fern, just hold in there! :) Glad to hear you've started running too, and swimming! I love swimming but it snows here about 9 months of the year and the closest indoor pool is in the city and it would cost too much to go daily. I agree it does sound like a chemical pregnancy...fx'd for those eggs!

How was everyones Thanksgiving?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Sorry gals, been a BUSY weekend! Thanksgiving was great! Just us 4 here, but very nice & I'm a darn good cook! lol I AM happy to report I didn't gain! I didn't lose either, but I figured I would gain after all the junk we ate! lol No Black Friday shopping for me! Not going to fight the crowds of obnoxious folks to save a few bucks :/ We did go to the UT Game & it was absolutley awesome! Will for sure be going back in the future!!!!

I finished my Clomid & today is cd 11, so I will start Opks today, as well as increasing bd, in hopes of a long awaited Miracle! We started a marriage class last Sunday, with 8 other couples from our church and had our 2nd meeting last night. It was the official 1st class. It was really awesome, some in tears, letting go of old hurts, discussing issues. I believe its going to set a new tone for lots of us! Hope everyone had a great weekend!


----------



## swimmyj1

thank you so much for being so supportive ladies. i'm still so embarrassed that I almost slept with someone else. 
Cupcake im also on cd11 fingers crossed for both of us! My follicle scan is on Wednesday but i think i need to go back on metformin. I felt like my ovulation signs were much more clear then (not holding too much hope for this cycle honeslty) and if we don't get a bfp I think im going to take a month off from ttc just to work on my marriage a little. 

Also the holidays are killing me on losing weight (this time of year is so hard!!)


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

Glad to hear from you all, I'm going a bit crazy in my last (for now) tww so I need to chat :). 7/8 dpo today and I'm super tired and dizzy. That in itself is not unusual for me in the latter part of the tww and I know it's just due to progesterone (my temps have increased a bit so I know the CL is pumping out some!). It's also very hot here and I went for a run at 10h00 AM in the sun (Crazy) so that could also have made me dizzy. I'm fed up with my husband who just ignores me & our cats and plays games on his tablet every single second that he can. Clash of clans is truly a relationship wrecker!!!! I need to talk to my husband tonight and try to make peace but honestly it feels like I'm the only one making an effort. When we talk, we fight about the restoration work in the house (he hates all my ideas) and the rest of the time he just ignores me and doesn't take part in anything to do with the house or our families etc. If he doesn't change his attitude I'm not going to ttc just to please him next year. What for? So he can ignore his possible baby too? Idiot. 

Rant over! At the same time I'm so grateful to be on holiday. I'm spring cleaning a small bit of the house daily, working in the garden, reading a lot.... Loving it. I wish I could be a housewife :).

Swimmy - I am such a believer in metformin after my sister conceived on it twice (drs predicted that she would reeeeeaaalllly struggle but metformin was a game changer). Were you using metformin with your bfp cycles? Urgh hun clomid does mess with your hormones and ovulation signs can be a bit wonky on clomid cycles. FX for your follicle scan, hope there is at least 1 big one, hopefully more! I think we all will have a few tough days diet wise during the holidays. Too bad. Let's just try to eat as healthy as POSSIBLE. :hugs:

Ursaula - great that you had that chat with your ex. When are you seeing your dr again? Still no AF for you? I can't imagine living in such a cold country. It gets cold here in winter but 5-6 months of the year at least are warm enough for shorts and t-shirts & swimming in our outdoor pools. I love Africa's climate, let me know if you want to visit! :winkwink:

Cupcakestoy - FX for this cycle! Good for you for being so positive! This was the first year that most South African stores had a black Friday sale. I stayed away too! RSA is just adopting more and more American and European holidays and festivals.

IRYM - neeeeeewwwwwssss!!! Eeek I am really hoping for you; temps still up etc.??

Last night I had a dream about seeing my family in a year's time. I saw my sister's kids all a year older. Another lady in my family was pregnant. And I was thin, childless and had a super flat tummy. It was a bittersweet dream - my flat toned tummy and my 1 year older niece & nephews were the sweet parts. Well, whatever happens will be good, I will MAKE it good! :thumbup:


----------



## ireadyermind

Sorry gals, I was out of town and didn't have access to wifi, and anyway I felt it would have been rude to browse the internet when I was supposed to be spending time with my family for the holiday. Haha


Temps are still up, but BFN today (15dpo). AF due tomorrow morning-ish. The only AF symptom I have today is some slight cramping. We'll see what happens tomorrow!

Last time I got a BFP, it wasn't until I was 3 days late, soooo it's possible I'm a late implanter. :)


----------



## Ursaula

Glad everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Cupcake: The marriage class sounds excellent for everyone who has ever had a relationship. I wish my church had those sort of groups but our congregation is 8 people max. Great job not gaining weight too!

Swimmy: Do what works for you. If you feel Metformin was better for you then do it! It's your body and you know what's best. Happy to hear from you. :)

Fern: My dad is the one addicted to the iPad checking his emails through family events. We hardly talk to him because he just ignores us. It's frustrating. Fx'd for you and what gives you happiness :)

I see my doctor on Dec. 15 and still no af or BFP...I can't tell if I feel pregnant because I am or if it's because I started metformin. I've been having a lot of pregnancy dreams lately too...I can't wait to see my doctor again to figure things out as to why af hasn't shown.

We get almost 2 months of shorts and swimming weather. It sucks but I call it home :)

IRYM: Fx'd!! I'm loving the look of your chart!

AFM: I'm hoping to move into my own place in the next little while. I just have to find a roommate...I'd love to buy my own little house but I just can't afford it right now :(


----------



## ireadyermind

Okay now I think I'm caught up on everything that happened while I was away!

*Fern* - Don't consider it "giving up", that has such a negative connotation! You're not giving up, you're coming to terms with things and choosing to move on. :)

*Ursaula* - Thanks! I was really hoping to see a temp spike today, but I'll take an "almost the same as yesterday" temp too, I guess! :haha:



As for me, I just wanted to say: *Holy moly,* I have been suffering from the worst case of itchy nipples I've ever had in the history of my life. Slathering lotion on them only works for an hour, tops, and sometimes not even that. I can't for the life of me figure out what's causing this. 

Google gives mixed results. Some say it's a pregnancy symptom (even this early? I doubt that), some gals have this every TWW, some gals never experience it... I haven't changed laundry detergents, I'm not wearing anything with a new fabric, I haven't switched lotions, perfumes, deodorants, or anything else that might come into contact with my chest. It's driving me nuts!

Any of you gals get this sort of thing in your TWW? It's new to me, so I'm not sure if it's hormonal, or if I somehow managed to get the skin on my breasts all dried out, or if it's some kind of allergic reaction. Ack.


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: I'm just waiting to see what this cycle turns into for you. Fx'd! The only time I've had itchy breasts (between them, not nipple area) is when I exercise. The sweat causes them to itch like crazy, not sure if that helps or not but it's the only case I have found for me. Might be a good note though as I've never had a BFP, so could be a positive sign!

In the discussion of boobs, mine are ACHING!! I kind of wish I didn't start metformin because I don't know if the "early pregnancy symptoms" are being caused by the drug or that I'm pregnant. I'm driving myself crazy with BFNs but some of the things I'm feeling aren't written as a side effect for metformin. Hurry up af or BFP! Urgh!


----------



## ireadyermind

Wellll my temp dropped to below coverline today. :( I guess that means I'm out! But as I'm writing this, AF still hasn't showed. I even did a Q-tip test this morning to check for traces of blood, and it came back clean.

I'm feeling some mild cramping this morning, though, so it's probably just AF on the way.

If that's the case, then this morning I need to call and make an appointment for the HSG. Then it's a flurry of driving around town once I make that appointment, because I have to go take a urine pregnancy test at one of their labs (AF isn't enough, I guess), I have to go pick up antibiotics and start taking them, etc. And the only place that does the HSGs for my provider is waaaaaaay on the other side of town. I was kinda hoping it was at the offices near me, since that's where the appt setting and initial testing for infertility was done.


----------



## Fern81

OMW my computer keeps deleting my long posts!!!! I'm just going to do a shortened version.

I'm nauseous and *very* tired but I think I have a tummy bug. 9ish dpo, 5 more days then these progesterone symptoms will subside so if I'm not pregnant there's that to look forward to at least. 

IRYM - hope your temps rise again! And if not, all those tedious and uncomfortable procedures will at least hopefully bring you closer to an answer. Hugs!

You are so right; I certainly don't feel like I am "giving up in anguish". Infertility is horrible and devastating but I believe we have a choice whether we let it destroy our lives or whether we are positive and keep on living a full life. I choose the latter. And have updated my signature as per your suggestion. :)

Cupcakestoy - are you tracking ovulation? Hoping the course brings so many blessings to your marriage. x

Swimmy - how are those OPKs? GL for tomorrow!

Ursaula - only 2 weeks until you see the dr again, hope you also get some more info & more tests done! So exciting to be looking out for a new place to live - fresh start. :)

Drjo and MrsTigger - thinking of you and also of the other ladies who haven't posted in a while.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Ick, I hope you're feeling better! I had the worst case of stomach flu last weekend and I know how much it sucks!

DH submitted his SA sample this morning, and the lab says they usually have results back within a day. I'm wondering if that means we'll get the results back by the end of today's business day, or some time tomorrow? Hmmm. I'm excited to see what comes up!

Is it easier to resolve male fertility issues than female ones? I feel like it ought to be, but I don't know for sure. Hmmm.


----------



## drjo718

Hey ladies, I'm still around rooting for all of you, just don't usually post! 

Had a midwife appointment today...their scale reads 2.5 pounds more than mine! Ack! According to my home scale, I've gained 6 pounds so far in 18 weeks so im still ok. Admittedly I haven't eaten very healthy foods due to continued nausea, but I don't feel like I'm eating more than usual despite the additional calorie requirements. Trying not to gain more than 25 pounds the whole pregnancy. Then I'll be back on the weight loss track, and fortunately I'll be on maternity leave during the summer so I'll be able to get outside and be active. I'll be needing to lose baby weight, plus since I was overweight before, I probably should lose an additional 50ish pounds to be in a healthy range. As of now we're not planning to prevent any pregnancy after delivery, since it took a good chunk of time this time around. 

Anyway, I like reading everyone's updates!


----------



## ireadyermind

Good to hear from you, *Drjo!* Sounds like you've got it all planned out! We like hearing your updates! :)


AFM --- Ugh. AF showed up and these cramps are RIDICULOUS! They're so bad they're making me sick to my stomach. That'll teach me to get my hopes up, won't it? :dohh:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Sorry IRYM :(

I'm using Opks & CM checks...Should O soon....I'm guessing Thursday (CD 14), but Opks - so far. I use the CBD digi's with the smiley face, as I despise line judging lol

Sorry I'm not doing personals....work is kicking my tail this week...UGH


----------



## Fern81

Drjo - nice to hear from you! Glad everything is still going well. Do you know if you are having a boy/girl or are you keeping it a surprise? After LO's arrival please feel free to come back for support to lose weight while ttc #2. xx

Ireadyermind - boo for AF! I hope you feel better soon. With this sucky endometriosis I know all too well how terrible and debilitating P cramps can be. Thinking of you and fx for your husband's results.

Cupcakestoy - GL for O this week! Hope you are not too busy to get some bd in ;). Will you be taking any leave from work for December holidays? It's easy for me; I don't have anything to do in Dec since our school year is from early Jan- early Dec, I have nobody to teach until next year. But how does it work in the home nursing profession? 

Hi everyone else!

AFM - I feel so much better than yesterday. Loads of energy today. I caught up on 2 days worth of spring cleaning, exercised a lot and did loads of gardening. Thank heavens it didn't turn into a full blown stomach flu. I took a chance on some dodgy-looking salad on Monday; guess it made me ill. I only have a lingering headache but that's OK.
_Just a tongue-in-cheek, tmi side story: 2 years ago when we got married DH and I had stomach flu for the first 3 days of our honeymoon and took turns running to the bathroom... then we got better, had 1 perfect day at the beach, had dinner at a seafood restaurant where I ate spoiled prawns and instantly got sick to death AGAIN. Horrible and so embarrassing; we didn't live together before we got married and our first part of living together consisted of being sick and him holding a bucket for me to throw up in, WTH. We laugh about it now.... (him more than me)! _:haha::blush::wacko::dohh:

TTC wise- I honestly don't feel like I could be pregnant. My boobs are not sore at all (SO WEIRD!), where I normally have really sore bbs in the tww. I don't have many pregnancy symptoms today (which I would have blamed on clomid in any case lol) so my previous remark on progesterone symptoms seems moot. I wanted to poas this morning but I had to get up to urinate 6 times during the night!!! and so didn't think I had enough concentrated FMU for a test. Maybe tomorrow. 

May I just say again... I'm so grateful to be on holiday. :cloud9:

Sending you all :hugs:


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - darn i really had my fingers crossed for you! 

Cupcake - Fingers crossed we get solid smilies soon!! Mine are still super super light :(

AFM - my scan shows 2 mature follicles but because I'm still not even getting highs on my monitor there is a 3rd that might mature before I ovulate. Not gonna lie it made me a little nervous (I know we are shooting for multiple eggs with my DH's genetic issue) but when she said "have you and your husband talked about multiples because there is always a chance they would all be good" idk alls i could think of were 3 babies which my DH is all for (shocker lol). My temps are super off I think my batteries are going bad and I need to get a new one. Still getting lows on my monitor :( 

Sorry long rant ladies. Do any of you do any winter sports? We don't have snow here and i'm starting to get a little stir crazy


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks, gals. Sorry to disappoint! Heh

*Fern* -- Is getting up to pee SIX TIMES in one night a typical part of your TWW? If it isn't, that may just be a good sign for you! The urge to pee more often started up for me almost immediately on my BFP cycle. At 5wks (so basically, having just confirmed pregnancy) I had the urge to pee every hour, even if there was virtually nothing in my bladder. Apparently HCG irritates the lining of your bladder and makes it spasm, and that's what causes the urge to go all the time in early pregnancy. FX'd and baby dust!


AFM --

DH's SA results are amazing. High sperm count, excellent motility and morphology, and all of his other results were either normal or above average. So it's just me that's broken, I guess. I was both relieved and sad about that. I was hoping there wasn't something ELSE wrong with me, you know? :(

On the other hand, my mother struggled with infertility while TTC me. She and my dad tried for over a year without luck, started seeing a specialist, and they finally conceived me after mom had air blown into her uterus and tubes to ensure that they were all open. I suppose she had a blocked tube or somesuch. So I'm hoping that forcing the dye through MY tubes will open them up wide and allow sperm and eggs to travel freely. 

My appt for the HSG is December 11th. Eep!


----------



## drjo718

Fern- Thanks! We're finding out boy or girl on the 16th!


----------



## ireadyermind

drjo718 said:


> Fern- Thanks! We're finding out boy or girl on the 16th!

So exciting! Are you gonna tell everyone right away, or will you have a gender reveal party?


----------



## drjo718

We're going to have a small gender reveal party with our parents that evening and then will tell other family and friends.


----------



## Fern81

Enjoy your party Drjo. What a great way to start the holiday festivities xx

IRYM - Glad all is well with your DH's SA. One less thing to worry about. All the best for your hsg!

Swimmy and cupcake - Hope you ladies have healthy eggies this cycle, would be awesome if you can actually be bump buddies!

BFN today 11dpo on an early detection test. No line, no evap, no shadow, not even when I take the test apart. I'm out. My boobs are still not sore at all, temps are low this cycle. Dunno if I screwed up my hormones by taking black cohosh. DH and I had a hug & cuddle this morning after the negative, not that we expected anything else. He has at least been much more attentive since our talk the other night. I guess tonight we will make a final decision re changing our medical aid fund and me having the lap done to remove endo next year. We need to make that decision before 10 December (cut-off date). Back on the Pill in 2 days and one good thing is some weight will drop off again. At this stage we're thinking of not doing IVF. I think more and more that God must have a reason & purpose for not giving us kids. I'm going for a run now to try and get some of this sadness out of my head. Have to keep on living positively right.


----------



## Fern81

Oh bugger... I glanced at the test again 2 hrs later and now there is a clear line, I KNOW I shouldn't have looked but we do that, right. Test is not dry yet and the line remains after I did a water rinse. Hey, blame it on the fact that I'm a scientist, natural curiosity lol. Difficult to see if it is pink or gray. Probably an evap but I'll test again tomorrow morning and just do light exercise for a day or two more.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* -- 11DPO is still very early for an accurate result on a test! Avg implantation is 9DPO and you can implant as late as 12!

So it's not really over until AF shows up! Keep us posted on that mystery line, and post pics if you like! I can do some tweaking in Photoshop so we can see if there's really color there, or if it's a true evap. :D


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey gals. I'm thinking I may have missed my surge :/ another negative opk....my BBS are a little tender & my cm is dried up??? I always have ewcm, even on clomid, so I'm in the dark so far.....I'll keep testing until Sunday tho. We have been bding every other day though, so if I did miss it we are covered either way. Sure am hoping to see some exciting news on hear very soon from you gals!!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> Hey gals. I'm thinking I may have missed my surge :/ another negative opk....my BBS are a little tender & my cm is dried up??? I always have ewcm, even on clomid, so I'm in the dark so far.....I'll keep testing until Sunday tho. We have been bding every other day though, so if I did miss it we are covered either way. Sure am hoping to see some exciting news on hear very soon from you gals!!!!

What cycle day are you on? I don't ovulate until CD20 or even later. If you're BDing every other day, I'm sure you got your bases covered! :) GL!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Today is CD 14. I've only O'd later than this 1 time & that was my 1st femara cycle. O'd on CD 16 that time.....I did get a bfp that cycle, but that was our 1st iui. In the past I've O'd on CD 13 or 14, even on clomid....


----------



## Fern81

Nope, 2x bfn this morning.

GL cupcakestoy, just don't stop the bd! :) This cycle I didn't really have an idea when I ovulated, had barely any ewcm where normally in clomid cycles I have lots. Every cycle can be a bit different, you just keep doing your part. ;)

Hugs all x

ETA: So after establishing a definite bfn, I started experimented with the tests again. Nothing to lose lol. I opened them and let them dry out, exactly the same as yesterday's test. One of the tests is exactly the same type as the one I used yesterday (was even in the same box so not a different batch). None of today's tests have any type of line on it but yesterday's is as dark as ever. I wonder WHAT weird chemical reaction happened there!


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> Today is CD 14. I've only O'd later than this 1 time & that was my 1st femara cycle. O'd on CD 16 that time.....I did get a bfp that cycle, but that was our 1st iui. In the past I've O'd on CD 13 or 14, even on clomid....

Well, let me just say, on the cycle I got my BFP, I ovulated on *CD33!*! I don't know what caused me to O so late, but it happened that way for no real reason that I could see, and I still got a BFP because I didn't stop BDing and using OPKs. So there's still hope!

:dust:




Fern81 said:


> Nope, 2x bfn this morning.
> 
> GL cupcakestoy, just don't stop the bd! :) This cycle I didn't really have an idea when I ovulated, had barely any ewcm where normally in clomid cycles I have lots. Every cycle can be a bit different, you just keep doing your part. ;)
> 
> Hugs all x
> 
> ETA: So after establishing a definite bfn, I started experimented with the tests again. Nothing to lose lol. I opened them and let them dry out, exactly the same as yesterday's test. One of the tests is exactly the same type as the one I used yesterday (was even in the same box so not a different batch). None of today's tests have any type of line on it but yesterday's is as dark as ever. I wonder WHAT weird chemical reaction happened there!

Oooo man, the same thing happened to me last month. I had ONE questionable line out of all the tests I took, and I couldn't get the same result to happen again. That really sucks!

Still, until AF shows, you're still in the game! But you knew that. :hugs:


----------



## swimmyj1

Darn fern I was really hoping you had gotten a bfp :( I'm sorry.

Cupcake - don't count yourself out my opks were super weird this time. Very light then went white, monitor was all lows. Then yesterday morning very very + and peak on the monitor. It's been a weird cycle for a lot of us.

On to the tww for me feeling really good about this time. Fingers crossed I really would like to get some good news before going to see he genetic specialist


----------



## cupcakestoy

Well still negative tonight, but I'm sure I just missed it, maybe too diluted urine....I'm having horrid cramps tonight, which is usual around O time for me on clomid. Thinking its my left side though, but the right was hurting earlier, so fx'd! We did bd again this morning. Used a softcup after & laid in bed with my feet on the wall for half an hour lol why not? Right!


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcake - fingers are crossed!!! 

Got my cross hairs today yay :) but i think i ovualted one egg on cd14 night and the next cd15 afternoon. is that possible??? 
I think if i end up with a bfn again this cycle we are going to have to take 2 months off ... we will see lol


----------



## Ursaula

Boo Fern! I had my fx'd for you.

Good luck, Cupcake and Swimmy!

I have been away from the forums because I was moving into a new place. My parents helped me move and I got a single key from the landlord (which I thought was weird?) and my parents helped put a bunch of stuff in the elevator and move it all out into the hallway on the floor. I unlocked the door and opened it to see an elderly couple sitting at a table eating their lunch...my parents and I kept apologizing and they ended up inviting us in for a few minutes to chat. I called the landlord and he said I got the right key and he would have the elderly couple removed and kicked out as soon as possible. I just said never mind and gave the couple the key and left. They said it's happened a few times to other residents in the building. WEIRD! So, we moved all my stuff back to my parents house and I'm stuck again since the landlord isn't answering my phone calls now and I need my first month and damage deposit back...URGH!

On a more topic-related note. I'm back down to 381lbs from being up to 386 or 387, so that made me feel good. My temperature is increasing even more (97.9degrees today) and ff stopped working. I reached cd181 and now ff has stopped charting or adding on days, do you gals know what's up?


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I've been away from forums, just trying to focus on other things and stay distracted. I read and lurk a bit, but haven't been very active.



Ursaula said:


> On a more topic-related note. I'm back down to 381lbs from being up to 386 or 387, so that made me feel good. My temperature is increasing even more (97.9degrees today) and ff stopped working. I reached cd181 and now ff has stopped charting or adding on days, do you gals know what's up?

It's my understanding that cycles that long are almost always annovulatory (do you know if you have PCOS?), so I guess it is probably refusing to track them beyond 6 months?

AFM: I visited the gyno for another check-up today. I feel better since being on my thyroid medication and will have my thyroid levels checked in January. The gyno said that almost all of my test results came back normal, except my testosterone is slightly elevated (2,29 and supposed to be under 1,8) -- but the free testosterone is actually normal. She's put me on metformin to see if that helps regulate things -- 500mg/day for the first week, then 1000mg/day after that.

Hope all is well with you lovely ladies!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey gals! I gave up on testing Opks lol I do have post O symptoms, so I'm in tww, expecting AF to show around the end of next week :/ Oh well, I plan to increase the Clomid to 100mg next cycle, as I only did 50mg this time & have a gut feeling my right ovary didn't O in the end :( Not much else going on here, except getting some Christmas shopping over with...Ugh, not feeling it this year...In other news a girl at our fire hall will find out gender next week I believe. Makes me resentful & sad as I was to be due a week or so before her.....Of course, its a 1st baby & she's 23, so I really can't hate her, but it still stings when I hear conversations about their plnas & milestones she's reached....I guess I'm on a downswing emotionally this week...sigh...Also failed miserably so far these last few days with my eating & exercise...trying to get in a better mind set, so I'm MAKING myself go to the gym for the next 2 days for sure & wood on Friday! I'm off today to go pick up a grant check for our Fire dept. Thinking I will leave in a bit to go get in some retail therapy at the big shopping centers at Mt. Juliet, close to Nashville......Hope everyone else is well!


----------



## Fern81

Hi all, I'm just taking some time off.... really, really struggling emotionally atm. Some days will always be worse than others I guess. 
Just wanted to let you all know I'm reading and cheering you on, even though I'm not posting right now. Xxx


----------



## ireadyermind

Ursaula said:


> On a more topic-related note. I'm back down to 381lbs from being up to 386 or 387, so that made me feel good. My temperature is increasing even more (97.9degrees today) and ff stopped working. I reached cd181 and now ff has stopped charting or adding on days, do you gals know what's up?

What a strange thing to happen at the apartments!  Is it a case of people squatting there, or is it just a shady sort of landlord?

Congrats on being back down a few pounds. That's always a mood booster. And I'm not entirely sure why FF would stop adding days. Maybe email their support folks?




Mrs. Tigger said:


> AFM: I visited the gyno for another check-up today. I feel better since being on my thyroid medication and will have my thyroid levels checked in January. The gyno said that almost all of my test results came back normal, except my testosterone is slightly elevated (2,29 and supposed to be under 1,8) -- but the free testosterone is actually normal. She's put me on metformin to see if that helps regulate things -- 500mg/day for the first week, then 1000mg/day after that.
> 
> Hope all is well with you lovely ladies!

So happy to hear that your thyroid meds are helping you! Let us know if the metformin works for you! :)




cupcakestoy said:


> Hey gals! I gave up on testing Opks lol I do have post O symptoms, so I'm in tww, expecting AF to show around the end of next week :/ Oh well, I plan to increase the Clomid to 100mg next cycle, as I only did 50mg this time & have a gut feeling my right ovary didn't O in the end :( Not much else going on here, except getting some Christmas shopping over with...Ugh, not feeling it this year...In other news a girl at our fire hall will find out gender next week I believe. Makes me resentful & sad as I was to be due a week or so before her.....Of course, its a 1st baby & she's 23, so I really can't hate her, but it still stings when I hear conversations about their plnas & milestones she's reached....I guess I'm on a downswing emotionally this week...sigh...Also failed miserably so far these last few days with my eating & exercise...trying to get in a better mind set, so I'm MAKING myself go to the gym for the next 2 days for sure & wood on Friday! I'm off today to go pick up a grant check for our Fire dept. Thinking I will leave in a bit to go get in some retail therapy at the big shopping centers at Mt. Juliet, close to Nashville......Hope everyone else is well!

Why did you stop OPKs? Have you had a BBT spike? While your body continues to try to ovulate, you may have several different "patches" of ovulation symptoms before you actually do ovulate. 

But if you and DH are still BDing a couple times a week, you should be ok! FXd!





Fern81 said:


> Hi all, I'm just taking some time off.... really, really struggling emotionally atm. Some days will always be worse than others I guess.
> Just wanted to let you all know I'm reading and cheering you on, even though I'm not posting right now. Xxx

:hugs: Fern!



AFM: Tomorrow is the day I start all the preparations for the dye test. First I take a urine pregnancy test at the lab, then tomorrow I start taking antibiotics to prepare me for the actual test on Friday. I'm getting a little nervous! :wacko:

As for the weight loss bit -- I pretty much stopped dieting altogether and I just eat when I'm hungry. That's not all that often, but now that I'm not counting every single calorie and stressing about weight, I feel a little better mentally speaking. But I don't know if I'm doing well at all with my weight loss. Probably not. 

Once I see what this dye test reveals, and get to speak to the fertility doctor instead of just a scheduling/receptionist gal. Then I will bring up my weight troubles, acne troubles, fatigue and other symptoms in the hopes that this will inspire them to check my estrogen, progesterone and LH levels next.


----------



## cupcakestoy

I quit checking opks since I've never O'd past CD 16 in our 3+ years of TTC. I have a regular cycle & don't have pcos so when I was temping, having scans & doing opks religiously I never had issues with annovulation. I'm sure just missed my surge, urine probably too dilute.....
Fern- Sorry your hurting! Lots of hugs sweetie!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Good job on your loss Urs! That is weird about the apt! Did you get your deposit back?

Irym- good luck on your hsg! I've had 2 & both were pretty much painless, even with a "supposed" blocked tube, which makes me doubt its truly completely blocked...


----------



## Ursaula

HUGE hug Fern!

The landlord seemed like a shady guy. I finally got my deposit back though! :)

Good luck IRYM with the test :)

Fx'd Cupcake.

Happy the medication is working and hoping Metformin works for you Mrs. Tigger. I do have PCOS and I haven't had af in years! However, my doctor gave me a shot of something to bring it on and started me on metformin. So far...nothing.


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcake - darn opk's I have had that happen before. metfromin has worked for me, seem to get better egg quality while on it. Fingers crossed for you!

IRYM - cant wait to hear about how your test went. 

Ursaula - Glad you got your deposit back, hope you find a better place soon!

AFM - Trying very hard not to test, im only 5-6dpo so no way it would be + im just being super impatient. Just for my own peace of mind i called my docs office and asked about ovulating a day apart and they said its possible happens a lot actually. So that made me feel better. Also finally got all of my holiday cards written up and sent out. now just on to the shopping ugh!


----------



## ireadyermind

Just got back from the test. I arrived at the office early (which I try to do, because you never know what sort of paperwork they'll make you fill out) only to hear that one of their two machines was down and everything was delayed. Ended up waiting 45mins before anyone saw me. Oye!

That little snag aside, the HSG test is normal. Both tubes open, no internal scarring, no growths, normally-shaped and -sized uterus.

So it's looking more and more like my issue is with hormones, like I've been saying all along. :dohh: You'd think they'd take your symptoms into account when determining what to test, right?

Oh well. At least now we know there aren't any physical issues causing my infertility. DH and I are more than likely going to be able to TTC naturally this month too, since it's so close to Christmas.


Additionally, my BBT thermometer is missing. I swear up and down that I put it back into my bag after staying with family over the weekend of the 5th, but when we got home and I went to get it from the suitcase, it wasn't there. We all had checked the room we stayed in multiple times, too, so it might've fallen to the floor, or in between the mattress and head board, or something random. Now I have to buy a new one and I've been using a regular fever thermometer in the interim, which isn't very accurate at ALL.

Charting temps this cycle is going to be a pain in the neck. Walmart and Target don't carry BBT thermometers around here and I have to make a special trip to a Rite Aid somewhere around town. Hmm.



*Ursaula -* Glad to hear you got your deposit back! I was worried that if the landlord was shady enough to lease you a place that already had people IN it, that he'd be shady enough to keep all your money, too!


*Swimmy -* How successful are you at NOT testing this TWW? I always say that "THIS TIME" I'm going to wait it out, and then I end up testing like 7DPO. Haha


----------



## ireadyermind

OH and let me say -- the HSG procedure was next to painless. Some cramps when they injected the dye, and that's it. The whole thing lasted less than 2 minutes from injection to completion. They told me that if I felt dizzy or like I was going to faint, I could lay on the table as long after the procedure as I wanted, and I thought... "Seriously? There are people who are so traumatized by what are essentially PMS type cramps that they think they're going to pass out?"

But then I suppose there are all kinds of folks in the world. I know that getting stitches makes me feel like I'm going to throw up, even if I don't look at the stitches being done. It just grosses me out so much that I can't handle it. So I suppose there are folks that, like me, can't take the idea of what's being done to them and it works them up into a state of nausea or whatnot.


----------



## drjo718

Iread- glad to hear everything is normal. What's the next step for testing? I also wonder how some people can't handle certain procedures that cause mild discomfort. Like how some ladies crawl up the bed and lose their minds during a cervical exam for labor eval. I have to wonder how they got pregnant (I know thru sex due to prenatal records)...because I'm pretty sure my finger is smaller than a penis lol. And in there far less time.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - glad everything looked ok, mine friend said hers really hurt but she had both tubes blocked and it opened one of them. I wonder if that is why it hurts for some. But mine wasn't bad at all lol. Hoping you guys will be able to get pregnant with some hormone meds :) Also I have totally stunk at the not testing I took on on 6dpo hahahaha. Felt bad for my DH i've been super moapy and whinny this cycle. I've cried at the stupidest things ugh really hoping for that bfp!!!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Glad all is good IRYM! One less thing to stress about. What's next?

Swimmy-I hear ya on being whiny! I actually tested a couple days ago caused I'm super "wet"(tmi) & don't remember that last time on clomid :/ needless to say it was a huge bfn! Only a few more days til AF should get me....I can tell too! Starving for last few days! I'm sure not losing or holding steady this week :( I think I'm in a funk...just feel like I'm never going to get there, even tho I know I can do it! Too many yummy temptations too! Gosh....I'm such a loser at will power when it comes to peanut butter or chocolate.....sigh


----------



## ireadyermind

drjo718 said:


> Iread- glad to hear everything is normal. What's the next step for testing? I also wonder how some people can't handle certain procedures that cause mild discomfort. Like how some ladies crawl up the bed and lose their minds during a cervical exam for labor eval. I have to wonder how they got pregnant (I know thru sex due to prenatal records)...because I'm pretty sure my finger is smaller than a penis lol. And in there far less time.

lol! You crack me up. But I have to agree! How'd they get pregnant if they're losing their minds over having a finger put in there? Oh man. It makes me think of women in the early 1900s who'd faint at the drop of a hat. I always wondered just how was it they were fainting over such dumb things. I've fainted before, and it was because of heat stroke! Not seeing a mouse, or something. Haha.





swimmyj1 said:


> IRYM - glad everything looked ok, mine friend said hers really hurt but she had both tubes blocked and it opened one of them. I wonder if that is why it hurts for some. But mine wasn't bad at all lol. Hoping you guys will be able to get pregnant with some hormone meds :) Also I have totally stunk at the not testing I took on on 6dpo hahahaha. Felt bad for my DH i've been super moapy and whinny this cycle. I've cried at the stupidest things ugh really hoping for that bfp!!!

This was painful, but in the "man this is a really bad cramp" sort of way. I can't imagine what it'd feel like if this procedure opened up a tube, though. I bet it hurts a LOT! Those people get a pass if they feel woozy afterwards. Haha




cupcakestoy said:


> Glad all is good IRYM! One less thing to stress about. What's next?

Thanks! I don't know for sure what's next. I have to wait for the fertility doctor to review all my previous tests and then let me know where we go from here. I personally believe that it will be hormone testing for things like estrogen, progesterone, etc.


----------



## swimmyj1

Cupcake - I'm right there with you lately I've been so hungry, too many holiday snacks. Doesn't help my DH found this ice cream that is a ben and jerrys that has peanut butter and chocolate cookie dough with chocolate fudge .... I could eat that all day long lol. 

So I took a test today before work and didn't see anything but then I got a text from my dh about an hour later asking why I didn't tell him I had gotten a + test .... I'm thinking its probably an evap line but it has my hopes way to high. (he didn't understand the whole evap line thing and of course took the trash out :dohh:)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Guess it wasn't an evap??? Congrats, if that is indeed a bfp!

I have been a mess this week. DS has been giving us problems, so I've spent a lot of time crying & upset over that....And found out over the weekend the girl at our fire dept is having a girl.....been sad as I should be reaching these milestones before her :( not bothered to weigh this morning. PMS & lack of discipline=failure!!!!
Hoping this gets better before Christmas! Can't take much more before I lose my mind!


----------



## swimmyj1

I took another test at work at it doesn't look like an evap. Very light but after 3 of different brands I figure probably not imagining it lol. Not super excited just waiting to see what happens. 

I'm horrible with diet this time of year. Too many yummy cookies. I'm sorry you have someone so close to milestones with you :( that makes it so hard


----------



## Fern81

Hi gals

Swimmy- I'm going to go ahead & congratulate you! I believe that is a bfp! I saw your test pics on another thread that I've been reading along on. Those all look legit! Keep us updated re your tests tomorrow with fmu- I'm genuinely happy for you and keeping everything crossed.

Irym, cupcake, urs, drjo, mrstigger.... thinking of you ladies. 

Irym I'm glad the hsg went smoothly and showed no issues hun. At least you don't need surgery to unblock or cut out something. Fx the drs find out what is wrong. X

Cupcake I'm sorry that you're going through such a though time right now especially with the pregnant colleague. My heart goes out to you. X

My 11dpo line last cycle was even darker than your tests swimmy so I'm guessing it was a chemical.... since no tests on subsequent days showed evap lines. Atm I'm really depressed, so much so I don't want to get out of bed. Feel like I have nothing to say to my friends and couldn't enjoy our early family Christmas yesterday, just sat there and tried to breathe. That's not like me! I always try my best &succeed at coping so idk what's going on. I have no-one to talk to & my husband is being such a dick I'm considering leaving him. He keeps screaming at me like a psychopath & hurling insults if I tell him I'm not feeling well (and just whenever else). Today is our wedding anniversary and I was going to take HIM out for dinner but he insulted and emotionally abused me so much for not giving him a good enough birthday gift (I really tried!) and for not knowing an alternative route to the restaurant (I don't know that area of town very well and only know ONE route to get to the restaurant; NOT GOOD ENOUGH!) that I just couldn't go on with it & went home instead. I'm just sitting crying in bed, how can I go to dinner with such an *$$hole? 

Sorry for venting here but I really have nowhere else to turn. Can't talk to anyone else about this. I'm depressed beyond my skills to help myself and my husband seems to hate me for it. Idk what to do anymore.


----------



## ireadyermind

cupcakestoy said:


> I have been a mess this week. DS has been giving us problems, so I've spent a lot of time crying & upset over that....And found out over the weekend the girl at our fire dept is having a girl.....been sad as I should be reaching these milestones before her :( not bothered to weigh this morning. PMS & lack of discipline=failure!!!!
> Hoping this gets better before Christmas! Can't take much more before I lose my mind!

You're not a failure, cupcake! This is just a temporary setback. :hugs:




swimmyj1 said:


> I took another test at work at it doesn't look like an evap. Very light but after 3 of different brands I figure probably not imagining it lol. Not super excited just waiting to see what happens.
> 
> I'm horrible with diet this time of year. Too many yummy cookies. I'm sorry you have someone so close to milestones with you :( that makes it so hard

Post pics! :headspin: I checked the test gallery for a thread from you, but I didn't find one. I'm super excited for you!




Fern81 said:


> Irym I'm glad the hsg went smoothly and showed no issues hun. At least you don't need surgery to unblock or cut out something. Fx the drs find out what is wrong. X
> 
> My 11dpo line last cycle was even darker than your tests swimmy so I'm guessing it was a chemical.... since no tests on subsequent days showed evap lines. Atm I'm really depressed, so much so I don't want to get out of bed. Feel like I have nothing to say to my friends and couldn't enjoy our early family Christmas yesterday, just sat there and tried to breathe. That's not like me! I always try my best &succeed at coping so idk what's going on. I have no-one to talk to & my husband is being such a dick I'm considering leaving him. He keeps screaming at me like a psychopath & hurling insults if I tell him I'm not feeling well (and just whenever else). Today is our wedding anniversary and I was going to take HIM out for dinner but he insulted and emotionally abused me so much for not giving him a good enough birthday gift (I really tried!) and for not knowing an alternative route to the restaurant (I don't know that area of town very well and only know ONE route to get to the restaurant; NOT GOOD ENOUGH!) that I just couldn't go on with it & went home instead. I'm just sitting crying in bed, how can I go to dinner with such an *$$hole?
> 
> Sorry for venting here but I really have nowhere else to turn. Can't talk to anyone else about this. I'm depressed beyond my skills to help myself and my husband seems to hate me for it. Idk what to do anymore.

Thanks. :) It was such a relief. I expected there to be internal scarring or something from having an IUD for over 5 years. But thankfully there's nothing. Phew!


And I'm really sorry to hear about your DH. :( The things he's flipping out over seem to be really shallow. Not getting him a *good enough* gift? How ridiculous! Is there something going on with him that he hasn't been talking about? Some kind of stress or other problem that would make him blow up over tiny things? Like maybe he is fretting over something but doesn't want to talk about it for fear of being viewed as weak -- and then because he's bottled it all up, he explodes for no real reason about other things.

I hope you find or make peace with the situation. I can't blame you for not wanting to spend time with someone who is behaving in that manner. :hugs:


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern81 - I'm sorry about your DH I agree with IRYM, you need to do what is right for you. being talked to that way isn't fair to you even if he might be upset about something else. 

Got a blood test and it was only 18 today, fertility specialist said that's fine for only being 10dpo but it makes me nervous, guess nothing i can do but wait:coffee:. This is a picture of a clear blue i took this morning can you guys see anything?
 



Attached Files:







FullSizeRender (1).jpg
File size: 44.8 KB
Views: 6


----------



## cupcakestoy

Swimmy-It's got to start somewhere! Hope this one is your keeper!

Fern-Must be something in the air! DH has been a douche this last few days as well, Hates the whole world! lol Sorry & hope you guys can get past this, but this is totally unacceptable! I would probably belt him a good 1!

UGH....Between clomid bloat, bad eating habits for almost 2 weeks & impending af, I'm sure....scales are up 6 pounds as of tonight :( Of course I'll have to weigh in the A.m. to be accurate! lol


----------



## cupcakestoy

Whew! That's a little better! Only up 3 pounds! :/


----------



## ireadyermind

*cupcake* - Glad it wasn't as bad as you thought it was! That has to make for a better start to the day, right? Getting a somewhat pleasant surprise like that. :) 

*swimmy* - I _think_ I see something, but then every time I focus on it, I don't see it any more. :/ I plunked the image down in Photoshop and tweaked it some, inverted it, etc. and I can just barely make out a hint of a line on the bottom half of the test window, but not the top. Oye. Is that a common problem that blue dye tests have? I hear lots of bad things about them, but the only blue dyes I've used were digital ones.


----------



## swimmyj1

Tests today are way darker so I feel a little better. Also I won a 2 year free membership at a gym today yay!!! Time to get back on track! I've been such a lump on the couch lately, and eating way too much pasta.


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> Tests today are way darker so I feel a little better. Also I won a 2 year free membership at a gym today yay!!! Time to get back on track! I've been such a lump on the couch lately, and eating way too much pasta.

Yay! Congrats! What an excellent way to ring in the new year..! :happydance:


----------



## Fern81

Swimmy I'm so happy things are going so well for you! How are your tests& betas looking today? Sticky sticky vibes for you hun!! 

I wish this happiness for everyone of you girls. Xx

Irym looks like it's O time again? Will you be carrying on with the next batch of tests next year then? One can only hope you don't need them, right. Fx!

Cupcake - are you doing a bit better hun? Thinking of you!

I'm just carrying on. I instantly gained an astonishing amount of weight last cycle around AF time and I haven't been able to lose it? So weird, my hormones are all over the place, having spotting & acne & all kinds of weird breast pains. I'm also really sick with the flu (including a rash around my mouth, eye infection and sores in my mouth). Husband's irritating drug addict brother is staying with us for a week, he has to be babied 24/7.... urgh can this week just fly by? 
The wheel has to turn and things just HAVE to start looking up soon.


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> Swimmy I'm so happy things are going so well for you! How are your tests& betas looking today? Sticky sticky vibes for you hun!!
> 
> I wish this happiness for everyone of you girls. Xx
> 
> Irym looks like it's O time again? Will you be carrying on with the next batch of tests next year then? One can only hope you don't need them, right. Fx!
> 
> Cupcake - are you doing a bit better hun? Thinking of you!
> 
> I'm just carrying on. I instantly gained an astonishing amount of weight last cycle around AF time and I haven't been able to lose it? So weird, my hormones are all over the place, having spotting & acne & all kinds of weird breast pains. I'm also really sick with the flu (including a rash around my mouth, eye infection and sores in my mouth). Husband's irritating drug addict brother is staying with us for a week, he has to be babied 24/7.... urgh can this week just fly by?
> The wheel has to turn and things just HAVE to start looking up soon.

Yes, it's O time! Got a +OPK _and_ a temp spike today, which totally blind-sided me. My average O date is CD 21, but today is only CD17! Since I wasn't allowed to BD for 48hrs after the HSG, and DH was too tired Monday and Tuesday, the earliest we could BD was Wednesday morning and it looks like that wasn't a moment too soon!

But now I'm worried that we cut it too close and maybe missed our window... That procedure kinda messed things up, didn't it? Right in my fertile window. Oye.

AND all my temps are out of whack after losing my BBT thermometer and having to search several stores for a new one. This month's chart is crazy! :dohh:


I hope you get to feeling better. It sounds a little like you have more than one illness at the same time. I've had that happen before, and it's complete misery! :hugs: If DH wanted his drug-addled brother to stay with you, DH needs to be the one to care for him while you're sick! Man. Anyway, get well soon!


----------



## drjo718

Hey everyone, just thought I'd update I found out we're having a girl! I'm still rooting for all of you, both for ttc and weight loss. :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

I'm ok, still sucking at behaving myself, but have decided that after a blaring BFN this morning, that I'm not going to be really hard on myself! Not been in a great place emotionally this last few weeks...Decided to step back & I'm going to attempt enjoy the Holidays, then get back on the wagon lol Just not motivated & pms-ing, so I'm not even going to set myself up to fail! Too many dinners, parties & socials coming up in the next 2 weeks! Merry Christmas ladies....


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern - tests slowly getting darker. Not gonna lie im kind of kicking myself for testing so early lol. It just has me a little on edge that it will end badly again. First beta was 13 (10dpo) next was 46 (12dpo). Dr said I don't have to do beta's anymore but left me the option ... just because I'm crazy I probably will lol. Sorry your brother in law is such a handful I know about dealing with drug addict family members ... no fun at all. Hopefully you start feeling better and the week will fly by. 

IRYM - FINGERS CROSSED!!! lol My thermometer was dying pre O so all my temps were weird too. drove me crazy. 

drjo - Congrats on a girl!! thats so exciting I bet you can't wait until she's here

cupcake - I say take the 2 weeks and then get back on the wagon. You're right no sense in setting yourself up to fail. Have a wonderful holiday!


----------



## ireadyermind

*drjo* -- Aww, congrats! That's awesome! 

*Swimmy* - Thanks! My temp didn't stay up so I think I might O tonight or tomorrow. Will be sure to keep BDing EOD until everything's confirmed!

*Cupcake* - I hear you on that one. It's really difficult to stay on track over Christmas, especially if you're the only one trying to do so. Dieting is always easier when you have a bunch of people in on it too so that you can ALL keep each other in line. Don't let it stress you! Enjoy your holiday and just remember to eat the sweets and junk _in moderation_ instead of pigging out, and don't forget to drink plenty of water. :)


----------



## Ursaula

Yay Swimmy for a BFP! Praying for you :)

I have been sucking diet wise and emotionally. Sounds like a lot of us are struggling emotionally through this time. Thinking of you all!

I decided to force a new chart on ff so I have been charting again. My doctor wants to only keep me on 500mg of metformin for some reason.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Forgot to add I will be seeing a dietitian in the new year.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Ursaula* - A dietician might be really helpful! I always thought it'd be useful to have a professional to go over my daily calorie goals and nutrients and whatnot. I'm excited to hear how that works for you! :)


AFM -- Saturday & Sunday I got to celebrate my birthday with my mom and sisters. We made it a girls' night out (except DH was the designated driver) and had drinks, went to the local casino, and danced at their little dance club too. DH went off and enjoyed himself at the Black Jack tables while we danced.

I even actually got a birthday present this year, which never happens. lol.

Mom bought me a little counter top espresso machine, and my sisters chipped in and got the espresso, some flavored syrups, a variety of biscotti and a small container of creamer. Oh, AND they got me a stacking set of espresso cups for on the counter. I was pretty stoked! lol

I'm making myself a cup of espresso as we speak! This is probably the start of an espresso addiction. lol.


FF finally gave me cross hairs on Dec 18th. I'm not too hopeful this month because of how that HSG test blocked us from BDing for a couple of days earlier that week, but I guess anything's possible! I keep thinking that maybe the dye from the HSG opened up my tubes wider or something. Cleaned them out so that the egg can travel better, or the sperm can, or both. I suppose we'll know in 15 days, one way or another. lol


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - Your birthday sounds like a lot of fun!!! Glad you had such a great time :)

Can't believe the holidays are this week. I feel like I don't have enough done lol. Can't wait to get a day off so I can finally go to the gym or a hike. From last week to Jan 7th I'm either at work or driving hours away to a families event. I just want to hole up on my couch with coco, Netflix and my dog hahaha. Beta's doubled again yesterday. They said no more hcg's but I have one more blood draw order if I want it ... trying to figure out should I just wait until the 4th or redraw in 6 days .... what do you think??


----------



## cupcakestoy

Yay for doubling #'s! I would probably try to wait, but not sure I could lol

I'm ready for the holidays to be over! lol Just not feeling it this year & I swear, between the clomid, flo & treats I have NOT had any self control at all! So here's to starting over....again! Good thing is dh has packed on the pounds too this last year, so he's going to hit it with me! In other news, I started Clomid round #2 last night! 100mg this time...ugh....woke up with a killer headache today. Not sure I can do this & try to lose weight at the same time for the next 5-6 months, so I guess we will see how it goes this cycle......


----------



## Fern81

Hi everyone

First of all I just want to wish every one of you a wonderful and blessed Christmas time. This year has been full of ups and downs for all of us (diet wise and weight wise included!). You ladies have all been such a blessing and support to me, so even though I don't know you personally I'm sending you all love, hugs and prayers. May you all be able to relax and have a sense of peace during the next few days. For those of you who are Christian - may you experience a spiritual revival & joy as we celebrate our Lord's birth. :) :)

IRYM congrats to you, so glad you had a nice birthday and was made to feel special!!! Hope you have a lovely new year ahead full of fun & hopefully pleasant surprises! ;)

Cupcakestoy - don't be too hard on yourself; we all need extra tlc I think when taking fertility meds because they are just soooo hard on our bodies & emotions. Sending you an extra tight hug hun. I'm going to be working hard losing the clomid weight with you just after the holidays because despite me being back on bcp, something's weird this time I haven't been able to lose ANY clomid weight so I will definitely have to step it up. Nice that your hubs will also support you!

Swimmy - I'm still so chuffed with your bfp! Please keep us updated, we are all rooting for you. And then you can work hard with all of us to lose the post-pregnancy weight again! hehe!! 

Drjo - congrats on the little girl, how exciting!

Ursaula - that's great that you are going to see a dietitian next year. Hope you get a good plan; we are all here to support you. My best friend has pcos & is overweight, she didn't have a period for 3 years prior to January. Long story short she got *really *bad side effects with all the hormonal & pcos medications that she tried and decided to try the all natural approach & treat the metabolism & hormonal problems solely with a proper diet. She went to a dietitian ("1st personal diet" by dr Cohen), got a very strict personalized diet, and started her 1st period in 3 years 3 days after she started the diet. Now I know a diet is not just a quick fix HOWEVER I do believe that once we eat right our bodies can just function so much better. And what's right for one person might not work for the next person, so a dietitian is just such a good option. FX!

AFM - chugging along. Things are going a bit better between my husband and I. Now that his brother has left we've had some time to spend together and actually have a conversation now & then instead of just fighting. We are sleeping in the same bedroom again but we haven't had sex at all since O time last cycle! (I couldn't care less but I think he needs it more than me). We'll see what happens, I think we are both trying very hard to be civil atm.

We went to a farmers market yesterday & bought so much fresh fruit and veg. So we have lots of healthy stuff to snack on! I'm being lenient with the diet now and will start with a bang again in January. x


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern - there has to be some healing in a healthy diet. A few of my friends were unable to get pregnant. They and their husbands went on a palliative diet and within a few months bfp. Plus I will say their skin started to look amazing lol along with the weight loss.

Cupcake - fingers crossed on the clomid!!! It always gives me crappy headaches and hot flashes. Oh the crazy stuff we put ourselves though ttc.

Afm- I think I have bad news. While putting in my progesterone today I noticed my cervix is still open. Pretty sure that should be closed ..... Having on and off cramping. Probably will call my doctor later.


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: Happy birthday and glad you had a great one! :) 

Swimmy: That baby BETTER stay in there!! Fx'd for you. Knowing this now, I would definitely do a redraw prior to the 4th. Thanks for the healthy diet advice as well. I've come to terms that what I'm doing just isn't working and need to see someone professional.

Cupcake: Big hug for medication side effects, and fx'd it works too!

Fern: I know it's going to help a lot to see a dietitian and I do believe that I can't get pregnant because I am SO big. I'm going to write down what both you and Swimmy said and look into different natural things to help. I haven't had an "actual" period in almost 6 years now. It stopped when I went on BCP and hasn't come back since I went off of it 1.5 years ago.

I'm glad things with you and hubby are starting to ease. And yay for fresh fruits and veggies!

AFM: I'm in a bit of a better mood now. My "ex" was causing some issues for me (emotionally) until they admitted they made a huge mistake and want to be with me and have a family. Long story short, we're trying to figure out our lives a little bit as we NTNP (although I am still taking Metformin).

I received a letter in the mail yesterday for a pelvic ultrasound and an endovaginal one. My doctor requested it back in June and I finally received an appointment date for Jan. 27!

I weighed in today expecting scary numbers but I'm at a steady weight of 380.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Wishing all you sweet ladies a very Merry Christmas & a BFP Blessed New Year!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas holiday! Mine went well for the most part, but then while DH was outside playing frisbee with two of our nephews, he accidentally stepped on a nail. It pierced all the way through his shoe, the shoe insert and into his foot.

Thank goodness the puncture wasn't deep and doesn't seem to be infected, but he'll be getting a tetanus booster tomorrow just in case. It seriously soured his mood yesterday, which is understandable, and the pain made him crabby. He ended up going to bed early. I felt so bad for him!

So it wasn't the greatest Christmas ever, but it was still nice up until that point.


Did Santa bring you gals anything good for Christmas? ;)


----------



## swimmyj1

Well my Christmas was a little drama filled. I woke up Christmas morning at my moms and was having a hard time breathing. Did some rescue inhalers and got little relief. It wasn't until i noticed my mom was using a real Christmas tree did I make my DH take me to the hospital. I'm really allergic to Christmas trees lol my mom said "I would have thought you would have grown out of that allergy" hahaha.

But santa was very good to me, I got a new kayak and my mom tracked down these two children's books that I loved and were destroyed in a house flood a few years. ago, and lots of hiking cloths :) I was a very happy camper. Hope everyone else had a wonderful holiday!

also input needed. Am i a bad person if i fake sick and don't drive 5+ hours to another family party next weekend. I've gone out of town every week for the past 4 weeks and I'm just feeling so run down and want some me time. But i haven't seen this side of my family at all for Christmas and they keep saying how much they miss me.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Irym-Hooe dh heals up quickly! Ouch! Santa brought me sensible gifts :/ travel mugs, PJ pants, bath & body, cash! Oh & dh got me a oscillating heater?!?! Bless him, he's just NOT a good gift giver! It was sweet that he bought it for NY side of the bed since he freezes me out! LoL
Swimmy- I'd seriously bail on the trip! LoL Any new betas or baby news?
Glad the holidays are over!!! Also finished clonid for this cycle tonight! FF has my O predicted for New Year's Eve!!!!!


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcakestoy said:


> Irym-Hooe dh heals up quickly! Ouch! Santa brought me sensible gifts :/ travel mugs, PJ pants, bath & body, cash! Oh & dh got me a oscillating heater?!?! Bless him, he's just NOT a good gift giver! It was sweet that he bought it for NY side of the bed since he freezes me out! LoL
> Swimmy- I'd seriously bail on the trip! LoL Any new betas or baby news?
> Glad the holidays are over!!! Also finished clonid for this cycle tonight! FF has my O predicted for New Year's Eve!!!!!

No real news. I haven't decided if I want to get beta's done monday or not. My home tests are way darker than they ever got last time so i'm hoping thats a good sign. My cervix is closed (figured out it opens a little after sex :haha:) so unfortunately for my DH we are avoiding that for a little bit. I can also say I've never been so happy to feel sick or want to cut off my boobs they hurt so bad lol. I refuse to be a person who complains about her symptoms when i worked this long for it :cloud9:. Do you think i should get them done monday? or just wait until the 4th for my scan? Also i think your right unless I feel worlds better I want to just stay home.


----------



## cupcakestoy

I vote do them one day next week :)


----------



## Fern81

Swimmy - glad to hear you're still doing well, I would definitely not have driven 5 hours in early pregnancy/while not feeling great! I find it very easy to tell people I'm not feeling well & staying home lol. If you think that getting the beta done will be comforting to you, then why not. :) Can't wait to hear the scan news! Eeeek, so close! Oh dear your mom is so random? At least you have a super supportive husband! x

IRYM - sorry to hear about your DH's foot! Hope he heals up well. What is that I see on your chart...? SKY-HIGH temp?

Cupcake - I really hope clomid does the trick for you this time hun. xx New Years party baby!

We don't really do Christmas gifts. DH and my birthdays are so close to Christmas, we always give each other a big birthday gift instead. For our December summer holidays we prefer to spend money on activities instead of gifts. E.g last year we went camping at the beach; this year we're doing home renovations and some "bucket list" activities. Went zip-lining last week (awesome!!) and today we went to a Rhino and Lion (& loads of other animals) sanctuary/park. We got to interact with & cuddle some babies: white lions, a jaguar, black leopard, white tigers and a bengal tiger. Also a fully grown cheetah. What a privilege, I feel so blessed to have had that experience! Must say spending quality time with my husband & focusing on something other than ttc failure & fighting, has done wonders for my mood. Just focusing on some positive things again.

Our families are also not big on Christmas gift exchanging. What we did this year (with both husband and my own family Christmas celebrations): every woman buys an inexpensive girly gift, same thing for the men. Then the women randomly exchange gifts, so do the men. In that way everyone buys one gift, everyone receives one gift & everyone can afford it lol. I got funky colored measuring spoons at my family Christmas and a pack of girly toiletries at my husband's family Christmas dinner. Most of us do charity Christmas boxes/projects too. DH and I made up grocery packs for some underprivileged immigrant families. My SIL collected toys for a couple of months and on Christmas Eve she started driving around the poor rural areas surrounding the farm where she works and just handed out loads of gifts to all the kids she came across. I love her lol she is such a cool chick! On Christmas day I told her about the C/P... she is so supportive. She actually told me to relax and it will happen.... I told her if she says that again I will throat punch her :haha:. (I haven't even told my mom about that. I keep trying to and then chicken out. :blush:)


----------



## ireadyermind

Oops, double post!


----------



## ireadyermind

I got some small appliances I've been wanting: a slow cooker, and a stand mixer. My sister bought me one of those adult coloring books I have wanted for EVER, where the images are super detailed and intricate, and you can spend hours just coloring one page. I'm stoked to get started on it!

DH's foot is doing pretty well, all things considered. No infection present, it's already closed up and healing. He is going in to the urgent care office today for a booster shot for Tetanus just to be safe. We got home too late yesterday to make it to the office. They closed at 3pm for crying out loud. lol





Fern81 said:


> IRYM - sorry to hear about your DH's foot! Hope he heals up well. What is that I see on your chart...? SKY-HIGH temp?



*Fern* - I knooooow! Look at my chart! WTF is up with that high temp this morning? I didn't temp yesterday because I couldn't get a solid 3hrs sleep all night long (the air mattress we were using has a leak and was flat only a couple hours after we filled it. Yuck), then this morning I see 99.1°F!?

I keep thinking that's a sure sign I'm pregnant, and that if my temps are already up then I should POAS and I'd get a line------ but then I stop and tell myself that 9DPO is too early, and I should wait.

What do the rest of you gals think?


----------



## Fern81

Ursaula so you're back together with the ex? I really just wish you loads and loads of happiness, love and feeling safe hun, with or without him. Hope everything works out, hugs!!!


----------



## Fern81

IRYM - that was meeeeee lol! I vote TEST TOMORROW!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> IRYM - that was meeeeee lol! I vote TEST TOMORROW!!!

I know, I caught my mistake after I posted and I edited it. Sorry! lol

I might test tomorrow, I'm not sure! I think I wanna see what my temp does. If I use a BBT adjuster (since I woke up 45mins late) then my temp looks like 98.9ish and that's still really high for 9dpo!

So if it's still high tomorrow, or even higher, I think I'll test! If it drops down to a more normal temp, maybe I'll wait. I can't deciiiiide! :dohh:


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ohhhhh! Irym! Fx'd!!!!! I don't test unless AF is late, tho....seen too many bfn's & hate being discouraged so I just wait. Last cycle was weirdly long, even with clomid, so I did test at 14dpo who h of course was bfn. But ya never know......:/ good luck & kup!


----------



## swimmyj1

I vote test!!! i got my bfp the night of 9dpo it was super light but by 10dpo it was there. ooohhh i really hope you have one! Also i got a ton of the adult coloring books it took me 3+ hours to do one of the pages haha so much fun!

I think i will go get a beta done tomorrow morning then I will only have a week to see whats up. I really suck at waiting.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - Thanks! I always try really hard to wait out the TWW but it never works. lol. You're made of sterner stuff than I am!

*Swimmy* - Wow, 3 hours for a single page! That sounds nice though. In the little kid coloring books I'd always do several pages in one sitting. It'd be neat to spend all that time on a single page.... I think. Haha. We'll see how it goes!


Welllllll I tested this morning and BFN. The cheapie I used had some physical dents and dings on the test strip too, so I don't know if it was even a valid result. The control line showed up just fine, though, so it's probably still a functioning test.

I'm thinking it's just too early for an accurate result for me. Last time I didn't get a +HPT until AF was 3 days late!

I know it's not over til it's over, so I'll test again on Wednesday I think. Wish me luck and baby dust!


----------



## Ursaula

Hey gals! :)

Santa bought me clothes (YAY!!!!) and a heart of the ocean (Titanic) necklace, but it was back ordered so I won't get it until mid-late January. We just finished our last Christmas supper with my family and my s/o was not invited because he might "offend" my mennonite aunt. BULLS**T!!!! Rant over.

Fern: Thanks for sending me good wishes in regards to my ex. We figured a lot of stuff out. I also really like your Christmas ways.

IRYM: Sorry to hear about the foot. My brother had something similar happen when he was younger and doesn't even have a scar now, so I'd be hopeful :) Your temps look so great!! I can't wait to see the result! I agree 9 or 10 dpo is very early still.

Cupcake: Way to go with holding out to test, that takes a lot of will power!

Swimmy: Fingers crossed and praying for some great news!

AFM: I'm stuck! My s/o and I plan on moving to Toronto to work on getting ourselves on our career paths but can't leave yet because of family issues. Here's the issue...do we ttc and have a baby now before working on careers or do we forget about having a child? (Keep in mind my s/o is switching genders and we only have so much longer for trying until it's all said and done. So, it's either baby now or no baby at all.)

Any advice would be great...


----------



## cupcakestoy

Urs-Glad you & SO are doing better & that Santa was good to you! As far as TTC, I say get at it! You never know how long it may take to get a bfp or your keeper! 
Swimmy-Waiting for your beta results! LoL I believe all is well!
Fern-Hope your doing well!
Irym-How long is your luteal phase usually! I was thinking it was usually kinda long..... Ready to see your bfp woman!
Not much news here :/ I did re-boot my efforts yesterday! Doing a couple days of "lite" foods, mostly increaserd liquids to so.ewhat cleanse my system! I managed to escape the month of December with I believe a 6 pound gain! Which is honestly less than I counted on LoL I really struggled with the depression this Season. Thought a lot about our 2 angel babies....But moving on & hopeful that 2016 is the year for all our hopes, dreams & goals come true!!!


----------



## swimmyj1

Urs - I agree no reason you guys can be ttc and working towards moving/other goals. Better to TTC you never know how long it will take. also yay for good christmas gifts! i got a lot of cloths this year too i love cloths lol i just hate buying them. 

IRYM - My fingers are crossed! i really hope you have a bfp! do you guys have any more plans with the fertility doc? 

Cupcake - Hopefully a good jump start will get you on your way! I hate nov-dec thats like the worse time. Somehow I only did 3 lbs of damage this season. Time to get moving on the gym. 

AFM - beta is up to 3575 :happydance: so you were right cupcake lol still super nervous for my ultrasound next monday. Hoping for a Heartbeat. I was looking at scans online and i swear last time the ultrasound tech was on crack. Comparing a 6 week scan with my last one it seriously looked like a blight ovum and her moving the prob gave it a flickering HR look. I honestly think im changing OB's though. I've had nothing but trouble with mine.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - My LP is always 15 days. I've never had a shorter one, but there have been ones that lasted to 17 or 18 and those I think were chemicals. So for me, I think testing at 10DPO is too early since AF would still technically be a whole week away.

*Swimmy* - I have to call for a follow-up appointment, but I'm waiting until after New Years'. There's too much going on right now, AND our benefits renew and we get more funding in January, so it's better to wait for that anyway. :)

Hopefully I won't have to go in at all because I will get a sticky BFP this month? A gal can hope, can't she!? lol


This morning I have slight twinges on my left ovary area. There's a cyst there though so I'm wondering if it isn't just acting up. I wouldn't be able to _feel_ anything implanting, would I? Hmmm.


----------



## cupcakestoy

I without a doubt had implantation cramps with our 1st bfp! Nothing with the last one :/ Hoping its a good sign for you!!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* -- Hmm! That gives me something to think about! lol

Another day of high temps. I'm not sick, I just have my usual allergy sniffles that go away when I take my daily allergy pill. I made sure not to leave my heater blanket on last night, only used it to warm up the bed before I climbed in.

Despite that, I still have these high temps AND I got a BFN this morning. Tested on an internet cheapie and a FRER.

I figured that if I was pregnant, a FRER would be accurate at 12DPO, right? Or maybe I'll get lucky!


----------



## Fern81

Swimmy - yay for great betas! I hope & pray this baby continues to thrive; and of course you too. :)

IRYM - OMW I'm just loving that triphasic chart. Seeing as how you only got a bfp late last time I hope you still get one in the next few days. Hugs!

Cupcakestoy - I'm sooooo sorry that you're having such a hard time hun. 6 pounds is nothing, I know you will shake it easily. Hope the new year brings you some new emotional energy. xx

Ursaula - I agree with the other ladies that ttc might take a long time. If it was me I would start as soon as I felt comfortable with the decision. After many years of struggling ttc I wish I'd started fertility treatments/checkups sooner. What line of work are you in?

AFM - holy moly this bcp cycle has been [email protected] I've had bleeding/spotting, cramps, sore bbs, insane weight GAIN where I normally lose weight easily while on the Pill... I NEVER normally have these symptoms while on bcp. My hormones are sooooo out of wack. AF due tomorrow or the day after and I'm debating not taking the Pill again next cycle to just give my own hormones a chance to even out again. I'll try and arrange for my endo ablation operation in 2016 as soon as the dr has a surgery slot available! 

I've started dieting again after the Christmas feasting. I'm going to do a planking challenge for the month of Jan (plank 3 times a day for a whole month); anyone want to join? :) My tummy (potbelly) is my biggest issue. I sit all day long when I work so I have zero core muscle strength...


----------



## Fern81

Hi gals, have a great new year's eve! What are your plans for tonight?


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> IRYM - OMW I'm just loving that triphasic chart. Seeing as how you only got a bfp late last time I hope you still get one in the next few days. Hugs!
> 
> ...
> 
> I've started dieting again after the Christmas feasting. I'm going to do a planking challenge for the month of Jan (plank 3 times a day for a whole month); anyone want to join? :) My tummy (potbelly) is my biggest issue. I sit all day long when I work so I have zero core muscle strength...

It looked great but the temp dropped this morning! Still above cover line though. Two more days (Or, well, 3, since AF usually appears the morning of the 16th DPO) until AF is supposed to show. We'll see what happens. I don't feel pregnant, and I'm pretty sure that since BD was timed so poorly this month that I'm out. But there's always a chance, since we managed to BD before I ovulated anyway! :)



Fern81 said:


> Hi gals, have a great new year's eve! What are your plans for tonight?

Same to you! I don't have any plans for tonight. Might watch a movie with DH, I don't know. He doesn't get off work early so it puts a damper on any plans we might have had for other things. He won't be home til 7pm or later and by the time we eat dinner, it's 8pm or so and I'm already tired. lol

My dad had been considering coming up for a visit, but my grandpa fell and broke his hip yesterday and they're in surgery with him today. :/ It's a 5 hour drive (one-way) there, or else I'd be with them.

Maybe I'll take a nap today to help me stay up late tonight with DH or something. Hm.


What about you? Anything exciting going on?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Happy New Year's ladies! May 2016 be our year of reaching our weight loss goals & the year we get our miracle babies!


----------



## swimmyj1

DH is sooo in the dog house. He agreed we didn't have to go up north for this big family party but when I woke up after work my house was full of people (have to love coming out of my room crazy hair no bra to like 40 people I barley know) apparently he thought I meant he could have a big party here instead. Oh also I was the only girl lol I ended up falling asleep on the couch by 10 and DH carried me to bed. This morning my house is trashed ughhh. Boys can be so dumb sometimes lol


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks everyone for your input! :) I think we'll NTNP for a while as we continue to work on ourselves before we get hardcore into ttc.

Cupcake: Huge hug for you! I'm praying 2016 is going to be your year, everyone's year, to finally have our biggest wish, a baby :) Good job gaining only 6lbs throughout the season too, I reweighed myself and I've gained more and have our New Year meal with the other side of our family today.

Swimmy: Yay betas! Praying for that heart beat, ahh I'm excited for you! Your DH through a party...without your knowledge? All men? I'd be pissy about that too!! Make sure he cleans up all the mess and not you!

IRYM: With implantation you can bleed because the uterus lining can shed a little from the burrowing, so I believe you can feel when implantation occurs! Fx'd for a BFP, I'm stalking your chart, go back up temps!!! 12dpo still can be early, I'd try again at 15dpo or later like you told me, implantation can still happen at 12dpo. Oh no, praying for your grandpa's hip!

Fern: Do you have to be on bcp? If you have an option I'd just NTNP and see where it goes. How long do you have to hold the plank for? I might do it with you :) As for New Years eve plans I went to bed around 7:30...big day toady. In regards to what field I work in, I'm currently on disability but I also work with my s/o (he's blind). We were hesitant when I was put on disability to ttc but after my doctor and I discussed it we realized it is probably one of the best times to ttc. As for the field I want to be in, FASHION! I want to be a fashion designer or blocker or something. I'm really into it all and plan on going to a school dedicated to the industry.

AFM: Fertility friend has decided I ovulated! I've had a lot of cramps and feeling nauseous the past few days and kept looking at my chart and wondering. Then when I put in the temperature for today it showed up! I tried to take my temperature at the same time everyday but a few days I wasn't able to manage. I'll attach my chart so you gals can see.
 



Attached Files:







Screen Shot 2016-01-01 at 12.37.32 PM.png
File size: 32.8 KB
Views: 1


----------



## Fern81

Swimmy - lol.... husbands!!! Hope he cleaned up everything!

Ursaula - hold the plank as long as you can! ATM I can do a grand total of 40 seconds hehe... I plan on increasing it every week.
I find it a bit strange that FF decided that you ovulated on a day when you had sticky CM? Maybe it's going by temperature averages? Only time will tell - if you get AF in about a week then you know you did ovulate. Are you still on metformin?
I'm on bcp because of dr recommendations. I have stage 3 endometriosis & have had chocolate cysts before. The biggest problem is that I have lots of endo on my ovaries. Bcp helps to slow down/suppress the endometriosis growth so as to limit further damage. However I had such a sucky cycle last month, my hormones are SO confused, I'm just going to take no hormones/meds this month to just give my poor body a break. I think taking black cohosh & 100 mg clomid last cycle and then having a CP AND taking bcp right after, was just a bit too much. When I'm not medicated, my estrogen & progesterone levels are within normal parameters, the only problem is that normal hormone levels allow the endometriosis to grow. But I feel I need one cycle to detox from all hormone therapy! Not thinking about ttc.
Depending on how soon I can get surgery for the endo removal scheduled, I will decide on whether to go back on bcp next cycle. Normally I like being on the Pill but this past cycle was just horrendous!

IRYM - oh no that temp has to go back up! I'm still keeping my FX for you!

Cupcakestoy - are you doing OK?

AFM - planking challenge day 1 done. Diet day 4 done; onto day 5. 
I've lost 2kg (4,4 pounds) since starting the diet :happydance: but keep in mind I had actually GAINED 4 kg since starting to post on here! So I have 2 more to lose before even being back at my starting weight, boo hoo. That despite eating healthy foods 70% of the time and trying to exercise when I had time. Clearly my hormones have played a HUGE role and I am definitely stepping it up!

Diet consists of eating no preservatives, no sauces, no refined or tinned foods. No sugar or sweets. Drink only water and herbal tea. Eat only lots of veg, one portion of fruit daily, some meat, eggs, healthy oils, full cream yogurt, red kidney beans. Only carbs I'm allowing myself is 1 small portion of plain oats (with only boiling water) OR plain rice daily. Again, I find making a short list of what I CAN eat and just sticking to combinations on that list is easiest for me, I don't have time to calorie count, etc. 

Noticed someone posting this idea somewhere (can't remember where I saw it)... a *reward system* for weight loss that has nothing to do with food. I'm thinking of maybe trying it for myself, also keeping a food diary again when possible and distracting myself from comfort eating by rather doing comfort bubble baths, comfort walk around the block, etc. My personal reward system would look something like this:
* Lose 2 kg (after keeping it off for a week): have my hair done
* Lose 2 more (after keeping it off for a week): Buy 1 nice item of clothing
* Lose 2 more and keep it off for a week: Get a massage/other spa treatment
* Another 2 kg, keep it off for a week: Buy 3 items of clothing
* Reach body weight of 50 kgs: Big celebration. Buy expensive boots or other.
* Keep weight on 50 kgs for 2 months: Buy new clothes!

I'm focusing on clothes since I don't really have nice clothes, most of my clothes are second hand, some with holes that I repair etc! I never spend money on clothes, I don't make a lot of money. But if I get thin I will really try to focus on my appearance a bit more instead of always wearing baggy 2nd hand clothes... maybe that will also motivate me to look after myself a bit better and not try and hide behind looking mousy. 

We will probably not be ttc this cycle as husband and I'm back to sleeping in separate bedrooms and living separate lives. Sigh. We had one good week and then his bipolar aggression spiraled out of control again. :shrug::cry:

My weight today: 59 kg (130,1 pounds). Goal weight: 50 kg (110,2 pounds).


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern I love your reward sheet!! My fingers are crossed for you keep it up!!
I went on a pretty tough hike yesterday with my boys, I couldn't believe how out of shape it made me feel (i know it was icy and snowy but still). I need to get my butt in gear. Time to start back at the gym even just light work out. 

urs - that is weird that it gave you a + on FF on a day that you didn't have watery ewcm


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy -* What! DH didn't even ask you!? That's nuts! I'd have been really peeved (in private, of course) with him about inviting all those people and then leaving such a big mess.

I don't mind having people over, personally, but I have to have time to prepare for them. lol

*Ursaula -* Woohoo, ovulation! Get it, girl!

*Fern -* Man, 40 second plank would probably kill me! Before my cervical surgery, I was able to hold one for almost a whole minute. But because there were complications with it (the stitches kept tearing, the wound was really slow to heal, etc) I was unable to exercise for _months_ and I lost all the progress I had made. Since then, I've still been dealing with various problems that only cropped up after the surgery. Makes me wonder what they did to me while I was out! 

Also, good job picking non-food rewards for yourself. :) DH and I had a system like that a year-ish ago. Once we lost 30 pounds we rewarded ourselves with a vacation to Disneyland! In the fall, by ourselves, the trip was amazing. I had only ever been when there was a crowd of people to go with, and tons of kids because it was during summer break, so on our trip we didn't have to worry about what everyone else wanted to do, or waiting in line for hours and hours. I would definitely do that again!



AFM -- AF arrived this morning, a day early, and in full force. I didn't have a single cramp yesterday, but did have some slight spotting before bedtime. So even though my temp never dipped below cover, it DID dip below 98.0 which seems to be my personal AF indicator, regardless of my cover line. Boo!

Went and bought some raspberry leaf tea that I think I will start drinking 1x a day to see if it helps, and we will be using PreSeed this month. It was one of the things we used for our last BFP and last cycle, since I had a scrap of my own EWCM I figured we'd try without it. Guess that was a bad idea! lol


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - boooo for AF! I love preseed that's what we have used. I usually have a ton of ewcm but it seems to work (just no way can I use all that it recommends lol wayyy to slippery haha)

That's what I was mad about with DH I would have liked a heads up about the party then if I wanted to I could have gone to a friends house or at least cleaned. My house was sooo yucky even before the party lol. As a make up he's taking me out to outback steak house and to see Star Wars. Yay!!! Can't believe this time tomorrow I'll be going in for the scan. And finding out what's up.


----------



## Ursaula

I honestly feel ff has started giving up on me. I had to force a new chart because it just wouldn't chart any further so I'm technically on CD 209. Although I've really been trying to keep temps at a regular time. I think ff is right that I ovulated then. I don't ever have CM and I couldn't really describe this. It was such a small amount I just put sticky.

Fern: That sounds great (plank), I'll do it with you. Also, way to lose weight! I really want to go on a diet similar to yours with no preservative type foods but I need to figure out what I CAN eat with my dietician first. I see her Jan. 5 (Tues.) so excited! I love the sounds of treating yourself, especially by clothing, hehe. Just think how nice it will feel to get down to that goal weight with all new clothing! That's my huge motivation.

I understand now why bcp isn't exactly an option, big hug for you Fern! When do you find out about surgery?

Swimmy: What do you do for exercise in the gym?

Yay steak! I honestly disliked StarWars though...very disappointed. I'm curious to see how you like it.

Fx'd for the scan, I can't wait to hear good news!

IRYM: Disneyland sounds like a blast for a reward! I've never been there but can only imagine.

Stupid af :( your chart was looking so great! Have you tried Vitex? I've been reading into it and wonder what you think?

AFM: I decided on testing with a FRER yesterday (10dpo) and BFN :(. Still have hope though and planning to test probably tomorrow (Monday-12dpo). Ff doesn't know how long my luteal phase is (nor do I) so it suggests waiting until Jan. 11, where I will be 19dpo. So I'm testing at 12dpo, 15dpo, and 19dpo. Hoping I'll get a BFP or af by then.


----------



## Fern81

Ireadyermind- aaahhhh so sorry about stupid AF!!! Hope the raspberry leaf tea does something for you hun. When are you going back to your dr? You and I are cycle buddies :), however I will first see IF I do decide to bd around O time this cycle. Maybe. 

Swimmy- enjoy! Steak... mmmmm!! How are you feeling, any food aversions? Omw I can't believe your scan is tomorrow, I'm so excited for you!!! Please post your news immediately lol.

Ursaula- and an important week for you too!!! I hope your dietitian is a darling and knows his/her stuff. I'm going to phone my dr tomorrow to hear when we can schedule surgery. Yay I'm glad to have a buddy for the planking challenge! Which reminds me, I have to go do my afternoon session. Up to a whole minute, chuffed with myself. Post your chart again, I love chart stalking! :). Fx for you. X

Cupcake - thinking of you!

Afm- diet is still going well. I'm working in the garden today, carrying bricks &big rocks up and down (I built a rock garden all by myself hehe ). I'm sure I'm going to be sooooo stiff tomorrow.


----------



## swimmyj1

Urs - I like the elepictal machines but I really love that my gym has boxing gear. It's such an amazing work out to jump around and kick and punch. When I was doing it year ago I was at my all time thinnest of 130. 

Fern - promise I will be on here by like 9 am at the latest with an update. My symptoms keep coming and going. I usually love garlic but the last week it has made me crazy sick. Also prenatal vitamins, I had been taking them for months with no issues but latley im vomiting within an hour of taking them. Really hoping this is my sticky bean but I know I have a long way to go.

Bad news this morning ... My uncle lost his 5 year battle with cancer last night. He went hospice on Christmas and im just so glad he isn't sufferint anymore. I hate cancer it is such an ugly horrible disease!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy -* So sorry to hear about your uncle. Cancer IS a nasty thing to have to deal with. So much suffering, even in the "cure". :hugs:

On the subject of PreSeed... might start out with the recommended 'dose', since I generally have no EWCM to speak of and my watery CM is pretty scant. I had EWCM every month before my surgery but since it was glandular cancer that I have, they removed some important glands in there and I guess I can't make much of my own any more. Sad. But at least there's PreSeed!



*Ursaula -* I was so excited for Disneyland because for one thing, I was small enough to comfortably fit in the rides! lol

Going there while school was in was excellent. Our first day was a Friday and there was almost NO ONE there. Line wait times were less than five minutes for everything! And since it was October, the whole place was decked out for Halloween and that's my favorite time of year. ^^

I do use Vitex. There was one month when I didn't ovulate until CD33, and there was no sign that I would any time soon. So I started taking Vitex. It brought on ovulation and that's the month I got pregnant, too. So I'd say it works! Taking it this most recent cycle, I ovulated a day or two earlier than my usual CD20, and my LP was one day shorter for a 32 day cycle instead of my usual 35+! So even though it didn't seem to help me get a BFP, it seems to be setting my cycle to rights.

One thing about it, though: it makes my stomach queasy. I have to take just one pill before bed instead of the recommended 3x a day or else I'd never eat anything. lol



*Fern* - Cycle buddies, woo! Haha. I'm hoping the raspberry leaf does something for me, too. We know I'm ovulating and we know DH's :spermy: are fine, so I think it's either my post-o hormone levels (which I'm hoping Vitex will fix), or the lining of my uterus (which I'm hoping the tea will fix).

I haven't called the fertility clinic to set up my next appt yet because I'm waiting for DH to let me know his work schedule for the coming weeks so that we can go together. We're supposed to get a detailed interpretation of all our test results and physicals, as well. I figured we could at least hear all the details together even if we need separate appts for the physicals.

I already know the doc's going to say that I need to lose weight anyway. But with as difficult as it has been, I think I will demand a battery of hormone tests to see why I keep going UP instead of down with diet and exercise.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey ladies! Happy New Year! Hope all is well! We have had a tough start here, as dd has a best friend who overdosed on Dec. 30th. He had sent her a goodbye text during the night, while she was sleeping. He was in ICU on a vent until yesterday, but fx'd he will make a full recovery! DD has been a wreck, as she feels guilty for not being awake when she got the text & not being able to stop his attempt...sigh..Hurts my heart for her & him!
In other news, I had horrific O type cramps on Thurs. & Fri. night. Again I have yet to get a +OPK! I have ALWAYS gotten a + on cd12-cd14 in the past even on meds, but nada :/ Not sure what's up? Starting to think I got a set of bad Opks! Today is cd 15, still negative. Going to test up until cd18 then I'm done. Not had any ewcm this cycle, which I attribute to the clomid. Still bd-ing every other day, so I guess we will keep at it! 
Tomorrow starts my New Year's plan! I have decided I have to GO to the GYM EVERY DAY! Hoping I can make it a habit! Plus my bff is jumping on the weight loss train & wants to walk with me after work during the week, so here we go! Not sure I can meet my goal by May, but I'm going to try my best! I do know we WILL be doing IVF before the end of 2016, so Game on!!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Good luck, cupcake! You can do it!


----------



## Ursaula

Fern: I'm really exciting for the dietitian! She's sounds super nice, and is going to be so helpful too. Let us know when you get scheduled so we can cheer you on. Yay gardening!

I was about to do the plank but stopped. I want to know, when you gals are in the 2ww or being cautious, do you continue exercising, and what exercises do you do? I suddenly became nervous to do the plank because it might mess something up, what do you think?

Swimmy: Thanks! I always like trying out other peoples favourite exercises to see how I like them. I'm praying for you tomorrow!

I'm very sorry about your uncle, but as you said, he isn't suffering anymore. Thinking of you during your loss.

IRYM: Ah! So the time is to go in October...I might plan a family vacation with my parents and my brother and my s/o's.

Also, thanks for the Vitex information. If this isn't my BFP then I plan on getting some and taking it with metformin. Really glad to hear it works.

Your doctors are driving me insane. You KNOW you have hormonal imbalances yet instead of fixing them they're looking into other things? I'd straight up tell them what you're needing...urgh!

Cupcake: Good to hear from you. I was in a similar situation about 5 or 6 years ago as your dd. Psychological issues are more than society shows. Big hug!

Keep bding gal, no matter what the OPK says! Woot weight loss plan! I know you can do it!

AFM: I've attached my chart again. I decided to get VIP for ff back when it had a sale on so I added in all the little details I skipped out on last time. Super nervous to test tomorrow yet SO EXCITED!
 



Attached Files:







Screen Shot 2016-01-03 at 8.18.38 PM.jpg
File size: 96.5 KB
Views: 3


----------



## cupcakestoy

Urs- I continue my normal exercises through out my cycle. I'm a firm believer that if your going to get a bfp, then your going to get a bfp! I've missed out on too much & had put life on hold for too long, so I now carry on as usual....Went to the gym this morning, you can sure tell its the new year! Usually at the time I go, there MAY be 10 people there! This morning it was packed lol Pretty sure all the new years resolutioners will fade away in a few weeks though.


----------



## Fern81

Swimmy - I'm impatiently waiting lol I HOPE AND PRAY for great news for you hun. xxx. So sorry to hear about your uncle.

IRYM - IDK if I've asked this before, but have you considered IUI? To bypass your poor cervix? :) Geez I wish I can see Disney before I die. Our currency is just so worthless that traveling overseas, esp to USA, is a huge deal. Maybe one day I can join you there hehe!

Cupcakestoy - you sound so motivated, that's great! And it sure helps to have someone training with you IRL as well... is your DH still on board to lose weight too? Ovulation wise - do you temp at all?

Ursaula - I would definitely keep exercising throughout ttc. For a number of reasons:
* A better BMI increases the chances of getting pregnant
* Being physically active increases blood circulation to all organs including the ovaries & uterus, bringing oxygen & nutrients, removing waste products and cycling hormones throughout the body, etc.
* Exercise improves endorphin levels and helps lower stress
* Like Cupcake said, we shouldn't put our lives on hold for ttc. One of all of our aims is to be healthy and lose weight
... etc etc etc.

The only type of exercise that MIGHT be problematic is high intensity exercise like marathons, insanity workout, starting a HECTIC exercise regime when in tww, and so on. It's also not recommended to increase core body temp too much when pregnant, so no prolonged exercise in the sun or tanning for hours on end (like I'm doing these days lol!).

Ooohhh those last temps on your chart look promising. I really have everything crossed that you DID ovulate! Obviously first prize would be a bfp! But if not then I guess having a proper cycle would be a great thing too. Post your test tomorrow if you want. :winkwink: 

AFM - omw I'm SO lonely. I can't tell anyone about the crap that I'm going through with my husband. Work starts again slowly next week, then I'll have students to talk to during the day at least. I know I just HAVE to keep focusing on the positive... :wacko:


----------



## swimmyj1

Well good news! We have a Heart beat of 121 measuring a little on the small side of 5 weeks 6 days but my darn bean was doing a very good job at hiding so our doctor wasn't concered at all one measurement we got had us at 6 weeks 6 days but again at a weird angle. Next scan in 2 weeks im sure I will go crazy by then lol. It was so nice seeing that flicker though. Now on to look for a new ob sense I don't trust mine at all after my last mc.


----------



## Fern81

Great news!! Congrats! &#9825;&#9734;


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks Cupcake and Fern! :) I'm not freaking out to exercise now, onto the plank challenge!

YAY Swimmy for a heartbeat! Lots of prayers for the next 9 months!

AFM: I tested last night (11dpo) with a BFN and tested again this morning at 3am (insomnia so bad) and got another BFN (12dpo). Hoping I can hold out until Thursday now when I'll be 15dpo. Or when I'm in the city tomorrow I'll buy more tests so I can do one every day...hehe...


----------



## ireadyermind

*Ursaula -* Rather than just October, I'd say any time when the school kids are IN school works well. So avoid end of June through August (besides, it's HOT in Los Angeles, so in my opinion, Autumn temps are much better!) and watch out for Spring Break, and Winter Break. That leaves quite a lot of opportunities! They also deck the whole park out for Christmas too, so if you're interested in seeing everything all festive, October and December are great choices. :D

Also, boooooo for those BFNs! But there's still hope, you're still testing a little early! FXd!


*Fern* - Since DH and I have only just recently been referred to that specialist, we haven't even been able to discuss IUI with a doctor. So far it's only been testing, testing, testing. This month I'm going to try using PreSeed every time in my fertile window, 'cause I can't rely on my own body to make the right stuff on its own any more! I even tried stopping my allergy meds during that week in case they were the reason I was all dried up. But it didn't really change anything, except for the fact that I was sneezing all over the place and whatnot. lol


*Swimmy* - That's excellent news! Keep us posted!


*Cupcake* - I bet the gym was crowded! Everyone trying to stick to their new years' resolutions and whatnot. Does it bother you when the gym is crowded? I know that I always felt like everyone was staring at me, especially because I never bothered with trendy workout clothes, makeup, etc. like I've seen some women do. Honestly, who loads their face full of makeup and then goes and tries to work out without mussing it all up? lol!



AFM -- Another short AF. I don't mind it, really. One heavy day and one light day, and I'm done. But the heavy day tends to leave me curled up on the couch under a heavy blanket. DH and I had planned to see a movie that day, but AF was a day early and I asked if we could reschedule, I felt so crummy.

When I was younger, my periods always lasted 10 days. I'd say this is a definite improvement! And I'm trying to mentally work out some kind of 'schedule' for DH and I to really get some BDing in this month, since last month was so hectic, we were always too exhausted.

I had a dream last night that I get pregnant this cycle, so who knows!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern~I temped in the beginning years ago. Showed consistent O, plus I've had monitored cycles in the past. It got old so I stopped when we went to NTNP....
IRYM~YES! The gym was packed, of course the guy at the desk said things will be back to normal by the end of Jan.! Hahaha!


----------



## Ursaula

Saw my dietitian today, she was great! She wants to see me next Tuesday to see my progress. This week I'm working on setting the fork down between bites, chewing food at least 20 times, exercising more (dancing), as well as drink at least 2 cups of water a day.

13dpo today and feeling like I'm out. I have so many symptoms but can't tell what they are for yet...fx'd still.


----------



## Fern81

Urs - have you tested again? That's great news about the dietitian! Interesting that she's not just telling you what to eat and what not, but also working on your habits surrounding food. It sounds like a holistic approach; can't wait to read about you feeling healthier, fitter, losing weight etc. x Good luck my friend, a lifestyle change is never easy but slow and steady does it!

Cupcake - lol there have been sooooo many people jogging past our house since the beginning of Jan! Our living room and kitchen overlook the street that we live in, so I constantly see people running and speedwalking past. Even though we are still trapped in a heat wave (42 degrees C/107,6 deg F today!!) there are just runners GALORE. I actually love the "newness" and positivity of new year's resolutions, even if they are a cliche. It's a cool cliche. How are your gym resolutions faring? :thumbup:

IRYM - I've read that a 5 day flow is optimal for reproductive health, in that the lining was thick enough and the whole lining gets expelled. My friend has AF that lasts only for 1 very light day though, AND she has endo and she still got pregnant with fraternal twins at a time when she was taking bcp :dohh: so IDK. Maybe it's worth mentioning to your doctor?

Swimmy and the other pregnant ladies - sending you hugs.

AFM - day 9 of the diet done, also day 6 of the planking challenge done & dusted! I'm already getting used to eating less/only limited types & amounts of food. The first week is always the WORST, I always feel so hungry the first few days of starting any new eating plan! But I'm very motivated and very happy that it feels like my stomach is shrinking, I don't get so super hungry all the time anymore. I want to be able to run 5 km by the end of the year, weigh 50kg and have a sixpack tummy (but I say that every year waahahahaha! :haha:). Even better will be a baby bump though!

I'm STILL spotting brown, basically for 2 weeks now. I hate it, it just feels so yucky. However, I forgot to phone my dr. :dohh: So I still don't know when my surgery will be. Soon, I hope! :coffee:


----------



## Ursaula

Fern: I tested twice on 13dpo, in the am, and pm. I'm 14dpo today but I prayed to God and told him if I wait until 15dpo then he can give me that BFP, but if I test 14dpo then I'll get af! (I know it doesn't work like that...but I need some deal to save on some money) So, I plan on testing 15dpo (tomorrow) which is also the day that ff has placed af. I'm getting really nervous now but these symptoms are crazy.

I've already had 3 cups of water today and I'm feeling fairly good about losing weight this time around. I have more confidence than ever! I'll keep you gals posted on it all of course :)

I couldn't imagine 42 degrees! That's WAYY too hot! It's around -18 C here right now.

I'm really praying for this year for you Fern, as well as everyone. Weight wise and ttc. Fx'd!

Hope everyone else is doing well :)

Forgot to mention it's my puppy's 1st birthday today! Yay!
 



Attached Files:







12179326_1678780045684584_898280789_n.jpg
File size: 35 KB
Views: 2


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> IRYM - I've read that a 5 day flow is optimal for reproductive health, in that the lining was thick enough and the whole lining gets expelled. My friend has AF that lasts only for 1 very light day though, AND she has endo and she still got pregnant with fraternal twins at a time when she was taking bcp :dohh: so IDK. Maybe it's worth mentioning to your doctor?

My OB/GYN seemed entirely uninterested when I brought it up. She didn't ask any follow-up questions, comment on it, or anything. My own personal research indicates that what is most important is how much lining you shed each month. Since I use a menstrual cup instead of pads or tampons, I was able to tell that I'm within the acceptable range.

Here's a quote from an article I found:

_The average volume of menstrual fluid during a monthly menstrual period is 35 milliliters (2.4 tablespoons of menstrual fluid) with 1080 milliliters (16 tablespoons of menstrual fluid) considered typical. Menstrual fluid is the correct name for the flow, although many people prefer to refer to it as menstrual blood._

Since I'm at 30ml (give or take), that's pretty healthy sounding.

It also states that typical flow lasts 2 to 5 days. So I guess I'm fine. It was just concerning to go from 10 days without BC, to 5 days on BC, and 2 days without it. 

It would have been nice if the OB/GYN had said, "2 days is still normal," or something when I brought it up, though!

I guess I just have really heavy flow for that first day, and it all comes out at once? Whoooo knows at this point.


----------



## Fern81

Thanks for the info IRYM, interesting. I was wondering about that.

Ursaula - happy puppy birthday! Hehe I'm just the same with my cats - they are like my children that I fuss over. GL with testing tomorrow. So glad that you are feeling motivated. If you have a down day - don't eat!!! Rather have s/o give you a massage or take a bubble bath or watch a treat movie with a cup of sugarless herbal tea... It takes a long time to learn a good habit but it's super easy to learn a BAD habit (thanks, Murphy!). :) so just take it one day at a time and don't give up!

I'm so chuffed with my diet and planking so far - obviously I have a LONG way to go toward getting fit and thin still, last year's diet was on and off & lots of emotional eating and drinking so I did not meet my goals. I hope to do it this year though! 

I haven't lost that much weight yet and haven't started exercising in earnest (it's SO HOT! and we are working hard at home renovations so I haven't had that much time to swim for exercise either), just the planking challenge. 

Still, I have lost loads of bloat and already fit into some clothes that I couldn't wear last year! Whoop whoop!

BTW I've started taking L-arginine just because I saw it was on special when I went to buy L-lysine for my cats. Who knows if it will make a difference, it can't hurt right? 
My husband and I had another serious talk and he agreed that some things have to change... so far so good... I don't mind fighting or disagreeing some times but this past year things have gotten really bad. Here's to hoping things will really change. I'm committed. We are going to bd around O time (if I even ovulate with the last 2 cycles' hormonal overload!). I wasn't planning on ttc this cycle but since I AM not taking bcp, might as well take a gamble. So IRYM I guess we are really ttc cycle buddies lol. :hugs:


----------



## ireadyermind

*Ursaula* - Have you tested yet?! We're keeping everything crossed for you!

*Fern *- Woohoo, cycle buddies for reals! ;) So about the L-arginine, what benefits is that particular supplement supposed to provide? I've heard of it, but I haven't really looked into it. 

Sounds like you're doing really well on the exercise front! For me it's just been a matter of getting back into some kind of productive routine. For the past week I only permit myself a few hours of "fun time" a day. The rest is housework, cooking, art for customers, etc. Toward the end of the holiday, there were days I did absolutely nothing because I felt so run down. 

So far the routine is helping and I'm feeling the urge to work out again. Soon as the flare-up of my old foot injury subsides, I'll be getting back to the elliptical trainer, I think!



AFM -- Woke up this morning, made coffee... and then randomly got a massive nosebleed? I have never gotten an actual nosebleed (where there's blood dripping from my nose) in my life, not even after being hit in the face with a ball, a toddler's head, a sibling's elbow, etc. so this was pretty shocking.

If my temps weren't so low I'd be convinced I was PG! I even actually POAS yesterday because I had to pee 3x in one night and my temps were actually _climbing_... It was BFN of course, so I really don't know what's going on right now.


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: I'd get a new ob/gyn, that one sounds too annoying! Are you past ovulation? Nosebleed sounds positive, although it's a nasty thing to have.

Fern: Thanks for the ideas!

I'll post again in a while - s/o is here right now so I don't have much time. I tested this morning with FMU and it came out BFN. Still waiting for period so I went into the city to buy another dollar tree test. Found out they had been recalled for giving incorrect results!!!! Long story short, I bought a cheaper brand that wasn't dollar store cheap and I'm waiting to test tomorrow likely...or should I tonight? No af yet!


----------



## ireadyermind

Ursaula said:


> IRYM: I'd get a new ob/gyn, that one sounds too annoying! Are you past ovulation? Nosebleed sounds positive, although it's a nasty thing to have.

Today is CD6, so AF (or something resembling it!) showed up 6 days ago. I have roughly 14 more days before I ovulate, but hopefully less. So this really can't be a pregnancy symptom unless that bleeding I had last week wasn't really AF!

Still, I POAS the other day (woke up 3x in the middle of the night to pee -- what's THAT about?) and got BFN, so I'm not sure what would cause my nose to gush like that. :dohh:


----------



## swimmyj1

I hate nose bleeds they are the worse. I tend to get the, a lot in the winter from all the dry air


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> I hate nose bleeds they are the worse. I tend to get the, a lot in the winter from all the dry air

Same for me -- only it's not full-on gushers, it's just a little red on the tissue in the mornings. But it's been raining for the past several days, so the humidity is through the roof! Do you think a high level of humidity could cause a nose bleed?


----------



## Fern81

Ursaula - I still hope you get a bfp soon and if not, AF! x

IRYM - l-arginine is an amino acid which primarily increases nitrous oxide levels in the body. This increases blood flow/circulation, improves sperm production, increases libido, has slight anti-clotting action and is thought to improve egg cell health & boost the immune system due to improved blood circulation. 

I've also started taking coenzyme Q10 today & started DH on multivitamins, zinc and also l-arginine. I had a thought that if I can get the operation soon then I might have a better chance at getting pregnant in a few months, even possibly without IVF... all these supplements take at least 90 days to impact egg and sperm cell health so I might as well start taking it now! Even though I am taking ttc breaks on and off atm (and supposed to be on bcp :dohh::haha:), it's a good idea to start improving my egg cell health NOW. 

I tend to get nosebleeds only if I have a severe sinus infection. Sorry no help there! 

How is everyone's diet/exercise plans going? Anyone else have a new plan of action?

AFM - diet is still going really well. I had 2 mouthfuls of breakfast rusk today (baked them myself for the first time, for my husband; and I wanted to taste them) and I felt so guilty lol. Other than that I'm sticking to my guns! I want to carry on like this as a lifestyle change, not just an "on-and-off" like last year! That clearly didn't work. 

Oohh I found another tip that helps to focus on what you are eating (be aware of the food in your mouth): 99% of us has a preferential chewing side in the mouth. I preferentially chew on the left. Now if you push the food into the _other_ side of the mouth, it feels a bit weird & unusual, and helps you to focus on what you are chewing. It really helps me to be aware of the textures and tastes of the food I put into my mouth... I also chew and eat more slowly that way. 

Planking day 8 done! I haven't lost more weight, boo (I suppose I will have to start working out now to see any more weight loss). And yay, spotting finally stopped today! :happydance:


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern - im so gonna have to try the being aware of chewing that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for all the great information your passing on :) 

Afm - finally got up and went to the gym yesterday. I only did 25 minutes on the ellipicial but I figure at least I went and can keep going a few days a week. I'm home for my uncles funeral this weekend :( it's nice to get to say goodbye though

Irym - mine are usual worse when there isn't humidity but I'm sure it has to do with your usual weather is like. I woke up this morning with a bad one again


----------



## Ursaula

I've been so busy! S/o and I are making mozzarella sticks right now so I have a moment to stop and breathe....sort of.

Swimmy: How have you been feeling? Any nausea, etc?

IRYM: I don't get nose bleeds but I'd imagine it is probably related to the humidity in the air.

Fern: Fx'd for you that this works! I sure know metformin is doing something to me so I'm hoping you found a solution that will work for you too. I did the plank the last 2 days and made it to 20 seconds and 26 seconds. So out of shape!

AFM: Like I said I've been super busy. Trying to figure out living arrangements and moving ones for Toronto. It's a 3 year plan but it's still taking a lot of time getting ready for school, lots of sewing!

I've been doing well in regards to weight and eating with the plans my dietitian and I made. (As we make mozzarella sticks...). TTC wise, I tested yesterday, BFN, I didn't test today. No af yet either... I'm going to use my last test on Monday (19dpo) and if nothing comes by then I'll be seeing my doctor.


----------



## swimmyj1

Ursaula - moving sounds so exciting. I can't wait until me and my DH get to move further up north. I know it will defiantly be a few years but its something to look forward too. Rooting for you in sticking to eating right :) 

I've been super sick the last week or so, and I'm sure getting on my DH's nerves. He keeps wanting to go out for a date night and I will say yes and then he gets home from work and i'm so tired/sick I just don't want to. Also cat is out of the bag. At the late lunchin after my uncles funeral I was super super sick and ended up dry heaving in a trash can (oh yeah classy). Someone made a joke about me being pregnant. And of course DH chimes in yeah we got to see the heartbeat last week. You could have heard a pin drop in a room with 200 people lol. ooohhh if looks could kill. I'm still pretty mad about it, way to early to say anything, but nothing I can do about it now.


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: Thanks! :) Also, it sounds like your DH is excited about the baby with how he couldn't hold it in and had to say something. I'm sorry you're feeling so crummy though.

How's everyone else doing?

For me, I'm still waiting for af or a bfp. Feels like a bfp would be a huge shock now though since tomorrow I would be 19dpo. Ff took off my cross hairs but I KNOW I ovulated because of all the cramps I was having...just have to wait and see I guess...


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

Cupcakestoy - how are you doing gym-wise? Have you lost any more weight, where are you in your cycle? Thinking of you! Oh btw, when are you planning on doing IVF? So many questions - thinking of you hun!:flower:

Swimmy - aaawwww so lovely that your DH is super psyched about the pregnancy and at the same time... :dohh: impulsively announcing in front of 200 people? Well hun if all continues to go well (and I really believe it will!) then this might become a funny family tale to tell the kids :). Sorry that you are feeling sooooo sick! I really hope the nausea lets up a bit. 

Ursaula - glad you're still planking - are you still doing it daily? Lol I'm holding you accountable!! 20 and 26 seconds are brilliant for someone just starting out with a plank; it's all about holding position as long as you can. My husband does sport coaching for a LIVING and he could only do 40 seconds the other night when he tried it for the first time haha. (Having said that, he is really big boned and HEAVY so I can imagine it was hard for him to hold himself up). 
19 dpo is very long for a LP... when are you seeing your doctor? It might be that you didn't ovulate :( I hope you did though. If you DID ovulate and you get an u/s now then they should be able to see a corpus luteum cyst. 

Maybe you can ask your doctor about doing hormone tests and monitoring.
E.g a 7dpo progesterone test (to be done 7/8 days after suspected ovulation). 
Or ultrasound cycle tracking to see if any follicles are growing during the follicular phase, and if an egg is released during/around ovulation.
FSH and LH baseline tests on CD 3 of a new cycle. 
Etc!

There are many things that a dr can do to determine if you are actually having a normal menstrual cycle. I hope you get the proper medical care that you (all of us) deserve. xx I tend to tell my doctors what I want them to do additionally. I have had many ttc related ultrasounds and blood tests done just because I demand it... I'm paying for it so they allow it. I know it doesn't work like that in every country though.

AFM - I had ONE cheat day this weekend, it was my niece's birthday party and I had some party food.... and picked up 3 pounds wtf!? Urghh! Well I haven't missed a plank in the planking challenge so far, currently day 11. Happens to be CD11 too ;). Up to 70 seconds 3x daily. I also started doing HIIT today. 
TTC wise - cramping, diarrhea (sorry), one instance of spotting, one instance of EWCM. Confusing. I really hope my hormones just calm down and are @ normal parameters this cycle. I'm not having anything tested of course... my break from bcp is NOT doctor's orders! I don't expect to become pregnant this cycle, I just need to have one normal-ish cycle again! :winkwink: With bd around mid-cycle thrown in there of course :winkwink:.


----------



## ireadyermind

Happy Monday, everyone! 

Busy weekend for us here. DH and I cleaned up the garage a little bit, did all of our errand-running, and we worked on cleaning up a flower bed that the neighborhood cats have been using as their communal toilet. Yuck! We're putting gravel in, so that the little stinkers can't get down to the soil to do their business. Lots of work, but it's looking really nice!

About the nosebleeds: it's been raining here, 75% humidity or higher. I do get traces of blood on the tissue in dry weather, but getting a nosebleed because of higher humidity seems counter intuitive. Especially when this is the first real nosebleed I've ever had? Hmm.

It hasn't happened again since that first one, AND the usual trace amounts of blood in the tissue from dry air are gone, thanks to the rainy weather. I really don't know what's going on. Haha


*Fern* - Huh. That sounds like a useful supplement! But don't you just wish it didn't take three whole months (or so) before it started making a difference? Haha

*Ursaula* - All my reading says that if you actually did ovulate and you make it past 18dpo without a temp drop below coverline, you're most likely pregnant. What are your temps looking like now?

*Swimmy* - OMG, your DH! :dohh: I would be upset, too! Letting the cat outta the bag like that, in front of a crowd of people! Man.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Hey ladies do you mind if I join? 

Currently have been trying since March 2015 with one mc at 8 weeks in November. This is my second full cycle since mc but I didn't ovulate the last one. I've decided I need to loose a little weight and hubs is getting a little stressed out with everything we have going on. So we've moved to ntnp while I loose some weight. I feel like trying has put my life on hold and I've always been too worried to work out but not anymore! Week 1 down and today marks the start of week 2!


----------



## Fern81

Hi mrsgreen!!!! 

You are so very welcome! 
Awwww I'm sorry to read about your recent miscarriage... Many ladies on here have been in your shoes, ttc is sooooo heartwrenching at times. Kudos to you though for doing your best to keep healthy & carry on. Can't wait to hear about your fitness, weight loss AND ttc successes this year! X


----------



## ireadyermind

mrs.green2015 said:


> Hey ladies do you mind if I join?
> 
> Currently have been trying since March 2015 with one mc at 8 weeks in November. This is my second full cycle since mc but I didn't ovulate the last one. I've decided I need to loose a little weight and hubs is getting a little stressed out with everything we have going on. So we've moved to ntnp while I loose some weight. I feel like trying has put my life on hold and I've always been too worried to work out but not anymore! Week 1 down and today marks the start of week 2!

Welcome, welcome, Mrs. Green! We're happy to have you! 

Sorry to hear about the miscarriage. They're so rough! :hugs: Hopefully as you work on getting your body in shape, it will help make a welcoming place for a sticky bean the next time around! :)


----------



## Ursaula

Hello gals!

Welcome Mrs. Green! :) Can't wait to see those numbers drop for you!

Fern: I've been holding plank daily except for today. I've had mega pain (I'll explain a little further down.)

IRYM: I'll attach my chart.

AFM: Another short post because I am running off to a medical clinic in the city. I called a nurse line to ask about what's going on and she seemed super concerned and has set up a doctor to see me in the city. I sent her my chart to look at and she thinks it's either a major cyst (given the pain I've been having) or I'm pregnant...I'm praying it's the second one!
 



Attached Files:







Screen Shot 2016-01-11 at 4.39.03 PM.jpg
File size: 59.1 KB
Views: 4


----------



## mrs.green2015

Thanks ladies for the welcome! I really think not being healthy is why I didn't ovulate and haven't gotten pregnant. So my goal is 20-25 pounds. But honestly if I get down 10% of my body fat I'll be ecstatic. They say 10% will increase fertility.


----------



## cupcakestoy

swimmyj1 said:


> Ursaula - moving sounds so exciting. I can't wait until me and my DH get to move further up north. I know it will defiantly be a few years but its something to look forward too. Rooting for you in sticking to eating right :)
> 
> I've been super sick the last week or so, and I'm sure getting on my DH's nerves. He keeps wanting to go out for a date night and I will say yes and then he gets home from work and i'm so tired/sick I just don't want to. Also cat is out of the bag. At the late lunchin after my uncles funeral I was super super sick and ended up dry heaving in a trash can (oh yeah classy). Someone made a joke about me being pregnant. And of course DH chimes in yeah we got to see the heartbeat last week. You could have heard a pin drop in a room with 200 people lol. ooohhh if looks could kill. I'm still pretty mad about it, way to early to say anything, but nothing I can do about it now.

I'm glad your puking! lol Means the LO is growing! I would KILL dh! Remind me when your next appointment is....



Ursaula said:


> Swimmy: Thanks! :) Also, it sounds like your DH is excited about the baby with how he couldn't hold it in and had to say something. I'm sorry you're feeling so crummy though.
> 
> How's everyone else doing?
> 
> For me, I'm still waiting for af or a bfp. Feels like a bfp would be a huge shock now though since tomorrow I would be 19dpo. Ff took off my cross hairs but I KNOW I ovulated because of all the cramps I was having...just have to wait and see I guess...

Hope you get some answers soon! Sometimes you can gear up to O & not, but either way, I agree that I would ask for labs & maybe neds to bring on AF if your don't get a bfp....




Fern81 said:


> Hi ladies
> 
> Cupcakestoy - how are you doing gym-wise? Have you lost any more weight, where are you in your cycle? Thinking of you! Oh btw, when are you planning on doing IVF? So many questions - thinking of you hun!:flower:
> 
> Swimmy - aaawwww so lovely that your DH is super psyched about the pregnancy and at the same time... :dohh: impulsively announcing in front of 200 people? Well hun if all continues to go well (and I really believe it will!) then this might become a funny family tale to tell the kids :). Sorry that you are feeling sooooo sick! I really hope the nausea lets up a bit.
> 
> Ursaula - glad you're still planking - are you still doing it daily? Lol I'm holding you accountable!! 20 and 26 seconds are brilliant for someone just starting out with a plank; it's all about holding position as long as you can. My husband does sport coaching for a LIVING and he could only do 40 seconds the other night when he tried it for the first time haha. (Having said that, he is really big boned and HEAVY so I can imagine it was hard for him to hold himself up).
> 19 dpo is very long for a LP... when are you seeing your doctor? It might be that you didn't ovulate :( I hope you did though. If you DID ovulate and you get an u/s now then they should be able to see a corpus luteum cyst.
> 
> Maybe you can ask your doctor about doing hormone tests and monitoring.
> E.g a 7dpo progesterone test (to be done 7/8 days after suspected ovulation).
> Or ultrasound cycle tracking to see if any follicles are growing during the follicular phase, and if an egg is released during/around ovulation.
> FSH and LH baseline tests on CD 3 of a new cycle.
> Etc!
> 
> There are many things that a dr can do to determine if you are actually having a normal menstrual cycle. I hope you get the proper medical care that you (all of us) deserve. xx I tend to tell my doctors what I want them to do additionally. I have had many ttc related ultrasounds and blood tests done just because I demand it... I'm paying for it so they allow it. I know it doesn't work like that in every country though.
> 
> AFM - I had ONE cheat day this weekend, it was my niece's birthday party and I had some party food.... and picked up 3 pounds wtf!? Urghh! Well I haven't missed a plank in the planking challenge so far, currently day 11. Happens to be CD11 too ;). Up to 70 seconds 3x daily. I also started doing HIIT today.
> TTC wise - cramping, diarrhea (sorry), one instance of spotting, one instance of EWCM. Confusing. I really hope my hormones just calm down and are @ normal parameters this cycle. I'm not having anything tested of course... my break from bcp is NOT doctor's orders! I don't expect to become pregnant this cycle, I just need to have one normal-ish cycle again! :winkwink: With bd around mid-cycle thrown in there of course :winkwink:.

WTG on planking! I'm doing good! Went to the gym 3x last week & on off days worked my tail off at home! lol Down 3# as of this morning!:happydance::happydance::happydance: Af should be here by Friday. The Progesterone is making me more tired than usual & my bbs are super tender!
We were planning on IVF in April, but I've pushed it back until May or maybe even June, since April is when our last angel was due & I still have 40# to lose. Hoping to get there before then, but don't want to stress so much over it....



ireadyermind said:


> Happy Monday, everyone!
> 
> Busy weekend for us here. DH and I cleaned up the garage a little bit, did all of our errand-running, and we worked on cleaning up a flower bed that the neighborhood cats have been using as their communal toilet. Yuck! We're putting gravel in, so that the little stinkers can't get down to the soil to do their business. Lots of work, but it's looking really nice!
> 
> About the nosebleeds: it's been raining here, 75% humidity or higher. I do get traces of blood on the tissue in dry weather, but getting a nosebleed because of higher humidity seems counter intuitive. Especially when this is the first real nosebleed I've ever had? Hmm.
> 
> It hasn't happened again since that first one, AND the usual trace amounts of blood in the tissue from dry air are gone, thanks to the rainy weather. I really don't know what's going on. Haha
> 
> 
> Yuck! I have the same cat problem here! Luckily the strays seem to be leaving more lately, so I hope they find someone's beds to do their business in!
> 
> 
> 
> mrs.green2015 said:
> 
> 
> Hey ladies do you mind if I join?
> 
> Currently have been trying since March 2015 with one mc at 8 weeks in November. This is my second full cycle since mc but I didn't ovulate the last one. I've decided I need to loose a little weight and hubs is getting a little stressed out with everything we have going on. So we've moved to ntnp while I loose some weight. I feel like trying has put my life on hold and I've always been too worried to work out but not anymore! Week 1 down and today marks the start of week 2!
> 
> Welcome & Good luck with your weight loss goals!Click to expand...


----------



## Fern81

Urs- oh poor you! Your temps look good, fx that you are actually pregnant despite those pesky bfns. Wouldn't that be amazing. Keep us updated, I really hope there is nothing serious going on. Xx


----------



## Fern81

Any news Ursaula? Sending you loads of positive thoughts!! 

I'm still waiting for my doctor's office to phone back regarding a surgery date. I'm so scared & panicky every time I talk to them.... urgh I HATE having surgery. Sounds like it won't happen before March. That means that I have January and Feb to try and get pregnant on my own... if I do, I won't NEED surgery since pregnancy actually helps suppress endo! However, I most probably won't be able to get pregnant at all unless I have the surgery. AND the doctor wants me on bcp. I was in tears again last night about this whole confusing mess of ttc. I can never decide what to do. I have been making all my decisions with my heart and emotions, it's so extremely difficult to remove emotion out of the equation when this whole journey is nothing but a big BALL OF CONFUSION and hysterical ups and downs.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- have they said why they want you on bc?


----------



## Fern81

Mrsgreen- because I have stage 3 endometriosis including on my ovaries. When I'm not on bcp then the endo grows and damages my ovaries & follies & egg cell reserve (have had it surgically removed twice before but new dr suspects it is back). That is also what I'm getting surgery for before we can even consider IVF. X


----------



## mrs.green2015

I'm so sorry. That's horrible. It's crazy you would have to wait until March to even get the surgery. I'm sorry!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Ursaula* - Thanks for showing us your chart! :) I'm wondering if, with all those open circles, maybe you actually ovulated on CD23 instead? If that was the case, you wouldn't be at 19DPO today, but 14DPO.

I could be wrong, but I wanted to consider other possibilities. Sometimes FF picks the wrong day for cross hairs. :)



*Mrs.Green* - I have heard that, too. It'd be nice if I could lose the 10% also! I haven't been working out enough lately, but I _have_ been working on cutting back on calories, and being more active during the day. I'm trying to get into a good routine that I can stick with instead of always getting burnt out and disappointed with myself. I had a routine like that a couple years back, but I fell out of it for various reasons and it's been hard to pick back up! :dohh:

Do you have any kind of healthy routine that you're trying to stick to?


*Cupcake* - I noticed that no one else around me has wood chips in their flowerbeds. It's all rock, or nothing at all. lol! I didn't really think anything of it until recently, but it all makes sense now!

The wood chips were already here when we bought the house, and they looked nice... for a little while. We got a gift card for the local home improvement store for XMas and we're putting it to good use!


*Fern* - :hugs: Surgery is so stressful! Even when it's "minor" surgery, I'm a wreck. So I can totally relate! 

What if you sat down with DH and made a Pros and Cons list about whether or not to be on BCP? If the Pros outweigh the Cons, then get on it. That way you aren't making a knee-jerk decision or letting the day's emotions cloud your judgement? I know it sounds a little cliche, but it could work!


----------



## Ursaula

Fern: How fast growing is it? If you feel it won't grow much within 2 months I'd ttc during those months leading up to surgery. Good luck!

IRYM: I thought about that too. Fx'd either way.

AFM: I bring pictures! :blush: #1a and #2a are originals (taken in the 10 minute mark). #1c and #2c are the negatives of those originals. #3b is test #1 taken after the 10 minute mark (and out of case). :blush: (I'm going to go do one more test right now too...haha.

In regards to what happened. They want me to wait until I would be 2 weeks late until they do anything. I do have that ultrasound/endo thing on Jan. 27 so I'm hoping that will show something too! Fx'd.
 



Attached Files:







Screen Shot 2016-01-12 at 11.56.41 AM.png
File size: 106.1 KB
Views: 2









Screen Shot 2016-01-12 at 12.13.38 PM.png
File size: 133.3 KB
Views: 1









Screen Shot 2016-01-12 at 12.19.36 PM.png
File size: 40.8 KB
Views: 12









Screen Shot 2016-01-12 at 12.20.23 PM.png
File size: 41.8 KB
Views: 13









Screen Shot 2016-01-12 at 12.23.03 PM.png
File size: 24.7 KB
Views: 14


----------



## swimmyj1

Ursaula - I was thinking the same as IRYM that maybe you ovulated a little later than ff thought. I don't think i see anything on your tests but on my phone its hard to tell lol. My fingers are very crossed for you!

Mrs. Green - Welcome! 10% is a great goal!!! 

Cupcake - My next scan is on monday I'll be 8 weeks 2 days I think. I'm not at nervous at before. This time just feels so different than with my other 2 losses. I hope I'm right. (also I totally admit I'm one of those january people who joined a gym and am using up all the machines for my new years goal haha) Instead of going to the gym yesterday I went for a short hike. It was freezing but I always just feel so good being outside. 

Fern - I'm sorry they have you waiting so long for surgery :( I tend to really like lists so I too would make a pro con list. Also as crappy as it is to be on it if it stops it from getting worse until the surgery might not be bad in the long run??

AFM- I think I hurt my back shoveling snow yesterday. My lower back has just been so angry with me. that or I fell asleep funny on the couch again. I swear I can't stay awake for the life of me.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Ursaula* - Unfortunately, I don't see any lines either. :\ FXd though!

*Swimmy* - Oh man, you're brave. I haaaaaate cold weather! That's probably just from living in CA though. Haha. It's currently 59°F and I think that's too cold to be out in for long! :dohh:

Make sure you take care of that back! I know from experience that pulling a muscle or throwing out your back is MISERY, and since you're pregnant you're kinda stuck in terms of pain meds, muscle relaxers, etc. Yikes! 


AFM - OPKs and a drop in my temps are making it look like I might actually ovulate close to what a "normal" cycle should be, for the first time in years! I'm a little excited about that. Haha.

Looking at previous cycles' OPKs (I paste them to a sheet of paper for the month, snap a pic, and keep the pics for reference), I should get a +OPK in about two days. We'll see what happens! Thank goodness I decided DH and I should get an early start in BDing this month. I'll have to remember to use Preseed tomorrow, as we didn't use any last night.

Today I've been deep cleaning the bathrooms. They don't get that done as often as they should, and I broke a sweat with all the scrubbing I've been doing. That counts as today's exercise, doesn't it? ;)


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: Thanks for the input! Have you tried using heated bean bags on your back? I find it helps when my s/o is having nerve pain.

IRYM: Thanks for looking at them! That's a great idea about the pictures of OPKs so you can compare them. If I ever have af somewhat normally I'd like to try out OPKs.

I'd definitely count bathroom cleaning as exercise!

AFM: If I ovulated on cd23 I'd be 16dpo. I also posted some FRER pictures of today in the pregnancy test section to see what others think. Fx'd!


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - 59 is cold?? lol i could be out in a t-shirt and jeans easy hahaha . Today was a high of 13 by me. really looking forward to my girls weekend trip in 2 weeks. Lots of hiking/snow shoeing :)

Ursaula - I did end up getting a heating pack total life saver


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies

IRYM - Have you started with any type of exercise/eating plan yet for 2016? Scrubbing definitely counts! :)
Looks like both you and I might be ovulating sooner than usual! I've been having lower back pains & feels like I have been punched in the uterus... :haha: not my usual O type pains (usually I do feel the "bursting bubble" type pain on one ovary for a few hours). However my temp this morning is 36,5 and that is a post-O temp for me. What little CM I had has dried up and bbs feel sensitive. So I might have ovulated CD13. Only time will tell. If I did O yesterday our bd timing was not great but not non-existent. Hope you do O soon hun so we can be tww buddies too!

Swimmy - look after yourself!! Glad your back is feeling a bit better. FX all is still doing really well on Monday. xx

Ursaula - I went to check the pregnancy test thread, sorry hun but I see no lines at all. Sending you lots of hugs and I hope all is well! Just keep up the good work with diet and exercise - every step toward a healthier body means a step closer to a healthy pregnancy too. For all of us. :hugs:

MrsGreen - how is your training so far this week? What exercise program are you doing? And what do you do for a living? Lol I hope you don't mind me being nosy. The other ladies have also been through my 10 billion questions, I'm always very interested in other people's stories. (That must be why I stalk so many other threads too - helps me feel less alone :winkwink:).

My lower back is KILLING me!? Very unusual for this time of the month - either my hormones are still out of wack, and/or my endo is playing up, or it's just due to ovulation and/or planking so much during O time (I'm up to 80 seconds 3x a day). I won't stop planking though - I can't believe the difference it's made to my tummy already. We have a wedding on 20 Feb and it's my brother's wedding 2 April so I have these two events in mind to wear a beautiful and flattering dress. My diet is still going very well too. I'm hardly eating anything :wacko: but not losing weight as fast as I want to. I have only lost 3 kg now in total since 29 Dec. (6,6 pounds). 

I'm STILL waiting for my doctor's office to phone me back!!! I keep phoning and they are just so busy they tell me that they'll call me back and then just don't. This is not the service that I've gotten used to from them and am getting angry. :wacko:

BTW everyone is from the USA except Urs and me, right?


----------



## Ursaula

Fern: What days leading up to O did you bd? There's always a chance, no matter how big or small!

Thanks for looking at my other post too. The FRER doesn't seem to be picking up much of anything but all the other tests are? Is it normal to have some tests not work and some work?

80 seconds 3x/day!? I made it to a minute yesterday and felt I couldn't move after!

Also, I think 6.6lbs/3kg is very reasonable. I find we all just want to see huge numbers but our bodies just don't work like that :( whereas gaining weight you see big jumps! Haha.

Can you go to your doctor office?

Canada<3.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- don't mind the questions at all! I'm here in the U.S. As far as training it's going well. I did a little more than required last night and I'm definitely feeling the burn today! Lol I'm doing an 8 week challenge from toneitup.com. New workouts every day so it makes it not boring. 

I work in media sales (I basically sell advertising to businesses) I took the job because it's very flexible and you can sort of make your own hours or leave for appointments if you need to. Plus some people make really good money. I've only been doing it 5 months so still learning though!
What about you?
80 seconds is amazing! Glad you're already seeing a difference. Are you doing anything else too?


----------



## Fern81

You all can probably see I'm not that busy at work yet lol. Posting all the time.

Ursaula - IF I did indeed ovulate CD13, then we only dtd once, the night before O. But we will see if my O date changes, not too concerned about that though, just not liking these back pains. 
As for your tests - I've never taken a FRER so I can't say, sorry :(. 
60 second plank increase from 20 seconds to start with is AWESOME! Thanks for doing this challenge with me! Geez I LOLed when I read what you wrote about us losing minute amounts when dieting, but gaining weight is so easy. Too true! (thanks again, Murphy). I wish we lived in the Victorian age when being overweight was a desirable "look" and they knew nothing about being healthy, so I could just eat what I wanted and be very lazy! :winkwink: How are you doing with the dietitian prescribed diet? x

MrsGreen - Oohh I'm going to google that exercise plan! As for my exercising; atm I'm doing some HIIT exercises that I google and put together. We have some gym equipment and a room @ home which we've dedicated to being our gym but so far (5 months later) I haven't trained in my own gym at all! I'm not a big exercise freak, always have to really force myself. I go running a bit now and then, swim when possible, do HIIT workouts and when I get really busy at work unfortunately I do nothing at all. I know I have to start working out more regularly...
It's nice to have a job with flexible hours. Personally I'm not good with sales at all and I'm always so impressed with people with enough self-confidence to do sales. I'm a teacher (science) and run my own business; I teach private students & present science workshops and am building a small practical lab. LOVE my job. 
I see on your chart you are basically also where IRYM and I am in our cycles, (quite the coincidence lol!) I really do hope you ovulate this cycle! Will you also be sneaking in some bd around O time?

OK ladies I caved and took some pain meds for this back. Codeine and paracetamol. Am also getting a heat pack now (keep in mind we are still having very high temperatures in sunny Africa so am NOT looking forward to a heat pack). Finally spoke to my dr's receptionist. For now I'm on the waiting list for a cancellation to see the dr so that we can try and schedule surgery. The soonest it can happen is in March, but we might even have to look as far as June/July. If we have to wait any longer than the beginning of March, I will go back on bcp as dr prescribed.

Ahhhh I'm CRAVING chocolate cake right now!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- so sorry about your back! How hot is it there?

I haven't ovulated since my mc in November that I know of so not sure if I will or not. I know for sure I didn't last month by tracking but the month before I fist track so not sure. We're supposed to be not trying but I may sneak in some bd this weekend just in case i ovulate. Lol


----------



## ireadyermind

*Ursaula* - Keeping track of the OPKs like that has helped me see that I generally don't even need to START testing until CD15 or so, unless I start seeing fertile signs like CM and CP. That saved me lots of money on OPKs, since beforehand I was starting from like CD10 as recommended by most of the manufacturers of the OPKs. Since I test 2x a day, testing 5 days later saved me 10 tests a month. haha :)

*Swimmy* - You may not think 59° is cold, but it reaches 110°+ here in summertime! By comparison, 59° is downright frigid, and we do dip below freezing here too! On those days I'm wearing so many layers of clothing, I feel like the kid on A Christmas Story. ;)

*Fern* - I don't really have an exercise plan for 2016 except "get moving more". Toward the end of last year, I really stalled on working out. I _hate_ doing stupid, mindless cardio on machines, but I am physically unable to jog/run, jump rope, etc. due to old injuries that never healed properly. So right now, the biggest thing I'm focusing on is doing more active stuff during the day, increasing the number of steps I'm taking, etc. 

One thing I decided to start doing is to only use the upstairs bathroom rather than the downstairs one that's 10 feet away. That means I'm getting more exercise in just by climbing those stairs several more times a day. It's a good start. :)

DH and I have also gotten much better at eating home-cooked foods instead of ordering takeout. I've always cooked healthy stuff, lots of salads, lean meats, steamed veggies, etc. but I also really enjoy going out to dinner -- and who can say no to a good burger once in a while? lol 

Unfortunately that got to be too much. We'd eat takeout or go out to eat several times a week, and that's not healthy at all. So we've really cut back.

But I will say this: it's only since I've stopped dieting (and I mean "severely cutting calories", and "weighing everything and obsessing over each tiny element of a meal") that my cycles seem to be straightening out. I can credit the Vitex if I really want to, but I don't consistently take it, and even when I do, it's 1/3 of the recommended dosage.

I think it has to do with consistently eating healthy foods regardless of how many calories. Now, if I could just get my weight to cooperate and start dropping off...!


----------



## ireadyermind

Also! Just popping back in to share something: Hungry Girl 

This lady takes all _kinds_ of traditional recipes and swaps out ingredients to make them healthier for folks like us, who are trying to eat better but may be feeling like we're in a rut when it comes to meals and whatnot.

I have several of her cook books and I love checking out the new stuff she comes up with!

Here's a link to a collection of recipes she's posted. There are desserts, side dishes, soups, and lots of other things. If you try any of them, let me know what you think! I might make some myself, too. 

https://www.hungry-girl.com/weekly-recipes


----------



## Fern81

IRYM - what!? 110+ in summer!!??? That's insane. Normally in summer we have temperatures of about 85-95 F; this year it's been abnormally hot and dry due to El Nino with temps of 105+. In my part of the country we are not used to those temps! My poor husband is on a tennis court all day; imagine how hot it gets on those outdoor courts... :dohh:

If that answers your question MrsGreen :). We've been having heat waves on and off all summer. Today it's nice and cloudy though. I looked at toneitup and am LOVING all the full body exercises! I downloaded a pdf with kettlebell exercises and am looking forward to starting!

IRYM back to you... thanks for the HG link. I LOVE it when you guys share info on here! I've looked at her recipes and there are some I like but a lot that I personally won't use because they include sugar, flour, tinned ingredients, bottled sauces etc that I'm not allowing myself (eg ketchup has LOADS of sugar!). I'm being quite strict not only to slim down but also to try and limit inflammatory foods, to limit the endo inflammation. So while earlier on I mentioned that I will allow myself oats and rice; I've cut that out too (ALL grains) to try and limit inflammation. I only allow myself gem squash & sweet potato as starches now. 
This happened fast but - It's going really super with my business, I got SO many bookings for the new school year :happydance: so we will probably be able to save up for IVF in June/July! So I'm going to carry on eating a strict anti-inflammatory diet & taking supplements to improve egg health, in preparation for that. (IF we do decide to do it!)

Cupcakestoy - have you been hit with AF yet? I soooooo hope you get a bfp miracle before IVF!

In other news, nope it seems like I didn't ovulate after all. Temps are back down.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - So you can see how I'd think 59°F is cold, right!? That's 50 degrees cooler than the warmest summer temps. Now, mind you, it isn't a solid 110 all summer long. Usually just in the upper 90s and low 100s, then we get maybe a week where it hovers around 110. We've also been in the longest drought in CA's history, however, so that has something to do with it, I'm sure. I don't remember it passing 99 very often when I was a child.

Sorry to hear that there aren't many recipes that you can use in there! On the other hand, though, I'm sure you could swap out various grains for sweet potato starch -- OR look around on google to see if there are pre-made recipes that are similar to the ones that sound good to you. Have you tried flax seed meal at all? We use it to cut down the amount of carbohydrates in home made bread recipes, or pancakes or waffles. It does change the texture of the bread, but once you're used to that, I find it's a pretty good substitute.

I haven't O'd either, so it looks like we might end up being TWW buddies in the next couple of days! I give it 48hrs or less for myself, before I get a +OPK anyway. Could be another 48hrs after that before I actually ovulate. I'm hoping it's less time than that, though, because it would really be nice to have a cycle that's shorter than 35 days. :D

Today is CD14. Imagine if I O'd on CD16! That'd be the earliest yet! I could have a 31 day cycle. Woo! haha


----------



## drjo718

It's interesting to hear about everyone else's weather. We had a heat wave of 48 degrees yesterday, its 21 right now, and a forecasted temp of -1 on sunday with windchill values -20. This is iowa...


----------



## swimmyj1

I think I would cry with 110+ weather lol no wonder your freezing now! They are saying sense we've had a mild winter the summer is gonna be hot here this year. I really need to get a pool lol


----------



## Fern81

Drjo are those temps in F or C?


----------



## Fern81

Cd 16 for me (on the 16th :) ). Temps have taken a huge dip and my nips are tingling/itching/sensitive haha sounds like a weather forecast! Usually that's an indicator of O for me. Let's see. Fx for a normal cycle with minimal spotting!!
I'm very happy to report that with very strict eating & starting to exercise more this week, my weight has dropped a bit more. I weigh 57,5 today so that's a loss of 3,5kg (7,7 lbs) in about 3 weeks. Still not much but I when I lost 25kg (55 pounds) in 2010, I lost it 1 kg a week and it stayed off. Whereas crash diets and fast losses always climb back on me, and then some! So I'm happy. And am getting hundreds of compliments from dh. 

Irym- thanks for the ideas, I will definitely look into sweet potato as substitute.... mmmm imagine sweet potato brownies! I won't try flaxseed (all seed oils eg soybeen, corn, sunflower etc have high omega 6 levels; again inflammatory) BUT you've made me look around a bit and our local supermarket has almond and coconut flour so I might try those!!

Hope you O soon, post a pic of your opks we need to see lines lol!!

Thinking about you all, have a slimming weekend! &#9825;


----------



## Ursaula

Sorry gals, I've been super stressed.

In terms of weather, I'm laughing. School here doesn't even think about closing until it's -46C (-50.8F) [When busses stop running]. As of right now it's pretty warm out -24C(-11.2F). It's the windchill that kills you though :( The hottest it's ever been here in the summer is 32C (89.6F) so I can't imagine anything hotter than that!

I'm very doubtful now that I'm pregnant. My lines should be showing a lot stronger and I had two negatives at the doctors office. We did a blood test but I won't get results until Monday.

Any news from Cupcake?


----------



## drjo718

Fern81 said:


> Drjo are those temps in F or C?

Fahrenheit


----------



## mrs.green2015

Wow you ladies live in some cold places!! We're pretty good where I live gets up to 115f in the summer (at the most usually stays around 105f) and in the summer down to 30f in the mornings but during the day more like 45f. We don't get snow so I'd it rains it's warmer. :)


----------



## Ursaula

I live hearing about the different weather around the globe, some places are hard to believe!

How is everyone doing weight/healthy lifestyle wise? Any programs or foods that are amazing?

A few years ago my parents bought me a wii and it came with wii fit. I lost 25lbs in one month that year! I'm thinking I should dig it back out and get in gear on it again.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - I've been wanting to get a Wii fit! I've never owned one, but you can buy them really cheap now. There are refurbished sets with something like 10 games, on sale here for $80USD. Super cheap!

And I think combining exercise with a game is what's going to keep me interested. Beating high scores, best times, etc. makes it exciting enough for me... I hate just pedaling away on a bike or an elliptical trainer without anything to occupy my brain. Every time I bring it up, DH just laughs at me like I'm joking, but I'm serious!


*Fern* - CD 15 here. This morning's OPK was _almost_ dark enough to be called a positive, so I'm betting tonight I will get the official positive, as predicted! DH and I BD'd yesterday morning, so I'll try and see that we do so again tonight so that our bases are covered. I had a temp spike today, but it's still not high enough to be called an official temperature shift. We'll see what tomorrow morning brings. :) What with my cycle seeming to re-regulate itself, using PreSeed and having some excellent timing this month, I think things look really positive. :D FXd that I get my sticky BFP this month!


----------



## Ursaula

Yay for O! Get that egg IRYM, fx'd!


----------



## ireadyermind

Ursaula said:


> Yay for O! Get that egg IRYM, fx'd!

Thanks, lady! :hugs: I'm feeling pretty positive this month! I try to stay positive _every_ month, but you know how it goes. :haha:

I didn't get a +OPK last night, or this morning. So either I missed my surge (which is entirely possible), or it's going to take another day or so before I get that +OPK. My temp only went down a smidge this morning, so I'm hoping that tomorrow is another spike. FXd! I've been feeling some ovary pain and seeing some fertile signs, so I know O is right around the corner.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Good luck iready! Hopefully I'm right on track with you about to ovulate. We'll be tww buddies. (Hopefully I ovulate)


----------



## Fern81

IRYM - Hope it happens soon!! I also don't think I've ovulated yet. 

Ursaula - yeah baby get that wii out! Whoop whoop that's a LOT of pounds that you can potentially lose again, and it sounds like fun!

Urgh I had a cheat day today. We had a family barbecue and I had what everyone else had. Crisps, ice cream, pasta salad, bread, banana salad, and a yummy South African dessert called malva pudding. I already feel fatter! SO not worth it. I was soooooo busy with cooking & setting tables & cleaning & helping with my sister's kids etc (I was hostess) and had no diet food prepared for myself; I ended up famished and ate what was already on the table. Next time I will definitely prepare a separate diet meal for myself ahead of time.


----------



## Fern81

Ooohhh mrsgreen that temp dip looks promising! Are you secretly doing OPKs or checking CM or something? ;) our hubbies don't always have to know that we're "simply checking to see if we're having a normal cycle", right! I am also hoping to ovulate right about NOW. It will be nice to have tww buddies!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Sorry I've been MIA! D's is gone to chrysalis this weekend. A christian youth retreat & I'm called to serve so between moving my folks & that I've been going non stop! I'm on cd29, which im usually a 26 day cycle, but on clomid usually 28. I did have a 30 day cycle last month on it tho....I spotted CD 28 & 29 tho. No spotting yet, cervix is high & soft, no signs of AF! I did test on CD 27, but it was bfn. Planning on testing tomorrow or Tues if AF is still away! I'm also on progesterone this cycle, but it has never prevented AF in past. Fxd but not holding my breath lol


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- it will be fun to have tww buddies. I had a party last night and did good but hubs and I are going out of town for the night so I know I'll be bad. But I'm ok with it because I'm not trying a strict diet just a healthier overall lifestyle. 
Cupcake- sending you TONS of baby dust!


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: I don't know much about OPKs but your temps look like they are on the start of a rise.

Fern: I also love the Just Dance games! They're a blast on the wii. How are you doing with the plank challenge? I've made it to about 55 seconds, so close to a minute!!

Also, don't be so hard on yourself for having a cheat day. We all know it happens and what came has gone and all you can do is move forward from it :) 

Cupcake: Nice to hear from you and fx'd!! Moving is always a great workout!

Mrs. Green: What kind of healthier lifestyle choices are you working towards? My overall lifestyle choice I'd like to see myself at is being more holistic (or more natural) with not only eating wise but everything else too.


----------



## Ursaula

Bit of a rant...

I am 25dpo (according to ff) or 20dpo (the rest of us think) and still no af or bfp? I had such promising signs of one or the other and I'm just in shock that neither have shown up yet! URGH!! Fed up with this!

I find out tomorrow about the blood results but I'm not hopeful at all. I think my cycle is just being a big pain in the butt!


----------



## Fern81

FX for you cupcake!!

Ursaula - I'm still doing 80 seconds 3 times a day. After 80 seconds of low plank I almost want to pass out lol. Thanks for the kind words... I really can't cheat as much as I did last year, and I need to exercise more.

My temps are still decreasing! I'll attach my chart to my siggie again for a bit. No O yet. Just waiting it out.


----------



## swimmyj1

Ursaula- hopefully you get your answers today! That is just so frusterating. 

I need to stay away from carbs I eat way too many in the winter. Just a quick update scan went great today :) no more fertility clinic on to just seeing my ob yikes!


----------



## Fern81

Sorry Ursaula I missed your earlier post, sending you lots of hugs! Hope you get answers soon. X

And Swimmy- yay for a great scan!!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Congrats swimmy!

Sorry Urs!

Hope everyone else is well!

AFM, not tested yet :/ had a bit of light pink when I checked my cervix this morning, but dh & I did bd a couple hours before. Not had anymore & nothing reaching the to, so idk if its AF yet? My BBS are tender, my back aches a little & I'm exhausted, but still on progesterone so guess I won't know til I poas which I promise to do tomorrow if no AF. Don't want to be sad today, as my ds will be home tonight!


----------



## Ursaula

Fern: Your chart is looking good! Bd lots so you get that O :)

Swimmy: Thanks and yay for having a great scan! I'm so excited for you! :)

Cupcake: Test!!!! Make sure you post it too so we can all take a look!

AFM: Blood test came back...NEGATIVE!? URGH! I expected it but I felt SOO good about this time and still no af. I have that ultrasound coming up next week so hopefully we figure out what is going on (no hcg pregnancy? Haha!).


----------



## mrs.green2015

Urs-you said 25dpo according to ff or the rest of the think 20dpo? What do you mean. And so you track or use opks? I had a super long cycle before I started tracking. Like 50days and I kept think I was so many dpo but my doc basically said I need to start tracking. Lol


----------



## Ursaula

Ff said I was 25dpo but on our forum here we thought I would be around 20dpo. I track using a thermometer as I am currently on cd225 (since I started ff, I haven't had af in 6 years or so...) and buying 200+ opks waiting to ovulate once is a bit too much, haha. I was put on metformin a few months ago and finally ff shows I ovulated! But nothing...no af, no bfp :(


----------



## mrs.green2015

Omg that's insane. Your doctor hasn't given you anything to start AF? I was told if I don't start it by day 65 or something I had to take something. So they have any ideas why you haven't been ovulating or AF has shown? (Sorry I know you've probably answered these a million times)


----------



## Fern81

IRYM and mrsgreen - what's your ovulation status?

Thanks Urs, I don't much like my chart, my temps are way higher than I'm used to. I can't believe your dr is not more proactive to try and help normalize your cycles. 6 years! Hopefully with the new diet & losing weight you have a better chance at normal-ish cycles. FX for the ultrasound, getting answers, and getting a PLAN!

Hugs to you Cupcakestoy, post a test please. :)

I bet I'm ovulating today - having the usual hectic bursting bubble type O pains. Unfortunately, if I am, our bd timing is off. We dtd Sunday morning, not yesterday at all (DH was working very late) and so far not today. So if I'm ovulating today bd was about 48+ hours ago... don't like those odds. At least if I O then this cycle is close to normal for me except for late O and high pre-O temps.

Also chatted to my ex husband today for the first time in 4 years. Oh f*@& I miss him.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Ursaula* - Do you know about Wondfo OPKs? It's $33 for 100 OPKS and they throw in 20 HPTs as well. Not bad at all! Much less expensive than using the "traditional" sticks, digital OPKs or whatnot, since it's like $30 for TEN of the digital kind. Haha

*Cupcake* - Excited to see those test results! FXd!

*Fern* - I feel like my body was gearing up to ovulate and couldn't. My OPKs got very faint, my temps dropped, and I'm kind of in limbo right now. Grr! I had ovary pains and everything the other day, and that almost-positive OPK was such a good sign. Now, nothing. Booo!

But I'm still not "late" for O, because my average is around CD 21 and today I'm at CD 18, so there's still time! DH and I are still BDing EOD, so that our bases are covered. FXd I don't have another crazy late ovulation!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- I didn't have any symptoms of ovulating this weekend but I'm trying to optimistic that my temp jump today is because I ovulated. We'll see tomorrow if the temp stays high. We did bd this weekend a couple times BUT I didn't do the usual lay down for awhile to wait for the swimmers to make their journey. I laid down maybe 10 mins each time. Then went to the bathroom. A big no no! But it's ok. I'll honestly just be so thrilled if I ovulate. 

Iready-I hope you ovulate soon! Keep us updated.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Didn't need yo test....:( AF got me! Will catch up later...


----------



## Ursaula

Mrs. Green: My doctor doesn't want me to have a baby, he's been pushing a hysterectomy and thinks it will ruin my life :( It was an ob/gyn I saw in a different province that diagnosed me with PCOS because my doctor is so useless.

Fern: Thanks! I'm hoping to find SOMETHING with this ultrasound. Fingers crossed for hitting the O! Don't think how much you miss him but more how lucky you are to be with your now hubby :)

IRYM: Whaaat!? Where do you get Wondfo opk? Fx'd your O hurry ups too!

Cupcake: :(

AFM: I've started taking the steps to get an actual job (finally). It's almost been a year since my last "legit" job. I have a meeting tomorrow to get help with it all.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Cupcake- sorry she got you! 

Urs- your doctor doesn't want you because of health issues? Either way that's just ridiculous. Can you change doctors? I hope you get answers soon and hopefully you can regulate your cycle. Have you thought of any natural remedies, like acupuncture or herbs?


----------



## Fern81

Cupcake - oh no, not the news I was hoping for. :( Hugs!

Ursaula - why on earth is your doctor trying to push a hysterectomy on you? You are still quite young if I remember correctly? Are there any other doctors close to you that you can maybe move to? Thanks hun; I can't tell ANYONE irl that I miss him, I probably won't talk to him again for years. It's just kind of a wistful feeling that I wish things didn't end so badly between us (it was a really horrifically tragic time for both of us that caused us to split, won't go into details). Oh well I won't act on it or anything. We don't even see each other, ever.

IRYM - you go girl, well done on keeping up with that bd schedule! 

MrsGreen - I'm stalking your chart and hoping you did/do indeed ovulate this cycle. 

So I am 99,99% certain that I ovulated. Either yesterday or this morning. I had the temp dip yesterday but major O pains today & having ALL the classic symptoms. Whatever cramps I had on cd13 was clearly something else. Hm so far so good for a more normal cycle. Now begins the dreaded tww! (Just very happy not to have a cycle with 3 weeks of spotting like December :thumbup:)


----------



## swimmyj1

Ursula - what does he mean having a baby will ruin your life?? I understand a doctor wanting someone to wait until they are healthy enough for pregnancy/motherhood. But then there should be a Plan to get them there. Hysterectomy isn't an answer for that!

Fern - every once and a while I think back to my ex before I got married and miss qualities about him. I think that's a pretty normal thing when you've had hx with someone. I haven't talked to him in 3+ years but I know my dad and brother do which still kind of annoys me. 

Cupcake- I'm sorry af showed up.

AFM - I'm having a hell of a time trying to switch obgyns they are suppose to be getting back to me on Thursday so they can send all of my information to my new doctors office. I hate the rude people that work in my old office.


----------



## Ursaula

Mrs. Green: My doctor doesn't want me to have kids because I have depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder, and he feels it will ruin my life and routines I've developed if I had a kid and that I'm not ready for one, nor does he feel I ever will be.

I tried taking maca root for 6 months and it did nothing...so when I was last admitted into hospital (because I was sick) I had a different doctor and explained about my cycle and they put me on metformin. My current doctor is just writing the prescription hoping to prove to me I can't have kids. He's refusing to increase it from 500mg.

Fern: To be honest with all of you I'm only 20 years old. I've tried to not tell anyone on here in fear of everyone saying "You're way too young" or other negative things, but I feel you gals are my friends. Again, my doctor is pushing a hysterectomy because he just doesn't want me to have kids with my issues. All the doctors in my area that are currently taking new patients are USELESS. I tried to see one of them and they told me they weren't interested in my "case" so I should search elsewhere. There is a new female doctor right in the same clinic as my current one...thinking of switching to her.

Yay ovulation! Fx'd for you!

Swimmy: He doesn't want added stress in my life but I've never been so sure of anything in my life! He's super unhelpful :(

I'm hoping the switch for your ob/gyn gets easier :)


----------



## Fern81

Urs- I can't believe you are being treated like someone that the drs have given up on, that's appalling! We all deserve to be treated with compassion. Hun PLEASE don't have a hysterectomy at age 20 unless it is literally a matter of life and death! If you feel like giving in to that suggestion just come on here and we'll talk you out of it. It's not as if at age 20 anyone's mental health is set in stone, humans have many living years to grow, learn, adapt, experience life and become stronger people after all. No-one should EVER just write someone else off as a useless case! I'm so angry to read the things that your dr has been telling you. I wish I could give you a hug!! Hope you get in with the new dr and get your pcos under control and your cycles straightened out. Don't all women deserve a dr who is willing to try that for them at least!??
Sorry for carrying on but people like that really get under my skin.... xx

Swimmy- in the same breath I also hope you get your new ob-gyn sorted and that you will feel comfortable &safe in your care during the rest of your pregnancy. 

Hugs!


----------



## Ursaula

Fern: Thank you, I have the ultrasound coming up because of that other doctor as well, not even because my own doctor ordered it. I'm finally feeling done with my doctor and actually just made a call to a public health nurse who had previously offered to set me up with an ob/gyn. Just waiting to get a phone call back and figure things out.

And don't worry about the hysterectomy thing! He's been pushing it on me since I was 18 because it has been proven (in my family anyway) that with a hysterectomy it gets rid of the hormones fluctuating and eliminates depression. I think I would be MORE depressed not being able to have kids than I am right now!

Big hug!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Urs- that is absolutely crazy! I'm glad you've decided not to do it. And don't be ashamed of your age when I started trying I was 23 so not much older but I feel the same that people would judge. Truly it's none of their business. And yes switch doctors! Just because you have mental health problems doesn't mean being a mother would ruin your life. I have a friend who has similar issues and is an amazing mother to 3 kids!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Ursaula* - Wow, he's pushing a hysterectomy on you at 20? Ridiculous! I hate it when physicians don't work to help you reach your goals, and instead just keep trying to get you to do what THEY want. What doctor doesn't want his/her patient to get healthier and realize their dreams? Sigh.

Along with everyone else, I say you need to find a doctor who's willing to work WITH you, not against you.

Also, the Wondfo OPKs and HPTs are sold on Amazon and Ebay. :)


*Cupcake* - Booo, AF strikes again! :hugs: Sorry to hear that.

*Fern* - I'm gonna wear DH out with all this BDing! ;)


----------



## Ursaula

Thank you all for being so supportive! I spoke with the public health nurse and she put in a referral for me with one of the new female ob/gyn. I should hear something by no later than mid-February with an appointment for end of March/beginning of April she said. I can't wait!

I still feel "different". I know my tests were negative but what are the chances it just didn't register yet? I don't know whether to start Metformin again or not (doctor had me go off of it thinking I was pregnant). What would you gals do?

Also, thanks IRYM! I definitely need to get some Wondfo now! Hehe.


----------



## mrs.green2015

I think do what makes you feel comfortable. With a negative blood chances are pretty low you're pregnant but don't start it if you feel uncomfortable.


----------



## swimmyj1

Ursaula - THAT IS INSANE!!! I really hope you can get in to see this other doctor. They had you go off the metformin due to pregnancy? Our fertility doc has me stay on it until 8 weeks. if you have pcos they sometimes keep you on it for the entire pregnancy and studies have been done to show it decreases a risk of MC. I would say get back on it even though 500 really isn't enough to do what you need it to do. 1500-2000mg is. (also 20 is not too young lol no judgement here)

Sending you lots of hugs


----------



## cupcakestoy

Urs- So sorry your Dr. Is a quack! I don't understand why he thinks he can push his ridiculous opinions on you or anyone for that matter! PCOS can be managed with weight loss & metformin! Standard dose is 1500mg(500 3x/day) sometimes higher. I'm sorry, but with a negative blood test, your not pregnant. Sorry sister. It sucks!

Fern- I hate to admit it lol but I had a fleeting moment while helping my folks move last week...it ended rather quickly tho. I do believe we will always wonder/mourn what "could" have been......so happy I'm where I am with my hobby now tho! No turning back!

Irym-fx'd that you O soon & poordh gets some time to re-coop lol

Mrs. G-Did you say you have pcos? Sorry can't remember 

Swimmy-hope you find an ob you like soon!

Afm-been super crazy busy! D's came home Monday & it was such a blessing to him & us!
I had been exhausted & weirdly about a week ago, my joints & arm muscles started aching & gradually got worse. I could raise my arms without pain! Weirdly enough it stopped completely the day after I stopped my progesterone! Did some research & sure enough, its a side effect :/
I've decided to take a couple months off ALL meds! Im just tired of this yo+yo thing. I need time to let my body rest & I need to focus on losing weight. I've gained back the 3# :( dang peanut butter m&ms!!!!!


----------



## Fern81

Urs- I agree do what you are comfortable with, but it sounds like a good idea to start metformin again (my sister was on a high dose throughout both her pregnancies). And as cupcake said with a negative test you are probably not pregnant. Sending you hugs!

I'm going to see my dr very early tomorrow morning to discuss surgery, eeekkk!!!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Nope no pcos here. Just haven't ovulated since my mc nov 6th. But I've had still regular cycles (29 days) so if I don't ovulate this month I think I'll email my doc. But I don't think she'll do anything. I'm actually starting to worry at this point.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hopefully your cycle will regulate again soon!


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks gals, just a bit of hopeful thinking, haha!

Thanks Swimmy for the information, too!

Fx'd for you, Fern! Can't wait to hear the news :)

I started taking my 500mg of metformin. Tempted to get some progesterone cream and vitex like some of you have suggested. Might wait until my ultrasound is done though so I know exactly what I'm facing.


----------



## Ursaula

Question, ff has been saying this for the past week. What does it mean?

Your chart data does not allow ovulation to be pinpointed to within a 24 hour timeframe.
Your temperature suggests, however, that ovulation may have occured between CD 19 and CD 34.


----------



## drjo718

Urs- I think that means that there aren't enough sure signs of ovulation matching up in your chart to definitively say if or when you ovulated, so they're guessing. When I was charting, my temps looked like zig zag mountains they were so all over the place, which happens often with irregular or long cycles or pcos. FF tries to find an ovulation date for you since that's it's job...for me it moved it around many times and said I ovulated when I didn't sometimes. That's one of the perils of long or absent cycles, like it sounds like you have.


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks drjo! I was super confused by it but it makes sense now that you explained it.

Should I increase my metformin? My doctor is putting up a fit over it so I'm wondering if I should just increase it behind him with another doctor writing the prescriptions until I get a new one?


----------



## Fern81

Urs, only use progesterone cream AFTER 100% confirmed ovulation. Progesterone supplements used prior to ovulation can prevent O. 
Vitex on the other hand.... ? Maybe worth a try, idk. 

My overweight, pcos bff had such success with cutting out carbs and sugar & healthy diet (I have posted about her before) in regulating her cycles after not having a period for 3 years.


----------



## Fern81

Ok, lots of info from my appointment this morning. I went to see my gynaecologist to discuss surgery for endo, he specialises in endometriosis treatment and infertility.

* Surgery booked for 9 March. Dr will do a laparoscopy and remove all possible endo, and also do a hysteroscopy to view the inside of my uterus.
* He did an ultrasound today and confirmed that I definitely ovulated. A nice big corpus luteum is visible on my right ovary and my uterine lining is the perfect thickness (his word = "awesome"). Which still begs the question, why can't I get pregnant?
* Taking everything into account (hsg shows both tubes are fine, I ovulate every month, all hormones are normal, lining always looks good, DH's SA is great), dr says the 2 times where I got faint positives (even though one was after the 10 min mark) and then got AF, were most likely chem pregnancies. He wants me to do a beta next time it happens so that we can make sure. Due to the questions we have surrounding that, he ordered blood tests for blood clotting factors (6 vials!) to see if there's anything that might cause potential CPs or MCs.
* We discussed doing IVF in August. I inquired about June/July (winter school holidays in RSA) but dr said he doesn't do IVF during those 2 months because the success rates are lower due to the cold! Interesting!
* I don't have to be on the Pill next cycle if I don't want to since it's only 1 more cycle until surgery.
* Once the endometriosis had been successfully removed, my chances of falling pregnant will probably increase. There is still the question of egg quality but that can't be tested unless we do IVF.

I'm really scared (I have a PHOBIA of surgery and especially anaesthesia) but my dr is extremely intelligent and constantly goes out of his way to help me. He has tested SO many things in the time I've been there and seems to really care about fixing my problems and getting me pain-free and pregnant. I always feel he listens to me, takes me seriously and provides all the tests and procedures I insist on, and then some. So even though I always dread going to the dr, each appointment makes me feel slightly more positive about possibly having a chance to conceive one day.

Oh and he told me again not to put too much stock into temperature taking & worry about each single temp because so many factors influence a person's temperature. If the room temperature, blankets, time, person's health etc are not EXACTLY the same every morning then all those small variables could influence temp. Luckily my fertile signs are so obvious and OPKs work for me, I always know when I'm going to O!

How is everyone doing? What's news?? OMW I'm already going bonkers with this tww lol! :coffee:


----------



## mrs.green2015

That's awesome your doctor sounds amazing! Glad no pill and earlier surgery. Sounds all very promising.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Ursaula* - No patient is ever forbidden from getting a second opinion from or talking to another doctor. Don't let them make you feel like you're not allowed to do that. It's YOUR health and YOUR body, and just because one guy is a doctor, doesn't mean he's the best, brightest, most correct, etc. If you feel he is not doing his job, or you think he's wrong, you most certainly can talk to another one about it! If the two doctors disagree, you can either choose to work with the one who agrees with you, or let them both give you as much info as possible and you decide from there. :hugs:

*Fern* - That all sounds promising! Good lining, definitely ovulating, no BCP this month. Sounds like things are really falling in to place for you! Sorry to hear that surgery is so terrifying for you - but it sounds like you're being so brave by planning to go ahead with it anyway! 


AFM - I got what I _think_ was a +OPK last night, or if it wasn't quite positive, the positive happened overnight. I've attached a picture, though it was taken after the test had dried so it's really hard to tell.

I'm going to go ahead and mark it as a +OPK in FF and then we'll see what my temps do for the next couple of days. Meanwhile, still BDing EOD just in case. I hope this isn't another extra long cycle!

Take a look at the pic. What do you gals think?

This morning's OPK was right back to being super faint, so I'm thinking my surge must have peaked a few hours after my test time, which was around 10pm.
 



Attached Files:







opk_01-21-16_cropped.jpg
File size: 19.2 KB
Views: 3


----------



## Fern81

Irym I would mark that as +! Dark enough :)


----------



## Ursaula

Fern: Thanks, I had no idea when to use it if I got it but that helps a lot. Do you use progesterone cream after ovulation up until af comes or how long do you use it for?

I've been trying to cut out carbs as much as possible but I've been having some slip ups. I see my dietitian this upcoming Tuesday so I'm super excited for that and we'll talk about the sugar idea - thank you! I do remember you talking about her previously.

I feel so positive for you right now! It's sounding really well and like things are really getting on the right track for you. Your doctor sounds so supportive! Don't worry too much about surgery, think of the now and be in the present moment, when it comes, it'll happen :)

IRYM: Thank you! You gave me enough courage to make a call (which I'll talk about a little further down).

From what I know about opks I'd say that is definitely almost positive. I would mark it on ff as a +opk too. Your poor hubby must be exhausted, haha!

AFM: You all have been very supportive to me about the doctor situation I have decided to see a doctor I KNOW will do stuff for me. He works at the same clinic and I've seen him a few times prior when my doctor was too booked up and I needed prescriptions refilled. I see him on February 1. During this appointment I will bring up my ultrasound results (they should be in by then) so I know what they found. I'll also bring up increasing my metformin dosage and begin the discussion of clomid. My s/o and I are so ready for this!! We can't wait!!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Yay I think it's falling into place for all of us! I've had more cm so I'm hoping I gear up to ovulate. But at the moment my car died and I'm waiting to be towed! Ugh.


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern - im so glad you have a great plan!! 

Ursula - as for progesterone you take it starting 3 days after ovulation. And for me I won't start AF while on it if I was getting negative tests at 12-14dpo I stopped using it and AF would start. Some people get AF even while on it. My doc has me on progesterone and I will be on it until 11-13 weeks depending on when I want to stop it


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ugh.....that moment when yet another member of our fire dept announces his girl friend, whose 42 is pregnant. Due in July. This guy is a slut, cheats on her constantly, yet she knows & stays with him & ends up pregnant! *smh* 
In other news, we are having a freaking blizzard, I've lost my motivation, yet again. Really TIRED of all things TTC related. Sorry in a mood today.....crappy snow!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Cupcake- I'm sorry it's so hard to be happy when someone else is pregnant especially someone who is in a situation like that. I know exactly how you feel. It's right up there with someone telling you to "relax" or "your stress Jane helping you" it makes me loose it! Keeping you in my thoughts today. 
Are you on the east coast in the U.S.? I heard about the blizzard on its way to DC on the news earlier this week.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - :hugs: That's so frustrating. One of my good friends just got pregnant without trying, too. I think she's 10wks at this point? We were just chatting one day and she says, "Huh. I think AF is late, actually." Went out, bought some tests - lo and behold, pregnant.

If only it was that easy for the rest of us, right? Oye!

Have you tried listening to some upbeat, sing-along type songs on an MP3 player to help lift your mood? Even if it doesn't make you feel like working out, maybe it would at least help cheer you up a little. :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Thanks gals. I live in TN. We have 8-9 inches of snow & still snowing. Ugh! Drinking coffee & watching Harry Potter....We did attempt sledding. But its too deep & powdery to get a good speed....snowman fail as well lol 
I really shouldn't complain so much. Just can't help it, as this was the week of our 1st miscarriage in 2014. We had just found out we were pregnant & had so much joy! Of course it was short lived.....I don't want to ever forget our losses, but I'll be glad to get to the point of letting them rest in the past, if that ever happens.....*sigh...
Love you gals & thanks for putting up with me!


----------



## mrs.green2015

It will happen cupcake! And I'm sorry this is the week of your first loss PLUS you have to hear about that pregnancy. 

Ps. I've never made a good snowman! I was just telling hubs that last weekend. It just falls apart or is all lopsided!


----------



## cupcakestoy

LOL Ours usually has grass & leaves all over it! Now we have all this snow, but it's not wet so it won't roll :/ Maybe tomorrow it'll will tho? BTW we are up to 11 inches & STILL snowing!


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: Thank you, that's very helpful! And eek! 9 weeks pregnant according to your signature, thinking of you and everyone else :)

Cupcake: A friend who blew up on me for trying to get pregnant and not having my life together just announced her second "oops"...SIGH. Soon it will be our turn though, right? Sending positive thoughts your way :)

You can't really make snowmen here...it's all really icy snow. Sometimes in the spring when it's melting you can but it melts quickly.

Mrs.G: I'm waiting for your chart to show ovulation so we can all fuss over your tww, haha!


How is everyone doing weight wise? I've been really stressed lately and eating more so I know I'm not doing too well...


----------



## mrs.green2015

I've definantly eaten too much today I've been crazy emotional all week. 
I think I ovulated today or possible tomorrow. I had ewcm today. So I feel confident I'll ovulate.


----------



## Fern81

Cupcake - sorry that you've been having a hard time for a while now.... sending you so many hugs. I can imagine that the anniversary of a loss really sucks and I can emphatise with feeling fed up with ttc over and over again :/. Hope you have a nice weekend of cuddles with dh all snowed in. Xx

I haven't had to deal with pregnancy announcements recently thank heavens, all my friends already have loads of kids & they're all just growing up. (All I'm doing is growing old :(). I really HATE it though when innocently stalking the ltttc forum (as you do ;) ) and then someone posts a whole thread in that forum about how THEY are pregnant now and how fortunate they are etc etc. I know it's my own fault for reading it but c'mon, there are clear rules in each forum for posting /not posting bfp announcements (esp a whole thread dedicated to your own pregnancy announcement in the ltttc section? Selfish & inconsiderate imo).

Anywhooooo.... 

Urs- so glad you will be seeing a different dr soon! As for the diet, just take it 1 day at a time. X

IRYM and mrsgreen- I hope you both O soon and join me in the tww! Mrsgreen, go seduce that hubby ;) btw I sometimes have a whole week of ewcm before ovulating (which makes sense because sperm has to reach the tubes safely even starting a few days before O!) So just keep on considering yourself fertile for as long as you have ewcm. Xx

Imminent O and hpt testing is so exciting especially when it's your thread friends lol. :)

Afm- nothing much. I am not holding out bfp hope for this cycle as dh has been taking long HOT baths every day in this heat, for months now! I never realised how hot he takes his baths before trying to get in with him a few nights ago and it was wayyyyyyy too hot, I had to jump right back out! (Our shower broke and has to be rebuilt from the floor up = too expensive for now) and also our bd timing was bad. But again, I'm glad to have a normal cycle with no bleeding/spotting. 

Men are so ridiculous. I told him off for killing all his sperm and his defense was that "but the body has efficient mechanisms for keeping sperm alive".... yeah.... DUHHHHH.... by keeping the testes outside of the body so that sperm can mature at lower temps of 35 degrees!!! Boiled sperm are no good. Urgh. Idk how long he has been doing it. Our shower broke at the beginning of October last year.................


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcakestoy - I love your movie choice during the storm lol. Not gonna lie i wish we were getting some of it. we have some but not a ton and i want to go snow shoeing next weekend. 

Fern81 - thats why they tell guys to stay out of hot tubs/saunas ughhh sometimes i just don't get men. it made me so mad that my DH wouldn't stop smoking or drinking, until we went to the fertility doc and they told him he had to ... shocker we got pregnant a few months after he stopped. He still doesn't think it has anything to do with no drinking/smoking. ugh

Anyway i realized I'm horribly inconsiderate for not asking this earlier. does it bother anyone that i still comment on here?? If it does please don't hesitate to say something. I would be happy to stalk from the sidelines.


----------



## Fern81

No no no!!! Not at all!!!!!! Don't worry please swimmy you are our friend and please keep on posting!!!!! We all want to know how you and your baby is doing & cheer you on.
I'm so sorry if my post earlier made you feel unwelcome. 

I was talking specifically about the ltttc forum where everyone is really suffering and struggling (not that anyone else's struggles should be taken lightly!). And then people CREATE threads to tell everyone on ltttc how happy they are that they're finally pregnant. Threads like those belong in the bfp announcement forum. 
However, I think it goes for most threads, including ours, that if there is already a group of ladies supporting & cheering each other on in the thread, then inside that little thread "community" it is a wonderful & natural part of friendship to announce your bfp to your friends & share your journey.

So iow I was talking about ladies not just sharing inside their own support threads but creating a whole "check out how pregnant I am" thread in a space where it's not appropriate.

And again, I suppose if I'm going to be offended I should just not read those threads, but I know some ltttc ladies get really upset and depressed by those threads (in ltttc forum instead of in bfp announcements where they belong) and I feel that it's inconsiderate of the thread creators. 

Having said that again it's just my personal opinion! Xxx


----------



## Fern81

Oh yeah and this thread is not just ttc related but also health& fitness related... 

I think everyone getting fitter & healthier before, during and after pregnancy is so welcome here (It's your thread IRYM but I anticipate you feel much the same :) ).


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern81 - oh no no it wasn't meant because of your comment. I just a girl the other day tell me I shouldn't really comment on a thread i was apart of because im no longer TTC. I felt bad like I had been rubbing it in their faces or something and would feel horrible if any of you felt that way so I just wanted to make sure.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake & Mrs Green* - My husband is super envious of people who live where it snows! Where we live, it has only snowed twice in our entire lives, and not enough to stick longer than a minute or two before melting. Imagine - 31 years and it's only snowed twice! lol

Of course we can go up north, or east over to the mountains if we want to play in snow, but we don't get any of our own. I tell you, though - I don't miss it! The cold makes me miserable. 


*Fern* - Looks like I did ovulate. Today's the second day of elevated temps after that +OPK. Woohoo!


*Swimmy* - I don't mind you being here at all. You're one of us who happened to get a BFP, just like we're all hoping! :D Besides, you might still need our support to help you keep from overeating while pregnant, right? My midwife said that we only need an extra 300 calories a day to support a pregnancy, and that we didn't actually need those until the 2nd or 3rd trimester. 

I know loads of people who just went nuts eating whatever they wanted, because "I'm eating for two, you know!" So if you ever need anyone to help talk you out of eating an entire carton of ice cream, we're here for you. :haha:

No, but seriously. Don't feel bad just because some other gal in another thread was being bitchy!


AFM - Feeling less bloaty today than I have been all week, thank goodness. Not sure what caused the problem, but it was pretty gnarly. I woke up a couple of times in the night to pee, so I'm sure that's all the excess water being flushed out of my system.

In regards to weight loss - I haven't stepped on a scale in months. It got so depressing to see my weight just going up and up and up... But by keeping to this new "be more active" routine, I'm starting to actually WANT to work out again, which is all to the good!

It began as just getting more housework done every day, even if that was just tidying up. I limited myself to how many hours I spent working on the computer, and then I'd get up and do housework for a few hours. I'd break up my work on the PC, too, and tidy up here and there, go get the mail, etc. so that there were fewer hours spent sitting and more spent up and doing something.

That has been helpful, since now my body expects to be up and moving by a certain time, and sometimes when my daily tasks are complete, I look for other stuff to do! So it's baby steps, but it appears to be working for me at least a little. :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Sledding rocked today! Lots of fun no injuries! Final snow tally is 11inches for us! 
Excited to start 21 day fix as soon as I get my containers/DVDs. Hoping I can lose & keep it off, also got a new walking buddy! Ladies its GO time! I have GOT to get this weight off before my eggs keep rotting away! LoL


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - thanks hun :) your right i do need support with not over eating. My mom keeps saying things like your already a big girl you don't need to gain any weight at all this pregnancy. then it will be like you lost weight after the baby ... not sure how healthy that is. But ill find out when I see my ob in a month. 
I had a crying melt down about my weight this morning but i think its just from being hormonal and my DH's tooth pick of an ex being brought up... ugh


----------



## drjo718

Swimmy- Most of the time overweight and obese ladies still should gain some weight in pregnancy, just less than someone who is considered normal weight at conception. The exception may be for someone who is morbidly obese. Don't let them make you feel bad about yourself!


----------



## Ursaula

I think we're all happy you're here still, Swimmy! :) Like Fern said, we have developed a thread "community" :)

Cupcake: WOO for feeling determined!

AFM: Busy and getting even more busy this week coming up! S/o decided to come over this weekend :) we're talking about moving in together again.

As for appointments (the ttc related ones anyway) I have dietician on Tuesday, and that ultrasound coming up on Wednesday! So if I'm away a little more that will be why.

Also, I had some cm today. I marked it as "creamy" on ff. How long does one have creamy cm for before ovulation?


----------



## mrs.green2015

Cupcake- so much fun with the snow! And yay on being super motivated and ready to kick some booty! 

Urs- good luck with your appointments. Can't wait to see how the ultra sound goes. 

Hope everyone else is doing well. I haven't been home all day so I ate terribly but I know it'll happen and I'll get back on the wagon tomorrow!


----------



## Fern81

Mrsgreen- am liking that temp dip! Stalking for a big temp rise or O pains or cm change or the likes ;). I also overeat when I'm away from my diet food/have no diet food prepared at a party/have no diet food in the house. Went grocery shopping yesterday and stocked up on supplies & am going to try to always have a healthy meal or snack at hand! My sister is trying to lose weight after having twins and she has the same problem - overeating or eating junk when she is not well prepared food wise. Hard work for sure.

Irym yay for O and feeling like working out more! 

Cupcake I'm glad you're feeling better & inspired. It's amazing how a fun day/positive experience outside of ttc & losing weight can energise us in all aspects of our lives again. Xx

Swimmy- ah shame hun I'm sorry you're feeling so hormonal. But it's all worth it ;). Don't worry about a perfect bikini body right now and never mind your mom, you just stay healthy and gain the amount of weight prescribed by your dr, healthy foods, and yes we will talk you out of overeating :).

Drjo- hi!!

Urs- unfortunately creamy cm is no indicator as to when O will occur hun. X

Afm- diet going well, I stocked up on healthy diet foods (my anti inflammatory & weight loss foods as per Chris Kresser ). Last weekend as I said we had family and friends over all weekend and I ended up eating junk all weekend because I was too busy hosting to prepare diet meals separately for myself. And gained 3 pounds from that urgh. (I find the weight just jumps back on if I don't keep it OFF for a week to a month!).

My meals yesterday - biltong for breakfast (similar to beef jerky I think), full cream plain Greek yogurt with coconut shavings and grated carrot for lunch. Dinner- free range organic chicken piece with a HEAP of plain boiled green beans& cauliflower topped with olive oil. 

It really filled me up, follows my own strict guidelines as well as Kresser's anti inflammatory foods guidelines. No calory counting for me. And the weight has started to come back off yay! Definitely having NO extra carbs/sugar for a month, we have that wedding 20 Feb!


----------



## Fern81

Question: do any of you ladies ever experience corpus luteum pain/aches? I frequently have pains on the ovary I ovulated from.... as per Thursday's ultrasound I know it's right where that large CL is. 

I also have so many progesterone symptoms urgh (not unusual! ). Very irritable, headache, nausea, insomnia, no energy, restless legs/leg cramps at night. I don't like the luteal phase much.


----------



## Fern81

Would like it if you ladies are willing to share details on a healthy diet meal that you are having /had this weekend. It might just help us all focus on what we are eating! :) :)


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern81 - I think I've only really ever had ovulation pains. nothing really after I've ovulated. Progesterone isn't fun, it make me sooo sleepy. 
As for healthy meals I've had to throw out almost all of my fresh veggies (michigan had some scary bacteria outbreaks) so for dinner tonight I had a fruit salad, and some crock pot chicken (just a small amount of bbq). I feel so much better when I eat good.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- I've never experienced that pain or sounds terrible! But I do often her random sharp pains where my ovaries are located. But I think it's gas. Even if I don't pass gas if I move around it'll go away. I used to think it was ovulation but it's not! Lol it's always around the time of ov so I think my body digest funny around that time. 

As far as healthy food goes I'm pretty much eating the same food but much smaller portions and I load up on veggies to make up the difference. My fav simple and healthy recipe is Mexican chicken (or that's what I call it. Lol) it's basically a chicken breast cooked in salsa with onion and bell peppers. It's so simple and so flavorful. I serve it with black beans.


----------



## ireadyermind

Officially got cross hairs on FF. Woohoo! :) Now it's just that long, long wait before I can test. I'm going to try and make it to 10 DPO before I test, if not longer.

*Cupcake* - Tell us about this 21-day fix? What all does it entail?

*Ursaula* - How much creamy CM people get before and after O varies from person to person, and from cycle to cycle, too. Some months I might have it all month, some months there's not much. It has to do with your hormone levels. Best thing is to keep track of it for several months on FF and see if you can find a pattern developing, so that you know what to expect for yourself. :)

*Mrs.Green* - Have you considered keeping snacks like granola bars, trail mix, or dried fruit in your purse for when you're not at home? It's useful to help keep you from eating things that aren't in your diet plan, like maybe french fries (I am a french fry addict!). 

Alternately, you could keep pieces of fruit in your car in a small lunch box/bag that don't easily spoil, like apples, oranges, or _maybe_ bananas if they aren't going to get bounced around too much.

You can buy almonds and other nuts in single-serving packets that are easy to toss into your bag or the glove compartment of your car, and they're excellent for keeping you energized! :)


----------



## Fern81

Lookit your temp spike mrsgreen! Yay! That recipe sounds yummy, I really love salsa. Hmm, need to get onions and jalapenos from my garden! 
Thanks for the sympathy but the CL aches are really not bad at all. I was just randomly wondering if anyone else felt it (I almost always feel it in the tww); didn't find many ladies on Google who have posted about it. Maybe it's an endo symptom, I do after all have endo on my ovaries? Anyway, it's very mild but definitely there. Like the feeling of growing follies when I was taking Clomid. :)

Swimmy- that's super scary to have a bacteria outbreak especially now that you're pregnant! Sheesh. Wash all your fruit & veg in vinegar (even the fruit that you peel or remove the skin eg an orange); some advice I got from mil! 

Idk what's up with my husband AGAIN. He keeps being really mean, I keep having to leave the room to avoid his tantrums. Wtf, I'm the one who is supposed to be hormonal! I wish he would start being decent more than 10% of the time.


----------



## Fern81

Irym we cross-posted, yay for CH! Whoop whoop, you are 2 days behind me in the tww (although South Africa seems to be a whole day ahead of California in any case, here you are posting your morning temp and I'm getting ready for bed :) )


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> Irym we cross-posted, yay for CH! Whoop whoop, you are 2 days behind me in the tww (although South Africa seems to be a whole day ahead of California in any case, here you are posting your morning temp and I'm getting ready for bed :) )

Haha -- it is 10 o'clock in the morning right now! Crazy how you're so far ahead. :)


Recipe-wise, I have a bunch!

Allow me to share: 

&#8226; Lean ground turkey spaghetti sauce with whole wheat noodles, steamed zucchini on the side

&#8226; Pan-grilled chicken breast, simmered in low fat cream of mushroom soup, served over a bed of brown rice, steamed broccoli on the side

&#8226; White fish soft tacos with cabbage, tomatoes, onions, etc., wrapped in whole wheat tortillas and served with a salad

&#8226; 2-egg omelette with mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and a little cheese, served with fresh fruit like oranges & bananas

&#8226; Chicken stiry fry with onions, peppers, mushrooms, snow pea pods, water chestnuts, etc.

&#8226; Whole wheat bagel topped with a mixture of cream cheese and olives, and sliced fresh tomatos (this is one of my favorite breakfasts!)

&#8226; Oatmeal, with a teaspoon of peanut butter and some sugar-free maple syrup stirred in

&#8226; Spinach salad with feta cheese, fresh tomatoes, slices olives and red onion. Can be topped with grilled chicken breast slices.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I might add more later! lol




Fern81 said:


> Question: do any of you ladies ever experience corpus luteum pain/aches? I frequently have pains on the ovary I ovulated from.... as per Thursday's ultrasound I know it's right where that large CL is.
> 
> I also have so many progesterone symptoms urgh (not unusual! ). Very irritable, headache, nausea, insomnia, no energy, restless legs/leg cramps at night. I don't like the luteal phase much.

Also it looks like I missed this question up there.

I have CL pain pretty often. Like last night, it was painful to lay on my left side or my stomach, because my left ovary hurt pretty badly. If I laid on my right side or my back, I was fine. But any pressure on the left side of my abdomen was really uncomfortable. Thank goodness it's gone this morning, but I sure had a rough time getting to sleep last night!


----------



## Fern81

Oohhh, interesting IRYM! Shame so your cl pains actually cause that much discomfort? Poor you! 
Those recipes also sound yummy and easy to prepare. I will try a number of them just without any carbs :) (still allowing myself only sweet potato). Mmmmmm..... olives and cream cheese.........


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- what's going on with SO? Why does he get like that with you? Sorry!

Irym- yay for cross hairs!! 

I'm going to go shopping in a bit and get tons of good food. Especially snacks I can have in my purse. (Thanks for the idea)


----------



## Ursaula

So much has gone on with the forum today!

Fern: I have that area pain but I'm never sure what it is! It's either ovary cyst pain or my intestines kinking, so I'm no help there!

Recipe wise I've fallen in love with having low-cal (low-fat?) ham as my "wrap". Then with that I put in grapes and just a little bit of melted cheese (I love cheese!) and a homemade sauce we make for salads, etc. (I think it's like olive oil, lemon juice and poppy seeds or something? I actually don't know). It tastes really great to me when I'm wanting to keep carbs at a low but add in a little more fat (the cheese) so my body doesn't go into starvation.

IRYM,Mrs.Green: I'm jealous of both your charts! They're looking so great! Awesome temps! My chart is kind of a mess right now as ff has changed my o date twice, ugh.

AFM: I'm a bit of a wreck right now. Just trying to get through a rough patch.


----------



## cupcakestoy

ireadyermind said:


> Officially got cross hairs on FF. Woohoo! :) Now it's just that long, long wait before I can test. I'm going to try and make it to 10 DPO before I test, if not longer.
> 
> *Cupcake* - Tell us about this 21-day fix? What all does it entail?
> 
> *Ursaula* - How much creamy CM people get before and after O varies from person to person, and from cycle to cycle, too. Some months I might have it all month, some months there's not much. It has to do with your hormone levels. Best thing is to keep track of it for several months on FF and see if you can find a pattern developing, so that you know what to expect for yourself. :)
> 
> *Mrs.Green* - Have you considered keeping snacks like granola bars, trail mix, or dried fruit in your purse for when you're not at home? It's useful to help keep you from eating things that aren't in your diet plan, like maybe french fries (I am a french fry addict!).
> 
> Alternately, you could keep pieces of fruit in your car in a small lunch box/bag that don't easily spoil, like apples, oranges, or _maybe_ bananas if they aren't going to get bounced around too much.
> 
> You can buy almonds and other nuts in single-serving packets that are easy to toss into your bag or the glove compartment of your car, and they're excellent for keeping you energized! :)

It's a program from Beachbody. Uses cantainers for portion control & focuses on clean eating. I got the welcome pack that comes with containers & a variety of 30 min videos. You do 1 30 min work out a day. Planinng on starting the clean eating right away, videos/containers will arrive in 4-5 days....



Fern81 said:


> Lookit your temp spike mrsgreen! Yay! That recipe sounds yummy, I really love salsa. Hmm, need to get onions and jalapenos from my garden!
> Thanks for the sympathy but the CL aches are really not bad at all. I was just randomly wondering if anyone else felt it (I almost always feel it in the tww); didn't find many ladies on Google who have posted about it. Maybe it's an endo symptom, I do after all have endo on my ovaries? Anyway, it's very mild but definitely there. Like the feeling of growing follies when I was taking Clomid. :)
> 
> Swimmy- that's super scary to have a bacteria outbreak especially now that you're pregnant! Sheesh. Wash all your fruit & veg in vinegar (even the fruit that you peel or remove the skin eg an orange); some advice I got from mil!
> 
> Idk what's up with my husband AGAIN. He keeps being really mean, I keep having to leave the room to avoid his tantrums. Wtf, I'm the one who is supposed to be hormonal! I wish he would start being decent more than 10% of the time.

So sorry about dh being a douche again! Not sure what to tell you, except I would get real tired of his crap real soon! You DO NOT deserve his bad behavior!!! Hugs Sister!



Ursaula said:


> So much has gone on with the forum today!
> 
> Fern: I have that area pain but I'm never sure what it is! It's either ovary cyst pain or my intestines kinking, so I'm no help there!
> 
> Recipe wise I've fallen in love with having low-cal (low-fat?) ham as my "wrap". Then with that I put in grapes and just a little bit of melted cheese (I love cheese!) and a homemade sauce we make for salads, etc. (I think it's like olive oil, lemon juice and poppy seeds or something? I actually don't know). It tastes really great to me when I'm wanting to keep carbs at a low but add in a little more fat (the cheese) so my body doesn't go into starvation.
> 
> IRYM,Mrs.Green: I'm jealous of both your charts! They're looking so great! Awesome temps! My chart is kind of a mess right now as ff has changed my o date twice, ugh.
> 
> AFM: I'm a bit of a wreck right now. Just trying to get through a rough patch.

 Hope all gets better soon for you sweetie!

Mrs.G-Hope you get your X-hairs soon!

Hi Swimmy! Hope your feeling good!


----------



## Fern81

Enjoy your workouts and meals Cupcakestoy &#128522;! 21 days is not a big overwhelming chunk all at once- you are soooo going to kickstart your year with that. 

Urs- sending you virtual hugs!

Mrsgreen- yep yep 2dpo. Yeehaww now comes the next wait lol. Fx you are one of the ladies who are very fertile after mc.

My husband has got some issues; he had a really bad past and he has learned to be incredibly selfish and inconsiderate. He has always been like this (moody and mean a LOT and doesn't even TRY to be decent when he doesn't "feel" like it). We have had many, many talks but nothing ever changes. I still love him for his good points but he causes a lot of stress in my life.... I don't want to get divorced again though so I just stay out of his way. :(


----------



## mrs.green2015

I'm sorry fern. that must be terrible. My SO had really bad ptsd from his past. He saw his dad die in a freak accident and he couldn't save him. And that's exactly how he acted. And will still act occasionally but it's gotten so much better. I basically told him if he doesn't change then I'm gone because I just can't do it anymore. He does have some weeks where it gets bad again but overall better. Will your SO get any kind of help?


----------



## Fern81

Thanks mrsgreen. I really appreciate the sympathy. I can't talk to anyone about it IRL after the very traumatic end to my first marriage... I don't want anyone to think there are problems in my marriage and have them stress about it. He won't go for counselling. He thinks everything is perfect..... Well today he is fine and happy because he got a new laptop. So I will get my fix tonight and spend happy time with him, and then stay out of his way when he gets emotionally abusive again. Uh.

Btw how was your bd timing etc? I'm hoping for that third high temp!

Cupcake how is the workout so far?

My new fav: macadamia nut butter! Mooooove over peanut butter (which happens to be about 30-40% omega 6 oils; very inflammatory and not good for endo!). Very expensive but I bought some today with vouchers.... omw I'm in heaven.

Healthy smoothie for today's breakfast: 
*100ml Full cream plain greek yogurt (as per Harvard fertility diet), 
*dried coconut (lauric acid weight loss superfood), 
*250ml rooibos tea (antioxidant bomb), 
*half a grated carrot (vitamins, fibre & antioxidants) and 
*almond flakes (nutty protein and healthy oils). 

Super yummy. It became a very "thin" liquid smoothie due to all the herbal tea, so I poured it into a water bottle and sipped during the day. Berries, nut butter etc can also be added for a very low carb drink; high in protein, healthy fats and energy!


----------



## Fern81

Mrsgreen - sorry, stupid question earlier, I just noticed your bd timing on your chart. Nevermind! :)


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern that sounds so good! Bd wasn't timed great because we're ntnp so I didn't do opks and I was letting him start it but next month I'm taking control! Lol ff gave me cross hairs but I don't feel confident enough that they'll stay. I had them last month and then the next day my temp went way down and it took them away.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Are bananas on your "allowed foods" list? If you freeze them (peeled first, and cut into chunks), then when you toss them into smoothies they can take the place of ice, and they thicken the smoothie without adding chemical thickeners or corn starch or similar. :)

*Mrs.Green* - I think your BD looks just fine! You got one in there the night before ovulation, and since sperm can last 3 - 5 days in there before they die, you're covered! All it takes is just one little sperm to make a baby, right? Stay positive!


AFM -- Rant warning! Read on if you dare, but it's a little long-winded! lol :gun:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Holy moly, I have been the most moody, cranky gal EVER the past few days. I have zero patience for the pets, when I'm normally like - the Dog Whisperer or something. I keep going from happy to bitchy in seconds... Poor DH. I warned him the other day and said, "So I apologize in advance for any snapping I do later." lol

To be fair, though, he keeps doing things that would drive me nuts on a GOOD day. One night he asked me if I wanted him to fix me some dinner. We'd had a late lunch that day and were only a little hungry later in the evening. I told him that if he was already getting up to make food, I'd take a small helping of some leftovers. He goes, "Okay," goes into the kitchen, makes himself a big heaping bowl of food - and nothing for me. Like in the 30 seconds between couch and kitchen, he forgot?

Then he was doing the "I can't find it!" routine, when the thing he was looking for was in plain sight. 

Then I spent AGES ironing the wrinkles out of all his clean work shirts, but I missed one. And he went out of his way to fish that one out of all the ironed shirts and wore IT to work instead. 

I finally told him, "It makes me feel like you don't care about all the work I put in, making sure you have clean, presentable clothing to wear to work. I spent two hours on those shirts, and you find the one I missed and go to work looking like you just rolled out of bed." He is still in "college intern" mindset and just wears whatever -- but he's a salaried software engineer and should be making an effort to show up to work at least in a pressed shirt and decent pants! He doesn't think that what he wears to work has any effect on what people think of him. Well, it does. Just because people don't walk up to him and say, "Hey, man - your clothes are really wrinkly!" doesn't mean that no one cares, you know?


Anyway. I've really been trying to be patient, and reminding myself that it's all hormonal PMS type stuff, but this is way WAY more than I usually experience every month, so it's hard for me to compensate for it because I rarely have to deal with it.

Do any of you gals get like this at all? What do you do to try and keep from biting DH's head off?


----------



## mrs.green2015

I don't get like that normally but when I took progesterone the month I for my bfp I would snap and him... Wait a minute and then say "idk what's wrong with me I literally can't control what comes out of my mouth!"


----------



## Fern81

IRYM - I know, right!? Why is it that men are INCAPABLE of finding things? Especially in the fridge/cupboard/looking at the spot where it is ALWAYS stored? IDK if that story made me want to laugh or shed a little tear... :haha:. 

I felt exactly the same extreme irritation in the beginning of my tww. I don't always feel like this, but this past Saturday especially I also had to warn my husband. I felt as though I wanted to _stab him or punch him_ (and Saturday he wasn't doing or saying anything wrong!). I was also so irritated with our domestic worker (who comes in once every 2 weeks or so, I'm usually very grateful for her help) that I _couldn't stand the sight of her_... Crazy! See, we gals actually have the ability to recognize when we are behaving irrationally... (well, most of the time) and actually apologize and try to be better! Unlike our men, right. :winkwink:

To cope with it I stayed out of his way and kept busy with reading and cleaning (much the same as I do when HE has moodswings lol!)

I am not supposed to eat any fruit (fructose) but I LOVE fruit especially bananas... so will probably cheat and have fruit once in a while. Thanks for the idea. At the beginning of my diet I still had fruit, oats and rice on my "list" but they have sadly been crossed off... If eating this way does nothing to help my endo/fertility after a year I'm definitely adding some foods back in.... including daily servings of fruit.

Oh yeah and I actually like my smoothies more diluted, it makes them easier to drink quickly especially disgusting green smoothies. :haha:

Mrsgreen - ah I hope that your cycle isn't being mean and that those temps stay up! x

Well I have no progesterone/fluctuating hormone symptoms today. I'm full of energy and feeling good. Bbs not so tingly anymore thank HEAVENS that was a horrible feeling. I'm happy to have no fake symptoms at 7dpo, thank you very much. :thumbup:


----------



## Fern81

https://chriskresser.com/9-steps-to-perfect-health that's the guidelines I'm basically following. 

I also have a very painful stomach ulcer so the anti-inflammatory diet is supposed to help for that too.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Very true on green smoothies! I drink those so fast! Eww!! 
Hope this helps you with everything.


----------



## swimmyj1

Irym - I tend to get pretty snappy during pms. At this point my DH just had expected it lol. I will say those things probably would have annoyed the snot out of me too on a good day. Hahaha 
Also thanks for the frozen banana idea! I need to eat more fruit and veggies


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks everyone, yesterday I hit pretty low but I'm bouncing back up today :)

Fern: Screw your hubby! I read a photo on Facebook that said "Do what you want. Do what makes YOU happy. Forget about everyone else because in the end, no matter what you do, everyone will judge you and you're the one living your life." In other words I'd tell him straight out that he needs to smarten up and get counselling (or something). If he doesn't, leave. Go stay somewhere for a while and wait for him to contact you. If he does, you know he loves you, if he doesn't, he isn't worth your time or love. Big hug!

IRYM: I can't say much about irritability during pms but I know my irritation/depression/etc happens in cycles. I'd suggest taking note when you feel this way and see if there is any pattern? Maybe every three af you feel irritable or something...just a thought!

Mrs. Green: I'm want to blow air at your temperatures so they go higher and stay up there! Fx'd for you, and I agree, it only takes one.

Swimmy: When is your next ultrasound being done? I'm excited to hear of your progress :)

Cupcake: Can't wait to hear more about your exercising!

AFM: I had my dietitian today. We are working on using smaller plates and working out more. I thought I would take my dog for a walk today as it was a little warmer outside but before we went, our other dog and her were being too playful and she hurt her back leg. Hoping she will feel better tomorrow and I won't have to take her to the vet.

Ultrasound/endovaginal scan is tomorrow. Fx'd!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Keep us updated on the ultrasound!! And as far as the doggie goes ice Learned most thing sort themselves out just like they do with us. Hope puppy feels better!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey gals, not started the workout part of the fix yet. DVDs should be here by 30th, until then I'm doing clean eating & normal activities....not been able to eat all the food each day! Lots of fruits, veggies & proteins! I did try a new receipe from the plan! AMAZING! Baked ziti, clean with homemade sauce, glutenfree pasta, ground 97% ff turkey & mushrooms....sounds simple & its easy to make but the sauce was great! Apple cookies are the bomb! Apple slices with pb & honey mixed together & drizzled over with a sprinkle of coconut, walnuts & slivered Chico chips! Not getting in all my water cause I'm peeing myself to death during work & got up SIX times Monday night :/ only 3 last night, but I'm not a get up to go type gal usually. Guess my body I'd detoxing.....


----------



## mrs.green2015

Urs- I've been thinking about you today. How did the ultrasound go?

Cupcake- having a small bladder is so hard!! I feel like I go the bathroom every 30 minutes if I drink the right amount of water.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - I bet you _are_ detoxing. Drinking lots of water after not having enough for a long time makes your body start flushing out a lot of the junk it's stored over the years. You might find yourself several pounds lighter after a week of drinking plenty of water. Especially if your urine is still very dark after a couple of days of drinking 8 glasses or more. Hopefully your body will flush out all the junk really fast and you won't have to pee so often!

*Ursaula* - We're all waiting to hear about your ultrasound today! :)

*Fern* - That "I can't find the thing" business is maddening. Like if he's looking for a canned food item in the pantry, he will check only ONE shelf. I sort the pantry based on what kind of item it is, so all the canned goods on one shelf, all the tea on one, all the dry goods on one... Well, if he's looking for a can of tomato paste, he will check the shelf of tea and go, "I can't find any tomato paste!" :hissy: Usually from wherever I am, I can call out, "Did you look on the shelf where the canned goods are? Because tomato paste is a canned good and is therefore going to be stored with the OTHER canned goods..." and 9 times out of 10, he hadn't even looked there. lol. 

He is such a smart man, I am always baffled at how simple things confuse him. But it's BOOK smarts, not street smarts, so he's often out of his element when it comes to real world living. He can solve complex math equations, rattle off information about English literature, historical details, movie trivia, facts about Star Trek... But ask him to cook a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese without written directions, and he's lost. Poor DH. :haha: That's partially his mother's fault, though. She essentially raised him with the understanding that a wife would take care of everything FOR him, never planning for him to live anywhere other than at home until marriage. :dohh: When we were dating, he could hardly wash his own laundry.


Today's updates for me.... I'm less moody today. I had to deal with one of the cats throwing up everywhere, and it didn't cause me to explode like it would have done yesterday. I also managed to get some work done cleaning and organizing my garage, which is long overdue. DH seems to think a "clean" garage is one that has a path cleared from one door to the other. lol. So I got out there and started organizing. It looks much better!

In regards to the TWW: today and last night I've had some pretty bad chills. I just can't get warm! It's not illness, and I don't have a fever. But my BBT took a little dip this morning, so maybe my progesterone levels have decreased? My CL ovary pain has decreased drastically, I was able to get a better night's sleep last night, which I'm sure is part of why I'm not so irritable today. :) Only a few more days until I'll permit myself to POAS. We'll see how long I last! lol


----------



## mrs.green2015

When do you plan on testing?

I'm 4dpo (according to ff but idk if I belive it) and even though we only bd once I still am dying to poas! The addiction is real!! Lol


----------



## Ursaula

Hello gals!

Mrs. G: Thanks for the tip with using an ice pack. It took a while to get her to accept that it was on her but she eventually settled down. Doing much better today.

Cupcake: Now that is a recipe that I'd love to try, apple cookies! They sound yummy! Can't wait for you to get those videos.

IRYM: Yay for cleaning! I've been going through all my belongings and trying to reorganize and throw out stuff no longer needed lately. It makes you feel great when life is less cluttered :)

Can't wait to see your poas tests!


AFM: The ultrasound part went alright I think. She had trouble finding my uterus but then she found it off to the right. Is it normal to have your uterus off to one side and not in the middle?

The endovaginal scan thing was HORRIBLE. I was in SO MUCH pain. She tried to keep reassuring me I was ok but I was in tears at one point it was so bad. When it was done she let me lie there for about 5 minutes because I could hardly move.

I also trick asked her (she can't tell you anything) if every time the computer beeped she was taking a picture. She said "Yes". I said "That was a lot of pictures". She said "More than average". So I know something is going on. She also told me to make sure I call my doctor if he hasn't gotten a hold of me within a week, but I have my appointment Monday with the new doctor so I should be good.


----------



## mrs.green2015

urs- as much as it would be terrible to have something wrong hopefully its an easy fix and it will explain your cycles and give you your beautiful baby.


----------



## Ursaula

I can't wait for Monday. It can't come any sooner!


----------



## swimmyj1

Agreed as much as its horrible to have something wrong it feels good to have answers. Fingers crossed for Monday!


----------



## Fern81

IRYM - It's actually maddening that husbands all over the world are useless at basic, common sense stuff! My culture is definitely not the same as yours (I'm an Afrikaans girl; we don't even speak the same first language) but my husband was essentially raised the same! Not able to do anything for himself, but very intelligent with a master's degree and pro sport qualification.... My MIL actually APOLOGIZED to me one day (yes really!) for raising her son this way. He was in the operating room having surgery and MIL & I had a long chat. (She's the one who brought it up in fact!) :dohh::haha:

Will you start testing on 10dpo? I think you mentioned it in a previous post?

And mrsgreen, when do you normally start testing?

FX for the two of you. :)

I really don't even THINK I have a shot this cycle what with poor timing and the hot baths, but since my main aim was just to have a normal cycle after all the bleeding in Dec, I'm happy with my cycle so far. However, I MIGHT test on Sunday (12 dpo) simply because I found an inexpensive (R15/about $1) RSA brand test at the pharmacy down the road from me lol. I've been using that brand for 2/3 cycles and it's very sensitive and accurate (still showed a light line 14 days after my trigger in Sept! But NO lines/evaps when bfn). So IOW I won't be mad at myself for wasting money on tests.

Ursaula - I'm so sorry to hear that you had such a traumatic experience with the u/s hun. Wow. Was the endovaginal scan done with an ultrasound wand? Sorry for asking but I don't really understand what procedure you had there? 

I hope it's something fixable and that you may get good news on Monday. When I get a gynaecological ultrasound (and when I got the hsg) I am always allowed to look at the screen with the dr who does the scan (NOT a tech) and the drs discuss everything they see right there and then & point out structures onscreen, etc. My specialist does all his scans himself. I feel so bad for ladies who just have to lie there and then need to wait for answers! :hugs:
FX. xxx

Cupcake - sounds great so far, just freeze the meals that you can't finish and stretch your dollars lol.

Oohhh I'm also waiting for the dr to phone me, all freaked out.... Last Thursday I had the blood clotting tests done and also an HIV test (apparently these days some drs require HIV testing before surgery) and when I phoned today to get my results the receptionist said "Ummm we can't give you those results over the phone... Dr had better phone you later so he can explain everything to you himself". I hate having HIV tests done. Even if there's no reason to think the worst, of course now after that call I'm stressing! :wacko::nope:


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- usually the receptionist can't give results either way so don't stress. When is doctor supposed to call you,

I'm not sure when I'll test, if at all. We don't have a very good chance so I may wait until AF arrives but I want to poas already! lol


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern try not to stress our office can't give results over the phone besides hcg results. Had me totally freaked. Hope everything is fine.

Mrsgreen you have some great will power not to test I have serios addiction lol.

Afm - scan went great baby was on a sugar high from all the oj and dancing away. Next scan probably won't be for a few months and we all know how I stink at waiting lol it just doesn't seem real
 



Attached Files:







image.jpg
File size: 45.2 KB
Views: 3


----------



## Fern81

MrsGreen - he is supposed to call this evening... It's already 17h15 here so I hope I don't have to wait too long. How are you doing hunni? I know you are having a tough time hoping & wishing for normal cycles and having a hard time... hugs.

Swimmy! I just looked at your ticker and suddenly it's like time has just flown! How are you & bubs doing?


----------



## Fern81

Swimmy I think we crossed posts before - wow what a lovely pic!!! I'm so happy everything is still going great. Are you planning on finding our the gender, or team yellow? 

Phew, dr phoned and all is well. HIV still negative of course... Clotting factors: all tests are negative except low positive for the presence of one type of antibody (anti beta 2 glycoprotein) which may cause problems. Since all my other levels are great, I'm not diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder or serious clotting issue. 

Dr had me start Ecotrin (81mg asprin) immediately. I am to take it throughout all my future ttc cycles. I'm probably foolish to hope that it would take something as simple as low dose aspirin to help me get pregnant but... you never know.

I really LOVE my dr and the amount of trouble he goes to for me. That he had those tests done despite me NOT having had 6 miscarriages and/or stillbirths, just in case something is not perfect (and as it turn out there _was_ something small amiss!). And then the care from him phoning me in person and explaining to me in minute detail what my test results meant (as he's done a number of other times too).... Incredibly caring.

If any South African gals read this and want to know more about the reproductive centre & doctor I'm using, please feel free to PM me. I don't have heaps of money but so far this dr has given me excellent care and it's just so worth having all of my concerns sorted out. I wish I had gone to see him sooner and not wasted years of my life.


----------



## Fern81

Oh and the dose is low enough not to be anti-inflammatory (so will not inhibit ovulation or implantation), and will not exacerbate my ulcer.

Feeling quite content at the moment...


----------



## ireadyermind

Whew, lots to catch up on today, but I'll try my best!

*Ursaula* - I'm wondering what all is involved in the endo scan, too. Would you care to explain to us?


*Fern* - Well, at least we can promise not to raise our children as though someone else is always going to take care of them. Here's to educated children that grow to be self-sufficient adults regardless of their gender! :D


*Mrs.Green* - I am dying to POAS already. I was doing some internet research last night as to why I might be coming down with chills in this part of my TWW and of course everything I looked up said, "Ooo that could be pregnancy related!" But since I most likely haven't even implanted an egg at this point, it's definitely not pregnancy related. It just makes me want to POAS every morning. :dohh:

I'm trying to wait until Sunday at the earliest. If I wake up Sunday morning and I don't feel like I _have_ to POAS, then I will try and hold off. The longer I wait, the more accurate a test will be! It's like a mantra I have to keep telling myself. lol

Do you use Wondfo HPTs or OPKs? Definitely recommend ordering them. You can get 50 pregnancy test (HPT) strips for $18.99 on Amazon. Or they have combination packs with OPKs and HPTs for something like $30, and you get 100 OPKs and 20 HPTs. Waaaaaay cheaper than buying FRERs off the shelf at a drug store and then you can afford to POAS every day of your TWW if you want. lol! 


*Swimmy* - Eee! How exciting! There (s)he is, with a little arm and possibly a leg in view! At least that's what it looks like. lol. I'm guessing. :hugs:


----------



## mrs.green2015

Swimming- beautiful baby! So happy for you! Nothing better than seeing the little peanut on screen. 

Afm- started AF today. So last month I had a 23 day cycle? Any chart experts please look at my chart. It says I ovulated but I don't agree. And if I did it was only 4-5 days ago?? But already starting period?? Last month I didn't ovulate. I'm really frustrated and have cried all morning. I lost my baby and I can't even get pregnant again...


----------



## Fern81

Mrsgreen, I'm so sorry to be reading this! I agree then maybe you didn't ovulate. I've read that a "period" after an anovulatory cycle is basically breakthrough bleeding after the uterine lining just kept building up. But I don't know too much about it. 

Have you been to your doctor again after the mc? What were your cycles like previously, did you ovulate regularly?

I really hope it's just your hormones re-regulating after the mc and that your cycles will soon be nice and normal again. Maybe a dr can prescribe some help eg clomid or femara? 

Sending you so many hugs and good wishes. Keep up the good work with dieting and exercising - every healthy day makes for a healthier nest for the baby I KNOW will come for you, and hoping will come for ALL of us!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Thank you! My cycles were 29 days on the dot. I used opks and I think I ovulated at least the majority of the months. Never did temp before. I'm going to try black cohosh again (took it the month I got pregnant) and if I don't it'll be a year we've been trying. So I'm go to the doctor. I have an amazing best friend who is basically my medical advocate. She stands up for me at the doctors so I'll be taking her to the doc if I don't catch the egg (or if there isn't one) next month. I'm just going to work my ass off tonight and hope i feel better.


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: Eee! I love the photo of the little cutie!! I agree with the question, will you find out the gender?

Fern: Happy to hear your doctor is so amazing and you're feeling quite content right now :) have you done any measuring in terms of weight loss to see how your strict eating is going?

IRYM: Just pee already! Haha, I'm so eager to see your test!

Mrs.G: Are you POSITIVE it's af? It could be IB...I've also read that some women have what seems like af this early and it turned out to be IB...I don't want to give you false hope but I am praying that is what it is :)

AFM: I looked up the endovaginal scan and here is a definition of it;

Endovaginal ultrasound: This type of imaging test is a special form of ultrasound developed to examine the pelvic organs and is the best test for diagnosing an ovarian cyst. A cyst can be diagnosed based on its appearance on the ultrasound.

An endovaginal ultrasound is a painless procedure that resembles a pelvic exam. A thin, covered wand or probe is placed into the vagina, and the examiner directs the probe toward the uterus and ovaries.

This type of ultrasound produces a better image than a scan through the abdominal wall can because the probe can be positioned closer to the ovaries.

Using an endovaginal ultrasound, the internal cystic structure may be categorized as simple (just fluid filled), complex (with areas of fluid mixed with solid material), or completely solid (with no obvious fluid).


In my case the pain was excruciating! I might call tomorrow and just ask if they received the results to make sure...might see if I can't get in tomorrow even! I hate this waiting...

I'm not sure how it is in the USA but Fern said she is allowed to see the screen and everything. In Canada (or at least where I am), the screen is turned away from you as they do the ultrasound and they aren't allowed to say a single word. Once complete they tell you to clean up and that you're done. They can't actually tell you ANYTHING from the scan itself...the one doing my exam felt so bad for me during the endovaginal scan that she kept apologizing and did tell me she had to take more pictures than usual, it was like she was letting me know (without actually saying) that there was something...we'll see though.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Ursaula* - It's too early to POAS. I'm only 6DPO! That's a waste of a test, even if they are cheap ones. :haha:

I've had two of the scans you're talking about, and they didn't hurt. I wonder why yours was painful? Hopefully nothing serious!

I live in the USA and I wasn't allowed to look at the screen, either. Which is because the woman doing the scans was only a technician, not an actual doctor. So while they might think they know what something is on the screen, they're not allowed to say anything to you because you might take it as an "official" diagnosis, and then when your actual doctor gives you the results, there could be conflicting information. It's most likely done that way to prevent lawsuits in this lawsuit-happy country. Heh.


*Mrs.Green* - It's entirely possible that your body is still out of whack after the MC. I know it took me a couple of months to recover after mine. Hormones all over the place, one really long cycle, that sort of thing. Do you know what day of your cycles you used to ovulate on? Was it at least 12 days before your period, or no..?


----------



## cupcakestoy

swimmyj1 said:


> Fern try not to stress our office can't give results over the phone besides hcg results. Had me totally freaked. Hope everything is fine.
> 
> Mrsgreen you have some great will power not to test I have serios addiction lol.
> 
> Afm - scan went great baby was on a sugar high from all the oj and dancing away. Next scan probably won't be for a few months and we all know how I stink at waiting lol it just doesn't seem real

What a sweet little one! Over the moon for you!



Fern81 said:


> Swimmy I think we crossed posts before - wow what a lovely pic!!! I'm so happy everything is still going great. Are you planning on finding our the gender, or team yellow?
> 
> Phew, dr phoned and all is well. HIV still negative of course... Clotting factors: all tests are negative except low positive for the presence of one type of antibody (anti beta 2 glycoprotein) which may cause problems. Since all my other levels are great, I'm not diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder or serious clotting issue.
> 
> Dr had me start Ecotrin (81mg asprin) immediately. I am to take it throughout all my future ttc cycles. I'm probably foolish to hope that it would take something as simple as low dose aspirin to help me get pregnant but... you never know.
> 
> I really LOVE my dr and the amount of trouble he goes to for me. That he had those tests done despite me NOT having had 6 miscarriages and/or stillbirths, just in case something is not perfect (and as it turn out there _was_ something small amiss!). And then the care from him phoning me in person and explaining to me in minute detail what my test results meant (as he's done a number of other times too).... Incredibly caring.
> 
> If any South African gals read this and want to know more about the reproductive centre & doctor I'm using, please feel free to PM me. I don't have heaps of money but so far this dr has given me excellent care and it's just so worth having all of my concerns sorted out. I wish I had gone to see him sooner and not wasted years of my life.

Hoping the aspirin is all you need to get your miracle! Is dh acting any better? Mine has been having his "man period" this week :/ Apparently its in the air or something!!!!



mrs.green2015 said:


> Swimming- beautiful baby! So happy for you! Nothing better than seeing the little peanut on screen.
> 
> Afm- started AF today. So last month I had a 23 day cycle? Any chart experts please look at my chart. It says I ovulated but I don't agree. And if I did it was only 4-5 days ago?? But already starting period?? Last month I didn't ovulate. I'm really frustrated and have cried all morning. I lost my baby and I can't even get pregnant again...

Hugs sweetie! It took my cycles a few months to get back to normal, hopefully you'll get back on track this cycle! It would be awesome if it WAS implantation though! Not ever had it myself, but alot of women do!



Ursaula said:


> Swimmy: Eee! I love the photo of the little cutie!! I agree with the question, will you find out the gender?
> 
> Fern: Happy to hear your doctor is so amazing and you're feeling quite content right now :) have you done any measuring in terms of weight loss to see how your strict eating is going?
> 
> IRYM: Just pee already! Haha, I'm so eager to see your test!
> 
> Mrs.G: Are you POSITIVE it's af? It could be IB...I've also read that some women have what seems like af this early and it turned out to be IB...I don't want to give you false hope but I am praying that is what it is :)
> 
> AFM: I looked up the endovaginal scan and here is a definition of it;
> 
> Endovaginal ultrasound: This type of imaging test is a special form of ultrasound developed to examine the pelvic organs and is the best test for diagnosing an ovarian cyst. A cyst can be diagnosed based on its appearance on the ultrasound.
> 
> An endovaginal ultrasound is a painless procedure that resembles a pelvic exam. A thin, covered wand or probe is placed into the vagina, and the examiner directs the probe toward the uterus and ovaries.
> 
> This type of ultrasound produces a better image than a scan through the abdominal wall can because the probe can be positioned closer to the ovaries.
> 
> Using an endovaginal ultrasound, the internal cystic structure may be categorized as simple (just fluid filled), complex (with areas of fluid mixed with solid material), or completely solid (with no obvious fluid).
> 
> 
> In my case the pain was excruciating! I might call tomorrow and just ask if they received the results to make sure...might see if I can't get in tomorrow even! I hate this waiting...
> 
> I'm not sure how it is in the USA but Fern said she is allowed to see the screen and everything. In Canada (or at least where I am), the screen is turned away from you as they do the ultrasound and they aren't allowed to say a single word. Once complete they tell you to clean up and that you're done. They can't actually tell you ANYTHING from the scan itself...the one doing my exam felt so bad for me during the endovaginal scan that she kept apologizing and did tell me she had to take more pictures than usual, it was like she was letting me know (without actually saying) that there was something...we'll see though.

 Sorry you had so much pain! Maybe it's a cyst or something? Hoping Monday brings answers!

IRYM-Living vicariously through you right now! lol I'm on cd 11 I think...Not doing any meds/Opks for a few months, but do plan to bd a few times this weekend, as we normally would so I'll at least be exposed! lol

Welp, I got my workout dvd's last night.....Wishing I could tell you I killed the 1st workout, but I only made it about 20 mins outta 30. Today was cardio fix, consisting of burpees, backward planks, mountain climbers, skater jumps more acts of torture! I decided REAL quick that all my gym time was pretty much useless as a precursor to this! I did get a good sweat on though! Of course I have been up since 2:30am, have pretty much cleaned my whole house & done laundry, so I have gotten in my activity for the day, will probably do some walking or wood later after the family gets home....Ugh feeling SO outta shape!


----------



## Fern81

Mrsgreen - it sounds like great news that you usually have regular cycles and ovulate like clockwork. I really believe your cycles will regulate again. Maybe one black cohosh or clomid cycle just to kickstart everything again and remind your body what it's capable of. If I can recommend one supplement that personal experience has really shown to make a difference: Vitamin B6. It increases energy levels (every cell in your body also has more energy to grow & develop) and plays a role in the production of hormones. Cycles where I haven't taken B6 50mg, I've spotted a lot more during the LP and even had slightly shorter LPs sometimes. B6 is apparently most effective in conjunction with the whole B complex.

I hope you are feeling OK? xx

Ursaula - I've had sooooo many of those scans over the year and I've never had any pain. I agree with cupcake maybe there is something causing pressure/pain? I'm really hoping you get all the answers you need on Monday. :hugs:

Cupcakestoy - just reading the word "burpees" made me feel exhausted. You go girl!! Urgh I wish men were easier to deal with! My husband has been a bit kinder the past few days but he just doesn't think he does ANYTHING wrong by flipping out and taking his tantrums out on me... :( Hope his good mood lasts all weekend. We are planning on spending a nice day together on Sunday and watch the new Avengers movie that evening (so I can secretly drool over RDJ and Chris Hemsworth muuuhahahaa!). GL with handling the man period. :wacko:

IRYM - how's the mood and other symptoms?

Man I'm ready for this cycle to be over! I'm soooo bloated and constipated and my uterus feels so crampy and heavy. However, I've had a nice normal cycle, still no spotting whoop whoop! I'm just starting to get a few pms symptoms and that's OK! 
I'm starting to get quite excited about April. 
* It will be my first cycle after a PROPER lap; meaning NO endo in sight
* It will have been 90+ days since DH and I've both started on the new supplement regime, so hopefully healthy eggs & sperm
* Now that we know about the one clotting problem, I will be on aspirin

Maybe we might have a chance of actually falling pregnant that cycle. I will definitely be going all in!!!! And if not, keep on ttc until August, possibly have IVF, then maybe re-evaluate again...

At least after the lap is done I won't have this turmoil of choosing between bcp to limit the endo damage, and carrying on with ttc. I am after all getting older and older. As this year goes by I know I will still have many emotional meltdowns about ttc and feel like/decide to give up, only to start again... but at least the decision will be MINE and not forced on me by my dr (who is only looking out for my best interest).


----------



## Fern81

Oh and my sister told me about a woman whose blog she has been reading: this lady had endo, and after 2 pregnancies the endo developed into severe restrictive growths, fusing her reproductive organs together. (I had that too at my last surgery). She had a laparoscopy to remove the endo. Well right after that lap she fell pregnant with QUINTUPLETS, without any fertility meds!!!! They were born yesterday.
The cherry on top is that this lady also suffers from PCOS.

I have no words!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - Well! That workout is definitely not for me! lol. I can't do any high impact exercise at the risk of causing further damage to an old foot injury, sooo it looks like I'll have to keep searching for new workout routines. 

It sounds like it will really get you in shape, though! GL!

*Fern* - Quintuplets! Holy moly. I think I would go into panic mode over that. Hahaha. 

My mood is less irritable, but today I'm sleepy. I have no motivation to get anything done, just want to stay curled up on the couch or better yet - take a nap! lol. I'm still DOING stuff, I just really wish I didn't have to. Haha

Woke up with a minor headache today, not sure what that was about. Sinus issues, most likely, as my allergies have been going crazy lately. 

Not really any symptoms that seem out of the ordinary or anything, so I don't have much to report. Just a nice temp spike back up after a short, small dip the past couple of days. That's also nothing new for me. I have a dip every cycle. It's just that this one was relatively small.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Cupcake- you go girl! That sounds hard but totally worth it in the end! 

Fern- that's amazing about the woman who does the blog! I hope we're all as lucky as her to have beautiful babies soon!

Irym- your chart looks amazing! How do you feel about this cycle? 


Thank you ladies for your support. My doc wants me to give it one more cycle with opks and temping and If something is off still then go in and get some test. Good news though! Hubs is on board for full Ttc this month!!!!


----------



## cupcakestoy

ireadyermind said:


> *Cupcake* - Well! That workout is definitely not for me! lol. I can't do any high impact exercise at the risk of causing further damage to an old foot injury, sooo it looks like I'll have to keep searching for new workout routines.
> 
> It sounds like it will really get you in shape, though! GL!
> 
> *Fern* - Quintuplets! Holy moly. I think I would go into panic mode over that. Hahaha.
> 
> My mood is less irritable, but today I'm sleepy. I have no motivation to get anything done, just want to stay curled up on the couch or better yet - take a nap! lol. I'm still DOING stuff, I just really wish I didn't have to. Haha
> 
> Woke up with a minor headache today, not sure what that was about. Sinus issues, most likely, as my allergies have been going crazy lately.
> 
> Not really any symptoms that seem out of the ordinary or anything, so I don't have much to report. Just a nice temp spike back up after a short, small dip the past couple of days. That's also nothing new for me. I have a dip every cycle. It's just that this one was relatively small.

I'm not a "jumper" either since I have had a torn meniscus in the past, but they have a modifier chic on there too for people like me! She's kinda thick, so that made me feel worse that I couldn't keep up lol But taking it a day at a time....I'll get there!

In my cleaning frenzy I got out the tote of assorted baby stuff I've bought or been given over the past 3-4 years.....*sigh Decided to give some clothes, diapers & toiletry items to a friend who's having a girl in April. Won't lie, tears were shed:cry: but I kept the "special" stuff. No worries I still have more than enough to get us started when we get our THB. Figured the stuff may dry rot if I just left it there lol Plus, I can always buy more! I told dh what I had done & all he says was "Lord willing we will have our little one one day...." Talking about ripping my heart out! I do think part of my journey is teaching me about relinquishing control & just letting God work in His time....Just learning not to harbor all the pain & sadness is a big step for me!

In other news, I'm wondering if the Clomid is still lingering? My BBs & Nips are SO sore & tender & my back has been aching the last few days (before the workout, but worse now!) Hoping it's not a uti brewing!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Cupcake- how many dpo are you? And I'm hoping its not a uti! Those are Soo painful and awful!


----------



## ireadyermind

mrs.green2015 said:


> Irym- your chart looks amazing! How do you feel about this cycle?
> 
> 
> Thank you ladies for your support. My doc wants me to give it one more cycle with opks and temping and If something is off still then go in and get some test. Good news though! Hubs is on board for full Ttc this month!!!!

I feel pretty positive about this cycle. We used PreSeed every time we BD'd, and since I'm pretty sure that CM was part of my problem (I can make TONS of non-fertile, but no ewcm!), I'm really hopeful that it would have helped the little sperms get in there where they need to go! 


Good to hear that your DH is on board for TTC this month! It's so much easier that way, instead of us gals being the only ones trying to keep BDing on a schedule. lol.

GOOD LUCK!


----------



## Ursaula

Hello gals :)

Fern: That blog sounds so hopeful! Although I'm not wishing for quintuplets, it IS good news! I'm glad you're looking forward to April and future months (if need be) ttc. I have fingers and toes crossed!

Cupcake: You'll be in shape soon from the sounds of those workouts. I'm sorry you had a rough time with the baby items but glad you're feeling a little positive with God working out His plan.

Mrs. G: Yay for all on board! I'm hoping your cycle at least starts to settle back in place so you have a fair shot each month :)

IRYM: Eee I can't wait! I've read so many reviews with preseed and recall you had used it the month you had gotten pregnant previously. Fx'd it works :)

AFM: I'm glad to hear some of you have gone through the same scan I went through...a little worried about the pain factor though. I called the doctor office and they confirmed the results are in so I know we'll be good to go for talking about them on Monday! Ahhh, hurry up Monday!!


----------



## swimmyj1

Ursaula - interested to hear about your results, I'm sorry the test caused you so much pain. I'm still on the fence if I want to find out or not. DH really does but I like the idea of a surprise. 

Irym - I loved preseed we used it (I don't really get ewcm either) and I'll admit sometimes I even still use it hahaha. Hope you have some good luck!!


----------



## Fern81

Holy moly I'm in shock right now.

I tested this morning 11 dpo just because I got bought 4 cheap tests yesterday. 3,5 hour hold, smu. I was very cheerful and totally expected bfn (c'mon, an 11 dpo test and smu AND no real chance of anything!)

Well I got a light pink second line within the 10 minute timeframe!

Heart pounding I raced upstairs to show my husband... he said well I don't think it's + because it's very light. 

Only time will tell! I will test again tomorrow morning.


----------



## Fern81

IRYM - have you used preseed before? FX for you!! I've been the same this cycle, no obvious symptoms (no blinking red light on the navel lol). 

MrsGreen - I think trying a natural cycle before starting fertility meds actually sounds good... fertility meds are great if really needed but they also come with a whole bunch of unpleasant side effects. E.g after taking clomid for 8 cycles after being misdiagnosed with anovulation, I picked up a LOT of weight which I'm really struggling to lose. Before clomid the weight just fell off as soon as I started to diet (I easily lost weight to where I weighed 52kg on my wedding day 2 years ago). However, those side effects are of course worth it if it brings home Baby. 
So glad your hubs is on board. And I really recommend B6 & B complex... at therapeutic dosage it has no side effects except making you feel a bit more energized & has really helped a LOT of women with LP defects. I don't have a short LP but always had lots of spotting and the B6 does help to minimize it. It can only do good, if you do decide to take it. I have a whole list of other supplements and what they are good for if anyone is interested lol. :blush:

Urs - OK now we're all keeping our eyes peeled for your news tomorrow morning. Whatever it is, we will all help you through it! Of course it's very probably something fixable, hopefully easily fixable. xx :hugs:

Cupcake - aaahhhhh the emotional stuff is so hard to deal with right. Not having that hoped-for baby is NOT like not getting a PSwhatever for Christmas.... its's PROFOUND and life changing. One day at a time hun. And of course I hope you definitely get your sticky THB very soon. 
On the sore boobs front - maybe your body is getting ready to ovulate? When I took one break from clomid last year my bbs and nips were sore for a day or so before O. Refresh my memory - did you take clomid this cycle?

Aaahhhh girls I don't want to hope.... but I do!
I've had almost no obvious "PREGNANCY" symptoms and very few progesterone symptoms compared to other cycles. 
Very moody in the first few days, tired after that. Bbs barely sore at all, only starting to get a bit sore last night/today. Nips were very uncomfortable in the first few days of tww though, horrible itching tingling. For the past few days I've been really bloated and constipated which NEVER happens. (I've had my gallbladder removed so actually have a problem with diarrhea... TMI I know).

Pleeeeaaaaasssseeee let that pink line not be a fluke!


----------



## cupcakestoy

I'm CD 12, should O in next 2 days or so. Mt BBs have been sore the whole time, no better no worse.... I'm not on clomid this cycle. Thinking my hormones are jacked up.....I was checking cp last night, high closed & mostly firm, but had a speck of brown & red cm ? Who knows? 
FERN!!!!! Omg!!! I want to see line porn! Praying this is IT for you! A line is a line girl! Update soon!


----------



## Fern81

Cupcake - thanks for the support! Unfortunately I can't post a pic. I took a pic with the test still in the casing but my phone was struggling to zoom& focus with that thick casing window in the way. And as I was attempting to remove the casing, my uber long nails tore across the test strip. I suppose I was shaking a bit. 

If I get something tomorrow I will do my best to post it and maybe post the pic I have with the test in the casing too.

Well just an hour later reality set in and I realized I'm just being silly. I'm not pregnant, how could I be. I fully expect to get bfn tomorrow, I will be OK, our hopes are set on April!

Weird that your bbs are still sore! Did you ever do a hpt at the end of your last cycle?


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern, a line is a line! It doesn't matter if it's dark or not. Don't talk yourself out of your happiness! The line wouldn't show if there wasn't enough HCG in your system to mean you're pregnant.

And for crying out loud, don't try to open the casing tomorrow! lol. Just take multiple pics in different lights and see if your phone can focus. We want to obsess over it with you!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Put a ring or paper clip on test to getter better focus too!


----------



## Fern81

Lol I hope there is actually something to photograph tomorrow. It was definitely fainter than the line I had last year in December. Part of the line was also darker than the rest? IDK.

Thanks you ladies for being so caring xx


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> Lol I hope there is actually something to photograph tomorrow. It was definitely fainter than the line I had last year in December. Part of the line was also darker than the rest? IDK.
> 
> Thanks you ladies for being so caring xx

Caring, and probably a little obsessive. ;)


----------



## ireadyermind

I'm back again! But I just wanted to post about something that just happened and get your gals' opinions on it. 

It's about noon here. Anyway, I ate a late breakfast and was going around cleaning house, and I felt like I had some food stuck between two of my molars. That happens a lot, because the dentist who did work on one of those molars left such a humongous gap between the repaired/crowned molar and the intact one, even soft foods get wedged in there and I have to floss several times a day.


Anyway!


I went to get whatever it was out from between those two teeth, just using the tip of my tongue, and my gums started bleeding like crazy! This doesn't even happen when I'm aggressively flossing that part of my mouth. I had to spend a few minutes over the bathroom sink rinsing and rinsing and rinsing because there was so much. Gross.

Do you gals have issues with your gums as a PMS symptom? Does anyone know if it's hormone related? 

It's certainly not a regular occurrence for me -- unless my memory is currently choosing to ignore past instances of this happening. lol


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- a line is a line!! If you got a line you're pregnant! Congrats! Show us tomorrow. 


Irym- I've read that's a pregnancy symptom. Keeping my fx for you. When are you testing?


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs.Green* - Probably tomorrow, I'm not sure yet. I wanted to test today and convinced myself not to. It's too early yet, I think.

I did feel some sharp little pains in my abdomen/ovary areas last night. Possible implantation? If it was, a BFP wouldn't show for 48hrs so I might have to wait til Monday.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- very exciting. Can't wait to look!


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern I cant wait to see if this is really it!! My fingers are crossed!! Oooohhh so excited lol


----------



## cupcakestoy

Bfn end of last cycle....I'm sure its just crazy hormones from the meds, especially since I had a lille more spotting today.... Yep, my body hates me for all I've put it through! LoL
Impatiently waiting on our testers!!!! LoL


----------



## ireadyermind

Just wanted to pop in and share this article: More Exercise Does Not Necessarily Mean More Calories Burnt


----------



## Fern81

Sorry to disappoint - stark white bfn @12dpo, 10hr concentrated hold.

No line has EVER meant that I'm pregnant, unfortunately. 

My temp has also taken a huge dip which it never does at 12dpo, I can't feel the CL anymore so it probably started to die a bit sooner than it usually does in my cycles and I expect af momentarily. Oh well at least the cycle was "normal" up until the end and I totally expected bfn.


----------



## Fern81

I think there was something wrong with yesterday's test. That line was very light with a few darker "patches" or something. I really think in April if I have any hope I will wait for my temps to stay up past 14dpo and only test then. Then it should be unambiguous!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- April? You're not trying February or March? Did I miss something. Sorry about the bfn!


----------



## swimmyj1

Darn I'm sorry fern :( I was hoping that was it.

Has anyone tried Mac and chese but you make it with squash and a small amount of chese? It's amazing totally tricked my brain into thinking I was eating gooie Mac and cheese.


----------



## ireadyermind

Aww, bummer, Fern! I was really rooting for you! :hugs:


AFM - BFN this morning, but that's what I was expecting. The test I used (the brand is like.. sure test? something cheap and generic, but which says it's sensitive to 10miu) had some serious dye splotches everywhere at the 5 minute mark, but no line. I left it out to dry and will check it later to see if those dye splotches moved on or if I'll just have to wait.

At this point, I'm thinking I'll wait to test again until Wednesday or so. AF is due in 5 days (Well, 6 technically because my LP is 15 days), so hopefully she stays gone!


----------



## Fern81

Mmmm Swimmy share the recipe please!! :) 

Mrsgreen - Let me share my sordid ttc history, I will try to keep it short. Hopefully it will answer your question & clarify my love/HATE relationship with ttc. ;)
* I've been ttc since 2003. First with dh #1 (1 year no b/c & LOTS of bd, then 18 mnths serious ttc. No bfp ever.) Then ntnp on and off, with current DH serious ttc since March 2014.
* I suffer from extended endometriosis.
* Had a laparotomy (major surgery) to remove enormous endometriomas from both ovaries. Back then (I was 20) the dr recommended I have my left ovary removed because of endo damage. I refused. (I have since ovulated from that ovary a number of times).
* Had a laparoscopy in Dec 2014 to remove stage 3 endo - the dumbass dr removed it ineptly with an argon lazer. At that time my left ovary & tube & parts of uterus and intestines & bladder were fused with endometrial growth and attached to my posterior abdominal wall.
* After being manhandled and continually misdiagnosed etc by that dr (I saw her Aug 2014- Dec 2014), I eventually found a new dr who is an endometriosis and infertility specialist. Saw him for the first time in June 2015.
* He said that my previous dr did ALL the wrong tests, misdiagnosed me, treated me incorrectly and medicated me for conditions I didn't have..... long story short I had to have all the infertility tests redone. So far EVERYTHING is perfect including all my hormone levels, DH's SA, my uterine lining thickness, HSG shows uterine shape & tubes wide open. I just have one blood clotting problem, recently diagnosed and currently treated with 81mg aspirin.
* New dr said that because *I haven't ever been able to get pregnant since 2003*, I will probably *never be able to get pregnant on my own*. Everything looks great, however the endo can prevent implantation and/or affect/destroy my egg cells.
* The previous idiot dr's method to remove endo with a lazer, allows 75% of endo growth to return within a year. My new dr advised me to have it surgically cut out ASAP to give me even the slightest chance of ever conceiving. This new surgery will happen on the *9th of March* and will keep most endo growth at bay for 5-10 years.
* Then once the endo is removed and out of the picture, and I keep on taking aspirin; from April we might have a better chance of conceiving, provided my follicles and egg cells are not too badly damaged. My age isn't on my side either regarding egg cell health, I'm 34.
* Dr also strongly suggested me getting a "diagnostic" IVF this year. Since we don't have any idea as to my egg cell quality, ICSI/IVF will serve as being diagnostic even while serving as a fertility treatment, meaning that the embryologists will actually be able to test the aspirated egg cells & see if they can fertilize, how the embies divide etc. We are thinking of MAYBE doing it in August. It all depends on how much we manage to save, what we decide from a faith/religious point of view etc. 
* Due to the endo I've also been on the bcp on and off for a few months... dr wanted me on it until the laparoscopy but I've been naughty and didn't take it every month. I admitted as much to him and he said OK I don't have to take it in Feb then either, only one more month until surgery.

Phew! What a mouthful.

OK so our April cycle will be the first cycle after the endo has been PROPERLY removed. DH and I've also been taking a supplement regime and I'm following an anti-inflammatory/ fertility diet, since the beginning of January. Egg cells and sperm cells have a 90 day development & maturation cycle so all our preparation as from the beginning of Jan is for the eggs & sperm that will be mature during my April cycle.

We will ttc in Feb; my March cycle is also when I will have surgery which will probably fall in the 1st week of my cycle so I don't know if I will ovulate or not (my body ovulates very late or not at all during surgery/invasive medical procedure cycles). However, after so many years I have NO expectations of me actually falling pregnant before April. And even after the surgery my chances are very slim.

We are not just ttc anymore. For the past 18 months we (especially me) have really been trying to focus on other adventures as well & praying for acceptance more than anything else, because the reality is we will probably never have kids. I keep wanting to give up, but we both want to give ttc as much time, effort and money as possible though, _up to a point_; so that we never look back and regret that "we didn't try hard enough".

Thanks for allowing me a space where I feel safe to write all of that down again, it's cathartic. Feel free to ask me ANYTHING! :hugs:

Keeping my FX for all of you girls!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Oh my goodness. I knew you had surgery coming up but didn't realize it was so much going on. I'm so so so sorry! I'm so glad you got a god doctor and you're getting on the right track.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Boo for bfn's!!!

I'm completely lost on my cycle! Had enough spotting today that's its almost like cd1???? My body hates me!


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern I'm glad you got some answers from this new doctor. Hopefully he gets you on the right track and you get your bfp :) hope your surgery goes perfectly!!
As soon as my mom sends the mac&squash recipe I'll put it on (I liked hers better lol)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Whoop! Whoop! Down TEN pounds with 1st week of 21 day fix! In shock, but freaking' excited!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

That's amazing, cupcake! Good work!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Yay cupcake!!! That's amazing! Congrats!!


----------



## Fern81

Wow cupcake that's amazing!!!!! You are going to be super skinny, healthy and fit in time for IVF :).

Irym I'm in love with that steeply rising chart of yours. Fx for you, for our first 2016 bfp. 

Mrsgreen are you excited for this cycle yet? Gotta love the follicular phase.... Fx for you too!

I've had no appetite the past few days & feel driven to wake up early and garden, exercise etc. I went for a run today and ran myself almost into a faint. Have no idea where this is coming from but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts lol!!!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Thanks gals! So apparently I had ovulation bleeding :/ Had it once in past but not this much, but Dr. Says I had 2, possibly 3 follies rupture :0 So PRAYING dh's swimmers can hit at least 1! LoL going to bd tonight, just in case ;)


----------



## mrs.green2015

Cupcake! You're having an amazing day! Lol what was the bdinf like before you released all those! Hoping you catch the egg!


----------



## Ursaula

BOO for BFNs! :(

Quick update...I had my doctor appointment and my uterus/ovaries are completely normal, nothing is wrong with them!? I'm super confused!! Had this new doctor up my metformin to 1000mg too. Fx'd...


----------



## mrs.green2015

Urs- are they giving you ANY ideas as to what's up with your cycles and ovulating?


----------



## swimmyj1

Ooohhh cupcake congrats on the weight loss, that is just incredible! Hoping this is your cycle!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> Wow cupcake that's amazing!!!!! You are going to be super skinny, healthy and fit in time for IVF :).
> 
> Irym I'm in love with that steeply rising chart of yours. Fx for you, for our first 2016 bfp.
> 
> Mrsgreen are you excited for this cycle yet? Gotta love the follicular phase.... Fx for you too!
> 
> I've had no appetite the past few days & feel driven to wake up early and garden, exercise etc. I went for a run today and ran myself almost into a faint. Have no idea where this is coming from but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts lol!!!

I'm liking that steep rise too -- but I'm thinking it's just my new thermometer? Or, well, that's what I'm telling myself. But I used it last month too, and didn't get steep inclines like this. 

Thinking about it, though, I also had severe moodiness this month, and lately tingly nipples -- and I'm pretty sure those are all just symptoms of high progesterone levels?



Also -- after I had that weird "gusher" of bleeding in my mouth, I went and brushed the living daylights out of my teeth, and nothing! Not even the slightest hint of pink! No idea what's going on there. lol


I just finished a 20 minute "yoga for beginners" workout video, and I'm surprised to see that I did pretty well on it! So I'm not as out of shape as I originally thought, but there's room for improvement of course. I'm going to try and do this routine once a day for a week and see where it gets me. 

So far it's the only REAL "beginner" yoga workout I've been able to find for free on the internet. All of the others I've tried had some seriously complicated poses, one right after the other, failing to take into account that people looking for "beginner" videos are actually going to BE beginners! lol.

If anyone's interested, here's a link:
https://youtu.be/v7AYKMP6rOE


----------



## cupcakestoy

Swimmy-Did pretty good! 0-2,0-1 & will tonight ;) There's sp much conflicting reports with when to bd with low counts, but we did it cause we wanted to lol I'm at that point hahaha

Urs-Good news on U/S! Glad they upped your meds!


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcake lol - our doc was saying every other day with low count but not gonna lie we dtd like 4 days in a row hahahaha didn't seem to make much of a difference for us hehehe but you never know. 

I'm really nervous to stop taking my progesterone. They said I could stop it this week but honestly I'm probably gonna take it the next 3 weeks until im 13 weeks and meet my new ob and see what she says


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy & Cupcake* - With us, even though DH doesn't have a low count, we BD'd EOD just because it gives hubby time to "recover," and his body needs time to be able to build up more little swimmers in there! lol

But you're right, Swimmy - didn't seem to make much of a difference anyway! If it's going to happen, it's going to happen! lol. It only takes one sperm to fertilize that egg!


AFM -- Sore and stiff all over from the yoga yesterday - but that's kind of a good thing, right?

I have a long-time online friend (who lives across the country now, but ironically grew up in the same town that I did, and we found each other through an online gaming community years ago) who has been trying to lose weight for as long as I have, if not longer. We're both hefty people.

Anyway, he said he had given up on the "weight loss" side of his diet and exercise plan, and started focusing entirely on building muscle. Having done that, he's lost a couple of inches around his waist and he's starting to see muscle on various points on his body.

Now, I know it works differently for men. They can usually bulk up faster due to good old testosterone, BUT - his plan has merit. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns when it's at rest, because it has to supply the muscle with fuel. Body fat doesn't need fuel because it IS fuel. lol

So, I think I'll take a page from his book and work almost entirely on weight training for a while. I need it, anyway! And increasing my core muscle strength (that's abs, back muscles, pelvic muscles) will help with a pregnancy and delivery anyway. 


TTW-wise, my symptoms are disappearing. Yesterday I had some ridiculous heart burn, tingly nipples, and some slight nausea (probably because of the heartburn), but the heartburn disappeared after dinner (ironically after eating a really spicy cajun dish), along with the nausea.

Today it's just sensitive nipples and nothing else. Temp dipped a little, but that's common on 12DPO for me.

I guess it's just going to be a waiting game now! :coffee: If I was a late implanter and implanted today, then it'd still be a couple of days before I'd get a positive on a test. SIGH.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- I used to be in great shape(always curvy but could run and. Lift like nothing) and a huge part of my routine was strength training. I alternated cardio and strength training daily. Just remember to work bug muscles (legs) at the same time as little muscles (arms) to burn more calories.


----------



## swimmyj1

Irym - I think it defiantly has merit, I was super thin in high school and collage but I swam everyday and jogged. I wish we had a good pool that wasn't crazy expensive to use because I love doing laps


----------



## Fern81

Glad to hear everyone is feeling motivated! 

IRYM I must say I prefer HIIT training to long cardio sessions. Especially full-body exercises. On that website that mrsgreen mentioned (I think it was beachbody.com? Please correct me if I'm wrong Green!), there are loads of free exercise plans available as pdf downloads. I downloaded the kettlebell workout and just do it with weights instead of kettlebells, still works great. Loads of workouts that target many muscle groups at once, the way our bodies were designed to work. (Like burpees... nudge nudge cupcake!!) 

My eating plan is going well, I'm losing cm's and fit into clothes that I couldn't wear last year, but I haven't lost any more weight??? Weird. I'm hardly eating anything.


----------



## Fern81

In other news my husband is leaving tomorrow on a work trip and will be gone for 2 nights before returning Saturday evening. 
Whoop whoop!!! I need a break from the Hulk.


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> In other news my husband is leaving tomorrow on a work trip and will be gone for 2 nights before returning Saturday evening.
> Whoop whoop!!! I need a break from the Hulk.

lol! A break from The Hulk. You crack me up. :haha:




My problem with the workouts you gals mention - including cardio, burpees, planks, and whatnot - is that using my feet in them at ALL causes pain to my old injury.

In high school, my favorite cardio workouts were jump rope and jogging up and down the stadium stairs. I was also in a daily weight lifting class and went from being able to bench press 55lbs at the start of one semester, to 95lbs at the end!

But in my first job out of high school, I destroyed the cartilage in the ball of my right foot. At the time, I knew nothing about Worker's Comp laws, so when I reported the injury to my boss and he did nothing, I didn't know that that was illegal. I ended up not being able to afford proper treatment ($200 for a single xray that can't see cartilage _anyway_, and I was lucky if I made $200 in two weeks? Yeah, not affordable), and since cartilage is the slowest healing tissue in the human body, it took 6 or 7 years before I could walk on my own again. Prior to that was crutches, a walking cast, custom shoe inserts, etc.

I still have a slight limp, can't wear high heeled shoes, can't jump, jog, run, hop or skip, etc. Even just doing the simple Yoga poses yesterday and the day before left my toes and foot swollen and aching.

You know how you're supposed to complete a plank on your toes? That is a pose I can't do for longer than a few seconds. All my planking has to take place on my knees, and it's not challenging enough for my abs that way. Just my shoulders. :dohh:



ANYWAY!

I POAS this morning and got BFN, but my temps went back up. :wacko:

My nipples are SO SENSITIVE today that it's actually painful to touch them. I tossed and turned last night because every time I'd turn over to sleep on my stomach, these dumb things would start acting up and I'd have to go back to sleeping on my side. Oye.

My clothes rubbing on them is going to drive me crazy. 

AND I can't find info anywhere on super duper extra sensitive nipples in the TWW. Every outside resource I find immediately says it's a disease/cancer or something really dramatic. 

What do you think about the nipple problem? This is definitely not normal PMS sensitivity!


----------



## Fern81

Aaaawwww IRYM I keep forgetting about your foot injury! It sucks that you are forever having to adapt to a painful limb. 
There are some full body exercises that don't involve feet though like the v-situp with kettlebells, etc. You are very resourceful so I'm looking forward to reading about your new weight training plans.

Don't know about extremely sore nips but I hope it's a good sign for you!!


----------



## ireadyermind

I have been doing some yoga and trying to gently work the muscles in that foot if a pose requires it. The stretching bits are good, but my foot was really hurting last night after some of the strength training bits. I think I need to do one day on, one day off for those exercises, just to give the poor atrophied muscles a break.

And I hope the nipples are a sign for me, too! I can't remember them being this sensitive in the past decade! There was a time when I was on Depo-provera, which mimics pregnancy, and I'd get nipples like this from time to time. It was so bad, the only time I found relief was when I was naked before and after a shower. lol!

I'm hoping it's a sign!

I also had a dream last night that I dipped 3 different HPTs into my urine and they all got blazing positives on them. Little bit of a let down that it didn't happen IRL this morning. ESPECIALLY because I had one heck of an evap line on a test the other day!


----------



## cupcakestoy

I'm calling my Dr. STILL bleeding like light flow. Really think the US tech is an idiot grrrr now I'm thinking I may not have O'd at all last cycle & have had cysts rupture....idk guess I'll wait & see, but thinking I'm done with clomid/meds until ivf!!!


----------



## swimmyj1

Irym - nipple sensitive is my early pregnancy symptom so I really hope it's a good sign for you! Mine still tend to be sensitive on and off still lol it isn't the most comfortable feeling that is for sure. 

Cupcake - im sorry your still having issues. I hope they weren't cycsts but maybe a little break and give your ovaries a rest before IVF isnt a bad idea.

Afm - found the best anti nausea trick yet lol life savers candy. Which im sure is not in the healthy eating plan. And I think I found little peaunts heartbeat on my Doppler tonight. But the bad news my DH quit his job today ... I swear I don't know what he is thinking


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Thanks for that glimmer of hope! :)

But why on earth would your DH quit his job when you're pregnant!?

Edited to add: Swimmy, what DPO did you get your BFP again?


----------



## Ursaula

Cupcake: Congrats on the 10 pound weight loss! One week!? That's crazy!!!

IRYM: I've heard a lot of "plus sized" women having extremely sensitive nipples and found out they were pregnant. I found a resource about plus size women and some of the "horror" stories giving birth when you're plus size. Long story short, I found almost all the women have insanely sensitive nipples. Nausea didn't seem to be a big one...I'll see if I can find the site again! I'm not sure if it is the same for a smaller woman as I am plus sized and that's what I usually look up.

Swimmy: He QUIT his JOB!? I'm wondering what was going on in his head when he did that?

Fern: I'm just going to give you a big hug! :) Haha.

AFM: Having a down spell and full out told s/o that our sex life is completely lame and we either need to do something or move on. He told me it's his new medication causing his sex drive to be completely non-existent. Are there any medications he can take that are specifically sex-drive related?


----------



## mrs.green2015

Find the website urs! I'd be interested to read that.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - i got a super super light line the night of 9dpo and had blood work 10dpo which was only like 13. but by 11dpo it was clearly a +. I got on the scale today and I've lost almost 10lbs sense finding out i was pregnant. Too bad I don't look like it lol.

Honestly idk what he is thinking, we really got into it today. He quit but didn't tell me till tonight that he is gonna start working tomorrow at a pizza place. Soooo he quit his great job working construction making good money to work for his friends pizza place probably not making much more than min wage. he said he just couldn't take how unhappy he has been there, and his boss has been cutting a lot of corners with safety. So i understand why he didn't want to work there anymore but just quiting leaves you with no reference or anything. Guess what is done is done and we will figure it out.


----------



## cupcakestoy

:happydance::happydance::happydance:FINALLY stopped Bleeding!:happydance::happydance::happydance: Not sure where in the heck I am in my cycle with the cysts vs. multiple follies thing. Dr. didn't do the US, but took the word of the tech. With 3 nurses out I declined a repeat US, since there's really nothing I can do but wait it out tho....I will probably test on the 13 when the original af due date was, but will be testing for O that weekend too lol since thats my new predicted O date....Yeah I'm messed up I guess!
Going to court today for a child support review, thinking it will get raised since x-dh is a paramedic now & working full time, but I do know they will raise the amount he has to pay on the amount he is behind....about $5k! So hoping all goes smoothly there, then I volunteered to go in & help out at work after that!:dohh: There goes my Friday :/ 

Urs-What meds is your SO taking? If its hormones related to his gender reassignment, then I doubt it will get any better, but I would still have SO talk to the DR. about it! Alot of BP & antidepressants can be changed out if that's the case!

Swimmy-Still waiting on the squash mac & cheese recipe! lol Sorry dh is being spontaneous at this point! Sometimes men just don't think about long term & are too quick to jump at the 1st thing that sounds easy & quick money makers, especially if they are unhappy at work...Hope it works out to be a good transition though!

IRYM-Any new tests for us to look at? Hows your Nips today? lol Any new symptoms? I have had a past foot surgery on the outer aspect of my right foot & my ankles tend to roll so I have to be careful too! Like I said I'm NOT a jumper! lol

Fern- Happy top hear you are getting some alone time! Sometimes we all need a break from the strain of daily life! I know if dh & I are apart for a few days, its like honeymoon season when we reunite! LOL maybe we all should leave home for a week before our predicted O dates, to make things easier & more pleasant!:shrug:

Mrs. G-How are things going for you? Any new updates for a plan to get you regulated or have I missed something? Sorry, I'm horrible with remembering stuff!

In other news for me, I have put my intense work outs on hold, which does NOT make me sad, until after my Ortho appt. on Tuesday for the Carpal Tunnel, this last week & 1/2, my hands aches constantly & the muscles in both forearms are sore & tired all the time. Bilateral elbow pain has me worried. I know as CT advances it can move up the arms, but weird that its progressing at he same time to both arms. SPoke to the PT & OT at work & they want me to get an EMG done to make sure something isn;t going on in my neck!:dohh: So it's clean eating & walking until I get the ok to get back at it. I'll be hinest, so far I have HATED the work outs as I feel I'm not in any shape to do them correctly. Disappointing, since I did go to the gym & work like mule, that a 30 min video kicks my tail!:growlmad: Oh well, After my huge loss last week, I'm not expecting alot this next weigh in....I have to say, with all this clean eating, I sure don't have to worry about being constipated or hungry though:haha:! Hope everyone has a great weekend!


----------



## Fern81

Sorry for being MIA! Work is extremely hectic at the moment..... At least I have a job right. 

Urs - Are you doing OK? I second Cupcake's question, is the lack of SO's sex drive due to hormone therapy or something else? And OK everything is fine on the ultrasound/endovaginal scan.... so why the heck did you have to suffer so much pain during a normally painless scan?? Were the drs forthcoming with ANY new info? (OMW I hate being in the dark and always pester my drs with a million questions.)

Cupcake - eesshhh that does NOT sound like a fun Friday. I'm actually hoping you have another mad weight drop when you weigh in this week. :) I noticed RSA also has a 21 day challenge with meal plans etc, they prepare healthy meals and deliver too, etc. It sounds sooooooo nice to have pre-prepared meals for 3 weeks (which should last for 5-6 weeks actually if I look at the sheer volume of the meals!). I'm very tempted. Even just the smoothie and light meal version (low carb) will be more than enough to feed me daily for 3 weeks. Hm.....
Hope you don't have to suffer too much with the irritating CT. :/

IRYM - I'm still rooting for you as I always do for all you guys! It's high time someone else got a bfp too. Wow hun you have also been trying for quite a while now right? How are the super sore bbs?

Mrsgreen - O! O! O!!!!! :) are you taking meds this cycle? I know you mentioned black cohosh possibly...? Just don't take progesterone before confirmed O. 

Swimmy - omw how stressful! Sending you hugs and positive vibes. I can understand his feelings of hating his old job but I really hope this doesn't place too much stress on the pregnancy. You just keep rested and calm, OK. :hugs:

I'm very tired and really struggling with depression and anxiety this year so far... I suppose it's knowing that we are entering our third year ttc and also DH's mood swings & behavior. I can't sleep and have very little energy. I'm trying to keep up my spirits & focus on the positive but it's really hard. Last night I had maybe an hour's sleep & kept on waking up from nightmares in full blown anxiety (I keep vividly dreaming that my cats are drowning in the swimming pool the past few nights, wtf!?). Please send me some positive thoughts/ prayers, friends. I'm considering getting anxiety meds just for a month or so. Or going back to counseling (the counselor I saw once last year was very nice but she had lost a child in an accident!!! And my problems were obviously nothing compared to hers so I felt really bad complaining to her.)


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Wow. I'm 15 DPO today and only have what I'm pretty sure is an evap on this cheapie test. I am so envious of the gals that get their BFPs at 9/10 DPO and don't have this long loooong wait!

*Cupcake* - No tests to squint at, unfortunately. I took one this morning because I felt like AF should have been here a day early, and there's nothing on the test and no AF either. Booo!

Nipples are still driving me nuts! Much of that "burning" sensation has gone away, though last night it was pretty intense before bedtime. I wish I knew what caused that!


*Fern* - Thanks! Yes, we've been TTC a while - since November 2014, officially. It would have been sooner if not for this cervical cancer issue. But thank goodness we got that taken care of, right?

In all that time I've had one chemical and one miscarriage to show for our efforts. But trying to look on the bright side -- at least I know I can get pregnant on my own! It's just a matter of keeping them. 



Today's updates: My temp dropped today to 98.04°F, and even though it's still above my cover line, basically any time I hit 98.0°F, AF shows up shortly thereafter, if not on the same day. So I fully expect AF tomorrow at this point. :(

I would LOVE for this month to be the month I'm proven wrong, though! I mean, 98.04 is still above 98.0, am I right? :haha: I spent some time looking at FF's chart gallery yesterday, and there are loads of women who got BFPs even after their temps dropped below the cover line. 

Since my CP is still VERY high (almost couldn't reach it this morning!) that's a good sign... I hope. lol



EDIT: I ordered some soy isoflavones to use next cycle, assuming AF shows up, which at this stage I'm almost certain she will. I got to thinking that maybe an ovulation date of anywhere between CD20 and CD25 (and that one month, CD33!) means that my follicles are having trouble maturing. My reading indicates that women who have taken SIs are seeing their O dates moving toward a more normal cycle day, and just about every article I read compares it to taking clomid.

So we'll see if I can help move things along this coming cycle! The SI's ought to arrive Monday, and we'll know by then if AF has shown or not. If she doesn't and I get a BFP, I might just have to return the product! lol


----------



## ireadyermind

Ack. Just started spotting red and got my day-of AF cramps. Looks like it's on to another cycle for me - as long as this spotting turns into full flow today. :( Bummer!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Sorry IRYM...Be careful with the SI's, if you have pcos or hormone imbalances, as they can screw your cycle up...At least that's what I've read/heard from others....Hope its your magic remedy tho!

Court went amazingly well! x-dh was nice, chatty & civil through the whole process! He did turn a shade bit green when he found out the child support is going up by $200, to $683/month starting in March!!! I am shocked to say the least! They did't increase the payment for back owed support ($5200) since he had such a big increase. Of course now he's a Paramedic, making good money...It's nice to win every now & then!:happydance:


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* -- Good to hear it! That former $400 a month he was paying probably wasn't much help at all, was it? My dad used to have to pay child support - but he always refused and paid $50 a month instead. That wasn't even half a grocery store run for us two kids! Oye.

My OB/GYN says I don't have PCOS (even though I have a couple of cysts on my left ovary), so I don't think the SI will cause me problems -- but I've seen how many different times my body has tried to ovulate around CD15 and failed (darkening OPKs, CM becoming fertile, etc.) and I'm wondering if maybe it just needs a little help to get those eggs ready at a reasonable time, rather than three weeks or more into a cycle. 

How nice would it be to have a 28 day cycle instead of my average 37, or 40, or 50 days? The absolute shortest cycle I've had is 32 days since starting TTC, and even THAT would be an improvement I think. :dohh:


----------



## mrs.green2015

I've been lurking but haven't been posting lately. 
Irym- isn't it frustrating when our bodies gear up but never ovulate? I'm cd 10 but already feeling like i won't ovulate.


----------



## ireadyermind

mrs.green2015 said:


> I've been lurking but haven't been posting lately.
> Irym- isn't it frustrating when our bodies gear up but never ovulate? I'm cd 10 but already feeling like i won't ovulate.

It IS frustrating! I thought for sure I was going to ovulate at CD15 last cycle, but it didn't happen til CD20 - so it pretty much took an entire extra week to get down to business!

That's why I'm hoping the SIs will help. Maybe this coming cycle it will actually happen on CD15!

In the meanwhile, it looks like I have another month to get into shape, hey?

And I'm itching to get a vegetable garden started this spring as well!


----------



## mrs.green2015

I really want a garden too! We're in the process of looking for a house and I want something with some land so I can. I'm hoping I ovulate this cycle too!


----------



## ireadyermind

I'm sure you will! You did last cycle, right? :) AF wouldn't have shown up otherwise!


Minor update for me --

Really thinking this might've been another chemical. I was seeing super super faint lines on my cheapies the other day, and I talked myself out of them. And in just today, my AF flow has been more than double what my "usual" AF has been. Very heavy, pretty consistent cramps, and I'm _exhausted_ today. It's not so much so that I'm worried about hemorrhaging, so no worries there. But just the sheer volume, and then the uncharacteristic spotting before AF... 

I wish there was a way to test blood hCG from home so I could know for sure! lol.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- sorry AF is being so cruel. I hate that!

I don't think I ovulated last month IF I did it was 4 days before AF. And I didn't ovulate November or December either but pretty regular periods.... So who knows.


----------



## Fern81

Green - I really hope your body will behave and that you O! Are you taking black cohosh? Oh and how is the fitness plan coming along?

Irym I wouldn't be surprised if you did have a c/p. They are amazingly common but that doesn't make them any less sucky. Feel free to post your test pic for us to over-analyze lol!! Gl with the soy.

I had a loooooong brunch with my two bffs yesterday that extended into the early afternoon lol.... got all my frustrations off my chest and they were really helpful in providing suggestions &tips for coping. We are doing a fitness, diet and spiritual health challenge this week, one week at a time. I also managed to talk dh into a week long "challenge" of being super patient and thinking before talking. And to bd more often I hope that will bring us closer again. 

Being happy and healthy is such HARD WORK right!? And being depressed, overweight and unfit is the easiest state to get into. Oh well that's the way the cookie crumbles, just have to keep trying day by day.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs.Green* - Well, if this Soy stuff works for me I will let you know, and maybe you can give it a try? Mine should be arriving tomorrow (Monday), and I start taking it tomorrow too! lol.


*Fern* - I agree, it IS hard work to make yourself happy and healthy! Mental health is as important as physical health. I'm glad you were able to get your husband to agree to think before he speaks. That's a good starting place to getting control over himself. 

I know I am constantly reminding DH of things like that. "Are you arguing with me to make a valid point, backed up by facts -- or are you arguing for the sake of argument? Because *I* do not enjoy it when you are arguing with me just for the 'fun' of it." 

He just LOVES to start up with "no it isn't!" or "yes it is!" without any other reason than to start an argument. We're working on that. If he wants to actually debate a topic, using available facts, research, etc. I'm okay with that. But just going "Nuh-uh!" drives me nuts!

We've all got stuff to work on, don't we? I personally have really bad anxiety issues I'm trying to get over. It's taking a long, long time but I feel like I'm making a little bit of progress there.


ETA - Let me find my HPT pics and see if I can get those lines to show up well enough for an upload.


----------



## ireadyermind

Okay, here are the squinters!

The bottom line is the darkest, though I could see a hint of a line on the top one too.

The day after the bottom one, there weren't even evaps on my tests any more.
 



Attached Files:







lines_edited.jpg
File size: 87.3 KB
Views: 5









lines_edited2.jpg
File size: 87.6 KB
Views: 2


----------



## Fern81

IRYM- yep we are all human and all have our "stuff". 
I can see your lines. My dr says cp's are good news because it means that a great big part of the whole complicated process, is actually in working order. Hope the next one is the perfect sticky embie!


----------



## ireadyermind

Well I'm glad it wasn't just a bad case of line eye, Fern! lol


----------



## swimmyj1

i would call that a chemical you can clearly see the lines. I'm sorry IRYM :( 

For the gals that wanted the Squash Mac and Cheese 
*Ingredients -*
2 bricks of frozen butternut squash let thaw and drain of excessive water. (or 3 cups of peeled and cubed butternut squash
8 oz of wheat pasta (cavatappi or elbow macaroni)
1 tbsp of butter
8 oz of crremini or button mushrooms sliced (i don't add this lol)
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup fat-free milk (any kind works)
6 oz of fontina cheese (1/2 cups) shredded
1 bag of turkey bacon (like the kind you put in salads? you can use any kind of bacon you prefer)

*Cooking instructions - *
1. preheat over to 375. light coat 2 quart rectangular bakin gdish with nonstick cooking spray. set aside
2. in a medium bowl, combine squash and 2 tbsp. water; cover with vented plastic wrap. microwave 4 minutes. stir. cover and do another 4 minutes. mash squash and set aside.
3. meanwhile, cook pasta and drain. in sauce pan heat butter. add mushrooms and onions. cook until tender (about 5 minutes). sprinkle flower over mixture. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Add milk and 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper. cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in squash. Add pasta.
4. Put 1/2 of the mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 of cheese and bacon. Add remaining pasta. top with the rest of the cheese and bacon. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Top with addition green onions if desired. 


Sorry guys i know it looks long but it is amazing and really isn't hard to bake lol. Totally making this tomorrow yummmmm


----------



## Fern81

Double post sorry *


----------



## Fern81

Thanks Swimmy!

I'm going to try and go for a run every day this week. Wish me luck lol.

ETA: So I went for a morning run/walk like I usually do (run 1 min, walk 1 min). However this morning I had zero energy and started feeling incredibly dizzy and faint about halfway into the run! I actually had to SIT DOWN next to the road; this has never happened. I totally blame it on cheating this weekend and eating pizza & having some wine for the first time in 2 months (not a lot, just a glass or 2 though). I think my blood sugar spiked yesterday afternoon when eating pizza, then crashing after I didn't have dinner (was still too full from lunch). Just goes to show how a cheat day can TOTALLY mess with your health!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Thanks! Both for the sentiments and your recipe. :)

*Fern* - Wow, that sounds rough! Do you think the wine might've dehydrated you? I tend to get a little dizzy when I'm dehydrated, and lots of foods can cause that. 


AFM - DH and I had been researching information about our back yard. It's small, but we get a lot of use out of it with the dogs, BBQing, etc. Anyway, the land slopes TOWARD the house, which means all rain water heads for our home's foundation, and that's bad news.

We were looking into hiring someone to come in and re-grade the yard, but the prices we were quoted (upwards of $6,000 USD) were very steep for a job that was more tedious than difficult. 

So we've decided to start on it _ourselves_ next weekend! I imagine that is going to be one hell of a source of exercise for us for a long while.

Here's what we plan: 

1) Mark out the areas of the yard where a retaining wall will be built, so that I can have a vegetable garden and we don't have to worry about raising or lowering the fences around the yard.

2) Dig out the parts of the yard which are too high, save some of the soil to fill in the low bits.

3) Tear up the old, broken sprinkler system and lay a new, sub-surface, drought-friendly drip line instead.

4) Build retaining wall, lay paver stones around where we want walkways to be

5) Lay sod over the new soil


It's going to be quite the task for us! But not so large a task that it's too much for us to handle. :) We're hoping to have it done in time for summer. I will be taking plenty of pics!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- although it's a huge task it should like a great experience to do together as a couple! 

Fern- I'll get dizzy from being dehydrated and/or not eating well or enough. I like your challenge of running every day. I'm going to try to walk every day on my treadmill in addition to my regular routine. 

Swimmy- that sounds so good. I can't wait to try the recipe. 


Afm- I'm definitely feeling very down lately. I just don't feel positive. My opks have been completely blank and my cm is creamy. After this month it'll be a year since we started Ttc and I'm exhausted. I'm not sure what to do anymore. My doctor told me to wait a year (from miscarriage) and I can't do it. I don't understand why if I'm not ovulating. And for as selfish as it is every time someone gets a bfp after trying for not a month or two my heart breaks. Today all I want to do it curl up with my puppy and cry. 
Ok I'm done venting. Thanks for letting me.


----------



## ireadyermind

mrs.green2015 said:


> Irym- although it's a huge task it should like a great experience to do together as a couple!
> 
> Fern- I'll get dizzy from being dehydrated and/or not eating well or enough. I like your challenge of running every day. I'm going to try to walk every day on my treadmill in addition to my regular routine.
> 
> Swimmy- that sounds so good. I can't wait to try the recipe.
> 
> 
> Afm- I'm definitely feeling very down lately. I just don't feel positive. My opks have been completely blank and my cm is creamy. After this month it'll be a year since we started Ttc and I'm exhausted. I'm not sure what to do anymore. My doctor told me to wait a year (from miscarriage) and I can't do it. I don't understand why if I'm not ovulating. And for as selfish as it is every time someone gets a bfp after trying for not a month or two my heart breaks. Today all I want to do it curl up with my puppy and cry.
> Ok I'm done venting. Thanks for letting me.

:hugs:

Wow, your doctor told you to wait a YEAR after miscarrying to TTC again? What ever for? Mine said three months, and I've read that even recommending THAT is an outdated practice. Did you have some severe complications from the MC that makes your doctor think you need to wait that long?


Don't despair! It's rough, I know. DH and I are on cycle number 14 and we've been TTC since 2014 and not much to show for it besides CPs and MCs. :\

Are you taking any vitamin supplements? B6 to lengthen your LP? Vitex or Soy Isoflavones to help encourage ovulation? 

If you don't have any severe medical issues preventing you from TTC, I would get a second opinion from a different doctor. That "wait one year" thing sounds really outrageous!

:hugs: again! Feel free to come here and vent to us any time. We are here to support you!


----------



## Fern81

IRYM - yeah I've been wondering if I was maybe a bit dehidrated from the wine, I didn't have a lot though and it was with lunch the previous day? My husband also said he thought it could be from eating junk/high carb and drinking a bit when I have gotten used to almost no carbs/higher protein etc. It amazed me that my body reacted so badly and just proves what poison processed food & alcohol is!!

Wow that sounds like hard work lol we will also be working on our renovation project house for years to come! And we are also doing most of it ourselves, it just saves so much money. Good exercise lol. Yes please post a lot of pics!

Mrsgreen- aaawwwww hun please vent away. We all know how you feel, it hasn't been easy for any of us let me tell ya. I have a pack of Clomid left over here & wish I could mail it to you so you could self-medicate ;) can you go to a different dr who will take you seriously perhaps? I see more and more that the USA healthcare system is more complicated than ours.... it's like you poor ladies have limited options regarding doctors and having a say in your own treatment (which I think is BS but I suppose it's safer legalwise for the doctors!!).

Great to hear you are still active and training. Don't give up!! It can only help your health and fertility. The months that I've used opks I didn't always get line progression, hope that you get a + in the next few days. Btw evening primrose oil can help a lot with ewcm production if you want to try it :) just don't take it after O. (Yep after so many years ttc I know too much about supplements!) 

Sending you all hugs. Xx


----------



## mrs.green2015

I'm currently taking black cohosh do try and encourage ovulation but next month I think I'll switch to something else. I actually have been emailing a different doctor (the one who handles my miscarriage) and she asks monitor my cycle for 1-2 months and then let her know what happens so I will. 

I'll also be looking into natural ways like an herbalist or acupuncture.


----------



## swimmyj1

Mrs. Green - wow I can't believe they said a year. Our doc said you just have to wait to start your next normal cycle before ttc again as long as your mc is under 12 weeks. I'm glad your talking to someone else.

I landed my butt in the hospital today. diagnosed with hypergravita hoping all the iv fluids will help :)


----------



## mrs.green2015

Swimmy- oh no. Hope you feel better soon!


Also, maybe I made a mistake when typing. I can Ttc again. But I have to wait a year for any test/help. Even if I'm not ovulating.


----------



## Ursaula

Hello gals, sorry I've been gone for a while. Depression hit me hard and I didn't want to bring anyone else down.

Swimmy: I'm not sure what hypergravita is, can it affect the baby? I hope you feel better and get out of the hospital soon! :)

Fern: I have quite a few dizzy spells and I find it's from missing medications or if I haven't eaten in a while. Not sure if this helps.

IRYM & Cupcake: Where are you two in your cycles?

Mrs. G: I read Vitex can help (as IRYM had mentioned). I haven't tried it myself but I did try Maca Root and it did nothing...so I don't recommend that one!

AFM: (RANT WARNING) I'm feeling lost. I know what I want to do job wise and have found a school much closer to my family. My issue is funding. I have a ridiculous car payment so I'm trying to sell my car (I can't cover the cost of school AND a car payment). My car cost me 41k and I'm asking 30k...the thing is, it's a Kia Soul and EVERYONE thinks Kia Souls are cheap! My Kia Soul is a 2015 SX Luxury which has everything from all gadgets to panoramic sunroof, EVERYTHING and people are emailing me like "I'll give you 10k for it." How do you sell a vehicle that everyone thinks is cheap but it's actually expensive!?!?!?!? URGH!!

Weight wise I'm staying level because I just shove food into me not caring because I'm so emotional and stressed...

On my last note I will say I had a little spotting the day before last so it looks like the 1000mg of metformin is doing well :)

(RANT OVER)


----------



## ireadyermind

*Ursaula* - I keep my chart in my signature so you ladies can follow along if you want. :) CD3 for me, just waiting for AF to end so that I can get on with things this month.

In regards to your car: try listing the Kelley Blue Book value in your sales ads? That way people know you're not trying to cheat them with your prices.

Here's the site: https://www.kbb.com/

You plug in all your car's data, features, etc. and it will give you your fair market price. I know you're in Canada, but the site might help you find a ballpark rate to offer for the vehicle?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Swimmy-hope you feel better soon! 
Urs-sorry you've been down! Its easy for me to get that way too if I lose focus. Hope you find a buyer soon!
Fern-Dehydration, drop in blood sugar, change in blood pressure, over heating or over exertion could be the culprit :/ I'm thinking your not getting enough complec carbs to stabilize your sugar levels to sustain your exercise regimen....
Irym-How many mgs of the SI's are you taking? Excited to see your success!
Mrs. G-hugs sister! We all have those days, or weeks. Its so frustrating. Hang in there!
Afm- I'm either waiting to O or for AF to show this weekend :/ Still no clue, since the mid cycle bleed or 2nd AF episode? Any ways still just waiting to see what happens & not really stressing about it much anymore.
In other news, I lost 3 more pounds on week 2 of the fix! Today starts week 3, hoping to drop at least 2 more pounds ;) 37 pounds til I make the call to schedule with the clinic!!!! Getting there, slowly but surely lol I have my ortho appt. tomorrow. Hoping for a nonsurgical fix, but am doubtful of that. Just hoping it is carpal tunnel & not in my neck :( Will update when I can!


----------



## swimmyj1

Cupcake - so happy for your weight loss!! Keep it up girly. I hope u don't need ortho surgery. (I'm an ortho nurse) they are just so hard on the body.

I meant to type hyperemisis before lol whoops. I don't really think that's what I have, yeah I sick a lot but I have days I don't throw up at all. I'm really nervous though because they couldn't find the heartbeat on the Doppler and wouldn't give me an ultrasound sense I wasn't bleeding. It just put me on edge. I'm sure everything is fine and hopefully my doctor next week can put my mind at ease.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Ack! Why wouldn't they do an ultrasound? "You're not bleeding" is a really stupid reason to deny someone, especially when it's something as stressful as this!

I mean honestly, you're the patient and it's your own body and baby you're worried about, for crying out loud. Sometimes I really dislike the medical industry. Do they think all the stressing you'll be doing is healthy? Blech!


*Cupcake* - Good job on the weight loss! They say slow and steady loss means you're more likely to KEEP it off in the long run! So keep that 2 pounds per week going! :)


AFM - Been doing lots of "spring cleaning" around here. Yesterday was the day for the kitchen, and then I did a pretty tough arm and upper body workout that I sure am feeling today! Whew. I hope lifting weights does what I want it to do, and I start slimming down at long last. :dohh:


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: Sorry, I forgot you added your chart to your signature! Also, thank you for the car site! I plugged it all in and converted and I'm asking $3,000cad more than suggested...so not too far off!

Woot spring cleaning! I'm forever spring cleaning right now it seems like.

What sort of things are you trying this month ttc wise? (Medications, herbs/teas, etc.)

Cupcake: WOO for weight loss! You're doing great! How was the appointment today, do you need surgery?

I'm hoping your cycle gets back on track.

Swimmy: I'd be panicking so bad if I were in your situation, I'd be furious too! How are they just leaving it?


----------



## swimmyj1

im pretty ticked. I called my ob office today to follow up like they told me to. When i spoke with the nurse she said in the ER report they reported a HR of 160's on the doppler. ummm noooo they couldn't find it they found my HR that's it. They told me I could come in for an ultrasound tomorrow but it probably will not be covered by my insurance. ughhhhhh just annoyed.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Well girls, not good news :( I have official diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel & Tennis elbow on both sides! Scheduling an EMG & have a PT eval on Monday. Gave me a medrol dose pack which I'm refusing to take as he said its standard treatment but probably won't help & Mobic. Have to f/u March 10th then will probably end up doing injections or surgery pending the severity based on the test....yay me!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I've been lurking, but not posting. Things are going slowly for me, but I'm finally reaching some break through on different fronts.

*Ursaula:* Good luck selling your car! How are you liking the higher dose of Metformin?

*swimmyj1:* I'm rooting for you! And I admit I'm a little envious! I hope all is going well with you and bean and that you get the issues with nausea sorted ASAP.

*cupcakestoy:* Sounds like you're having a super rough time. :wacko: I hope you can get your health issues sorted quickly. Sorry you're going through all of that, but it sounds like your weight loss is going super well.

*ireadyermind:* Have you been tested for some hormonal problems by your doctor? It feels/sounds to me like you're having some kind of hormonal or metabolic issue.

*mrs.green2015:* Welcome! Do you have a history of issues with ovulation?

It's been a bit of a roller coaster for me the last few months trying to get both my hypothryoidism and PCOS under control.

In November I started 50mg/day of levothyroxin after my TSH had gone up to 3,7 and my antibodies were at 90. In early Jan I was re-tested to see how the medication was working and my TSH had gone up?! It was up to 4,7, so in January they have raised it to 100mg/day and I'll go back at the end of March to be tested again. Hopefully it comes in as normal.

On the PCOS front, I started Metformin in early December; I'm currently taking 1000mg/day. I had problems with nausea -- lots, and lots of nausea, so much so that I became convinced I was pregnant at first -- but it seems much better now that I am adjusted and have been taking it for awhile. The good news is that after having only 3 bleedings last year (and they were the typical annovulatory PCOS bleeds that are super, super heavy and last 2-3 weeks -- and 2 of them I only had after taking Provera), I had what seemed to be a normal cycle with :witch: in January! This has never happened to me in my life! I had a few days of a bit of brown spotting then 8 days of bleeding that was all very normal. I'm currently on CD27, I believe, and I saw my gyno yesterday and she did a scan and for the first time I have a proper, 3-layer endometrium which she said means I'm having normal cycles! I've also been having a bit of brown spotting for a few days and she said we should expect :witch: again any time now. I'm hoping I'll get lucky and have some classic 28-day cycles; it seems likely I'll not be too far off since I'm already spotting and it's CD27.

On the weight loss front, I'm doing better since getting the metabolism sorted. I've lost some more weight (see ticker) and I only need to lose 3,4 more kg in order to qualify for fertility treatments. Being careful with calories and carbs is the key for me, it seems.

The current plan is that I graduate to TTC (from NTNP/WTT) now that I'm actually expected to be ovulating (I'll use OPKs and ClearBlue Fertility Monitor this next month) and we're supposed to try like a normal couple now for the next couple of cycles (though I'm traveling for work for all of March, so that month is out). In my April cycle I'll go for CD3 blood draws and I see the gyno again in May; I should have lost the remaining 3,4 kg by then and if I'm not pregnant by then, we'll take the next steps. Luckily I live in Denmark and we get fertility treatments as part of our socialized healthcare.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs. Tigger* - So good to see you! I'd wondered where you'd gone. :)

Glad to hear that things are starting to fall into place for you. An almost 28 day cycle, lots of weight lost, getting your TSH in hand -- all good things! Glad to hear that fertility treatments are included in your health care coverage. They aren't included in mine, and we're deciding whether we want to continue with all the hoops they're making me jump through just to talk to an actual doctor and not a receptionist. :dohh:




AFM - I agree with you, there does seem to be an imbalance. But all I've been tested for so far is Testosterone, TSH, FSH and Blood Sugar. They haven't looked at progesterone or estrogen at all, and according to the woman I'm allowed to speak to at the fertility clinic, that isn't even in the plan yet. They want to do ANOTHER ultrasound and a bunch of repeat tests that I already had done a few months back... So to me it sounds mostly like they're just trying to milk me for every penny they can get, since it's not covered if it's considered an "elective" procedure. Sheeesh!


So I started taking Soy Isoflavones this cycle, and I have to say - after two days, I have ridiculous amounts of energy! Toward the end of the last cycle, I was ready for bed at 8pm every night. Last night I couldn't fall asleep until after midnight, no matter what I tried -- and _then_ I woke up at 6am, raring to go!

I thought I read somewhere that having low estrogen can cause fatigue and depression-like symptoms. Can the SIs be working after only two doses?


----------



## swimmyj1

Mrs. Tigger - congrats on all your weight loss you are so close!!! 

IRYM - I would be ticked they won't do an estrogen or progesterone. I mean i understand that progesterone is hard to track accurately but estrogen isn't. It sounds like they are just running a ton of tests and that isn't right. Do you have a meeting with the doctor anytime soon? I would want a meeting before doing anything else. 

Cupcake - I really hope its not bad enough for surgery :( can't believe its in both arms.


----------



## Fern81

Just a quick hi

On my way to the dr to have my thyroid tested again (every 6 months!) and to ask about anti-anxiety meds.

Mrstigger omw that weight loss is amazing and so inspiring. 

Cupcake - I really hope the inflammation can get better and that you don't need surgery!

Hugs to everyone else


----------



## Fern81

Today is just one of those days.

I don't feel like ttc anymore, I don't feel like exercising or dieting, I feel like climbing into bed with a bottle of wine and a pack of valium and never getting out. This emotional state is getting to me.... Dr advised me today to start anti-depressants (I refused) but she did prescribe some very mild anti-anxiety meds which I plan to take only on very bad days or when I am unable to sleep. I wish there was a pill I could take that would make me happy about being childless for ever.

It's so hard.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- we've all had those days. I'm so sorry. And I'm definitely anti meds BUT depression pills take awhile to work. You can't really take them occasionally. I had to take them in the past when something traumatic happen and they helped. I only took them for about 6 months but they helped. 

I would just recommend doing more research and deciding what's right for you. But I do know 99% of the time taking them occasionally won't help. If you ever need to talk feel free to pm me. Hugs girl. 


Mrs. Tigger- congrats on the weight loss you're doing amazing! 

Afm- no posted be opk yet but I think I might in the next couple days since they're getting darker. Then I plan to take progesterone 3 days after confirmed O.


----------



## Fern81

Thank you so much for your kind words green. This medication is a quick acting low dose benzodiazepine derivative, that I can specifically take during bad days/ anxiety atracks. They are not for chronic use (which I don't want, I have a really bad history with chronic mental health meds). 
Of course I will keep up all my other coping mechanisms too, praying and forums and exercising and gratitude journal and support groups and and and :/ .
But sometimes even all those things are not enough that's why I finally gave in and went to see the dr for meds. 

Anyway, thanks for all the support hun. I'm so glad to see your opks are getting darker and I'm keeping everything crossed for one helluva ovulation for you; two or 3 eggies even :).


----------



## mrs.green2015

Well then that medication sounds perfect for you! It seems like everyone is having a rough day today. You're in my thoughts! 

Thank for you wishing me luck on opks. My smu ones are usually the darkest and I'll be taking one in an hour or so. So we will see if it gets darker.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - The trouble with this clinic is that they won't even let you in to talk to a doctor until you've done all their "required" test, which sounds backwards to me! How do they know what to test for without talking to me first, and seeing what symptoms I might have and so on? Ugh.

Since we're paying for it out of pocket _anyway_, DH and I are talking about going to a completely different clinic. One that guarantees a certain level of quality and which gives us the OPTION on what we want to test for, since they're a pay-for clinic from the start. I'll just get copies of my medical records and bring them along, you know?

It might be more expensive than going through our HMO, but I have a sneaking suspicion that we'd be taken better care of since they're basically a medical _business_ catering entirely to people with infertility problems and would lose business if they didn't treat their patients well.



*Fern* - So sorry to hear you're down in the dumps right now. :hugs: It's so hard to keep up the cheerful appearances and convince yourself to keep going, sometimes. We're here to help any time you want to vent or get some advice!

One of the best ways to help steer yourself up and out of a funk like this is to get in a good shower, put on clothes that are slightly "fancy" or make you feel beautiful, and to focus on small tasks that you can accomplish right away.

TTC is such a big, long term goal for some of us that we lose sight of the end. And we go for such extended periods of time without a tangible accomplishment or evidence that we are making progress, that it's easy to feel hopeless, helpless, or lost.

If you have some small goals that you can reach _today_, even something as simple as - oh, let's say finally mailing off that letter to a friend - then those small wins, the feeling of being in control and successful, can really help.

Like you, I'm really against the long term use of medication - or using medication at all, when it can be avoided. OTC cold meds, pain relief, etc. are all things I try to avoid OR replace with natural versions. For example, valerian root to help with insomnia, peppermint tea for heartburn and indigestion, lavender oil as an insect repellent instead of commercially prepared sprays, etc. So I can totally see why you'd want to avoid being put on a long term depression medication!

:hugs:

Don't give up, we're here to help!


----------



## Fern81

Thank you my dear friends what would I do without you xxx

Mrsgreen ooohhhh I hope that opk is super dark! Post a pic if you can.

IRYM I hope the meds help you this cycle. The cycle I took black cohosh is when I got that nice bfp line which ended a day later urgh....I do believe herbs are super powerful! (I have a science degree & one of my major subjects was traditional African and other South African herbal meds, so interesting). 

Great idea, I'm going to finish my emails and finally start building my new 1500 piece puzzle. Small things. Xx


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs.Green* - Show us pics of your lines so we can obsess with you! lol

ETA: I was doing a little research on Vitex and found this site that has links to all kinds of research and trials done with the herb. Very interesting!

https://sites.google.com/site/miscarriageresearch/supplements-and-miscarriage/vitex-chasteberry

I think I will be back to taking Vitex as soon as I am done with CD7's SI dose, since you're supposed to have 5 days off Vitex every cycle, it works out well. :)


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- I've heard good things about that! You'll have to let us know how it works. And since you insisted here's a pic of the opk I just took.
 



Attached Files:







image.jpg
File size: 30.8 KB
Views: 4


----------



## ireadyermind

mrs.green2015 said:


> Irym- I've heard good things about that! You'll have to let us know how it works. And since you insisted here's a pic of the opk I just took.

That's getting pretty dark! That could turn positive at any moment. Even sometime later today! :happydance:


----------



## mrs.green2015

I know! I'll take another one tonight and then again tomorrow. I hope it's today! But I won't be upset if it's tomorrow either. I feel like my body it at least trying hard! Unlike last month where I feel like it gave up haha


----------



## Fern81

Omw if it goes lighter I would take that one as +!!


----------



## Fern81

Mrsgreen are you using preseed or similar?


----------



## mrs.green2015

I'm not using it. I was going to but decided against it since I have a lot of cm normally and during sex it's like a crazy amount. So the $25 didn't seem worth it to me.


----------



## swimmyj1

Ooohhh so close to +! I love test obsessing hahaha. 

Fern - I'm sorry your having a hard time we have all been there and it's not easy. Have you thought of going to talk to someone? It really helped me, just being able to vent all my frustration and work on coping skills let a giant weight off of me.


----------



## Fern81

OMW just deleted my whole fricking post!! Will have a short do-over:

Mrsgreen how are your OPKs today? And CM wise??
If your lines fade away now I would definitely mark yesterday's as + and see what the temps do.... IRYM's OPK got as dark as that last cycle and it turned out to be a true positive (Hope I'm not speaking out of turn IRYM!). Buuuuttttt keep up that awesome bd schedule lol I'm jealous! :flower:

Swimmy - how are you feeling? Is the tummy bug better and have you decided on doing an ultrasound?
Thanks for the kind words hun. I went to see a counselor from church once last year. She was very nice, however she also shared her history with me and it turns out she'd lost her 6 year old daughter in a car accident! I felt so bad complaining about _infertility_ after hearing THAT, so I haven't been to see her since. I don't want to pay to see a therapist/psychologist because it's so expensive & we're trying to save up R40 000 for possible IVF. (!!!) However I have super awesome bffs who are great listeners and they always share great advice and support. And bnb of course to rant & vent on. :winkwink::)

CD 12, EWCM started as well as nipple sensitivity. I hope I don't O later than CD 17 (17 Feb) so that I'm not still on my period when I have to go for the lap and hysteroscopy (9 March) that will just be sooooo uncomfortable and embarrassing! FX. :argh:


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- I didn't wanna leave you hanging but my test are completely negative today. So I'm thinking I won't ovulate. It wasn't a positive yesterday and I tested 3 times so I doubt I missed my surge. Just really feeling down today. 


I really hope you ovulate soon! It sounds like you'll ovulate the next couple days! Fx


----------



## Fern81

Mrs- I really do hope you O. What I mean is that even though yesterday's was not completely as dark as the control, it was pretty close. That counts as a + for MANY women (whose tests I've seen on here) who still have a nice LH surge and then ovulate the normal 24-48 hrs after that "almost positive"... Sometimes the line gets very dark but not AS dark but it still counts as the surge, just because we are all individual and so are our hormone levels; and the test dye levels may also differ slightly. Let's see what your temps do.... If yesterday was + then maybe you will O tomorrow and then temps will only start rising the day after O.
(I hope I'm making sense, I am aware that I don't always express myself clearly since English is not my home language lol.)
Hehe maybe I'm clutching at straws but I'm really hoping and wishing for you!! :)


----------



## mrs.green2015

You made perfect sense! I'm also still clutching straws but I don't want to be disappointed again.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey gals! Just popping in to say, I'm still confused lol I did Opks for the last 3 days & got a + today on answer,(- on digi) Cervix is high, probably medium texture, partially open, but no real ewcm to speak of, mostly slimy white (TMI, sorry) but it does stretch some. My BBs are still sore too... & yes I did a HPT a couple days ago when I started the Opks----BFN---...Of course I've seen others get a + Opk before AF too, so not sure which direction this is heading, but I should know by 1st of the week I guess? Hoping I'm back on track & this is O approaching! We bd last night & will tonight(fx'd), if not then in the morning...maybe both ;) I'm going to Winter Jam in Knoxville tomorrow around noon, so no bd til Sunday after today....Hope everyone else is gearing up to O soon. We can hopefully be cycle buddies :)


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - Good luck Oing and catching that egg! :D

*Mrs.Green* - It's entirely possible that that dark test the other day was your surge! I usually test in the morning and before bed, and sometimes before bed I'll get an "almost dark" test, and by morning it's light again -- I think that means that my surge peaked just after I took that test, so I didn't catch it on the OPK, and it was down again by morning, 10ish hours later.

So don't lose hope! You might've just ovulated! Mark that dark one as positive and see what FF does. :D



AFM - Lots and lots of CM today, which is abnormal for me at this time in my cycle. I'm thinking that's the Soy Isos doing their work? Tomorrow I start back up with the Vitex, which should help keep my progesterone levels up through my LP. 

Did an OPK this morning just to see what my body's up to, and only got a faint line. We'll see what happens! FXd!


----------



## Ursaula

Nice to see the forum again today!

Fern: I'll say I'm on 2 different antidepressants, an anxiety med, as well as a sleeping pill. As much as I agree with everyone (I hate taking medications long-term), but they've kept me alive in my darkest moments. I agree as well that seeing a counsellor/mental health worker of some sorts is a great idea. I just want to give you a big hug and tell you everything is ok but I know sometimes it really isn't ok. If you feel at the point where it IS too much and you might harm yourself, go back to the doctor and get on those meds, ok? Take one thing at a time and learn to accept things. You don't have to like it, but just accept it. Big hug!

Mrs. G: Hoping that it was your o! I don't know a lot about opks but I'm hoping your body is figuring things out!

Cupcake: Praying for you and I hope you have a great time these next couple days!

IRYM: Fx'd for you! I'm hoping you ovulate sooner so you can get testing! Thanks for the link on vitex :)

Swimmy: I'm terrible at remember sometimes...when is your next appointment? Did you go in for the ultrasound?

Mrs. T: Way to go on the weight loss! I'm hoping everything goes smoothly for you :)

AFM: I've been on the low carb diet thing for 3 days (I think?). I have lost 5lbs so far! Also got my wii fit out to play. The balance board told me I'm over its weight limit (330lbs). So in other words I have to lose 50-60lbs before I can even start using it again :( Looking to get some more dancing games though.

For my previous question (regarding my s/o and sex drive), my s/o hasn't started the transition yet in hopes to get me pregnant first so we can have a biological baby together. S/o is on antidepressants though and is finding they're destroying the urge...not sure what we should do?


----------



## Fern81

Irym I'm so glad your body is producing cm even after all the cervical surgery, that sounds great physiologically speaking! Sorry I can't speak for vitex because I have zero experience with it.

Urs- yep antidepressants can definitely suppress libido. That's a tough call and one that a dr should help you guys make... GREAT NEWS on the weight loss!! Just keep up the low carb diet, if you feel like eating a heap of food because of an emotional day rather make it a heap of carrots & tomatoes or something healthy that takes long to chew. It might fool your brain into thinking it's getting it's food fix :) or do a different "treat/feel-good" activity that's not food related, dancing sounds awesome! 
What we eat DEFINITELY influences our mental state too. Sugar highs and crashes feed depression. 
Gl hun!!

Cupcake I hope you O soon too :)

Afm- idk what's going on with my body atm. CM was a teensy bit ewcm-y yesterday but quickly turned back into stringy. Bbs are sore etc. Feels like I've already ovulated but I don't think I have, maybe just another weird cycle. I don't really care as long as I don't have AF during surgery in March.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Urs-I agree with Fern, antidepressants can for sure kill the mood & sometimes cause ED too. Talk to your doc, as there are options & maybe can change meds.
Irym- I always had a TON of ewcm on SI. No real s/e either, occasionally a dull headache....
Tigger-Hows it going? Good job on the weight lose & glad meds are working!
Mrs.G-Do you check opks in AM or PM usually? I used to get a better + around 2pm, as technically most surge in AM, but takes a while to get to urine, of course I shot down that theory as I got my strongest + yet this morning!?!???
Swimmy-Hows your HG? Hope its calmed down for you!

Afm-Like I said, opk test line was darker than control line with SMU this morning...only about a 1 hr hold :/ still negative digi tho? Still not convinced I didn't get a bad box of cb digits tho...Any who, dh was too pooped to put out last night, but we did bd this morning....BBS still tender. I'm just ready to know where I am in my cycle! Hate not knowing what to expect! My OCD is in overdrive lol
Excited to go to the concert today, even though its only going to be in the 20s & we will have to wait around 2 hours to get in! Ugh! Maybe they will have mercy on us & open the doors early!
Have a good weekend!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - CB Digitals used to fail for me, too. I believe it's the blue dye which is prone to running and other problems. The little scanner can't pick out a line if it's too faint or the dye is smeared, so it just says "negative" all the time. Then one day I'd get one test that worked fine, and it would suddenly say PEAK! and I'd have to hurry and arrange BD with DH because we had zero warning. 

If your cheapies with pink dye are saying positive, then it's positive! Are your temps confirming ovulation?



AFM -- It isn't EWCM, it's creamy CM. Lots of it. I'm not hoping to get EWCM this month at all. I'm just hoping for better quality eggs!

I'll be upping my dosage of Vitex, too. The past couple months I only took one capsule a day, but the package said to take three. So I'm going all in and taking three a day! I'll have to buy some more, though. This bottle's getting low.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Haven't temped in a long time. Have always had obvious O signs & +digi opks, plus several monitored cycles that confirmed O. Temping & honestly charting stress me out, until my body does something screwy....cramping tonight.....concert is not that great since we got here late & are stuck behind the stage & can't see crap.....I would so rather be home right now.....


----------



## swimmyj1

Cupcake - I never got a positive the cycle I got pregnant on the digital. Which was weird senew I usually did. Im sorry the concert wasn't good. Could it have been ovulation pain. 

Urs - not only can antidepressant mess with sex drive it can really mess with sperm count and egg quality. :( my fertility doc wouldn't treat us if I was taking any antidepressants or antianxity. 

Irym - hope it won't be too long until you o!! 

AFM - I got a scan done just to make me feel better everything is good. Gonna get rid of my home Doppler so I don't freak myself out. Hoping everything just stays good. Went cross country skiing a lot this weekend my legs are sore lol.


----------



## Fern81

Hi everyone

I'm fasting from tomorrow until end March (same as last year). I will be taking a break from ttc, social media including bnb, while eating very limited foods etc (not for diet purposes but for the fast) point is I won't be checking in again for a while. Just know that I will be thinking of all of you, praying for your happiness & wellbeing and will definitely be back (& hopefully will see loads of bfps on here!). 

I'm leaving on a very sad note actually.... 
I was chatting to my husband today about IVF related matters. I asked him how he feels about putting back 1 or more embies (IF we get to IVF and IF there are actually embies), about possibly freezing embies, about destroying embies if we don't use them all etc (hell, it's important to sort out these issues before we get to the procedure!!). He said he literally doesn't give a sh*t. 
Then went on to say that with the CP back in December, when I was losing my MIND, he didn't feel anything, and doesn't feel anything when he thinks of our potential/ past embryos. He says embryos *are nothing and mean nothing* and he doesn't see them as the beginning of a baby. I burst into tears in the stupid _PUB_ he took me to for valentines day (!!) and asked doesn't he at least feel something about the fact that an embryo is the product of fertilization of the two of us?? Well needless to say he is a heartless ******* who thinks IVF embryos implanted into the uterus are "just test-tube products" and they mean less than the full stop after this sentence. (He even made a very mean joke about "test tube babies" and frozen embryos!! Which I will NOT post here).

Now I respect the fact that everyone has their own opinion regarding when a zygote/blastocyst/embryo/fetus starts counting as a "human being". But WTF we were talking about OUR OWN EMBRYOS, products of OUR "love".

I'm really questioning more and more whether I should even keep trying to have children with this selfish man. Granted, I can't have kids in any case and just getting pregnant would take a serious miracle... but is it even worth trying anymore? All this heartache, thousands of Rands spent, and I don't even have a team mate. Will he be an awful, selfish dad....?? :shrug::cry:

Anyway, I'm hoping fasting and praying will bring me closer to God again and help me gain some perspective on this issue and many others. I'll see you all at the end of March (lol I'll be spending all day Monday after Easter Sunday catching up on everyone's news!)

:hugs::hugs::hugs:


----------



## ireadyermind

:hugs: Fern! So sorry to hear about such a horrible thing! How selfish, tactless, rude... there are many things I could say about your DH's behavior, but I won't. It's just so shocking to hear him say those things if you've been TTCing for so long together! 

He clearly didn't bother to think about what he said to you, like you asked him to do. He didn't consider what his words might do to your feelings. We'll be here waiting for you after your fast if you decide to come back. I hope that everything turns out for the best.

We'll miss you!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- sorry he was being like that. Sometimes men don't get it. Hugs. And can't wait until you come back. I wish you the best with fasting!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern-im sorry your dh is being such a jerk! I don't blame you for reconsidering TTC with him. I would have a hard time with it too. I hope he gets his crap together soon! Hugs girly. .


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, happy Monday, gals! Here's to another week of fitness and ttc!

Updates for me:

DH and I started work on our back yard yesterday. We bought some marking spray and figured out where retaining walls needed to go, where we needed to dig, etc.

Unfortunately it looks like some genius mixed GRAVEL in with our soil! Shoveling that was a nightmare. We made good progress in a couple of hours, but I ache all over from that hard work. We're going to have to rent a rototiller to loosen up the gravel-dirt and shovel it away, and DH wants to rig some kind of sifting tool so we can get most of that gravel OUT of there. It's no wonder the previous owner couldn't get grass to grow back there! lol

I'm glad we're only working on this over the weekends, or else I would be dead after a solid week of digging! lol.

On the TTC front: negative OPK this morning, but I expected that because I'm only on CD10 and don't usually ovulate until CD19 or later. Hopefully, though, the SIs will have moved that up a few days!



How were your gals' weekends?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Sounds like hard work IRYM! I'm the one who does the majority of "projects" here. Bless him dh is NOT inclined, nor likes carpentry, painting, etc.... I don't mind tho! I've become a jack of all trades! LoL my motto is, "not perfect, just better than it was!" Lmbo

Afm-Well no AF & FINALLY got a negative Opk this afternoon! Got plenty of be in, so now we wait! Didn't lose anymore weight, but I'm not sweating it, 13 pounds in 3 weeks is good for me. This is our off week. Still eating clean, but not as strict, also only 3 workouts this week, which for me will have to be the gym.... Went for my PT eval today nothing new...unsure if PT will help, so I'm to let them know after my EMG on Wednesday. Ended up going out in the rain/snow to help our friends start an IV on a cow, that had gotten down with bloat. Was out til 11:30 last night & bout got frost bite!She made it thru the night, but we still can't get her up, so its not looking like she'll make it, but we've done all we can :(


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern - i'm so sorry, I don't blame you at all for questioning it. but your right everyone feels differently about when life really starts. (side note kind of funny) my cousin is a baby made through ivf but his mom for a long time would refer to the procedure as a "test tube baby" so probably until i was 10 i believed that he grew 100% of the time in a tube lol. and thought that all women should have babies like that sense it would hurt less. 

IYRM - that sounds like a ton of work! but I bet it will be very rewarding when its done :) I have a lot of house work I need to get done. regrouting my tub. Putting in a bathroom ceiling fan. scrubbing baseboards but i just can't seem to find the energy to do it. 

Cupcake - seriously 13lbs in 3 weeks that is amazing! Hope this TWW flies by. Im sorry to hear about your friends cow :( your right that doesn't sound good. funny thing that your having cow problems when this weekend I assisted on inseminating my uncles cow. (very strange to do)


----------



## Ursaula

Fern: If I were in your shoes (which I don't know every detail), I would no longer be with him. I wouldn't be able to handle his abusive ways and me being a very emotional person I wouldn't last. I'm sorry you have some tough decisions ahead. Taking time off to sit and think and focus on yourself sounds like a great idea. I can't wait to hear how you're doing :)

IRYM: Gravel in your soil? That's ridiculous! I hope you realize how all the hard work will pay off with weight loss though! :)

Mrs. G: Your chart is looking interesting...I'm really hoping you ovulated there but only time will tell.

Cupcake: Ah, that sucks about the cow! A single mother of a 2 year old slid off the road about two weeks ago and no one saw the vehicle, she ended up losing both of her feet due to frost bite, it's not a fun thing. I'm hoping the cow isn't hurting for long.

Yay for the waiting game! Praying for you :)

Swimmy: You're almost 13 weeks already? That's crazy!

AFM: My weight loss has been great. I've lost a total of 7lbs so far. I go into the big city on Wednesday to check out a college for fashion that's a lot closer to me. Hoping I can start in September (unless ttc works). S/o is waiting for a call to start hormones and blockers, should get the call within the next few weeks. Once that happens ttc will be done with. We might look into donors but that won't be for a few years I imagine.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Thanks urs. It looks a lot like my January chart. Except for this mornings temp. But this morning our house was warm and I woke up sweating. So I'm ignoring today's temp. 
Also, I'm confused about your SO and I don't want to assume.. We all know what happens when people assume lol but is SO transitioning? 


Sorry I've been Mia. I've been reading and staying up to date. Ttc has just taken a toll on me so I focused on hubs all weekend. Plus there's a good chance we won't be seeing each other much. He's going back to nights. So we're literally home for three house together, while we're sleeping lol plus there's told of him working 13 days on, one day off. So we would REALLY never see each other.


----------



## Ursaula

Mrs. G: Ah, sorry! Yes, S/o is transitioning to female and has put it off since last May to ttc and now s/o is ready to just go ahead with it so. A few more weeks.

That sucks about your hubby :( Was it his choice or his work place?


----------



## mrs.green2015

It's his work place but he actually likes it. 
Well that's very nice of your SO to wait for Ttc. I hope it happens for you this month! Using a donor not only complicates things but is pricey. Plus is would be amazing to have a baby you both "made" lol 
Keeping everything crossed for you.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - I think you're allowed to be tired, considering you're basically a baby making machine right now! There are more important things than grout for the bath tub. 


*Mrs.Green* - My DH and I used to have shifts like that, too. We'd see each other only a couple hours a day. My boss at the time said to me, "This is how I know you two are going to have a long, happy marriage. You won't be able to get on each other's nerves!" lol


*Ursaula* - Yeeahh, gravel in the dirt. I really think they did is as a kind of filler, and maybe to help with drainage? I live in a big tract housing neighborhood, so I'm sure they went with the cheapest options on a lot of things. And dirt with rocks in it has got to be cheaper than a good quality soil that's suited for planting. It's no wonder grass won't grow in the back yard! Sheesh.

We'll be building a soil sifter to get rid of all these rocks as we're digging. Maybe I can do something else with the gravel, instead of buying more of it. I do like to recycle/reuse stuff where I can!



AFM - Had a somewhat dark OPK last night. Definitely not positive, but I am really hoping my hormones keep moving in the right direction for ovulation! Wouldn't it be amazing if I ovulated on CD13 or 14 this month? :o


----------



## swimmyj1

green - me and my dh work opposite shifts. before he quit his old job we could go 3-4 days without seeing each other at all. Totally right though its hard to get annoyed when you don't see each other hahahaha. its been a little bit of a harder transition for me when hes home while im trying to sleep. 

ireadyermind - we have a pretty gravel pathway in our back yard that goes through a garden area. Always fun ways to recycle :) 

going for my doctors appointment on thursday nothing fun of exciting just a check up :( but its at like 830 am yuck!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Urs-Have you guys thought about freezing SO's sperm? Check into it!
Irym-ugh what a hassle! Wondering if they gravelled for drainage or something useful? I'd ask a landscaper before i did all that work! Lol Good luck on O-ing soon!
Mrs. G- when dh & i got together, he worked 2nds, i worked daysweekends was pretty much all we had until i cut back hours. Luckily he transferred to days about 3 years after we married ;)
Swimmy-good luck on your appt tomorrow!

For those of you interested, an EMG starts out feeling like grabbing an electric fence, then the 2nd phase feels like multiple bee stings :/ Results are mild carpal tunnel in right, moderate to severe in left :/ not sure what the plan is until I see Dr. McKinney in March. Until then wrist braces while driving long distances, elbow bands all the time except at bed, ibuprofen 2-3 x a day & continue Meloxicam, ice massage to elbows/forearms 2-3x a day. Don't "over do it" with pulling/lifting....& can use the TENS unit as needed....Dr. Nichols is awesome & he did tell me approx. 8out of 10 people who work a repetitive job or hobby end up getting Carpal Tunnel....who's next????? Bahahaha!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Feeling a little sad today as my DD is 17 today! WOW. Time has flown & it hurts my heart to hear her making plans for the future, since I know she will be spreading her wings & leaving the nest in the next couple of years....This mom is beyond proud, but to be honest my heart hurts today!
:(


----------



## swimmyj1

Where does the time go :( I'm sorry cupcake I'm sure them getting older isn't easy at all.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Aww I'm sorry cupcake! But she's able to go conquer the world now because how amazing you raised her.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - We're swapping wood chips for gravel in the front flower beds, so it's possible we could just dump the sifted gravel there instead of buying more! :)

*Cupcake* - We did talk to a landscaper and we were first instructed to solve the sloped land issue by a home inspector guy. The land slopes toward the house and water pools right at the base of our foundation because of it. We're making the yard mostly flat (with a slight slope AWAY from the house) and adding a French Drain to the side yard so the water flows right out to the storm drain in the front of the house. Lots of work ahead!

Kids growing up and leaving the nest is a bittersweet experience, I'm sure. I haven't had to experience that yet, but :hugs: to you!


AFM -- OPK this morning is about 50% dark. Darker than last night for sure, and I had another temp dip today. I'm really really hoping to get a +OPK in the next day or two! DH and I started our usual BD routine last night, since I am not 100% sure when I'll ovulate, thanks to the SIs. It could be in two days, it could still happen around CD20. In either case, we'll have our bases covered. I'm just wishing for a shorter cycle! lol


----------



## mrs.green2015

Great idea to cover your bases!


Afm- my temp dipped today and I have lots of watery cm. which I get before AF. Which means although I have crosshairs it's not real and no ovulation occurred. I'm waiting to hear from the doctor. I emailed her two days ago asking for her to take me on as a patient. I'm hoping she does. As my actual doctor said "try for a year and if not pregnant see our fertility specialist" well once AF shows we HAVE been trying for a year. And she means a year from mc.. That would have us trying for another 9 months! Ugh. We'll see. Either way I'll be making a doctors appointment once AF shows and demand some answers.


----------



## swimmyj1

green - if you have already been trying a year that's dumb they want you to wait until you see the specialist. I really hope you get some answers soon that is so frustrating!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Thanks! My temp went back up today so I'm hoping j did ovulate. But if I did it was 3 days after my m close to positive opk....
Ya she wants me to wait a year since mc. But I just want HER to see what's going on...


----------



## ireadyermind

Well gals, it doesn't look like the SIs affected how early I ovulate, so let's hope they affected the quality of those eggs!

I got a temp spike today, but no +OPK. I'm pretty sure it had to do with the crappy sleep I got last night, and the fact that it was cold enough at bedtime that I turned the bed warmer on. I also forgot to turn it OFF, so I woke up this morning in a sweat because it was still cranking out heat on its lowest setting. It has an auto-shutoff timer, but I hadn't been asleep long enough for it to do that. Erf.

How's everyone's weekend going? Today I'm on a mission to get a few odd tasks around the house completed, like I finally got the appropriate screws and washers to mount my cleaning supplies storage rack more securely against the wall. The garage needs another tidying up, and I bought hooks for the garage wall so we can hang all our yardwork tools up off of the floor. At the moment, though, I'm so tired from that crummy night's sleep, my eyes are blurry. Here's hoping coffee brings me back to life! :haha:


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

Well, I'm a bit glum / frustrated, but I thought I'd check in.

My last post was on CD27 and I'd been having some brown spotting that started on CD24. I thought :witch: was on her way and I'd be starting soon with a new cycle that I could track, but it turns out the spotting stopped on CD28. :dohh: I had a good check-up on CD27 where the specialist was happy to see a triple-line configuration on my endometrium and felt like my cycles were acutually real cycles. So that, combined with the spotting, of course left me expecting :witch:, but no such luck.

Instead CD30 through CD34, I had weird aches and pains and odd twinges, particularly on my lower left side (perhaps my ovary, last month I had odd pains off and on on my lower right side). I suspect the PCOS makes my ovaries ache off and on now that they are starting to "wake up" somehow. Oddly, I had EWCM (which I don't think I've ever had) on CD33. It dried up after a couple of days.

Then yesterday morning (CD38) DH and I :sex: and afterwards, realized I was a bit bloody, but it was weird, like a pinkish brownish bit of blood, and only a really small amount. We also :sex: on CD35 and CD33, but no blood either of those times.

Once again, I thought :witch: was finally going to make her appearance, but :nope: It was just a bit of spotting, then nothing. I had had some weird cramps late in the day on CD37 (though they felt more like uterus cramps instead of ovary cramps).

Now it's late on day 39 and still nothing. So frustrated I have no idea what is going on. :nope: I checked my cervix and it's pretty high and very tightly closed, so I don't think :witch: is on her way after all. Grrrr. I am having some very mild cramps/twinges in the uterus area, but it doesn't feel like AF cramps, more like a weird pain as if it were cramping and stretching at the same time somehow?

In other news, I've been slacking a bit with my diet lately, but this week I am getting back to it (I did better today). This is my last week at home for awhile (I'll be traveling for 3 weeks for work in March), so going to try to enjoy the time with DH. The side effects from my metformin seem less and less as time goes on, which is great. Though this past week I've been super, super tired all the time and the last couple of days I'm always dizzy if I stand up too fast (I don't know if that's from the Metformin or something else).

I hope all of you ladies are doing well; I've been a bit out of the loop as I haven't been keeping up with the boards. I hope to catch up this week.

:hugs: and :dust: to all!


----------



## ireadyermind

Good to hear from you again, Mrs. Tigger!

I have had similar cycles to yours. The cycle I MC'd, I didn't ovulate until CD30-something, so don't give up hope! But if it takes too much longer, do you think your doctor would give you a trigger shot to bring on AF, or do you think (s)he would advocate for waiting it out? 



AFM - Finally braved it and stepped on the scale. I've gained a ridiculous amount of weight since January, unfortunately. I told DH that it means we need to crack down again. Obviously our healthy habits are slipping and it's taking its toll on us. It's just so stressful to have to weigh out every food, count every calorie, measure and step on scales and and and. Arg.

My mother, who is in her 50s, simply goes to the gym a few times a week, and eats slightly better food (though every time I see her, we have pizza and alcohol and chips and so on, so I'm not entirely sure what her diet plan is.. lol), and she's shedding weight and inches like crazy!

I have to conclude that it's because she's going through menopause and her hormones aren't getting in the way of weight loss. Sigh. I wish mine wouldn't hinder me, either! How nice would it be to just say to myself, "Well, guess I'll work out a few times a week" and then lose 20+ pounds? Oye.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - Im sorry you gained those holiday lbs. Glad you have a plan though. Random story (not saying this is what your mom is doing lol). But my mom and I did a competitive diet program and she was shedding weight like crazy. I was working out 6 days a week and cut my cals a ton barely lost 15lbs and she had lost almost 50. just this year she admitted that she had been taking a prescription diet pill during that time. Cheater cheater! lol


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fly by post! lol Been super busy here! Started round 2 of the Fix Monday, sticking to the gym for workouts tho. Made it everyday so far! I'm determined to go each day this week! Eating & water is on point! My elbows are MUCH better, FINALLY! Nothing else new here! Hope to see some +opks & bfps soon on here! Will catch up on personals later! HUGS!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Hey ladies I've been so busy at work lately I haven't had time to catch up. 

My update:

9dpo today. Yesterday I spotted and then it stopped. I've been checking my cervix and there was a little dark blood this morning but no more spotting. I though AF was here so I made an appointment with my NEW doctor for Monday. I think AF will be here tomorrow.


----------



## swimmyj1

Green - hope this new doctor can give you guys some answers and get a good plan going :)

cupcake - so glad your elbow is better!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Not fair, cheating! lol -- I've been considering going to the local weight loss clinic here and asking them to give me their appetite suppressant. I am really skilled at counting calories, making healthy meals, etc. but cutting back on what I'm eating is really difficult when I'm hungry all the time! It would be so much easier to stick to my calorie restrictions, low carb foods and so on if I didn't feel like my stomach was chewing on itself. Eesh.

Problem is that it costs soooo much money to go to the clinic, get an exam, and pay for the meds every month. 



*Cupcake* - Sounds like things are going well for you!


*Mrs.Green* - That sounds like a low progesterone issue. Short LP and spotting before AF are signs that your progesterone levels are low. So you're probably ovulating well enough, it's just that your body isn't making enough Prog. to stave off AF long enough for that egg to get implanted!


AFM -- Really sore abdomen the past couple of days. OPKs getting darker, but not positive yet. So the SI's didn't help me ovulate earlier at all. I might take them from CD 1-5 instead of 3-7 next time and see what that does. 

I'm estimating I'll get a +OPK in a day or two, right on schedule. Wish it was sooner! But let's hope that they're better quality eggs this time around.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- I have the same issues with eating. I do well all day then I eat everything.


----------



## swimmyj1

green - i had to take progesterone my LP was only 10-11 days hope that's your issue because its a super easy fix :)

IRYM - that stinks you have to go to the weight loss clinic to get appetite suppressants around me Primary docs can give them out as long as you can show how you have been tracking calories for a few months and working out. 

Can't believe how much snow we got last night. We went from having 55 degree days to having almost a foot and a half of snow over night. Thank you crazy Michigan weather lol


----------



## mrs.green2015

Swimmy- oh my gosh that's a lot of snow!!! Here in Cali it's always sunny lol 

So AF is officially here today. My doctors appointment is Monday. I'm not sure what to tell my doctor. Technically I never got a positive opk but temps say I ovulated... Some doctors don't trust temps though... So I'm to sure if I should even say anything about my temp? Or just let her do whatever she thinks is the best. What do you ladies think?
Also, according to Google (I know I know lol) maybe I just didn't have a sting ovulation? Does that make sense? Thats why I never got a strong lh surge and that's why maybe I spotted and/or had low progesterone?


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - It's not that I _have_ to go to the clinic, it's that my current doctor said there was "nothing" she could do for me even though I'd been tracking calories, exercising, etc. for ever. She just told me I needed to attend one of the company's healthy eating classes just to see if they had something new to teach me.

She also said that regardless of whether or not I was cutting out calories, I had to work out a minimum of an hour every single day of the week if I hoped to lose weight, and since I wasn't doing that, that was why I keep gaining.



Now, I know that I ought to work out more -- but it's REALLY hard to do when I'm absolutely starving afterwards! If I am supposed to cut back on 300 - 500 calories a day, but then I'm also supposed to work out and burn off at least that much, then I'm technically at a 1,000 calorie deficit! I could really use that appetite suppressant at that point. :dohh:

She's just not a very helpful lady at all. But she's the one that's closest to me within the network our insurance covers, so I'm kinda stuck. Blah.


----------



## cupcakestoy

:witch: got me today too! Boooo! But it does seem my cycle is back on track, so it's ok....Kinda excited about next cycle, as dh leaves for the Emmaus Walk next Thursday and won't be back until Sunday night, meaning He will get home just in time to start bd for my fertile time:happydance: should O around Weds. Hoping the extra time away will make our reunion serve a purpose! lol I have decided to stick with my plan for NO meds until IVF! Figure I've waited over 3 years now so whats another 5-6 months? Doing good with eating & worked out everyday, except today :/ Stupid cramps & snow put a damper on today! 
In other news my dd who just turned 17 came home with a mad crush on a guy at her work.....He's 26!!!!!! So needless to say, she wasn't thrilled with my reaction! Tough. I'm her mom, not her friend. Nipped that in the bud, REAL fast!

Mrs. G-Sorry to see af got you too, but excited for your appt! Have they checked your progesterone levels in the past? I would take in copies of your charts & tell her about the -OPKs. Sometimes they will prescribe Clomid to encourage a stronger O.....Good luck!

IRYM-I've taken phentermine in the past. It does great with my appetitie suppression for 1st 2 weeks then doesn't work as well :( Of course it can run up your bp & cause tachycardia too, so I'm not a big fan!

Tigger-How are you? 

Swimmy-Are you having any genetic tests done? Not that I'm worried, but you could find out the sex super early! lmbo!

Urs-Any news?


----------



## mrs.green2015

Cupcake I'm sorry AF got you but I'm kind of excited about a cycle buddy!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs.Green* - Looks like we posted at the same time yesterday! Sorry AF got you and *Cupcake*. :hugs: On to the next cycle, eh?

Still no O for me. I'm still inside of my "usual" window for ovulation, though, so no big deal. AND I saw a teeeeny bit of EWCM this morning! Still no +OPK, but the EWCM speck was promising.

DH has been really uncooperative about BD this month. He just drops into bed and passes right out (he's one of the lucky people who fall asleep the moment their head hits the pillow), so I'm not feeling too optimistic this month. If no BFP this month, next month I am taking a break, going to NTNP, and focusing on my weight loss.

I do NOT want a December baby, and if I got pregnant next cycle, that's what I'd get. So I'm going to just avoid that if I can. Haha.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- I wouldn't worry aolbout the bd schedule size you haven't gotten a positive opk yet. When do you think you'll get a positive?


----------



## ireadyermind

I actually got a SUPER dark positive out of nowhere last night! My OPK for that morning had been the same level of darkness as every other test this month, and then BAM!

That's why I worry about not getting enough BD in. There ought to be little swimmers in there _waiting_ for that +OPK, you know? But I made sure we BD'd last night at least! Will see if DH is awake enough for more of it tonight. Saturdays are when he does his sword fighting, though, so he's usually pretty pooped out.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Bd once you get a positive is good! Because little swimmers will be waiting for that egg!


----------



## swimmyj1

Cupcake - didn't do the genetic blood work sense it really only tests for downs and we are not at risk. So we still have a while till we find out what we are having. Sense DH wants to know so bad we are going to find out just not tell anyone in our family. I'm sorry the witch came around :( but I'm glad your going back to being more regular. I think that was the medication I tried for weight loss. I dropped like 7lbs in a week but felt horrible and stopped taking it. Made me way to tachy.

Irym - yay for a +!! Hope DH stays awake lol

Green - fingers crossed this cycle for you :)


----------



## ireadyermind

Happy Monday everyone! (Yeah right, eh? lol)

This past weekend was spent cleaning or improving our house. Sunday, in addition to completing some little projects in the garage, DH and I also spent _hours_ cleaning out our old pickup. In the past, it only ever really got vacuumed and the occasional spray with cleaner and a quick wipe down. We cleaned the _outside_, of course, but the inside - not so much. Didn't feel the need to, since it's just been for hauling and other dirty projects.

Buuuut yesterday we shampooed the entire interior. Seats, carpets, center console, floor mats... It was SO gross! Even after a pre-treatment, a thorough soaping and a thorough rinsing, the waste water was coming away absolutely filthy. :dohh: and that was after about two or three hours of scrubbing. Oye!

So my arms and back got a good workout from all of that. I'm aching everywhere this morning! But now that the truck is running and the inside's all spiffy, we can go pick up a rental tiller for the back yard next weekend and get back to that project IF it doesn't rain.


How were your gals' weekends?


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- I'm exhausted just listening that! Lol but glad you got good stuff done. 


Afm- doctors appointment in less than an hour to see what she says about not ovulating!


----------



## ireadyermind

Let us know what you learn!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Can't believe I forgot to update you ladies. 
Basically the doc went over all my history and then agreed it sounds like I'm not ovulating and said I have two options: keep tracking and see if my cycles regulate themselves. Or go to the fertility specialist. I was in complete shock and asked her what she recommends. And she said hold on while she looked over my chart (my history from my old doc and test she had run thyroid ect) and then said she recommends seeing the specialist. Along with continuing to loose weight to see the FS for all the test since that's the first step. Hubs is on board and thinks is all worth it and fine and I'm just in shock and upset.
The FS already called me and my blood work is in order I'll get it done tomorrow. Hubs sperm analysis is already ordered but we need to wait for the paperwork in the mail to get it done. I'm on the waiting list to get an Hsg done this week, if no appointments open up I'll have to call and make an appointment on my first day of my next period.


----------



## ireadyermind

Why so much shock? You already suspected there were problems, right? That's why you went to get a second opinion rather than wait a whole extra year before seeing a specialist, like the previous doctor said - right?

I'm glad this new doctor is being proactive instead of using the "wait and see" approach! :)


----------



## mrs.green2015

I was in shock because I thought my normal gyno would run some test or try clomid or something rather than just send me. But yes I am very very happy she's being proactive rather than making me seem crazy.


----------



## swimmyj1

Green - I think its so great she is sending you right to a specialist. My ob messed around with clomid and kind of guessing at what to do and it never went anywhere. When you go to a specialist they can hopefully find out why your not ovulating and monitor your cycles so you know how many eggs you have. So glad your DH is on board with seeing one too :) Hopefully you can get in soon!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Mrs. G-I'm glad your Dr. is getting the ball rolling!
IRYM-I used to care if me Jeep was spotless, but that got lost somewhere in the 2nd year I owned it lol Maybe because I live in the dang thing 4-5 days a week with my job?

Girls, I had an awful weekend! DD was determined to get out of the house Friday night. She ended up spending the night with this girl whom I don't know that well, so I got a # & address. Drove by the house before work on Saturday morning & her car wasn't there :/ She didn't answer, the girl didn't answer, so I called d-xh. He found them an hour or so later, with the girl driving dd car! Needless to say a serious discussion followed! I found out she's been letting others drive her car, which is in my name, lying about working over to talk to a 26 y/o man at her work & just not being the trust worthy dd that I thought she was :( I laid out her punishment & then she threw the "I think its best if I move in with dad for a while" :( I held it together & told her she was old enough to make that decision, but if she did the car didn't go & my home is not a revolving door! If she was running away from the consequences, then it was a big mistake cause if she did this she was out for at least 6 months, then if she wanted to come home we would pick up right were we left off with her punishment! d-xh ended up paying the rest she owed us on her car yesterday & I gave him the title. I will cancel the ins asap & get our tags back. Not being responsible when she's with her dad! She came & packed her things & moved out Saturday evening :( Left alot of things that broke my heart & told me she was sorry, she loved me & still wanted me to be a part of her life? idk what that means at this point! Anyways, she hasn't attempted to make contact since....My heart is broken & I've cried pretty much non-stop! All I could do Saturday was to tell her that I loved her, even tho she thinks I don't & I miss her being little when things were easier! I did talk to d-xh yesterday, he said she is doing ok,but doesn't talk to him much & is unhappy that he made her download an app that can track her where abouts via her cell! He says he's not going to let her do as she pleases, so we will see....I told him I had had her for 17 years & the last 1 is all his!


----------



## ireadyermind

Aww, cupcake! That's terrible! :hugs:

My sister did something similar when she and I were kids, except she was stealing Mom's car because she didn't have her own. She ended up moving in with our dad for about a year and regretted every bit of it.

Why do they think that when they get caught doing the wrong thing, it's the parent's fault for everything? As if expecting your child to follow the rules is unreasonable!

I'm glad you stuck to your guns and told her she didn't get to just skip from one parent to the other just to escape punishment... that would have set a bad precedent if you had just let her walk all over you.

:hugs: again!


----------



## Ursaula

Right off the bat;
Cupcake: YOU DID THE RIGHT THING. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. A couple years ago I took my parents car (which they were lending to me as you did with her) and drove 8 1/2 hours to go see a guy I had never met before. Long story short I had consequences and my parents both stood their ground. It's important to stand your ground and not budge or teens will think they can do whatever they want, knowing you will move and budge. She'll come to realize she needs you in her life more than ever. Big hug!!

IRYM: I love your updates on the improvements you're doing for your house/yard. I'll be watching closely to your chart as well these next few days. Hopefully it was enough to get a sticky one! :)

Mrs. G: Seeing a FS right off the bat sounds great! I'm glad you're going to be figuring things out quicker rather than later. Fx'd for an easy fix :)

Swimmy: I love hearing updates on your little beanie! So exciting, have you been obsessing over names or anything?

AFM: I apologize for being absent. It's been a very interesting past couple of weeks. A friend of mine is in the hospital with contractions! We're all hoping the baby will come today, she's 34 weeks and her water broke 2 days ago so she's on bed rest. Ah, the wait is agonizing!

In terms of my chart I've given up again for a bit on temping since it seems useless to me. I had kind of sticky cm today and other than that, nothing since my last updates. I plan on starting again tomorrow since I see the gynaecologist in April. It'll give her a month and a half of current temping and then about a year of previous temps.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Cupcake- you totally did the right thing. I can't imagine how hard it was but standing your ground was best. She'll thank you when she's older. 

Urs- hope she has that baby soon! How exciting.


----------



## swimmyj1

Cupcake - im so sorry. I pulled a lot of that crap when I was her age and now looking back I hate what I put my mom through. I can't even imagine how heart breaking this is for you :( you did the right thing. She will regret leaving running from your problems isn't the answer. 

Urs - no names yet, I have the ones I want and DH has his ideas (sooo not loving his names lol) used the Doppler again today baby is super easy to find now. Still pretty sick which stinks.


----------



## mrs.green2015

That's so awesome you can hear it anytime you want! I want to get a Doppler once I get my bfp but with a tilted uterus and being overweight I'm afraid it'll take a little longer to find it and of course when I don't find it right away I'll freak out. lol


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: :) :) :) So happy for you!

Mrs.G: I'm sort of similar. I'm afraid of being so overweight and they won't find anything, doctors or doppler. I also fear being pregnant when I'm this overweight to be honest. That's why I joined this forum though, to lose weight so I can have a smooth pregnancy, a healthier lifestyle, and I'm able to chase my kids around the house.

AFM (again): My friend had her baby girl! Madelyn. I love her name. Fx'd for all of us still waiting for those sticky bfps!

I also got talking to my mom today. I said, jokingly, "You know what's more wonderful than you having human grand-babies?" She stated, "Absolutely nothing." I was joking about my dog but hearing her say that made me feel even more ready to bring her a grand-baby. Fx'd gals :)


----------



## mrs.green2015

That's so awesome urs! I hope you get your bfp soon! I also love the name. 
As far as being overweight and not being able to find anything by doctors. It won't affect it from what I understand (Doppler I'm not sure which is why I'm worried) but I went to the Er when I started bleeding (a week before mc) and the doc couldn't find my uterus and he was so puzzled I thought my weight but he said no it's definantly not that. Turns out it was my tilted uterus. It's tipped so far back it's hard to see on the ultrasound until it expands with baby. I talked to the ultra sound tech about it for awhile while she did the transvaginal ultrasound. 

Afm- tomorrow starts my tests. I go in the morning for blood test, and a pregnancy test. They have to make sure I'm not pregnant for my hsg on Friday. And Thursday I have to start antibiotics because the hsg can cause infection. Hubs should be doing his SA next week.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs.Green* - Oh boy, good old pre-HSG prepwork and meds. I had to do all the same stuff for mine a few months back. FX'd you're in perfect working order!

*Swimmy* - Ever since a coworker of mine lost her baby in the 3rd trimester because its umbilical cord wrapped around its neck, I swore I'd get a doppler ASAP once I was pregnant. She could have used it to look in on the little one and, hearing a slower heartbeat, could have gone to the ER and saved the baby. But they wouldn't do regular ultrasounds for her because they figured there was no need, since she was due to deliver in less than a month.

I was like, "No WAY am I going to go that long without checking in on my baby! There's still so much that could go wrong!" 

ANYWAY -- DH had said that if we had a boy, he wanted to name it after himself (Howard) --- no. No no no. It's outdated and I've never liked it (didn't stop me from liking HIM), but he was named after his dad. I compromised by saying that I didn't have a problem with a baby's _middle_ name being Howard, but that I would not use it for a first name. He's okay with that, thank goodness.


*Urs* - Congrats to your friend! 



AFM - FF finally gave me CHs today. It's a slow rise this month instead of my usual temperature spike, but that's okay. I just take it to mean that progesterone was taking its sweet time elevating this month instead of jumping up overnight. Do you think a slow rise sounds better than a quick jump? Like, I don't know, if it's a slow rise, then it also won't just all of a sudden drop around the time AF is due? Maybe making it more likely for an egg to have time to implant? Hmmm.

My BFP cycle had a slow rise too, and my pre-O temps were higher than usual, just like this cycle. FXd we get it this month, or else I'm going on a break a month or two so I can try and focus 100% on this stubborn weight issue!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fx for you irym! How sad about your friend. My heart breaks for her. 
Also, I agreed with something similar on the names. Lol DH wants to name a boy after his dad, Donald. But after some time we agreed to making it a middle name. 


How was your hsg? I heard FS painful? And can be after too? I'm planning to go to work after.


----------



## swimmyj1

Urs - that is my little cousins name it's so cute!

Irym - my friend losses her baby in the 3rd also 39 weeks she went into the er for decreased movement and for some reason his poor little heart had stopped beating during the night. It's still has me so worried something like that will happen. I know the chance is low but it's still there. 

Green - my hsg wasn't painful just very crampy but I've heard if you have a blocked tube that's when it hurts most. Hopefully yours goes well! Fingers crossed.

As for Doppler use with being over weight (which I am most of my weight is held on by stomach ugh) I think the first time I found the HR was around 10-11 weeks but it was really hard to find. The dopplers they use in the Drs office are way better than mine at home lol and she had no issue finding it at 12 weeks but did warn me sometimes they can't. Even now if baby is moving i can't really find it and it totally freaks me out. So when you gals get ur bfp try and remember that even if u can't find it doesn't mean something's wrong lol but still doesn't help me from freaking out.


----------



## ireadyermind

My HSG was pretty pinchy toward the end, like some of my worse PMS cramps, but the whole procedure lasted maybe 15 - 30 seconds after the dye was injected. It was over before I had a chance to get really uncomfortable.

I didn't have blocked tubes, so I don't know how that feels. For me, it was just crampy because they inflate a balloon in there to block the dye from spilling out, and that causes minor stretching and discomfort. They told me to take 800mg ibuprofen before the procedure, which worked wonderfully on preventing additional cramps after the fact.

Easy peasy. :)


----------



## mrs.green2015

Thanks ladies!! I'm definitely excited to see what happens. But I doubt I'll have a blocked tube since I got pregnant last year and it wasn't an etopic and I didn't have a dnc unless it can happen randomly? I'm not sure. Haven't done much research on it.


----------



## ireadyermind

You could still get pregnant with only one working tube, you never know..! If there's one that's blocked and the HSG clears it, you have better chances! :)

But I hope everything's fine in there! 


AFM -- DH managed to borrow a rototiller from a coworker yesterday, and then today the forecast changed from cloudy all week to RAIN all week, and 100% "chance" of rain over the weekend. 

Now don't get me wrong, I love the rain! But we can't go out and rototill the ground in the rain unless we want the yard to turn into a mud pit. Bummer. We'll probably have to postpone the work yet again. :dohh: That's okay though, there's still lots to do around here. I have a new faucet I want to install in the guest bathroom, so I could work on that with DH instead. :D


----------



## mrs.green2015

Sorry it's delaying your outside work. Especially once you borrowed it! At least you have lots to do inside. 
I guess you're right about the tube thing 

Question for all you ladies. The hsg... It's to see what's blocked right? But also if it is it'll clear it? 
Would it show maybe blockage but not clear it? I go tomorrow!


----------



## swimmyj1

My friend had one completely blocked tube so it could not be cleared but depending on why it's blocked it can be reopened when hsg is done. It also looks at if anything is abnormal with the shape/structure so that's nice. Hope tomorrow goes great! 

Irym - you guys are on a mission! So good of you I really need to get motivated about house projects this spring for sure.


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: Glad you have more to work on when the weather is glum. Your chart is looking really good! Fx'd for you :)

Mrs. G: I'm not sure about hsg but I'm curious to see how it goes over for you incase I need one too in the future. I hope it goes well :)

Swimmy: What things have you started preparing for the little one?

Cupcake: How's it going? :)

AFM: CD270 today, 270 days since I started charting anyway. With the metformin increased I've noticed I have creamy cm every now and then, other than that, not much. I'm thinking of being completely honest with my doctor about why I feel he's a dummy and seek his support one last time. We'll see...


----------



## mrs.green2015

Thanks ladies. 

Urs- they still haven't gotten your cycle fixed? Ugh I'm sorry. I would be honest with him. What can it hurt right?


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - I would definitely go and get a second opinion from someone, perhaps a fertility specialist, but I personally wouldn't tell my current doctor that I think he's stupid/dumb/useless/etc. I don't think it would accomplish anything. He wouldn't suddenly become a better doctor after hearing it.

I do think that if you said, "You don't seem to be able to help me, I'm going to find someone else," then you would have given him (her? I keep forgetting) your reason for leaving without being rude or mean about it. It's ultimately your choice, of course, but I am a firm believer that if you can avoid being unnecessarily rude or mean spirited to others, you should. 

We all have enough to deal with in our lives without taking crap from others, you know? I think that stems from having worked in retail for years, where the customers always treated us employees like we were lower than the scum on the bottoms of their shoes. :dohh:


*Swimmy* - We sure are! This house was sort of a "stepping stone" for us, one where we could move in, live here a while and build up equity, and then try and find the home of our dreams somewhere else. So we've been going through and improving things as money allows, since everything in this house when we bought it was original from when it was built, back in 1985! The next major thing on the list after the front and back yards are spiffed up is carpet. The guy who sold us this place pretty much put in the cheapest, least durable, least expensive stuff he could get his hands on, and you could tell. It was brand new in May 2014 and it's already matted down, stained, and basically ruined less than two years later. And I vacuum, shampoo and rake it regularly!

So we're looking to get a really sturdy carpet, maybe one that has some kind of stain guard on it, which is designed for high foot traffic areas. You know, the kind that SHOULD have been put on the stairs and in the hallways, instead of the junk that's there now. Sheesh!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Hey ladies. I hope you're all doing well. I just had my hsg and it looks like I have a blocked tube.


----------



## ireadyermind

Uh oh! Sorry to hear that, Mrs. Green. I hope it's mild enough that it can be corrected!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Thanks irym. Of course I'm not happy about it but I'm also not dwelling on it. I haven't talked to my RE doctor about it yet but the doctor who did the procedure said they don't usually unblock it unless both tubes are blocked since you can still get pregnant with one tube. Won't know more for a couple weeks.


----------



## swimmyj1

Urs - honestly not much prep yet (scary thought i know lol) I did do a baby registry that's about as far as I've gotten. 

IRYM - I'm now adding new carpet to my list of things i want lol. our house is also a starter house but I could see us in it for the next 5-10 years honestly. I just hate doing projects I'm not good at them

Green - I'm sorry one of your tubes is blocked :( but yes you can completely get pregnant with a blocked tube. I hope your RE has some answers.


----------



## Ursaula

Mrs. G: Big hug! As the other gals have said, there is still a chance :) I hope they figure everything out for you soon.

IRYM: Thanks :) I called a nurse (the one who finally got me a gynaecologist appointment) and she gave me a list of some great female doctors. I'm ready for the change.

In terms of flooring, does it have to be carpet? My parents are fixing up their cabin and they've put in vinyl plank floors that look like wood. They look fantastic and are apparently very durable.

Swimmy: Just take small steps :) I hope you're doing well.

AFM: I am so lost with my chart. My temperature dropped today 0.6 degrees. April can't come fast enough. I haven't done my monthly pregnancy test (that sometimes turns into daily if ff says I o'd) so I picked up two tests to take tomorrow.

Question, if you gals had to choose between college and building a career or having a baby first, which would you choose?


----------



## mrs.green2015

Swim- when do you find out the gender?

Urs- I think that's a tough question. Especially in your situation since you have sort of a time frame. Normally I'd say get school out of the way if possible first. Not saying it's the right choice but a little easier way.


----------



## swimmyj1

green - im hoping at 20 weeks. I don't have an ultrasound set up yet though. I see my doctor for a check up on the 24th and hopefully I can get one scheduled after that. we aren't telling anyone what we are having (except for you ladies of course lol) 

urs - hard choice to make especially due to the timing you have. But I recommend schooling 1st. That way you are a little better prepared for baby. My friend did school with a new born and missed out on a lot of her daughters 1sts (walking, rolling over, ect) because she was in school but she knew she needed to get a better career to take care of her. Now with her 2nd baby she got to take more time off and only has to work part time :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

ireadyermind said:


> You could still get pregnant with only one working tube, you never know..! If there's one that's blocked and the HSG clears it, you have better chances! :)
> 
> But I hope everything's fine in there!
> 
> 
> AFM -- DH managed to borrow a rototiller from a coworker yesterday, and then today the forecast changed from cloudy all week to RAIN all week, and 100% "chance" of rain over the weekend.
> 
> Now don't get me wrong, I love the rain! But we can't go out and rototill the ground in the rain unless we want the yard to turn into a mud pit. Bummer. We'll probably have to postpone the work yet again. :dohh: That's okay though, there's still lots to do around here. I have a new faucet I want to install in the guest bathroom, so I could work on that with DH instead. :D

 Boo for rain outs! I like a good thunderstorm, but I'm not a rainy day type person!
Have you considered hard wood flooring or laminate? Much easier to take care of for me & I get grossed out by all the crap that lives in & under carpet, plus it helps with our allergies :)



mrs.green2015 said:


> Thanks irym. Of course I'm not happy about it but I'm also not dwelling on it. I haven't talked to my RE doctor about it yet but the doctor who did the procedure said they don't usually unblock it unless both tubes are blocked since you can still get pregnant with one tube. Won't know more for a couple weeks.

Sorry to hear about your blocked tube, but some are born with only 1 tube & still have lots of babies! My left is supposedly blocked, but I have been pregnant twice since TR, once from each side! The only draw back is it may take a little longer to conceive...



Urs-I've learned during this ttc business to never put off anything while waiting for a baby. Lord only knows how long it can take! Plus keeping busy helps take some of the stress away...Amazed at those who have ended up with a bfp after stopping ttc & moved on with life...






swimmyj1 said:


> green - im hoping at 20 weeks. I don't have an ultrasound set up yet though. I see my doctor for a check up on the 24th and hopefully I can get one scheduled after that. we aren't telling anyone what we are having (except for you ladies of course lol)
> 
> urs - hard choice to make especially due to the timing you have. But I recommend schooling 1st. That way you are a little better prepared for baby. My friend did school with a new born and missed out on a lot of her daughters 1sts (walking, rolling over, ect) because she was in school but she knew she needed to get a better career to take care of her. Now with her 2nd baby she got to take more time off and only has to work part time :)

 Glad to hear all is well, I'm voting girl btw! lol

Things have been better here. DH is gone on the retreat & I miss him but its been good to spend time with ds. He's such a loving kid! He did go to his dad's yesterday, so I enjoyed my day alone. Well actually I did errands, held a women's group bible class, made candy for the guys on the retreat & dropped it off, picked up Mexican & came home, put on pjs & watched "The Intern" Such a good movie! I love Robert Deniro! Oh yeah & I bought a new calf! lol Life is good at the moment! God has given me peace about my dd. I love her & miss her but I'm doing ok & have given her to God. You can only raise them right & hope they get back on the right path....


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs & Cupcake -* The ground floor of our house has laminate wood flooring already, which is great because we have dogs that track mud into the house on rainy days (like today!), and all I have to do to clean that up is sweep up any large debris and run the mop over the floor. If it was carpet down here, there'd be so much scrubbing and stain removing, I'd go mad. Haha

Upstairs is the only part of the house with carpet, and I'd like to keep it that way because it does a good job of dampening noise (downstairs echoes like crazy!), and it keeps the pet hair trapped in the carpet between vacuuming days. Downstairs with the laminate floor, the pet hair just floats around in the air and settles on everything and it's pretty gross. If I happen to miss a day of dusting/sweeping (I try to do it a couple times a week at least!) then it looks like I haven't cleaned all season. lol.

Oh, AND -- the laminate flooring is not very nice for toddlers to fall down on! My sisters come by with their kids from time to time and with the number of falls these guys go through just from being wobbly-legged, it's a wonder no one's gotten a more serious bump on the head. There's just no cushion on the laminate floor the way there is with carpet. So I'm considering making about half the ground floor carpet and leaving the kitchen and a few other places with the laminate.


----------



## ireadyermind

Oh man, we had one heckuva storm last night! The wind was so bad, a transformer on a power pole near our house was struck and exploded! We could see the flash of light from our front windows, and heard the explosion a split second before the power went out. There was SO much rain, too. I loved it! :D

Everything looks so crisp and clean this morning, it's beautiful. DH and I are heading out to get some errands completed while the weather is calm. 


How's everyone else doing today?


----------



## swimmyj1

Holy cow! That sounds like an insane storm! Today is a sad day my grandpa passed away :( im just not handling it well.


----------



## ireadyermind

Aww, swimmy, so sorry to hear that! :hugs:


----------



## Ursaula

Thank you gals for your input.

Swimmy: I'm really sorry about your grandpa. I bet you'll miss him a lot. Try to focus on yourself and do a few more extra special things just for you.

IRYM: I see about the flooring now. Did you get anymore renos done during the weekend? That storm sounds crazy! Also, your chart is looking really great :)

Cupcake: Sounds like you're having a pretty great time! Have you named the calf?

Mrs. G: Hoping all is well :)

AFM: I've decided to take a bit of Cupcake's advice. To move on, more so move forward into preparing myself more for when pregnancy does come.  I've looked a lot up on different options you can go about everything. One thing I was really excited for was to make cloth diapers. So, I've started making them! To prepare myself :) and if it doesn't work out for me then I can give them away. What are your ideas on cloth diapers?


----------



## cupcakestoy

So sorry Swimmy! Prayers for your family!

Ursa- I'm not a fan of the idea of cloth diapers, but think if you want to go that route then you rock! I do think the monogrammed burp clothes & such are precious tho!
Dh came home from Emmaus last night! He had an amazing time, made a lot of new friends & laid down a lot of baggage & bitterness he had been carrying for years! He's like a new man! Of course we had missed each other ALOT so we were in bed by 8:30! ;) 
I took this week off, kinda spur of the moment, decided I need to paint the dining room & my son's "new" room. Plus I've decided I'm going to work on his old room too! So I'm going to be pressed to get it all done, but will be happy if I get the dining room & his room done this week. I love home improvement stuff!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - We didn't get anything done this weekend due to the storm that rolled through. It's STILL raining! lol. We did manage to go out and run some errands, and I got a cute St. Patrick's Day wall hanging which made me feel rather cheerful. I like putting up little decorations around the house for all of these fun holidays and I generally don't have much to hang. There was a 50% off sale at the craft store where I bought it. Score!

As for cloth diapers: I *love* the idea of them. I'm seriously considering this company in town that is a cloth diaper delivery and laundry service. All I'd have to do with them after they're used is throw them into the provided hamper and make sure the filled laundry bag is waiting on the front porch when the delivery service comes round. They drop off fresh ones and take away the old.

I have heard good things about them, such as: they're easier to potty-train with, because the child can feel the wet diaper on his/her skin and doesn't like it, and starts preferring to use the toilet instead. Whereas with the disposable diapers, that are filled with all those chemicals, even a wet diaper feels dry and the child doesn't have a reason to want to potty train. 

The diaper service here in town even lets people buy gift certificates they can give you at a baby shower in lieu of a package of disposable diapers. Win!


*Cupcake* - Me too! I think a fresh coat of paint is one of the easiest ways to make a room feel like a whole new place. I'd love to paint the living room in my home, but DH and I will first need to have some repairs done to the settling cracks in the dry wall. Doesn't make sense to paint first and then touch it up after!

What colors are you painting?


----------



## cupcakestoy

I'm in the repair phase today, due to settling :/ Not my fave part but it has to be done...*sigh....I'm going with a light honey beige in the dining room. It's a half drywall/lower half wood, so it compliments it well! My son has moved into dd old room, so I'm ripping paneling down & got a guy coming to help me hang drywall in there. Going to go with a shade of sage/olive green in there(he picked it out) can't remember the name tho....
:thumbup:


----------



## drjo718

Just wanted to stop in and say hi to everyone! I like hearing about all the spring projects. I just made a list last night of all the projects and spring cleaning I want to get done before the baby arrives, or during maternity leave. Not sure they'll all get done, but at least I'm started. We had to redo our office to make it into a nursery, where I painted and refinished a couple dressers. Now we're turning our old guest bedroom into the office/craft room since we never have guests anyway. Next we'll be sorting through everything in the basement to purge and get organized. We'll be setting up a sleeping area down there just in case. And we bought a ping pong table on black Friday that I'm itching to set up! Just no room now. 

As for weight...I had been right on for weight gain, having gained 23 pounds in 31 weeks. And then I woke up with bell's palsy last week, so I'm on steroids, which make me gain weight like crazy. So I'll be joining you ladies again for weight loss soon, with even more to lose than I had originally anticipated. I'm hoping that having leave during the summer will help me be able to work out more, since I'll actually be able to go outside.


----------



## swimmyj1

Drjo - can't believe baby is due in May! Yay! Sorry about the steroids they are the worse. 

I was gonna use cloth diapers I love them but DH wasn't having it, we don't have a diaper service in my area or I probably could talk him into it lol. Cloth diaper babies potty train so fast, I was trained at 16 months my brother at 18. The little girls I nannied for in high school both round 18 months. I can't imagine doing diapers until a kid is 3-4 my friends 5 year old is still in pull ups yikes!! 

Still really not handling my grandpas death well, I talked to him almost every day. When I lived in town we did lunch 3 days a week. Heck I didn't have my mom with me to pick out my wedding dress I sent him pictures to help me pick. He has been such a rock sense I was little. My favorite story of him is when I was 5 I got really really sick and had blisters all over my mouth and lips from fevers. He tracked down all the ice cream trucks in our neighborhood and bought all the shark popcicles for me sense that's all I would eat. Sorry gals I just really miss him I almost called him today :(


----------



## cupcakestoy

Happy Birthday to me! LoL I hardly ever dream, or remember it if I do, but I dreamed last night that I got a bfp & my 1st beta was 9354!!! I'm taking this dream as a good omen! Well I'm 38 today :( I feel my statistics dropping as I type....not doing great with my eating last couple of weeks. Seems like every time I get on track, something happens & I blow it! I can't believe I lost so much weight for my tr, but can't drop this 40 pounds!!!!! Oh well, its a beautiful day here, done got some b-day loving & am blessed beyond what I deserve, so I'm going to make the best of the day!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Dr. Jo* - So good to hear from you again! Time seems to have zoomed right by, I can't believe your EDD is so close! Sounds like you've been a busy bee lately -- I'm sure your extra weight will come right off after baby's born, don't worry! :)

*Swimmy* - Wow, it sounds like he was really an integral part of your life. I'm sorry you lost him, and it sounds cliche of me to say this, but after a little while you'll be able to look back on these things with fondness and not with sorrow. :hugs:

*Cupcake* - Happy birthday! About the weight loss: do you have non-food rewards you can give yourself for reaching small milestones? New clothes, books, a trip to see a movie, etc.? Are there things you've always wanted to buy for yourself (even something as small as one mp3 from iTunes or something), but don't because you'd feel guilty spending money on them? Use those for rewards, because you'll have _earned_ them by working hard to lose weight! :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ty irym! I used to do that.... Need to restart it! Unfortunately I'm an emotional eater & the last week has been tough. Doing good today. Takes 21 days to start a new habit! Lol


----------



## ireadyermind

I tend to be that way, too. Especially when I'm sick. Like I came down with the flu a couple of days ago and when I'm sick with the flu, my stomach really only tolerates highly processed foods. Bread, sugary stuff -- you know, all the things I shouldn't eat. lol. But when I try to stick to a high fiber and high protein diet while I'm sick, I feel worse. Nauseated, even. :dohh:

But just keep plugging along and you'll get there, Cupcake! :)


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: That would make it a lot easier doing the diaper service. I don't think we have anything like that here? I kind of like the idea of cleaning my baby's messes too, I feel it'll make me more of a mom, just a personal opinion. I don't like disposables for the chemicals, the environment, or the money!

Is it still raining there?

Cupcake: Happy Birthday!!! Make that dream come true!

I'm not a fan of green but I do like sage/olive green. Good choice I think. I also like the sound of the honey idea! I hope you're having fun with the repairs!

Swimmy: I wasn't "fully" potty trained until I was about 7 years old (although I had a reason), so I believe some still being in pull-ups at 5. I couldn't imagine having to be a parent dealing with diapers for that long.

Yesterday marked the day for my grandma 3 years ago. You will always remember it but as time goes by it'll get a little more easier. You should write down in a journal all the positive memories of him. Journaling helps a lot of people, and that way you'll never have to worry about forgetting.

Drjo: That's unfortunate about the steroids, but I bet you can't wait until May! I love refinishing furniture and once the baby comes it'll feel all fresh and new to you too.

AFM: I have decided to try taking 1500mg of metformin. If my doctor doesn't approve tomorrow I am getting a new doctor.


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcake - happy birthday :)

urs - hopefully your doctor will understand if not there is no harm in getting a new one. 

you gals are so right i always tend to kick my healthy eating/working out before 21 days I need to get into a better pattern with that and stick with it. Also in 3 weeks i have my anatomy scan I'm kind of nervous.


----------



## Fern81

Hi all just quickly checking in. We are still fasting & limiting the use of technology and it's been great relationship wise (with us & with God) so will only be back full time after Easter.
But anyway that's not really why I came on.... rather to say I had my lap and hysteroscopy yesterday. Endo removed again, left ovary was fused to everything else again but all clear for now. Hysteroscopy showed no abnormalities. 
Aaaannnndddd we got funding for IVF from a donor! So it all depends on when my dr feels is the best time to do it but it might happen as soon as May!
In the mean time I'm doing really well with the anti inflammatory diet, I have loads of energy, exercise almost every day and loving the way my body is sloooowly toning up. Having a good month I guess!
Thinking of you all xx


----------



## ireadyermind

Wow, Fern! Everything sounds amazing for you! That's wonderful! :) We miss you and are looking forward to hearing from you after Easter! :hugs:

*Cupcake & Swimmy* - Are either of you using MyFitnessPal? It's a free app for your phone and helps you track what you eat and how much you're exercising. It also counts how many days you've logged in and tallies them up for you, and you can set it to remind you to log in/work out if you feel you need that. Very useful tool!

There's a link to the official site in this thread's very first post, along with some other resources. But if you're trying to stick to a plan for 3 weeks I think MFP would really help you!

*Urs* - Yep, still raining! Right now it's just a light sprinkle, but the forecast for rain continues for the next three days -- in other words, this is another weekend that we can't work on the back yard! And since DH and I have a concert to attend on St. Pat's weekend, and then Easter is after that, and THEN DH has an event to attend with his sword fighting group, we won't be able to get any work done until mid-April! Booo.



AFM - POAS today, BFN. It's only 12DPO so I suppose there's still hope, but I'm not too optimistic this time around. Next month we'll take a break, probably do the rest of the infertility testing and see what we find out.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey Fern! Hope this does the trick & you don't need ivf, but if you do, WOW what a blessing to have it paid for!

Swimmy-hope your doing ok!
Irym- I use the 21 day fix app, but had my fitness pal before....
Dr. Spot for my carpal tunnel today.....ugh


----------



## mrs.green2015

Hi ladies I'm sorry in advance for forgetting someone or something. I've been trying to catch up. Soo here it goes...

Fern- I am so incredibly happy for you on all accounts!!! Can't wait to hear more of your amazing journey. 

Swimmy- yay for anatomy scan! It's getting so close. 

Cupcake- happy late birthday!!!!! 

Irym- sorry about the bfn. Hugs. 

Urs- glad your taking your taking the medical stuff seriously. You deserve answers. And Without being rude but expensing your concerns and if nothing happens then ask for a referral to someone else. 


Afm- I'm home!! Yay so much has happened. DHs truck got stolen. Then found. And it's destroyed. He doesn't want it anymore so just in case it's not totaled we're going to sell it and buy a new one. So not looking forward to that. So because we have to get a new loan we are putting house hunting on hold a couple months. Not ideal but tangs life right? 
On the Ttc front (cd 15) and I didn't do a great job with OPKs while traveling but they were negative. Today with diluted urine it's still negative but getting a little darker. Yay! Hopefully we have a positive very soon because once that happens we have to wait a couple days of no sex and DH will have his SA. 
Attached is my opk from today for your viewing pleasure.
 



Attached Files:







image.jpg
File size: 14.3 KB
Views: 0


----------



## mrs.green2015

Oh I forgot! I use my fitness pal. Well... I just started again. So my username is michellerenee530 if you ladies want to add me! Keep each other motivated.


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern so wonderful about IVF! Keep us updated.

Irym what other testing are they going to do this cycle? 

Green omg I am so sorry about your DHs truck that sounds horrible I don't understand people like that at all. Fingers crossed on the opks I love seeing pictures lol. I ended up sending a friend all of my opks and hcgs so I wouldnt poas anymore lol after like 8 weeks they got so light it had me freaked out no need for that.

After baby I will be back on fitness pal I love the app keeps me from just eating when I'm bored. I'll add u guys she i re download it again.

AFM tomorrow is my grandpas enjoy life party. He had written out very clearly no funerals just a celebration of his life so that is what we are doing. Silly man also wrote that no one should dress up because nothing is more uncomfortable than a suit lol. Ohh this man is keeping us laughing even after he is gone. Spent all day with my nana getting our hair done and our nails. Then putting all of the pictures of his life together for tomorrow. It felt like a lot of closer for me. Hope everyone else has a great weekend.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Swimmy- so sorry. But I love that he wanted a celebration. he sounds like he had a great sense of humor.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* -- I think Celebration of Life ceremonies are the way to go! Remember the good times, laugh and sing and have food and drinks rather than sitting in silence, wearing all black, and crying. :hugs: Sounds like your grandpa was a really cheerful/fun man! :hugs:

EDIT- Forgot to answer your question. I still haven't done the ultrasound they want me to do, so I think that'll be first up. And then I REALLY hope they move to testing my hormones next because in my opinion, that should have been the FIRST thing to look at!

But we're still debating sticking with our HMO or going to a private clinic. Income tax returns should arrive soon and then we'll have extra cash to do whatever we like, whether its stay where we are or find someone to give a second opinion. I'm also considering having the Lap Band surgery to help me get ahead of this weight gain, since I'm struggling so hard now!




AFM -- My username for MFP is ireadyermind, same as here on the forums. Feel free to add me first if I don't get to you! :D I think it could really help us if we're all making sure we log in, track our meals, etc. We could even make up some contests if you gals are interested?


----------



## ireadyermind

Yikes. HUGE temp dip for me this morning! Was disappointed to see that. I fully expected AF to arrive as soon as I got out of bed, but so far nothing. I haven't POAS in a few days, either, but had a dream last night about a +HPT. Oye. We'll see what happens. It's not over until AF shows, right? heh.


----------



## swimmyj1

My grandpa's celebration was amazing. I can't believe how many people were there, over 250. We spent all of friday setting up large photo's of him throughout his life. It was amazing. No crying just lots of stories and laughter, but I still felt like I got to let a little bit of him go. It was so much better than any other funeral I had been to. We had a photographer there taking tons of family photos and ones of people dancing and laughing. It was beautiful I can't wait to see them. 

I will say my bump got a little bigger this week, and the dress i picked out made me look a ton bigger, and everyone was touching me. I was not prepared for that. I really felt like they were just going around touching my fat and wasn't digging it, especially when people were doing it who I hadn't seen in 10+ years. 

Bad note on the way back we got into a car accident, my OB wanted me to go to the hospital to get checked out (just a fender bender honestly). But the tech that scanned me let it slip we are having a girl. Baby was very curled up so I'm gonna wait until my appointment on the 30th to confirm. But DH seems kind of disappointed which has me upset. I know most men want a son but after how hard we worked for it I didn't think it would really matter...

Sorry long rant here gals. 

IRYM - my fingers are still crossed. I still can't believe they haven't tested your hormones to me that would be the first thing also. We had that done our 1st appointment. It's easiest and cheapest = no brainier lol


----------



## Ursaula

Fern: Everything sounds like it is going wonderful for you! So happy about the IVF. Can't wait to hear more when you get back full-time.

Swimmy: A girl!! Oh, how wonderful! That's what I'm secretly hoping for. I hope everything is going alright in regards to the accident.

Your grandpa's celebration sounds like a really great experience. A lady who I knew wanted a craft funeral so we drew and made crafts and painted all day. You feel more complete when doing something they would've wanted you to do instead of the full funeral service.

IRYM: I'm hoping your temperature increases again. It would be fun to have it one after the other BFPs. I would go to the private clinic, your current clinic sounds annoying to me.

Cupcake: How was the carpal tunnel appointment?

Mrs. G: I'm sorry to hear about the truck. I hope finding a new vehicle and everything goes smoothly for you :)

AFM: My doctor said no, like usual. I see him this upcoming Friday to get some forms filled out for disability so I can get a RDSP and start saving money and get finances in order. I will be contacting another office and once I know about the disability being accepted or not I will switch.

As for weight, I have been walking every day! It feels great to be moving again.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Urs- what's this doctors reason for not wanting to help you?

Swim- a girl!!!! That's so exciting! I'm sorry SO doesn't seem excited. 

Irym- sorry for the dip but I'm still holding hope!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - I hear stories of women getting touched by strangers all the time when they're pregnant. It seems really rude to just go up to someone, even if they're family, and put your hands on them in that way. Offering a hug, sure. Asking if they can touch, okay. But to just go up to someone and DO it whether or not they want you to is nuts. :dohh:

I'm glad the celebration went so well, though! That sounds so much better than a funeral where everyone seems to think you're not supposed to laugh or smile.

And you're having a girl! Awww. I'm sorry DH seemed disappointed. I think we all secretly hope for one or the other and if it doesn't happen, we feel that disappointment. Maybe you could point out all the good things about having a daughter, like attending Father & Daughter dances at school? A friend of mine learned she's having a boy, and her husband was disappointed because he wanted a girl, and she spent the day reminding him about all the stuff her DH could do with another boy, like riding dirt bikes when they're older.

And as for the testing -- yeah, why not check the easiest stuff first? Instead, they want us to do all the most expensive things first. I may just tell the lady that I don't want another ultrasound and to tell the physician to look at my previous ultrasound images instead. Ugh. We're still waiting on our income tax return to be deposited though so I'll be waiting a while longer anyway.


*Urs* - Yeah, I'd find a new doctor as soon as possible. Sheesh.


AFM -- AF showed up today, first thing this morning. Soooo I guess that means on to NTNP next month, and then back to TTC in May. 

The Vitex didn't seem to do anything for me this month, so I won't bother with it any more once I run out. I think I will take the Soy this month again, though, and probably start it today to see if I can cause my ovulation to happen earlier. 

I'll still temp and monitor fertility signs, and I think I'll do OPKs too. Then I can see for sure if the SIs helped.


Regarding the fertility clinic I currently use: They seem to think that since they're in an insurance network, and that you're required to get a referral from an OB/GYN who's already in that network in order to see them, that they can then proceed to do whatever they want with their patients instead of tailoring treatment the individual.

The only thing I'm worried about is what will happen if I go to an outside/3rd party clinic. I'm almost certain that their fees will be much higher than with the clinic in my network, but of course no one wants to talk prices before they get you set up for appointments, which also seems backwards.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- that does seem backwards. They told us the prices of all the testing and the first appointment before even scheduling any. They also said once we have the appointment and talk about what treatment plan we will do they will tell us cost before we decide to do the treatment.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Afm- dropped of DH SA this morning and called to set up an appointment. I left a vm and am waiting for a call back to schedule the appointment! I can't can't can't wait. I'm hoping for late this week or early next week as AF is due Thursday. No ov this month. My OPKs have been super negative and I think my temp spike this morning was from the doc sleeping on my legs.


----------



## caz & bob

:hi: girls just before xmas I joined the gym not been for 3 years since joining my :af: has been weird I had spotting for 16 days doctor checked my cervix all nice and healthy then she done a hormone test witch come back normal had a scan to check my ovarys and womb I have a cyst on my left ovary the doctor said it will go on it own this month af came 3 dyas earlier bleed for 4 days then 2 week later started to bleed again just spotting at the moment any bodys else have weird af threw exercise xx xx


----------



## ireadyermind

Hello, Caz & Bob. 

Welcome to the group! If you're looking to join our weight loss group, there's some basic info in the very first post in this thread with things like useful apps, health and fitness websites, workout routines, etc. They're worth taking a look at, and you can add us as friends if you happen to use the MyFitnessPal app so that we can all help keep each other accountable. :)

In regards to your question:

I have personally never had exercise cause problems for me with my cycle. I have heard that too much exercise can stress the body and make it STOP having AF, but I haven't heard of exercise causing spotting.

Maybe it just means you're pushing yourself too hard? 

Do you take vitamins or supplements?


----------



## mrs.green2015

Hello and welcome!

I personally don't have any experience with that but I hope you get it figured out soon!! 

Afm- DHs SA is normal and we have an appointment next Thursday with out infertility specialist!! I'm so excited. That should be cd 1 but who knows lol either way it'll be nice to start a new cycle with help. 
So far my possible problems are hypo thyroid and blocked tube. 
I'm very excited but DH doesn't seem too excited. I only talked to him for a minute so maybe he was just busy. 

As for the weightloss. Started fresh again today. I meal preped all our lunches yesterday so at least we're starting off on the right track.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ursaula said:


> Cupcake: How was the carpal tunnel appointment?
> 
> AFM: My doctor said no, like usual. I see him this upcoming Friday to get some forms filled out for disability so I can get a RDSP and start saving money and get finances in order. I will be contacting another office and once I know about the disability being accepted or not I will switch.
> 
> As for weight, I have been walking every day! It feels great to be moving again.

My appt was ok, Dr. didn't think surgery was needed....yet....Did an injection in my wrist. Kenalog to help with inflammation. My 1st 3 fingers went numb & my middle finger absolutely killed me over the weekend, but woke up yesterday & its amazing! NO PAIN! The shot worked! lol Excited to get busy with Spring/Summer projects! :happydance:

What's an RDSP? Sorry your Dr. is being an arse :/



swimmyj1 said:


> My grandpa's celebration was amazing. I can't believe how many people were there, over 250. We spent all of friday setting up large photo's of him throughout his life. It was amazing. No crying just lots of stories and laughter, but I still felt like I got to let a little bit of him go. It was so much better than any other funeral I had been to. We had a photographer there taking tons of family photos and ones of people dancing and laughing. It was beautiful I can't wait to see them.
> 
> I will say my bump got a little bigger this week, and the dress i picked out made me look a ton bigger, and everyone was touching me. I was not prepared for that. I really felt like they were just going around touching my fat and wasn't digging it, especially when people were doing it who I hadn't seen in 10+ years.
> 
> Bad note on the way back we got into a car accident, my OB wanted me to go to the hospital to get checked out (just a fender bender honestly). But the tech that scanned me let it slip we are having a girl. Baby was very curled up so I'm gonna wait until my appointment on the 30th to confirm. But DH seems kind of disappointed which has me upset. I know most men want a son but after how hard we worked for it I didn't think it would really matter...
> 
> Sorry long rant here gals.
> 
> Sorry she spoiled it for you! DH will come around, don't worry....My dh used to say he didn't want a girl, but after all we've been through, he just wants a healthy baby! Your GP's celebration sounds like what saying goodbye should be! He'll always be with you girl! Yay for a "bump!"
> 
> 
> 
> ireadyermind said:
> 
> 
> *Swimmy* -.
> 
> 
> AFM -- AF showed up today, first thing this morning. Soooo I guess that means on to NTNP next month, and then back to TTC in May.
> 
> The Vitex didn't seem to do anything for me this month, so I won't bother with it any more once I run out. I think I will take the Soy this month again, though, and probably start it today to see if I can cause my ovulation to happen earlier.
> 
> I'll still temp and monitor fertility signs, and I think I'll do OPKs too. Then I can see for sure if the SIs helped.
> 
> 
> Regarding the fertility clinic I currently use: They seem to think that since they're in an insurance network, and that you're required to get a referral from an OB/GYN who's already in that network in order to see them, that they can then proceed to do whatever they want with their patients instead of tailoring treatment the individual.
> 
> The only thing I'm worried about is what will happen if I go to an outside/3rd party clinic. I'm almost certain that their fees will be much higher than with the clinic in my network, but of course no one wants to talk prices before they get you set up for appointments, which also seems backwards.
> 
> I really hope the clinic gets it together & figures out the issues, without breaking you. I know infertility is a high dollar business, which is sad. Prayers the SIS did help & you can bypass the rest of the stuff! Soy never did cause me to O earlier, but I do feel it caused a stronger O for me! Good luck!
> 
> 
> 
> caz & bob said:
> 
> 
> :hi: girls just before xmas I joined the gym not been for 3 years since joining my :af: has been weird I had spotting for 16 days doctor checked my cervix all nice and healthy then she done a hormone test witch come back normal had a scan to check my ovarys and womb I have a cyst on my left ovary the doctor said it will go on it own this month af came 3 dyas earlier bleed for 4 days then 2 week later started to bleed again just spotting at the moment any bodys else have weird af threw exercise xx xxClick to expand...
> 
> Welcome! Sounds like the cyst is causing your spotting. I have a friend who is having spotting issues that has a cyst. Her Dr. said it's the cyst & should stop when the cyst resolves, but if it doesn't she will need to have it removed..
> 
> 
> 
> mrs.green2015 said:
> 
> 
> Hello and welcome!
> 
> I personally don't have any experience with that but I hope you get it figured out soon!!
> 
> Afm- DHs SA is normal and we have an appointment next Thursday with out infertility specialist!! I'm so excited. That should be cd 1 but who knows lol either way it'll be nice to start a new cycle with help.
> So far my possible problems are hypo thyroid and blocked tube.
> I'm very excited but DH doesn't seem too excited. I only talked to him for a minute so maybe he was just busy.
> 
> As for the weightloss. Started fresh again today. I meal preped all our lunches yesterday so at least we're starting off on the right track.Click to expand...
> 
> Yay for a normal SA! Excited to see what the specialist says! Maybe you just missed O with your schedule? I "re-started" my regimen yesterday too! I have got to crack down & finally stay on track! Seems like when I'm doing good something ALWAYS happens & I end up back at square 1 :(
> 
> Things have been amazing here since dh went through his retreat! It's like I have a new hubby! :) So kind & loving & just full of peace & joy! Not to mention, he's been REALLY attentive in the bedroom LMBO! Since he came home a week ago Sunday, we have only missed ONE day of bd! I'm actually hoping to skip tonight since he has a fire chief's meeting! It's exhausting to go from 2-3 times a week to every day! lol but of course I won't complain to him about the increase!:thumbup:DS & I finished moving his stuff to his new room & I have declared his old room as my prayer closet. Nice to have refuge, without distractions! I am going to paint in there though....Not sure what color, but I REALLY like the pale, sunny yellows for it! ;) In other news DD came to visit yesterday & ended up staying the night. !st few moments were awkward, but I had her help cook dinner, then she & I played cards & chatted. She seems to miss "family" meals & having someone around. Said her dad is always at work & they don't really cook or do anything....Made me sad, but I did tell her she was welcome to come visit anytime...All in all it's been a good visit! Also found out my good friend, who has 3 little ones is pregnant again, while being on the PILL! Not upset, but just wish it was that easy for the rest of us...Geez!Click to expand...


----------



## mrs.green2015

Cupcake- that's so amazing about your DD. She will truley appreciate you when she gets a little older. You're an amazing mom! And amazing about your DH being a new man. Sounds like everything is coming together! Now you need your bfp. 


Afm- our appointment is next Thursday but DH didn't even seem excited and he was just like well if I'm not super busy at work I can be there... I was really hurt because he's the one who was so excited and ready to see the RE. I was the hesitant one. 
I'm also frustrated because I gained 3 pounds in a week... I didn't even eat that bad? How did that even happen. I hate my body.


----------



## Ursaula

Mrs.G: My doctor's reason for not wanting to help is "a baby would ruin my life".

Yay for normal SA! Guys aren't usually really into ttc I think, I could be wrong though. Big hug!

IRYM: Boo af :( My view on the clinics are; your current clinic is running a million useless tests that are a little cheaper, BUT they're running a million of them. The other clinic may have a higher price, BUT they won't run useless ones (I hope). That's my thoughts on it...

Caz & Bob: When I was in high school any sort of abdominal pressure (sit-ups, getting a dodgeball in the gut) would trigger af to start. Other than that I can't really say much...

Cupcake: I'm happy the shot worked! Will it continue to work for a long period of time? I'm glad your DH is a new, even more wonderful man! Sounds like you had a great time with DD too :) Did she mention the boy again?

An RDSP is a registered disability savings plan. It's like a retirement fund but for people who have disabilities. The amount you put in, the government puts in 3 times that amount. I'm not disabled to the extent of autism or anything like that but I can't work because of anxieties and such. It's an ongoing issue and is why my doctor keeps saying no to babies. I've been doing much better though and hope to do some volunteer work in the near future. I am one of those people everyone says "gets free money from my hard earned money through taxes" or something like that. I'm not on welfare but I am on a disability benefit thing. Sorry for the long explanation...I have issues over it all and feel I need to explain myself...

AFM: I'm still walking everyday! Except for today. I hope to get out of my little funk quick so I can get back at it again.

I've decided to try "no poo" (meaning not using harsh shampoos full of chemicals). This is my second time trying it as I overall want to be a lot more natural. Today is my first official day. I used a honey treatment that made my hair look and feel so greasy and stiff I thought I was going to vomit just touching it. Long story short, I am now trying a shampoo bar (made of all natural ingredients). I had a second shower because I couldn't stand my hair, I LOVE this bar already! My hair feels great and it's only my first day doing it! Very glad I'm giving it a second try.


----------



## mrs.green2015

urs- I understand your doc concern but at the end of the day he can't refuse medical help right? That's just crazy. I'm sorry. I think you'll be a great mom! Just ask for a referral to anther doctor.


----------



## swimmyj1

Cupcake - I'm so happy your DD came around. You really are a wonderful mom, and when she looks back she will appreciate it. I did something dumb like that when I was her age and went to live at my aunt (who gave very little supervision, and wanted to be a friend more than an adult) and I ended up back at my moms begging to come home and to feel loved. I'm glad shes doing the same even if it has hurt you so deeply. Also yay! about your hand and prayer room that just sounds amazing! 

caz & bob - welcome! This is really a great group full of good idea's and super supportive :) As for the bleeding I have had bleeding when cysts pop during working out when I was really jogging or kick boxing. (not that I do that much sense high school lol) 

mrs.green - my Dh wasn't super excited going to the fertility clinic either. He went to the 1st meeting and that was it. kind of was disappointed. Are you going to start AF soon? I always would go up in weight the week before AF. 

IRYM - I just dont like being touched. Is it rude to ask people not to touch me? especially at like my baby shower or something??

Ursaula - i'm not sure what the rules are like in canada but i know in the US, doctors can refuse to treat people if they feel it is not in the patients best interest to have a baby, wither for health, emotional or financial reasons, because it's technically all elective procedures here. So some people have to go around to many different clinic's before people will treat them. A same sex couple I'm friends with had to go to 2 different clinic's in our area to get pregnant because the 1st clinic was very conservative and sense same sex marriage is not recognized in our state they would not impregnate a "single" women. even though her and her spouse have been together for almost 5 years. Not staying its right but doctors/clinic's can say no.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Swim- I had no idea about doctors being able to do that! That's crazy especially for a same sex couple. Jeez. 
Anyway. AF should be due next Thursday but since this is an anovulatory cycle it could be anytime. I've had 23 day, 33day, and 28 day cycles that were anovulatory.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - Glad to hear the shot worked! That's got to be such a huge relief.

*Urs* - At this point all that's left to test are hormones and that ultrasound. I would really just be switching to a different clinic in case I needed to do IUI or IVF. There are places in town that guarantee you'll get pregnant or else they'll do another IVF treatment free of charge. I can tell you that's something that the HMO clinic does not offer. If it comes down to doing IVF I would definitely switch clinics. But for one ultrasound and some blood tests? Not sure it's worth the hassle. 

Also - glad to hear that the shampoo bar is working for you! I'm not brave enough to try it, myself. My hair is so so so thick that I have a lot of trouble with some shampoo alternatives actually getting it clean, so I've stuck with commercially prepared shampoo.

I do, however, make my own body cream! I love doing that, because I can control what goes in it and tailor the recipe to my personal skin type. AND I can make it smell however I want to with essential oils! haha. My current batch of body cream is lavender vanilla! :)

*Swimmy* - No, it's not rude. People seem to think that because a woman is pregnant, it's automatically OK to go up and touch her without permission. No one should be touched without their permission, even just for a hug or a pat on the back.

There are some non-verbal things you can try to get people to stop touching: angle your body away from them when talking, put your arms or hands over your belly as though to say "Mine!". Additionally, crossing your arms over your chest tells people you are not 'off limits', so to speak. People generally pick up on those kinds of cues without realizing it. But if you're with a particularly stubborn group of touchers, you can just say, "No touching, please."


----------



## mrs.green2015

Do you ladies ever have days where all you can think about it having a baby? Like I literally can't focus on anything at this point but getting pregnant. It makes me sad and happy all at the same time. I just keep thinking I'd be 27 weeks now, I would be so close to have a baby. Yet here I am no baby, not even ovulation. Sorry mini rant and feel sorry for myself today.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ursaula said:


> Mrs.G: My doctor's reason for not wanting to help is "a baby would ruin my life".
> 
> Yay for normal SA! Guys aren't usually really into ttc I think, I could be wrong though. Big hug!
> 
> IRYM: Boo af :( My view on the clinics are; your current clinic is running a million useless tests that are a little cheaper, BUT they're running a million of them. The other clinic may have a higher price, BUT they won't run useless ones (I hope). That's my thoughts on it...
> 
> Caz & Bob: When I was in high school any sort of abdominal pressure (sit-ups, getting a dodgeball in the gut) would trigger af to start. Other than that I can't really say much...
> 
> Cupcake: I'm happy the shot worked! Will it continue to work for a long period of time? I'm glad your DH is a new, even more wonderful man! Sounds like you had a great time with DD too :) Did she mention the boy again?
> 
> An RDSP is a registered disability savings plan. It's like a retirement fund but for people who have disabilities. The amount you put in, the government puts in 3 times that amount. I'm not disabled to the extent of autism or anything like that but I can't work because of anxieties and such. It's an ongoing issue and is why my doctor keeps saying no to babies. I've been doing much better though and hope to do some volunteer work in the near future. I am one of those people everyone says "gets free money from my hard earned money through taxes" or something like that. I'm not on welfare but I am on a disability benefit thing. Sorry for the long explanation...I have issues over it all and feel I need to explain myself...
> 
> AFM: I'm still walking everyday! Except for today. I hope to get out of my little funk quick so I can get back at it again.
> 
> I've decided to try "no poo" (meaning not using harsh shampoos full of chemicals). This is my second time trying it as I overall want to be a lot more natural. Today is my first official day. I used a honey treatment that made my hair look and feel so greasy and stiff I thought I was going to vomit just touching it. Long story short, I am now trying a shampoo bar (made of all natural ingredients). I had a second shower because I couldn't stand my hair, I LOVE this bar already! My hair feels great and it's only my first day doing it! Very glad I'm giving it a second try.

 She didn't say a word, neither did I. She did say she wasn't hanging out with the gal who was driving her car though......



mrs.green2015 said:


> Do you ladies ever have days where all you can think about it having a baby? Like I literally can't focus on anything at this point but getting pregnant. It makes me sad and happy all at the same time. I just keep thinking I'd be 27 weeks now, I would be so close to have a baby. Yet here I am no baby, not even ovulation. Sorry mini rant and feel sorry for myself today.

Yep. I have alot of those days....I think the only thing that will make it better for us is having a baby in our my arms...Life just isn't fair sometimes & I'm sorry your hurting, but just know I've been there & at times still am! .......Hugs!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs.Green* - Love the new profile picture! You're such a pretty lady! :hugs: There are days when I certainly have baby on the brain. It was worse before DH and I were actively TTC though, I think that was because I wanted a baby really badly and we weren't even allowed to try for one yet, due to my cervical issues.

The only thing I can say is: think of getting in shape and becoming healthier as one more thing to bring a pregnancy closer into range! It might help you to stay focused on something that will help you reach the "baby" goal. :)



AFM -- TMI warning, so don't read along if you're squeamish. Haha


This AF has been super clotty, and I'm not sure why that is? I have had clots before, but not for quite a while. In fact, I can't remember a time in the last 10 months or so that I've had clotting like this. I tried doing some research to see what causes it, such as too much estrogen, not enough progesterone, etc. but the most that the health sites would say was "hormonal imbalance" and sometimes they said it was caused by fibroids. But I've had the HSG and multiple ultrasounds (both vaginal and other), and there aren't any fibroids in my uterus.

It's not that big a deal, it just makes me curious. Is it a GOOD sign, or a bad one?

AF is lasting longer for me this month, too. Usually I'm 2 days + 1 of spotting, and this month it's more like 3 + 1. I think the longer AF is a good sign because I was worried about not having a thick enough lining to support a pregnancy, so if I get up to a good 3 or 4 days of AF that will be an improvement in my book. lol

Anyway, I was just wondering if you ladies had any insight on the clotting issue. What caused it for you, if you noticed any patterns, etc. Thanks in advance!




On the weight loss front, I read a somewhat inspiring article this morning. It basically reconfirmed that I was doing the right thing: focusing on eating healthy and moving more, instead of severely restricting my self on calories. (This gal used to only eat 400 calories a day! Crazy! She realized how unhealthy that was and stopped starving herself).

The article said, in a nutshell:

1. Eat more protein and less added sugars (30g or less a day of sugar) 
2. Eat all the fruits and veggies you want
3. Eat a good, high-protein breakfast so you won't want to snack all day
4. Start off exercising slowly, like walking a few blocks, and work your way up
5. Drink plenty of water
6. Don't focus on the scale, find other progress measurements (before & after photos, clothing sizes, measurements of waist, thighs, etc.)
7. Carry healthy snacks with you when you leave the house so you don't buy fast food
8. Learn about healthy swaps for those times when you really do want to eat out somewhere, like turkey burgers instead of beef, or steamed veggies instead of a potato.
9. Track what you eat AND how hungry you feel after eating it. Then you can see which foods are best for keeping you full and satisfied.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Urs- very similar to what I'm doing. Except the fruit part. I only eat a little in the morning because it's very high in sugar and for me it seems to digest fast. Doesn't keep me full.


----------



## swimmyj1

Irym - I love that food plan! I feel like I could totally stick with that. As for the clotting mine was like that (not quite that bad but clotty) and it was my progesterone. So I really hope the run your labs it's such an easy fix!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Thanks!


AFM - Just got back from a nice weekend out of town with DH.

Friday night we saw Loreena McKennitt in concert (look her up! :) ), Saturday we drove around a quaint little beach town called Bodega Bay, and Sunday we spend the afternoon in San Francisco. Now I'm back home and worn out! lol. 

It was a great trip and I really feel mentally refreshed after that change in scenery.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- you must live in Cali! Me too! What a small world. We're up near sac. I love bodega bay. It's so nice there without too many tourist. 
we went up to Reno for a quick overnight trip to just get out of town and relax.


----------



## ireadyermind

mrs.green2015 said:


> Irym- you must live in Cali! Me too! What a small world. We're up near sac. I love bodega bay. It's so nice there without too many tourist.
> we went up to Reno for a quick overnight trip to just get out of town and relax.

I do live in CA! We are actually _in_ Sacto. Haha. 

Bodega Bay is really nice. I hadn't been there in 10+ years and DH had never been at all, so it was a good trip. He really liked it! We would have stayed the night there, but it was a spur of the moment trip out (since it was only 30mins away from our concert venue) and all the inns were full. Boooo. Haha


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey gals! Hope all is well...AFM the witch is due today, but I'm praying she skips me!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Cupcake- we will be pretty close to cycle buddies this month. I started spitting today so I assume tomorrow AF will be here

Irym- what a nice trip! We're just up the road in Roseville. What a tiny world!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - FX'd! Good luck and baby dust!

*Mrs.Green* - Wow, it IS a small world!


----------



## cupcakestoy

BFN today :( Still no sign of AF, but officially ntnp & more focused on wt loss, as financials are in order....I'm the only thing holding us back I guess :/


----------



## mrs.green2015

Sorry cupcake! I've been focusing on wt loss too. Well until Thursday. I'm down a couple more pounds and am feeling so much better.


----------



## cupcakestoy

I'm just super bummed! I'm a 26 cycle day type gal, rarely ever go more unless medicated, but no sign of af :( Was hopeful that all that reunion bd-ing would pay off.....DRATS!!!!! 
Skipped out on a training meeting tonight as a gal there is due a week after I was & I just can't take it today! ALso skipped out on bible study tonight ue to the preggo people.....UGH I'll be in my box if you need me! :cry:


----------



## cupcakestoy

BFN. No AF. No spotting. UGh!


In other exciting news....I bit the bullet, took a leap of faith & requested an appt with the Fertility clinic!!!!:wohoo: It was scary to push the send button, but I am READY to get the ball rolling! I requested it in late July or early August.....So that means I HAVE to get busy, which is a good thing since I do better under pressure lol I told my dh this morning that I was thinking about it, but I didn't tell him I WAS doing it today! I'm sure it will be fine with him, but to see the look on his face will probably be a good time!


----------



## swimmyj1

green - yay on the weight loss!

cupcake - I'm so glad you made that step to see a specialist. I really hope they can give you some answers and help you get your BFP

AFM - scary last few days. I had a lot of cramping and bleeding while at work the other night. Went to the ER (thank goodness I was already there lol). My potassium and sodium levels were dangerously low and I was having heart irregularities. Baby thank goodness was fine. They think the clotting was from my car accident last week, sense they were low in my cervix and it was closed. I got some sodium and potassium replacement but still had a small seizure. Scared the hell out of me. I didn't think about how sick I've been sense being pregnant effecting my electrolytes this much. I now have to get them checked once a week. I'm still really worried that it effected baby. :(


----------



## mrs.green2015

How scary swim! I'm so glad everything is ok!!

My first infertility appointment is tomorrow. All tests have been done. (Except ultrasound that's tomorrow) for any ladies that have been, what should i expect? Why advice?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Swimmy- my goodness! I would be scared too! Hope its a short term problem, which is thankfully caught early!
Mrs. G- good luck tomorrow & kup! Be sure to write down your ?s or you'll forget in all the nerved/excitement!

Dh just grinned me & hugged ;) he did say he was going to be my walking buddy, so we'll see how that goes....


----------



## Fern81

Hi gals, missing you all!! 
I'll be back on Saturday, catch up properly etc. Just quickly wanted to reply to mrsgreen:
The best advice I got (happens to be from a bnb buddy! ) is to write down EVERYTHING you want to ask the dr and take the list with you. You can check it off as your questions get answered lol I do it every time so my dr knows to ask for "the list" with each consult!! Just because we are usually so stressed/excited seeing the fertility specialist that we might forget half of what we wanted to ask. You might ask about cd3 blood tests to test FSH and LH baseline values, 7dpo blood test to test for progesterone, baseline ultrasounds to check antral follicle count, cd10 u/s to check developing follicles and measure uterine lining thickness, ultrasound after O to confirm presence of corpus luteum, blood tests for clotting and immune factors, hsg to look at tubes... (I know you had one but ask about the results and if you can have any problems fixed! My first hsg showed a blocked tube but subsequent two hsgs showed no blockages so they can even repeat the test for a second opinion).
More invasive tests include a hysteroscopy (where they check for abnormalities eg polyps or fibroids or septums inside uterus with tiny camera) and a laparoscopy where they check for endo and other anatomical abnormalities via lap portals. During both those procedures you will have anaesthesia but if there is something structurally wrong they can usually surgically fix it during the procedure.
Also ask about the possibility of pcos and testosterone tests /ultrasounds to check it out.
Then query Clomid or femara, more closely monitored cycles while medicated, etc.

Those are all the tests/procedures I've had so far :) if you want to ask the dr about any of them!

GOOD LUCK can't wait to hear what dr says.

Cupcake- eeekkkk for IVF date!!!!! So exciting. 

Swimmy- take care of yourself hun, hope everything is OK now.

Will catch up properly on Sat and tell my planned ivf story etc :)


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - You must be so excited! And nervous. I'm like you: work best under a deadline/pressure. I bet with that goal in mind you'll really be able to buckle down! 

*Swimmy* - Yikes! That IS scary! I'm glad you were able to get that taken care of so quickly. I'm sure baby will be all right!

*Mrs. Green* - I don't have anything else to add in regards to what you should do at your appointment. These gals seem to have covered it nicely! Haha. All I can say is keep us posted!

*Fern* - We're excited to have you back with us!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Thank you ladies so much! I've made a short list but I think it'll be a lot of questions as they come up I'm usually pretty good about asking questions during. 

Fern- thinking of you. Can't wait for a full update. I feel like this journey you took away from Bnb has been so amazing and I can't wait to hear all about it. 

Irym- how are you Hun? Haven't heard from you awhile. 

Cupcake- I'm sooo happy for you! Sooooo happy for you. How come you're waiting until August for an appointment?


----------



## MerryAnn

Thanks for the info :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Mrs. G- I need to lose some weight for best success rate with ivf


----------



## mrs.green2015

I know about the success rate and I guess since it's so expensive you'd want the best odds. You can do it girl!

I just got done at the doctors and was prescribed clomid at 100mg.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Yep, I want the odds in our favor for sure! Good luck with the Clomid!


----------



## caz & bob

ireadyermind said:


> Hello, Caz & Bob.
> 
> Welcome to the group! If you're looking to join our weight loss group, there's some basic info in the very first post in this thread with things like useful apps, health and fitness websites, workout routines, etc. They're worth taking a look at, and you can add us as friends if you happen to use the MyFitnessPal app so that we can all help keep each other accountable. :)
> 
> In regards to your question:
> 
> I have personally never had exercise cause problems for me with my cycle. I have heard that too much exercise can stress the body and make it STOP having AF, but I haven't heard of exercise causing spotting.
> 
> Maybe it just means you're pushing yourself too hard?
> 
> Do you take vitamins or supplements?

taking folic acid and multi vitamins well woman used to always take pregnacare xx xx


----------



## caz & bob

:hi: girls thanks your all a big help not been bad this time round not been spotting so I hope the cyst has gone spoke with my doctor she wants me to do day 21 bloods my next cycle to see if I ovulate because I didn't last month on the exercise front not been the gym as my dd isn't well she had a viral infection high temp and vomiting she over that now she full of a cold green snot one thing after another with her since she started nusery xx xx


----------



## MerryAnn

This is so useful information. Thanks :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

:witch: finally arrived this morning....Onto cycle # 43, I believe.....1 cycle closer to IVF though, so bring it!


----------



## mrs.green2015

One step closer to ivf that will give you your baby! You go girl!


----------



## Fern81

Hi everyone! 

I missed posting on here :) really missed the support system a lot. 

Cupcake - I'm really excited for both of our IVF journeys. I know you can get your weight down hun. Especially now that you have a fixed date to look forward to. Glad that you and your daughter are sorting things out and moving onto a happier place. And that your DH is so supportive!

IRYM - you are just so positive each time I see your posts - are you doing something differently this cycle? I've read through the last few pages and didn't notice whether you have a specific different plan or taking supplements. You did mention perhaps you want to switch doctors? It's high time you got a sticky bfp! Maybe you can also get tested for blood clotting issues or immune issues if you manage to find a dr who is willing to actually take you seriously and help you get your baby.

Ursaula - Hi! I hope you are doing well and still walking every day :) exercise is soooo good to help with emotional ups and downs. Have you made any further decisions regarding a job or schooling? GL hun with whatever you decide. x

MrsGreen - yay for clomid; and you were just in time to start taking it THIS CYCLE already! And I'm SO happy you found a good, caring, pro-active doctor. Clomid has some side effects and may I warn you it can make weight loss really hard urgghhhh but if it helps you ovulate and you get your baby, it will all be worth it! I've had 8 clomid cycles and Swimmy & Cupcakestoy also took clomid a few times so we can all empathise with side effects and give you loads of advice hehe.

Sooooo AFM:

Had laparoscopy and hysteroscopy on the 9th of March. I can't remember if I posted about it but in any case the hysteroscopy showed no intra-uterine abnormalities. The lap showed stage 3 endo which had grown back since my last lap in Dec 2014; there was not a LOT of endo however my left fallopian tube had fused to my ovary, uterus, abdominal wall etc again so the anatomy in there was totally distorted. Dr cut everything loose and all endo is removed so theoretically I should be able to get pregnant now.... but I've heard doctors say that before so I'm still not gettting my hopes up too high. We still don't know anything about my egg quality and won't know until IVF. 

You know how my dr tells me everything and shows me everything? Well he took a video of my laparoscopy and was showing me everything he did in there (at my post-op consultation), so interesting. He showed how everything was fused together and how he cut it loose... at which point I became so nauseated at the sight of my own blood, guts and cauterised flesh on the screen that I had to stop watching lol!!! But how amazing is that, my treatment is an open book! He also keeps phoning me personally each time I have a question. I love my dr and nurse and wish I could buy them each a unicorn or something lol.

TTC plans: atm I'm 3 dpo in my last cycle of trying "naturally" before IVF in May. I don't have high hopes for a bfp; my body is still healing after surgery. But we had to give it one last shot right! And bd timing was perfect. In April I will be on the Pill because we are doing short protocol IVF in May so I won't be downregulating beforehand. IVF injections and meds set to start around 2-3 May! Egg collection mid May, end of May I could maybe be preggers! If my eggs are OK and we get blastocysts to freeze, we can do FET in August if May fails (dr won't do IVF or FET in June/July becuase it's our winter then and that means a lower success rate statistically). My clinic does FET with natural cycles and it costs a tenth of what IVF costs so we can afford it. But let's hope by then I'm already pregnant.
I also have a pack of clomid left in my cupboard and dr said it's fine if I take the clomid any other month if IVF is unsuccessful because it won't worsen my endo.

Eesshhh I will post about my diet/pre-IVF eating plan later, we have plans to go out with friends and I have to quickly hop in the shower.

xxxx


----------



## Fern81

And Swimmy! I hope you are feeling better? Congrats on having a girl hun; at least there is no way a girl baby can have the XYY abnormality so that's great!! X


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcake I love your view, totally agree one step closer to IVF! yay!

Fern - Hoping you wont need IVF in may but that's so close! Fingers are sooo crossed. I'm glad surgery went well and that you are on the road to recovery. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday, I ate way to much food >.< My parents, brother and nana came out and we did dinner yesterday and a big breakfast today before work tonight. It was so nice having people come here, for a change instead of me having to drive out there. My anatomy scan in on Wednesday, here's to hoping that they say it's still a girl haha. My DH has come around a lot on the idea of having a girl, but he said today there is always a chance they were wrong haha. It's been such bad weather here this week I didn't get to be outside at all. Here's to hoping I can kayak on my day off, I need to get out and move!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Welcome back! :) We missed you, too!

We're not really doing anything at all this cycle. I needed a break, and I've always said I don't want a December baby. That's what I'd get if I conceived this cycle, anyway! Haha. So it's NTNP this month. I haven't even really been temping, which was not my intention but it just fell by the wayside along with OPKs and the Soy Isoflavones as well.

I do try to stay positive even when I'm feeling a little run down. I always hope it will help keep all of us cheerful and motivated. :) 

AFM --

My Easter weekend was rather chaotic. I'm going to tell you gals the story of my Easter Holiday. Settle in nice and comfy, because this is a somewhat long read! 

My sisters and my mother are always doing everything last minute, and since I live about 2.5 hours away from them, last minute doesn't work for me. I had been asking Mom for a few weeks what she wanted me to bring for Easter, in terms of food. For all that time, she told me she didn't know yet and would tell me "later."

Then, on Friday, she casually says, "I was thinking of doing sandwiches at the park on Saturday afternoon. What do you think?" I said, "That's fine, hubby and I probably won't be up there in time for lunch, so you guys do whatever you like. I'll just let you know when we're on the road."

Well, we get to Mom's on Saturday afternoon and she says, "Where's the sandwich stuff I asked you guys to bring?" :dohh: Cue an argument over whether or not Mom asked me to bring anything, and she says, "I will pull up my text messages right now and prove it!" So she does. And falls silent. Because all she said to me despite my repeatedly asking her what she wanted me to bring was "I'm thinking of doing sandwiches at the park."

And there was a repeat of a similar issue with my sister! We had been discussing making an Easter basket for our Dad, and I had offered several suggestions as to what to include in it. My sister didn't like any of my suggestions, such as a new travel coffee mug, and said I could just give her some cash when we came up.

Friday morning she wants to know, "Did you get Dad that coffee mug?" What? No! You said all I needed to do was just give you cash to help pay for the other stuff!

And THEN Mom suddenly decides to tell us at 10:30pm that she doesn't have space for us to sleep at her house unless we want to set up our air mattress on the kitchen floor. And "You should have brought blankets. I don't have any". Except I know for a fact she has a whole linen cupboard full of them... By then it was too late at night to get a hotel reservation, we couldn't exactly drive back home to grab stuff or sleep there.... :growlmad: DH and I were pretty irked over that. My sister lives IN TOWN and could have easily just gone back to her house 5 mins away to sleep there with her kids, but it was DH and I that got the short end of the stick when we drove almost three hours to be a part of the festivities.

I was really, really frustrated. I spend the whole month of March asking what I need to bring up for Easter, how many people are coming, sleeping arrangements, etc. and for 29 of those 30 days, she says, "I don't know, it's too early to tell!" 

I said, "Mom, if you want me to bring stuff, you need to say, 'Please bring ___' or else I don't know you want me to bring stuff. If you don't have enough blankets OR the room to house us all, you need to say so! We would happily have gotten a hotel room so that the grandkids could all sleep at your house!" :dohh:

Additionally, my sister goes into "not my job" mode the moment she's at Mom's house, and lets her kids run wild. She has a 6mo old daughter and always tells someone else to tend to the poor girl whenever she cries. She lets the toddler run amok, climbing stuff, digging holes, throwing dirt, etc. and seems to think it's someone else's responsibility to tend to the guy, when our Mom and Sister and Me are cooking, cleaning, and prepping for Easter dinner in other rooms of the house.

Needless to say, I got very little sleep over the weekend and was run ragged trying to corral 2 toddlers and 2 older boys, while also cooking, cleaning, and trying to visit with my Dad, whom I haven't seen since October.

When we got home last night I pretty much dropped our luggage just inside the front door and went straight to bed. haha

I told DH that if he wanted to just automatically get a hotel room every time we go up there from here on out, that was fine by me. Especially if it was a hotel with a hot tub on the premises. lol


----------



## Fern81

Swimmy I'm glad you enjoyed your Easter; hope that means you are feeling really well again.

IRYM - OMW what a story! I would have been quite p* off. We spent Easter alone in a different city watching a sport tournament, we just went to the Church service there and no family drama. My brother is getting married this weekend so the family is a bit stressed out (because HE is so stressed about all the wedding details); I want none of that lol!

Welp ladies as of this morning I have officially lost 5 kg :) (11 pounds) since mid Feb. 
My weight today is 55kg! 121 pounds yay! I would love to lose more (and I'm sure I can) but atm my BMI is at the low end of normal (I'm about 1,65 m tall) and obv I need enough nutrition for IVF. (I don't completely agree with the BMI index because it doesn't take your build into account e.g I might not weigh much but I look chubby because I have a teeny bone structure). I want to step up the exercise regime as well but very intense exercise isn't great for IVF; I'm doing moderate exercise until after IVF.

Once we decide we are done with ttc for good, I can really get as thin & toned as I want! So at the end of the year I will either be pregnant or have a bikini bod (lol I say this every year but _this time_ my eating plan is actually working and hopefully I will stick to it :haha::blush:)

Exercise: Running (jogging)/doing HIIT (thanks again MrsGreen for the toneitup website info! I love their workouts.) Even 15 minutes HIIT a day makes a difference.

I eat (based on EXTENSIVE research :amartass:): 
*Full cream plain yogurt (low fat/fat free dairy can lead to ovulatory infertility)
*ENOUGH healthy oils & fats (olive, coconut, avocado oil and butter from grass fed organic cows) (I ONLY cook with coconut oil, all the others can't handle high heats and denature during the cooking process, yes even olive oil! If I want to eat other oils I add them after cooking)
*Whey powder (only in smoothies)
*Lots of non-starchy veg, especially dark green leafy veg
*Berries
*Hormone-free, free range organic eggs and meat
*Fish
*Plain boiled sweet potato
*Raw tree nuts (no peanuts)
*Herbs, chilies and garlic from the garden to flavor my food
*Kosher sea salt/Himalayan sea salt (just check out the amount of additives in refined salt!)

That's it! NOTHING out of a can or packet, no sauces, no sugary fruit, no added sugar, no sugary drinks, especially no toxic artificial sweeteners.

I eat like this at least 95% of the time. Adding in sweet potato and cutting out all grains & grain/seed oils have finally made an amazing difference. I have lots of energy, feel full in the evenings and the weight is dropping off at an alarming rate :winkwink:!

I start the day with protein (preferably with veg e.g. eggs and spinach fried in coconut oil) ; snack on nuts/yogurt/berries, have a fist-sized piece of sweet potato no later than 3 PM, end the day with protein & veg. I try to prepare meals & smoothies in advance so I don't get caught with nothing to eat; that helps me not to grab something unhealthy when I'm very busy. 

I still take all my egg-health and ttc related supplements, so does DH.

Finally my new favorite: dry skin brushing twice a day. I LOVE it. It really energizes me in the morning and calms me down in the evening. And my cellulite is noticeably less after these few months.

How is everyone else's dieting/exercising? :hugs:


----------



## Fern81

6 dpo today. Officially the last tww before IVF. Only 5 weeks to go eeeeeeeekkkk


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern- I'm so excited for us both, though I hope neither end up having to do IVF to get our babies! I am SO ready to get started! I've been killing my diet & exercising every day...I'm so pumped lol

IRYM-Family sucks sometimes :( Sorry girl....

Hello to everyone else! Sorry I've been awful at personals!


----------



## Fern81

Lol cupcake I know right; for the first time since 2014 I've also been killing my diet & exercise plan! Seems like we've FINALLY found a way of sticking to a diet - just set a date for IVF :haha::haha:


----------



## mrs.green2015

So happy for you ladies! I've been ok with my diet but I want to loose 20 pounds in the next couple months. I need to come up with a better goal maybe I'll work on that today!


----------



## ireadyermind

I've personally been doing horribly with my diet and exercise routines. Oye. I'm in a slump, I tell you!

But the weather's getting to be so nice, and we have daylight past 7pm now (instead of getting dark at about 5pm. Ew), I'm starting to get a case of Spring Fever where I want to spend every hour outside doing something! haha. I'm toying with the idea of starting our dogs on a new Walk routine. We don't go walking much because I'm a little leery of going out and about by myself, but I figure if I have two large dogs with me I won't look like much of a good target to potential creeps. AND we finally live in a good neighborhood, instead of the ghetto we were housed in a year ago. 

The only issue is that with all the blooming flowers, trees and shrubs, my allergies are making me miserable. I've had several days/nights with asthma/wheezing in addition to the usual sniffles and watery eyes, almost to the point where I considered a run to urgent care or the ER for a breathing treatment. I might wait another few weeks for the flowering trees to stop that silliness so I can breathe when I go outside. lol

It sounds like I need some kind of major goal ahead of me like you gals have! 

*Mrs. Green*, let's brainstorm and see what kinds of things we can come up with. :haha:


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- I love it! I think that's a great idea. Let's come up with something. 
And I know allergies in the Valley are soooo bad! I've been miserable lately.


----------



## Fern81

Noooooo IRYM you have to find your mojo again!!! C'mon hun think of a plan :) I know you can do it!


----------



## ireadyermind

lol. I haven't had mojo for a while! Just been trying to eat better and drink enough water. But I know I need to get back on the wagon.

I've got a low carb grocery list written up for this weekend so that I can get back to that. I always do better (and feel better) when I eat fewer carbs, so that's where I'll start. I'm just so tired of being heavy, of busting my butt to try and lose weight and not making any progress, you know? :dohh: It gets me down. But I'm coming around again and getting back to my healthy habits. :)


Also, just wanted to share this video: Here's what 200 calories looks like in different foods!

https://www.facebook.com/toby.clay.16/videos/1844747075752059/


----------



## mrs.green2015

I've seen that video and love it! 

So here's my goal ladies. I need you to keep me on track. 
Loose 20 pounds by June 1st.


----------



## Fern81

Irym- well a grocery list is a good start!! I cut out all carbs except sweet potato, which I eat for lunch plain or with olive oil. So easy to cook a whole pot of sweet potato chunks and for 3 days you have a ready made lunch. It helps keep me full & avoid carb cravings& uncontrolled cheating haha!


----------



## Fern81

Yay Green for a great goal! You can definitely do it!!

Maybe we should start doing again what we did @ the beginning of the thread: post your weight loss every Monday as well as what you did RIGHT and what you struggled with.

And keep each other motivated; yep for sure.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Oh I love that idea fern! Monday weigh in and if you have a goal put down how much you've lost and how much to your goal or something like that


----------



## Fern81

I have to give credit where it's due; it was IRYM 's idea way back when the thread started. But after a while we stopped doing it; inertia!!

I will def do it with you and whoever else wants to xx

Clearly this is a freaking long tww I'm posting, reading and on Google way too much!


----------



## MerryAnn

Thanks for the info.


----------



## cupcakestoy

I'm game! My goal is of course to lose 40 pounds by August 29th, 50 would be wonderful too! I know its a lot, but I figure 40-50 pounds in 5 months is doable.....Let's get it!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Totally do able cupcake!! 
Can't wait to Monday (weird) lol


----------



## SassyV

May I join!?


----------



## Fern81

I love the energy everyone's feeling!!!
Cupcake you can definitely do it. I've lost 20kg in 6 months 5 years ago and was not eating as healthy as I am now, nor doing HIIT (long story...) so with your eating plan and exercising it's definitely doable.

My goal for now is to maintain my weight at 121 pounds at least until I know if I have bfp this month or not. Then in April lose max 2-4 pounds and carry on with moderate exercise to maintain a healthy body before IVF.

If ivf fails, once we decide to stop ttc I want to lose 7-8 more pounds :) and be reeeeaaaallllyyyy skinny! :) but I will plan it out if I get there.


----------



## Fern81

Hi Sassy you are so welcome! 
Tell us a bit about yourself and your ttc/weight loss/fitness goals story :)

ETA: thanks AGAIN Green for the toneitup website link. I just finished the bikini kettlebell workout; have been doing combo's of those with other HIIT exercises and I LOVE how they go to all the trouble of compiling exercises to target all the different muscle groups. And then lots of it is downloadable for free yay. I don't even have kettlebells but just do the exercises with old 2,5 kg and 5 kg weights. When we were away for the long weekend I did the routines with a 2L bottle filled with water - hey it weighs a bit more than 2kg so good enough lol.

Green I also wanted to ask you just for interest sake - are your ovaries painful/crampy when you do your workouts now that they are getting Clomid-stimulated? I had that happen to me once or twice (on clomid) and wondered how many other ladies experience it. I'm so excited for this cycle for you hun :)


----------



## ireadyermind

We definitely need to get back to weekly weigh-ins and goals, I'm glad you gals are ready to get back to that routine!

Everyone please make an updated post that contains ONLY the info for the tracker. This will be your new goal tracker and is the one you will come back to and edit for the duration of your weight loss journey.

*Remember: do not make a new post for every weigh-in, come back to your tracker post to make updates there, please! 
*
I will put a link to your tracker post in the FIRST post of this thread so that everyone can follow along and reference it easily.

Here's the tracker post template and exercise info:
https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/ttc-groups/2264187-getting-fit-before-baby.html#post34419995

Also, if you haven't downloaded MyFitnessPal, please consider doing so! It's a free app, and we can help keep each other accountable with eating and exercise through that app, as well as giving encouragement, "Likes" and so on.

I may start posting weekly/monthly contests with "prizes" (probably little badges you can put in your signature!) for the winners. Thoughts?


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- I haven't been working out :( so idk. Lol but I'm getting some weird feelings lately so I think I would if I was working out.


----------



## ireadyermind

----------------------------------------------
IREADYERMIND'S GOALS & STATS POST
----------------------------------------------

*Stats:*
Height: 5' 9'' 
Starting Weight: 275lbs (just an estimate - my scale's batteries chose this week to die! haven't bought new ones yet)
Goal Weight: 180lbs
MyFitnessPal Username: iReadYerMind


*Goals:*
Lose 8 - 10 lbs by: May 1, 2016
Fit into size 18 pants by: May 1, 2016


*My Plan:*
- Approx 1,400 cals/day
- Low carb foods, plenty of fresh or steamed veggies and grilled meats
- 2+ liters of water every day
- 1 cup of coffee per day only
- 15 mins of cardio, 5 days a week (to start. will increase as I build up consistency)

*Weigh-ins:*
April 3 2016: 275
April 10 2016: 274.2
April 18 2016: 274.0
April 25 2016: 274.2
---------------------------
TOTAL LOSS: .8 pounds

*Things I struggled with this month:* During the last week of the month, I had a hard time sticking to my diet. I was tired of cooking, and I was dealing with an arm injury that made EVERYTHING difficult (imagine being right-handed and unable to use your right hand for anything!), so cooking was an even bigger chore for me. It was just easier to order takeout instead of eating healthy. And in those last few days, I drank more coffee than water because I was feeling so run down. Yikes.

*Things I did well this month:* I really stuck to my workout for the most part this month. I'm proud of that. DH and I went walking pretty regularly, especially on weekends. We even went to the mall and walked around indoors (safer than walking outside at night, plus it's air conditioned!) for about 30 minutes. I did really well with my food intake for the first 3 weeks, so I need to find a way to keep up with it for the full month instead of 3 out of 4 weeks. 

Onward to May!

*-------------
MAY 2016
-------------

Weigh-ins:*
Starting Weight: 274.2
May 2: 270.6
May 9: 276.6 (ugh, ovulation bloat!)
May 16: 275.8
May 23: 273.6
May 30: 274.2
------------------------------
TOTAL LOSS: 0


*Things I struggled with this month:* Carb cravings. SO MANY OF THEM! And I was always so exhausted that I couldn't work out. I just had no energy even to do simple things around the house.

*Things I did well this month:* Drinking plenty of water, eating healthy breakfasts and snacks instead of junk food.

*-------------
JUNE 2016
-------------
Weigh-ins:*
Starting Weight: 274.2 (Week 1 on Metformin)
June 6: 276.8
June 13: 275.0
June 20: 278.4 (Ovulation Bloat, as expected)
June 27: 278.0 (Week 4 on Metformin, full 2000mg dose this week!)
------------------------------
TOTAL LOSS: 0

Things I did well this month: Drinking enough water, cutting back on sweets
Things I struggled with this month: Cooking dinner at home, getting workouts done


*-------------
JULY 2016
-------------
Starting Weight: 278.0
July 3: 277.4
July 10: 274.0
July 17: 278.0 (Ovulation bloat... again)
July 24: 278.5
July 31: 278.8
----------------------------
TOTAL LOSS: 0

Things I did well this month: Watching what I eat, cutting back on carbs
Things I struggled with this month: Getting enough water! Urf*


*AUGUST 2016
--------------------
August 1: 278.8
August 8: 276.8
August 15: 276.8
August 22:
August 29:
---------------------
TOTAL LOSS: N/A

Things I did well this month:
Things I struggled with this month:*


----------



## ireadyermind

Okay, there's my stat's post, above! It will now be posted up as a link in the very first post in this thread so I know how to get back to it and update it!

Please do the same for your posts, ladies, and let me know so I can post a link!


----------



## mrs.green2015

----------------------------------------------
MRS:GREEN2015'S GOALS & STATS POST
----------------------------------------------

Stats:
Height: 5' 5'' 
Starting Weight: 260lbs (approx)
Goal Weight: 180lbs
MyFitnessPal Username: 
Michellerenee530


Goals:
Lose 20 lbs by: June 1, 2016


My Plan:
- Low carb foods, with my only carbs being complex carbs no simple carbs
-following the "Day off Diet" by Dr.Oz
-Work out a minimum of 5 times a week which includes running 3 miles a week

Weigh-ins:
April 3 2016: 252
April 10 2016:
April 17 2016:
April 24 2016:

Things I struggled with this month:
Working out! I just can't get motivated 

Things I did well this month:
Eating smaller portions when out rather than eating the whole thing


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks Mrs. Green! :) Your post now is now linked to the first post in the thread. Make sure you come back to this post for all weigh-ins and updates in the future. :)


----------



## mrs.green2015

I will! I'm super excited! Can't wait to see the scale go down for all of us.


----------



## Fern81

Will do some time this weekend thanks hun. Date night tonight and family wedding tomorrow but I will get round to it :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Stats:
Height: 5' 2''
Starting Weight: 244lbs 
Goal Weight: 190lbs
MyFitnessPal Username:



Goals:
Lose 40-50 lbs by: August 29, 2016 before our IVF consult


My Plan:
-Calorie counting, whole foods
-Walking 2-4 miles at least 3-5 days a week, in addition to push mowing 1-2 days a week & general farm labor as needed lol

Weigh-ins:
April 3 2016: 240 (-4#)
April 10 2016: 239 (-1#)
April 17 2016: 237 (-2#)
April 24 2016: 235 (-2#)

Total loss for April- 9 pounds!


Things I struggled with this month:
Water & weekend eating!

Things I did well this month: Portion control & moving more!!!


May 2: N/A
May 9: 239
May 16: 239
May 23: 238
May 30:


----------



## SassyV

I'm 33. Got married 10/11/14. Just started taking prenatals Feb 28th this year! Never been pregnant. I'm 5'1 and started the year at 161. Today I was 152.6. I'll be happy in the low 140s, but for my height I'm supposed to be no more than 132. Very hard. Ideally I'd like to drop the weight and try to get pregnant earliest June. However, I was expected AF March 22nd (latest possibly the 28th) and no sign of her... I've taken 3 tests (last one was on the 20th) all BFNs. I made an appt for Monday. I'm pretty I'm not pregs bc I have NO symptoms and the timing for the BD doesn't make sense. I've only not ovulated once about 5 years ago so not sure what is going on. I will retest Monday morning, but it's really hard (as you all know) I get my hopes up (even though we weren't even trying- I guess I have baby fever). It's so crushing to see the bfn, makes you question yourself and your body.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - Thank you! Your goals chart now is now linked to in the first post in this thread. Make sure you come back to this post for all weigh-ins and updates in the future. :)

*SassyV* - Welcome, welcome! You're just in time to join us for our 2016 goals and challenges! :) If you'd like to join in on that, please post a chart template (find the template here: template ) with your info filled in, and I will add a link for you in the first post in this thread. 

We're super happy to have you here with us! 

It sounds like AF is being terrible to you this week. :dohh: Don't you just hate it when you think you have it all figured out, and then you're late for no apparent reason? Blech! I hope you find out what's going on, one way or another.

Do you use Wondfos (you may also hear 'em referred to as "internet cheapies") pregnancy tests? Have you heard of them before? If not, we highly recommend them. They're only a few cents a piece as opposed to paying $8+ for a single test, and they're very accurate!


----------



## swimmyj1

Stats:
Height: 5'2
Starting Weight:213
Goal Weight:200
MyFitnessPal Username:swimmyj1

Goals:
Lose 13 lbs/kgs by: 8/1/16
Fit into size ___ pants by: Eval post baby 
Be able to do ___ push-ups by: post baby
(Feel free to change these to suit your needs!)

My Plan:
To lose a safe amount of weight while pregnant (or at least maintain current weight). 30-60 minutes of walking outside a day, increase protein! Stop eating chips!! Find a yoga studio I like close to home and join. Hike once a week or kayak (weather pending) 

Weigh-ins:
(4/3):212.6
(4/12):215.5 growlmad:)
(4/17):216.5
(4/24): 216.6 

Things I struggled with this month: letting my cravings get the better of me. 

Things I did well this month: increase my water intake, joined a yoga class. Kept fruit and veggies in my house all the time for snacks.


----------



## swimmyj1

Sassy welcome! I would definatly recommend wondfos they picked up +hcg and +opk just as well as clear blues did for me. I'm sorry your cycles haven't been cooperating :(

Irym - I love this weight loss tracking for everyone! Perfect :)

Afm - pretty nervous about my 20 week scan. Baby didn't have enough fluid around it, so I have to increase fluids (2 gallons a day eeekk) and getting rescanned Friday to be sure SHE is ok.


----------



## Fern81

Poor gal Swimmy this pregnancy had not been easy on you!! Take it easy xx

Yesterday evening some lower back pain started (I did a hard workout that afternoon ) and it's a bit worse today. I also have pain in my left ovary area (not where I ovulated from but they did do most of the surgery on that side) so I just did a light workout this morning and stretching.... now to start getting ready for the wedding. 

Will hpt tomorrow morning but no expectations as usual.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Sassy- welcome!

Swimmy- when is your next scan. I'm sorry it's been such a tough pregnancy. 

Fern- can't wait to see a bfp!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Your stats post is now linked in the front page! Please remember to come back to this stats post for future edits and updates. :) 

Sorry to hear it's such a difficult pregnancy for you. I'm sure the little girl will be okay! But 2 gallons of water per day -- yikes! You'll make sloshing noises every time you move, with all that water in your system! :haha:


----------



## swimmyj1

I feel like one of those little old ladies that sees a bathroom and is like well I might as well go now Im gonna have to pee in 10 minutes anyway hahahaha. My next scan is on friday. I know I shouldn't complain so much about all the scares this pregnancy has given me I should just feel blessed. 
I was super panicked before but after talking with some more people who have had low fluid levels, they all seemed to turn out fine after drinking a lot more. 

Anyone know of any good fruits to put in water to make them taste different? so far I've just been doing pineapple


----------



## Fern81

Swimmy- i love lemon/lime slices, strawberries, mint leaves or cucumbers (or a combo) in water xx

Stark white bfn @ 11dpo with fmu after 11 hr hold.
FML


----------



## caz & bob

:hi: girls hope your all well as for me been walking ever were the past 2 week had no car been in the garage been doing a run 25 minutes ever day and cross trainer 15 minutes a day :af: got me today day 24 so cd1 for me looked back on my fertility freind to all my charts and my af started to weird when I started exercising its gone shorter https://www.fertilityfriend.com/ticker/2d0330/ttc.png xx xx


----------



## mrs.green2015

Caz- do you temp or use OPKs? When I recently when to the doctor we were talking about cycle length because I had a couple short cycles and he said at 22-24 days I was most likely not ovulating. Which I agreed with since I never got a positive opk. 

Fern- I'm sorry!


----------



## ireadyermind

Good afternoon, all. :)

It's been an interesting morning. DH has been sick and woke up in a crummy mood today. Everything I said to him, he either rolled his eyes, made a rude comment, snapped at me, etc. For example, he was cooking some scrambled eggs for breakfast and had the stove cranked up to its highest heat setting and the oil in the pan was smoking. I said, "You're going to want to turn the heat down and take the pan off the burner for a few minutes, or else those eggs are going to just burn." And you'd have thought I insulted him or something, the way he reacted. _Jerk_ the stove knob down to a lower setting, _slam_ the pan onto a different burner, _slam_ the bowl of scrambled raw eggs back onto the counter... good grief. He is a grown man, not a moody teenager (though with men, it's sometimes hard to tell the difference! lol).

So I told him I didn't want to do anything with him today if he was going to behave like that, and he's been sitting alone in the other room ever since. Sigh.

Not sure what brought it on. He had a fun day yesterday, at a tabletop gaming convention where his sword fighting group was putting on a demonstration. Stayed and played there for a good 5 hours, so I'm not entirely sure where this mood came from. 

It's a good thing we're NTNP this month or else we'd have completely missed O day, thanks to his attitude. 


ANYWAY ---

As for me, not much new going on. Was able to get the lower-carb grocery trip completed and started on that eating plan today. Scrambled eggs with mushrooms and cheddar cheese, and whole grain toast for breakfast, and then sugar free creamer in my coffee. Much better than the usual oatmeal or biscotti I tend to make for myself.

I also found this company that makes sugar free coffee syrups that're supposed to be better tasting than Torani. Amazon reviews say that many of the syrups lack that chemical-like aftertaste that Torani SF syrups have. They also have a line of SF cocktail mixes, in addition to something I'd never heard of before: flavored pump-on coffee foams!

I thought I'd give one of the syrups a try, since right now, the SF coffee creamer tastes so artificial and chemical-laden. Blech.

Here's a link to the site if any of you are interested: https://www.skinnymixes.com/


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- that is sooo true with men. Are they grown men or a moody teenager? Hahaha


----------



## BronteForever

Hey all, I'd love to join you and it looks like you are just starting weigh ins. Here's my info:

----------------------------------------------
BRONTEFOREVER'S GOALS & STATS POST
----------------------------------------------

Stats:
Height: 5' 7"
Starting Weight: 250lbs (as of two weeks ago when I started a new fitness program. I am down some already)
Goal Weight: 180lbs
MyFitnessPal Username: emmawrites (but I don't use much)


Goals:
- Lose 10 lbs by: May 1, 2016
- Get BMI under 37 to qualify for IVF shared risk plans (though I'd like under 35 before starting)


My Plan:
- Currently doing 21 Day Fix program by Beachbody
- low carb, high protein diet
- continue to cut out soda and sugars from my diet (my biggest weakness)
- exercise more 

Weigh-ins:
April 4 2016: 244 lbs
April 11 2016: 243 lbs
April 18 2016: 242 lbs
April 25 2016: 239 lbs

May 2 2016: 238 lbs
May 9 2016: 239 lbs
May 16 2016: 235 lbs
May 23 2016: 236 lbs
May 30 2016: 238 lbs

June 10 2016: 244 lbs (trip ruined everything. Grrr)
June 13 2016: 237 lbs (let's hope it was all water weight gained the last two weeks!)
June 20 2016: 236 lbs
June 27 2016: 237 lbs

July 4 2016: 237 lbs
July 11 2016: 240 lbs (IVF bloat, hopefully!)

Things I struggled with: getting workouts in, especially when life gets in the way or I'm stressed out. Also getting all my water in. 

Things I did well: did fairly well is resisting sugar cravings and eating a healthy diet.

*New Goals:*
- Lose 30 lbs by: January 1, 2017
- Get BMI under 33

August 1, 2016: 240 lbs
August 8, 2016: 239 lbs
August 15, 2016: 236 lbs
August 22, 2016: 233 lbs
August 29, 2016: 233 lbs

Things I struggled with: getting workouts and water in. 

Things I did well: tried to at least walk the dog as much as possible to do something. Got back into the healthy eating after messing my body up with IVF and started acupuncture.

September 5, 2016: 233 lbs
September 12, 2016: 233 lbs
September 19, 2016: 230 lbs
September 26, 2016: 230 lbs


----------



## cupcakestoy

Welcome Bronte! WTG on your loss so far! 

4 pounds down this week! Going to mow when I get home today, if it don't rain :/ Plan B is walking rain or shine lol


----------



## Fern81

Welcome Bronte, so happy to see you here!

AF got me after only an 11 day LP... well after the operation my dr did warn me that this cycle could be weird (post-hysteroscopy specifically) so I'm happy that I did ovulate and had a normal-ish cycle regardless.


----------



## Fern81

*FERN'S FITNESS GOALS & STATS PAGE*

*Stats:*
Height: 1,65 m (5'4")
Starting Weight: 55 kg (121 lb) in April (Started diet & workout plan in Feb - starting weight then was 60 kg)
Goal Weight: Maintaining at 55 kg until after IVF; then re-evaluate (would love to get back to 52 kg) BFP 27 May 2016 - now to pick up a healthy amount of weight!
MyFitnessPal Username: N/A

*Goals:*
Lose max 1-2 kg by: 1 May 2016 (month in which IVF starts)

*My Plan:*
Follow a personalized combination of paleo diet & endo diet (anti-inflammatory, organic, no carbs/sugar except plain sweet potato) at least 95% of the time (1 cheat meal max per week)
Exercise at least 5 days a week for a minimum of 20 minutes at a time. Running, HIIT, pilates, etc. Thank you toneitup.com!
*
Monday Weigh-ins:*
4 April 2016: 55 kg..............................2 May 2016: 54,3 kg
11 April 2016: 56,3 kg.........................9 May 2016: 54,5 kg
18 April 2016: 55 kg............................16 May 2016: 55 kg 
25 April 2016: 54 kg............................23 May 2016: 54,2 kg.................31 May 2016: 53,5 kg

*Things I struggled with this month:*
April: I ate more than usual and also had a lots of drinks around AF time. I didn't do workouts for 4 days due to a horrible post-hysteroscopy AF. I didn't have enough healthy meals pre-prepared so I was caught without healthy food options a number of times in the beginning of the month.
May: Nothing (took it easy exercise-wise for IVF, did a lot of walking, continued with my eating plan)

*Things I did well this month:*
April: After the first few days in April I bought, pre-cooked & froze many healthy meals again so I was never caught without diet food in the house. I did 25-30 min moderate to hard intensity workouts almost daily.
May: Walked 30-40 min as many days as I could, kept on following my eating plan and didn't pick up weight from the stims!


* Will start weight loss program again after Baby is born! *


----------



## ireadyermind

*BronteForever* - Welcome! Nice to see another new face around here, and just in time for our 2016 plans! :)

*Cupcake* - Woo! That's amazing, keep it up and you'll reach your goals in no time! :D

*Fern* - Thankya, you and Bronte are now linked to in the first post. Thanks for joining us!

AFM --

Randomly in the middle of lunch yesterday, this enormous piece of one of my crowned molars just.. crumbled off! Out of the blue! Now I have this really rough, jagged edge on that tooth and it's driving my tongue crazy. I'm having to make calls around town to see which dentists are accepting new patients, and who can get me in to get this thing repaired. Ow.


Today: started off the day right with a breakfast of scrambled eggs and coffee. I'm planning on having yogurts as snacks, and there is some tasty leftover egg salad in the fridge that I will have for lunch, maybe with carrots or celery sticks instead of bread.

How's everyone doing on their water consumption for the day?


----------



## Fern81

I drink millions of litres of water daily, having had a kidney stone that had to be surgically removed.
Thx for reminding us of H2O intake!

May I dare you ladies to post a "before" pic in swimwear/underwear (without showing your face) on your stats page and updating monthly /six monthly? :) how do you feel about that.

Question- what are your opinions on dry skin brushing?
Mine: love it. I can't believe how it has decreased my cellulite (still have lots but waaayyyy less).


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - I'm too chicken to post my progress photos! :dohh:

As for dry brushing: I really like it, when I can remember to do it, which isn't often. I have such ridiculously dry skin no matter what I drink, which lotions or oils I use, or how many supplements I take that it's one of the only ways I can keep myself from shedding skin like snake or something. lol


----------



## BronteForever

Thanks for the welcome. Looking forward to losing weight with you ladies.

Fern, I'm not brave enough to post that either. However I have taken before photos and think it's nice to compare results against.

I've also never even heard of dry skin brushing until seeing your posts. I might have to try.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - how do I update my weight for this weeks weigh in? I forgot to post it yesterday. Sorry about your DH, mine gets that way or really whinny like a toddler if he's sick and I won't do exactly what he thinks I need to do. One time he said to me "I thought marrying a nurse would mean you would take care of me when I'm sick" I laughed sooo hard. Ummm no you have a cold, get over your man sickness and get out of bed. I gonna go to work and take care of really sick people lol. oh men. 

Fern - I have done before and after pics but I'm not brave enough to post them lol. Heck right now I'm super self conscious just looking at my week by week bump progression. 

cupcake - congrats on the weight loss this week!!!

BronteForever - welcome!!

AFM - starting to really hate drinking water lol its giving me such bad heartburn (weird side effect?) But I'm keeping on it. Finally cutting caffeine for good (I know a little late) but jeez it is killing me. I swear someones gonna just look at me wrong and I get snappy lol. Went out and bought a new bathing suit for my anniversary trip this upcoming weekend (nothing too fun just staying at the hotel we got married in) but DH really wants to go swimming and my bathing suit was getting a bit stretched.


----------



## Fern81

Ok hehe no pressure everyone :) I haven't even had the guts to TAKE pics yet lol!


----------



## cupcakestoy

LoL I hate to say, but I'm out on the pics too! Might not be too bad if it was just us gals on here, but with this being a public thread...ummm no...I do compare pics on my own though & its a good thing! Needless to say if I got down to my "ideal" weight it still would not be a pretty sight :/ lmbo


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Just go back to your stats post you made earlier (if you're having trouble finding it, just click your link on the first page!) and then hit Edit at the bottom of your post. That's it! :)

When my DH gets sick, he's usually a big party pooper too. Not that I can blame him, no one likes feeling sick, but honestly -- he was well enough to attend a convention on Saturday and help his sword fighting group with demos and sparring, but suddenly on Sunday if I asked him to do anything, he was super bent out of shape about it, and "too sick" and whatnot. It's also the second time he's used "I don't feel well" to get out of mowing the lawns. 

I don't know if I've mentioned, but I'm ridiculously allergic to grass. Like, throat closes up, hands swell so bad I can't make a fist, eyes streaming like mad... So I can't mow the grass myself, or it'd be done every weekend like clockwork! Sigh. Considering hiring a gardener. I hate having the crummiest lawn on the block, it's embarrassing!


*Fern* - Recipe alert! I saw these and thought of you: Sweet potato brownies!

https://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/super-sweet-potato-brownies.html?t=FB


Edit to add --

(TMI warning!)

All of a sudden this morning: Holy EWCM, Batman! I haven't seen this much EWCM in actual _years_, and then the cycle I stop taking vitamins, stop using OPKs, stop temping, stop _everything_, I suddenly have globs and globs of it today.

This is making me want to TTC this month even though DH and I were on a temporary break! What on earth would cause such a wild change in CM like that? None of the supplements I had been taking were meant to change CM at all. I didn't even take chasteberry/vitex, no soy isoflavones, no multi vitamins... My body is so confusing. Haha

Maybe I'll keep up the "don't take a single supplement" routine and hopefully will see this kind of EWCM next cycle?


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- don't you just love our bodies? Lol never is consistent. 

How's everyone doing? I've been terrible on eating these last couple days. Even DH made a remark last night like "why are you so hungry?" In my defense I kept saying "8' hungry" walk in the kitchen and then walk out. He probably thought I was snacking when I wasn't lol 


Oh on the Ttc front! I for my positive opk! Woot woot!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Irym-you get an abundance....mine was MIA? Go figure lol I'd be tempted to try too.....;)

Mrs. G-ive been more hungry, but I've started trying to drink a glass of water when it hits, if I'm still hungry I've been doing low carb or at least something healthy! Its tough!
Afm- I had my "cheat" meal today....Chinese :/ but I didn't do rice or lomein. Tried to stay away from breaded & fried, but did get some hot pepper chicken.....oh well at least they didn't have coconut chicken! LoL I did cave & ate a sister Schubert roll with the take out tho, but keep telling myself I did ok, since I push mowed an hour & half today...


----------



## ireadyermind

The good thing about eating right is that it's okay to splurge if you're doing extra exercise to make up for it. And you can also try to cut out an extra 100 calories or so tomorrow to help make up the difference.

Overall you want your _weekly_ calorie count to hit a certain number. That takes all your daily variances into account and allows you a little more flexibility. Try not to stress over one day, gals! :)


----------



## BronteForever

Yeah I agree cheat meals are important. Otherwise it's too hard to stick to stuff, at least for me. Just try to make up for it if you can to balance it out. 

I've done really well lately. The goal to do IVF soon is a huge motivator. They had donuts and cookies at work the past two mornings and I just walked by. I love the saying someone else said on here to ask yourself how you'll feel if you cheat. If you know you'll be mad at yourself, just move on. 

I am really bad about getting enough water so I really need to focus on that somehow. Also I've not been in the mood for many veggies this week. Nothing sounds appealing. I might need to try some seasonings or something to make them more appealing.

IRYM - our bodies are fascinating and so confusing sometimes.


----------



## cupcakestoy

BronteForever said:


> Yeah I agree cheat meals are important. Otherwise it's too hard to stick to stuff, at least for me. Just try to make up for it if you can to balance it out.
> 
> I've done really well lately. The goal to do IVF soon is a huge motivator. They had donuts and cookies at work the past two mornings and I just walked by. I love the saying someone else said on here to ask yourself how you'll feel if you cheat. If you know you'll be mad at yourself, just move on.
> 
> I am really bad about getting enough water so I really need to focus on that somehow. Also I've not been in the mood for many veggies this week. Nothing sounds appealing. I might need to try some seasonings or something to make them more appealing.
> 
> IRYM - our bodies are fascinating and so confusing sometimes.

 I've been adding Chia seeds & crystal light to my water, took me a little to get used to the texture(kinda like tomato seeds) but now I don't notice or mind lol I work home health so water is always a challenge to me! I don't feel bad about a cheat meal or an occasional treat, but try to plan ahead to prevent over indulgences :)


----------



## Fern81

IRYM - What is tmi when it comes to ttc? Non-existent lol. Now I wish you would ttc this cycle. For science ;).

I agree 1 cheat meal a week is fine; it comes down to 4 meals out of the 80-90 meals you eat per month! A small cheat is better than a large cheat or binge weekend though (says me who had a binge weekend with wedding and then lots of alcohol & snacks on Sunday because "let's get drunk one last time before IVF"!) 

I'm back on track though, just haven't done a workout since AF hit on Sunday because this has been one HECTIC horrible AF so far. I was even off work yesterday and Monday! Might try to start the workouts again tomorrow then I'll only have missed 4 workout days including the weekend.

I love water and drink tonnes & also cups and cups of black Rooibos tea (anti-oxidant and super healthy).

Don't you eat coconut Cupcake?


----------



## Fern81

Bronte - I just have to force down the veggies too sometimes... It helps me personally if I add chilies from the garden or garlic or even olive oil on top. But I don't eat any seasoning or anything out of a packet/sauce bottle/tin can atm so yeah my food is quite boring. I'm having loads of fresh chilies tonight in my stirfry just for a change of scenery :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

I use coconut oil alot


----------



## BronteForever

Hhmm...I've heard a lot of good things about coconut oil lately. I'll definitely have to try it. Thanks!

I don't mind plain old water, but I have a hard time drinking that much liquid period.


----------



## ireadyermind

Nice to hear your gals thoughts on cheat days! I'm all for them, but I know it can seriously derail your diet if you aren't working out enough! For example, a single burger and fries combo (with a diet/sugar free drink) can rack up over 800 calories, and for me that's more than half what I'm supposed to be eating in a single day! So I have to make sure to eat lightly the day leading up to it AND the day after, and get a little extra exercise in.

DH agreed that he would start walking with me every day after he gets home, now that the weather's nice. I'm excited to get started on that because he's been sick the past several days and I am too suspicious of everyone to go walking alone. haha


*Cupcake* - I use coconut oil a lot, too -- for everything but cooking! Haha. I made up my own batch of a sort of body butter (I'm supposed to whip it, but I didn't want to get my nice hand mixer all nasty with wax and oil residues) that contains sweet almond oil, coconut oil, lavender oil, and a tiny bit of beeswax. I love it! 

It isn't like conventional creams you can buy from the store, however. It's essentially a body oil with the wax mixed in so that your skin has a protective barrier from other drying agents, like washing hands all the time, cleaning agents, wind, cold weather, etc. It also works nicely as a lip moisturizer, AND I've used it on my face in a pinch and didn't have any issues there either.


I haven't put the new batteries into my scale yet. I knew that if I did, I'd be weighing myself every day all week long and getting stressed out about those numbers. So I'll be putting the batteries in on Sunday night so that I can only weigh Monday morning. lol!

Also it looks like the EWCM has dried up. I had noticed a couple days in a row that things seemed to be a little more slippery than usual "down there", and then that big ol' glob of EWCM late in the morning the other day must have been the last of it. But I'm stoked! I didn't think I could make EWCM any more, and then that happened. I'm hoping it happens again next month! I'll probably do a repeat of this month: no supplements, no vitamins, just eating healthy and lots of water. We'll see!


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - pretty stoked about the EWCM! our bodies do crazy stuff!

my body has decided that the amazing soap i've used for years it doesn't like anymore. I called my doctor thinking I was getting some sort of uti or yeast infection (but not drainage). Nope just looks like its my body reacting badly to my soap... did not know that it can do that during pregnancy. She said it should go back to normal after the pregnancy. Sounds super silly to be whinnying about soap but its so yummy! and made locally :( i don't love dove soap lol.
The past few days I have not been doing as well eating well. I need to remember to bring veggies and fruit to work so I avoid the caff at 3 am. Just got a water infuser let the experiments begin!!!

Getting nervous for my scan again on friday.


----------



## Fern81

Very proud of myself - I did my workout again today and even though it's the coldest day of the year so far and I want hot pizza, I had only a tuna salad for dinner :)


----------



## Fern81

Swimmy I know your scan is going to be great xx


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Good job on the tuna salad! :)

*Swimmy* - I _love_ my water infuser pitcher. I have a HUGE mint plant out in the front flowerbed that produces the loveliest, dark green leaves -- I recently harvested a ton of them and they're hanging up to dry, but during the warmer months I plunk the fresh ones straight into water and leave 'em to steep in the refrigerator. Mint water is really refreshing! I have also added lemon slices to the mint water, which is tasty. But I'm not a fan of cucumber, so I haven't tried that. Any other fruits I feel are wasted if they're just soaked in water and tossed out, so I don't do many other varieties - but let me know how you like it!


AFM -- DH cracks me up! He's one of those people that falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow, which often results in his drifting off mid-sentence.

Last night he kept saying the most hilarious stuff!

Me: Well, I still love you even if you don't let me tickle you!
DH: Oh yeah? Well in that case, I might as well go live in the Saltines Factory!

I just about died laughing. Then, later...

Me: Didn't you say you were going to run to the bathroom before I turned the lights off?
DH: (scoffs) Yes. If you'd look, you'd see that my legs are already in the 'Do Not Disturb' area. 
Me: What!?
DH: (pause) Oh. I guess that was some more of my half-asleep weirdness.

I was laughing so hard, I cried. :haha:


----------



## mrs.green2015

OMG!!! My DH does the same thing! But not even when he's falling asleep like all night long. He'll roll over and say weird stuff. I love it so much. But when we first lived together I woke him up for something that I can't remember why now and he yelled at me! For no reason! But he didn't eve remember it so now i know better haha


----------



## mrs.green2015

Also, I've been terrible this week. And I've been avoiding this thread because Of it. Lol 
But life stresses are really getting to me so I want to start walking alone with the pup, always makes me feel better but it's been so darn hot here! Yesterday my car said 92! And I'm such a baby with the heat lol


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs. Green* - Yesterday was SO gross. Humid and hot and everything.. I know what you mean!

Maybe take your walks early in the morning or just before dark?

Also, my DH talks in his sleep too. He says the most hilarious stuff! I try to write it down so I can tell him about it later, and he always cracks up. One night he randomly shouted, "How'd all these cliffs get here!?" It was a riot. :D


----------



## Fern81

OMW I laughed so hard now. I wish my husband would start talking in his sleep it sounds hilarious!!
All he does is hit me hard with his elbows in my face sometimes (he sleeps with his hands behind his head and then brings his elbows down hard after a while...why!!)... 
I have punched him before in my sleep (punched with all my strength!) when I had a dream that he cheated on me. Poor man. He was so confused and almost in tears :haha:


----------



## Ursaula

Hello gals!

Really sorry I've been gone...I'll attach a picture to show you what has been going on...

What happened:
I'm still living with my parents currently (in their basement) and my mom teaches piano lessons at home. One of her students wandered the house (without permission) found Maggie (my dog in the picture) and grabbed her tail! He's around 11 years old so he knows better. She must've tried to get away or something because her tail was SEVERELY dislocated...so she had to get half of her tail amputated...I feel like a terrible parent now. Like I've let her down. She went in again this past Monday and had to get another piece taken off because it wasn't healing correctly. She goes in again tomorrow to see if it's healing properly now.

Anyway, that's why I've been gone!

I caught up with reading (Welcome back Fern! And welcome everyone who has joined since my absence!). In terms of s/o talking in sleep, my s/o LOVES Finding Nemo and usually sleep talks pieces of the movie during the night.

Weight wise, I had a scary situation this morning. I woke up with severe chest pain and ended up in emergency for suspected heart attack. Turns out the tear I had in the muscles surrounding my ribcage never healed from a few months back and it wasn't related to how "large" I am. I can't exercise for about a month now. I did make a ribbon with a measurement of how small I'd like to be and wear it around my wrist. Whenever I want to see how close I am to my goal I wrap it as far around my waist as it will go. Food is my enemy.

TTC wise, my s/o told me he doesn't want to be part of the "planning" for pregnancy. However, if I happened to go on "magical medication" and became pregnant he would be super happy. I'm confused now. I have my gynaecologist appointment in less than 2 weeks! Really excited but afraid they're going to tell me to lose more weight.
 



Attached Files:







12938294_1732464633649458_5807698210155124718_n.jpg
File size: 32.8 KB
Views: 3


----------



## Ursaula

Sorry my post was long, I also forgot to add this!

----------------------------------------------
URSAULA'S GOALS & STATS POST
----------------------------------------------

Stats:
Height: 5' 8'' 
Starting Weight: 386lbs
Goal Weight: 180lbs
MyFitnessPal Username: N/A (I can't remember it, I'll come back to this!)


Goals:
Exercise 2x/week. Get down to 350lbs by June 2, 2016!


My Plan:
- Only allowed to eat out 1x/week.
- Foods with low carbs. NO WHITES!
- 6 glasses of water/day.
- Exercise twice a week.
- Do one full week of smoothies.

Weigh-ins:
May 2 2016: 375lbs. (+5lbs)
May 9 2016: 376lbs. (+1lb)
May 16 2016: 378lbs (+2lbs)
May 23 2016: 372lbs (-6lbs)
May 30 2016:

Things I struggled with this month:

Things I did well this month:



APRIL:
April 3 2016: Missed.
April 10 2016: 382lbs. (-4lbs)
April 17 2016: 381lbs. (-1lbs)
April 24 2016: 370lbs. (-11lbs!!)

Things I struggled with this month: This month I struggled with exercise. I hope to start exercising again and develop a routine.

Things I did well this month: I did really well the last week with my apple pie smoothie diet. I lost a total of -16lbs!


----------



## cupcakestoy

My dh sleep talks at times lol mainly about work tho....poor guy never gets a break from that place! 

Urs-Poor pup! Did the kids parents pay or did he get on trouble???? That's ridiculous!
Afm-Today is our 9th Anniversary! Nothing planned except a quiet evening at home.....;)


----------



## swimmyj1

Green - im sorry this week has been a bad week for you, we are always here to vent to. I hope things turn themselves around. If its hot outside I tend to try and walk early morning or night time. 

IRYM - omg i laughed sooo hard lol, my DH talks in his sleep sometimes but its usually about food haha. However mine is usually like Fern's and sleeps with his elbows out and i get hit ugh walls of pillows are sooo my friend sometimes haha. 

Ursaula - omg Im so sorry about your baby! that is just heart breaking! I don't think your a bad mom at all, i would be a little more upset that the child didn't understand not to pull on the dogs tail. I hope her next check up it ok. Fingers crossed about your doctors appointment. My DH did that for a while he didn't really want to know much about the planning he said it took too much of the romance out of it hahaha. But once we were at the fertility doc he seemed to get more on board with having to plan things out.

Cupcake - happy happy anniversary! mine is on Sunday lol sense its our 1st we are going to stay in the hotel we got married in :) They have these amazing jet giant bathtubs pretty sure thats where I'm going to be spending most of my time. haha


----------



## mrs.green2015

Urs- so sorry about the puppy! You're going to be an amazing mom! Can't wait to hear about your appointment. 

Cupcake- happy anniversary!!! 

Swimmy- when is your scan again?


----------



## BronteForever

Oh no, poor Maggie. Hope she heals up quickly. I would be upset at the kid too. So what does it mean when your husband doesn't want to be involved in the planning? Meaning you just don't tell him when you are ovulating? I agree it is such a challenge to try to keep any spark during the TTC process. Good luck!

Happy Anniversary, Cupcake!


----------



## Ursaula

Oh how I've missed you gals!

Cupcake: The parents are meeting with us tomorrow to talk about everything after Maggie's vet appointment. I don't know if I will be part of the discussion simply because I'm still very upset over it all.

Happy anniversary! :D

Swimmy: Thank you! Your words make me feel better about both situations. I just hope I'll still be a great mom when I have a human baby! Haha.

Happy early anniversary (I'll probably wish you happy anniversary on the day of too).

Mrs. G: Thank you so much! How is the clomid working? Looking at your chart it seems you've ovulated! Fx'd!

Bronte: He basically just doesn't want anything to deal with the planning and just wants the "good stuff", haha! He has nerve pain though so it's sometimes hard to get him in the mood right around when I think I'm ovulating...we'll see how it goes though when ovulation actually starts coming regularly.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Bonte/fern- my DH has never said he doesn't want to be involved, and he of course goes to dr. Appointments with me but I never tell him about ovulation or anything because I don't want sex to feel forced or stressed. So I kinda get what your OH means by you taking care of it. If that makes sense... Lol 

Urs- I belive I ovulated yesterday and I think I'm 1dpo!!


----------



## Fern81

Oh no I tell my husband everything even though he doesn't always want to know. I've even sat him down with my illustrated anatomy books & lectures; he also knows about the opks etc etc including the opk I had to take at a wedding reception a while ago lol!!! When he's available he goes to the dr with me.

I also tell him about all the research I do on food and exercise etc. And he listens to everything even though he sometimes really doesn't want to. Bless him he is patient that way.

I am a scientist so I love researching, and I also love teaching so he has just accepted that's part of my personality.


----------



## Fern81

Happy anniversaries Cupcake and Swimmy! X 

Swimmy GL with your scan, hope your fluid levels are perfect.

Welcome back Urs; so sorry about your pup!!! I would have been LIVID. The kid would have gotten such a scolding from me. I hate it when my students try to grab my cats. My one kitten is very skittish and hates being picked up; I have this one 19yo student who keeps grabbing her I hate it. She gets so scared. Hope your baby heals well!!! Xxxxx

How are you guys doing otherwise before Monday's weigh-in ;)?


----------



## BronteForever

Yeah, we tried the not planning thing for 2 years and gave that up. Now that I plan I prefer to share some of the stress, since this is for both of us. Plus, if I don't come right out and say we need to BD today or we might miss the window, my husband won't get any hints. I know he hates it though, but I don't like it much either, so at least we are united in that!

I ate out the last two nights and didn't do great with food choices. Grrr. But it's so hard when eating out, but I was meeting family and friends. Plus, I missed workouts because of it. Trying to get back on track for the weekend.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Bonte- I also haven't don't great with food this week. I need to get back on track ASAP! I hate when life gets in the way lol 

Honestly it would be so much easier to tell DH. I mean he knows Everything but I don't tell him anything about OPKs and what they're doing. And if I'm honest.. It's probably because I don't want him to know when I should be testing. I want to surprise him in a huge way. And Because of my history my RE will order Betas once I get a bfp at home. I want that done before I tell DH. I would get my first scan done before telling him but he made it clear that is not ok! Haha 
I just want to know everything is going fine before we celebrate. It sounds terrible I know. But the first loss was so hard on both of us.


----------



## Fern81

Green - I totally understand where you're coming from even though I've never had a loss. I wish I didn't have to tell ANYONE if IVF fails including my husband. Good luck with this tww! Eats lots of protein in the tww, keep warm & keep moving & exercising to get your blood circulation going! All of which help with implantation of your TWIN eggies :)

Bronte - oh yes eating out is hard on a diet. I usually just eat a salad with no dressing and order water/ rooibos tea to drink. And then stare enviously at everyone else's plates :dohh:

I am having the worst junk food cravings out of the blue. I had my dinner at 5 pm because I was ready to eat one of my cats!! There is a can of banoffee flavour caramel treat in the cupboard, teasing me... I wanted to eat it last night and DH made me put it back lol :haha: he's helping me diet! Will probably have it for my cheat meal this weekend :winkwink:.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - So sorry to hear about your pup! That's terrible! I hope she recovers quickly. :hugs:

I *love* that ribbon idea. How did you decide what size to make it?


*Fern* - My DH sometimes flings his arms too. I've woken up with a fat lower lip before, presumably from being punched in the face. Thankfully my preferred side to sleep on is my left side, which keeps my face turned away from him and his flailing arms. lol


*Swimmy* - It must be pretty common for men to talk in their sleep? Almost every woman I know who has a male partner says her husband/boyfriend does it. Weird!


*Cupcake* - Happy anniversary! :hugs:



AFM - I finally gave up trying to get a full night's sleep on my own (I always toss and turn, it takes 20 mins or longer just to fall asleep, I hurt all the time, I can't stay asleep longer than 2 hours at a stretch, etc.) last Monday and started taking Valerian root again. And let me just say: WOW, what a difference!

-I'm not groggy when I wake up in the morning.
-I usually experience back and body pain from the moment I wake up until I fall asleep at night, and since I've been taking the valerian, I don't any more.
-I usually crave carbs and sugar like _crazy_, but after a week of Valerian that craving is almost completely gone.
-I'm less moody
-I have less "brain fog" which allowed me to complete a HUGE art commission in much less time than it would have normally taken me
-I don't need a second cup of coffee with lunch to keep me going

I have to point out, it's not the valerian that is curing all these ailments. It's the fact that I am sleeping 8 hours a night or more on a regular basis that's doing it! 

Valerian isn't an herb that forces you to sleep, like some over the counter meds will do. All it does for me is makes me feel a little more calm, and it makes my brain stop running 100 miles per hour and allows me to drift off to sleep. Once I am asleep, it helps me STAY asleep so that I'm only waking up once or twice a night instead of every 2 hours or more (not exaggerating!).

So whether or not you need a little help to do it, I highly recommend we all try to get a good quality 8hrs of sleep a night! I had no idea that my poor sleep quality was affecting me so much!


----------



## Fern81

My sleep quality is non-existent. I once checked my phone for a few nights to see how often I was up and apparently I never get more than 30 min-1 hour at a time before being WIDE awake. It also takes me at least 1-2 hours to fall asleep. Sleeping next to my tornado of a husband doesn't help so sometimes after a few nights of zero sleep we have to sleep in separate bedrooms because I literally get sick from sleep deprivation. 
Has been like this since I've been a teen. Nothing really helps.


----------



## Fern81

During IVF I will be spending many nights alone just to have some sleep!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Have you tried Valerian root powder? There are pill or tea versions available, but it stinks to high heaven, so I don't recommend the tea. Haha


----------



## Fern81

Yep I've tried everything :) even sleeping with lavender under my matress in high school. Then the domestic lady found it and told my parents she thought it was "drugs" (marijuana) bwaaahaha! 
I'm so used to it though.


----------



## swimmyj1

I've never heard of that being used for sleep that sounds amazing though! I don't usually have trouble sleeping (if anything the opposite) but i do have melatonin for when i want to sleep on a car ride.

Scan today went well. Fluid levels are up, I just need to keep up on drinking water all the time lol. They want one more scan in 2 weeks to get new measurements and recheck the levels again. It sounds bad but i really don't want anymore scans but oh well. I think it hit my DH at this scan (probably sense they did a 3d one). We got into the car after and he just sat there for a while looking all freaked. He finally said "sh** i'm gonna be a dad" I could not stop laughing.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Aw, that's adorable! He's finally letting it sink in! ^^

*Fern* - Huh. Interesting. You've even tried some of the newer prescription sleep medications and all?


----------



## Fern81

Awww Swimmy!! I can't even imagine it ever happening to my husband (sorry but I have this doomed feeling about ivf) but sometimes he slips and calls the cats our kids and I just want to cuddle him and laugh when that happens (he is soooooo unemotional ). I hope your dh is coming round to the idea of having a lil girl :)

IRYM yep I've tried it all since my teenage years; all the herbs, sleep meds, sleep therapy, sleep rituals, special meditations, exercising and sunlight exposure for sleep, psychiatry, psychology, nada. There is clearly something wrong with my brain and has been for the past 20 years :)! 
I have no idea how it feels to fall asleep and wake again in the morning. And I have a very active dream life so I don't really rest when I'm sleeping and can wake up exhausted after spending a night in my other life (dreamworld) lol! My mom is the same though. It is what it is and I try to live around it.

Cupcake how is the weight loss before ivf program going?


----------



## Fern81

Just a thought. My sleep life is as dysfunctional as my reproductive life so maybe there's a link....


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern - don't feel doomed about IVF, the clinic that you are using do you know their success rates? I think you will end up with your rainbow baby :)


----------



## BronteForever

I agree Fern. I know you want to keep realistic and not get your hopes up, especially since you have had a very long and hard TTC journey. But IVF can be successful in endo cases. I'm glad you get to try it at least before moving on. I have my fingers crossed for you. 

Swimmy, how adorable of your husband. Glad everything is going well during your pregnancy. 

I had a horrible few days of eating and workouts since we were visiting with family and I went out to eat three nights in a row. But not getting too mad at myself. I could have been far worse in my food choices. So going to get right back at it.


----------



## Fern81

Thanks girls :) I know I have a far better shot with ivf than without so we will forever be grateful to the Angels helping us financially so that we can at least give it a try.

Yep Bronte get to it again girl! This week will be better! X


----------



## cupcakestoy

I was doing great until our Anniversary! Sometimes I feel like dh is trying to sabatoge my progress :/ my goal is not gain this week lol geez!


----------



## Ursaula

Loving your signature, Fern! 2 weeks 6 days! We're all cheering you on!

Is everyone ready for the weigh in tomorrow? I'm nervous, I haven't done well this week.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Actually LOST! :happydance: Only 1 # down, but thats ok! I'm still in it to win it! lol Hope everyone's Monday is AWESOME!


----------



## ireadyermind

My weight's been updated now that the scale has batteries. lol.

I have to say I'm pretty upset with how high my weight has gotten in only a year. I started last year at about 222 and now I'm almost at 280, and that's _ridiculous_. I really don't know what my body thinks its doing! I haven't been this heavy in 15 years! I sure have my work cut out for me!

This is a big eye-opener for me, that's for sure.

Yesterday DH and I started the day off right, with some scrambled eggs, bellpeppers, and sauteed mushrooms for breakfast. I also made a test batch of Flax meal waffles and served those. I may continue to make them, but maybe with almond flour instead? Not sure. The benefit of the flax meal is that there is so much fiber in flax, it essentially has 0 net carbs. I served them with a little butter and some sugar free maple syrup.

Dinner was steamed vegetables and pork roast, with 1 slice of buttered whole grain bread. 

But we ended up having ice cream for dessert, so that most likely put me over my goal for the day. Boo.


------------------------------
MONDAY GROUP UPDATES
------------------------------
I'm seeing a lot of "I didn't do so well today" posts, and it's only our first week on our health plans! We all need to take a moment and look at what it is that caused us to go off plan, and what we can do to avoid future slip-ups.

*Was it eating dinner at a restaurant?* Next time, look for the "light and fit" (or similar) menu, or choose a salad with the dressing on the side. Pro tip: do NOT pour the dressing on your salad. Instead, dip your fork into the dish to get a little dressing on the tines, and pick up your next bite of salad. You'll get the flavor of the dressing without all those extra calories.

*Did you go to a party/event where junk food was served?* Next time, eat healthy food before you go to the event. Make sure it's filling, high protein food so you're not hungry later. Bring a snack bar along with you in your purse so that if you do end up getting hungry, you can snack on something from your 'approved foods' list instead of eating junk.

*Was there alcohol involved?* It may not seem like it, but alcohol can pack in SO many calories. Try adding a low sugar or sugar free liquor to a diet soda, club soda, or low calorie mixer instead. Don't choose blended/mixed beverages like pina coladas, which often contain cream, syrups, and tons of sugar.

*Do you like to have dessert after every evening meal?* There are a wide range of healthier dessert options that still taste good: Skinny Cow is one brand of low calorie dessert options. Additionally, you can try having a scoop of frozen Lite whipped topping with a drizzle of chocolate syrup or some sprinkles instead of ice cream. Tastes good, and has far fewer calories! A cup of hot cocoa with a few marshmallows in it can feel like a decadent treat without racking up too many calories, too.

*Were you too tired to cook dinner and got takeout instead?* Try batch cooking! What's batch cooking? That's where you prepare and freeze multi-serving meals in advance, so that they can be reheated later without much effort from you. Choose one day a week to prepare food for the week, or do what I do: prepare 2-night meals every other day, so I don't have to cook 7 days a week. I cook 3 or so days a week, instead.

*Did you overdo it on your cheat day?* Take a look at how many calories you're consuming on your cheat day. In order to lose 2 pounds a week, you (technically) need to have a deficit of 7,000 calories. Sometimes just ONE meal can have upwards of 2,000 calories, especially if it contains lots of fried foods! If you're spending a whole day eating high calorie meals, you could easily reach 6k calories or more, and there went your 7,000 cal deficit. Instead of cheat *day*, plan one cheat *meal* instead. And you should still aim for a meal that isn't going to ruin your deficit. For example, a dinner of steak and lobster with steamed veggies is going to have far fewer calories than a burger and french fries. :)

*Were you on the road and you "had" to get fast food?* Order from the kids' menu, or see if the restaurant offers salads. Wendy's has several good salad options, and most kids' menus now offer apple slices and milk instead of fries and soda.


------------------------
WEEKLY CHALLENGE
------------------------

I'd like us to start some kind of weekly challenge! Are you gals up for that? 

Challenges could be weekly workout routines, calorie goals, exercise goals, trying out new recipes, etc.

Since we're just getting started on this years' fitness routines, I think this week's challenge ought to be:

*Start a Food Journal/Tracker*

When you log everything you eat, it helps you see where you're going wrong. It also will help you stay accountable and stick to your goals! Charting our foods for one week will help us all see what we need to change next week to do better.

If you aren't using MyFitnessPal, you can use some other tracker -- even just lined paper and a pen(cil). 

Here is a good article on the benefits of keeping a food journal: https://summertomato.com/7-reasons-keeping-a-food-journal-is-better-than-counting-calories/

The bullet points in the article are: 
1. Mindfulness, not calories, is the key
2. Calorie data can be inaccurate
3. Calorie needs change daily, and with body weight
4. Calorie limits encourage the &#8220;what-the-hell effect&#8221;
5. Counting calories encourages &#8220;nutritionism&#8221;
*6. Food journaling helps you identify habits* <--- this is the biggest one, I think. You can see the days you're over-eating and a journal helps identify WHY it happens. Once you recognize the triggers, you can learn how to avoid them.
7. Counting calories feels neurotic

Another article, https://www.builtlean.com/2010/06/11/part-1-7-reasons-to-keep-a-food-journal/ , gives further reasons:

4) Identify reasons for binge eating
5) Provides a hard, objective record of our habits

And WebMD recommends recording time of day your meal was and the portion size, in addition to the level of hunger you felt at that time. This helps you learn to tailor your meals to your personal level of hunger, and change things like the amount of protein or fiber you eat to help you feel full longer. If you notice that you're always hungry immediately after lunch, for example, you can make a change.

What do you think? Are you gals up for the task? Let me know! :)


----------



## Fern81

Hi all, I've updated my stats page too. I've picked up a kilo but not too bothered. I did eat a bit more last week, had alcohol during the weekend where I normally have none these days and didn't do workouts for 4 days. All because of a sickening post-hysteroscopy AF. However - I quickly got back to doing my workouts as soon as I felt better, and got right back into my meal plan. On Saturday we had date night but my food choices were not too bad. Meat stew, no dessert, 1 glass of wine. 

I'm really getting fitter with these workouts, love them! My legs already feel more muscular and I'm getting defined shoulders after 2 months of workouts. :) And still loving & doing dry body brushing at least twice a day. 

All in all I'm happy with myself. AF is usually VERY hard on me and I totally succumb to emotional eating but it was much better controlled this time around. Again, thank you IVF for your motivation. :haha:

IRYM - now that I'm severely limiting my food choices I basically have the same food every day; I just change up the veg and hormone-free meat to get a bit of variety. So a meal journal will not work for me at this stage (but I have tried it before when I ate a much greater variety including fruit etc, and it did work then!)


----------



## Fern81

In other news - things are so much better between DH and I atm. Since the operation and IVF became "real" it's as if he's realized that I really need him and that his support is extremely important. Especially if IVF fails and it's just the two of us forever - we just have to learn to get along better. 
We have both been working hard at patience and communication and he is being adorable & super supportive :)


----------



## BronteForever

Cupcake - good job on the 1 pound. I'm also down 1 pound and I'll take it!

Fern- glad you are doing better and your DH seems to be more on board with the process. Fingers crossed for you. So exciting you are starting soon!

IRYM - it is hard, this year I've gained quite a bit of weight as well. Mainly because I was involved in roller derby, with intense 3 day a week practices and workouts in between. Then I stopped when TTC and my fitness got put on the backburner and I gained alot of weight quickly. It's so frustrating. Hang in there. It's great we have some new goals to help us.

I like the idea of a weekly challenge. I also log my food intake, but I'm not a huge fan of calorie based logging itself because I never figure it out right.

Since I'm doing 21 Day fix by Beachbody, I got their free iPhone app and love it. I was doing the meal plan anyway and am keeping up with it. But basically the meal plan is all about portion control and has the color-coded containers. It is based on calories, but it's kind of figured for you already based on the portion of the meal and foods that are allowed. I hardly ever use the actual containers anymore since I know about what is a serving. Then I just check off each time I get a serving. It's pretty easy to follow and figure your serving portions based on your start weight. Plus, I love having the tracker on my phone, since it's the only way I'll update it and remember to take wherever I am.


----------



## ireadyermind

Food logging isn't just about what you're eating, but how much. Do you ladies weigh your foods or measure them another way, like with measuring cups _every day, every meal_? 

Think of it like a maintenance check, to be sure that you are still eating the right amounts in addition to the right foods themselves. If you go a whole week and discover that, yes, you are still eating the right amounts of foods, then you will know you're on the right track! 

Otherwise, you may discover that your serving sizes have crept upwards rather than remaining the same.

For the rest of us, food logging for calories in addition to portion sizes will help us learn better habits if we don't have them already.

Besides, if you eat the same stuff every day, food logging will be _easy_ this week, right?


----------



## BronteForever

Absolutely, IRYM. Knowing how much you are eating is super important. That's why I like the program I'm on. It has color-coded containers that are a recommended sizes of proteins, fruits, veggies, etc. Though you can easily measure the size without getting the containers. Then based on your weight you are allowed a certain number of containers per day. The app lets you track the amounts of each type of food you are getting easily.

It just takes away the math of the actual calorie counting which I'm horrible at. You also have "allowed" foods, which are all pretty low calorie, low fat, and low carb.

https://jeanieandjoan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/color-coded-containers.png

https://jeanieandjoan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/daily-calorie-bracket-beachbody.jpg

https://soreyfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/21-Day-Fix-Foods.jpg


----------



## ireadyermind

*Bronte* - I like how those cups make it easy to figure out how much of a food you get! 

You mentioned above that you hardly ever use the containers any more. Are you willing to go back to them for this week to see how your estimated portions compare to what they were when you started the plan?


----------



## mrs.green2015

I've been terrible!! 
But I wanted to comment on the portions. I do weigh or measure carbs and meat. But I don't with veggies. I was way off on portions! But now I'm starting to get he hang of it.


----------



## Fern81

I eat exactly the same amounts (2 eggs, 1x500 ml smoothie, fist sized piece of sweet potato, hand sized piece of free range meat and unlimited non-starchy veg and coconut/coconut derivatives, berries and sometimes 1 handful of nuts). I'm quite strict about it; I don't mean portion control will be difficult just unnecessary because I've been doing it in any case since Feb (so it won't make a new change or difference ).
I personally don't believe in calory counting because I don't eat a lot usually; also I firmly believe not all calories are created equal or have the same effect on your body eg calories from proteins are used for growth &repair while calories from carbs& fats are used as energy sources.... some calories are healthy and easily used by the body while some are stored and/or can't be digested which leads to bloating....
Sorry hun my personal view on that specific topic is to never calory count but rather focus on healthy, organic, no additives, certain types of foods etc. For me personally it works. It keeps my appetite under control and gives me enough energy to get through my hectic days while still maintaining a healthy weight (toning is more of a concern right now as well as maintaining my weight before ivf).


----------



## BronteForever

ireadyermind said:


> *Bronte* - I like how those cups make it easy to figure out how much of a food you get!
> 
> You mentioned above that you hardly ever use the containers any more. Are you willing to go back to them for this week to see how your estimated portions compare to what they were when you started the plan?

Sure. I can use them this week. I usually don't use them because i tend to eat similar stuff and can judge what it looks like on a plate pretty well after using them for a few days so I know my portion sizes. It's just easier since I feel like I eat half my meals at work (which I often do breakfast, lunch, and one or two snacks there). It's less transporting for me. I already keep the fridge pretty full there. But if I'm not prepared I eat worse during the week.


----------



## cupcakestoy

I think we all find different ways that work well for all of us. I lost 110 pounds doing weight watchers & walking 2-4 miles a day, I lost 15 pounds the 1st round of 21 day fix, I've lost by calorie counting, low carb etc.....I'm focusing on smaller portions, less caloric intake, increasing water & motivating myself to get up & EXERCISE! That's the only consistent thing with each weight loss "program" I've tried! lol It works for me. I think a big part of any successful program is planning ahead too! I'm meal planning & taking my lunch/snacks with me, as well as planned exercise....I do feel like life in general can throw us curve balls though. Even when strictly following any plan, I have days when I'm just hungrier or more tired than others :/ We GOT this ladies, just hang in there & get past the bumps in the road :)


----------



## BronteForever

So true Cupcake. Everyone is different and you have to find the way that's easiest for you because then you are more likely to stick to it. 

And meal planning and prep is definetly half the battle. I hate cooking so that one is hard for me. So I've had to find easier items that work that don't require much thought or cooking. I eat a lot of salads now but it works for me. I do get bored so I have to mix up what I put on them and then my evening meal some. 

Good luck this week ladies!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Bronte* - Thanks! We can kinda turn it into a sort of experiment (for lack of a better word) if you like? First, put as much food as you think it's supposed to be on your plate (or in a scoop, or however it's served), and then see how it measures up to the actual cups. Is that something you'd be interested in?

Then at the end of the week, you can see how well your estimates compared to the cups. Whether anything was over or under, that sort of thing. :)


*Cupcake* - What are some of your go-to meals that you use for meal planning? Is there any one recipe you like to use often that is a good balance between being healthy and easy to prepare? I know I hate getting into a meal rut, and if you have a recipe I haven't used before, I might have to snag it from you! :haha:



ETA -- Here is a good article on the benefits of keeping a food journal: https://summertomato.com/7-reasons-keeping-a-food-journal-is-better-than-counting-calories/

The bullet points in the article are: 
1. Mindfulness, not calories, is the key
2. Calorie data can be inaccurate
3. Calorie needs change daily, and with body weight
4. Calorie limits encourage the &#8220;what-the-hell effect&#8221;
5. Counting calories encourages &#8220;nutritionism&#8221;
*6. Food journaling helps you identify habits* <--- this is the biggest one, I think. You can see the days you're over-eating and a journal helps identify WHY it happens. Once you recognize the triggers, you can learn how to avoid them.
7. Counting calories feels neurotic

Another article, https://www.builtlean.com/2010/06/11/part-1-7-reasons-to-keep-a-food-journal/ , gives further reasons:

4) Identify reasons for binge eating
5) Provides a hard, objective record of our habits

And WebMD recommends recording time of day your meal was and the portion size, in addition to the level of hunger you felt at that time. This helps you learn to tailor your meals to your personal level of hunger, and change things like the amount of protein or fiber you eat to help you feel full longer. If you notice that you're always hungry immediately after lunch, for example, you can make a change.



Remember, ladies - the reason I challenged us all to keep a journal for a week isn't because there's something wrong with what you're already doing. It's because last week, almost every one of us said we didn't do well with eating for one reason or another, AND because keeping a food journal isn't just for counting calories and portions.

It's only 7 days for this challenge, just to see if journaling helps. If you don't care for it, the end of the week can be the end of your journaling. If you like it, you can stick with it!


----------



## BronteForever

Absolutely. I'm happy to experiment!


----------



## ireadyermind

BronteForever said:


> Absolutely. I'm happy to experiment!

Awesome! :thumbup:

I'm interested to see what you find out by next Monday!


----------



## Ursaula

Hey gals!

I weighed in today at 382lbs! That's about 4lbs down. I don't know how it happened other than I have been eating a little less... I have a lot of issues with portions so I'm in IRYM! I'm going to measure all my portions this week. I won't do calorie counting because we make a LOT of homemade foods and that's a lot of guessing on how many calories each item is. Like I said, I'll measure portions!

Good luck this week! :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

My new go to recipe is a twist on a 21 day fix recipe! I call it a breakfast bow lol

1 cup wild & brown rice
1/4 cup of turkey sausage crumbles
1/2 of an avocado chopped
1 green onion chopped
a whole tomato chopped
2 eggs over medium, cooked with PAM or coconut oil
1 tbsp of sour cream(light or fat free if I have it)

layer in a bowl as listed then mix it all up! 
It really is yummy & around 500-600 calories pending the brand of rice & sour cream

I try to keep my calories around 500-600 for breakfast, since it keeps me full for the majority of the day, then a light lunch/snack & meat & low carb veggies for supper! My go to snack is a banana & a tbsp of natural JIF peanut butter lol.....I'll post a few more tried & true recipes that we like....I'm making a big pot of veggie soup today. Its 1185 cals for the WHOLE pot, so I love it! No crackers for me though, most of the time I just dump in a big glob of mustard! Don't judge, lol It's amazing in veggie soup!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Baked Boneless Buffalo Bites

INGREDIENTS

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
½ cup flour
1 egg
1 tbsp butter, melted (I use Smart Balance)
¾ cup Frank&#8217;s Red Hot Sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp salt
poultry seasoning, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400.
On a plate, crack the egg and whisk. In another plate, add the flour and season with garlic powder, cayenne, and salt.
Season the chicken pieces with poultry seasoning, and then dip the chicken in the egg to coat. Next, dredge the chicken in the flour and place coated chicken pieces on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
Spray the chicken with cooking spray to ensure it browns when baking. Bake the chicken pieces for 10-15 minutes and then flip and cook the other side for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Stir the melted butter and hot sauce together in a bowl. Dip the baked chicken in the hot sauce mixture until fully coated.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Crispy sweet potato wedges

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled (or unpeeled, if you like skin) and cut into wedges
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with tinfoil (shiny side up); place baking rack onto prepared baking sheet; set aside.
Peel the sweet potatoes (if preferred) and cut off the pointy ends. Slice the sweet potatoes in half (lengthwise), then cut each piece into wedges.
Place the sweet potato wedges in a large bowl, then add in the olive oil, salt, sugar, seasoning, and black pepper. Mix well, making sure each wedge is coated with oil and spices.
Arrange the sweet potato wedges in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn on the broiler and bake for another 3-5 minutes, or until they're well browned and crispy. Keep an eye here - it's easy to burn when the broiler is on!
Cool wedges on pan for 5 minutes, then serve at once!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Shrimp Boil Packets

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
2 ears corn, each cut crosswise into 4 pieces
1 pound baby red potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons cajun seasoning
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill over high heat.
Cut four sheets of foil, about 12-inches long. Divide shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes into 4 equal portions and add to the center of each foil in a single layer.
Fold up all 4 sides of each foil packet. Add olive oil, cajun seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste; gently toss to combine. Fold the sides of the foil over the shrimp, covering completely and sealing the packets closed.
Place foil packets on the grill and cook until just cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.*
Served immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Notes

*This can also be baked for 15-17 minutes at 425 degrees F.


----------



## cupcakestoy

No Bake Energy Bites

These delicious little no bake energy bites are the perfect healthy snack!

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 10 mins
Ingredients:

1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flax seed (optional)
1/2 cup chocolate chips or cacao nibs (optional)
1/3 cup honey or agave nectar
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1" in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Makes about 20-25 balls.

These are yummy!


----------



## Fern81

I agree meal planning is super important! I made 5 smoothies for the freezer, cooked sweet potato for lunch for a week, and made dinners for every day this week for me and dh. It all goes in the fridge and I just defrost. So my portion sizes are all pre-planned and ready frozen! It makes a huge difference for me & my lifestyle. 
I can keep a food journal but I already know exactly what's going to be in it every day this week :) according to my strict plan.


----------



## Fern81

Good job on the weight loss Urs!! Keep it up x


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - Awesome, good job on that loss!

*Cupcake* - Thanks for sharing so many recipes! I just glanced over them this morning, but I'll have to take a better look later today when I have the chance. 


AFM -

Logging all my food, hunger levels and times yesterday only took a few minutes. I noticed how hungry a workout makes me, even a very short one, and even if I follow it up with a high fiber, high protein snack. Bummer!

Here's the first page of my journal, just so you gals can see. :)

Nothing complicated, and I make note of how my hunger levels are at multiple points throughout the day. Today I'm going to see if adding a small snack before my workout and then one after helps me fight off those hunger pangs!
 



Attached Files:







food-journal.jpg
File size: 41 KB
Views: 5


----------



## mrs.green2015

Urs great job!! 

Have any of you had white sweet potatoes?


----------



## ireadyermind

Do you mean actual sweet potatoes versus yams? I have had those. They seem to be a lot tougher and take forever to cook! If those aren't the ones you mean, then no, I haven't had them. Haha


FYI - today I ate a small 100cal snack immediately before and then immediately after my workout and I'm doing a lot better in terms of managing hunger. Score! Yesterday when I ate both items after the workout, I was STARVING all day.


----------



## mrs.green2015

These are called white sweet potatoes and they're actually white like a regular potatoe. They're amazing! I've been roasting them with parsley and garlic. It's so delicious. The regular sweet potatoes are just too sweet for me.


----------



## Fern81

Ooohh yummy Green no I haven't! We just have sweet potato (purple skin, white inside) and yellow ones; both are sweet. I eat them with salt &olive oil or just plain if I'm on the run and just love them. (only a palm sized piece though and always before 3 pm).
Definitely going to try roasting them with herbs even though they are sweet (I like sweet and salty combos).

Good job IRYM I'm glad to see you've got your groove back! I find eating protein after a workout, like whey powder or nuts, help me with hunger pangs. Black coffee before workouts helps burn fat. 

Doing well over here- I'm up to at least 25min HIIT training daily so keeping my protein & healthy fat & leafy green intake high and carb intake very low. Well I might as well train as hard as I can this month because I definitely won't be able to do it with this intensity during IVF stims etc. I will probably just be walking/doing weightless lunges etc during those 4 weeks. Maybe light kettlebells. ... will see what dr says!


----------



## Fern81

Oh and eating eggs or some other healthy protein/fat combo at least 30 min before a workout really helps if I do my workout after say, 9/10am.


----------



## cupcakestoy

I'm pooped! Walk a mile, in the rain this morning, then had a few errands in town followed by a trip to pick up a grant for our fire dept, which was 90 mins each way! Of course I hit up a few antique shops & thrift stores too! Ate a light lunch & Back home to work in the yard, hitting the shower then the couch lol not even hungry now.....just tired


----------



## BronteForever

Cupcake, thanks so much for all the recipes. I definitely need to try some. Cooking is my biggest challenge.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Well I'm gonna have to have more coffee then, aren't I? Haha. Kidding, kidding. I'm trying to cut back on caffeine. It's difficult.

But I always have a high protein snack _after_ my workout, but I'd never really tried a pre-workout snack before. So I figured today I'd give it a shot. 

Also I thought I'd try out a different brand of protein bar to see if I like the taste. It's easier for me to grab one of those than it is to try and whip something up. Oh, and I boiled up some eggs to keep on hand so that I can just crack one open for a high protein snack, too. It really helps me to have ready-to-go foods on hand at times like these!

One thing I'm noticing though is that after workouts, I crave carbohydrates like crazy! It makes sense of course, because my body wants it for energy. But my snacks and meals have enough carbs already. I'm not entirely sure why by brain seems to think I should binge. I was folding laundry and dreaming of Italian food. lol!


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcake thanks for the food idea's! i really need some new idea's. Espically ones that i can throw in the freezer and make later if anyone has any ideas on those. 

IRYM - your right I really really need to watch portion control. I have been super bad at it lately and need to get better.

Fern - eeekk 2 week count down!

AFM - did not do well this week. I let my cravings get the better of me and really went over board on our anniversary. It was super nice though, we stayed at the hotel (creepy side note we were the only guest that night lol hotels are creepy when its just you). Got to swim in the pool. Relax in their amazing giant bath tubs. They closed their dinning room sense it was just us and gave us a free dinner voucher for a restaurant up the road, and I went very wrong there lol. Found a great way to keep up on my water intake. An app called plant nanny, so cute and fun!


----------



## Fern81

Swimmy I'm so jealous of your holiday right now! You only live once right!! Work sucks at the moment. I feel like pretending I'm sick and taking a week off & just going off somewhere.... only problem is I work for myself and get paid per hour :dohh:

IRYM - food journal - I am keeping to my exact pre-planned meals and workouts so I'm happy. Was very hungry & tired today pre-2 pm workout (barely had time to eat beforehand) so I just had a tablespoon of coconut oil and a tablespoon of whey powder about 10 min before the workout. I had so much energy that the workout lasted 10 min longer :). If I exercise early in the morning I'm still fine on an empty stomach but later than 10ish I need to eat before a workout.

OMW I'm not loving my diet today. I am craving pizza and cake. But I won't give in!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy -* That sounds like a lovely trip! I am a tall woman, so standard bath tubs are neither long enough, nor deep enough, for me to comfortably soak. It's such a bummer! I am so envious of you being able to soak in a big bath tub! Haha

*Fern* - How was the whey powder and oil prepared? Did you just mix them together to form a paste, add them to water, or something else? I have whey powder and coconut oil, but I haven't used them as a pre-workout boost before and I'd be interested in trying that.

AFM - 

I remembered a while back, reading an article that goes into the science (or maybe pseudo-science?) of what food cravings mean. Since I wanted seafood and pasta SO badly yesterday, I thought I'd look for a similar article again, and found one.

So I thought I'd share it with you gals and see what you thought!

https://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2014/01/what-do-food-cravings-mean/

I know I personally still crave foods even though I take vitamins, so I'm not 100% certain of the validity of these claims, and then of course there's no hard, fast rule that works for everyone. But it's an interesting read!


----------



## Fern81

That's so interesting IRYM! I've been craving cheese a lot and was just thinking tonight that maybe I should add calcium to my list of supplements since I had bad muscle cramps today and calcium is the only mineral I'm not supplementing atm. Food for thought :)

I just ate a spoonful of hardened coconut oil and swallowed it down with a tablespoon of whey powder mixed into black rooibos tea. I would warn you against eating coconut oil neat if you are not used to it; it can make certain people feel nauseated and you definitely don't want that before a workout. I'm used to eating coconut oil because I almost always have to eat on my feet in a rush. Bad habit but I'm crazy busy most days.

By the way if you can get hold of Rooibos tea I highly recommended it. It's a South African product so I don't even know if it's sold in the USA but it's tasty and has an amazing range of health benefits. X


----------



## Fern81

Maybe a bit of almond or macadamia nut butter will be a good option instead of a spoonful of neat coconut oil (in terms of palatability; one can always do a coconut oil stirfry or similar for other meals)? I'm thinking of a small smoothie with nut butter and whey blended with water/rooibos tea about 30 min before workout might work for some? Healthy oils (energy) and protein (muscle build & repair ) all in one :)
I'm going to buy nut butters tomorrow and try it out!

I don't know about your protein bars but the ones sold here are still full of sugars & starch fillers & hydrogenated fats and other nonsense :( I really loved eating smartfood bars until I read the label on one. :(
By the way berries and cherries are great natural anti-inflammatories and apparently help with repair after a workout :) I eat different berries almost daily as they have almost no sugar but high in vitamin C, fibre, anti-oxidants etc.


----------



## Ursaula

Hi gals!

I'm curious as how all of you get over your cravings? How do you stop them and resist?

Any info is helpful because I crave foods all the time and just end up eating them. I'm super bad for it!


----------



## Fern81

Ursaula - I know what cravings are like; I used to be an addict (that's as far as I'm willing to go into THAT story). 
*I also crave food sometimes but it's easy for me to say no if the food is not in the house. I dislike getting in my car and having to drive around to find something to eat so if it's not in the house I generally am OK. 
*I make sure that I go grocery shopping on a full stomach so that I don't end up buying unhealthy crap. 
*Having my meals pre-prepped and ready to eat (like having boiled eggs or plain cooked sweet potato or a smoothie in the fridge) helps a lot too; when I crave something I'm usually hungry too so then I just eat my healthy meal and when my tummy is full the craving mostly lets up.
*Doing something fun to distract yourself is a good way of beating cravings. Or doing exactly the opposite of giving in to cravings - e.g. go for a walk around the block with your headphones on (exercise!) instead of eating. 
*Another thing that helps is if you eat something similar but a healthy option. E.g. when craving warm pudding rather cook a green apple and put plain cinnamon on it (no sugar). It tasted sweet, warm & cooked like pudding and is healthy because it doesn't have too much sugar or any additives, and cinnamon helps stabilize the blood sugar levels (which in turn helps reduce cravings).
When craving a cheese burger rather have a tablespoon of plain cream cheese mixed into your cooked/stir fried veg. You still get the taste of the cheese but just so much healthier!

I know if I just sit and think of what I crave and I have that food item in the house, resistance is so hard. Just relying on pure hard-core self-discipline is wayyyy too hard most of the time. So either don't buy it in the first place, or actively resist it in a positive way :)

Maybe every time you crave e.g. a McDonald's meal and resist buying it, you can put the money you would have spent in a jar/transfer to a savings account and save up for a nice NON-food related treat like a manicure or even new clothes for a slimmer you! :)

Good luck and let us know what works for you!


----------



## Fern81

AFM - as of this morning I'm back down to 55kg. Booyah! It was just AF weight :). 

In a stupid twist of events I accidentally stabbed myself HARD in the thigh with broken glass today. I didn't even realize I had been hurt until I saw the blood seeping through my jeans. Uuuhhhh!!! It's quite deep but I don't have the money go to the ER right now for stitches... so I just cleaned and bandaged it and STILL did a shortened workout an hour later. Including squats and lunges. It's definitely going to scar :/ . I couldn't NOT do my workout, I'm starting to feel guilty if I miss days (no days missed so far this week yay).


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Rooibos is available here, and I have some on hand. But I don't enjoy the taste of it as well as I enjoy some other teas (white tea, green tea, etc.), so I don't drink it often. 

About the coconut oil: I used to add it to my oatmeal in the mornings, have used it in recipes that call for vegetable oil (like flax waffles, veggie stir fry, cakes, etc) and also we feed it to our dogs to help their skin and coats. :) I'm no stranger to it! I've eaten it plain before, too, but I really enjoyed it in my oatmeal. 

Aanndd then about the protein bars: Some of those ARE pretty nasty in terms of all the stuff they add into 'em.

I really like Clif bars for that reason. They use organic ingredients, no HFCS, nothing artificial. Here's their ENTIRE ingredients list for the average bar:


> Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Rolled Oats, Soy Protein Isolate, Organic Cane Syrup, Organic Dried Cane Syrup, Rice Flour, Organic Roasted Soybeans, Organic Soy Flour, Organic Oat Fiber, Cocoa, Cocoa Butter, Organic Date Paste, Organic Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors, Soy Flour, Sea Salt, Barley Malt Extract, Organic Vanilla Extract, Soy Lecithin. ALLERGEN STATEMENT: CONTAINS SOY. MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF MILK AND WHEAT.

The problem with 'em is that they're about 250 to 300 cals per bar, which is a little higher than I want, and they're loaded with carbs. Which is great if you need the carbs for serious workouts, but when you're just working out 20 - 30 mins a day at home and you have a desk job, it's unnecessary. There are some miniature bars available by special order that I might look into, though.



*Urs* - When it comes to cravings, I don't really have much to add that Fern hasn't already said. Except that I chew sugar free gum a LOT when I just want to snack (without being hungry). Not only does it satisfy my snacking urge, but the minty flavor prevents me from eating other things because of the horrible flavor combo. Similar to how we don't drink orange juice after brushing our teeth. Haha. But if I'm truly hungry, the gum does nothing for me.

And speaking of tooth brushing, you get that "ew, this will taste bad with my minty mouth" benefit for a few hours, so brushing your teeth after every meal can help prevent you from snacking when you shouldn't. At the very least, you could brush immediately after your last meal of the day.


AFM - Logging food continues. Yesterday I craved SO much junk food, but I was able to keep my consumption down to a minimum. I was still under my calorie goal for the day, and still managed to meet my protein goal as well. 

I tried to think of what might be causing me to crave those foods so badly. I know I was pretty tired yesterday, and my body always wants carbs when I'm tired. But I had slept well the night before, so it wasn't a lack of sleep. Usually what triggers me is seeing other peoples' recipe posts on FB, hearing what DH and his coworkers did for lunch (they eat lunch out a lot, I'm trying to get him to curb that), friends telling me about some amazing meal or something they had recently eaten, or occasionally when random thoughts like, "We haven't had ____ for dinner in ages!"

Yesterday was more one of those "I haven't had ___ in ages!" days, I think. That, and AF is due in the next few days. I notice I've been mildly irritable, somewhat crampy, and just wanting to sleep the day away. The usual PMS symptoms for me, I guess.

DH and I are going out on Date Night tonight. Probably to an Italian restaurant. It's "cheat dinner" day, so hopefully this will help me get my foodie fix and hold me over until next week's cheat day. :) I'll make sure to fill up on salad first so I'm less inclined to gorge myself on the entree. Haha


----------



## drjo718

Hi ladies! I'm still reading daily. Thought I'd put in my thoughts about bars...

Something I started doing several years ago is looking at the sugar content in food. A lot of so-called "healthy" cereals and bars are still made with a significant amount of sugar. Look at the grams of sugar on the nutrition panel, and then the total grams of product in one serving. Many cereals and bars are more than 25% sugar...not a healthy choice. And, what are the chances we're only going to eat 1/2 a cup of cereal amd be full. That's a ridiculously small amount of food and just looks sad in any bowl lol. 

Another example is yogurt. Unless you eat plain yogurt and add your own stuff, those little cups are loaded with sugar. Think of it this way...one teaspoon of sugar is 4 grams. So that little 6oz cup of mixed berry yogurt that contains 16g of sugar is equivalent to you eating 4 straight spoonfuls of sugar from the canister. Kinda gross. 

Not to pick on your clif bar, Iread (they're tasty and yes, the ingredients are more natural than other choices), but there are a ton of sneaky sugars in there: organic brown rice syrup, organic cane syrup, organic dried cane syrup, organic date paste, organic barley malt extract. It may be organic and processed differently, but it's still sugar. Plus a lot of soy ingredients, which many people, especially with fertility and hormonal issues, are sensitive to. 

Anyway, just thought I'd throw that out there. In other news, I'm on bed rest due to mild high blood pressure. Hoping i don't have to be induced because of it. :(


----------



## Fern81

Hi drjo!!! Hope you can rest up and wait one or 2 weeks more; so exciting! 

I agree with drjo on that bar label, sorry IRYM! Lots and lots of sugars (syrups) and starch. And unhealthy oil (sunflower). I won't be able to eat it in any case (can't have soy because I have hypothyroidism; soy also increases estrogen so it's a big no-no for endometriosis sufferers).

A healthy snack bar option would maybe be to make your own? My sister has this recipe where you take plain rolled oats& mix with a little nut butter and a small bit of honey if you want it sweet; pressing into a baking sheet & baking until dry (something like that). Then there are no added sugars or soy or starch or sunflower oil! Except what you add into it. It will definitely work out cheaper too.

I'll get the recipe from her and post it here if anyone should be interested. X


----------



## Fern81

Mrsgreen! Hope you are coping healthwise in the tww :) and getting a bit of exercise for great blood circulation to your uterus :) you are probably so busy packing etc which is physically hard in any case. X


----------



## cupcakestoy

Lots of great points & info ladies!

Dr.jo hope all stays well for you & excited for you to deliver in a couple weeks!

I've been in the yard mowing & cleaning out flower beds x 3 super large ones! Tired but I feel great! Nothing like sun & dirt to relieve stress lol I'm making spaghetti squash with ground turkey sauce tonight....yummo!


----------



## ireadyermind

lol it's like you guys didn't read my whole comment on those bars. I said right in there that they're super high on carbs (carbs = sugar) and they're only good if you're the kind of person who's gonna burn through that much in your daily routine.


----------



## drjo718

Sorry, Iread, I missed that part. Still didn't mean anything personal, just talking about sugary stuff in general.


----------



## Ursaula

Thank you gals for all the advice!

Cravings for carbs/comfort foods it always my issue so it's great to get some ideas on how others cope with it.

So exciting drjo! I hope you get up and moving soon though. Wishing you lots of loving memories to come!!

I can't wait until we can start gardening and digging up flower beds again. Alas, it snowed yesterday so we have to wait a little longer...ugh.


----------



## swimmyj1

I've been keeping lots of veggies and fruit on hand for snacks. I know nuts are high in fat content but sometimes eating a few of those is better than eating the chips I want to eat lol.

My Dh is out to sabatoge me! He keeps buying ice cream and wanting to go out to eat ugh!! i love his reasons that we should enjoy solo date nights why can't we eat in and do that lol


----------



## mrs.green2015

Hey ladies. Haven't been checking in because I've been off the wagon. Moving day is tomorrow and we had very little groceries to start the week so we've been eating not so good choices. Which in reality is just an excuse I know. But oh well. 
I've been packing so I've been super active. I've been busy from morning until night with only a couple hours sitting in the office.


----------



## Fern81

Tonight I'm definitely also going to cheat on my diet, can't WAIT. I lost some more weight and getting addicted to dieting and training (love the way my bum is shrinking away & all my pants are too big; working hard on getting tummy flat too!!) I've lost ANOTHER 2 pounds so that's a bit much this week. I have to keep reminding myself to keep up my nutrient intake & had a salad & avo oil with my boiled eggs today instead of just the eggs. 

Be prepared to see me shrink down much more drastically if IVF fails (well, try to at least). I'm very happy with the weight I've lost but I'm at my happiest with my body when I'm skinny. After gaining & then losing 50 pounds between 5-10 years ago, getting super skinny is not as easy as it used to be when I was a teen. But I did have an eating disorder my whole childhood and into adulthood (I ate almost nothing) so I don't want to go back to the 100 pounds I weighed at age 23, either.

I think I will be happy in the 110-115 range but will see how building muscles with all these workouts influence my weight.

Ok sorry I'm rambling :) just thinking over my goals again :) have a lovely weekend all x


----------



## Fern81

IRYM I also didn't mean anything rude or dismissive, just my opinion that I personally won't eat those bars at all as part of my diet, not even the small ones. I read your whole post hun Xx you know what works for you.


----------



## ireadyermind

Had a lovely date night with DH last night. We picked Thursday because we'd avoid weekend crowds that way. I managed to work almost all of the calories of the meal into my allowance for the day, and then DH and I went on a 30 minute speed walk at the local mall. That was in addition to the 20 mins of moderate cardio I did on the bike during the afternoon. My calves sure are complaining today!

Anyway, since our dinner wasn't outside of my calorie range and the whole idea of a cheat day is to shake up your body's calorie intake so it doesn't settle into a rut, we had Cinnabon for dessert. 

Even after all that, I was only 500cals over my goal for the day. Considering I've been staying roughly 100cals UNDER my goal all week, I'm still well within my weekly goal, and that's awesome. I'm happy I was able to have this day to eat a totally sugary dessert without feeling guilty about it. :)


*Swimmy* - What if you look into some non-food date options and give him a list of those as alternatives?

Some suggestions off the top of my head: 

1. Paint Nite - https://www.paintnite.com/
2. Mall Walking/Window Shopping
3. Dollar Movies (if you still have something like this near you. It'd be cheap enough for tickets that you wouldn't feel too bad having to leave often to pee!)
4. Museum or Art Show visit
5. Arcade (how fun to play pinball and racing games with one another for an evening?) 
6. Zoo or Wildlife Center

Or just type "non-food date ideas" into Google and you get all kinds of listings you could look into. :)


*Mrs Green* - Oo I really hate moving! I can totally relate to your not wanting to cook and not having much in the fridge to do so. _However_, there are some things you could keep on hand to avoid going out to eat at every meal. Hard boiled eggs are one of my faves. Bananas are another great go-to, and those help keep your blood sugar even so you don't have mid-afternoon slumps. Fresh fruit in general is good, 'cause you don't have to refrigerate it, so you can keep some at the new house if it doesn't have a fridge yet, and some at the old place to just grab for a snack. I hope all the hassle of your move is over soon, and without issue!


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - those are great idea's! thank you :) I'm gonna be googling away lol.
Really disappointed in myself got on the scale today and Im up 7 lbs this month :( i need to get this under control.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- so glad date night was awesome and you didn't feel guilty! 
I've been good for breakfast/lunch dinner is the hard part whil moving! Lol but next week I can't wait to get back on track. I'll be food prepping Sunday and I'm actually so excited about it.


----------



## Ursaula

Mrs. G: How's everything going? Are you planning on testing soon? :)

For me: I have my gynaecologist appointment on Tuesday and I'm really starting to worry. What will go on? What if she turns me away because I don't have a job yet? What if she says I'm too fat? What are your experiences with gyns? Should I be worried about this?


----------



## tulip110

Hi Ladies, I'm still pretty new here and trying to get the hang of things. Was wondering if I could join your support group... Here's a little about me... I am 30 years old and DH is 28. I have been on birth control since I was about 16 years old and in October quit the birth control. In November DH and I began unprotected sex and I just assumed I would get pregnant no problem. After spending half of my life preventing I thought it would happen right away. Unfortunately that was not the case... so as suggested by a friend I bought an ovulation predictor kit and never got a positive during my suggested fertile window in November. I was so discouraged I pretty much quit trying for the next few months. We continued to BD but there was no scheduling around when I was supposed to be fertile or ovulating... and still nothing. So when my cycle began again March 10 I decided it was time to get back in the game. I bought a big pack of ovulation kits and after 14 days of negative during and way past my suggested fertile window I finally got a positive LH surge on CD 24 & 25. I was also taking my BBT every morning and had a dip and rise so Fertility Friend determined my ovulation day to be CD 25. DH and I were BDing every 3 days and when I got the +OVK we did that day too. I was sooo sure this was it... but nope. So I know it could be a number of reasons but I figure I will do what I can to increase my chances and something I can definitely work on is my weight. I'm constantly up and down with it. In October I was down to 173 pounds and now I'm back up to 205... I'm 5 ft 2 in so I know its tough on my body and could be partially to blame. I also noticed that the first few months off of my birth control my cycle was lasting 28 to 30 days and once I started gaining more weight my cycles got longer. Last cycle was 36 days and this cycle I'm at 39 days but AF should be here tonight or tomorrow. Sorry so long... I think I might have needed to do a little venting along with introducing myself. So I'm open to ideas and suggestions and would really appreciate it. :)


----------



## Ursaula

Welcome Tulip! It's always good to vent out to people who are going through similar issues and are understanding.

I know from reading up on other threads here that it can take up to a year for cycles to figure themselves out on bcp. I hope this isn't the case for you though. Do you have any fertility problems that you know of or have had irregular periods prior to starting bcp?


----------



## Fern81

Ursaula - I've never had a gynae show me away but I know things work a bit differently in other countries. Don't be scared hun hopefully this dr can give you some advice on regulating your cycles which will be really beneficial in your overall health too xx

Tulip - welcome! If you read over the last few pages- we have all shared loads of advice the past few weeks after the beginning of the year was a bit slow. I'm sure you will find a lot of info in those pages already. And feel free to share/ask anything! xx

AFM - I'm really happy with last week's efforts. I've stabilized on 55kg again and upped my nutrition intake (specifically focusing on vitamins & minerals not calories per se) by eating even more greens from the veggie garden and adding garlic & nut butter into my food allowance. My smoothies & meals were pre-prepped and I was never caught empty-handed. My cheat meal (mcdonalds) was really small, I couldn't stomach all the sunflower oil/trans fats in the fries so only had a few and the bread on the burger was too much so I removed most of it. And drank water instead of soda. But I had about 5 chicken nuggets and sauce so all in all enough cheating was done on Friday. I also did a moderate to hard workout every day last week and am really pleased with that! 

Finally came across the right term for my weight issues - "Skinny fat"! Overall small build but excess stomach fat (much of it packed around intestines; the hardest type to shift and also very unhealthy). I can lose tonnes of weight (after my 20kg weight loss in 2010) but my stomach always looks fat & bloated. It's because I haven't been exercising enough and up to Feb I definitely still ate too many carbs. Nice to have something new to research and apply to my specific problem.

Hope you all did well and I'll be keeping my eyes on your stats pages ;)

Cupcake - especially sending you positive weight loss vibes before IVF in 3-4 months, time flies hey!


----------



## BronteForever

So another pound down this week, but I will admit I struggled this past week.

First off, I did measure foods and I'm pretty sure I don't eat enough. Anyone else feel this way? I can never get in enough of my food containers that I'm supposed to for my calorie range when I'm eating the correct foods. I think it has slowed down my metabolism some. 

However, I had about eight events at work last week and several of them had sweets. Plus, I was on a rest week for 21 day fix, so I ate a few sweets, which I probably shouldn't have. 

I'm starting back up with another round of 21 day fix today, so that should keep me focused.

The last one I lost almost 11 inches total which I'm very happy with.


----------



## BronteForever

Welcome Tulip. I agree that sometimes it can take awhile for cycles to even out after being on BCPs for a long time. Sounds like you have quite a bit of fluctuation there. If it continues into the next few months, I'd definitely talk to your doctor about it.

Ursaula - is this just a regular gynecologist or one that specializes in fertility? I've never heard of one turning anyone away, so I think you will be fine on that front. I was also really worried with my first RE appointment they would be concerned about my weight. It didn't get brought up once, except by me when I asked at the end if I needed to be under a certain BMI to qualify for the multi-cycle IVF program that we wanted to do.

Fern - great job last week! And stomach fat is one of the hardest to get rid of. It's annoying. I tend to gain mine in my butt and hips more, but I recently gained about 20 pounds a few months ago and it seems like it all went to my stomach (I even got stretch marks for the first time because of it) and it's hard to lose that!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Tulip* - Welcome to the group! We're happy to have you. :) If you want to participate in our weight loss challenges and trackers, there's a ton of info in the very first post in this thread that will help you out. I look forward to getting to know you! :)

*Fern* - Good job stabilizing at 55kg! I have heard that managing micronutrients can be very important for staying healthy. Hopefully you'll have it all worked out in no time.

*Urs* - I'm not sure how the medical system works where you live, but a GYN shouldn't turn you away because you're unemployed. Just because you don't have a job doesn't mean your feminine organs will just tend to themselves! lol. You still need routine care and checkups, job or no job.

*Bronte* - Another pound down? Good job! I agree, I think that eating too little food means your metabolism will slow and you will have trouble losing weight. 


As for me:

Keeping a short food diary helped me figure out what's best for me in terms of pre- and post-workout food, in addition to identifying some triggers that make me want to eat junk.

DH and I had a rather "snacky" Sunday. We went to see The Jungle Book and I had some sweets while we were there. Also we stopped by Starbucks for some iced drinks after spending a lot of time out in the heat all day. But breakfast was a light-but-filling meal late in the morning, so we skipped lunch to compensate for the snacks we had during the film, and just ate leftovers for dinner afterwards. Not TOO bad.

I lost a fraction of a pound this week. Woo! :haha: I'm pretty sure it's more, but AF is due either today or tomorrow and I'm super bloated from that. Ugh. So I'm sure once the bloat goes away, so will some additional weight.

Sounds like we all did pretty well this week, right? Let's keep the momentum going!


----------



## ireadyermind

-----------------------------------------
WEEKLY CHALLENGE: APRIL 18 - 24
-----------------------------------------

The challenge this week is to *add 5 - 10 more minutes to your current cardio workouts*! You can choose your own workout intensity and routine, but add at least five more minutes to your totals every work out this week. If you're feeling like 5 minutes isn't enough, add up to ten more -- but be careful not to go overboard. If you work out too hard, you risk burning yourself out. We don't want that!

Changing up your body's routine even a little bit can help get your metabolism out of a rut and keep things moving in the right direction.

Remember to drink plenty of water, and consume enough protein after your workout so that your muscles have fuel and resources with which to repair themselves.




-----------------------------
PROGRESS INDICATORS?
-----------------------------

Who is interested in setting up some group-wide progress indicators that don't involve the scale?

On the 1st of every month, we can check our progress and report them to the group.


May 1st:
Do as many push-ups as you can (1+)
Do as many squats as you can (1+)

Then, on June 1st, we repeat the "test" and see how many MORE we can do than we were able to at the beginning of May. Some of us will be better at these than others, but the beauty is that we are not seeing who can do the most, but we're seeing if we can beat our previous 'records'.

What do you gals think?


----------



## Fern81

I love the progress indicator challenge! I won't be taking part during May though because I don't know if ovarian hyperstimulation will be painful (clomid had me struggling with hard workouts sometimes) and I definitely won't be running or exhausting myself after embryo transfer... I will see what works for me in May and I obviously have to keep exercising but I'm thinking of taking it down a notch just for my IVF month. If IVF doesn't work though I'm definitely on board for the progress challenge in June-July :)

Also: I will take you up on the extra workout time challenge this week. At least 25-30 min HIIT or running then for me!

I agree with switching up workouts. I have been doing a bikini challenge and other workouts and haven't gone running for about 2 weeks; I was EXHAUSTED after my run today!! The more different types of exercise, the better I believe.

Bronte - a pound is a pound!! Cupcakestoy & I'm feeling very motivated to get as healthy as possible before IVF; maybe it will work for you too (every time I look at unhealthy food I just imagine the havoc it will wreak on my ovaries, follicles, blood circulation, insulin metabolism, egg cell health etc etc and then I make healthier choices!)


----------



## tulip110

Thank you ladies for the welcoming! 

ireadyermind - I would love to join any challenges that will help keep me motivated to get healthy so count me in.

Ursaula - I've never been told I have any problems from all my normal yearly exams but I don't know exactly what they look for when I get that done. As for my cycles... I first got my period when I was 11 and until I began birth control when I was 16 my cycles were very irregular. I could go almost 2 months without a period. I have my regular yearly exam coming up next month so now that we are actively trying I will definitely have many more questions for my OB/GYN. 

Fern - Thank you! And good job working out everyday last week. That is my goal for this week. 

AFM- DH and I have a plan to "remodel" our garage into a home gym. We have so much exercise equipment that I think it'll be great. I'm very excited. I just finished my workout for today. I did 2 miles on the treadmill and the Jillian Michaels Shred-It DVD. I don't normally plan to do so much in 1 day but this week at work I am scheduled four 10 hour days in a row so I wanted to get a good workout in just in case work wears me out. Aiming for a workout everyday.

Question - Have any of you ladies had your partner try the SpermCheck Fertility Home Test? If so, what is your opinion about it?


----------



## BronteForever

Fern - IVF is great motivation. You are correct. I was just on a 21 day fix break last week so I gave myself permission to have a small amount of sweets since I'd been pretty strict for 21 Days. I'm back at it, going strong this week though. 

IRYM - I'm up for doing some sort of progress measure for the month that's not weight as well. However, I'm kind of in the same boat as Fern. I don't start IVF until June. However, someone on another board got me worried about doing exercises that are too intense before IVF since it can hurt egg quality evidently. So I'm exercising but going to tone it back closer to stim time so it's not too intense. If I have a challenge that's exercise oriented, I know myself and will probably push myself more than I should. There's so many rules and guidelines for fertility. I know you can't follow them all but I want to be a bit careful since all our IVF treatments are out-of-pocket.


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks gals for the reassurance :)

Way to go on the weight loss everyone!

I have started a low-carb diet, again. This week I was down 1 pound! :)
My appointment is at 9am tomorrow morning for those who are curious. (2 hours ahead of California, if that helps everyone).
I have also started an indoor vegetable garden! It doesn't get warm enough here for an outdoor garden until June. We also have a short summer so we really can only plant things like corn. So, I've started an indoors one! I'm planting Kale, Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Carrots to start with.


----------



## Ursaula

Tulip: From what I've read bcp causes your periods to become regular, so it would make sense if you had irregular before to have irregular now while off of it. I'd definitely bring it up when you go for your check up. Sorry I'm not more help! With me, my periods stopped completely when I started bcp and still haven't come back.

IRYM: I forgot to mention about the progress with exercises! I'd love to do it! I did pretty well measuring my food this past week but I found that I was having about 5 cups of pasta every meal...it really made me rethink what I was eating. I won't be able to add the extra exercise time until I can talk to my doctor. I haven't been given an "ok" since I was in emergency two weeks ago.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - So it sounds like measuring/tracking your food was beneficial to you too! I'm glad to hear that. :) Sometimes we think we have it down and we don't realize how much things have changed, since it's so gradual.

I am a pasta/bread/pastries *addict*. If I'm not careful, I binge on those things and ignore healthy foods altogether, especially when I'm sick. :dohh:



*Bronte* - Well, make sure you avoid exercise that's too intense! What do you do on a daily basis that is an acceptable exercise? Does adding 5 minutes to your usual exercise time make it too intense? I don't know what your daily routine looks like so I'm not sure. Haha


*Tulip* - Awesome! If you'd like, you can post your stats/progress sheet up here like some of the others have, and I will add your link to the first post too. That way you can always find it easily for updates and edits. :) Just let me know!


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - adding the 5 minutes extra of cardio this week is no problem. It's a great idea. I'm just going to probably count giving the dog a walk. He always enjoys that anyway so it's extra motivation. Plus it gives me another workout time. My videos are timed and include warm up and cool down, so it'll be easier to get it in by adding another activity. My exercises are kind of intense right now but I was meaning for the measure for each month to track progress. I might be out on that for awhile since I'm decreasing exercise next month on my weight training and stuff. So I'll probably try to avoid push ups and squats, etc.

Good luck for the week ladies!!


----------



## swimmyj1

tulip - welcome! me and my DH did the home check about a month before his count check, the directions were a little confusing. I recommend reading through them carefully. With our home test, we got a very very light line that didn't show up until after the time window. Sure enough his SA was under 20mil. However I will say that it only counts the swimmers. It won't give answers if there is a deformity in the sperm or if they are slow swimmers. My friends DH had a count of 60+ mil but had only 2% of normal sperm so I would still recommend getting a SA done with your doc. Good luck on the weight loss!! this group is a great motivator. 

IRYM - I start a yoga class 2 times a week does that count as cardio? also now with the weather getting nice i'm going kayaking on Wednesday! yay time to work those arms!! 

Urs - how did your visit go?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey ladies! Sorry I've been MIA again, we had a calf down, but he's doing much better after a very long night! 
I'm down another 2 pounds this week! We have been hiking & walking & I've been really concentrating on my eating plan. Going to now this evening & dh has promised to till up the garden this weekend! In other news, the guy is going to hang the drywall this weekend, so one step closer to getting ds's room done! He's currently residing in his old room/my war room : / Keep at it girls! We can do it!


----------



## Fern81

Great job cupcake!! woohoo! And so glad your little calf is OK.

Tulip - I love the sound of those workouts. "Shred-it" - yeah baby, going to google it right away! :haha: Another thread friend of ours (mrsgreen) introduced me to toneitup.com; they have loads of full-body exercises, cardio, HIIT etc and many of them are free printable/pdf downloads with color photos etc. Just a resource I wanted to share too. xx

Bronte - what are you thinking in terms of exercise during stim time? I'm thinking I will still walk, do a few pushups but less than I'm doing now and at a slower rate.... maybe still do lunges and squats but without weights... train on my stepper, IDK. I know it's a super bad idea to stop exercising during IVF but also not good to over-exert or do too much high intensity training. :shrug: I can't cycle because I don't have one and swimming is out because it's winter!

First day additional training challenge went well. I wanted to take a rest day because I've been going 10 days without a rest day but nope :haha: the guilt wouldn't let me!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Bronte* - Oh, okay. I was a little confused there! Just join us on those progress indicators when you can! :)


*Swimmy* - Cardio is the exercise that gets your heart rate up beyond it's resting rate. Power walking, jogging, running, biking, swimming laps, jumping jacks, jump rope, skating/roller blading, etc. all counts as cardio. Yoga is generally geared toward building muscle and increasing flexibility. I don't think it counts as cardio, personally. :\


*Cupcake* - Good job losing those two pounds! I'm glad to hear that the calf is okay now. :) It sounds like you have a lot of projects ahead of you this summer!


*Fern* - lol, darn that guilt! Maybe on a rest day you could just to a quick 5 minute workout? Because 0 exercise plus 5 minutes of exercise = 5 total minutes? :haha:


I didn't get any workout done yesterday and didn't really realize it until bedtime. I keep telling DH that I'd like to go walking with him in the evenings (it's safer to walk in pairs, and we can take both dogs instead of one or the other of them), but he's been leaving for work later and later in the day, which means he gets HOME later and later.

Last night he wasn't home until 7pm. By the time we had eaten dinner it was 8 o'clock, which is a little more than an hour before I start getting ready for bed. And if I work out that close to bedtime, I'm up all night and can't sleep.

I've asked him numerous times to stop leaving for work so late. Today he didn't leave until almost 9am, and it takes him 30 minutes to get there, which means he won't be home today until 7pm or later _again_.... So I guess I'm pretty much alone in the exercise part of our health plan, which is a pretty big let down. :(

If DH would _leave_ at 8am instead of waking up at 8am, he could leave work at 430pm instead of 630, we'd have dinner done by 530, have time to go walking for 30 - 45 minutes, come home and unwind before bed. I don't think I'm asking too much! Leave for work at a decent hour and come home at a decent hour.

As it stands, when he doesn't get home until 7pm, I essentially have 2.5 hours to spend with him before bedtime. :(


----------



## Ursaula

Great job, Cupcake! I hope you get out gardening soon, it can be tough work but it's so fun.

IRYM: Maybe you should set an alarm clock for him? That sounds annoying, and to only be able to see him for 2.5 hours?

AFM: I had my first gynaecologist appointment! We went over things like how long we've been trying, if there were any std/sti, what I'm currently taking, etc. She told me I probably have heard it a million times, but my weight is an issue. However, she isn't going to hold me back. She said as long as I make it my #1 priority she'll help me. And so, I have a prescription for Provera progesterone to see if we can force it. I then do bloodwork on day 3 of the bleed and come back on June 2. She also mentioned sending me to a fertility specialist but left it at that.


----------



## JellyPickles

Hi ladies! Mind if I join in? I am WTT until I've lost enough weight and am in desperate need of some serious motivation/support. 

*Stats:*
*Height:* 4'11"
*Starting Weight:* 230 lbs (my peak in 2014)
*Goal Weight:* 150 lbs then maybe 130 lbs
*MyFitnessPal Username:* I'm a paranoid weirdo who doesn't like to post it on public forums, but I do have MFP and I always like new friends, just PM me! :thumbup:

*Goals:*
Lose at least 5 lbs every month.
Lose 40 lbs by the end of 2016.
Run a 10k by the end of 2016. 
Get knocked up in 2017! Or maybe even earlier...

* My Plan:*
Low carb, very low calorie (<1,000 per day, my doctor has approved this plan). Absolutely no coffee or sugar as I have a terrible sugar addiction that I need to kick. Once I'm past the addiction I plan on slowly reintroducing coffee and sugar in limited portions, because coffee and sugar are delicious. For exercise, I'm starting with 30m/day of quick walking and I will be starting the Couch to 5K training program next week. I want to work my way up to 60m/day which I know I can do!! 

*Weigh-ins:*
4/19/16: 194 lbs

*Things I struggled with this month:*
I keep falling off the band wagon :( I am still losing weight slowly, but I know I could be doing a LOT better. 

* Things I did well this month:*
Um... nothing. :dohh: But April ain't over yet, there's still time to save this sinking ship!


----------



## BronteForever

Welcome JellyPickles - looks like you are already well on you way to losing weight. Great job! It's easy to get in a rut so hopefully posting here will help kickstart you. 

Fern - good question about exercises to do during stims. I actually don't know what to expect so I'll probably keep it safe and do mostly lots of walking. I'm imaging any weight stuff will be a challenge but we'll see. I might try some light yoga to help with relaxation as well. 

IRYM - so sorry you haven't gotten your husband to participate in exercises much yet. It's definetly easier sometimes with a partner. Although I can relate to your husband a bit since I'm not a morning person at all and often slip into work much later then I should and then stay later. 

Ursuala - sounds like it was pretty productive appointment. At least you are getting some tests. Those will help a lot to see if you have any other issues going on besides weight. You'll have a much clearer picture of your chances to conceive naturally.

Cupcake - great job on the weight loss.


----------



## tulip110

Not sure I did this right but here it is...

Stats:
Height: 5ft 2in
Starting Weight: 205
Goal Weight: 150

Goals:
To lose 1 to 2 pounds a week.
To add more veggies and fruits to my diet.

My Plan:
I plan to workout at least 30 minutes at least 5 days a week. 
I plan to eat more veggies and fruits and less carbs and sweets and try to control my portions.

*APRIL 2016*
04-15-16: 205 lbs
04-25-16: 200.1 lbs
Total: 4.9 lbs


Things I struggled with this month: This month I wasn't very motivated to lose weight. I didn't pay attention to the foods I ate and didn't worry about working out at all. 

Things I did well this month: Not that it has to do with weight loss or getting fit but I charted my BBT the entire month for the first time (minus a few days) and I am in such amazement to see my temps do what all the articles say they should during my cycle.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​
*MAY 2016*
05-02-16: 198.4 lbs
05-09-16: 196.5 lbs
05-16-16: 195 lbs


----------



## tulip110

Swimmy - Thank you for that info. We already purchased the kit so I guess DH can do it for practice. hehe We watched a YouTube video that walks you thru it so hopefully we can get it done right. 

Fern - I will definitely have to check out toneitup. com. I got most of my work out dvds at Hastings and Half Price Books... and a few from Walmart. 

Ursaula - I'm glad your appointment went well. Do you know what the Provera progesterone is supposed to do? I've seen a lot of people talk about Clomid. I just have no idea what all these meds do to help. 


AFM - Today I had just enough energy left after work to do 2 miles while DH cooked dinner. He made us a ground turkey taco salad with black beans. It was layered with shredded lettuce, the ground turkey and black bean mixture, a little low fat shredded cheese, tomatoes, and some avocado. I enjoyed it. :)


----------



## Fern81

Hi Jellypickle! Nice that so many ladies have joined (just in time for your summer!)

Tulip - that salad sounds amazing. I wish my husband would cook sometimes.

AFM - about 10 more sleeps! I'm expecting AF next week Friday or Saturday and stims start straight away on CD2! I'm starting to get anxious again, thank heavens exercise helps with the anxiety & I have enough anti-anxiety meds left to last me into the first week of May (very low dose meds approved by my specialist).

Diet-wise: I'm going to take a rest day from exercise tomorrow, I think my body really needs it (might do 5-10 min total then lol). I've lost another half kilo despite eating so much of my specific foods yesterday that I couldn't finish my dinner. So I'm increasing my nutrient uptake again today. What bothers me a bit is that my face & neck is starting to look very bony and sinewy and it's not attractive in someone my age. WISH we could decide on WHERE/HOW our fat should be distributed!


----------



## miracleworker

Hi queens! Mind if I join in? I am NTNP and in the mean time i want to loose weight so bad and start living a health life. looking forward to join force lol 

Stats:
Height: 5'7"
Starting Weight: 212 lbs (4th April 2016)
Goal Weight: 175 lbs 
MyFitnessPal Username: had an account but i don't remember the name i will check
Goals:
Lose minimum of 2 lbs in a week .
Lose 37 lbs by the end of June 2016 (so help me lord). 
Tone and see some muscle gain
Shaped arms and one pack abs 
Getting pregnant when i see abs lol 

My Plan:
i eat health and i exercise at least one hour for five days in a week ( cardio plus weight training), low carbs, cut sugar except from fruits, much protein,detoxifying, drinking lots of water and get enough sleep.

Weigh-ins:
4/4/16 : 212 lbs
4/12/16: 205 lbs

Things I struggled with this month:
Got drunk when i went to visit my family which i think it slowed my process, also i don't get enough sleep due to too much things on my plate. But am working on my sleeping habit. 

Things I did well this month:
i ate clean for the past two weeks even after temptations, did my best in working out and i kept pushing even after not seeing my scale not moving. 

thank you:hugs:


----------



## Fern81

Hi miracleworker! Ooohhh all these new ladies, loving it and looking forward to all the new advice & perspectives from everyone!

GL with your weight loss & fitness journeys everyone. xx

*Bronte* - I was doing some research on exercise during IVF and it seems like once stims start, only low-impact exercise is advised such as walking for 30min, slow swimming, yoga, tai chi, light arm weights and stretching. No high-impact or anything involving abdominal twisting is advised to minimize the risk of ovarian torsion (aaarrghhh!). Then also no moderate to high intensity cardio because it's not advised to increase body temp too high or even break a sweat during exercising. (You should be able to carry on a normal conversation during light intensity/light impact exercise apparently). Also, no exercise is allowed where a fall is possible e.g. no biking or horseback riding (as if :haha:) or running. Interesting to learn; it seems like very little is allowed!

At the same time, physical activity is definitely recommended for healthy blood circulation and normal physiological functioning. 

It's going to be a huge change for me because over the past few months, I've gotten used to working out so hard that I can barely walk afterward (lol some fitter people might look at me working out and think "that's not so hard!" but for me it's hard, high intensity exercise!). And I've also read that even before stims start, exercise intensity should be slightly lowered so that no undue stress is placed on the body. :/

OK so tomorrow I will take a rest day, train hard Friday & Saturday, and then start taking it down a notch from Sunday onward. Then during IVF I will basically only be walking, also going to google tai chi workouts (I don't do yoga). I know I'm going to feel guilty and fat :( but with so much money spent and so much preparation done diet & supplement wise I guess I can chill out with my exercise regime for a few weeks right.


----------



## ireadyermind

Welcome to *Jelly* and *Miracle*! So nice to see new faces around here! You gals (including *Tulip*) are now added to our members list on the first page of the thread. Make sure you only edit the posts you made today when you weigh in. Don't keep posting new update threads, we want to be able to see all your progress and comments in one place. :)


*Urs* - DH does have an alarm set for 6am, and one for 7, and one for 8. He just hits snooze so many times that he eventually wakes up at like 730 or 8. I have asked him just to try getting up 30 minutes earlier for a stretch of time, and once he's used to that to try another 30 minutes, but that lasted all of one day. :dohh: Part of the reason he leaves so late in the morning is that he sits and watches TV or YouTube clips before he gets ready to leave. :growlmad: He wastes 30+ minutes on that in the morning.

The other day, I asked him if he'd rather I slept in mornings so that we could stay up late together. If I don't set an alarm, I naturally wake up at 10am regardless of how early or late I went to bed. lol. So me getting up at 10am wouldn't be a hardship. ;) Still. I'm so accustomed to my 10pm bedtime that I automatically start getting sleepy around then, even on days I sleep in. But _something_ has to change!


*Bronte* - I'm definitely not a morning person either, but when it comes to work, you just buckle down and do it, eh? DH has a different work ethic than I do. He's really laid back about what he wears and when he shows up. It's strange. He'll pull a wrinkled up old shirt from the laundry and wear that to work, completely bypassing the half-dozen shirts I ironed for him which are hung up and ready to go. :dohh: I would never show up in a wadded up old shirt that looks like I slept in it! He just doesn't think his attire is important. 



AFM - I have been dealing with a pretty nasty flare-up of tendinitis in my right arm. The swelling runs from wrist to elbow and makes holding onto _anything_ really difficult. I had trouble with a pen, my computer mouse, chopping veggies for dinner, holding the sponge to wash dishes... I've only been awake an hour-ish by now and already I'm feeling weakness in my hand again.

I get this from time to time and it always takes a few days before it goes. Then I'm good for several months before something else irritates it. Guess that means no weight lifting or push-ups for my arms for several days! Bummer.


----------



## JellyPickles

IRYM: That sucks, injuries when you're trying to get fit are such a downer. I can totally relate to your frustrations with hubby, healthy lifestyles are definitely easier when your partner can be there with you through it. My husband works nights and I don't even see him at all on weekdays, so I'm also doing the exercise mostly solo. :( TTC is going to be a logistical nightmare once we get there. I guess I'll be waking up at 3am for BD several times during O week, oh joy! 

Fern: If I'm reading your posts right you're starting IVF at the beginning of May? Wow not to long to go! Congrats and best of luck with that!! 

Well, this thread has already helped me out! Right after I finished making my first post last night I felt guilty enough that I got off my butt and took a walk for the first time in a month. Walked briskly for 45 minutes which was well over my 30 minute goal and I'll be doing it again tonight!


----------



## Fern81

Yeah Jelly! You go girl :)

Yep I was fortunate enough to get a substantial financial donation for IVF, completely out of the blue! Otherwise we won't be doing it right now. I'm scared and nervous and a bit excited and just wish May would fly by.


----------



## Ursaula

Hello gals :)

I decided to weigh again today...(I'm terrible at only weighing once a week). I'm down a lot! I won't tell you all how much until Monday though, hehe! I've been drinking only smoothies the last few days plus only have a bit of protein. In the smoothies are lots of fruit and veggies, almond milk, a couple of spices, and oatmeal. Super amazing and fills me up for a LONG time! My body isn't in starving at all.

I started Provera progesterone (progesterone forces af to come), so I'm excited to see how well it goes.

I also started walking again today, only 10 minutes, but I went as fast as I could.

Hope all is well with everyone else! :)


----------



## Fern81

Ooohhh wow Urs I'm looking forward to your weigh-in then! And good job with starting walking again! 10 min is better than zero minutes :) Hope provera does the trick for you. I've also taken it before (I personally didn't need it, dr was wrong, but it still forced a period lol). Make sure you take it every day at the same time to maximize its efficiency :)


----------



## ireadyermind

*Jelly* - I remember when DH and I worked opposite shifts. I used to be a manager at a retail store and my schedule would be all over the place. I'd come home around 10pm at night and still need dinner, shower, etc. before bed, and meanwhile DH has been up and running since early morning and is ready for bed! It's rough. And it's part of why I wish I had more time with him now! Certainly when we have children, we are going to miss the peace, quiet and alone time! lol


*Urs* - Good job on walking and smoothies! I might have to get in on that, especially now that temperatures have jumped up to highs in the 80s (about 27C). I don't like to run the air conditioner too much when it's just me at home, so cold drinks are my go-to when I'm feeling a little too hot! Adding oatmeal into those smoothies is a great idea to keep you full, too.


AFM -- Added the full 10mins to my workout yesterday and will try to do so again today, if my legs aren't dead. Haha. 

Since I couldn't do push-ups or weight lifting with this dead arm yesterday, I focused on ab exercises. I have some that are safe for people with back problems (like meee) which help strengthen the muscles that support the spine while also working abdominal muscles. I should start counting how many I can do in a row and see how that improves over time, hey?

I couldn't do my plank yesterday because of this arm, though, so I don't feel like I got the total workout that I needed. Bummer.

Finally started AF today, with cramping so bad that it kept me awake from 5am onward. This is going to be a loooong day. And one interesting note: even though AF arrived 3 days late, it was exactly 15 days AFTER I had that big old mess of EWCM that I was so excited about before! My LP is always 15 days, so that means on the day I got that EWCM, I ovulated. Woo!

This makes me really hopeful for a BFP this coming cycle. C'mon, EWCM! Show up again this month! lol


QUESTION!

Do any of you gals think about increasing your core muscle strength to help with pregnancy and delivery? Since I'm starting with weaker back muscles, I'm really trying to strengthen them all I can before I get pregnant, since the added weight of a baby on my frame is going to strain my back quite a bit.

At the same time, I considered this: if you have stronger abdominal muscles, doesn't it also follow that you will have stronger contractions and be able to push harder/longer during delivery if your abs are strong?

With those things in mind, I'm really trying to get my back and abs in shape as soon as possible, since you can't do ab workouts while pregnant! I want to get ahead of the game, so to speak.

What are your gals' thoughts on that?


----------



## BronteForever

Fern- thanks so much for all the exercise info. A lot of what you said makes sense, which is why I was going to tone it down and try to do mostly walking. 

IRYM - hmm...interesting question. I haven't put much thought into building muscles specifically for carrying a child and delivery, but it makes alot of sense that it would help with it. I kind of feel that no matter what I do, I'm likely to be a high risk pregnancy due to issues in the past, so I kind of feel like I'm destined for a C-section no matter what. But your theory makes sense, and it's a good idea to build your core for helping to carry the baby. I have back issues all the time, so that's an area I try to work on lots, but sometimes don't succeed as much as I want due to pain. Good luck building up those muscles!

Also, hope your pain goes away soon.

MiracleWorker - welcome to the group and good luck on your weight loss journey!

Ursaula - great job on the weight loss. Excited to see your numbers.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Wow....you all have been busy! Welcome to the new comers! I'm having a sh**ty day! So frustrated on so many different levels! Will update tomorrow..


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcake - im sorry hope things are going better, hang in there.

IRYM - i would think it would make things go easier for delivery/carrying. They don't encourage abdominal work outs once your pregnant but that's why I'm doing yoga to really strengthen my core muscles. 

Jelly - welcome! i totally understand when it comes to working opposite shifts of our spouse. I'm the night shifter and use to drive home on my breaks during ovulation week haha, because we would go all week without seeing each other sometimes. ugh nothing says romance than a "wake up I have 10 minutes" lol

Welcome all other new comers so excited to have you!


----------



## miracleworker

thank you all lovely ladies....
IRYM that is very interesting but its also the reason am working out before getting pregnant. Strengthening your core gives all the benefit you just mentioned but also it will protect you to staying in good shape after birth as its going to be quick to get your body back. 
so as for me on this one am working so hard to get a strong core and flat abs.
also good job on working out even when your arm isnt letting you..
there is a good thing about keep on pushing you will love the results.

AFM; well have been holding on to eating health and exercising, and i have been trying to sleep so i feel so good. Am going to weigh myself tomorrow ....sorry cant wait til Monday as i usually weigh on Saturday also i love to weigh before my cheat meal and saturday is my cheat day but i will wait until monday to tell you guys.

otherwise i wish you guys a lovely weekend and remember to stay health. 
i have a question too, do you guys detoxify?


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ok, so It's been a crappy week here! I have been running basically an ICU on the calf all week.....IVs, Tube feeding, rectal tube, pills, injections, mixing electrolyte solutions, turning/repositioning....It's been exhausting! Finally got the scours/diarrhea stopped only for him to end up with pneumonia! Poor little guy died late last night :( Then I'm on call this week & a couple on t our fire dept had their baby last night...It was tough when I got the text & pic, since I was due last week, but I was nice & hopefully cheerful in my response...I plan to send a gift from the dept today, but I just can't go visit...I'll see her when they get home..put it off as long as possible I guess! lol

Weight wise, I'm doing ok. Don't feel like I've lost this week, but still sticking with the plan so I'm good :) Dh has asked me to do 1 last round of the Clomid. I don't have any faith that it will work & am really not into taking it, but he doesn't ever ask or question anything related to TTC, so I'm humoring him this time! Today is day 3 of meds, with O predicted for next weekend, IF it doesn't screw it up! Terrified it will cause me to gain weight/bloat so being extra careful with my salt intake & refusing to give into "cravings" this weekend!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - That's why I'm strengthening my core muscles BEFORE pregnancy instead of getting pregnant and wishing I had done it when I wasn't. lol. I know you're not supposed to do any sort of ab workouts while pregnant. I was even told not to do anything that requires me to lie down on the floor? So I guess that puts some of my leg exercises off the list too. Weird!


*Miracle* - I have done detoxing before. Primarily weekend juice cleanses, since anything longer than that is very difficult for me to stick to. I have not tried other forms like only eating raw fruits and veggies (no meats) for a week, or anything like that. What do you think about detox routines?


*Cupcake* - Aww, that's rough. Poor little calf! Sounds like you did everything you could, though.

And I can relate about hearing about more babies. I would've been due this month too and there are at least two people I know who just announced pregnancies (one of 'em had only been trying a couple of months), and two who gave birth this month. That's all I'm hearing about is everyone else's babies right now. It's hard. :hugs:



AFM - Really really didn't want to work out yesterday. AF is giving me hell this month and all I wanted to do was lounge on the couch and either nap or watch movies. Haha. But I got in my 30 minutes (that's including my extra 5 to 10), even if I didn't put much effort into it. It was still enough that my heart rate increased a bit and I was breathing harder, just not my usual sweat-inducing routine.

Added in some stair stepping and a few squats (those KILL my knees! I was only able to do about 5. I think the new challenge starting in May will be a good thing for me) to work out my legs, and that was that. I felt pretty good about myself for working out in spite of everything.

Still not much to say about my arm though. It's improving, but not so much that I can do any workouts with it. Essentially, the most I can do right now is some brief typing. Here's hoping it's better by Monday!

Also started back on BBT today. We're going from NTNP to actual TTC again this month. I'm optimistic! I'll keep making sure I get plenty of sleep and drinking plenty of water, and hopefully I'll see some EWCM like I did last cycle.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Hi ladies sorry I've been MIA. It's been a crazy week... First I got a bfp, then I thought it was too light, then it got darker, then my beta came back at 8, but then my test got darker, so I felt good but then my second beta came back at 5. And this morning spotting started. So needless to say it was one heck of a roller coaster week. I'm giving myself today and tomorrow to be sad and Sunday I'll be back to meal prepping and working out. I'm excited as my webiste is staring a new workout challenge so I'll focus on that rather than my (now second) loss.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs. Green* - Aww, sorry to hear that! :hugs: That is definitely a roller coaster of emotions. Especially when it's all in one weekend!


----------



## BronteForever

Mrs Green - I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Losing a pregnancy is never easy and it had to be really hard to get your hopes up then down and then reversed so close together. Sending you hugs.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Sorry Mrs. G! Miscarriage sucks.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Thanks ladies. Appreciate all the kind words!


----------



## Ursaula

Mrs. G: I'm really sorry :(, sending you lots of hugs! Will they be looking into why you miscarried again? (Ex. Too thin lining, etc.)

Cupcake: Hugs to you too! I understand how hard it can be to dedicate so much love, time, and money into another creature. You sure did everything you could though.

Glad to hear you've been sticking with your plan! :) AND hubby wanted clomid again. Worth the shot.

Miracle: I've done a few detoxes. Mainly because of getting scopes done though. I can't stand even the smell of broth anymore! Yuck!

IRYM: I believe in finding an exercise routine prior to getting pregnant. And working out (yoga) during the pregnancy. I feel it will help a lot with child birth and helping the body shrink back to size after.

I hope your arm gets better soon, and yay back to TTC!

AFM: I weighed again today and can't wait to tell you gals my number! Come on Monday! These thick, healthy smoothies are doing wonders.

I've taken my fourth Provera progesterone pill and I think I might see something when I wipe? For those of you who have tried progesterone, how long did it take to have a period when you started it?


----------



## drjo718

Urs- glad the smoothies are helping! I've taken provera a few times, and started bleeding 3 to 9 days after the last pill.


----------



## Fern81

Green- just sending lots of hugs again xx

Urs- you really have me looking forward to tomorrow's weigh-in :)

Drjo- wow 1 more week!!

Cupcake- so sorry about your calf :( so so sad :(

Will catch up properly tomorrow x


----------



## drjo718

Fern- one more if I'm lucky! Chances are it will be this Tuesday due to high blood pressures.


----------



## BronteForever

How exciting drjo. Hope it's an easy delivery and everyone is healthy.


----------



## miracleworker

Mrs. G: I'm really sorry , sending you lots of hugs! :hugs: hope you are holding up so well

AFM: I weighed again and am not too happy will come back later and share it. It almost got to me and i was like what was all the effort go. 
what am i doing wrong and so many other.
as far as ttc is concern am doing some test just to be sure...so one of the test i will have to wait for AF to show her face.

later ladies


----------



## Fern81

So I'm definitely down to 54 kg (119lb), I weighed in at 54 last week Tuesday or Wednesday I think? And just stayed there. I tried to increase my nutrient uptake (had a whole bottle of macadamia nut butter last week!) and took 2 rest days from my workouts but the weight is still dropping. On the one hand I LOVE it because it means my eating & workout plan is really working well. On the other hand I don't want to lose more before starting IVF so I think I will be eating a little bit more sweet potato this week and not work out so hard.

Nutrient wise: I started sprouting lentil seeds for my salads; also my "microgreens" are growing nicely.

Drjo - all the best with your imminent delivery!! xx

Good luck with everyone's weigh-ins.

Ttc wise - omw I'm sooooo stressed for this weekend. I phoned the dr's rooms this morning just to find out what the procedure is eg when do I call in for CD 1; and then I found out that it's not DEFINITE that I will be able to do IVF this month, I first have to do a baseline FSH and LH test because I will be newly off bc! And if those levels are too high I can't do IVF! I'm so stressed out. This morning I wanted to go for a WALK because I need to decrease my workout intensity; it turned into a hectic running session just because of all this extra stress adrenalin in my system. Urgh please send me prayers for low low FSH and LH levels!

Sorry to make this post all about me. I love you guys and will be stalking today to check out your weight loss stats xx


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern- Fx'd that your labs are perfect for IVF to commence! Great job on reaching 119! 

good luck drjo!

Miracle-Hang in there!

AFM-Down 2 more # this week! Feeling good & excited to plant the garden this evening!

Hope everyone else has had a good loss week & is keeping on, keeping on! We can do it ladies!


----------



## Ursaula

Fern: Good job with your nutrient intake! I really hope IVF happens for you THIS month AND it works! Fx'd!

Drjo: Good luck!! I bet you're super excited!!

Miracle: Big hug! Our weight does ridiculous things sometimes.

Cupcake: Great job on the 2lbs loss!! Keep it going :) Yay for gardens.

AFM: I weighed myself everyday and watched the scale. I gained 1lb from yesterday but this week I lost a total of 11lbs!!!! I'm feeling great about this smoothie thing I've been doing. I want to lose as much weight as I can before I see my gynaecologist again to show her I'm serious. 11lbs!! :)

TTC wise I read that provera can either make you ovulate first or have af right away. In other words s/o and I got busy to make sure we wouldn't miss out any chances of ovulation. I purchased wondfo opk and hpt like you gals suggested. They should be here this Friday or next week sometime. Then once I finally have af it's OPK time!


----------



## Fern81

Holy moly 11 pounds is awesome!!!! SO happy for you Urs. Hope the provera does the trick and you get a proper period to clear out all the old uterine lining xx You are doing an awesome job!!

Cupcake - and yay for another 2 pounds for you too! 

I phoned the dr's rooms again in a complete panic... but the receptionist assured me not very many ladies get FSH and LH levels after bc that are too high for IVF. She started saying "that's not the one you need to worry about; the big worry is..." and I cut her off right there. I've decided to ask her, the doctor and the nurse NOT to tell me what I need to worry about, but just keep pretending everything is OK until it's really NOT OK anymore. Eesshh. I'm such an overanxious person and need to do everything in my power to keep my anxiety levels way down.


----------



## ireadyermind

Good morning, gals!

*Fern* - I'm sure it will all work out in the end. Don't stress too much, it's not healthy! :) We're all rooting for you and sending positive thoughts/vibes/prayers your way. 

*Urs* - Whoa! 11 pounds? What are you putting into your smoothies and where can I get some!? Haha

*Miracle* - I can understand how you might be feeling. All the work, the careful eating, the exercise.. And then not to see a drop on the scale is frustrating.

Maybe look for other signs of improvement? See if your pants feel like they're loose, maybe take some measurements of your waist, arms, neck, thighs, etc. and see if you're losing inches/cms instead of pounds on the scale?

*Dr Jo* - Ee! One more week! You'll remember to come back and post lots of pics for us once you're feeling up to it, right!? 



AFM -- Just had a busy, busy, busy weekend! Saturday, DH and I spent our day running errands, doing lots of walking, etc. We went to the furniture store to take advantage of a deal they had running. You buy a couch & loveseat set, you get tons of stuff included for free! 2 end tables, a coffee table, an area rug, some wall art (we got a pair of canvas prints) and 2 table lamps all in the set. I'm SO excited. Most of it is set to arrive this Friday.

Then Sunday, more errands -- we did them in record time! -- followed by tearing up some of the nastier carpet in the hallway upstairs. When we moved in here, it was new carpet, but it was the cheapest of the cheap stuff that you can possibly buy. Super thin carpet, low quality fibers, no stain resistant coating, nothing. And thin, shabby carpet pad underneath... Well, any time anything spilled, a pet had an accident, etc. the carpet was just ruined. 

I expected to see warped sub floor, massive stains, etc. and to my surprise, it wasn't that bad after all! Thank goodness. We tore up some of the old, rotting tack strips, swept up all the debris (it was like these people didn't clean up their construction mess and just laid carpet over it!)... we found bits of broken razor blade under there, wires that should not have been there, I mean.. the seller of our house really just did the cheapest, quickest fix possible. Ugh.

Anyway. Got that all torn up and I sprayed deodorizer everywhere. Tomorrow-ish, I'm painting an oil-based sealant all over it so that future spills/accidents don't soak into the wood. Then on May 5 we're getting brand new QUALITY carpet in the hall, master bedroom and on the stairs. I'm super excited about that. It's stain resistant, the carpet pad is water resistant, and it's all got a protection plan/warranty so that if it gets ruined anyway, we can have it replaced. lol

THEN we rearranged the whole living room in order to prep for the furniture delivery. With DH's help, I was able to get things moved around even though my arm isn't at 100%. I *love* the new layout! It's so much more open and roomy, I don't know why we didn't do it this way before. :D

THEN we went and got all the cob webs down that are waaaaay up at the top of the vaulted ceiling, which required some creative measures. Haha

We didn't get everything finished until after 8pm last night. My legs still ache this morning! I slept like a rock last night! Haha



Anyway, in terms of weight -- I'm the same this week as last week. I'm not surprised, though. I really had a hard time keeping up with my water intake for some reason. And there were TWO nights where I went over my goals, instead of just one. I gotta crack down this week and ensure I stick to all my food goals.


----------



## ireadyermind

------------------------------------------------
WEEKLY CHALLENGE - APR 25 - MAY 1
------------------------------------------------

After every bathroom break, spend 60 seconds doing a quick cardio workout.


This can be either high intensity or low -- make it work for your current level of fitness or your current goals!


You can do 60 seconds of:

&#8226; walking in place
&#8226; running in place
&#8226; stair climbing
&#8226; wall push-ups
&#8226; standard (floor) push-ups
&#8226; jumping jacks
&#8226; walking around your home or office
&#8226; crunches
&#8226; lunges
&#8226; squats
&#8226; planks
&#8226; something else?

Remember, it doesn't HAVE to be a super difficult or high intensity exercise. Just add these little bits into your daily routine this week and see if they make a difference!

I used to do this all the time when I worked as a retail manager, so I know it's possible even with busy schedules! Now that I have a desk job, I need it more than ever because I spend most of my day sitting instead of standing and walking.


Good luck, gals! Get creative and have fun!


----------



## Fern81

Love this week's challenge! I might not be able to do that after every bathroom break as I have students that pay me per hour... but I can definitely do it in between! I already did a mini 5 min workout about an hour after my 30min run today just to try and get rid of some stress. So I definitely would love to do the workout-all-day-long thing. Our blood circulation systems have to be stimulated all the time after all. 

Geez I am so jealous of that shop where you get all that for free! DH and I'm still renovating and furnishing our new (really run-down) house (10-20 year slow project!)... I WISH a store in RSA would do that :). I also love rearranging furniture so that everything makes "sense" and that space is utilized optimally hehe (according to me at least); my favorite room in the house is the library which we recently rearranged and now has 2 large bookcases, a nice comfy "lazyboy" style chair, a writing desk and chair, obv loads of books (I'm a bookworm), a rocking horse (because why not) AND a lot of Delft and other nostalgic wall hangings :)
I have no sense of style and my whole house is furnished with sentimental stuff that don't really fit but so what. 

Ursaula - please post the recipe to your smoothies. I'm making 9 smoothies tonight to freeze and would love a recipe for something that will help me not lose more weight while at the same time be nutritious and NOT full of crap calories. 

My smoothies for tonight contain: a bit of nut butter, pecan nuts, desiccated coconut, rooibos tea, full cream yogurt (with no additives or preservatives), fresh strawberries, lentil sprouts.


----------



## Fern81

IRYM - AND if IVF doesn't work I'm really taking on the progress challenge. For me it will be running (I'm really interested in becoming a marathon runner); so how long running vs walking, etc. Also planks, squats, lunges and pushups. I can do about 60 squats at a time atm (fortunate enough to not have serious knee/back problems) but would LOVE to get my legs and torso much stronger for marathons.


----------



## BronteForever

Fern - great job on the workouts and fitness routine. I really hope IVF works for you. If your levels were normal before, then I'm sure they will be normal again. Fingers crossed! Also, that's awesome you want to do marathons. My husband is a runner as well. He's done ultra marathons, duathlons, triathons, and every length of running and cycling race in between. If you have ideas about fitness, I'm happy to ask him. He's a fitness nut and listens to so many podcasts, etc. about running and triathlons. He's doing a race in Spain next month, which we are excited about. That's one reason we are waiting until June to do IVF, since we'll be traveling for it.

Ursaula - awesome job girl. Keep it up! Eating healthy definitely makes the biggest impact for me. I can workout as much as I want, but if I get off my healthy eating just a bit, I don't see any results. Keep at it. You are doing great!

IRYM - great challenge. Sounds fun! Your weekend sounds exhausting, but it probably felt very rewarding. I love clearing things out and getting new stuff. You'll have to post pictures of your new furniture if you can! Great job on maintaining this week. Water intake is hard for me as well.

Cupcake - great job on 2 pounds, especially during a sad and trying time for you this past week.

Miracle - I have weeks like that where I get so frustrated, especially after working so hard. Our bodies are just weird like that sometimes. Often mine doesn't show up as weight loss until a few weeks. Plus, your cycle can affect things as a women and you might be bloated which adds on weight.

AFM - I'm down 3 pounds this week. However, I didn't do great last week with workouts. I had a stressful week and failed miserably on finding motivation to workout. However, I did do fairly well on food intake, which for me makes much more of a difference in terms of actual weight loss. The only problem is that AF started and usually I lose weight during that time, so that might be why I'm down some and I might put some of it back on next week. We'll see.


----------



## Ursaula

For those wanting my smoothie recipe, it is from a website called "greenthickies.com". My favourite one so far is the healthy apple pie dessert smoothie. Here's the recipe!

Recipe:
2 cups Non-dairy milk (I use sweetened almond milk)
1 banana
2 apples
1/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup dates (or other dried fruit, I use raisins)
1 filler (I use 1 cup of oatmeal)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Optional: 1 cup spinach or other mild green OR 1-2 scoops of green powder (I use 1 scoop VegeGreens, until my kale grows!)

Instructions:
Blend dry ingredients and liquid together first.
Add and blend greens.
Blend fruit and any other ingredients last.

It is gluten free, raw, vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, egg free, refined sugar free, wheat free, soya free, salt free, and can be nut free if nuts are replaced with sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

It makes 2 servings.

I usually put it in a bottle and drink about 1/4 of the bottle whenever I'm hungry. I usually last 4-6 hours on 1/4 of the bottle. It's super filling! For supper I add 1-2 servings of meat/protein just to make sure I get enough and that's all I eat in a day! :) Hope this helps you gals and make sure to check out the website. It's amazing!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Wow, Urs. Sounds pretty good! And thanks for sharing the site where you found your recipe. :)


----------



## mrs.green2015

Hey ladies! Sounds like you all are doing so well!!
Congrats for all the weight loss!! That's fantastic! And extra congrats to urs with 11 pounds! Holy cow girl! You're on fire!
Sorry I don't have better responses. The allergies here are pretty bad and has give me a migraine. 

I also wanted to say thank you to everyone for your kinds words an thoughts. I have my appointment tomorrow and may or may not be starting clomid again. DH is having a rough day with another loss.


----------



## tulip110

Mrs. Green - I'm so sorry you had that happen. Sending warm thoughts your way. :hugs:

Ursaula - WOW! That is fantastic! Good job! DH and I have actually tried a few of those shakes in the past. They were good. I'm not sure why we stopped. 

IRYM - That was an awesome deal you guys got! I, too, did some cleaning this weekend. We have been emptying the garage out to prepare it for our home gym. This weeks challenge sounds good. With all the extra water I've been drinking I should definitely get in a bit more workout time. 

AFM - I worked out everyday last week with only one day off. I did 30 minutes everyday after work and on my days off from work I did 1 hour. Usually running on the treadmill but every other day I did a work out dvd. I did my best to control my portions and tried my best to eat green foods everyday and 64 ounces of water everyday (ONLY water all week - that was probably the hardest for me since I hate water) Sooo I'm down 4.9 pounds and I'm very happy about it. 

Congrats to everyone and good luck with next week!


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern - i hope you get to do IVF this month that would be so crappy if you had to wait! my fingers are crossed

mrs. green - im so sorry for your loss :( let us know how your appointment goes, do you think they will do any further testing?

urs - keep up the good work! holy cow!!!

drjo - hope your delivery goes smoothly cant wait to see some pictures :)

cupcake - im so sorry about your calf, I hated when animals didn't make it growing up on the farm. One thing i don't look forward to during lambing season every year. there is always one little one that struggles, fingers crossed with a smaller group pregnant and no first time moms we don't get that this year.

BronteForever - fingers crossed those pounds stay off!

AFM - trying to do better with my fruits and veggies. Thanks to this wonderful weather I was able to grill out the other night, did some yummy chicken and lots of grilled veggies. Got my new kayak out the other day yay!! Working a ton this week so fingers crossed I don't go crazy by sunday from lack of sleep, or worse give into my ice cream addiction with the new soft serve machine in our caf at work. my DH is doing better with not bringing so many goodies home so thats helping


----------



## cupcakestoy

Congrats to all our Losers this week! LOL You guys are killing it!


----------



## Fern81

cupcakestoy said:


> Congrats to all our Losers this week! LOL You guys are killing it!

Bwhahahahaaa, this is the ONE place we all want to be called Losers! :haha::haha:

Urs - thanks for sharing the recipe. I love smoothies because they are so easy to eat and convenient (open up and sip!) and no meal preparation that takes hours and hours. I now have 10 smoothies in the freezer and will make some more that contain oat bran or something more filling than the ones I currently have, for during IVF. Thanks for sharing the website too. And so many different nutrients in one bottle. Very impressed with you.

I'm actually very impressed that so many of you ladies lost so much! It was a good week, congrats, keep up the good work :hugs:

https://natural-fertility-info.com/fertility-diet sharing - I found this interesting and informative.

ETA: Urs, once you feel that you are used to eating less sugar/carbs and don't crave it too much anymore, maybe you can even leave out the dried fruit which is full of sugar. Just a suggestion xx


----------



## miracleworker

thank you all for encouragement, i had so many questions.

Fern: finger crossed for ur IVF and try to relax as much as you can sometimes our worries get the best of us and hinder our progress. good luck

Urs: woow that is a good loss, i wanna be you right now lol,congratulation and keep up the good work. I love smoothies i think i just dont know many that i can be taking so thank you for sharing i will definitely start taking this. 

Irym: i love that part of renovating and ding some interior designing, please share a picture when you finish if you dont mind. 

Bonte: conrats on your loss every pound lost counts for something.

mrs.green: am so sorry for what you are going through i hope ur DH will get better

tulip: congrats girl wow that is so good for a week loss.

AFM: Am stuck with the same weight for two weeks havent dropped a pound, so this week i have decided to do some crush diet for a week and workout for 1 hour to 1 hour and a half depends with my routine. i hope this helps with dropping them pounds. i hope it works as not dropping weight for the past two weeks really got into me and i almost wanted to give up. 
am proud of me for trying more, i said i wanna be different by 27th June on my birthday,so by any means i wanna get there.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Morning ladies! 

Miracle- sometimes you just need to fix things up to get off a plateau. Good luck!

Swimmy- glad DH is doing better about goodies! And ooo grilled veggies sounds so good. 


Afm- appointment was fine and boring. Nothing cool happened. Started clomid again last night. Hopefully this is it!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Miracle* - I will try to remember to take pictures! I always forget to do it and then I regret it later. Haha


AFM - I did pretty well with this week's challenge yesterday. I forgot to do it a couple of times, but for the most part I did 60 seconds or more of cardio with every bathroom break. :) It seemed like a lot, but I was keeping track of it and only racked up 6 total minutes.

I didn't do the quick workouts before bed, because that would have made it harder for me to sleep, but all of the rest of the day, I did. :)

How are you gals liking it? I am somewhat enjoying it! Once or twice I even went over the 60 secs and did 2 minutes worth instead. It certainly kept me from falling into a slump in the morning, too.


I'm a little excited about TTC this month. AF was a day and a half-ish longer than normal -- which for me is a good thing, because normally AF is only two days and very scant. I was always afraid that meant there wasn't enough lining in there for an egg to implant into, so I'm hoping that whatever the issue was has resolved itself or is on its way to resolving itself.

After last month's slightly longer AF, and then getting all of that EWCM I'm really optimistic for this month! I hope the EWCM shows up again, and that we get our sticky bean this month! :)


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- glad your excited about ttc! Hopefully this is your month! 

I am going to go back and read the challenge so I can get involved! I did however challenge myself to go 75 miles before early June. So walk, run, whatever! But inhale to complete 75 miles in just over 5 weeks. I hope I stick to it. 
In other news started eating well again today. And man o man I am hungry (it's almost lunch time) so that means I was eating way too much before.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ladies! YOur motivating me to behave! I did crappy yesterday & ate Chic Filet....Counted that as my cheat day....I had a sweet friend lose her baby at 15 weeks yesterday & another gal at work got a 3 pound 11oz little grandbaby today! So its been a roller coaster of emotions so far! Really buckling down for the rest of the week as I feel the Clomid "bloat" coming on! UGH....My least favorite part!!! Cd 11.....nothing happening yet lol


----------



## Ursaula

Hello gals :)

I'm glad you're all excited for the smoothies!

Miracle: I find that "shocking" my body for about a week helps me to lose weight again. When I'm in a plateau I might do a week of detox (or this time for me it was smoothies) and then my body gets back in the kick and I continue my plan normally the next week. I don't know if this will help you or not.

Mrs. G: Fx'd for you!! 75 miles is a LOT! I can go about 1 mile in 30 minutes (I can't run due to injury and weight), so I wish you the best for this goal.

IRYM: I noticed with this week's challenge that I don't use the washroom enough (twice a day). It helped me also realize I need to drink more water so I would go to the bathroom more! Fx'd for you TTC this month! Sounding really hopeful :)

Cupcake: I'm sorry to hear about the rollercoaster of emotions and what has been going on for you. I am glad to hear you're finding motivation and getting things back in track again this week, good luck!

Fern: Any news on IVF?

AFM: I'm letting my body catch-up with the weight loss so I've stopped my smoothies since Monday. I'm still hoping to lose a few pounds but nothing like last week. Next week though...GET READY! It's smoothie time next week! My goal is to lose 25lbs before my next gyn appointment. So, 8lbs to go! (I lost a pound today).

TTC wise I have 6 more nights of provera, I'm really on the count down with it because I can't wait!!! I bought more material for diapers. I'll post a few pictures of the newborn size I finished (inserts aren't done yet).


----------



## miracleworker

Urs: yeah that is the point i decided to do it this week then am going to continue with my other plans. quick question do you do smoothie everyday? thank you that is very helpful 

IRYM: sorry dear i couldnt get into the challenge as i have had a busy week also i drink alot of water when am at work like 3ltrs so i pee all the time but they r quick ones so as i can get back to work. but i will try to do it coming week.

MRS.GREEN: Thank you lets see if this diet will do the magic

AFM: Still going on with the diet at the same time i have to prepare for the exams that will be on next week. i also workout in the morning but today it was hard i just did 50 minutes which in a normal day i do 75 to 90 minutes and on weekend i do two hours. could be two things the diet is driving me crazy lol but also AF showed her face yesterday. I dont know am still learning about my body

Since AF is here i got myself an appointment for HSG test which i will be doing coming Wednesday and am somehow scared. your prayers please


----------



## mrs.green2015

Miracle- the hsg isn't nearly as bad as they make it sound mine was super quick and not painful at all. Just be sure to take something a couple hours before because it might cause cramping.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Miracle-My HSG wasn't bad at all....mild cramps afterwards....I forgot to take anything both times & honestly didn't need any thing for pain at all! Good luck!

I've been outside, working in my beds this morning....2 done, 1 huge 1 to go, then I plan on separating lillies & planting them along with some cannas & other assorted fillers...I figure if I get my beds full enough maybe the grass wont be as bad lol

I knew I felt bloated! Weighed this morning & up 2 pounds so far, despite doing well other than Chic-fil-a :/ Grrrrr....I KNEW the clomid would cause this tho, so I'm not too worried! I do plan to really work hard until Monday so I at least dont have to show a gain! lol

Mrs' G- Have you noticed any side effects from the clomid?


----------



## BronteForever

Miracle - I'm going to be the mean one and give the other possibility about the HSG test, since I wish I'd have been more prepared for mine. I didn't take nearly enough meds. Don't skip the Advil or whatever meds they prescribe (I had to get something to help soften the cervix the second time). Mine were horribly painful and I passed out due to the pain the second time. However, the good news is you will likely be fine and have no issues with pain if you don't have known problems with your tubes (I have a missing one and other found out is blocked), or cervix (mine they couldn't get through and the first doctor had to stop, even after dilating the cervix because of issues - said it's only happened 5 times in 10 years, so the odds are certainly in your favor. And the second doctor a month later shoved the catheter through after dilating the cervix again because they were determined for it to work the second time around. That's when I passed out from pain). Despite it being horrible and myself not being prepared, it was over quickly. So even if you don't have an ideal situation (and we all really hope you do - the vast majority of people are fine and have no issues, even if they do have problem areas with the tubes or cervix), then it will still be over quickly if it's bad. You can totally do this. You got it and will be fine!!

cupcake - I've heard that about Clomid. Not a fun side affect. But try not to let any weight gain get to you, especially since it's just being bloated. The pluses of what it can bring to you outweigh that. I'm fully prepared to gain weight on IVF meds as well. It's frustrating, but necessary.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Cupcake- symptoms... Well a little bloated but I never really noticed before. However, the cramping for me is severe. I'm only cd 6 and when I sneezed this morning it already started, last time it lasted until ovulation maybe a little after. So the next week and a half I don't think will be fun. It doesn't last long but t gets pretty intense around ovulation day. Also, I get headaches and am slightly warmer than usual. Thus not too bad though.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - Yikes, yeah, it sounds like you need more water! 8 glasses a day is the minimum. In more exact terms, that's 2 liters of water per day. If you work out and sweat a whole bunch while you do it, that might need to be increased to 3 liters. Some days I drink as many as 4 liters of water (not counting coffee or other non-water drinks!) because it's a hot day and I'm sweating, or I'm doing lots of yard work or something like that.

Remember that your body stores toxins that it can't get rid of in your body fat. So when you don't drink enough water, that stuff just builds and builds. You might get headaches or feel crummy the first few days of drinking enough fluids because the toxins re-enter your blood stream. 

Just think of every glass as a rinse for your body, and every trip to the bathroom is you getting rid of more of the junk stored in your system. :)

One thing you can do to help you is to keep 2 separate 1-liter bottles of water filled and nearby whenever possible. When I do that, I'm less likely to make the excuse that I can't leave what I'm doing to take a minute for a refill. As silly as that sounds, I'm constantly getting absorbed in my work to the point that I forget to eat or drink for hours, so if I have the water at hand, I can just drink it as I go. Haha


*Miracle* - My HSG was pretty crampy even with 800mg of motrin before hand. It didn't last very long though, so don't fret too much! The tests are usually over pretty quickly. I hope yours goes well!


*Cupcake* - This group is really great for keeping us all in line, isn't it? I can totally relate to these gals making me want to do better! Especially when I hear all the great success we have going!

AFM -- DH and I also did cheat day yesterday. I forgot to take meat out of the freezer to thaw the day before, so last night I didn't have anything ready to cook. I hate using the microwave thaw option because the meats always turn out rubbery. Blech! So we had some Panda Express (with steamed veggies instead of noodles!) and I had plain water instead of a soda or other sugary drink. :) So I think I didn't do too badly there.

Been keeping up with the challenge for this week. Yesterday I was a little short on water, so I didn't get as many trips to the bathroom in as I did on Monday, but that's all right. I'll just drink more water today!


----------



## Fern81

Urs- if you are not doing smoothies, then what is you eating plan for this week? Just curious. I second what IRYM said - water, water, water as much as you can. I drink so much water now after having had kidney stones 3yrs ago. At the beginning it was difficult to drink 8 glasses a day but I soon got used to it and now I can't do without. I started by "downing" a large glass of water early morning; then each time after using the bathroom I would gulp down another glass. It got to be a habit really fast.

Cupcake- wow you have more energy than me though I wish I had more time to work in the garden. Garden work is better than Prozac! And all the fulvic acid in the soil is a super immune booster. Good for ivf prep :)

Bronte- I'm also not looking forward to hormonal weight gain but we'll see.... first have to see if ivf is going to happen. Wow urgh your hsg sounds really bad :( hope you never have to have it again!! Xx

Having said that, miracle, I also had an atraumatic hsg but I took LOADS of codeine and tylenol beforehand lol. Fx yours is fine and that you get good results. 

Mrsgreen gl with those sore ovaries!! 

Afm- still working out full intensity. After hearing ivf might have to be cancelled I just thought F that; if it gets cancelled I won't do ivf at all and never go for treatment again- but then at least I can carry on training my butt off and get this skinny fat tummy FLAT. I've also managed to work in a few extra 30 second squats session here and there between students.


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks everyone for the water info!

Cupcake: Do you plan on having a veggie garden too or flowers only?

Fern: This week I'm letting myself eat what I want to an extent. Like, I can eat whatever excluding bad things for me like carbs (I limit these as we still need it in our bodies) and fatty foods. I'm eating veggies and fruits mainly, and oatmeal.

AFM: Hard day today. My s/o has been acting strange for the past few days and finally opened up to me today in tears. He was hiding that one of his friends was murdered this past weekend. He didn't want me to stress or worry because I need to focus on me and ttc. We had a very, very long talk about opening up whenever something happens, no matter what. I feel crushed for him.


----------



## BronteForever

Oh my goodness Ursaula. How sad for your s/o and his friend. That has to be so hard to have to lose a friend that way. Glad he's finally opening up about it, since it's definitely not healthy to keep it in. Hope they find the person that killed the friend. So tragic. Hopefully you are doing alright as well.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Ladies I'm asking for prayers. A dear friends daughter hung herself today. They are on our fire dept & I loaded her into the helicopter. My heart is breaking. She's just 14! I have her other daughter who is 1 with me, not sure for how long. Last update its not looking good. They will do an eeg tomorrow to check for brain activity....devastated & can't get her image outta my head tonight...


----------



## BronteForever

Cupcake - oh how incredibly sad. So devastating. I'll definetly send a prayer and lots of healing thoughts your way. So so sad. I can't even imagine what you and your friend are going through. I really hope her daughter pulls through.


----------



## ireadyermind

*cupcake* - Oh no! How tragic! :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs:


----------



## Fern81

Oh wow cupcake, sending prayers, I can't even imagine how traumatic that must be. Please let us know, I hope she pulls through with no brain damage. :(

And Urs you too with a murder in your group of friends! That must be really shocking and I'm glad you know now & can support s/o.

Xx


----------



## Fern81

So we went to the dr today because I got so confused with all the info the receptionist was giving me. Turns out I do NOT need my FSH and LH tested. He did the baseline scan right there and then (even though I'm only expecting AF tomorrow-ish) and gave me all my meds & injections for the next week; which I have to start on CD2. So the IVF process has officially started, can you believe it! My uterus is looking perfect as usual (looks can be so deceiving lol) and although my antral follicle count on the left is very low, I have many antrals on the right so we can expect at least a few follies I hope.

Annndddd we are definitely only transferring ONE embie at a time (if any are left they will get frozen). Discussed it with doctor; he really advised against transferring 2 in my case.

Dr and nurse both said I can keep on exercising but I have to listen to my body and take it easy when I need to.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Urs & cupcake sending you both so many hugs and good thought.


----------



## Fern81

Workout done, af cramps starting, I hope AF is here tonight then I can call tomorrow CD1 and start injections on Monday. Just want to get started :)

IRYM I did end up doing the progress challenge because turns out I didn't feel like lowering my workout intensity too much... exercising really helps my stress levels. Anyway it's nice to see the numbers rise. 
Squats: last week 50. Today: 100.
Pushups: last week: 20. Today: 35. 
The other challenge (doing mini workouts during the day): I keep forgetting but thought I will put up post-it notes here & there to remind myself.

My cheat meal for the week was one small choc bar and cheese & crackers (about 7 crackers). But I might have ond other small AF treat today :)

How are you all doing workout and diet wise this weekend? I'm looking forward to seeing more weight loss from everyone on Monday! :)

Cupcake- I'm praying for that poor teen. 

Hugs xx


----------



## swimmyj1

cupcake - that is so horrible. she is so young :( My thoughts are with you and her family. I lost a friend to suicide in high school and it was devastating, I still keep in touch with her parents and no parent should have to go through that. 

Fern - fingers soooo crossed for this IVF xoxo!!! I will be stalking your signature for updates lol


----------



## Fern81

Thanks swimmy; I'm definitely going to be clogging up the threads/forums with all my posts as I'm already going a bit crazy. I keep thinking that I'm just getting another medical treatment for endometriosis, then I remember it's IVF, upon which I freak out a bit and try to concentrate on anything & everything else... and can't even imagine a bfp (I suppose it all feels unreal & mental overload ).

I guess if IVF was cheaper like clomid I wouldn't be going this crazy. Trying to keep calm :).

How are you doing/feeling?


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern - I don't blame you! I would be going crazy, heck just monitored cycled I drove myself nuts lol. Do you like coloring, I know it sounds silly but those adult coloring books and lego's keep me distracted, that or reading. I have an insane library.

I've been feeling ok, stressing myself out with this family vacation we are taking at the end of this month. I've already agreed to go, but the idea of dealing with all of my insane family (who I love like crazy) while they get drunk and act crazy in Vegas just doesn't sound as appealing now. My mom is having my nana take me to a show and has made many comments about how she is my babysitter for the evening so they can all get trashed without the pregnant girl complaining .... just starting to get under my skin a little. Also have never been on a family trip that didn't involve people getting into a fight (yep even physical). my dad is going and he tends to be more level headed like myself so hopefully we can just hang by the pool while they act crazy. Also my car died yesterday on my way to work :( hoping its not an expensive fix, I know nothing about cars.


----------



## miracleworker

Hello ladies...thank you all for sharing your experience, i gues i should wait and experience what is in it for me. Bu am hoping for the best! 

Am so sorry for the tragic news, that is really sad!
Cupcake that can ne very disturbing am so sorry 
Urs so sorry about it i hope the two of you get through this. 
Fern dear goodluck that sounds so promising

Afm am finishing my diet today and its the hard day,very hard for me but i wanna see to the end line. I can wait to weigh tomorrow!


----------



## Ursaula

That is horrible Cupcake :( any news on her and the family?

Thank you all for your support.

Fern: I'm super excited for you!

Swimmy: I always feel bad for saying yes to something and then having to cancel because I don't want to go. However, I do feel it is important to take care of our own needs. If you don't want to go, then don't go.

AFM: Really hard past few days and lots of emotional eating. I know I'm going to be up a lot in terms of weight. I'm glad I'll be starting my smoothies again tomorrow though.

TTC wise, my Wondfo OPK and HPT arrived! I wanted to try an OPK so I kind of get the feel for them as I don't know how to use them. I ended up taking a HPT instead by accident (which I didn't realize until the next day). Now I'm really wishing I had taken an OPK because my temps have gone up and it's looking like I ovulated the day I took the HPT instead of OPK! GRR! At least my s/o and I had the past few days alone, our timing was lucky! Really hoping this was TRUE ovulation and fx'd for no af this weekend! My progesterone is done on Tuesday, so I'll be expecting af between this weekend and 14 days from Tuesday.

I also have been making lots of cloth diapers again lately!


----------



## Fern81

How is everyone doing with their Monday weigh-ins?

I'm still stable at 54ish but I imagine that with all the hormones this month I will gain some weight/bloat.


----------



## ireadyermind

Good morning, all! Lots of posting went on this weekend, eh? DH and I were busy with some home improvement tasks, regular chores and errands, and we placed the order for some bedroom furniture we have been eyeballing for over a year. haha. We got a GREAT deal on it since we're repeat customers at this store and the manager was willing to lower the cost on the set we bought. Excellent!

In terms of weight loss, I am down FOUR pounds since last weigh in! Woo! I'm excited about that. I really didn't do a whole lot of exercising aside from the challenge, either, so most of what I lost is coming from healthy eating. :D


If I can keep this up, I'll reach my goal a whole lot faster than previously anticipated. FXd!


----------



## ireadyermind

--------------------------------------------
WEEKLY CHALLENGE MAY 2 - MAY 8
--------------------------------------------

*Drink 8+ glasses of water EVERY day.*


This will be hard for some of you, and easy for some, and only slightly challenging for others. 

Remember: Each glass of water should contain at least 8oz of liquid. No cheating by using smaller glasses! Haha

Beverages like coffee and (diet) sodas don't count toward this water intake. 


Tips: There are many ways you can help remind yourself to drink that water. 

1. Drink a glass of water after every trip to the bathroom
2. Keep full water bottles handy (like in the car, at your desk, etc) all the time.
3. Set a timer/alarm on your phone that reminds you to drink 1 glass of water approximately once an hour during the day



------------------------------
ALTERNATE CHALLENGE
------------------------------

For those of you who are already getting your 8 glasses a day EVERY day, you can just keep up the quick, 60 second "bathroom workouts" from last week - but only if you're already getting plenty of water every day!


----------



## ireadyermind

----------------------------------------
NON-WEIGHT PROGRESS GOALS
----------------------------------------

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, this month we're starting some non-weight progress trackers! 

So sometime this week, take a moment and get your "base line" for the following activities:

- Squats
- Push-ups (even if they're modified ones)
- Crunches or Planks

Then, keep working out your leg, abdominal and arm muscles throughout the month, and we'll check these numbers again on June 1st to see your progress!

Feel free to add this info to your weight tracker posts so that you don't forget your starting number! :)


----------



## Fern81

Still wanted to reply to you all individually:

Swimmy- omw your family sounds a bit like mine (well my husband's family) lol fun and trouble at the same time! Hope you can manage to take it easy and relax at the pool as much as you can xx

Ursaula - I'm really hoping the progesterone does the trick for helping to get your cycles in order. And that continuing the smoothies this week will get your weight loss going again.

Cupcake - sending prayers; I'm really hoping with my whole heart she's doing OK but am getting the feeling that it's not good news.... Hun my heart goes out to you and her whole family. xxxxxxxxxxx

IRYM - congrats on 2 pounds down. What did you eat differently this past week?

Miracle - hoping the tough week you had diet wise had you dropping some pounds! 

Drjo - Is your LO here yet? :) xx

Jelly and tulip and anyone I missed - hope you ladies are still staying strong, hugs xxx


----------



## Ursaula

Great idea, IRYM! I'll for sure try the water intake and will do the exercises in the next few days.

Fern: I'll be stalking your signature!

AFM: I gained about 5lbs from last week, which isn't a shocker for me since I didn't do smoothies and I had lost a lot the week before. However, I have only been able to eat two things today, I am feeling extremely nauseous with scents. Which is kind of funny as I usually can't smell.

I ovulated(apparently)! I am 3dpo. I'm not sure what to do in terms of progesterone now. I have one more pill for tomorrow and then I'm done. I should be getting af this weekend, which would put me at 8dpo. Not sure what to do...IF fertilization did occur, it still wouldn't necessarily be implanted until 12dpo...what would you gals suggest?


----------



## tulip110

Hello Ladies! I've been so busy this week. I hope you all did well. :)

Cupcake - I'm so sorry you had to witness something so traumatic and I'm so sorry for your friend... :hugs:

Fern - Good job on those squats and push ups! Looks like you just about doubled your numbers :thumbup:

IRYM - I totally forgot all about the restroom workouts! lol I will do my best to do them this week as I have been getting my 64 ounces of water lately. I downloaded a "Water Drink Reminder" app. You can set it up to alert you however often you want and set up how much water you want to be your goal. And GREAT job on those 4 pounds lost! 

Ursaula - I'm sorry about your SO's friend. :hugs: But maybe the talking to each other about it may have brought you two closer together. I know I'm kind of more like a guy when it comes to talking about my problems. I hold it in and keep things to myself til I explode but I always feel better when I finally talk to my husband.

AFM - I am down 1.7 pounds which is good enough for me :) It was hard to workout this week. Whenever DH is home with me I just feel so distracted. I always want to just spend time with him and not so much time on the treadmill. We do occasionally go to the park together but I don't workout as hard when hes around. 

Lately I've been a little down... my best friend who I've always been able to talk to about anything and everything just told me she got a positive pregnancy test. She wasn't even trying... I wish I could be more excited for her because we've been best friends since we were 11 but I feel jealous and sad when I talk to her now. I really hope my turn comes soon so I can get over these feelings. :( Until then I will do my best to get my body healthy for baby and distract myself with my new book "The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant". :)

I'm scheduled for my yearly pap smear on cd 24 and last cycle I ovulated on cd 25 so I'm worried we will miss an opportunity. I know we shouldn't BD right before a pap... but I don't know how much it will affect the test... would it really be a problem if we did BD maybe 24 hours before?? I wish my cycle wasn't sooo long...


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - The only thing I did differently last week was the bathroom workouts. I'm wondering if it kept my metabolism moving all day long, instead of only the couple of hours it would have been boosted immediately after my one, long workout? And it was FOUR pounds lost! ;)

*Urs* - The water increase will do WONDERS for you. Seriously. So give it your best shot and hopefully it becomes a habit!

*Tulip* - Care to share the name of that water app with us? It might come in handy for anyone who is forgetful about drinking water. :D


AFM - OPKs started back up yesterday. Got a semi-dark line last night. Not dark enough for a positive, but much darker than I expected to get this early in my cycle. Temps are all over the place, and I'm not sure why really. Hopefully it's my hormones trying to sort themselves out. I hope to see EWCM this month like I did last month! FXd! I even stopped taking allergy meds just in case those were what was drying me up, since last month I had just been forgetful and hadn't taken them the week of ovulation. I would feel really aggravated if it was just some allergy meds that were causing the problem all along! Heh.


----------



## Ursaula

Tulip: Hug to you too, Tulip! I can't really say much about pap test while ttc, as I usually don't ovulate so it's never run into that issue.

IRYM: I would be irritated if it turned out to just be your allergy meds! All your hard work and that is the reason? Let's only hope that is what it is though, sounds like a quicker fix!

AFM: I have been vomiting all day today and have only managed to eat a little bit of porridge and a granola bar...not sure what's wrong.


----------



## swimmyj1

tulip - i've bed within 12 hours of a pap. my doctor could tell but did one anyway, and nothing came up abnormal. 

Trying not to freak out tonight - i've noticed a lot of decreased movement the last 2 days, and today none at all... going to get it checked. Hoping I don't just have crazy brain and over thinking this. Hope you guys have a good week


----------



## Fern81

Hope all is OK today Swimmy!! X


----------



## swimmyj1

update - well i look like a moron ... baby just has its back to my belly and is head down so im not feeling as much. im over this freaking out makes me seem so dumb. 
But on a good note I've maintained my weight this week. yay! trying so hard not to give in.


----------



## Fern81

Swimmy- you've had 2 mc and now going through a first time full term pregnancy. You are not being silly at all. Better safe than sorry! Glad everything is fine.

Urs- out of curiosity- which indicators of O did you have? Did you get a + opk or...? Bear in mind that progesterone will increase your temps so I would personally not go by temps alone this cycle to determine ovulation. ... just really hoping & sending good thoughts that your cycle is sorting itself out! X

Afm- feeling achey and tired already, I did not expect this so soon. Only on my third day of gonal f and my dose is doubling tonight! My ovaries are achey and lower back is sore; I feel really uncomfortable when I sit down. Feeling a bit sorry for myself :) but looking forward to my next scan on Friday. My workout as from today only consists of walking. Yikes I think it's going to get worse before egg collection and that should only be in a week or so. If I get a few good eggs it will be worth it though.


----------



## tulip110

Swimmy - Glad everything is okay! Don't feel like a moron. 

IRYM - I was originally using an app that was called "Water Drink Reminder" but I recently downloaded a new one called "Hydro Coach". I like them both but Hydro Coach occasionally gives little tidbits of info about why drinking water is important so I like that. There is another one called "Plant Nanny" that I had first heard about... every time you drink water the app waters your little plant. So you must keep drinking to keep your plant healthy. 

Ursaula - Wonder why you're vomiting. Hope you're not ill. 

Fern - Sounds so uncomfortable but FXd everything will go well. 

AFM - I'm not sure what is going on with my chart. My temp dipped and spiked and I really am in disbelief that I could have ovulated so early when it wasn't until CD 25 last cycle. I've just begun using the WondFo OPK strips and on May 1 (cd 14) I had what looked like a positive so I doubled checked it with a digital and it was a negative. I guess if I did ovulate early at least I can get started again and expect it earlier next cycle. I know that exercising and eating better can improve your cycle but I didn't know it would happen that fast... I'm going to continue test for ovulation just in case something odd caused my temp spike and assume it will be here around cd 25 again.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Those symptoms sound like me every day! lol. My ovaries are little devils. :dohh: I hope it doesn't last too long before they're ready to go in and collect some eggs!

*Urs* - If you have been increasing your water intake, that can cause some stomach upset at first, especially if you're drinking it on an empty stomach. Which is kind of dumb, scientifically speaking. If we need so much water, why would our bodies react to it that way!? Haha

But if that IS the culprit, it will go away with continued water consumption. Just start out sipping it throughout the day instead of chugging whole glasses of it, and see what happens?


*Tulip* - Thanks for the info! Now that you mention it, I have heard about the Plant app, but I didn't know that it was for water reminders!

Also, from what I've heard, BDing before a pap can bruise the cells they are collecting for your test. When the cells are bruised, it can look like other disorders and they'd make you come back for another test and/or a biopsy. 

Can you reschedule your pap at all?


*Swimmy* - I bet things are just getting snug in there for your little one! There's probably not a whole lot of room for movement! I'm sure everything is just fine. :hugs:


AFM - Of course as soon as I say I'm not going to take allergy meds this month, I start sneezing like CRAZY. As soon as I woke up this morning, I sneezed 5 times in a row and I've been sneezing every few minutes since then. I'm going to take a small dose to see if it helps, but why today? I haven't taken an allergy pill for a couple weeks now! Go figure. lol


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hey all. Sorry I haven't checked in. Life is crazy with a Little one in our home! She's into everything, but such a SWEET baby! We have had almost a week & still trying to get a routine down. lol As for her sister, she is off life support, but has a LONG HARD road ahead :( She has the mind of a 7 year old now. Unable to walk with assist x 2, has to be told to chew & swallow.....Looking at in-patient rehab for her, but as of today she is still in the hospital but out of ICU. She is Miracle of God! I honestly didn't think she would live! Dh has fell into roll of daddy lol He's changed diapers, rocked, chased & played with her so much! We were watching her play the other night & he teared up & said I pray we have this someday! Heart break! I told him we would have babies one day, but right now I was tired & needed a shower! lol As for the "plan" I admit I have fallen by the wayside, trying to watch calories, but its hard with travelling & lack of sleep! Honestly I forgot to weigh in, but know I'm up a couple of pounds :( Clomid has whipped me this round, I'm like 2dpo & still crampy! Less bloat, but increased appetitie & my BBs are killing me! We did manage to bd all 3 days before O & O+1, so we are covered! Fx'd ladies! Hoping to get back at it by 1st of the week or when life settles down!


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: I think it's better to be over-worried than have something wrong. Hoping you're still doing well!

Fern: I would've thought it was the progesterone except I had already been on it for 10 days. I never took an OPK but I did have a BBT shift (that has stayed up) as well as CM (for once!). I would say the cm was fertile but I just don't have anything else to really compare it to.

Yay for aching! It means something is working :)

Tulip: I hope it is ovulation and your cycles are getting "shorter". Then you won't have to wait as long 

IRYM: I thought about the water intake but I don't think it's that exactly...it's hard to explain without tmi, but it's just different...

Cupcake: HUGE hug! I am so relieved to hear she is still alive!!! I prayed multiple times a day and thought of her, her family, as well as yours. Hoping rehab can help her gain back some essentials. Forever praying.

AFM: My stomach issue is still sort of a mystery. It gets really bad when I eat something I know I have an intolerance with but can sometimes get away with. I have just been drinking water today.

In terms of ovulation and progesterone, I ended up contacting my gynaecologist. She just said she wants to play it and not give me another refill. Worst case scenario I end up seeing her in June again for our next step.

I was naughty for myself and ended up buying a really cute pattern for baby booties...I need to stop buying baby items until it actually happens! URGH!


----------



## BronteForever

I've been a bit quiet but still reading everyone's stuff. 

Swimmy - you are allowed to be as cautious and over protective as you want. I'm so glad the baby is doing well. I'm going to be the same way if I get pregnant and I'll just hope the doctors can get over it. 

Cupcake - so glad the daughter of your friend survived but it's sounds like there is still so much ahead of them and it will be a long, hard struggle. I'm glad you have been able to step up and help by caring for the little one. What a sweet friend you are. I hope the daughter continues to improve. 

Fern - ugh. It has to be bad. No one has ever made the IVF process sound pleasant. I'm so nervous myself. But just keep at it. You got this and each day is one step closer to retrieval and transfer. Keeping my Fx for you. 

Ursaula and IRYM - hope you both feel better.


----------



## miracleworker

Hello ladies...have missed you all! 
i have been having school exams and the HSG test which i did yesterday!
Fern goodluck am excited for you i hope it works for you
Swimmy its understandable after what you have been through....dont worry this time around you gonna hold your little one.
IRYM congrats on the weight loss am happy for you that is a good loss...lol
Urs if i may ask on a week that you drink smoothie what else do you eat? 
Tulip i understand how you feel about your friend it can be hard sometimes, i have a friend who was engaged recently and when i went to her engagement party i realised she was pregnant, i have been married for five months now. It didnt seem fair but i tried to be happy for her and i prayed too eventually the feeling went away i believe my time will come. To add into that situation someone comment she is pregnant and you are still not really?? i was furious, the feeling will go away and if u cant stand it try to focus on other things and stay away from her if necessary.

AFM well after being stuck for two weeks the crush diet did its magic and i lost 7 lbs!!!yeaahhh i was excited when i saw the drop! 
this week i have watched my eating and in it i combine URS smoothie but i havent been able to workout so much due to exams and the HSG test.
HSG test went well i was freaking nervous but it was okay i had cramping during and lots of discomfort and i still have cramps but mild ones. So am happy, results will be out today and tomorrow i will go see my doc with the results and hear what he has to say.


----------



## Fern81

Cupcake - you and your husband are both saints. I really have the utmost respect for you that you are putting those girls' needs ahead of yourselves. I keep praying for the poor teenager... Do they know why she did it? Was she bullied? Sheesh life can be so hard but at the same time there are people like you who truly show Christ's love. I'm so happy she survived but at the same time her family (and herself) must be devastated that she has so much brain damage. One of my best friends committed suicide by hanging a few years ago. It was a totally surreal and horrible event. I hope the poor girl can have some peace and happiness in the years ahead. Prayers for many blessings for your family and for hers. Hope you get your bfp before August. xxxxx

Miracle - so glad you have broken through the plateau!

Tulip - I REALLY believe what we eat makes an enormous difference in every aspect of our lives! POISON (too many carbs especially refined carbs, sugar, preservatives, colorants, etc etc) will _poison_ the body in some way! The insulin balance in our cells have a much bigger influence on our cellular functioning than many people realize. Eating healthy makes a huge difference, as your chart is showing :) GL with the tww, hope it ends in a bfp!

Urs - urgh sorry you are feeling so sick! xx

Bronte - thanks hun. Yeah I'm not feeling great but at the same time I realize my side effects are not that bad, I'm not feeling "hormonal" or nauseous etc at all. Just sore abdomen and a bit tired. I know I would have freaked out a lot more if I had felt nothing!

Diet wise - I'm eating really healthy (lots of micro and macronutrients); no sugar, no refined carbs (pretty much like I've been eating since Jan except I eat a small bowl of oats now every other day instead of sweet potato just due to the high vit A content of sweet potato). Trying to eat a bit more than usual. Lots and lots and lots of green leafy veg and beansprouts and microgreens (Feels like I'm going to turn green myself!). At the same time I'm craving comfort food like crazy! Well I'm just going to say NO until after egg retrieval which should hopefully be in a week, will come on here for support if I feel like giving in :haha::winkwink:


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - Wow, so amazing to hear that she pulled through! But such a shame to hear that she's going to have such a hard road ahead. And her poor parents.... But good on you for taking in that baby and helping out so much! 

*Fern* - Only a week until retrieval! Eee! FXd it all goes well!

*Miracle* - Congrats on busting through that plateau! I hope things keep moving in the right direction for you!



AFM -- I might have gotten a +OPK last night? It was really close, but I did not get a corresponding temp spike yet, and I'm pretty sure the line was lighter than it ought to have been. So! DH and I will BD again tonight and just keep at it until I see a temp shift.

BUT that means that for the first time in years, I may have actually just ovulated within a "normal" time range! CD14 instead of CD21!? Unheard of! I'm so excited. This could be it, guys! Or at least, it could be closer to being "it". lol.


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - that's wonderful news! Really hope you did O or are really close and it's your cycle! Fx for you!


----------



## Ursaula

Miracle: I only drink the smoothies. I have two smoothies a day. For dinner though I usually add one serving of meat. Great job on 7lbs!

IRYM: YAY possible positive OPK!! Fx'd this is your month!!

AFM: After vomiting today I gave in and took a test. I'm really confused.
 



Attached Files:







TestCloseup.jpg
File size: 23 KB
Views: 8









PregTestNegativeChange.jpg
File size: 17.1 KB
Views: 7


----------



## cupcakestoy

Thanks so much for your kind words & thoughts! She's been a blessing for us!

IRYM-Yay for "normal" O day!!! Mine was like 3-4 days later this cycle with the Clomid, BUT I do KNOW I O'd! OUCH! Still crampy & my ovaries(both!) are sore, along with SUPER sensitive Nips lol 

Urs-I don't see anything :/ Hope I'm wrong tho!

Bronte-June will be here before you know it! Does your clinic require a certain BMI?

Fern- Did you mention a number of potential follies or when will you know?

Tulip-your charts looking good!

How are you & LO Swimmy?

WTG Miracle! Did I miss your explanation of the CRUSH diet????

Hope everyone else is doing well if I missed you!


----------



## BronteForever

Ursaula - I'm not seeing anything either but I never see stuff on things people post. Fx for you. Your diet sounds pretty drastic to go back and forth too so that might be affecting stuff. I'm super sensitive myself to digestive issues and notice it quiet a bit if I mix up my diet too much. Hope it's good news for you though. 

Cupcake - my clinic doesn't require a certain BMI, however to qualify for the Attain shared risk programs it has to be under 37. We ended up opting to use a different Attain program so I don't need to get it under (I'm super close as it is), but I'd still like to lose more before starting IVF to help with any pregnancies.


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks guys!

I went ahead and marked it as positive for last night's OPK and I saw a temperature drop this morning, soooo I believe I'll see a spike within the next 48hrs. Woo!

*Urs* - I don't see anything there, sorry! Your nausea may be PMS related. I get it when AF's about to show, but I don't usually vomit. Mostly I just eat really small snacks and take sips of water to avoid that.

Have you tired peppermint tea or gingersnap cookies to help soothe your stomach?


----------



## Fern81

Urs- my eyes are weird then but I see a shadow on both tests? ? Maybe I have line eye. Have you tested again?

Cupcake- glad everything is going well. I went for a scan today, here is my update:
No follies on left ovary, 10 on the right with a max of about 12mm. Cd7 today. At the moment my chance for success is 25%. Dr says realistically/statistically we can expect 3 blastocysts and hopefully 1 of good quality. If I get 1 good expanded day 5 blast, my chances of success increase to a 60% chance of pregnancy (in my case with my medical history). I like numbers even though I know it's all subject to change; it makes me feel a bit more in control.

Going back on Monday cd10 for another progress check and collection possibly next Thursday or Friday. 

We also found out TODAY that the price of IVF went up with 30% in March!! So now our budget is blown. Not the news I needed.

Irym- hope it's an early O!

Bronte- june is around the corner!!! Almost your turn. What are you doing diet wise atm?


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - Oh man, I can relate to the crampy/pinchy feelings and the ridiculously sore BBs and nips! It was at its worst yesterday, and today I woke up feeling like it was almost gone. Had a small temp spike this morning, but not enough for FF to mark my cross hairs. Will keep temping and BDing and hopefully this is our month for a sticky bean!

*Fern* - Oh no! A price increase of 30%? Did they not give their current patients any warning? That sounds like an awful thing to be blind-sided with!

AFM - Going to spend the weekend with my Mom, since it's mother's day. But already I feel like it's going to be stressful. Both of my sisters feel as though they shouldn't have to help with any of the planning, funding, etc. for our BBQ. They have both said, "Well I'm a mom too!" multiple times already, and I can't help feeling like I am somehow less of a person because I don't have children. The way they keep saying that to me is like I am somehow less of a human being because I have not had children. 

I wanted to say, "Well excuse me for not *accidentally* crapping out five children like you have, but it's not that easy for some of us!" but I've held my tongue. This far, anyway. We'll see what happens by Monday. lol

Seriously. All of my nieces and nephews were unplanned/accidental babies. It's like rubbing salt into the wound!


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern seriously 30% incease that's insane how could they not tell you before starting the process! 

Irym - that seems really unfair, ok they are moms but they should also be helping to celebrate your mother. hang in there hun and worse comes to worse you lose it on them during the bbq lol. I've done that before lol. 

Urs - I might also have line eye can't tell if it's mt screen or there is a shaddow, ru gonna test again soon?


----------



## Ursaula

Hey gals!

Sorry I've been MIA. I got really moody. I strongly believe those tests did have lines on them, however af showed. FINALLY! I HAVE AF!!!! I'm super excited for this upcoming cycle. I'll be using OPKs, BBT, and CM. Fx'd this is it now I know I have had af. IRYM was right in regards to vomiting due to af. The cramps got worse and worse as did the vomiting. Now that they've stopped, no vomiting!

Fern: I hope the chances increase for you and this works, it's your time! Can't wait for more updates.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Right! My sisters may be moms, but we were planning a celebration for OUR mom, who is always the one left hosting everything, buying food, cleaning up after the guests leave, etc. and I strongly felt that she didn't need to do that this year.

Neither sisters' children are old enough to be left alone or permitted to do any cooking for their own mothers (the oldest of the five of them is age 7), so I'm not sure why my sisters felt like they should have just been able to sit around on their butts all day and not contribute an ounce! Neither one is married, so they don't have husbands or even boyfriends who can watch the children for them, either. It was almost like they expected our mom to do even more work than she normally does just so the two of them could be lazy.

As it turned out, my youngest sister and I did all the work, while my middle sister slept all day and left her kids at my mom's house to be supervised there. Ugh.

ANYWAY -- my mom did something really thoughtful for me this year. When she was giving gifts to my sisters for mothers day, I also got something. She put a card in it that said it was from my pets, for "the best mom a fur baby could ask for", lol. But I've had these pets for years now, and she's never done this before. I really think it's because this mother's day would have been my first mother's day if I hadn't MC'd last summer, and because she, DH and I are the only ones who knew, Mom was sort of gifting me something in secret. It wasn't a matter of me being "left out" or anything, my mom was never that sort of person. You know, how some people think even kids who don't win/compete/etc. should get their own trophy or award? My mom was not one of those people. So I'm certain this gift wasn't an "I don't want you to feel left out" present. :haha:

I was really touched by it! It was a lovely necklace and earring set. Nothing super fancy, but it was silver with purple gemstones and crystals. Purple's my favorite color, so I loved it! :)


*Urs* - Woo for AF! I'm sorry it wasn't a BFP, but at least now you get to start afresh on a new cycle!


----------



## Fern81

Urs - so glad you finally have AF! Now just carry on with your low-carb eating I'm sure it will make a huge difference :)

IRYM - glad you ended up having a good day despite it being a lot of work (I totally agree; my mom shouldn't have to work on mother's day but she had to babysit my sister's kids which she does every weekend for 3-4 days on end!). Sounds like a nice gift!

Updated my stats. At least my weight is stable so far but I'm obviously not working out really hard and am very bloated from all the stims. Other than that I'm doing OK, no cheating on my diet since starting stims! :)


----------



## ireadyermind

OMG, my weight jumped up 6 pounds this week. It is definitely bloat/water weight from being so hormonal/ovulating, because I did really well on eating right this week! I did have some salty foods over the weekend though, so I'm sure that wasn't a big help. I will have to drink EXTRA water this week and maybe some dandelion tea to help reduce the fluid I'm retaining. Sheesh!

In other news, finally got a temp spike today, which means I most likely ovulated 48hrs after my last +OPK. We managed to BD the day before my apparent O date, so I hope that's enough! We will try and BD tonight just to make sure our bases are covered. FXd that this cycle is it, guys! It's the first one in a LONG time where things seemed to be proceeding normally, instead of on their own crazy schedule! lol


----------



## ireadyermind

----------------------------------------------
WEEKLY CHALLENGE MAY 9 - MAY 15
----------------------------------------------

The challenge for this week is: *complete the below workout 3x this week!*

https://img-9gag-fun.9cache.com/photo/aBYzj8D_700b.jpg

This workout is a quick, well-rounded routine that will help you work toward increasing your overall body strength. If you remembered to get your base number of repetitions for squats and push-ups last week, this will most likely help you increase those numbers!

_REMEMBER: You can always alter the moves on these workouts according to your fitness level. Push-ups can be against a wall or on your knees instead of on the floor on your toes. The wall sits can be done with a chair at your side to help keep your balance, etc. Tailor this workout to your current level, but make sure it's still a little bit of a challenge!_


----------



## Fern81

Thx IRYM, will join in all the challenges again if I'm not pregnant at the end of the month! None of that for me atm :) you all enjoy!


----------



## tulip110

IRYM - FXd! Hope this is it for you!

Fern - Good job keeping your weight stable and hoping for good news for your progress check at your appointment today :)

Ursaula - Yay for AF! sounds weird but I understand how it is good news for you. I really believe BBT is great. I think I would be so lost without it. 

AFM - I'm not sure about the Wondfo strips. I'm think I had a positive on 5/9 but the digital disagreed. So I think as expensive as it is I am going to have to use both digital and Wondfo for cycle 3 (if AF comes) until I can understand the Wondfo strips better. 

I'm on CD 22 (possibly 6 days past ovulation) and I'm just hoping for some kind of positive sign. So far it doesn't feel any different and I know it usually won't be any different but its so hard waiting. Just the regular sore BBs and some cramping, a little nausea but that's all normal... 

As for fitness this week I lost 1.9 lbs. I'm happy my weight is moving in the right direction. Mostly just treadmill workouts and the occasional DVD workout. Also, of course drinking lots of water, eating lean meats and lots of green vegetables. I don't feel deprived at all. I think as I keep at it, I crave less and less.


----------



## BronteForever

Urs - sorry AF got you, but it sounds like it's pleasant news, so you can start fresh for this cycle. Good luck!

Fern - great job on maintaining, even while being on all the meds. Good luck. I'm so hopeful for you this cycle. 

IRYM - that sucks on weight, but at least it's just water stuff and you can get it off easily once your cycle proceeds. Good luck this week. Sorry you had a crappy mother's day and your sisters weren't much of a help. That's nice you stepped up though and provided a great day for your mother. I'm definitely going to try to the exercises this week.

Tulip - hopefully you get the strips figured out. I know they do very slightly depending on what your levels are and what each one detects. Great job on the weight loss.

Cupcake - you and your friend's family are in my thoughts. Hope everyone continues to improve.

AFM - well...not a great week. I'm only up 1 pound and I'll take it. Had a long work week and many nights eating out, so didn't do nearly as well as I should have on eating and working out. However, I'm determined to get back at it this week and am going strong. No cheating for me this week and extra workouts are the game plan.


----------



## Fern81

Thanks ladies, egg retrieval is scheduled for Friday! Then embryo placement next week Wednesday, beta a week after with another beta 2 days later I think. So by 27th May we should know. My ovaries are not as sore today? Weird.

Good job on weight loss Tulip! It's nice to find something that works right :) and losing weight becomes a teensy bit addictive! :) whoop whoop!

Bronte - 1 pound is not too much, just focus on the week ahead and keep telling yourself it's nutrition and preparation of those egg cells for your upcoming IVF ;).

Hi everyone else xx


----------



## ireadyermind

I am physically a wreck this week, ladies.

My arm is healing but still not at 100% (man, this is taking forever!), so I've been avoiding arm workouts.. but then I sprained my ankle the other day, and it's swollen and uncomfortable. That means no walking, biking, or anything else that flexes that ankle until it's properly healed. That leaves core workouts, but my ovaries are so sore that just leaning a little too far forward while sitting on the couch causes them pain too. 

Ugh!

I suppose I'll just have to take a little break from exercising for a bit - but now that means that I don't really have anything exciting to do around here. :dohh:



This morning's BBT shot WAY up by over one full degree! It is now at 99.1, which is WAY higher than anything I've recorded on 2DPO in *any* of my recorded cycles. As a matter of fact, _none_ of my cycles reach higher than 98.9 unless I was down with a flu or stomach bug. And I don't feel sick at all today, just bloated and tired.

I tried to BD with DH last night, but he wasn't interested and zonked out the moment his head touched his pillow anyway. Sigh. I hope we didn't miss my actual O date! I'm thinking it was officially O day on May 8th, and if that's true then I think my bases are covered. Still, I would have liked to get one more BD in last night.

What do you gals think? Do you get large temp spikes like this in your cycles? Where do you think my most likely ovulation date is?


----------



## tulip110

Thanks Ladies!

Bronte - I would be happy with only one pound gained too. lol Especially if we were ordering out and not exercising. So good job only gaining 1 little pound. :) Good luck staying strong this week! 

Fern - That's exciting. Keep us updated! 

IRYM - Sorry you're just going through a bad time right now. Stinks that you're so limited to what you can do for the week. Just get yourself all healed up so you can give 100% when you're better. As for your temp spike... I'm still a rookie when it comes to BBT. This is only my second cycle temping so I don't have much advice. My temps get pretty high after ovulation and I'm not sure if its because I was pretty restless last night or not but this mornings BBT was really high too... Do you feel you had a good nights sleep?


----------



## cupcakestoy

IRYM-Hoping you get on the mend quickly! I'm thinking cd18 for O date, but I'm not an expert.....fx'd!

Fern-Wow. by the end of the month you could be a mommy to be!!!! How exciting!

Tulip-WTG!! Your doing great!

Bronte-Eh its only a pound! Your ok, just keep at it!

Hello to everyone else!

AFM-Well today we take the munchkin to her granny's :( We have gotten used to having her here & my son wants to keep her lol I told him maybe we would have our own babies soon & he says hurry up!!!!

As for weight....Up 4 pounds in last 2 weeks :/ It's ok though, Already got my plan for rest of the week in place, so back on the wagon! Honestly in the grand scheme of things it's been nice to forget about IVF/TTC for a little bit & be a surrogate "mommy" to the little one! Her sister is doing amazing well, by the grace of God! We went up Saturday & I got to walk her, braid her hair, hear her speak, see her smile & get hugs & even a "love you!" She is now in a facility for inpatient rehabilitation, speech, physical & occupational therapies, followed by psychiatric care, but at this point she has a mentality of a 10 y/o, I'd say. She doesn't remember anything about the hanging or all the turmoil in the past....yet. Whch is ok by me, I wish I could forget everything about that day! Seeing her smiles sure did go along way tho!


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - I would put your O day on sunday i think? but I could be wrong. Fingers crossed!!! I'm so glad your mother was so thoughtful :) and that at least one of your sisters helped.

tulip- congrats on the weight loss!! fingers crossed for you this cycle! I like how your chart is looking.

Fern - can't wait to hear how many eggs they get! eek! can't even contain my excitement for you. 

Cupcake - that poor girl, i hope she is able to regain her normal brain function. So wonderful she is headed in such a positive direction though. I hope she doesn't regain the memory of trying to harm herself. That would be a horrible thing to remember.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - Looks like you're right! FF gave me cross hairs today. That's cute that your son wants to keep the little tyke. :D

Welp, yesterday's high temp turned out to be some kind of flu bug. Shortly after posting, I came down with a ridiculous headache/migraine, chills, nausea... I went to bed at about 10:45am and slept until 2pm. On waking, my temp was up to 101°F, possibly higher, but I temped with my BBT thermometer and I think it maxes out at 101 degrees.

Additionally I had trouble keeping food down and ended up going back to bed around 7pm. 

Thankfully, this morning I'm doing lots better. Some stomach upset, but not nearly what it was yesterday. Fever's gone, too. 

FF gave me cross hairs today, but if I mark yesterday's temp as a fever, FF removes them. I'll try again tomorrow once I have 3 non-fever temps that are above my cover line.


----------



## tulip110

Well I had my pap test today and I ended up being there just over 2 hours because my doctor had to go deliver a baby. I did get my husband some info for semen analysis. He won't need an actual appointment just a 1 day warning when he's going in... so we are going to wait til AF gets here just in case it's not necessary. My doctor said she doesn't want to recommend any tests for me yet since it hasn't been a year and they are pretty expensive. I guess I'm okay with that. She doesn't really agree with BBT but I really like it so I'm going to continue. She said about 85% of couples are pregnant within a year. I just didn't want to wait a year but she is going by when we stopped my birth control so I will go back in October if nothing has happened by then.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Tulip* - A two hour wait!? That's insane! They couldn't have had another OB/GYN on duty help you with your pap? Or did you prefer to wait for that specific doctor? I know no one can predict _exactly_ when they'll go into labor, but that is a loooong wait. Haha. I hope everything comes back just fine! :)

AFM - Well, my ankle is almost better -- but because I was limping around on it for two weeks, now I've screwed up my back and I have a pinched sciatic nerve. :dohh: I just can't get ahead this week at ALL!

At first I thought this pain was ovary-related. But I can gently prod and poke my entire abdomen without any pain. It's only painful when I go from sitting to standing, or vice versa. If I try to pick up my left leg while sitting, it's essentially dead. And there's a slight tingling in my toes. Ugh!

I feel like my body is just falling apart. I'm only 31! What gives!? lol


----------



## cupcakestoy

Take care irym! Maybe a nice muscle rub & hot bath will help?

Fern- was your retrieval today?!?!

Afm-yet another failed cycle.....*sigh....spotting & cramping, AF will be here tomorrow :( I told dh that I was sorry the clomid didn't work & that I am absolutely done with TTC, except for just bd during my fertile time...I have been bloated, starving, moody & crying sporadically this cycle, only to be left with sore boobs, bad skin & AF knocking on the door! I think he's disappointed, but he agrees that its time to just stop, focus on us & getting ready for ivf....thank God! In other news, the teen girl is in rehab, doing exceptionally 
Well! God is good! Hope all is well!


----------



## tulip110

Cupcake - I'm sorry. Maybe a break is what you need. :hugs: 
And that is great news the girl is doing so well. :)

IRYM - The tingling in your toes sounds kind of serious. DH had some kind of spinal stenosis episode a while back and he had some tingling too. It was a very scary time and happened just a few months after we were married. He joked that our vows were "for better or for worse and in sickness and in health". I joked that I didn't know the "worse" and "sickness" would come so soon. Luckily he slowly got better after about a month of being in bed. So we both decided we needed to be more healthy and exercise more regularly before it happens again. Unfortunately we still struggle with that. 

AFM - The closer I get to the end of my two week wait the more discouraged I feel. I haven't really worked out the last few days. I just feel tired and a little sad and I've been craving sugary desserts. I know if AF comes I will be upset the first day but after that I usually start to feel better about prepping my body for better chances but right now... ugh. :( I always feel that maybe we waited too long. I need to just shake it off. DH is off the weekend with me so hopefully he can cheer me up. 

Hope everyone is doing well. :) It seems a little quiet lately.


----------



## Fern81

Hi all, sorry for being absent. Just so much going on.

We had egg cell collection yesterday and got 9 egg cells from my 1 functioning ovary. I got some bad news this morning. Of my 9 egg cells, 4 were abnormal. Of the 5 remaining, only 3 got fertilized. Each of those only have a 30% chance of making it to day 5. I was prepared for this last year, after all my diagnostic tests, when my dr told me I will most likely never get pregnant and that my egg cells are most likely of very bad quality due to the extensive endometriosis I have on both ovaries esp the left one (and it keeps growing back at an alarming rate) and of course my age (34 yrs 6 months). 
This was not just an IVF to ttc... it also served as diagnostic tool to see once and for all what the quality is of my egg cells and ovaries (now we know for sure I have only 1 functional ovary, and of the egg cells on that one, only about 30% can get fertilized at all). 
And as I said earlier we also did IVF to have no regrets in the future (we didn't want to regret "not trying hard enough"). I sent a message to our financial sponsor this morning and just told them again thanks so much that they at least gave us the opportunity to TRY, even though we knew the chances of success were slim.

OK so I had a good cry about that... but have to move on. We will see what happens to the 3 embryos, it's out of our hands. And if we don't get pregnant, we believe it's God's plan and that there are sooooo many other GREAT things the future holds. After the call of doom from the embryologist we started talking again about all the other things we would like to do and achieve eg travel and continue with our studies etc etc. I refuse to be one of those women who feel like they have nothing to live for just because there is ONE thing they can't do (to have children).

At least I did my BEST. And lost 13,2 pounds in the bargain (my weight is still stable despite all the hormone injections!!) So I'm really an advocate of HIIT and a pure diet (no preservatives, no sugar including no fruit, no additives, no starch except plain sweet potato, no starchy "fillers", no tinned or processed food, no snack bars, no drinks except water and rooibos etc etc). It really worked even while taking all the injections etc! (Anyone who wants to know more about this diet please pm me!) it took 2,5 years to find an eating plan that works for me while taking infertilty hormones.

Tulip - when will you test?

IRYM - hope you are better!

Cupcake - sorry about AF arriving :/ hope your IVF is super successful!

Urs - have you been doing smoothies again this week?

Miracle - how has your eating plan been this week?

Hugs to you everyone I missed too! xx


----------



## BronteForever

Fern - I'm so sorry the results were lower. But three embryos is still a chance. Keep the hope. I will be sending lots of positive vibes your way. I do love that you are prepared for whatever happens and ready to live a happy life regardless. 

IRYM - hope you are feeling better. I have degenerative disc disease and have suffered with bulging discs and pinched nerves for more than 15 years. It does suck. But the chiropractor does wonders and I bought an inversion table awhile ago and love that thing. Anytime I have an episode I use it and it goes away quickly now. 

Cupcake - your IVF appointment is coming up quickly. So focusing on that is not a bad thing at all and if it happens naturally before that then it's just a bonus. So glad to hear your friends daughter is making progress in such a short time. 

Tulip - remind me again how long you have been trying? It's so easy to get discouraged during this process since we are so invested in it. Hang in there and give yourself permission to have bad days. They get us all. I always crave sweets around period time and ovulation as well.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern-Hang in there! Those 3 embies may just surprise you!

Bronte & Tulip-Thank you!

AFM-I think I just may need a transfusion! Geez! I'm usually not a heavy flow til day 3, but not this time. Hoping its just a heavy & done kinda af lol

I restarted 21 day fix today, after seeing the scale this morning! I KNOW I gain a crazy amount of weight with af, but this is crazy! I'm up 5 pounds since yesterday!!!! How much do you guys gain? 

I was doing the calorie counting, but feeling deprived, so I got the containers out. Plan to skip the yellows tho (carbs) since I will get carbs in fruits, veggies & peanutbutter lol I've come to accept I may not reach my goal to be under 200 by consult date, but I have decided I AM going in anyways! I figure the worst they can do is discuss a plan & tell me to lose x amount then come back(now that would be motivation! LOL) or proceed with said plan. When I inquired about BMI requirements at the clinic, they said they "like" it to be around 36, but have seen higher go ahead with treatment, so I figure I'm going! I should be close to it by then! 
In other news I need to find another gym, next week, as I cancelled my PF membership :( Loved the gym, but they are opting to open the locker rooms pending on gender identity. I'm not getting into that discussion & love regardless, but I have rights too, that I feel are being violated to accommodate others....Going to check out a smaller gym in the town where I work Monday.


----------



## ireadyermind

tulip110 said:


> IRYM - The tingling in your toes sounds kind of serious. DH had some kind of spinal stenosis episode a while back and he had some tingling too. It was a very scary time and happened just a few months after we were married. He joked that our vows were "for better or for worse and in sickness and in health". I joked that I didn't know the "worse" and "sickness" would come so soon. Luckily he slowly got better after about a month of being in bed. So we both decided we needed to be more healthy and exercise more regularly before it happens again. Unfortunately we still struggle with that.




BronteForever said:


> IRYM - hope you are feeling better. I have degenerative disc disease and have suffered with bulging discs and pinched nerves for more than 15 years. It does suck. But the chiropractor does wonders and I bought an inversion table awhile ago and love that thing. Anytime I have an episode I use it and it goes away quickly now.

I was a little concerned about the tingling, too. I have scoliosis in my lower back and I'm constantly throwing it out, having pinched nerves, muscle spasms, etc. _Usually_ having a nerve pinched there affects my entire body, sometimes to the point that I can't hold my own head up. It was strange that the affected area was only my leg!

I was able to get up and move around with help, and a constant ache in the joint and muscles. I told DH that if it didn't improve on its own in a couple of days, I was going in to urgent care. I usually end up with a prescription of muscle relaxers, and some pain killers to last me a week. Then I get confined to bed, where I languish there and feel like I'm going to die of boredom before I can finally get up and move around again. :haha:


I have tried chiropractic help since I was about 12 years old, and I had to wear a corrective back brace for 4 years (and 22hrs per day! Ugh!) during high school, but lately all I've been doing to help that part of my back are core muscle exercises. And they do help! I haven't thrown my back out in years, when previously it'd happen about every 6mos.

Yesterday I was able to stand up and sit down with very little trouble, I slept better and this morning I have almost no pain at all. The tingling disappeared yesterday, too. Phew! Thank goodness, because there were so many things I had to put off. It was too much trouble just to vacuum! And with so many pets at my house, I really REALLY need to stay on a frequent vacuuming schedule. lol


ANYWAY --


*Fern* - As the saying goes, don't borrow trouble! :) You still have three good eggs to try this out with, and that's three separate chances! At 30% odds, that's a 1 in 3 chance that you'll get a sticky bean -- and with 3 eggs, I really like the sound of that! :hugs:


*Cupcake* - So glad to hear your niece is improving!


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - glad you are feeling better and have found what works for you. When I have pinched nerves I sometimes feel it all over as well, but more often it's just down the leg and in the toes. Just depends on the nerve and where it's pinched. It sucks so much and makes everything harder. Hope it doesn't last long. I haven't had a pinched nerve in awhile now which I'm very grateful for. I mostly just get disc issues which act up in cold weather. It gets challenging to walk or stand and I had to buy a cane awhile ago to help which I only use in the house to get around. Tried physical therapy for over a year but didn't make progress until seeing a chiropractor three days a week. Back issues are no fun at all. Scoliosis would suck though. I feel bad for you. Really hope this episode is over soon. 

Cupcake - my doctor did not bring up weight at all when I went in. I brought it up at the end because I'd read the 36 BMI requirement to use attain. I know it helps to have a lower BMI but from what I've read your chances of success with a higher BMI are really not that much different with IVF. I'd definetly not let that hold you back. I'm more worried about my age and if I wait to get to a healthier BMI I might lose my window of opportunity. Good luck.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Thanks Bronte! Some of the articles I have read make it out to be gloom & doom unless you hit a magic number! Like your more likely to M/C if your over weight. I NEVER had a M/C until after my TR, but I think that it was a bad egg/bad sperm issue, really. I feel like if we can just get a good embryo, I won't have a problem carrying a pregnancy.....


----------



## Fern81

Thank you all so much for the support! It really means a lot. Your kindness is inspiring. xxx

I have better news today, all 3 my fertilized eggs turned into "very nice" day 2 embryos. So we are going to keep them in the incubator until day 5 and then transfer one on Wednesday. ATM I'm hoping and praying really hard that all 3 survive to day 5. That will mean 2 to freeze, which will give us 3 chances at having a baby. Given that it takes (on average) 3,5 tries to conceive with IVF, I will feel so much better if we actually GET 3 x day 5 embryos. The embryologist is going to inspect them again tomorrow morning and phone me with an update. I pray they keep doing well. Was so afraid that my poor egg cell quality would influence the embryo development... at this stage all we can do is take it one day at a time and leave it in God's hands.

My weight is going to be ridiculous tomorrow morning... I unashamedly had lots of junk food and wine this weekend! It's hard being a breeding machine & DH and I decided to just let go for one weekend while I'm not "incubating" any eggs or embryos. I know I will lose it all in a week; starting up my healthy eating again this evening.

Cupcake - don't be too hard on yourself... you've been through a LOT the past few weeks! And there are still almost 3 months for you to get as healthy as possible. Oooohhh.... 3 months is exactly the amount of time it takes for the egg cells that will be harvested during your IVF in August, to develop! Golden opportunity to just do your best. xxxx hugs! I know it's hard.

Bronte & IRYM - hope you both have a pain-free weekend.

Drjo - I'm guessing you've had your little one!? Thinking of you, hope all is well!

Urs - hope you are doing OK hun.


----------



## Fern81

Deleted, double post


----------



## BronteForever

Fern - yay wonderful news. Really hoping you end up with three at day five. You have the right attitude. Just take it one day at a time. The wait has to feel incredibly long for you. I'm sure it's more magnified than any TWW. Hang in there. And oh my goodness give yourself permission to have a cheat weekend. You so deserve it!!


----------



## ireadyermind

FX'd, Fern! We're all rooting for you!


----------



## drjo718

Yes, I did have my baby, thanks for thinking of me! I had to be induced for gestational hypertension, but all they did was break my water and I went into labor on my own, no pitocin needed. Nora Kelly was born at 39+3 in April 27, at 0141. Weighed 7lb5oz, 19.5in long. She and I both had some issues, and I was readmitted to the hospital the following week for postpartum toxicity. We're both on the mend now, although I'm still on blood pressure medication. Because of the hypertension and because of my hormonal problems, like PCOS, I can't produce enough milk for her, so we're having to supplement so she has enough to eat. Makes me sad, but it's what I have to do for now. 

Anyway, I've lost 30lbs since delivery. I had a ton of swelling associated with the hypertension, so I'm sure most of that was fluid. 9lbs to go to pre-pregnancy weight, but I was too heavy then, so I need to lose more to be healthy. Once my BP is a little better under control and I'm able to do more activity, I'll be joining you ladies on here again.


----------



## Fern81

Thanks everyone! !
Congrats drjo! Love the name. Sorry that you both had health issues but it's great to hear you're mending up. 
Wishing your family the best for a wonderful future together xxxx


----------



## Ursaula

Yay Fern! I can't wait to hear more good news! :)

Congrats drjo!! Unfortunate about the upsets after but glad you're both on the way up.

Sorry I haven't been posting. I've been trying to catch up reading all your posts! This past week was full of stress so I did a lot of calming down and trying to do things for myself. I was told by my gyn's nurse to not leave the house because I started bleeding really heavy. I ended up at the hospital once just to make sure everything was normal and they discussed keeping me overnight but decided to send me home and call me the next morning since there were no beds. All in all, af was hell but I felt so relieved and excited! S/o has his birthday tomorrow and it will be cd10 for me, so I'll be starting opks. We'll probably have some fun tomorrow anyway, you know, just in case ;)

I hope this week gets better. I NEED to stop pigging out...


----------



## tulip110

Fern - Yay for the 3 eggs! Will continue wishing good thoughts for you and your eggs!

Ursaula - Glad to see you back! Sorry AF was so terrible and you ended up in the hospital. Happy birthday to your S/O. Good luck with your OPKs

Congrats drjo!


----------



## miracleworker

hello ladies 
Sorry i have been away for a while now, last week was a hard one! mmgh where do i start..okay so i went to see my gyno for feedback and i was told that one tube has a condition of some sorta of blockage and the right one is good. Second issue was that my ovaries seem to have thick wall so the eggs cant penetrate. Doc suggested to operate me to make that layer thin and i booked for the appointment before thinking through. when i went home and thought it through i said its too early for this shit that is one secondly am 26 years old and have only been trying for five 
months and also i still have hopes it will happen my GOD is good. So i cancelled the appointment.
on the same week i had exams at the same time i had three family functions...had alot on my plate.
i didnt eat health, i just delicious foods and ended up gaining back 4lbs.
well today am back on track and am starting the smoothie for this week but also am back to gym. 

Fren: finger crossed for you that all 3 survive.

drjo: congrats on the baby...

Urs: So sorry abt the pain

Cups: dont be so hard on yourself just breath and move on


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern-So glad to hear your 3 embies are doing good! Hoping the little boogers grow like crazy to day 5!

Urs-Glad you finally got AF, even though it was traumatic! Time to get busy girl!

Dr.jo-Congrats on mommy hood! Speedy recovery to you!

Miracle-I don't blame you for re-thinking. Have you considered a 2nd opinion later on? 5 months at your age is a little too soon to jump the gun, unless there is proof of any issues!

Happy Monday to all! 

AFM-Back down to 239! Lost 5 pounds of fluid & no fat lol but at least I didn't have to add more pounds to my ticker! lol 21 day fix is in full swing....dh really has tried my patience this weekend! Not sure why he gets on his rants, but I'm ready to go back to work just to have some alone time!


----------



## BronteForever

Urs - goodness that sounds like a horrible period. But glad you can move on from it now and hopefully it cleaned everything out and all looks good for a baby to implant. Good luck!

drjo - love the name. I'm sure you are so excited and probably a bit overwhelmed. So glad you are both doing well now. Congrats!!

miracle - I'm down to no working tubes, but had one for awhile. It can still happen and the other tube can scoop up the egg from the opposite side (which the visual on that is so weird for me, but it happens), so your chances with one tube aren't decreased that much. Not sure about the egg penetration issue but that doesn't sound good. They usually want you to wait a year for trying without success, so I don't think it's a bad idea to hold off on stuff for awhile to see what happens. And if you do need to go back, sounds like you have a good plan of action to start with. Good luck. 

cupcake - great job on the weight loss, even if it's water weight, it's still pounds off and you probably feel better not being bloated. I'm also still doing 21 day fix and really enjoy the program. I'm not getting in as many workouts as I'd like, but some is definitely better than none.

AFM - the scale this morning said I'm 4 pounds down this week from last week, but it's been fluctuating a lot, so I'm guessing it's more like 2 pounds. Did much better with eating this week and got a few workouts in. My weeks have just been busy with work and events at night, so it's hard to find the motivation and time some nights to work out. And I'm so not a morning person to wake up early to workout. That would cause me to fail faster than anything, I believe. I've been working out some nights at 10 pm or 11 pm, which is probably not the best. I figure it's better than nothing though.


----------



## caz & bob

:hi: ladies as for went back last week to have another ultrasounds on my cyst she said there is some think on the wall of the cyst got to have have bloods done and go and see a gyacoleagist just waiting on a app for the day she said don't worrie about any think because if it ewt its only now started to do somethink xx xx xx


----------



## ireadyermind

*DrJo* - Aww, congrats! I'm glad things are on the mend and you and baby are okay!

*Urs* - Wow, I'm sorry you had such a traumatic AF -- but now you can get back to TTC and it sounds so hopeful! Happy birthday to your SO!

*Miracle* - I probably would have cancelled, too! They really ought to go in and have a look at your ovaries before they decide to do surgery on them! What if what they think they see isn't really there? Yikes!

*Cupcake* - Huzzah for losing that fluid! 


AFM - Well, this week was better than expected. Since I was sick, and injured in so many different places, and all of that nonsense -- I expected to GAIN weight.

Instead, I find that I have lost some of the bloat and water weight from last week, and I've gone DOWN a pound instead of up! So I guess technically I'm maintaining my body fat at least. I'll take that over a fat gain ANY day!

I have to get back to those after-bathroom workouts, they seemed to really help me!

I'll post this week's challenge here in a few minutes. :)


----------



## ireadyermind

----------------------------------
CHALLENGE MAY 16 - 22
----------------------------------

This week's challenge is a simple one, but it might be difficult for some of us!

The challenge is: *do not weigh yourself at ALL this week, until next Monday morning!*

Why?

Every time we eat a meal, our body weight changes depending upon what's in the food. Salt and grains cause water retention, certain plants/vegetables, coffee, and liquor are diuretics which cause us to lose water weight. 

Our weights can fluctuate several pounds on a day to day basis, and none of it tells you about your overall weight loss!

Obsessing over the scale in this way can cause you to become stressed, depressed, angry at yourself, etc. and when those things are added to a health/fitness routine, they cause us to stall out, or worse -- we give up hope and start binge eating!

Therefore, I challenge you to avoid that scale like the plague and don't even give it your time until Monday morning's weigh-in!




*What can I measure instead?:* Your energy levels, feelings of bloat, the fit of your clothing, how hungry or thirsty you are, what you're craving, and your mood.

If you eat something and it makes you feel disgusting and bloated, ditch it and try an alternative next time!

If you're too thirsty all the time, drink more water and cut out a little salt and carbs. 

If you're having cravings, try to think of what might cause them, and fix THAT problem instead.


----------



## Fern81

Hi everyone, congrats on all the weight loss for this week! 

Urs- so sorry that you had a horrible af. Glad it's over. Enjoy the birthday! !

Miracle- hope this is a better week ahead.

Bronte GL with workouts this week. Hope you can get in a few morning ones :)

Afm- 

I'm going in for embryo transfer on Wednesday. This morning all 3 were still properly dividing. ... and lo and behold one of my other egg cells also got fertilized and by this morning had started to divide. It's clearly a very slow grower but I feel better with 4/9 fertilized than 3/9. 
I want to ask the dr a lot of questions on Wednesday too.. eg what did they mean with my eggs were "abnormal"?


----------



## BronteForever

Fern - definetly keep us updated. So exciting another one fertilized. I'm curious what abnormal eggs meant in your case as well. 

IRYM - such a good challenge for me. I'm horrible about getting on the scale. However I know it fluctuates so much it doesn't discourage me. There's just no point in weighing myself as much as I do currently. Going to have to resist...resist...resist, this week.


----------



## tulip110

Fern - I'm so happy for you that a fourth egg was fertilized! 

Looks like everyone has done quite well this week! Good job ladies. Keep it up! :)

I lost 1.5 pounds. Not a very big loss but I'm glad my weight is steadily going down.


----------



## messymommy

Can I join?


----------



## messymommy

Stats:
Height: 5'1"
Starting Weight:226.8
Goal Weight:180
MyFitnessPal Username: N/A

Goals:
Lose 10 lbs/kgs by: June 17, 2016
Fit into size _18__ pants by: June 17, 2016
Be able to paint my toenails and breath at the same time by June 17th


My Plan:
I am including low carbohydrate dieting and using coconut oil as a weightloss supplement. I am taking 2 tablespoons each morning in a low fat yogurt & fresh strawberry smoothie and adding it where ever else I can before each meal. If I get a BFP, I will stop the coconut oil if the OB says I should. Also taking Folic Acid 800 and will begin prenatals soon, just to prepare.

Weigh-ins:
5/17/16: 226.8
(date):
(date):
(date):

Things I struggled with this month:
I struggle with portion control and sweets

Things I did well this month:


----------



## ireadyermind

*messymommy* - You certainly can! Welcome, welcome! You're just in time to start a new week with us! 

If you haven't already, check out all the resources we have listed on the First Post of the thread! That's where I'll put a link to your new stats post, too. :) That way, every Monday you can check back there and click your link to be taken to your post immediately, without having to wade through old posts to find it.

Let us know if you have questions, concerns, if you're feeling good or bad or whatever -- we're here to help! :D

*Fern* - Woo! Surprise 4th egg has got to be a mood booster!


Edited to add: OMG, my day is DRAGGING! I have now come down with what feels like a cold, with sneezing, coughing, and a sore throat -- but sometimes my allergies get this bad too. I'm not sure if I'm _actually_ sick, or if I just need to take an extra allergy pill!

I'm half convinced I'm pregnant, because the last time I felt this way in my TWW was when I got my BFP/MC.... But I'm refusing to POAS for a few more days, because I don't want to see another BFN! It's so hard, though. I keep telling myself that the odds of our conceiving this month are just as slim as every other month, and to wait for AF. Ugh.

I am resisting googling things like "9DPO cold symptoms" and trying to focus on other things, but it's difficult. Sheesh!


----------



## Ursaula

Hello gals :) Great job for everyone losing weight! And thanks from s/o for all the birthday wishes!

IRYM: Let me look up 9dpo cold symptoms for you, hehe! Fx'd for you, I'll be watching your chart!

Fern: YES!! 4! That's awesome! Will you only do one at a time or are you going to try two for the possibility of twins?

Messymommy: Hello! This is a great group to be apart of, lots of encouragement and good ideas.

Bronte: Are you starting the preparation for IVF at the end of May or in June?

Hello to everyone else :)

AFM: In terms of TTC, my opks have started getting a little darker, not close to positive. I plan to test twice a day and aim to bd every 2-3 days until a closer positive, then every day. Really praying hard now that my cycle is figuring itself out and I had af that this will be a quick fix...fx'd!

Weight wise I have really been struggling. My emotions are everywhere probably from the progesterone, af, and all hormones related. I HAVE to lose a good portion of weight before I see my gyn again if I need clomid or anything, to prove to her that I'm serious. Stressing...and emotionally eating because I'm stressing...then stressing because I'm emotionally eating...and it all continues.


----------



## Fern81

Hi everyone, just to let you know I'm PUPO with one expanded grade BB blastocyst :) And we decided to freeze the other 2 (of lesser quality) together so that if this cycle doesn't work then we'll transfer both at once (FET). 

Urs - noooo we definitely do NOT want to try for twins! :) Hun is there anything else you enjoy doing as a treat; like a bubble bath or going for a walk or buying flowers or gardening...? Maybe you can try a non-food related treat when you are stressed. Hugs!


----------



## cupcakestoy

:wohoo::wohoo::wohoo: Congrats on being PUPO Fern!!!!


----------



## miracleworker

Congrats Fern and now we wait:wohoo::wohoo:

AFM well am doing URS smoothie this week and how it goes....i gained 4lbs the other week i wanna loose all and more so still on it...
i feel so lazy and i sleep a lot at work, i dont know maybe its the workout as i have started HIIT on cardio i do or maybe cause i wake up at 4 everyday or maybe just maybe am doomed for a baby lol :happydance::happydance::happydance::happydance:


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - For those of us not in the know, what does PUPO stand for? And good luck! FX'd for you, baby dust, prayers, good vibes, THE WORKS being sent your way! :)

*Miracle* - I hope those smoothies work out for you! Are you in your TWW yet? When do you plan on testing?

*Urs* - Find out anything interesting about 9dpo cold symptoms? ;)


AFM - Super duper cranky this morning! I was already feeling moodiness the past couple of days, but this morning just made it worse.

Our elderly cat, who is notoriously finicky, broke her streak of going several months without peeing on the carpet at all, and peed on our BRAND NEW CARPET... I am so ticked. There is a perfectly good, CLEAN litter box for her, and she chose my floor instead.

Everyone always says, "Well maybe it's because she has an illness," well -- I'm here to tell you, after owning her for 16 years, I know when something's up with her health, and this is not it! lol. I was woken up at about 5:45am with her BS and I normally don't get up until 730 or 8. Ugh.

Her problem is that she wants to sleep in our room with us, only then she doesn't let anyone sleep. If I fall asleep instead of petting her, she scratches my face! So we shut the bedroom door, and then she camps out there all night, and rather than going to the box to pee, it's like she figures, "If I leave now, I'll miss out! Let's pee on the floor instead!"

I have half a mind to put a bed for her outside and let her sleep there while the weather's nice. She spends most of her daylight hours in the back yard anyway. :growlmad:






ANYWAY....

On the TTC front, my uterus area feels puffy and tender this morning? I thought I felt like there was a tight band across it, almost as though my underwear had suddenly become a size too small, and the waistband was pressing across the area. Well, I checked and that wasn't the case. My underwear waistband doesn't even rest there!

Not sure what's going on, but the tenderness and swelling was such that I couldn't lay on my stomach in bed any more. My temp at 5:45am when I took it was unusually high for that hour, and a BBT adjuster put it up further, so I'm maintaining hope that AF will stay away at least a few more days!


----------



## miracleworker

Irym :yes am in TWW and today its 8dpo and i did test in the morning i think i saw something am not so sure am waiting until tomorrow morning i will test again but i have mixed emotions btn bfp n bfn so am just there. Should i post it here dor u guys to see it and tell me if u see anything.

Fx'd that u get a bfp too... Lets hope for the best


----------



## Fern81

Thanks ladies. I'm super upset today because it's just impossible for me to take time away from work & doing the housework. .. so while running with laundry today (trying to quickly put it away before unlocking for my next student), I fell down the stairs. Flat on my back. Injured my back and left ankle. And now I'm cramping & feel like my embie will not implant. Sorry for complaining but just so stressed.

IRYM- PUPO means pregnant until proven otherwise. :) will you test tomorrow morning? All the progesterone I've been taking has given me a sore, swollen stomach so maybe that symptom means you're progesterone is nice and high!

Miracle- good job on the smoothies and HIIT! And gl, hope you get a bfp in a few days :). Yes PLEASE post ALL your tests!! I love looking at tests :).


----------



## ireadyermind

*Miracle* - Definitely post pics! I can do some tweaking to the colors in Photoshop and see if there's something there!

*Fern* - OUCH! I hope you're okay! 

You may be right about the progesterone. I feel a little less run down and foggy brained today than normal. I've decided I'm going to purchase some progesterone cream if AF shows this weekend (Sunday or Monday, actually), because I'm about 99% sure that's my problem, and the fertility clinic won't test that until I do another ultrasound, and I don't WANT to do another ultrasound! Without insurance (infertility tests aren't covered on my plan) they're something like $1200 USD each and I already had TWO of them! Ugh.

Anyway. If the progesterone cream works, I will then go to my physician and say, "Look! All my problems are improved/gone!" and see if I can't get something by prescription, which could potentially be free or less expensive than buying my own stuff.

Buuuuttt FX'd I won't need it and I get a BFP this cycle!

I'm seriously obsessing over the TWW this month though.


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - why won't they test progesterone until after another ultrasound? Is there something specific they want to know before that. I'd get firm if you have too. I've learned a lot during this process and one of them is that you have to advocate for yourself. You know your body better than anyone and if they aren't listening to you or doing a fairly simple blood test at your request don't be afraid to ask questions and be direct (just as nicely as possible). They will usually consent to stuff then. 

This stuff is expensive which annoys me. Most all my stuff isn't covered by insurance either and it makes me sad. 

Urs - I start IVF during my next cycle. This one should start soon. So the next one should be end of June.

Fern - I'm so sorry you fell. Hope you are alright. I really wish you could take a few days off. I'm so sorry you can't.

Miracle - how exciting. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.


----------



## miracleworker

Ooh Fern am so sorry,i hope u get better and hope u get some time off you need that girl
Irym that sucks but i think u can still hold on and you know your body better follow your guys
Well Afm i dont know if this is it but hey maybe it is maybe not,am having mixed emotions
 



Attached Files:







image.jpg
File size: 39.2 KB
Views: 7


----------



## ireadyermind

*Bronte* - It's a specialty referral-only clinic, and they're trying to make me jump through hoops. I haven't even been permitted to speak to an actual doctor yet, just their RN/scheduler over the phone. Ugh!

So I told myself that if I get a BFP this cycle, first thing I'm doing is demanding my progesterone to be checked when they do the bHCG draw, since I'll already be at the lab anyway. I don't want another miscarriage!

*Miracle* - Is there a color photo we can look at? And closer up, too? It's hard to see anything when it's in black and white.


----------



## miracleworker

This is another one IRYM please help with the modification, thank you
This was from three hours hold and i drink alot of water during the day...but hey its only 8 dpo and am gonna check again tomorrow :coffee::coffee:
 



Attached Files:







image.jpg
File size: 35.8 KB
Views: 12


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - definetly demand the test early!!! And if they don't do it go somewhere else. If I hadn't followed my gut I might be dead since my doctors didn't read my ultrasound correctly when I had my ectopic and dismissed all of my concerns even prior to rupture when I knew something wasn't right. I get that some people overreact and that's why sometimes they make you jump through hoops. But it irks me so much sometimes that they do that. You've had several early losses so they should be seeing you ASAP if you are pregnant and they should give you tests if you want them to help ease your mind. Hopefully you can convince them and if not I hope you can find someplace else.


----------



## BronteForever

Miracle - I didn't see anything yet but hopefully IRYM can doctor it up. It's still early though. Hopefully it darkens.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Bronte* - Definitely gonna be firm about the progesterone if BFP! I'm not letting them screw up another pregnancy just because they don't feel like typing up a request in their system! I mean really, how hard would it be for them to type up the order? AND it's not like they're paying for it, I am!


*Miracle* - It looks like there's a smudge of dye in the general area that the test result line would be, but otherwise I don't see a line.

I would say wait and test with first day's urine the day after tomorrow, and I will tweak your pics for you again!
 



Attached Files:







tweak-for-Miracle_edited1.jpg
File size: 52.7 KB
Views: 7









tweak-for-Miracle_edited2.jpg
File size: 53.3 KB
Views: 7


----------



## Ursaula

Fern: Yay Fern!!!! Fx'd for your first beta! I can't wait for more updates :) Hoping you're ok after that fall...

Non-related food items...I got my first two tattoos for a pick me up. Yay!

IRYM: In terms of 9dpo cold symptoms there are a lot of different opinions, fx'd though, it's definitely all of our times to be pregnant! TEST FOR ME, I'm dying to know!

Bronte: Ahh I can't wait for you!

Miracle: Not sure I see anything either...hmm...sorry!

AFM: Still waiting for a positive opk...I felt like my one I took tonight was actually starting to get darker again...I guess I'll find out tomorrow morning. S/o and I covered it either way ;) Having some pretty interesting cramps so I'm assuming my body is trying hard. Fx'd it's soon though!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Fern-I'm sorry you had a spill. but don't fret about it affecting your embie! They are so snug, tiny & protected in there it will be ok!

Miracle-Good luck with the smoothies! I'm not a smoothie fan, but applaud you gals who can drink them & stick with it! Sorry but I don't see a line.....BUT at 8dpo it's RARE to get a bfp, way too early girl! Hang in there!

IRYM-Increased Progesterone levels can for sure cause your symptoms! This last cycle I know mine was high after the Clomid. Crazy sore BBs & Uterus! That's why I hate medicated cycles, as I feel so pregnant only to be fooled!

Bronte-So I'm assuming you have had your consult & all the testing? Insight on what to expect?

Urs-Congrats on your tats! I have 3 & want more, but I've cut myself off! lol If left to my addictions, I could possibly be the old tatted up lady in the nursing home!

Mrs.G-How are you? Missing you in here!

Hello to everyone else! Come catch us up on up on your progress!

Afm-Think I'm doing good this week! Been super busy, as DH & I have been called into the youth ministry! Yes, after a while of fighting God, I gave in, while dh has been willing! lol Which made me realize this is what we are called for....We are now officially the Youth Leaders for our TEENS!!!!! Which is completely not what I wanted! BUT He has a plan :) I feel like I am now the mom of 12 bouncing, hormone filled, sarcastic bundles of joy! I told the pastor that we may be a teen free church when we get done with them! lmbo DH & I are big on respect & responsibility, so its going to be a wild ride for sure!


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, *Fern* - You asked for today's HPT pics, and here they are!

I don't see anything except maybe the slightest, barest hint of a line within the 5min window. It's entirely possible I just have line eye. I'm leaving this test out for a while, since every time I've gotten a BFP with the wondfos, it's been after the 10minute window... by a LOT. Even the BFP with my MC.

So if anything else shows up, I'll post those too...! lol
 



Attached Files:







05-20-16.jpg
File size: 10.7 KB
Views: 7









05-20-16_edited.jpg
File size: 17.6 KB
Views: 4









05-20-16_edited2.jpg
File size: 17.4 KB
Views: 7


----------



## miracleworker

Sorry IRYM i cant see anything maybe its too early and lets keep on testing! Pls share if something shows up 
Afm i tested again this evening after 4 hrs hold i think i see something
 



Attached Files:







image.jpg
File size: 29.5 KB
Views: 16


----------



## ireadyermind

*Miracle* - I see something! Eeeek! :happydance:
 



Attached Files:







tweak-for-Miracle2_edited.jpg
File size: 31.8 KB
Views: 8









tweak-for-Miracle2_edited2.jpg
File size: 32 KB
Views: 8


----------



## Fern81

Miracle- I definitely see that!! And IRYM I also see the start of something on yours!! 

I literally can't wait for your tests tomorrow :)


----------



## Fern81

Cupcake- the youth ministry sounds awesome. Teens need a firm hand but also understanding & I think you are perfect for the job. Hope you are very blessed with all these kiddies in your life. &#9825;


----------



## BronteForever

Eeeekkkk. So exciting ladies. I can't see anything, but I'm basically blind on these things.

Cupcake - oh my goodness, I have lots of stuff I've learned already about IVF. If you ever have questions, feel free to ask anything. There's tons of support on these boards as well and I'm a member of a few IVF Facebook groups as well. Where are you at in the process then? Have you done all infertility blood tests and HSG tests? Once you have those and meet with your RE there's not a ton of additional tests needed and the consult is super easy. I really only had IVF as an option because I have no functional tubes left and surgery to try and repair my one remaining one wasn't likely to work, so we went straight to IVF bypassing every other option. Depending on your case and where you are at, you might have to go through more. The most difficult for me was figuring out how to pay for stuff, whether to do a shared-risk plan (where you pay for multiple cycles upfront at a discounted rate, which is what we ended up doing, we'll get 2 fresh cycles and unlimited frozen cycles), whether to do genetic testings (my doctor highly recommended for my age), and all that. Then you can get started pretty quickly. We had to wait because of an upcoming trip that affected two cycles and it gave me more time to lose some weight. Anyway, ask anything you want or feel free to private message me. I'm pretty much an open book now.


----------



## tulip110

Miracle - I see the line too! yay!

AFM - I've been bad this week :( but I'm feeling better now that AF is on her way out... I will get back on track and start preparing for this cycle. Has anyone tried Fertilaid? Or SMEP (lol)?


----------



## ireadyermind

*Tulip* - I looked into SMEP but realistically for us... DH is just not going to be able to keep up with that schedule. lol! Not because he can't perform or anything, he is just usually mentally exhausted from his job and falls straight to sleep many nights of the week. And my attempts to start something after dinner don't go well if either of us is too full. haha

*Fern* - I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw that. I'd say it's an evap if it weren't for that tiny hint of color I see? BUT -- that is hardly as dark as it needs to be at this point, I think, so I'm fully expecting AF on either Sunday or Monday (possibly even Saturday, since I think I O'd on CD 16 and not 17 or 18, but we'll see).

*Bronte* - I think with Miracle's images you have to really zoom in on them because they're small. If you have zoom capabilites on your browser (usually hold ctrl and tap the + key on a PC), you might be able to see?


----------



## mrs.green2015

I have not checked in on forever! Sometimes I come and read along but since I haven't done well in eating healthy I always feel bad here :( Soo much has happened with me so I'm sure even more has happened here!

Miracle & Irym- I think I see something on both! I hope it darkens ladies! 

What else has been going on?


----------



## cupcakestoy

BronteForever said:


> Eeeekkkk. So exciting ladies. I can't see anything, but I'm basically blind on these things.
> 
> Cupcake - oh my goodness, I have lots of stuff I've learned already about IVF. If you ever have questions, feel free to ask anything. There's tons of support on these boards as well and I'm a member of a few IVF Facebook groups as well. Where are you at in the process then? Have you done all infertility blood tests and HSG tests? Once you have those and meet with your RE there's not a ton of additional tests needed and the consult is super easy. I really only had IVF as an option because I have no functional tubes left and surgery to try and repair my one remaining one wasn't likely to work, so we went straight to IVF bypassing every other option. Depending on your case and where you are at, you might have to go through more. The most difficult for me was figuring out how to pay for stuff, whether to do a shared-risk plan (where you pay for multiple cycles upfront at a discounted rate, which is what we ended up doing, we'll get 2 fresh cycles and unlimited frozen cycles), whether to do genetic testings (my doctor highly recommended for my age), and all that. Then you can get started pretty quickly. We had to wait because of an upcoming trip that affected two cycles and it gave me more time to lose some weight. Anyway, ask anything you want or feel free to private message me. I'm pretty much an open book now.

I had 2 HSG's but its been a while. SO basically I figure when we go in, we will be run through the mill! I thought about having my Dr. run some of the standard tests, but figured I'd end up paying for them again, so I'm just going in blind & praying for the best! I've looked into the different cycle costs, but since we get a huge discount as firefighters I'm waiting to see if that discount can be applied to the multi-cycle plans....If not then I guess $7000 per cycle isn't too bad, plus meds of course.....Still looking at $10,000 per cycle which seriously makes me ill!


----------



## BronteForever

Cupcake - I had my regular OB do all the tests and send to them. But it's probably just as easy to wait. We went through Attain for the multi cycle program but it depends on your clinic and who they go through. They have Attain Assist which gives money off for firefighters as well. I qualified as a "teacher" because I work at a library and my husband is a professor. It was only 10 percent off though, but that was still a big savings and one of the reasons we decided to do multicycle. However we didn't want to pay even more to get money back so didn't do a refund program. You'd probably get more as a firefighter. $7,000 per cycle isn't bad at all though. My med costs are going to be around $4,500 so I'm looking to import them from Europe which will save me a few thousand. It's so expensive and I'm hoping it works or I'm going to feel horrible having to pay on it each month.


----------



## ireadyermind

Morning, gals!

I wish IVF wasn't so pricey! Those of us who WANT kids and will actually take good care of them should be given a little more leniency! lol. 

AFM - BFN on Wondfo this morning. Not even anything I can call a hint of a line, so I'm thinking yesterday's was an evap since there really wasn't any color.

Plus, cramping this morning like AF cramps, and a huge temp dip to my personal "AF is gonna come soon!" temperature of 98.0 on the dot. So! Onward to next month! I'll be trying baby asprin and progesterone cream this time around. 

Since my body seems to be trying to fix itself, I think these things might help. FXd!


*Miracle* - Any more tests for me to tweak!?


----------



## miracleworker

Oooh IRYM i was hoping for a BFP from you but hey another chance given for another cycle..
AFM i took another one and it looks more visible i think...here it is for a 10dpo,i dont wanna freak out yet so i havent told anyone not even my husband!
 



Attached Files:







image.jpg
File size: 12.5 KB
Views: 15


----------



## mrs.green2015

Sorry irym that AF is looming. 


Miracle- that's definitely a bfp! Congrats!!


----------



## Fern81

Congrats miracle! 

Did you all notice Green's chart ;)........


----------



## Fern81

IRYM - ugh sorry about bfn! I hope the new meds will make a difference.


----------



## BronteForever

Miracle - ooh I can definetly see that one and like I said I'm blind so if I see it it's almost always a true positive. Congrats and really hope it sticks. 

IRYM - so sorry AF is coming. Hugs.


----------



## miracleworker

Thank you beautiful ladies...you have all been supportive
Thank you mrs green,fern and bronte...i really pray it sticks and that one day i will hold my miracle... I still cant believe i gt a BFP! Still dont have the strength and confidence to do so


----------



## mrs.green2015

I'd say that's a pretty good line for only 10dpo! Congrats again!


----------



## cupcakestoy

:happydance::happydance::happydance: 2 BFPs in 1 day!!!!!Congrats Mrs.G & Miracle!!!!!

Fell off the wagon into a bowl of bread pudding today lol I don't even care at this point of my weekend! Work sucks! Told dh we had better get pregnant & have babies soon, cause either way I'm about to be a stay at home wife!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Cupcake- your post just made me laugh. I say the same stuff to DH. 

I got my bfp yesterday and got the results of my 1st beta this morning. 12dpo it was 116! So cautious since we already had two losses but I feel good about it.


----------



## BronteForever

Mrs. G - totally missed that. Huge congrats. How exciting!! I really hope this one sticks. I'll remain cautiously optimistic with you.


----------



## cupcakestoy

116 is a great start! I'm jealous that clomid didn't work so easily for us! Actually it never worked, got our 1st bfp with femara, 2nd natural....come on #3! 3rd times a charm right??? I'll be over here holding my breath til August Lmbo


----------



## mrs.green2015

Cupcake- I hope 3rd time is the charm for both of us!


----------



## ireadyermind

Wow, congrats Mrs. Green too!

And Miracle, you don't need any tweaking to see that one! Congrats to you too!

:dust:


----------



## miracleworker

Congrats Mrs Green! 

Thank you IRYM


----------



## Ursaula

Congratulations Mrs. G and Miracle!! Eee!!! So exciting :)


----------



## miracleworker

Thank you lovely ladies,am still in shock and not believing if this is it considering what the doctor told me the last time i visited you all know my story


----------



## ireadyermind

Good morning, gals!

It's Monday! How'd everyone do with avoiding the scale this week? I didn't do too badly! I weighed myself on Friday after a day of running to the bathroom all day long (annoying!). I was sure that all the water weight I'd been fighting was coming off at once, and I was right. 

Only then we had cheat day on Saturday and DH wanted pizza, and now I'm all bloated from that. Oye. I ought to switch Cheat Day to Mondays so it's after weigh-in! lol


----------



## ireadyermind

-----------------------------------------
WEEKLY CHALLENGE MAY 23 - 29
-----------------------------------------

We check our progress on squats, push-ups and crunches on June 1st, so this week let's *focus on building muscle* so we can increase those numbers!

If possible, try this after every bathroom break:

10 - wall push-ups 
or
10 - Squats 
or
10 - Standing Knee Crunches (looks like this: Click for Preview)
Mix 'em up!

If you're at home, you can do more than 10 at a time.

-------------
BFP ladies!
-------------

Your challenge is to make sure you don't fall into the "I'm eating for two" trap. Keep paying attention to how much you're consuming, and make sure it's good quality food for your little bean! :)


----------



## BronteForever

Up a pound from last week, which isn't too bad, since I was fluctuating so much then and don't think I lost as much as the scale said last Monday anyway. Plus AF started and I get serious cravings before then. I avoided the scale mostly this week, but I found I don't like to. It helps me to keep focused more throughout the week to weight myself. I gave it a shot though. It also doesn't discourage me during the week to weight myself and I only record it once a week. It's just an easy reminder for me to keep on track.


----------



## mrs.green2015

I'm not doing too bad 
Even when I wasn't eating super healthy I was trying to keep my portions under control so I feel good about that. I also did all the meal prepping for lunches! Excited to get back to being strict with myself. 

On the Ttc front- did my second beta. 
12dpo: 116
14dpo: 248
I officially can say I'm pregnant.


----------



## Ursaula

YAY Mrs. G! :) :) :)

IRYM: Yay Monday! I avoided the scale like the plague this week. It was SO hard! Like Bronte, I sort of felt lost without weighing all the time. I had pizza too...hehe.

I'll do the wall push-ups, and likely the standing knee crunches, depending. Squats are definitely out though. I really like you doing these goals and challenges, I'm finding them great! :)

Bronte: Only a pound up is great considering af, cravings, etc. Hopefully this week we can watch the scale to keep on track 

Waiting for more updates from all the other gals! :)

AFM: I feel like today has marked my OFFICIAL TWW! I'm still hesitant as I heard progesterone can throw out your o, and my gyn doesn't even think I'm o'ing to begin with...we'll see. I'm 3dpo today! As most of you can tell I'm feeling great too, darn Bipolar, why can't I feel great more often...

Weight-loss wise I think I forgot to post my weight last week? LAST Monday I gained and weighed in at 378 (progesterone and af). TODAY I weigh in at 372! I started my smoothie diet again yesterday as I wrote that this month I wanted to do at least one week of smoothie diets. My personal goal was to get down to 350 by my next gyn appointment to really "wow" her, but I never really thought it was that realistic...if I can get to 360 I'll be happy.


----------



## ireadyermind

Yay, Mrs. Green! Officially pregnant! :dust: to you! And good job with that meal prepping, too! 


*Bronte* -I'm glad last week's challenge helped you learn that weighing frequently is helpful rather than hurtful! :)


*Urs* - Woo! Good job losing 6lbs! About the scale: why did you feel lost? Is it because you don't have another way to mark progress? Or is there another reason?


Did anyone else learn anything from last week's challenge? 

I personally learned that I don't weigh every day unless someone tells me not to weigh every day (even if I tell it to myself!) and then every day I feel like weighing instead! :haha:


----------



## Fern81

Congrats again mrsgreen and miracle! 

Good job on every pound lost ladies :). My eating plan is still going great, weight still stable just above 54kg (can't change my stats page atm because my laptop keeps giving trouble grrr!). I don't think I'm pregnant. ... will start up the workouts again as soon as this week is over and I know for sure.

I just tested with a 4hr hold and got a bfn, which I kinda expected but it has me confused. Last year October did a 5000iu trigger and got bright pink positives until 14 days after the trigger (12dpo) which lead me to assume that I just metabolize the trigger very slowly. This time I triggered with 10000iu and it's gone by 10dpo? I couldn't have been pregnant last year with that cycle because I ovulated from the LEFT (the side where ovary & tube etc were all fused together). Or was I? Or did my metabolism speed up? .... or.... is it because this was only a 4hr evening hold? Weird.


----------



## cupcakestoy

Even after misbehaving this weekend, I still dropped a pound!!!!

Congrats on doubling betas Mrs. G! 

Fern-I've only triggered once & mine was gone by 9dpo....I think it depends on your activity level, fluid intake etc. Fx'd it your line comes back soon!

Will catch up later!


----------



## swimmyj1

yay for our BFP this month so exciting 2 in the same month :) hope you both have very sticky beans!

Fern - fingers are still crossed I really hope this is it for you, betas in 2 days :) sending you lots of hugs

Cupcake - Congrats on being the youth leaders at your church. I will definitely say that my youth leaders were amazing people i could talk to about anything. You will definitely be doing amazing work there and helping shape so many teens. :) 

My doctor gave me a great pat on the back last visit. She said she was very proud that I have been managing my weight so well during the pregnancy I'm only up 6 lbs total from start :) I can't wait to start all the work out challenges with you!


----------



## miracleworker

hello ladies, i have been quite since i get fever everyday and i feel terrible!

congrats Mrs.green 

Fern fx'd this works for you,u r in my prayers

swimmy that is a good job,happy for you 
AFM i have lost appetite at all but i feel so hungry the only thing i wanna swallow its some liquid. But my plan is to eat health and workout out at times so i will be here for a while. 

Swimmy what do you do to put the wheight off?


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I've been away from the boards for awhile. Trying not to get too caught up in TTC and I'm 100% out of the loop with what is going on here. But I thought I would write an update.

On the weight loss front, I'm struggling badly. :dohh: I seem to be bouncing between the same 5 kilos and need to lose 5-10 kilos more to get to my goal weight for fertility treatments. Even my gyno says "the system is stupid" and disagrees with the BMI measurement, but that's how it is (my BMI is 33/34 and I need to get it down to 32). I think I am going to get some help from a personal trainer and see if it helps. Stopping traveling and actually eating healthy again would help as well. I'm slowing down my work travel and I do have a 2-week vacation in June, but I can just try behaving myself :blush:

On the TTC front: Still not pregnant, but after getting on Metformin for my PCOS, having lost 45-50 kilos which got my estrogen levels under control, and getting my Thyroid regulated (which took some extra time as they had to adjust the dose), I'm now ovulating on my own. :happydance: My cycles are 32-34 days, on average, with ovulation somewhere around CD18. I had CD3 bloodwork done my last cycle and it came back perfect. I have had 3 monthly cycles in a row with signs of ovulation. I'm using ClearBlue fertility monitor and OPKs for the first time last month, and I did get a positive OPK for the first time in my life last month. I had an appointment with my gyno this morning, and she did a scan and I have a 14mm follie on the right side (she estimates I'll ovulate in 5 days, and I'm currently on CD11, so that would put me at ovulation on CD16). It's cool that I got to see the egg growing this month myself :happydance: I have proof it exists! Almost all of the cysts are gone from my ovaries, as well.

The next step is to have DH go through a SA and TTC naturally for the next 6 months. If that doesn't work, then it's on to fertility treatments (IUI or IVF) assuming I've lost enough weight. But in theory there is no reason why I can't get pregnant naturally now (last month was our first month actually trying with timed :babydance:, so I'm kind of "new" to TTC).

I hope to take some time to read through the boards this week and catch up. I really miss you ladies!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Miracle* - Aww, sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. Remember to stay hydrated as best you can!

*Mrs.Tigger* - So good to hear from you! It sounds like things are really starting to look up for you! You're Oing on your own and everything now, that's great! We miss you too, hopefully you can check in and chat with us more often in the future!


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: I think I didn't like not having the scale because I couldn't check to see if I was still on track. I like reassurance.

Do you have any plans for this cycle to try in terms of ttc?

Fern: Fx'd for you. Don't lose hope just yet :) I can't wait for that update!

Swimmy: Great job! It's always nice to hear from a professional that you're doing a good job too.

Mrs. Tigger: YAY FOR OVULATION!!

AFM: I am on 4dpo today! As I said above, YAY FOR OVULATION! I'm not feeling too hopeful but PRAYING hard!

Looking forward to more updates!


----------



## swimmyj1

Tiger - yay for ovulating!!! and congrats to weight loss and getting the PCOS under control :) you go girl!

miracle - I felt super crappy with fevers on and off from about 4-7 weeks :( hang in there hun drink lots of water. I have worked really hard not to give into my cravings, or think more as to why I might be craving something. like when I really want ice cream, I try just drinking a glass of milk (usually I need calcium). Stuff like that, I also keep track of what I eat during the day so i don't just eat out of control. 2nd trimester was harder than the 1st (I didn't want to eat at all during the 1st lol).

Urs - Fingers crossed!


----------



## Ursaula

I've decided to try my hardest to hold out until Monday to test when I will be 10dpo... :blush: I'm not sure if af will show up at 6-7dpo or not like when I took provera...fx'd either way!

Thinking of you for tomorrow, Fern! Hoping for good news! :)


----------



## cupcakestoy

Swimmy-WTG on only gaining 6 pounds! Your rocking this pregnancy!

Tigger-I'm excited for you! You have accomplished so much with your weight loss & are now reaping the benefits! Fx'd crossed for your BFP soon!

Urs-Yay for 4dpo! I don't have a problem waiting to test after all this time ttc lol I do remember the excitement instead of the dread though! Hold off, BFN's can hurt your heart even if you know its too early to test lol Good luck!

Fern-Positive thoughts your way!

IRYM-Hows the house projects going? MY ds's room is hopefully going to be done soon! Drywall up & mudding in progress....taking forever!

AFM-Mowed 2 yards in 2 days! Tired, sunburnt & achey, but in a good way! Tonights our 1st actual class with the teens! Excited, but nervous! Got my baby fix with a 4 week old little princess last night lol Love me some baby toes!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Cupcake* - Getting lots done! Got the living room rearranged and the TV mounted up on the wall instead of having it sit on a random piece of furniture. That cleared up floor space that we put the couch in, and we were able to bring the recliner chair out of storage and put it back into the living room, etc.

We officially have end tables for our lamps to sit on instead of TV trays, too! :haha:

DH finally finished that sink he was working on. Some of the pipes need replacing, but for now it's a functional sink and I'm happy about that. Woo! Haha


----------



## Fern81

Hi mrstigger! Good job on losing so much weight & by fixing your ovulatory problems by following a sensible diet. That's so awesome! Hope you get a natural bfp soon :).

Cupcake and IRYM good job on working hard and getting things done around the house. That counts as a lot of exercise. 

Afm- worrying about faint lines & not knowing whether it's still the trigger or not! My beta today @ 7dp5dt (12dpo) is 47,5. We are re-checking on Friday to see if it's rising.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Go, betas, go! Climb, climb, climb!

:dust:


----------



## mrs.green2015

Cupcake & irym- in exhausted just listening to everything you've been doing. Lol but good for you guys! staying active and I bet it feels good to get things done. 

Fern- I already told you but I'm sooo excited to see the result on Friday. 

Urs- yay for ovulation!!


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern - that's higher than my beta was then. I have my fingers and toes crossed for you! I hope this is your rainbow baby. I will have to jump on friday during vacation to check. Try not to stress about lines. I drove myself crazy trying to figure out why they were sometimes lighter or not getting dark enough.


----------



## Ursaula

Yay for renovation work!

Fern: Can't wait until Friday, fingers and toes are crossed!

AFM: I will be 6dpo tomorrow and I'm looking into a symptom I've had today. It's still early in my opinion to have any sort of symptoms but it's fun to check non-the-less. The symptom I had today was a severe mood swing. I was laughing and having a great time and literally in two seconds I was bawling my eyes out. I'm ok now but exhausted. I'll be bringing this up with my doctor as well incase it's something to do with my depression.

Hoping everyone is doing well.


----------



## Fern81

For some reason I missed half a page's posts!! 

Urs- yay for ovulation! Did you do opks or temping or both? Fx!!

Swimmy- good job on keeping yourself and your little girl so healthy. That's awesome news. Xx

Cupcake- hope you really enjoy the youth ministry! I know you're going to teach those teens so much & learn a lot from them in turn. Blessings!!

Afm- my hpt test lines are basically the same as yesterday. Only tomorrow's beta will tell for sure!


----------



## cupcakestoy

Hoping for doubling betas Fern!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - With this much positivity directed your way, those betas had better double! 

AFM -- Feeling a little bit down about TTC. In a couple of the other threads I'm in, people are getting BFPs left and right after all kinds of complaining about it. "I've been TTC two whole months and nothing!" That sort of complaining. One gal just got a BFP the first month she was off birth control.

Feeling a little envious and like I'm broken! :cry:

I always say "Maybe this month is our month!" but you gals know how it is. Super difficult to put a positive face on things. 


Sorry, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, just needed to vent to someone!


----------



## Fern81

Aaawwww IRYM we all know exactly how you feel. Please vent away. TTC SUCKS!! I cry sometimes simply because I have no control or say over it; whereas it happens so easily for other people. I personally dislike it if people have been ttc for 1 month and complain; or if they have 7 kids and so focused on the "1 more" they can't have, that they never even speak about their living kids. I know everyone has their own journey but yeah, that's my opinion. Many people don't realize how much they have to be grateful for and how truly hard ltttc is. Wish I could give you a big fat hug right now! xx


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- I know exactly what you mean. You want to be happy for them and you are but at the same time you're so hurt that they think it's such a long journey after not a couple months. Don't give up hun! Your time is coming!
Plus the weather has been gorgeous lately! And it's a 3 day weekend.


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks, ladies. Digital hugs to all!

I agree, Fern. The ladies that already have several kids who are acting like it's the end of the world when they can't have a 5th, 6th, 7th, etc. are the worst. I am a big proponent of being thankful for what you already have!

I'm so grateful that DH is the kind of man he is, and that his job allows me to stay at home to do MY job. And I would be so so so grateful for just ONE baby.


*Mrs.Green* - I forget that you live across town from me. lol

It IS a three day weekend. DH and I might do something nice, I don't know. To bad this weekend isn't near O day or else I'd take advantage of it. 

He'll be out of town right about when I'm supposed to O this cycle! Ugh! He planned to go to this event with his family out of town, though, and I didn't want to make the trip, so I won't be with him for a couple of days.

I told him we're gonna have to get a lot of BDing in the night before he leaves and right when he comes back to town, just so he's aware I'm jumping him.


----------



## mrs.green2015

lol love that you're warning him! You definitely should do something this weekend it's supposed to be warm! We're headed out to the lake for a couple days with our pup just a nice get away from the stress. 
I also agree that some people are not thankful for what rhwu have. I don't think it's any easier to deal with infertility if you have a million or no babies but I think sometimes people forget how lucky they are to have a child already. Luckily it's been awhile since I ran across any women like that.


----------



## ireadyermind

Haha -- I have to warn him or else he makes plans for the evening, or stuffs his face at dinner and then he's too full & sleepy for BD, that sort of thing.

Besides, maybe it'll give him something to look forward to while he's gone on the weekend! 

He's going down to Los Angeles for this NASA open house thing that they do once a year. It sounded really neat, but the idea of making the 8hr drive down to LA for a walk through a museum, then the 3hr drive from there to his Mom's house for a night over, then a 6hr drive back up HERE on Sunday was too much!

Not to mention we'd have to kennel the dogs, find someone to look after the cats, etc. etc.

All that just to walk through their museum. Which, by the way, is gonna be crowded to the BRIM because they're permitting several thousand people (I think it was like 15,000 per day for two days?) in there... I told DH that as nice as it'd be to walk through and look at all the neat NASA stuff, I just did not want to have to deal with all that.

I am an introvert. Being in crowds like that AND with the in-laws at the same time would be more than I could mentally handle. lol.


----------



## BronteForever

Oh man, I wouldn't be able to hang out on those boards, I'm much happier over here and in the Assisted Conception and TTC after loss boards. TTC is not fun at any stage and I'm generally happy for people who get BFPs, but some of the stuff is just too much to deal with, especially anyone that offers advice or thinks a few months of TTC is a challenge. Everyone is different and handles it differently, but there's a huge difference between TTC for a few months and LTTTC for a few years or more. That's why these boards are nice though, so you can get support from people that get it. 

IRYM - hopefully you can still work some BDing in around his trip. I'm with you sometimes traveling is so much work. 

However, I'm getting ready to go on a big trip and am excited for some time away. I need it!


----------



## Fern81

Ooohh bronte where are you going? Is it for work or fun? 

Enjoy your long weekend girls I'm really jealous. :) we have a short 3 week winter school holiday coming up at the end of June and I'm looking at taking 2 or so days off.
 
Yeah I really appreciate all the ladies on the threads I follow. So much love & positivity & at the same time the threads are a safe place to vent. Xxx


----------



## BronteForever

We are going to Spain. I'm counting it as our one big last trip for awhile before our life changes. Because we are prepared to do multiple rounds of IVF and then look at adoption, so one way or another, I'm pretty convinced I'll get a baby at some point. Just have no idea how long it will take. And since we have to do all the above, travel might not be a priority for awhile. We had it planned before we decided for sure we were doing all this though.

Anyway, my husband has a duathlon race (like triathlon but it's run/bike/run) in Spain, so we are going for that and for vacation. We'll be gone for about 10 days. I love traveling, so I'm really looking forward to the break before we start IVF, which will happen about 2 weeks after we are back. I think it will help me not focus on that coming up as much either.


----------



## ireadyermind

Well gals, here's a somewhat happy update:

I was getting super tired of all my doctors immediately assuming that my weight was the CAUSE of all of my problems and not a SYMPTOM of an underlying cause. 

I finally emailed a _new_ physician a list of my symptoms, since it's very difficult to overlook a list when it's in print, plain as day! This new physician says she's concerned about PCOS and asked if I'd considered that as a problem. I told her what my GYN said ("You can't have PCOS. If you did, you wouldn't have a period at all!") and the new doc said that's not true at all!

She said she's treated women who just have irregular periods or skip one every few months, and that I don't even have to have visible cysts on my ovaries in order to have the problem. So I set up a phone appointment with her for tomorrow and we're going to discuss my options. She'll tell me what can be done and what I need to do in terms of testing for this problem. 

I'm a little giddy! This is the first time a physician has actually looked at what I was telling them and offered to test for PCOS without just brushing me off!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

Well, today is CD13 and my Clearblue Fertility Monitor gave me my first "High" reading (though I expected it as when I wiped this morning, I had EWCM, which I have as a pretty reliable indicator now that my hormones are not out of whack).

I'll be using the CBFM as well as digital OPKs 2x per day until I confirm O.

And now it's time :sex: until the day after O!

I'll plan on testing this cycle at 14 DPO if I haven't gotten :witch:.

I almost wonder if I actually might have had a chemical last month, as AF was 2 days late, and when I tested on the expected day of AF, I got just the faintest of a line, but the next day stark white :bfn: and when AF did come, she was quite a bit heaver than normal (although she did last my usual 5 days). We'll just have to see what happens this month.

*ireadyermind* - I have a typical case of PCOS; before I got it under control, I had slightly elevated testosterone, lots of cysts in both ovaries, and was completely and totally annovulatory. And even then I had :witch: every few months (totally irregularly and when it did come it was pretty long, but still, it did come). If I were you, I'd ask for CD3 tests to check if LH and FSH are at the right levels / ratio, a scan of your ovaries to look for cysts, and a check of your thyroid and testosterone levels. Are your cycles regular in length and do you get positive OPKs?


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs. Tigger* - I've already had scans. My left ovary had a large cyst at the time, but nothing on the right. I had FSH tested, but it wasn't after ovulation. I had testosterone tested and that came back moderately high, but the GYN didn't seem to think that was remarkable at all.

My cycles range from 32 days to 50 or longer, with the latest O day since I've been tracking BBT being CD33... which you can either count as one annovulatory cycle and one regular, or just one really long cycle.. not sure.

TSH was tested and is relatively low, but I did not have a full thyroid workup as my previous physician did not think it was necessary.

But given my list of symptoms, the new physician still thinks PCOS is a real possibility, even if I don't have visible cysts on my ovaries, it seems that their merely being enlarged would qualify me, so that's something we'll look into. She said she has treated women with the disorder before, so that's reassuring to me. She'll know what to look for that I may not think of.

I asked about testing estrogen and progesterone, and she said that doing those two things is difficult/hard to interpret the results.

I'll be talking to her around noon tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have a better idea what she wants to do with me after that. :)


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - yay for finding a doctor that listened to you, sometimes that is half the battle. Given your symptoms I'm very surprised they didn't look at PCOS more closely as a reason before. Really hope she can give you some answers and a better plan of attack. 

Mrs. Tigger - nice to meet you and good luck this cycle. Sounds like you have a lot of your levels under control and are at prime BDing time. Good luck!


----------



## Fern81

I'm pregnant!!! Beta has more than doubled in 47 hours; from 47,5 to 121,4.
In so much shock & totally ecstatic!!

Will catch up on everyone's posts later; I have to teach a class now (wish I didn't!!)

Love u all!


----------



## ireadyermind

YAY Fern! OMG how exciting! 

:happydance:


----------



## drjo718

Yay, fern! Congrats!


----------



## Fern81

Thanks so much everyone! It's very surreal My husband and I keep grinning foolishly at each other. Now the long wait until the u/s. I guess we will never stop stressing from now on! I'm hoping & praying my baby sticks. However I just had to get 2 tickers immediately, want to make the most of this pregnancy hopefully for the next 36 weeks :).

I'm going to stay right here and do my best to stay healthy & in shape! And of course cheering you all on until you get your bfps.

IRYM have you had your phone consult yet? So happy you finally got a dr to take you seriously. 

Bronte - enjoy Spain! It sounds lovely.

MrsTigger - that does sound like a CP. My dr says a CP is good news, however painful it might be... it shows that your eggies can be fertilized & that your tubes are functional, also that implantation can potentially occur successfully. FX for a bfp soon!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Nope, phone call's still an hour out and I feel ridiculously nervous about it! Ugh. It's just a phone call, no big deal, right? But I think what I'm nervous about is yet another physician saying to me, "You're fat. If you'd just lose weight, everything would resolve itself." and dismissing me again.


----------



## BronteForever

Fern - yay!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited for you. I'm sure you are nervous and it hasn't sunk in yet. But I'm excited you made it to this stage and really hope this baby makes it's entrance in around 36 weeks, healthy as can be!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- sooo glad you'll be getting some answers soon

Fern- congrats again! 
So incredibly happy for you!


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, spoke with the physician over the phone. Essentially she's ordered another round of blood tests for me, including a full thyroid panel. 

She started out by saying that if my GYN didn't think I had PCOS, maybe that wasn't the problem - but I pointed out that my GYN dismissed my concerns without looking into them, and that I wanted to get to the bottom of my issues and treat them or whatever needed to be done.

Sooo after I mentioned that, she said PCOS definitely has a spectrum, but that they diagnose it more by looking at symptoms and less by hormone levels. She asked if I had had regular cycles before, like right after puberty -- which I never did. They were 45 days or longer, with 10-day AFs that were super heavy and painful. I told her that pretty much all that was done for me back then was to be put on birth control, which doesn't treat the cause of PCOS and wouldn't work for me now because I am TTC!

So I'm going in tomorrow morning for fasting blood work. She said she can order me some progesterone and estrogen tests, but that they are difficult to interpret since the results can vary so widely.

I don't know if she actually DID that part... I'm going to email her and ask for specifics so I know what to tell them at the lab tomorrow.

Hopefully we'll know more about what's going on by Monday-ish! Or, well, since Monday's a holiday, then Tuesday. lol


----------



## cupcakestoy

Congrats Fern. H&H 9 months!

I want to thank you ladies for being supportive in many aspects of this journey. I do have to admit, that the comments about women who have kids not being thankful for what they have already stung. I do have 2 kids from my 1st marriage, whom I love dearly. That being said, infertility sucks no matter when it happens & miscarriages are the absolute worst! I love my 2 lost babies & grieve for them daily. I also grieve about not being able to give my husband a child of his own. He deserves that joy in his life, even though he has helped raise mine. I long to see the tears of joy when he holds his own child. I'm not doing great with ttc anymore or with weight loss at this point & am very frustrated with the whole process. To each of you who are pregnant, I wish you a healthy pregnancy & safe delivery. To those still TTC, good luck to you. I think its best for me to step away from the boards. I may check in from time to time....I wish you all the best & hope you each see your dreams come true.


----------



## Fern81

Oh cupcake, I'm so sorry that it came across that way. It was never to say that all women who already have kids are ungrateful (definitely not!!) but rather how it gets us down WHEN certain women (few and far between!) never even talk about their living kids but ONLY complain a lot about the next one they can't have. Obviously you don't fall in that category!! I agree, ltttc is hard regardless of whether one already has kids. However you (and most other ladies on bnb!) have never come across as being ungrateful for your kids. You are such a loving mom and we are all cheering you on with your ttc endeavours! You are kind & wonderful & both you and your hubby deserve your baby so much especially after your heartbreaking losses.

Our comments were NOT meant as anything against women who are ltttc or even ttc a sibling; rather as a bit of a moan over an attitude that (very few) people have. Xxx

Love you!! Going to pm you too.


----------



## BronteForever

I second what Fern said and definitely didn't mean to cause anyone hurt, so I'm so sorry Cupcake! If you are having trouble with TTC and weight loss, this is the best time to lean on us. More than ever, so please don't step away.

I'm so excited to hear about your IVF journey and patiently waiting for updates on the youth group and how your friend's daughter is doing.

I think in general this process is hard for everyone and some days it's harder than others to see all the BFPs or hear others complain. But generally I skip over it and move on. I succeed most of the time, but some days it is a challenge. That's why this is such a wonderful group because you can find the niches that work for you. Clearly this one is about weight loss, but the other groups exist for TTC #1, 2, 3 or more, after loss, after trying for a long time, using assisted conception, etc. Because everyone is different and we all need support!

Hugs to all!


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern is right, none of us were directing our comments at YOU, cupcake! 

You never made us feel like your other kids didn't matter. And you've been TTC for a long time! You've been very supportive of everyone here. There are just a number of people who aren't very considerate of others on the site when they complain about 2mos TTC being "forever", and all that.

But I understand the stress of TTC and weight loss and I completely understand if you need to step away from it and take a breather! Sometimes daily reminders of infertility or health conditions is not helpful, they're stressful. And that's kinda what these forums are: daily reminders of those issues.

So whenever you're ready to come back, IF you're ever ready to come back, we will welcome you with open arms!


----------



## ireadyermind

Good morning, gals!

I'm off to the lab this morning with DH. I hope they get me my results promptly! It's automated, so my online doctor's account updates me with the results as soon as they're in. Then I can research and obsess all weekend until I hear from the doctor on Tuesday. :haha:


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, the blood draw was successful. The tech could find my vein on her first attempt and didn't dig around for it, either! After having some pretty bad experiences with technicians poking me several times, digging around with the needle and eventually switching arms to do the same thing, I was pretty anxious. I've been bruised up by these folks before, but today's tech seemed to know just what she was doing and got me in and out in a trice. :)

So! Now we wait for Tuesday to roll around.




How's everyone doing with this week's challenge? My leg and arm muscles are sore from all the extra squats and push-ups I've been doing!


----------



## Ursaula

EEEEK! Yay Fern! Congrats! I can't believe we've had so many BFPs on here this month!

Bronte: Have fun in Spain!

IRYM: Glad to hear about this new doctor actually wanting to help and not just forcing tests and retests. Sounds positive. Have you gotten any lab news!?

Cupcake: We'll all miss you I'm sure, and I can't wait to hear your updates! :)

Hello everyone else! :)

AFM: I tested yesterday more for fun than anything, BFN at 7dpo, I was expecting it. Planning to start my more serious testing on Monday at 10dpo.

S/o is being adorable. He blabbed to one of his workers because he's so excited now for this to happen. We're talking about freezing some sperm also so if it doesn't happen in the next few months we can still have a chance. If it does happen in the next few months, then we will have some put away for future kids. Either way, we're excited!


----------



## Fern81

IRYM - glad that the ball finally got rolling! What did they test for?

Urs- hehe glad you are both so excited! I'm going to ask again (just because I'm always so nosy about everyone else's cycles), did you do opks or temp this month or both? Are you taking any meds? :)

Fitness wise- I've been eating flour (bread & some cake & pancakes ) for the past few days as well as sugar.... which my body is not so used to anymore (having cut out all carbs & sugar except for sweet potato, and recently added oats back into my diet). So I've been suffering with such bloating! Back to healthy eating, will add in fruit, and I have to figure out a pregnancy friendly exercise program. I have only been walking for exercise for the past few weeks.


----------



## Ursaula

Sorry Fern! I must have missed your question with everything to catch up on. I did opks, temping, and checking cm. Ff put ch down and I didn't think I actually ovulated because my opks were all negative. Temps and cm both tell me I did though. I read that opks don't always work, especially when you have PCOs, but I'm still hesitant. My temps sloped down and I didn't think it happened when my temp went below the coverline on 6dpo, but my temps have since bounced back up! I guess only time will tell now :)

As for medications, TTC wise I started taking prenatal vitamins and folic acid when af finally showed up from taking the progesterone, which I am not taking now. I'm still taking Metformin also.


----------



## ireadyermind

They tested for a whole slew of stuff. TSH, Total T3, free T4 and the rest of the thyroid panel things (several more to list, can't recall them now), plus cortisol, glucose, tests for kidney function, complete blood cell count, and a few others. I think there were at least 12 total tests run, including estrogen and progesterone - but the estrogen results just said mine were less than 50pg/mL, without giving a specific quantity.

I did some reading on the estrogen test results and it says that a periovulatory woman ought to be at minimum 96pg/mL, so that seems low. And the progesterone levels haven't come back yet, so I'm not sure where those are.

They also tested sodium levels, potassium levels, prolactin, Luteinizing Hormone, and FSH.

Unfortunately I won't get to hear from the physician about everything until Tuesday. I'm researching as much as I can on my own, however, and for the most part, everything is within normal ranges. Some are low-normal and some are high-normal, so we'll see what that means, I suppose.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

*cupcakestoy* - Oh dear, I'm sorry that you were made to feel upset and also that you're struggling with weight loss and TTC. I hope you'll be back, though, when you're ready. Good Luck! :hugs:

*ireadyermind* - I think there are many types of PCOS; the harder to diagnose ones seem to be the more atypical, or mild, cases. However, my gyno mentioned that any elevated testosterone in women at all can cause fertility problems -- though usually the issue they cause is lack of ovulation. Since you have evidence of ovulation, maybe it's not causing you issues. I think it's great that your new doctor is checking all of your hormone levels. I'm excited to hear what you find out on Tuesday!

*Ursaula* - Good luck on testing this month! My experience with PCOS and OPKs is that I never got a positive for a long time, but it turns out I was indeed not ovulating. I would get some signs of my body trying to O (like a bit of EWCM, or some cramps in my ovaries), but nothing. Then I'd have super long cycles and have to take Provera after a few months to get :witch:, then do it all over again. Now that my hormone levels have been fixed due to losing a large amount of weight and then starting thyroid medication and also metformin, I do get positive OPKs.

* Fern81* - So happy for you that your IVF worked! H&H 9 Months to You! :happydance:

*BronteForever* - Nice to meet you, too! I haven't really been around lately, but this thread has always been full of some wonderfully supportive ladies.

*AFM* - Currently on CD17. I am not sure if the doctor slightly mis-measured my follie size last week, or if my follies just grow slower than normal, but she was expecting O 5 days from my appointment, which would have had me O'ing yesterday, on CD16. However today on CD17, I just got a positive OPK finally (I'll try to attach the picture; I never attached a picture before -- I'm pretty new to seeing 2 lines on _anything_ :blush:), so I expect to O either tonight or tomorrow on CD18 (last month I also O'd on CD18, so perhaps I'm settling into a pattern?). DH and I have been :sex: every day since CD14, and will do so again either tonight or in the morning. I'll expect :witch: on CD32 (as I have a 14-day luteal phase), and I'll test if no sign of her when she's due.

In other news, I'm a bit annoyed with both my ClearBlue Fertility Monitor and my ClearBlue Digi OPKs. My CBFM can detect my "High" days (due to the estrogen level changing, which happens before the LH surge), but it can never detect my LH surge and give me a peak because it requires testing in the morning with FMU and I always seem to surge in the afternoon. I'm not sure if I'll keep using it or just start using OPKs around CD12 or when I start to notice EWCM. The CB Digi OPKs are better (as I can use them throughout the day as I want), but I have had a couple of false positives that turned out to be due to crazy dye runs. Today's looks correct and actually positive, though (hopefully you ladies agree based on the picture), but I am now skeptical and always checking closely after I get the digi reading to see if I agree ;-)
 



Attached Files:







20160530_165153.jpg
File size: 16.1 KB
Views: 7


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - good luck. I hope you get some answers. Looks like they are testing for a bunch of things which is fabulous. 

Mrs. Tigger - looks like a positive O to me. Good luck this month. 

AFM - I did horrible on eating and exercising this past week and am up another 2 pounds. Now I'm mad at myself. But all I can do is move forward. We leave for our trip tomorrow so I'm sure my eating is going to be bad while on vacation. Though I'll hopefully get lots and lots of walking in to make up for it.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs.Tigger* - Looks positive to me! Woo!

*Bronte* - It's really nice to have a doctor who takes my concerns seriously, even if all this testing does is rule things out.

AFM -- Weight went up a smidge last week. But I'm wondering if it's not from gaining muscle? Because I was certainly building up some arm and leg muscles from the week's challenge! Doing squats and push-ups had me so sore... Haha



I think that if I do have PCOS, it is probably a milder form. My thyroid screen SEEMS to have come back as either normal, or in a low-normal range. My testosterone is just slightly elevated, as are some androgens that cause acne and excessive hair growth.

My ovaries hurt every day, but are not enlarged and we can't see large cysts - but I read that the cysts don't have to be large ones in order to count as cysts, so you never know. 

My glucose levels were over 100 mg/dL after a 12 hour fast, which from my research means I have "impaired glucose tolerance" which is, I believe, a marker for PCOS as it correlates to insulin resistance and pre-diabetic states. So! I'm hoping that this is the test result that tells my physician that, yes, I *do* have PCOS, and to please treat me so that I can go back to being fertile, losing weight and having enough energy to function throughout the day. lol

Here's hoping!


Edited to add:

Told DH I was going back on the low carb diet after having kinda fallen of that wagon a few months... Analyzed my meals and snacks and realized that I'm pretty much STILL ON the low carb diet. It's become so much a habit that we don't even keep potatoes, chips, crackers, etc. on hand any more, and all are snacks are yogurts, string cheese, boiled eggs, or the occasional banana.

The only things I could cut out of my diet to make it lowER carb are: coffee creamer (but I can't stand the artificial sweetener taste in the sugar free varieties), the single slice of toast I sometimes have with breakfast, and the carbs we eat on Cheat Day.

DH and I do have desserts after dinner. We could switch those to something with less sugar. 

So frustrating! lol


----------



## ireadyermind

----------------------------------------------
WEEKLY CHALLENGE MAY 30 - JUNE 5
----------------------------------------------

Alrighty, since I liked last week's challenge so much, AND since we're trying to improve our 'scores' for our non-scale-progress markers, I think we ought to repeat last week's challenge!


So just a reminder...

After every bathroom break, do one of the following:

10 - Wall push-ups
10 - Squats
10 - Standing core exercises


----------



## Ursaula

Mrs. T: Yay for O!! I've really been trying to work on my weight as I know it's a huge issue. I am on Metformin already so...fingers crossed I do ovulate.

Bronte: Have a great vacation! :)

IRYM: I have PCOS and no cysts on my ovaries. My uterus/ovaries appear completely normal. Although I can grow a mean beard! I hope this helps you a little bit.

I really liked this past weeks challenge so I'm glad we're doing the same one!

AFM: I gained a little this past week. Found out my Uncle Tom passed away so I have been eating comfort food (spaghetti). Trying to cut down on the comfort food now though.

Testing wise, I have maybe a questionable test and seeing as you ladies love tests, I'll attach it! :) This was yesterdays test at 9dpo. I put a little ^ mark to show you where I'm looking at. I have no idea where the line is suppose to go though on Wondfo so I might be totally off! Either way it's fun :)
 



Attached Files:







9dpo.jpg
File size: 30 KB
Views: 11


----------



## ireadyermind

*Ursaula* - Lol, your beard comment cracks me up! I grow a pretty gnarly one, myself, unfortunately. But if I ever fall on hard times, at least I know I'll have a home as the Bearded Lady in the circus, right!? :haha:

I tweaked your pics for ya.

I can see what you're pointing at, there. It looks like some kind of indent or flaw in the test strip, as it's a little too far to the left to be the test line, and it doesn't have any color.

But don't lose hope! 9DPO is really early, especially if you could be off on your O date by even just one day. OPKs tell you that you could O anywhere between 12 and 48hrs.

Try again and post in a couple of days! We love test pics! lol



AFM - DH bought an inexpensive dehydrating machine and is trying his hand at making beef jerky! I'm in charge of shifting the trays around every 2 hours today while he's at work. I have to say, it's a little bit unfair to have to sit here and smell these lovely spices and not be able to eat anything yet! Haha
 



Attached Files:







tweak-for-ursaula_edited1.jpg
File size: 120.9 KB
Views: 2









tweak-for-ursaula_edited2.jpg
File size: 120 KB
Views: 0


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Just checking in, ladies! I hope you're having a great day! :flower:

My OPK was much lighter today (it looks now like it did the day before yesterday). We managed to BD this morning, and I'll make sure we BD again tomorrow morning, just in case. But now I'm in for the agonizing TWW. :coffee: I really feel like we _nailed_ it this month, though -- our timing couldn't have been more perfect. Really hoping this month is our month.

*iredyermind* - Any news from the doctor?

*ursaula* - I don't see anything, but 9DPO is still super early. :hugs:

EDIT: Edited to add (well, vent) DH is really irritating me. My doctor said at last week's appointment that he should call his GP and get a referral to do a SA, but he keeps finding excuses because it doesn't want to do it. GRRRRR! He's normally an awesome DH, but this is really irritating me. :dohh:


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs.Tigger* - That WOULD be irritating! Why is he putting it off? It's not a difficult task, maybe slightly embarrassing -- but he could always collect the sample alone.

Good job with the timing! FX'd that you catch that egg!

And no, nothing from the doctor yet. My phone appointment is for about 3:30pm, so I have a few hours yet. The wait is killing me! lol


----------



## ireadyermind

Okay! Just spoke with my physician.

She says my fasting glucose and A1c levels are fine, despite their being at the high end of the 'normal' range. I'll just try and stick to my low carb eating to help prevent those numbers from climbing outside of the normal range, I guess!

Those glucose levels were my only concerns, but the doc said those were normal and that we ought to be worried about estrogen, since my estrogen levels are too low. She says they are at less than 50 pg/mL, which is generally only seen in post-menopausal women. The Progesterone test hasn't come back yet, though, so she's going to talk to my GYN (why? I don't know, since that's the gal that told me I didn't have any issues!) and see what that doctor says, and get back to me again.

So we're getting somewhere, albeit slowly. And even though my estrogen levels are low, I'm _still_ showing symptoms of estrogen dominance, and that means that my progesterone must be down to almost nothing! :shrug:

I hope to hear back from her TODAY rather than waiting forever, but I suppose it all depends on whether or not my GYN is in the office and available to answer questions and/or discuss these test results right now. Oye! The waiting is nuts!


EDIT:


Well that was fast! The doc decided not to talk to my GYN after all (thank goodness) and went straight to the specialist. The specialist said that with my symptoms and test levels, PCOS is the thing that makes the most sense. And that the only things you really need to qualify for PCOS treatment are: 9 or fewer cycles a year, and some other symptoms such as excess facial hair, weight gain, etc. But she also said, "Since we don't know exactly what day in your cycle those were taken at, we have to redraw on your next CD7." Well, thank goodness I'm tracking, because that was CD 8 when I went in, and I told them so! Hopefully I won't have to have new blood drawn and they can just use my original results.


----------



## Ursaula

I'm trying not to get excited...I had a promising test today at 11dpo with fmu. Going to pick up some FRER to see if it's real!

IRYM: Thanks! I have some more photos for you to tweak for fun. I'm on my phone right now though so I can't add them until later. Just wait through the anticipation!

I really like the sounds of this new doctor! Fx'd and toes too that you get things sorted out finally! :) I was worrying all day for you.

Mrs. T: Eek! How exciting! Bd lots!


----------



## ireadyermind

Ooo, Urs! Pics, pics, pics! :D


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

ireadyermind said:


> *Mrs.Tigger* - That WOULD be irritating! Why is he putting it off? It's not a difficult task, maybe slightly embarrassing -- but he could always collect the sample alone.

He just doesn't want to do it. He thinks we have no reason to think there's anything wrong with his :spermy: and he just finds it really embarrassing to call up the doctor, actually have to talk to someone on the phone about this, and then actually go provide the sample in some hospital setting. He's kind of a private person like that.

Yesterday he and I talked about it and agreed I'd help by giving him written instructions on what my specialist said he should ask for, etc, so I did that and we'll see. It turns out he can actually book the appointment for the SA online at the clinic, once he gets the referral from the GP, so that's good.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

ireadyermind said:


> Okay! Just spoke with my physician.
> 
> She says my fasting glucose and A1c levels are fine, despite their being at the high end of the 'normal' range. I'll just try and stick to my low carb eating to help prevent those numbers from climbing outside of the normal range, I guess!

Good News!



ireadyermind said:


> So we're getting somewhere, albeit slowly. And even though my estrogen levels are low, I'm _still_ showing symptoms of estrogen dominance, and that means that my progesterone must be down to almost nothing! :shrug:

Yikes!



ireadyermind said:


> Well that was fast! The doc decided not to talk to my GYN after all (thank goodness) and went straight to the specialist. The specialist said that with my symptoms and test levels, PCOS is the thing that makes the most sense. And that the only things you really need to qualify for PCOS treatment are: 9 or fewer cycles a year, and some other symptoms such as excess facial hair, weight gain, etc. But she also said, "Since we don't know exactly what day in your cycle those were taken at, we have to redraw on your next CD7." Well, thank goodness I'm tracking, because that was CD 8 when I went in, and I told them so! Hopefully I won't have to have new blood drawn and they can just use my original results.

They must have different diagnosis criteria in the US. Here they require that you have at least 2 of:

- Annovulatory cycles
- Polycystic ovaries
- Hyperandrogenism

But I suspect there is some "sub-clinical form", just like with Hypothyroidism, where the numbers are technically OK, but the symptoms are there.

Did they report back on progresterone levels yet?


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs.Tigger* - The hyperandrogenism I do have. I have bad acne, excess facial and body hair, elevated testosterone levels. Especially when compared to how low my estrogen levels are. That exacerbates the elevated testosterone. 

I dont know for sure if I'm ovulating. I get +OPKs but we all know that all THAT means is that my body was _trying_ to ovulate. Whether or not it actually succeeds, with my hormones so wildly out of balance, is questionable. I'd like to think that I am! Otherwise AF wouldn't arrive exactly 15 days after, right? But we haven't diagnosed that. My BBT spikes up and down and all over the place, too, which I've heard can indicate PCOS.

But anyway -- since we haven't looked at how many (if any) eggs I'm making, they are going off the fact that I have had 9 cycles in 12 mos, which indicates irregularity. Add that in to the other symptoms, including the stuff mentioned above, and they feel I do have PCOS in some form. Perhaps it's only a minor case now, but that means it ought to be easier to correct, right? And that it's been diagnosed before it gets worse? 

Aanndd we're STILL waiting on the progesterone test levels to come back from the lab, which is frustrating. They've had my blood since May 28th, what's it doing in there, anyway? :haha: I'm hoping the result comes back today so I can research that, too! 


EDIT: Forgot to say that the endocrinologist still wants me in on my next CD7 to test my testosterone, estrogen and progesterone _again_. Sigh. I guess they're trying to be extra certain!

*Ursaula* - Where are those tests for us to obsess over? lol


----------



## mrs.green2015

Urs- I'm not so patiently waiting for the tests!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs.Green* - How are you doing? Haven't heard anything from you in a little while! :)


----------



## mrs.green2015

I've been reading along and keeping up to date with you ladies. You inspire me to stay on top of my healthy eating. But I never have much to say. Haha 
Everything is fine with me. Not much going on got sick yesterday for the 1st time. And other than that I'm just exhausted. My first appointment isn't until next Friday. Then ill actually have fun stuff to update.


----------



## ireadyermind

Oh man, Friday! That's right around the corner! Are you super excited and nervous?


----------



## mrs.green2015

Next Friday so 8 days... But whose counting?! Lol right now I'm excited but I know the day or so before I'll be SO nervous!


----------



## ireadyermind

So close, yet so far! Haha


----------



## Ursaula

Sorry for keeping you all waiting!

S/o and I had an argument over which pregnancy test was better. Long story short I JUST picked up the FRER today and plan to test either on a 4 hour hold or with fmu. Which do you all prefer?

Also trying to add the promising pic!


----------



## ireadyermind

I think FMU is the best bet, personally.


----------



## mrs.green2015

FMU is the best in my personal opinion but I don't want to wait! Lol

Irym- yes so close and SO far away! Lol


----------



## swimmyj1

Urs - can't wait to see that test!!

IRYM - glad that you might finally be getting some answers. I hate that you have to wait another month to draw blood again. 

Tigger - my DH didn't want to do a SA either, at first he was saying it was because he was sure there wasn't a problem with him but later admitted he was scared to find out he was the problem and that I would leave him :( sometimes i forget how sensitive men can be about ttc also

Green - sorry the sickness started :( but at the same time that's a good sign its a sticky bean 

AFM - Just have been keeping up on reading how you guys are doing :) just got back from my mom's birthday trip ... i'm trying to get over it but my DH and brother went to a strip club. I woke up and they were gone. No note nothing. I waited until 530 in the morning before really getting worried about the unanswered text/phone calls and gps'ed my DH's phone and sure enough there they were in a strip club. I sent one text saying I knew where he was and then shut off my phone. They were back within 15 minutes.... Even before being pregnant I was not comfortable with my body but now it is so much worse. I'm having a really hard time with knowing he was out enjoying himself with naked dancing women and didn't seem to care that I was worried until he was caught .... any advice on how to deal with this? we did talk about it and he said it would never happen again that my brother really wanted to go but still.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Thanks, I'm so impatient for CD7 next cycle! DH is most likely still going to be out of town when I O, so I've pretty much figured I'm out this month already. I want to move forward, get meds and fix my hormones!

The doc DID say she wants me to consider Metformin -- which I've already BEEN considering. I've pretty much been a self-diagnosed PCOS patient for years, and this is just the first time a doctor's looked into it. lol


As for your DH... Have you mentioned how insecure you feel about your body? Not the "Ugh, I feel like a house!" type comments, but an actual, "I am worried you won't want me any more" type statement? Because I'm pretty sure that most guys would just take the "Ew I'm so fat" comments as the general complaints women have 365 days a year, and not an actual indication that you're feeling insecure. Gotta be straight forward!


----------



## Fern81

Urs - waiting impatiently for that test! :)

Swimmy - urgh hun I'm SO sorry that happened to you. Maybe he is feeling a bit overwhelmed because baby is almost coming and he rebelled a bit? (My BIL did that; turned into a party animal trying to recapture his "lost" youth... he's back to normal now). IDK. Just sending you so many hugs. I would kick my husband out if he did that but I'm full of nonsense & very cynical after my first failed marriage. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

IRYM - I don't understand why this doctor still didn't ask you which CD you were on though because certain tests (progesterone, estrogen, fsh, lh) should be done on certain days of your cycle. Anyway it's good that they are at least considering metformin. The less sugar & starch/carbs you consume, the better for PCOS. xxx

AFM - will be peeking in now and then (to cheer you on and I'm stalking for Urs's tests!) but probably am going to be scarce. Right now I'm not trying to get fit... just trying to stay healthy and walk daily & do very light weights. I will rejoin officially after baby is born to lose weight and get fit again. (Still hoping and praying that we have a heartbeat end June though; have to cross that bridge first).


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern- I'm sure little baby is just sticking in and is preparing for his or her little heart to beat! 

Still waiting for urs to post a test!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Thank goodness I've been watching my carb intake for ages! It's become a habit now. All of my snacks are boiled eggs, string cheese, yogurt, the occasional bit of canned tuna, etc. and dinners are usually lean meats with some sort of vegetable. IF we have carbs with dinner, it's either a single slice of whole wheat toast, half a sweet potato, or rarely some brown rice. So I'm usually under 100g of carbs per day -- and less than that if I skip the yogurt and opt for boiled eggs or tuna. So I'm doing pretty well! Just need to really crack down on eating more home cooked meals. I do not enjoy cooking much, and less so when temps break 100°F and we're trying to keep the house relatively cool. :dohh:

That, combined with the fact that I count my calories and work out when I can, is why this lack of weight loss is so damned frustrating. After years of it, you start to think, "Well, why do it if it's not helping me any!?" you know?



*Urs* - Where are those tests!? We're all on the edge of our seats here!


----------



## drjo718

For those who asked, here's a pic of my little one when she was 11 days old. She turned 5 weeks yesterday! 


I hope everyone is doing well! Iread- I'm glad to hear someone is finally listening to your concerns and getting the ball rolling to help you. Sometimes that's half the battle.


----------



## ireadyermind

*DrJo* - Aww! Is that red hair I see? Congrats on turning 5 weeks! lol


I go in to pick up my Metformin prescription today! I have to say, I'm excited. I've been reading about it, and aside from helping with insulin resistance, it decreases appetite and carb cravings (my carb cravings are _brutal_), and helps weight loss. 

We're starting out with 500mg 1x per day, and going up from there every week. FXd it helps me, 'cause I sure need it!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Drjo- absolutely beautiful baby! Congrats!

Irym- I'm SO excited for you!!! Good luck!


----------



## Ursaula

Drjo: SO CUTE!! I can't believe she's already 5 weeks, I bet she's been growing a lot!

Swimmy: I agree that talking to your dh and giving it to him straight how you feel in an assertive way is going to be the best. Guys seem to miss a lot of hints... Just explain to him how you don't feel comfortable with him going because you don't feel sexy and you're worried.

IRYM: I'm on Metformin also. I just got my bloodwork results back and apparently it's been helping a lot! My hormones are right where they're suppose to be.

Fern: I'm so excited for you! :) :) :)

AFM: I have so much to report! I had a very busy 3 days, which is why this has taken me forever to post pics, but here they are. I tried to get good ones that show what I see. At first I thought it was a bfn but after the 3 minutes I think I can see something faint. It was hard to get a photo of what I was seeing but I'm curious to see what you all think! I probably just have line eye really bad!

I saw my gyn today also and told her about the tests. She said it's still early since I haven't missed my period yet (due in 2 days). With that said, if I do get my period I am getting a hsg done and she is contacting the infertility clinic to see what their weight restrictions are for something like clomid. Fx'd. Also found out my thyroid is a little funny after the provera? She gave me a prescription for it so I'm hoping it helps with my metabolism too!
 



Attached Files:







FRER.jpg
File size: 19.5 KB
Views: 8









FRER2.jpg
File size: 29.7 KB
Views: 5









FRER3.jpg
File size: 27.4 KB
Views: 9


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: Yay Metformin! Just stay home...a lot. For the first few days. Side effects are BRUTAL at the beginning!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - Aw, shucks - I can't see anything on those pics! FRERs have an indent on the little plastic strip, right where the test line is supposed to be. Is that what you're seeing?

I mean, I hope it's actually a line! But even with tweaking the picture in Photoshop, I can't find anything. :shrug: I hate how cameras don't always pick up what our eyes can see!


As for the metformin... it's a good thing I work from home, eh? I don't have to be worried about being at work when the side effects hit me. :haha:


*Mrs. Green* - Thanks! I'm super excited too, but I've said that already! :haha:


----------



## drjo718

ireadyermind said:


> *DrJo* - Aww! Is that red hair I see? Congrats on turning 5 weeks! lol

I'm not sure what color it is! Sometimes it looks totally blonde, sometimes it has a light brown hue, and sometimes it has a red tint. I'm strawberry-blonde myself, and my husband was blonde ad a kid, so we'll have to see what happens!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Urs- I'm worried it might be the indent. Those new frers are so cruel! I hope it darkens tomorrow though!


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: Thanks for checking with tweaks. I'm not sure what I'm seeing but will test tomorrow again with a wondfo as that is what I first saw it on...Fx'd :) if it doesn't work out this cycle I have a plan for the next one so I'm positive either way!

Keep us updated on your metformin doses and if you think it's helping!

Mrs. G: Thanks for your input! :) I'm so unsure what to think...it doesn't help I have to use flash for my camera either.


----------



## Ursaula

Just wanted to add I was cramping the past few days and had what seemed like ewcm? I've never had it so I can't be sure... I don't know if it means anything either but as I said, we'll see!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - It's really easy to tell if it's EWCM. It's the only kind of CM that resembles egg whites: clear, REALLY stretchy, and doesn't immediately absorb into toilet paper or dissolve in water. It shouldn't be white or cloudy at all. When you stretch it, it should stretch about.. 2cm - 3cms or more without breaking.

Hope that helps. :) 

If you're brave, you can do a google image search on it.


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: Given your description I'd say it was definitely ewcm! It was really stretchy and I noticed it on the toilet paper since it hadn't absorbed.

Do you think your body is gearing up to ovulate?


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - I hope so, but then I hope not! DH is going out of town tomorrow and won't be back until Sunday night, so I think ovulation needs to hold off a few days! At least until Monday so we can BD tonight and then Sunday night. 

Looking at my low hormone levels though, I'm feeling like any TTC right now would be pointless. It's like I keep switching back and forth between "We should at least try this month!" and "There's no point, wait til I'm on Metformin a while and losing weight!" lol


----------



## Ursaula

I hope it happens Monday or Tuesday for you then! I think you should try even without Metformin, worst case scenario you don't get pregnant until it kicks in right? Best case scenario is you get pregnant without the need of it!

I added a negative photo of one of the FRER shots...because I'm crazy  I'm trying to show you guys where I see the line...this is so much fun!
 



Attached Files:







FRERinNeg.jpg
File size: 11.4 KB
Views: 2


----------



## ireadyermind

:\ Sorry, I still don't see anything! If you ARE pregnant, HCG ought to double every 48hrs, so the line should be even darker in 2 days. As long as AF doesn't show, you're still in, right? You confirmed ovulation this month?


----------



## Ursaula

That's ok! I'm just having fun with this. Af is due on Saturday, ff and cm confirmed ovulation, although I never had a positive opk. I'm 13dpo right now and my gyn seems to think I'm still too early...hehe we'll see!


----------



## swimmyj1

drjo - oh my gosh is she cute! congrats! can't believe how time flies so fast. 

IRYM - i took your advice and was a little more indepth about how I'm feeling about my body. DH didn't really seem how to handle it. At first he was like but you wanted a baby, do you not want one now? lol. So I went the different way and explained more that I just dont feel like he's attracted to me the bigger I get. Finally we got somewhere and he explained he finds me very attractive but he's worried being physical could hurt the baby sense I have had some bleeding after sex. So at least its all out on the table lol. Hang in there with the metformin, the side effects didn't last too long for me. But ohh man so glad you get to work from home till your body adjusts lol. 

Urs - sorry I don't think i see anything either. But my tests didn't show much in a picture until like 12-14dpo so my fingers are still crossed!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

I'm glad you guys were able to talk and get things out in the open! Was he even the slightest bit aware that you felt unwanted due to pregnancy weight? We're you aware that he was afraid of hurting you? 

I hope that, going forward, things are much better for you both! No more DH sneaking out to strip clubs! :hugs:

EDIT: wtf? This morning's OPK wasn't even 50% dark, then I just got one that's almost as dark as the control! Holy hormone surge, Batman! Well, at least DH and I managed to BD today. I guess I'm covered for a couple days.. but we didn't use Preseed so I'm kinda worried about that. I didn't have even a speck of EWCM at all this pas week.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - he seemed pretty shocked that I didn't feel attractive being pregnant, and I had no clue he was worried about hurting the baby. I feel bad, I've always thought we had such great communication but I guess we have some stuff to work on lol.
yay for a surge!!! stinks about the pre-seed though fingers crossed you catch it!


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks, swimmy!

This morning's OPK isn't as dark as last night's, but I always get the darker test at bedtime, even with really dilute urine. I guess my hormones are just doing more around that time of day! I'm thinking by tonight it'll be a positive test, but I'm kinda hoping it isn't! Hold out until Sunday, ovaries! lol


----------



## ireadyermind

Look at that steep temperature drop on my chart! Goodness... this is more like what I'm used to seeing. On previous charts, I knew I was about to O when my temperature hit 97.2. So since today's was 97.3, I'm guessing I might ovulate tomorrow. 

I think that almost-dark-enough OPK from the other day was just my body's attempt at ovulating on time for once, and it failed. So maybe it'll happen in the next couple of days. FX'd that I hold out long enough for DH to get home tomorrow afternoon and we can BD one more time for good measure! Haha



ALSO -- Took my first dose of Metformin last night with dinner, fully expecting to end up with all kinds of gnarly stomach issues, and -- nothing. The only thing that happened was that I was a little burpy around bedtime. Phew! We'll see if that keeps up or not.


----------



## Ursaula

Quick update: 15dpo. Lots of cm but no af. At the family cabin so I can't test...will test again once I'm home tomorrow. Fxd


----------



## ireadyermind

Can't wait, Urs! FXd!


----------



## Fern81

Gl urs! 

Congrats drjo she is a perfect little doll.

Hope the metformin does the trick for you IRYM.

XX


----------



## Ursaula

Af is late. I have a terrible cold, and a lot of cm. Yet, bfn. Worrying I'll have to go through another provera cycle.
 



Attached Files:







16dpoWondfo.jpg
File size: 13 KB
Views: 3









16dpoFRER.jpg
File size: 23.3 KB
Views: 4


----------



## ireadyermind

Aww, how many days late are you now?


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - yay for metformin not making you feel yucky! 

Urs - i think i have line eye because i think i kind of see something on the wondfo one.... maybe lol fingers are crossed!

Does anyone have any good tips for making home fruit Popsicle? I'm thinking I want to give it a try but don't want to add a ton of sugar.


----------



## miracleworker

hello ladies....i miss you all i have been here reading and following lol
had my own roller-coaster moment for the past few weeks...i had brown discharge after bding with DH and so it got m,e so worried. went to the hospital and they gave me injection and meds to take for two weeks and i also decided to rest for the whole week. 
didn't get that discharge again but i cant stop being worried and i have my first appointment on 6/10. Am praying everything to be alright.

irym fingercrossed for you but sometimes it happens when we least expect it. 

urs i think i see something especially on the edited one could be my eyes but maybe there is something keep on testing adn fx'd for you

Sorry swimmy i dont know...maybe others can help

Fern how are you with the symptoms? hope all is well 

drjo your baby is adorable


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - I recommend checking Pinterest for popsicle recipes. You can also google for recipes, but Pinterest usually includes pictures, tutorials, things like that so that you can have a sort of visual guide, which I like.

*Miracle* - Don't worry! I hear it's very common to have a little spotting after BD because the cervix is very soft and tender when you're pregnant. :hugs: Everything will be fine!

AFM - Another small weight increase. I did a poor job of watching my diet this week, so I was prepared for that. And I'm sure some of it is bloat, too. The Metformin is making me feel bloated, so I think once my body gets used to it, some of that will go away.

I'm switching to a more intensely low carb diet this week, so FX'd I start seeing weight loss!

Also: look at my chart! What on earth is up with my temps these past few days? Good grief!


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: I am 3 days late today.

I agree that Metformin probably made you go up in weight a bit. You should be back down by next Monday! :) You chart is looking great! Maybe you ovulated? Also, what is this weeks challenge? :)

Swimmy: Hehe, thanks! I'm not out yet anyway! I know in terms of the popsicles you don't want to use fruit juice. It is loaded with sugars. We usually make our own juice and add in how much sugar we need, that way we know exactly what's going in. I hope this helps...

Miracle: Praying for you and baby! Also thanks for checking out my tests :)

Thinking of all the other gals too! :)

AFM: I've been so sick so I haven't been properly updating because I've been sleeping a lot. I am 3 days late for af, no bfp, I have about 3x more cm today than the past few days, and I'm slowly getting over this cold. I called and made an appointment with a doctor to get a blood test done (not my doctor because he would say no...), so I'm hoping I get it. If not I'll call my gyn and see what to do...

Weight wise I lost weight! :) I am now 371.1lbs. I'm excited to be in the 360s soon!


----------



## ireadyermind

Good job on the weight loss, Urs!

I hope I ovulated. I haven't gotten a +OPK yet, but I didn't look at this morning's after I dipped it. Derp. I should probably go check on it. Haha


As for the challenge -- how many of us are still participating, gals? So many of you got BFPs and can't do the weight loss portions, but I'm not sure who else is still here with us?

Please check in with us and let us know you're still here so I can look into a challenge for the group! :)


----------



## MissDoc

Hi ladies! I have popped in here and there to stalk your progress.  Dr. Jo, your little one is such a cutie! 

As for me, TTC wise I am actively trying (very hard!) to get pregnant. Last cycle was a bummer because we had such well timed intercourse and it didn't happen. This cycle I'm 2DPO right now and we had perfectly timed intercourse (every freaking day in the fertile window), and I drank lots of water, got decent sleep, took vitamins, and ate and exercised moderately. Fingers crossed this is it, but another 12 days or so of waiting to go.

Healthwise, I've been trying to get back on the wagon. I eat well for breakfast and lunch and early afternoon snack. It goes downhill around 4-5 pm in the afternoon when I'm tired and just want to be home. I get home and over eat before dinner (ice cream, cheese and crackers, dark chocolate, etc.), which blows any potential caloric deficit that day. I compound that by ditching my exercise lots of days because I'm just so darned tired by the time I get home. Last week I got 4 days of exercise in. This week I'm not doing so hot. Going to try my darnedest to get a good workout in after work tonight.

I think I'm about 147 lbs right now and effortfully maintaining there, which is 10-15 lbs off from being in a good place (about 134 is the "just right" place for me where my health does the best). At my current weight I get a ton of bruises and have poor circulation the lower half of my body (where I carry most of my fat). I wouldn't care so much about the weight number necessarily if I could just lose body fat. It's weird to me that just 10-15 lbs makes such a difference for me. It's a little frustrating.

Anywho, hope you all are doing very well! My plan for the rest of this week is to not eat more than 1800 calories per day, and exercise at least every other day this week, and get 65 oz water daily and 7+ hours of sleep per night.


----------



## ireadyermind

Hi there, Miss Doc! Good to hear from you! 

It sounds like you're working hard - I'm sorry that you've been feeling so tired! Is your carbohydrate intake too low? Sometimes just adding a few more grams of carbs per day can really help. I added an extra teaspoon of caramel flavor to my coffee last week and felt SO much better, energy-wise, just from that teaspoonful!

You might also consider adjusting your afternoon snack so that you don't feel so hungry after work, before dinner? Something high in fiber and protein? Just a thought! :)


----------



## drjo718

I saw my midwife today for my 6 week postpartum check. Among other things, she sent bloodwork to check my thyroid and prescribed me metformin to help with milk production and other pcos symptoms. Maybe it will help me lose weight and control this terrible hormonal cystic acne I've been getting again since delivery.


----------



## swimmyj1

drjo - i didn't know metformin helped with milk production. I'm gonna have to ask my dr about that sense I've had a reduction. 

I've totally fell off the cart and have eaten Mcdonalds twice this week and its only tuesday lol. Anyone have any good salty snack ideas that aren't a million cals?


----------



## drjo718

swimmyj1 said:


> drjo - i didn't know metformin helped with milk production. I'm gonna have to ask my dr about that sense I've had a reduction.
> 
> I've totally fell off the cart and have eaten Mcdonalds twice this week and its only tuesday lol. Anyone have any good salty snack ideas that aren't a million cals?

I think it only helps some people, and only if you have pcos. Supposedly it's better if you've taken it throughout pregnancy since it helps to prep the breast gland function for lactation, but some providers don't like to prescribe it during pregnancy. Pcos ladies typically have poor glandular development in breasts resulting in a low supply. I'll update whether I notice a difference. 

As for snacks...almost everything salty I can think of is high calorie! You could try making your own chips from from zucchini or kale. Or you could air pop some popcorn and add your own salt, using coconut or olive oil to make it stick. Or pumpkin seeds are fairly low calorie. Sweet potato fries might work, too. Ooo or pickles! Now I want some dill pickles...lol.


----------



## ireadyermind

*drjo* - Wow, do we all have PCOS here? Oye. You'd think that, with PCOS being so common, it'd be easier to get a diagnosis of it, right? Why it took me 15 years to find someone to listen to me is a mystery!

I'm sorry the cystic acne came back! I had that during and right after high school. It went away when I switched to non-hormonal birth control, but every once in a while it will flare up for me... Ugh. That is not fun at all and I hope metformin takes care of it!

*Swimmy* - The best thing I could think of for salt was sunflower seeds still in the shell. They take a long time to eat when you have to shell them, so you aren't consuming too many calories in one sitting. They're salty, and sunflower seed fats are healthy fats so you're not doing toooooo badly if you eat them.

Pistachios are good for that reason, also. But they're more costly and not everyone likes the taste. You could do peanuts too, but I think that since peanuts are so much larger, you run the risk of eating too many calories with those.


AFM - Look at my chart! Erf. The wacky temps started the same day I started taking Metformin. >.> Still no +OPK or sustained temp rise. DH and I are just gonna keep BDing EOD until something happens!


----------



## mrs.green2015

I'm doing terrible. My ms is so bad unless I'm constantly full. And things that I used to love, brown rice, broccoli, chicken (commonly lunch) makes me gag. So I switched to a chicken sandwich. That isn't any better. 
Any tips on things that are plain and carb like that might help fill me up without a million calories?


----------



## Ursaula

Drjo: Yay metformin! It seems to be very popular on here!

Swimmy: I agree you're probably going to get the most healthy/salt intake with seeds. Sunflower seeds seems like a good idea!

IRYM: Your chart is everywhere! Definitely must be from the metformin sorting things out with your hormones, hopefully this wacky cycle is your cycle!

Mrs. G: Big hug! I hope it goes away quickly for you! The only "carb" that REALLY fills me up is oatmeal! It's a lot better for you too than something like a bagel. I hope this helps :)

AFM: I find out tomorrow about the blood test. More so, if I get a phone call tomorrow from the doctor, it means I'm pregnant, if I don't get a phone call, then I'm not. I wish they could call and tell you either way! I'm not too hopeful as irregular periods seem to be a "regular" thing with me. But right after Provera? Like, come on!

I'm still finishing off this cold and have been a little nauseous the past few days. Lots and lots of EWCM. S/o and I had a little fun with it JUST incase. It has now been a full week of it though. I don't know what's going on.


----------



## ireadyermind

Any news, Urs??


----------



## j mum

hi ladies can i join i want to loose about 2 stone we are ttc number 8 but i am breastfeeding so dont have an af yet hopeful i will ovulate soon though x my little man is 10 months old x


----------



## ireadyermind

Hello, JMum! You're certainly welcome to join us! :)

We do weekly weigh-ins and challenges, so if you'd like to participate with us you can start your own Weigh-in tracker, like the ones listed on the very first post in this thread.

Then I'll add you to the active members list so you're set for the first weigh in on Monday!


----------



## j mum

great i get weighed on mondays so that sounds fab


----------



## ireadyermind

That's perfect then! :D


----------



## BronteForever

Ladies, I'm officially back in the U.S. but have been following along with this thread a bit while on vacation. Hope you are all doing well. 

I had a ton of fun but I ate horribly while away and am up 6 pounds. Boo. I knew it could happen but I was hoping all the walking I'd did helped a bit more. Oh well. Now I have to get super serious and work out a storm before I start IVF in two weeks. I'm going to definetly try to work out atleast once a day, maybe more and will get back on my eating plan. No more lovely chocolate croissants for breakfast :-(


----------



## ireadyermind

*bronte* -- Oo, chocolate croissants! I can totally see why you might've decided to splurge on those! Haha

Don't worry, you'll get right back to it, I'm sure!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Hi ladies! Finally starting to figure out this nausea thing. Which has helped. Yesterday I actually ate decently and plan to do the same from here on out. Breakfast is the hard part for me. But I'm working on it! 

Oh and we found out yesterday it's twins!


----------



## BronteForever

Mrs. green - how exciting on twins! Congrats. Glad you are getting the nausea under control as well.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs.Green* - Wow, twins! That's got to be exciting. Congrats! :)

AFM - My grandfather passed away last night. I will probably be unavailable for much posting here on this board, but you gals just keep on keeping on until I get back!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Irym- I'm so sorry. You and your family are in my thoughts Hun. Take as much time as you need.


----------



## BronteForever

So sorry for your loss, IRYM. You and your family are in my thoughts as well. A loss is never easy to deal with. Hugs.


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks ladies! You are all so kind and thoughtful. :) 

I'm trying to stay positive. Grandpa was suffering for a long time, so at least he's not in pain any more! 

In terms of TTC, still waiting on ovulation. Saw some EWCM today and thought, "Great, I will probably O while we're out of town for the funeral!" Which would make things awkward. DH and I will probably be getting a hotel though, so that's one consolation.

Anyway, I'll keep you gals posted. There isn't much for me to do right now except wait to hear from my Dad about when the memorial service will be held. Until then, I'm essentially just sitting on my hands.


----------



## swimmyj1

BronteForever - yummm chocolate croissants are amazing! i would not have been able to resist either. Can't wait to hear about how IVF goes in a few weeks! One of my friends on another group just got her bfp with IVF and is super excited :) my fingers are crossed

Green - holy cow twins! congrats hun!!! did they say if they are identical or not?

IRYM - I am so sorry for you loss. I'm still struggling with the loss of my grandpa. But you are so right at least he is no longer suffering and in a better place. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

AFM - gained 3 lbs in 3 weeks not loving that so much, gonna try the sunflower seeds. Salt has really been my downfall. I failed the 1 hour glucose test so next week I get to do the 3 hour one. Seeing how I almost passed out and threw up from the 1 hour one this should be interesting lol. Also coming down with a wonderful summer cold. Maybe the fact that I can't taste anything will stop me from eating everything haha.


----------



## Ursaula

Sorry I haven't posted!

Mrs. G: Twins! How exciting!!

IRYM: I'm sorry to hear about your grandpa :(

Swimmy: You're almost there already, wha, time flies by!

AFM: I didn't post because of a crazy ex showing up for my birthday.

Anyway, blood test I'm assuming was negative. I never had a phone call from the doctor. I did take another test along with an opk and the opk was almost positive, so I'm assuming I must be ovulating instead, which would explain ewcm for 10 days.

Will be updating weight once I get out of bed!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - Aww, well at least a +OPK is some good news, anyway!

*Swimmy* - I find the best way to get the salt from the seeds is to put a small handful in your mouth and store them in your cheek like a hamster while you eat them. Then you're getting all the salt off the outside without eating a ton of food. You might find that it cures your craving for salt a lot faster than you would if you were eating french fries or potato chips.


AFM - Down almost 2 pounds since last week! I think that's the metformin at work? I'm up to 1000mg/day right now. Friday I'll bump up to 1500mg. I'm really hoping that this is a new trend. 

I don't want to feel so useless any more, you know? I eat healthily about 90% of the time, drink lots of water and I try to work out -- so I ought to at least maintain my weight, right? But before Met I was gaining, gaining, gaining - even if I worked my butt off at the gym or at home. So discouraging.

So we'll see how this goes. I still don't feel any side effects from the Met at all, either! That makes me happy.


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: That's great you're down 2lbs and having no side effects! Really hoping this is the fix for you.

AFM: I gained 10lbs in 4 days? I'm really confused. I have also contacted an eating disorder house that takes you in for 12 weeks to help you overcome your eating disorder. It's really expensive though...


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - so glad the meds seem to be working and an added bonus they help with weight loss or maintaining your weight properly. Yay. 

Urs - ugh that's so frustrating. Is the med you are on supposed to cause you to retain water? I always gain a bit when I ovulate for that reason I believe. 

Swimmy - how come you almost passed out? Is that a fasting test like a normal glucose one or how do they handle in pregnancy. My glucose levels are on the higher side to begin with so I'm sure pregnancy would make it worse. 

AFM - I lost all the vacation weight somehow. I think I was retaining water as well. Glad to start back fresh.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - That's probably just ovulation bloat. I always take on a ton of water right around then, and it sticks until after AF rears her ugly head. Grr.

I'm sure that's all it is for you. You'd have to eat 32,000 extra calories in 4 days to gain 10lbs of pure fat, and I'm sure you haven't done that! That's 8,000 cals a day over what you're burning, so you'd have to eat something like 9,800 per day! :o

*Bronte* - Good job losing the vacation weight!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hey Ladies :flower:

Just dropping in to say I am out this month. :witch: got me today, right on time at 14dpo. I am super depressed today. :cry:

Currently on vacation; will report more and catch up when I am back.

:hugs:


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs.Tigger* - Aww, sorry AF got you! Where are you vacationing? How is that going, aside from AF?


AFM -- FINALLY got a +OPK last night, on CD25! Whew. DH and I made sure to BD. My temp didn't spike high enough this morning to count as ovulation yesterday, but I'm almost certain it will tomorrow. I usually ovulate the day after my +OPK so that would be tonight! Might have to BD again tonight, just to cover our bases. Poor DH. 

The OPK line was SUPER dark, so I'm hoping that means it was a good, strong ovulation! :)


----------



## miracleworker

hello ladies 
i miss you all...am here following up 
am dealing with nausea and food aversion and gas, those three ruin my day! i want to eat health am trying as much as i can.....
IRYM finger crossed for you
Mrs. Tigger am sorry AF showed up but it also means another chance to try. 
goodluck everyone


----------



## swimmyj1

Urs - I agree probably just some water weight, thats a big gain for 4 days. But sometimes before ovulation or AF I would have a 8-10lb weight gain over night! it can be insane!! Also very sorry your ex showed up on your birthday! I have an insane ex and I swear my dad tells everyone at work that I'm coming home for a weekend and he just "happens" to show up to get tools from my dad that weekend and causes issues. Sometimes boys stink!

Bronte - for the 1 hour test they make you drink this drink that have 50g of sugar in it (yuck!) then test your blood sugar an hour after drinking it. It causes your bs to spike up and then crash back down. They test the spike at an hour to see how high it goes. for the 3 hour test the do a fasting blood sugar. make you drink 100g of sugar ... wonderful! then test you every hour for 3 hours to monitor the spike and fall. Hopefully I don't get too sick, they say people who are not use to sugar drinks are more effected by it, and I still water down juice hahaha.

IRYM - yay for ovulation!!! see it just was waiting a long time so your DH would be home hehehe Hoping to see that spike! I'm totally going to try putting them in my cheek and seeing if that is enough salt! what a great idea :) thank you 

miracleworker - hang in there this is the hard part :( try sucking on hard candy (life savers worked well for me - sugar free) with the nausea/vomiting. Hope things continue to go well!

Tell me if this sounds right to any of you, So 3 hour glucose test is on saturday. My doctors office sent me a paper saying I needed to stick to a 3 meal diet plan before my test based on carb intake, sounds right to me carbs=sugar. except when it gives the total carbs to be 260 a day! it says at the bottom a min of 200 carbs must be consumed and that the diet plan is just a guidline and that you are free to snack more if needed. Don't get me wrong I like carbs but that is a lot of carbs right??? Does this make sense to anyone? I'm going to call their office tomorrow because i don't think i can eat that many without feeling yucky.


----------



## drjo718

Swimmy- the idea of that diet is you're eating a lot of carbs to "prime" your body for the test. If you aren't used to eating many carbs, the theory is the glucose shocks your system and your blood sugars are going to be insane. I did the carb loading before my 3 hour and passed...not by much, but I did pass. I basically added in a couple apples and a peanut butter sandwich each day.


----------



## BronteForever

Swimmy - the test doesn't sound fun at all. Really hope you pass it!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - That IS a lot of carbs! But DrJo is right, it's most likely going to help you keep from being sick when they make you drink that sugar water before your test. Wouldn't do to have you vomiting everywhere while you wait for an hour (or three) to pass!

AFM - Finally got my CHs while DH and I were out of town for the funeral. Thankfully I remembered to take my thermometer with me and temped on time every morning.

About the service... The pastor that gave the service was a long time friend of the family, I guess, and the whole service, he was rattling on and on about my grandpa's father-in-law instead of my grandpa!

I was a little miffed! We weren't there to celebrate a man who had passed away about a decade ago, we were there to celebrate my grandpa who had passed just a week prior. And this pastor was going on and on about the wrong guy. :growlmad: At the reception afterwards, lots of folks commented about it... out of grandma's hearing, of course, but at least I wasn't the only one who thought that was a little odd.

And the pastor was like, "You may think you knew [grandpa], but now you'll hear some words from the one who knew him best..." and then proceeded to botch the whole thing. Woefully under prepared. Ugh.

DH was upset too. He said, "You only get one funeral. Why couldn't the pastor have practiced his speech or asked your family for anything they wanted him to talk about?" There wasn't any chance for anyone else to stand up at the podium to say a few words, either.

But he did get a full military service, with a gun salute, playing of Taps and a flag draped over his casket, so that was nice.

Anyway!

Back home now, and going to spend tomorrow taking it easy, then Monday it's back to the fitness routine!


----------



## ireadyermind

Welp, I weighed in today to see that my weight has jumped UP in the past week -- which is to be expected, since I just ovulated. I feel super bloated all day long and it makes me feel so full I don't even drink much water.

I need to make sure to get plenty of it for the next few days to help my system flush itself out. Blech!

How is everyone else doing?


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - so sorry the funeral didn't go exactly as planned. That has to be hard but glad that he had a full military send off and that part sounds like it was very special for your family. Hope you can focus on the positive of that since I'm sure that would have made your grandpa feel loved and special. 

Sorry you are bloated too. Hope it goes down. 

AFM - down a pound. But I had quite a few cravings last week. Period should be starting soon and then I'm starting IVF so won't get to do exercises as much and can't really focus on losing weight during that time since meds will make it next to impossible. Just hoping I don't gain a ton. That's my goal


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - im so sorry about the funeral, I would be upset too. That's a big way of having closure and for it to not go as you had hoped it would I wouldn't be happy. I'm glad he did get a full military send off, that is so important to our vets. Hope the bloat goes down. 

Bronte - so excited to hear about your IVF!!

AFM - I failed the 3 hour test miserably :( so I meet with the diabetic specialist tomorrow to get set up with insulin and a glucometer. Hopefully it won't be a forever thing. The mean nurse at my doctors office (I swear that women loves to give bad news) called to tell me and seriously said "with you next pregnancy you might want to think about getting your BMI under control so you won't put that baby at as much of a risk" Probably a good thing I wasn't face to face with her because she might have gotten some rude finger gestures. Yes i know being over weight is not good for pregnancy but many women in my BMI class have babies without have GD. whatever hopefully this gives me a good push to keep my carb intake under control.


----------



## BronteForever

Oh Swimmy - I'm so sorry. Really hope the meds work and you can keep everything under control. My sister had GD and went on to have a healthy kid and was fine after pregnancy. 

Also the nurse was incredibly rude. I would have been tempted to give her finger gestures as well. At some point you have to weigh the risk of a lower BMI with age. I'm already in advanced maternal age and that's going to be worse for the kid then my BMI. So you can't wait around forever and can just do the best you can. This process is hard enough as it is without rude nurses not being helpful.


----------



## Ursaula

Hugs to everyone.

I just wanted to post quick to say I'm alive. Depression is bad right now. Hoping to touch base again when I'm more positive.


----------



## ireadyermind

Good to hear from everyone. I was wondering why it had been so silent over the weekend!

*Swimmy* - Do you think she was purposefully being mean, or do you think she deals with a lot of dumb people? With so many people getting poor educations or just being air-headed in general, I can believe that a nurse or receptionist would have given up trying to be subtle or overly polite when speaking to people.

Not that it excuses her behavior, mind you! I try to see things from both sides when possible.


*Bronte* - Congrats on your lost pound! I'm trying to crack down on carbs better this week too. While we were out of town I did all right, but not great. We went to this restaurant that's my favorite in that town and they have this rice pudding that I really enjoy... Well, I probably had way too much of that, and then there were their locally famous cinnamon rolls... Yeah. It was a carby weekend. lol


*Urs* - We miss you! We're here to help if you need to talk. :)


----------



## swimmyj1

urs - IRYM is right if you need to vent anything out we are here. Sending lots of hugs, hope you are doing ok. 

Bronte - exactly what I was thinking, I was more focused on my DH's age with kids seeing as how he is 8 years older than me and I would like him to enjoy them as much as I do lol. 

IRYM - I'm hoping it's just from her dealing with stupid people a lot, but I'm also a nurse and when people come in after doing dumb stupid things that caused an injury or continue to drink/smoke when it is killing them I'm still just as nice to them as anyone else. I think my snack of choice when I'm craving something will be sugar free jello. Can't go wrong with that lol.


----------



## BronteForever

Urs - hope you are doing alright. I suffer from depression as well and it's definetly helpful to talk about stuff, even when you don't want to. Hang in there. I had to adjust meds when TTC which I think has been even worse and made it harder. All this sucks as is not fun to deal with. Feel free to talk about anything. 

IRYM - yum. All those foods sounds delicious. Especially since I'm having period cravings now. Any news from your doctor recently? Besides adding meds anything else you'll be trying? I feel like I missed a bunch when on vacation. 

Swimmy - I work at a library and next week I have to be at a diabetes program. The person doing the program is supposed to bring in some recipes and sample foods. I'm going to try them since I'm a bit worried about GD as well since I've had higher glucose levels that I've been trying to control for awhile and imagine it will be worse during any pregnancies. If they bring anything good I'll definetly share the recipes.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Yeah, see? Even when I was a retail store manager and people were idiots all day, every day, I still made it a priority to be professionally polite and courteous unless someone was being verbally or physically abusive toward me or my staff. 

I have an aunt that takes great joy in seeing other people upset. I'll never understand why, but maybe the other nurse was like my aunt. lol


*Bronte* - Me too! I'm at 7dpo and ALL THE CARBS sound amazing lately! Carbs are my comfort food, so when I'm feeling stressed, sickly, depressed, etc. I usually head right for those. >.> That rice pudding stuff was like comfort food heaven!

As for the doc -- she just checked in to see how I was handling the metformin. Aside from that, we're waiting to see when CD7 rolls around next cycle so I can have MORE blood tests done. We just got the bill for those in the mail, and good grief, they're ridiculously expensive! But I suppose you can't really put a price on good health, and if this helps me get healthy and a BFP it will have been worth it.

I hope I get a BFP this cycle instead of AF. Then I won't have to go in for that extra blood panel on CD 7 next cycle. It looks like, in the past, I have really only ever gotten BFPs after longer cycles. I think it's because my uterine lining has had a better chance of building up nice and cushy for an egg? Or maybe because my hormones were able to build up to better levels when they had longer to do it?

The Metformin is turning this into a 40 day cycle instead of 32ish, and our BD timing was EXCELLENT, so I'm hoping we get a sticky egg this time! FXd!



And please do share those recipes! I need them too! lol


AFM - The metformin keeps me feeling full all day long. I have lately been eating out of habit rather than hunger -- which needs to stop! Yesterday I made an effort to stick to small meals/snacks throughout the day, and a big dinner to take my Met with, though I didn't even finish all of that dinner because I felt full when I started too! lol 

Today I'm going to try to be even better in terms of carb intake. We have eggs, string cheese, and some other lean protein options I can eat today, so I'm really going to try and stick to it!


----------



## BronteForever

Carbs - yum. That is my weakness as well. Usually in the form of sweets. I'm trying to keep them in there place. Somedays it's easier then others. And I get really bad cravings during ovulation and right before my period. Hope you can keep them in check too. 

Hopefully you don't need more tests. This stuff is not cheap that is for sure. And it depends on a lot of what your insurance covers. Mine doesn't cover anything infertility related but it did cover a lot of our blood tests, thankfully. Now the rest of it...not so much. We had to borrow money.

Sounds like it's sounding positive already for you this cycle. Fingers crossed.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Bronte* - I try to be positive every cycle! Haha


----------



## BronteForever

Ha  I just meant it's sounding promising that your cycles are lengthening due to the meds and your timing was right on. Good luck!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Bronte* - Oohh, I get it. :D Truth be told I'm a little upset that it screwed up my cycle, but if it does help my hormones do their thing, I'll be happy. I'm looking at a 40 - 41 day cycle right now. Blech. If it keeps up like that, I'll have only 8 or 9 cycles a year. Totally unfair! Haha

I know there are people who have fewer than that, though, so I'm thankful that I have some sort of pattern at the very least. I don't mean to sound like a whiner!


----------



## swimmyj1

Bronte - yes please share if they have any I need some good ideas! Also super envious that you work in a library, i'm sure the job is not at all what I picture in my head (reading books all day lol) but it would sure be my dream job if it was haha. 

IRYM - metformin also made my cycles a little longer, but they were too short to begin with i went from 21-23 day cycles to 30-32. My fingers are crossed that you won't need more blood work hehe. I just got another bill from the fertility specialist. I know they try and bill the insurance first but jeze take long enough! yikes I'm so sick of paying hospital/medical bills months after the fact. 

AFM - I have just been feeling super crummy the last few days. Getting dizzy a lot, feeling short of breath yuck. I have to call in my BS's next Wednesday (they have been higher than recommended without insulin. So i'm sure they are going to start me on that next week. I was really hoping to do without it :( also anyone still currently using myfitnesspal app? if so I'm back on and would love some friend help "swimmyj1"


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - I sent you a friend request!

They make it SO difficult to add people by username, it's ridiculous! Why wouldn't they want folks to make connections in the app? I had to use google to figure it out, and then I learn that MFP only lets you add friends by username if you use the app, not the online website. Crazy, right? Sigh.

But I got it figured out and sent to you! :) I haven't used it in a while since I was so fed up with my diet resulting in weight GAIN, so I should definitely get back to it!


----------



## BronteForever

Swimmy - really hope they can help you within normal ranges you are feeling better. I'll definitely share what I can. And nope working at a library is nothing like that. Though, I actually do very little with the books themselves, since I work in marketing and public relations. So I do a lot website stuff, newsletters, posters, programs, tech training, etc. I've led a few book clubs in the past and every time I've had to read at home on my own time and usually books I didn't want to read at all. But I still love my job. I did marketing and PR for other non-profits before hand and have always loved libraries, so it's been a great fit.

I'm not on myfitnesspal really, but hope you ladies can help keep each other accountable.

AFM - Can't remember what all I've mentioned on here. It's hard keeping track where I post updates  But I was CD1 yesterday and had my baseline scan today and everything looked good. So I start IVF meds tomorrow. Super nervous and already overwhelmed, but I'm determined to get through this process with a semi-smile on my face...somehow.


----------



## ireadyermind

Yay, Bronte! IFV already! FX'd and :dust: !


----------



## ireadyermind

Good grief, you guys. I am EXHAUSTED these past few days. Sometimes unable to keep my eyes open while sitting in my chair! I'm trying to avoid drinking more caffeine (limiting myself to the 1 cup I have with breakfast), but it's hard. Sheesh!

I'm not really considering it as a BFP symptom though. Sometimes it's just part of the PMS process. And with how high my TWW temps are, I'm sure it's just because I'm making more Progesterone than normal. I've heard that Progesterone causes fatigue.

But wouldn't it be nice if my lovely-looking post-O temps this month were actually because of a BFP?

I'm debating testing tomorrow at 10dpo.. what do you gals think? Yes, or no?


----------



## BronteForever

Ooh...I hope it's a sign. Good luck. As far as testing, it's such a personal choice. 10 DPO is still pretty early but it should show up on a lot of tests if it's a positive. I had to give up testing since it was making the process worse but I know this time around I'll probably be super hopeful and pretty much test as soon as I can.


----------



## swimmyj1

Bronte - IVF cycle!! yay!!! what meds are they starting you on for it?

IRYM - I am a test junky so I probably would be testing, but it does add extra stress to the tww. However being on progesterone I wouldn't start bleeding until I stopped taking it (my doc had me taking the pills vaginally), so I had to test on 12DPO anyway. Also it can make you super sleepy and give you some of the early pregnancy signs, sense it is the hormone your body would make a ton of if you were pregnant. I still love the way your chart looks lol, fingers are crossed!! 

AFM - sugars were worse today ugh after lunch i went up to 177! so im sure insulin is totally gonna happen next week darn. It was my fault I was craving a Boston cooler and even though its no sugar added ice cream it still has sugar and then i also had some soup. I need to keep watching these darn carbs!


----------



## BronteForever

Swimmy - oh no. Even though the insulin is not ideal. Sounds like it's probably going to be a good option. Carbs are super hard for me to resist as well and I'm sure the fact they are "off-limits" only heightens the allure. However, you can totally do this and get it under control. Good luck. 

I'm on Menopur and Gonal-F to start with. I then add in Ganirelix about half way through to make sure I don't ovulate early. Hope they work!

IRYM - anxiously awaiting what you decided and what your results were. Good luck!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - I am a test junkie too! I don't know how I've resisted this long...! lol

As for the carbs: maybe look into low GI foods? They are foods that still contain carbs, but don't affect your blood sugar the same as, say, an iced cinnamon roll would. Strawberries, apples, peas, brown rice, and some other things like that are on the list. Just google "Low GI foods" and you'll find a lot of good information.

It might help you make the transition to a lower carb diet, or sticking to those foods might lower your blood sugar enough that you don't need the insulin? Who knows! 


*Bronte* - I chickened out and decided not to test, because my BBT dropped a little this morning instead of staying high!

So I guess I'm going to try and wait for my original test date goal of Monday the 27th and see what happens. Since DH is home over the weekends and I want to surprise him with a BFP instead of having him be here for it (silly, I know!), it will probably be easy for me to wait! lol


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - way to be strong. I think it's better if you can wait since if it's positive it's much stronger and easier to read. Good luck.


----------



## ireadyermind

Right, it'd be darker AND there's less chance I pick up a chemical pregnancy early on, right? If I got a faint BFP today it might still turn into AF! So waiting is good.


----------



## Ursaula

Hello everyone!

Yay Bronte for IVF finally! Fx'd IRYM! 55days Swimmy! :) :) :)

Long story short I am putting off TTC for a while (probably a year or so). I'm a little bummed but I have three surgeries to plan for! I am planning on getting weight loss surgery (vertical sleeve). I had a long talk with my psychiatrist and it's time something is done to help me with it. Any who, I'm planning on getting it done August 15 in Tijuana, Mexico...if any of you have stories above friends who have had it done (especially in Mexico) please share! [Manitoba doesn't offer it and will only pay to have it done in Quebec which is a 15 year wait list. Or I can pay myself in Saskatchewan with a 3 year wait list and $19,000. OR Mexico. Which has no wait list and costs roughly $6,000 (all prices in Canadian dollars).]

Any who, so I'm super nervous for it but excited! I'm also planning on getting my tonsils removed and seeing how that goes afterwards before deciding on my third surgery, which would be tubes in my ears.

I also decided to put off TTC because I want to be more mentally stable and have a job, etc. My s/o met with their doctor and they still do not qualify for hormonal treatment, so we have more time.

Sorry for a long post! I just wanted to update you gals.


----------



## ireadyermind

Good to hear from you, Urs! I'm so envious you're getting the weight loss surgery! I'd love to have that done. DH and I were considering it, actually! But then I finally got this PCOS diagnosis, so I'm giving the Met a chance first.

I'm glad you're taking steps to get yourself into a better place, physically and mentally. That is a definitely step up regardless of TTC! You'll feel so much better! And August 15th is right around the corner! What do they have you doing to prepare for that surgery? One of my sister's friends just had it done here in California and she had to be put on an all liquid diet for weeks ahead of time.


----------



## BronteForever

Urs - thanks for the update. Even if you are putting TTC on hold, hopefully you will stick around and keep us update. The weight loss surgery sounds like a great option for you and I really hope it goes well and helps you get healthier. Hope the other surgeries go well also. That's a lot to go through in s short time. Good luck.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hello Ladies :flower:

I'm back from vacation now, and trying to catch up. We had 2 weeks vacation up in Scotland and it was just amazing! We did a road-trip staying in several areas for a couple of days, sight-seeing castles, touring whisky distilleries, and just spending time together. :cloud9: Definitely what we needed!

*BronteForever:* Good luck with your IFV! You must be soooo excited!

*ireadyermind:* I am always peeing on sticks around O to verify that I am O'ing and that we time :sex: right. But when it comes to pregnancy, I've now defaulted to only testing if :witch: is late (I have a consistent 14-day luteal phase, so I know when she is due). Somehow seeing :witch: is easier to handle then seeing only one line on a pregnancy test . . . again. Hopefully you'll be forced to test, though, due to no AF, and get that :bfp:! You've definitely waited long enough! I'm glad the Metformin is working for you (or at least I hope it is!) The only issue I had side effect wise was nausea -- it was actually pretty bad the first 2 or so months of taking it, but it doesn't happen much now.

*Ursaula:* Glad to hear from you! Please keep us informed of how your preparation for surgery, and surgery go. This was originally a weight-loss thread, after all, so no better place! :hugs:

*swimmyj1:* You're so close to the end, just hang in there! Really, anyone can get GD. Even if your BMI had been low enough, you may still have gotten it. Just ignore that nurse, and stay strong. :hugs:

*AFM:* So, as I mentioned when I was on vacation, :witch: got me and I was pretty depressed. DH and I actually had a fight about it, because I felt like he wasn't being supportive and he responded by telling me I need to be realistic :dohh: I know he's actually right (since we spent 2 years TTC while treating my PCOS and I wasn't properly ovulating, this cycle was actually only my 2nd cycle of "real" TTC, and the doctor said we shouldn't worry until it's been 6 cycles), but that is NOT what you tell an infertile woman who just got her period again! :growlmad: But, we talked about it (we actually both got a bit tipsy one of the nights on vacation and we both opened up to each other a lot about TTC and how we feel and are dealing with it) and I think we see things better from each other's perspective. He also promised he'll do his SA, which is something we've been fighting about.

I'm currently on CD13 and I'll be entering my fertile window tomorrow (I usually ovulate on CD18).

But I've decided that it's time to really get focused. For awhile, I got so burned out with TTC and the stress of it all, and then my weight loss stalled and I decided to let other things distract me so I wouldn't be so depressed. That was probably what I needed mentally, but now it's time to get back in the game. I had a few months of basically non-stop work travel and a couple of long vacations where I've been eating badly and not exercising. So I'm sure I've gained some kilos (though I haven't weighed yet to know how bad the damage is; my "gut feel" is that I'm probably back to needing to lose 13-15 kilos or so to get my BMI low enough).

And, I have an appointment on November 22nd with my specialist. If I'm not pregnant by then, and my weight is low enough, they'll start fertility treatments. I don't feel like I can stand to be told that I need to make another appointment to see if I've lost enough weight. So November 22nd is my deadline.

So, that means I have 148 days to get my crap together and get ready for this. To finish losing the weight I need to lose, to get as strong and healthy as I can be. I'm an engineer, so I solve problems for a living. I just need a plan, right?

Well, here's Mrs. Tigger's plan:


*Calorie Counting* (I did this for a year to lose the 45 or so kilos I already lost, and it worked fine for me; I may need to up my calorie limit a little due the fact that my metabolism is higher now than it used to be due to Metformin and thyroid meds, but I'll play it by ear.)
*Metformin, Thyroid Meds, and Vitamins Daily* (I'm already good about this)
*1,5 Liters Water Daily* (I'm really bad about drinking water)
*Low-GI Diet* (had great luck with this in the past with my PCOS)
*Exercise 30 Minutes per Day, 4 Days per Week* (This is where I'll struggle the most -- I'm lazy and I'm busy, lol!)

The biggest challenge is probably that the calorie counting has such a severe impact on my life -- it makes eating out basically impossible, which is challenging when work stuff comes up and there is a work lunch or work dinner, etc. But I did this for a year and I lost 45 kilos -- I know I can do it!

Meanwhile, of course I'll still keep tracking and doing everything we can to try and get pregnant naturally in the meantime. But this gives me something to do other than just "wait". TTC actually kind of sucks. It's waiting. Waiting for AF to end. Waiting to ovulate. Waiting for AF again. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

Phew, that was long! Anyway, it's time for bed now, but I should be around much more often now!


----------



## swimmyj1

Urs - so great to hear from you! Congrats on your weight loss surgery, a friend of mine had the sleeve done a few weeks ago and is already down 30 some lbs. she is just moving on to solid foods from the protien shakes. I asked her for any tips and she said that you have to remember your going to love losing all this weight but you will be a lot more tired than you think you will sense you are technically starving yourself (you just won't feel like it lol) she says don't forget to drink the protien drinks even if you aren't hungry. I hope you keep us all updated on how it goes!! 

Irym - it's so weird I love eating fruits epically in this heat, but that's when my sugar is highest, even when I'm very good about portion control. I'm sure it will just take me sometime to figure out what messes with me the most. Yesterday my bs were as best as they have been all week and I even had a small serving of ice cream on the beach haha. Ps must remember sun screen next time! Ouch!

Tiger - your trip sounds amazing! And I'm so glad that you and your DH really got to talk about how ttc is effecting both of you. And so glad he is going to do the SA :) I love your weight loss plan, it's nothing insane radical, and seems like you will really be able to stick to it! As for water I have to drink around 4L a day and the plant nanny app on my phone really has helped me stick with that. I bought a water bottle that holds 1L and just have times during the day it needs to be gone by. Be a rock star girl you've got this! And are going to rock your appointment in a few months!!!


----------



## drjo718

Urs- I have several co-workers who have done the weight loss surgery, and one who did it in Mexico because she did not weigh enough to qualify to have it done in the states (body image issues.) I don't mean to scare you, but it is a major surgery and has risks. The girl who had hers done in Mexico ended up with an infection and had to spend an extra week down there in a foreign hospital. Another co-worker who had hers done here had many complications, got very sick, and spent a lot of time in the hospital trying to recover. I do know people who have been fine with it though and done well. You have to stick to your diet instructions forever after the surgery or you will gain the weight back or not lose very much in the first place. That has happened to two coworkers who had the surgery. Whatever you decide to do, take care of yourself.


----------



## ireadyermind

*MrsTigger* - Now that I'm at the full 2000mg dose, I hope to start seeing good things soon! My physician said 2000mg was the minimum dose for weight loss and PCOS? I don't know if that's true, but I hope it is. My weight has been all over the place, and just when I think it's about to settle, my dose gets increased! lol. But I won't be going any higher than 2000mg now, so hopefully things level out!

*Swimmy* - Low GI isn't _all_ fruits, just some of them. No peaches, nectarines, watermelon, or bananas, to name a few. I think it's mostly berries that make the 'safe' list. I *love* peaches so it's hard for me to skip out on those this summer! :(

*DrJo* - I also know a few people who've had the surgery done just fine, but some who also had complications. My mother's friend had severe issues with hers and then ended up addicted to morphine as a result... erf.

*Urs* - Any surgery is full of risks! But I'm sure they've gone over everything with you, Urs. Or at least, they should do. Make sure to write down any questions you have about it and bring that list with you when you do a consultation. :)


----------



## Ursaula

Mrs. T: I plan on staying on bnb for a while, as I do still want to have a baby as well, I'll just WTT for a little while longer. I'll just be more weight loss focused now but will still cheer you all on! :)

I find guys just want nothing to do with TTC, but I still agree he shouldn't have said something so negative. I'm glad he's doing the SA! Also, yay fertile window and weight loss focus! :)

Swimmy: Thanks for the information! I'm getting super excited for it but my friend backed out as my "caretaker". I am now scrambling to find someone to go with me.

Drjo: I don't think anything can scare me right now, so don't worry! I appreciate all feedback, the good and the ugly. I'm at the point in my life where I would refer to this as a win-win situation. If I live through it, I get to lose weight easier. If I die, I don't have to live this fat. I have taken into account all possibilities of what could happen. Again, thanks for the feedback! :)

IRYM: I was similar, I wanted to do pregnancy first and then lose all the weight at once, baby fat and all. It's just gotten to the point where I'm uncomfortable walking because of all the strain. I'm still trying to find someone to go with me (as my friend backed-out since she doesn't have an up-to-date passport). I believe I will be on the liquid diet for 2-4weeks prior and then the two days prior will be a clear liquid diet. I'll update you all once I know!

I was only put on 1000mg dose of metformin and I'm pretty sure it has done nothing for me. By looking up online it looks like 1500mg-2000mg is where you need to be to have full potential. Good luck!

Bronte: Thank you! I'm so excited that you're in your IVF process!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

ireadyermind said:


> *MrsTigger* - Now that I'm at the full 2000mg dose, I hope to start seeing good things soon! My physician said 2000mg was the minimum dose for weight loss and PCOS? I don't know if that's true, but I hope it is. My weight has been all over the place, and just when I think it's about to settle, my dose gets increased! lol. But I won't be going any higher than 2000mg now, so hopefully things level out!
> 
> *Swimmy* - Low GI isn't _all_ fruits, just some of them. No peaches, nectarines, watermelon, or bananas, to name a few. I think it's mostly berries that make the 'safe' list. I *love* peaches so it's hard for me to skip out on those this summer! :(
> 
> *DrJo* - I also know a few people who've had the surgery done just fine, but some who also had complications. My mother's friend had severe issues with hers and then ended up addicted to morphine as a result... erf.
> 
> *Urs* - Any surgery is full of risks! But I'm sure they've gone over everything with you, Urs. Or at least, they should do. Make sure to write down any questions you have about it and bring that list with you when you do a consultation. :)

The dose seems to depend on the person. I only take 1.000 mg and it works for me.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I'm not doing so great today. I've done great with eating yesterday (and so far today as well), but today I'm feeling really badly. Basically just insane levels of nausea. I assume it must be my Metformin, but I've been on it for months and not really had problems with it in the past couple of months. Frustrating.

In other news, I was expecting a "high" on my Clearblue Fertility Monitor starting yesterday, but so far it's still saying "Low" (yesterday and today). And no fertile CM, either. I am afraid this might be one of those cycles where I don't ovulate (my gyno said all healthy women have 1 or 2 of those cycles per year; something about the egg just dies off instead of ovulating; they don't know why). Or maybe I'll O late. Not sure yet. But so far nothing.

How are the rest of you ladies doing?


----------



## ireadyermind

*MrsTigger* - Sorry to hear you're feeling so poorly. I hope you can kick that nausea! Sips of cool water and eating one or two antacid tablets helps me get through that without actually vomiting. It drastically reduces the amount of bloat I feel, too. But then I end up burping all day long. :dohh:

And hopefully it's just a delayed ovulation instead of an annovulatory cycle!


AFM - Got a crazy temp spike this morning! I was expecting another dip today, down to maybe 98.2ish, and then the following day to hit 98.0, which would mean AF would arrive. Instead, I got this crazy spike!

I didn't drink at all, I got the same amount of sleep I do just about every other night... The room was warm when I woke up, but not so warm that my core temperature should have shot up like that.

I did get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, but that's nothing that's glaringly unusual. The night before last, the dog who refused to pee before bed woke me up demanding to be let out at like 1am, so I had to do that.. and my temperature was very low yesterday morning! So I don't think a trip to the bathroom this time around would cause a spike. Hmmmmm!

I'm feeling kinda hopeful!


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - ooh, that is really promising. Fingers crossed for you that it's good news!

Mrs. Tigger - so sorry you are not feeling well. That's weird if your meds can randomly bring on nausia when they haven't in the past, but anything is possible. Or it could be any number of other causes. Hope you still ovulate this cycle though. Good luck! Also, your weight loss plan sounds great and should really help to have your goals outlined. I always feel it's easier to stick to them.

Urs - sounds like you have definitely considered every outcome. I really hope the surgery goes well and you have an easy recovery and it helps you lose the weight. Really pulling for you!

AFM - not doing great with my food either right now, but I'm not going to dwell on it. I need to go to the grocery, which has been part of my issue since I've stopped for breakfast a few times this week or dinner. And I always eat worse when eating out.


----------



## swimmyj1

urs - I bet with weight loss you will really increase your chance of pregnancy. But for sure make sure you stick with the diet plans after. My mom's friend has gained everything back and then an extra 50lbs :( its so hard to watch her struggle. On the better hand I also know many that have kept the weight off and enjoy life so much more now. I can't wait to hear how everything turns out! Hope you get a new support to go with you soon!

IRYM - hahah of course I was eating watermelon and pineapple haha not GI foods hehe but sooo hard in the summer, when they are so yummy. I will try using berries instead (love those too). Really have been sticking with eating a lot of chicken and eggs, so my BS have been way better the last 2 days (not 1 over 130 yay!). Trying to remember to log everything on my food planner sometimes im not as good as I should be. Also loving your temps! have you tested at all, to know if you should continue the progesterone? My fingers are super crossed!!!!

Tigger - what cd are you? I hated waiting on the monitors. Sometimes they can be so weird. I had a few cycles that never gave me a high but then randomly jumped to peak. I was glad we were bedding and I had gone in for a follicle scan the day before or we totally would have missed our window. Hoping yours is just a little late this time :)

Bronte - hang in there, I know eating out is hard when trying to stay healthy. My tip lately has been to ask for a to-go box to be brought out with my meal then I put 1/2 the food in the box and leave it so I don't just sit and eat everything. 

AFM - Nervous I've put on a lot of weight the last 3 weeks, I haven't weighed myself my scale broke ugh! but going to see my doc on thursday and we will see then :( Fingers crossed gals Hope everyone in the US has something fun to do for the 4th coming up


----------



## ireadyermind

*Bronte* - Thanks!

And Swimmy's suggestion about asking for a To-Go box immediately when your food's brought out is a good one! I do that too, and remind myself that now I have tomorrow's dinner (or lunch, as the case may be) all lined up and ready to go! Two meals for the price of one, so to speak. Haha

Additionally, most restaurants these days have a "Light and Fit" menu or similar. You can order salads with the dressing on the side, and then rather than pour it onto the food, you dip your fork tines into it. That way you get a little bit of dressing flavor in every bite, without a bajillion calories added in. Fish entrees are also a good deal lighter in calories just by virtue of being grilled fish, and you can ask to swap out any sort of rice the fish is served on for additional veggies.

Many places will swap out the fried chicken for grilled, and instead of a potato as a side, they can sub steamed vegetables too. 

That way you can turn a 1200cal meal into a 500ish cal one, easy!


*Swimmy* - Watermelon in summertime is the BEST! Unfortunately it's also the worst. Haha

The Glycemic Index essentially rates each food with a score from 1 - 100-something (I don't know how high it goes, really.. anyway...). Your goal is to only eat foods with a score of less than 55 points. But there are some fruits and things that are right up there between 50 and 55 that I try to avoid or eat infrequently, just because they're in that gray area...

Here's a chart!
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M6gnHDi0VO4/UOhr6S7R93I/AAAAAAAAAUU/-OKuKp0EVtY/s1600/gi_index.jpg

Hope that helps. I get conflicting info from various sites on just what an item's score is, but a low GI diet doesn't require you to tally up points or anything, so as long as one of the things you're eating is deemed a safe food, that's all you really have to worry about I suppose.

Anyway!

I'm not taking progesterone this cycle. I have the cream in my nightstand ready to go, but I'm supposed to go in for CD7 bloodwork to test Progesterone, Estrogen and Testosterone next cycle, and I didn't want to artificially increase my numbers! So all these high temps going on right now are doing it all by themselves. Haha.

Had a big drop today though. Booo!

Also, I tested 12DPO and got BFN. AF isn't due for 2 more days so there's still hope!


----------



## BronteForever

So I went to the diabetes class last night and also found out watermelon is one of the worst fruits for diabetics. Along with grapes and bananas. Berries all the way, she said! Ironically cantaloupe or other melons are usually fine for you, since the issue with watermelon is that it's very similar to drinking juice in that it doesn't take long to digest so it immediately causes a blood sugar spike.

She also talked about the GI a bit and gave some handouts, but IRYM's photo is pretty similar. Her big thing though of how to make it "easier" on yourself to understand and follow was that you should only have one "starch" at a meal and make sure you are pairing it with lots of "good non-starchy vegetables," proteins, and healthy fats. That way you don't have to count stuff as much and if pairing the starchy food with another item you shouldn't have a blood sugar spike. And of course watch the whole starch intake to begin with. 

It was geared towards regular Type 2 diabetes and diabetics with cancer. So definitely not gestational diabetes, which I'm sure has it's own quirks to it. 

The foods she brought were just hummus and pita chips, berries, and a nut mix. Though she did bring like 3 recipes. I'll try to post later.


----------



## beccabonny

Hi ladies! I'm excited to be part of the group! It's fantastic that there's a thread for us and I can't wait to follow along and cheer everyone on! Thanks to Bronte for inviting me over here :)

*Stats:*
Height: 5'6"
Starting Weight: 218
Goal Weight: 165
MyFitnessPal Username: beccaxsos

*Goals:*
Stay healthy and gain ~15lb during pregnancy as is healthy


*My Plan:*
-control the overeating
-all things in moderation
-healthy substitutions
-limit sodas and sweets
-take my prenatals
-stop making excuses! 
-exercise as possible, but taking it easy until 2nd tri

*Weigh-ins:*
6/27/2016: 216 
7/4/2016: 216
8/1/2016: 220
8/22/2016: 220
8/29/2016: 215
9/12/2016: 214

*Things I struggled with this month:* I was pretty motivated this month. I had some issues after family came to visit (as usual) and left lots of goodies. I have trouble throwing things away even if I know they aren't healthy (if I like them, anyway). 

*Things I did well this month:* Workouts, Food tracking, replacing fatty foods with healthier, higher protein versions, replacing starches with veggies. Step tracking.


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - I forgot to mentioned that I'm sorry to hear of the slight temp drop. Still keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Becca - so glad you decided to join us to help with weight loss. Your plan sounds great! What do you normally like to do for exercise or workouts?


----------



## beccabonny

Bronte, I usually do 3-4 sets of 15 of crunches, standing push-ups (for now), heel lifts, and squats before I head out to the gym, where I will do a half hour of weights and a half hour of cardio. My weights depend on the day (arms/shoulders/chest one day, legs/abs/back the other). I use some machines and do some free weights for upper body. Cardio is usually the elliptical though I would like to change it up if I found another thing I liked. I need to get back to doing my yoga video as well for that all important core strength. My SO is pretty athletic so I get a lot of tips from him. 

How about you? Any tips? I think your rollerderby history is so cool. A group tried to recruit me back in Richmond and I regret not following up to this day, thought I have to mention how terrible I am at skating.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Bronte* - Thanks for sharing about your diabetes class! Looking forward to those recipees. :) And thanks, too, for your sentiments on my chart. I'm sure keeping my FX'd too! 

*Becca* - Welcome! Good to have you here. :) I've got you added to the first page and you're all set to go! 

It sounds like you have a great workout plan in place already. That's something I really struggle with and I keep trying to get back into. I usually end up on a good workout routine for about a week or two, and then get fed up when the scale keeps creeping up and up.

Now that I'm taking Metformin for my PCOS, I hope that upwards creep turns to a downward one. Maybe that will keep me going on those workouts!


----------



## BronteForever

Wow Becca that does sound intense. Good for you! Good luck keeping it up. I have a hard time at the gym, since I tend to make excuses and get lazy in actually traveling to the gym. So for now I was doing Beachbody workouts at home, since it was easier for me. I love mixing it up though, since I get bored easily. Plus, it's better for your body to get some variety. Right now, I'm not working out much due to IVF, but I need to at least walk my dog every night. I really need to do that!

My husband is also athletic and does triathlon, duathlon, and ultra marathons. But I don't have a desire to do anything like that. He gives me tips, but I usually ignore them, because I don't think he understands a more casual or relaxed "work-out style." Oh and with Roller Derby, they will teach you everything. I hadn't skated since I was a kid. It was alot to learn a new sport as an adult, but super fun as well. 

IRYM - really hope the scale starts going downward more with the new med and it's much more motivation for you. I would have felt like throwing the scale frequently if I were you as well.


----------



## beccabonny

Thanks for the welcome, IRYM! I totally understand getting discouraged with workouts for lack of results! I have trouble following through after a couple weeks, but I'm hoping this thread will add to my accountability! 

I'm sure the meds will help and you'll be encouraged with it! I can't wait to see how it goes for you. 

Thank you for starting this thread. I look forward to being here to encourage and support everyone on our journeys through WL and TTC, and beyond!

Bronte, it's not as intense as it seems! I maintained some of the strength from before the MC somehow and worked up to where I am now over the last couple months, but haven't lost more than two pounds because of my bad eating habits. I've never heard of Beachbody, it sounds intimidating! I really want to try Fitnessblender, too, but my living room is so crowded...I have to find a place at home to do it! I think taking a walk with your pup is a great way to stay active while doing IVF, even if it's just a short one, it still helps! That's what I tell myself, lol. 

These men! Gotta love it. I remember you mentioning your DH was into those marathons and that's really impressive. It takes so much dedication! I was upset when I read that he still decided to do that race with everything you were going through, but it sounds like he realized that and you guys got past it. Mine was a high school athlete, then in the Marines (infantry) for a decade, did kickboxing when he was stationed in Asia, and now he just lifts a lot of heavy things all the time. I tried letting him train me but his workouts are WAY too intense! So now I apply some of the things he told me, but use them my way. And watch him do pull ups when he comes with me to the gym. I have never done a single pull up. One day I would like to do one. Is that weird? I still remember those days in elementary school when I couldn't climb the stupid rope, and it still bugs me.


----------



## BronteForever

OMG - I've always wanted to be able to do a pull up. We used to have to try in middle school and high school for those presidential fitness awards (which I'm assuming is the same, since it involved rope climbs as well). But yeah, I've never been strong enough for a true pull up either. GOALS! 

Oh and believe me I was mad at my husband about that race as well...it was only a 5 K, but that was when he was just starting fitness stuff. But we have gotten passed it and now he does crazy races, like the 50K trail run in the middle of December in the Midwest and we just got back from Duathlon World Championships in Spain, which was a super cool experience. 

But your husband sounds even more intense then mine. At least you take his advice to heart and try to modify them. 

The Beachbody exercises are nice, I'd been doing 21 Day Fix and a bit of PIYO (which is kind of like yoga and Pilates combined). They are probably most well-known for Insanity and P90X which are their bigger name brand of videos. I love the 21 Day Fix though, because it's workout DVDs, but also has a simple eating guide that involves portion control which has been one of the first things to make sense to me and has helped a ton in figuring out the foods for me to eat.

I don't like to cook. I'm not a huge meat eater (by husband is a vegetarian), so I have horrible time getting proteins in. So following the guide was easier for me to make modifications in my lifestyle to help with eating. It's pretty much a standard portion control diet though. Nothing super fancy. I was just doing things wrong.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - thank you so much for the chart!! seriously makes so much more sense to me why my BS have been all over the place. Time to pick up some apples and berries instead of watermelon lol. Idk why I thought you were already on the progesterone this cycle had a total brain fart lol. Hopefully your labs next week will give you more answers. Stinks about the BFN and temp drop :( i was really hoping this was it. 

Bronte - thanks so much for sitting in on that meeting :) Looks like im gonna be avoiding grapes now too ugh! I love hummus so I'm totally gonna get some of that, its so yummy on veggies. If you have time to post the recipes that would rock :) Super loving that you do roller derby. I use to go and watch a lot of the girls play in Detroit. It was fun to be the medic on staff encase someone got hurt. I have no skating skill at all lol, like seriously I put on skate and fall down pretty much right away haha. 

Becca - welcome to the group!! Your plan looks great! and your work out plan sounds like its a great mix up to keep your body on its toes. I totally get what you mean about family coming out and eating good goes out the window ugh. I live in the biggest mirco-brew city in the USA so whenever everyone comes out we are hitting brewries all the time. The food + drinking yikes i don't even want to think of the calories

AFM - apparently i have enough good blood sugars not to need meds at this time yay!!! the last 3 days I have had all really good ones, super proud of me lol. Hopefully I can just keep it going. :) can't wait to get back into a better work out routine. I'm hoping by this fall to get back into hiking at least 3 times a week. on days I cant do that my gym has a daycare in it so hopefully I can just bring baby with me and work out for 30 minutes. Or i'll just wait until my DH comes home and slip out of a little bit.


----------



## BronteForever

Okay, sorry it took me a sec to post these. I've been having trouble with my dropbox camera uploads, since I'm running out of space and need to tidy up. Anyway, here are the recipes she gave. 

https://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq276/em_ma16/d5d47064-b790-4961-84df-828612426e35_zps19pkqivc.jpg

https://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq276/em_ma16/d25823d4-c798-4a05-94ef-582deeabdb2c_zpsb0bwzhco.jpg

https://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq276/em_ma16/4c110f8d-f95c-4eb9-9704-e207e1d14b08_zpsujyvrtdz.jpg


----------



## BronteForever

Swimmy - are you from the Detroit area then? I lived in Brighton, Michigan for awhile and also the UP. I live in Indiana now. However, Detroit is definitely one of my favorite derby teams to watch. The Masonic Temple venue is true derby ghettoness at its greatest. 

So happy you don't need meds at the this time and hopefully you can just make a few modifications to help.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Bronte* - Thanks for posting those! I have a no-bake cookie recipe that's similar to the granola bar one you posted. I bet with a few modifications it'd work great as a diabetic recipe, too! Swapping out the white sugar for raisins or dates would probably fix it right up!

You could add unsweetened cocoa powder to that granola bar recipe and you'd pretty much have the cookie recipe. lol.

*Swimmy* - Hmm! My temp almost flatlined today and hasn't dropped to the 98.0 I always see right before AF! It still could do that, since AF is due tomorrow (15 day LP), but I'm hoping it doesn't!

I have an HPT drying right now and I'm afraid to look at it!


AFM - Man, I wish roller derby was a bigger thing out here! I used to rollerskate like 24/7 as a kid, and we'd have races and whatnot. I was really good at it! But never could learn how to use roller blades, probably because the ones Mom bought me second hand didn't have ankle supports at ALL and I couldn't balance myself on them. Anyway!


No PMS symptoms for me today. I'm usually super cranky, very tender/sensitive breasts, bloating, etc. and that just isn't happening. The only thing I noticed was that this morning, the sides of my breasts and underarms are sore IF I happen to poke or bump them.

Is lack of symptoms in itself a symptom? lol

EDIT: I take that back. This morning there was a TON of creamy white CM when I went to the bathroom, and last night I was so tired I went to bed at 830 and slept through to 745 this morning.


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - goodness you can't just drop that the HPT is drying and not give us results. Update please.

And I prefer quads to rollerblades as well, and I really hadn't skated since I was a kid, so had to relearn everything when joining. I'm not super great or anything and still get wobbly at times. It's alot of blocking and hitting and mash ups that can catch you off balance. There's tons of teams in California too, IRYM. Just depends on where you are at.


----------



## ireadyermind

Well that's because I only posted a few minutes ago! lol. It's looking like a BFN. I'll probably look at it again in a few hours because I can't help myself. Maybe we'll see something then. AF isn't due until tomorrow morning or so. Hopefully she stays away for 9mos and I get a BFP! lol

There's a roller derby here in town but I *believe* it's a college team? 

I'd never be able to get into the sport now, with my old foot injury that never healed, my spinal issues and my weight. But had I known it was a thing when I was younger.... look out, world! Haha


----------



## BronteForever

Well that sucks. I hope it changes to a BFP or it's just early still. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. 

And you should go check out derby to watch sometime. It's fun. I'm not aware of any college teams, but anything is likely. It's more likely to just have a lot of college-age members on the team. 

Good luck and keep us updated.


----------



## ireadyermind

The team name's the same as a local junior college. I could be wrong about it, I haven't really researched it! But that's what made the most sense to me. haha

With my BFP/miscarriage I didn't get a line until about 16DPO. On 14dpo I had one that only showed up hours after the test had dried, so I'm wondering if that might be what's happening now?

I went back through my last 2 years of charts and on every cycle EXCEPT the miscarriage cycle, by 15dpo my temp had already dropped to 98.0 or lower, and AF arrived the next day.

At this point I'm half excited, half confused!


----------



## BronteForever

I will remain cautiously optimistic for you then!


----------



## beccabonny

*Bronte*, I'm so glad I'm not the only one who is still affected by that fitness test. They really should have worked us up to the test instead of just subjecting us to it, right? Anyway, even women testing in the military have a hard time doing pull-ups...but definitely, GOALS! :)

My SO is pretty intense, but 50k?!? wow! One thing I think of is that our babies will have that athletic encouragement growing up, which I love! Good habits for life! I have heard of P90X but it seems really hardcore! I like the idea of something that provides portion control, so if I don't get results like I want maybe I'll look into that! 

Those recipes look delicious! Definitely want to try out.

*Swimmy*, thank you for the welcome! I'm excited to be here :) Where in MI do you live? I love it up there! I know what you mean about beer, I'm a big fan and splurge once in a while on some nice IPAs, but I've been trying really hard to be good after the fam left. I'm not buying any more unless AF shows up in a couple weeks...or, we go fishing this weekend....

*IRYM *- Fx for you!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Becca* - I was always horrendous on those fitness tests, too. I was born with spinal issues and the test administrators never seemed to take that into account. Even with that problem, which resulted in things like me not being able to bend fully at the waist, they expected me to perform to the same extent as "normal" girls. In fact, I had to remove the massive plastic back brace I wore 22hrs per day to complete those tests. lol

Add in the fact that I'm almost 6 feet tall and that they don't scale the tests based on your height or build, and I pretty much failed every single thing they threw at me. The "sit and reach" test scores were particularly low. Partially because I had ridiculously long legs, and partially because I can't bend fully at the waist. To this day, despite fitness routines, stretching, and some yoga/pilates, I still cannot bend over and touch my own toes. :dohh:

I think those tests are pretty ridiculous and I agree that the physical education program should spend the year working kids up to the point that they have a chance to pass the tests, and then test them at the end of the school year. I _think_, but I'm not sure, that our tests were always in late winter, just a few months after we'd started classes. How silly!


----------



## BronteForever

Do they even do fitness tests like that still? I have no clue. But yeah, some of them were always pretty ridiculous. 

Becca - 21 Day fix is no where near as tough as P90X. There is 21 Day Fix Extreme which is tougher. But the 21 Day Fix they always have a "modifier" person on it as well, and I'm usually with her on a lot of the exercises. My extra weight just makes it a bit of a challenge in general. But I like the variety and it's an easy workout to get in. I love the idea of only working out for 30 minutes. Anything after that just seems intimidating sometimes. 

And yeah, my husband scares me sometimes with his running and swimming. Especially the 50K. He has a heart condition and an artificial heart valve as well, which frightens me sometimes. But there's no way he will be talked out of exercising less or in moderation and his cardiologist is well aware of his training schedule. He has had to make some adjustments in his meds, but he stays on top of it. Ironically, I think supposedly contact sports are worse for heart issues and since his surgery he should be fine. But I still worry. I am glad our kids will grow up with an athletic mindset. Sports were always really important to me growing up.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Bronte* - You know, I'm not sure they still do! If they stopped, I'd be glad for all those poor kids who'd essentially get told they're failures for something no one ever helped them learn how to do! 

Wow, I didn't know your DH had heart problems! It's awesome to hear that he can still do those marathons like he wants to, instead of being told he needs to stick to just plain walking or swimming or something.



AFM - 16 DPO this morning, no sign of AF yet. Feeling a little crampy, but bone dry otherwise. My temp did drop to almost 98.0, though - so I expect she'll be here any minute. 

UNLESS my body decides to follow the same rules everyone else's does and remember that the temps are still above the cover line and therefore AF should stay away! lol FXd


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - good luck. Hope the temp stays up. Sorry for the slight drop though. 

And DH likes to tell me since his surgery and his heart valve replacement he's actually more equipped than someone with a "regular" heart to work correctly, since he's part bionic now. It's partially true but still, I think he's eventually going to have to slow down a bit on the long distances. Men...


----------



## ireadyermind

lol I bet he just likes to think of himself as the Bionic Man! ;)


Aannddd I posted too soon. lol. AF arrived just a bit ago. VERY light and none of the major cramps I usually get, but BFN also. So this isn't just spotting that will clear up and magically turn into a BFP. Bummer!


On the other hand... Now I can finally go get my CD7 blood tests done and see where my hormones are for the endocrinologist. If I can get my hormones treated under the label of "PCOS treatment" and NOT infertility, then insurance will cover some of the bills. Huzzah! lol


Edit: So I decided to step on the scale today because I'm too anxious to wait for Monday's weigh-in, and I'm down almost two pounds since last weigh-in! Wow! I hope that's the Metformin working and not some random water weight loss! Haha


----------



## BronteForever

So sorry IRYM - that stinks. But I love your positive outlook on it and hope you manage to get the hormones tested. That will be great if they can bill it under the PCOS to cover it!


----------



## ireadyermind

I always try to find at least one good thing to look forward to every month, or else I would really just spiral down into depression. That's something I struggle with too. And it's so easy to start to think about all the things going wrong in your life..!

So I started finding things to look forward to every month when AF showed up, and now it's become a good habit.

This coming cycle, I'm going to work harder on sticking to my food limitations:
-- Under 100 net grams of carbs every day (currently around 125 - 140 the past few days)
-- Drinking plenty of water
-- Picking low GI snacks over high GI ones

If I can consistently lose 2lbs a week, I will be roughly 32lbs lighter in time for Halloween! If the Met helps me lose closer to 3lbs a week, that's even better. :)

I can't even imagine what it'd be like to be 50lbs lighter! Is that silly? Feeling like I've always been this heavy and will always be this heavy? I was once only slightly overweight, but the worse my hormones got, the heavier I got!


----------



## beccabonny

IRYM, sorry to hear AF has struck again! It will, however, be great to move forward with testing. NICE on the insurance loopholes, I wish you much luck on that front. I'm also excited about your WL news! I've been super bloated the last three days and am nervous about the weigh-in. We haven't been eating well or exercising due to my extra workday hours this week. 

It's not at all silly to feel stuck where you are, but there's every chance you won't be! It sounds like you do a great job staying positive. Depression is difficult, I know from first hand experience. 

I really admire your goals for next cycle :) 

Bronte, lol @ bionic man! Men, seriously! Sounds like he's at least aware and educated on what he should be cautious about, though, which is great.


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies
I've missed a lot :) 

Hi there becca! All the best with your weight loss and ttc journey. :)

Swimmy- so sorry to hear about the blood sugar and gd issues, you seem to be handling it like a pro though.

Irym- sorry about AF but good news that you will finally get some decent blood tests done. Hope they can figure out the problem.

Urs- good luck with the surgery! Do they expect you to lose a certain amount of weight before surgery to prove you are committed to a lifestyle change? (Sorry if that seems like a dumb question but that's what I've seen on weight loss surgery TV shows.... just want to know if it's always the case "in real life".) If so, what are your plans? Man that is a potentially life-changing decision.

Mrstigger- gl sticking to your awesome plan!

Bronte- what are you eating protein-wise? You ideally need loads of protein... some with every meal, during ivf and after. I can just imagine how hard it is when you don't eat a lot of meat. 

I'm doing terribly with my weight and fitness atm! I didn't think it would be this hard but I'm very very hungry all the time (shaky, dizzy, fainting kind of hungry) and I'm currently eating almost twice as much as I did a month ago! It doesn't help that hubby started buying me lots of sweets; no excuse I know! Exercise wise- it's winter and I'm frozen solid most of the time so getting up earlier to exercise is just not happening. Also, first trimester fatigue/laziness is a real thing! 

I've already put on a shocking 2,5kg (around 5+ pounds) which is too much for 1st trimester.... way too much for my health and fitness goals. I do NOT want to struggle for the rest of my life to lose baby weight and sit with even more unnecessary flab and cellulite. My age is definitely going to make getting back into shape more difficult in any case.

Soooo I'm hoping I can force myself out of my lethargy and eat better, exercise more, and post about it for accountability :) it does help a lot!

Atm my goal is to stop eating sweets, eat refined carbs only once a week (if that much) and force myself to eat more veggies every day (finding veg REALLY unappetizing atm but again, that's no excuse!).


----------



## BronteForever

Fern - I'm so glad you popped back on here. I miss you and miss hearing how everything is going for you. So sorry you are struggling with some weight. It doesn't sound like you have put on too much but I know it's so hard not too worry. 

I like your goals. I'm struggling with sweets right now myself. My trip sent me on a downward spiral and I haven't quite gotten back to keeping away from the pies and other sweets. Being summer here does make it a bit harder. 

Hopefully you can find some time, energy, and warmth to exercise more in there. Gentle ones that are good for baby. 

As far as protein, I said I normally don't eat meat but that's really what I have been trying to up in the last few months. 21 day fix has helped because I'm more mindful of getting in protein. I eat eggs and cottage cheese. But I've been adding in much more lean chicken, turkey, and even fish. I'm actually learning how to cook it. I've been a bit bad this week since I still need to go grocery shopping (on the agenda today). 

Anyway so glad to hear you are mostly doing good. 

Have you had ultrasounds yet?


----------



## Fern81

Sorry bronte! I misunderstood you and was wondering what do you do for protein; beans & lentils or something else? Lol I should read more carefully! Good job on making such an effort :).

Yep one scan, 7 weeks, all good. Next one only when I'm 12 weeks.


----------



## BronteForever

My husband eats a ton of beans and lentils since he's vegetarian but I normally don't like the taste. So I have been trying really hard on protein. It's definetly helping me lose weight though because I just wasn't getting enough to help my body function correctly. I do know it's so important during IVF and pregnancy too. 

So glad to hear the 7 week ultrasound went well. Yay! I'm still so happy for you.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - So good to hear from you! I can relate on being too cold to function properly during winter time. I just do not handle the cold well at all! Glad to hear your ultrasound went well. :) 

*Bronte* - What about protein shake powders? They're an easy way to add a good 20g of protein to your diet every day, and if you look for "lite" or low sugar options, you'll avoid too many calories or too much sugar... It was helpful to me to add that in to my daily diet back when I was still learning how to plan out all my meals and finding stuff that worked for me.

They're easy to keep on hand, too. When I still worked retail I'd keep a cup of dry powder in my locker at work and whenever I needed it, I'd go mix in the water or milk or whatever I had on hand and drink that shake on one of my short breaks. It really helped!

You could do similar by carrying some with you in your purse, along with a bottle of water - or ask for ice water from a shop or soda vendor while you're out and about so you don't have to drink warm protein shake. lol

If you find one that tastes good to you, like a chocolate, strawberry or other flavor, then it might also curb your cravings for sweets at the same time. Bonus!

I order Muscle Milk online. They have a huuuuge selection of flavors and they're pretty good too! There are light/low cal options available too.


----------



## BronteForever

Oh I do protein shakes every morning for breakfast too. Forgot to mention that. I take Shakeology right now. I like it first thing in the morning to help keep cravings down all day. And it's easy for me to drink on my way to work. It's pretty expensive but my sister-in-law is a Beachbody coach so everytime I order she gets a bit of money. She's younger than me and had breast cancer last year so they have a ton of bills from that still. I don't feel as bad spending the money because I know she's getting some of it.


----------



## swimmyj1

Hope all my USA gals are having a good 4th weekend :) i have way over done the carbs today and my sugars have been crap. At least with checking my sugars it keeps me very accountable for what I am eating and how much walking i'm doing. 

IRYM - i'm sorry AF got you :( but I'm super happy for your weight loss! I usually gain weight with AF so the fact you lost is amazing! Hopefully your right and you can keep it going, 50lbs by Oct that would be life changing :) can't wait to see how your labs are 

Bronte - what kind of shakes do you like from that? I can never seem to find one that I can stand the taste long enough to stick with it.

Fern - So glad to hear from you! I'm sorry your feeling so poorly, have you tried sugar free hard candy? sometimes just having something to suck on but not actually eating made me feel better. However I was the opposite and was sick a lot and not hungry. Hang in there hun!

AFM - feeling super lazy, I just want to lay in a pool and do nothing. Hoping I can snap myself out of this lazy behavior, because I am putting on pounds faster than I would like. Having another ultrasound in a few weeks to check growth sense my belly is measuring big.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Thanks! I was surprised to see the weight drop, too. Usually I bloat up around ovulation and stay bloated clear through AF, and then it comes off for a few weeks. What a nasty cycle! Messing up women's weigh-ins and making them feel defeated all the time! :dohh:

If you are feeling you want to stay in the pool all day, what if you tread water or swim some easy laps? Two birds with one stone! Haha




I forgot to weigh before I ate breakfast this morning, whoops! I'll make sure to do it tomorrow morning and update my tracker page.

Meanwhile, I've been doing pretty well on food this weekend. DH and I went to a movie and dinner with friends on Saturday night. I ordered a chicken sandwich and then only ate half, and saved the other half for later. Then DH and I had a drive-thru lunch yesterday while we were out running errands, and I ordered a half chicken salad with low calorie vinaigrette dressing, instead of a burger, and had ice water instead of soda. Dinner last night was BBQ'd hotdogs, and I splurged and had hotdog buns with mine, which I never do. But we had fresh fruit as our side dish instead of things like potato or pasta salads, which are our normal 4th of July side dishes.

All in all, I'm getting better at making good choices even when they're hard. I hope to be able to keep it up. :)


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, back to the daily grind today gals! :)

How's everyone feeling? Have we all made good food choices so far today?


----------



## MissDoc

Hi ladies. I've decided I need to rejoin you all. I have made some healthy changes in that I'm consistently exercising 4 days per week (using my favorite beachbody brand program/videos). I'm having a colleague come over and do that workouts with me tue, thur, sat, and sundays so it's keeping me accountable. And I've added in lots of great and nutritious foods and am cooking dinner almost every night at home (things like lentil spinach stew, salmon burger, chicken with blackbeans and sweet potatoes, etc.). BUT I am still eating a lot of sugary and snacky junk in addition to that. Though I've adjusted some of habits, it's not helping my weight/physique because I'm still out eating any training or modifications I'm doing. Like today I had a half caff coffee with whole milk and stevia, fresh pineapple (with the core), and a Kind protein bar for breakfast. Then chicken salad with spinach and wheat roll for lunch. And am planning lentil, potato, spinach stew with wheat pita on the side for dinner. And I'll be lifting weights and doing abs this evening. BUT I've eaten 2 big bowls of ice cream. Sigh. 

Soooo, now I need to take the next step and cut out or cut back on the junky stuff and stop disrupting my progress. 

I haven't weighed in a while because my scale needs batteries, but I think I'm between 148-150, and my happy place is 133-138, so dropping 10-15 lbs would be great. Or if I get preggo sooner than that (which I certainly hope I do), then better eating and health will serve me well anyhow.

Actively TTC still. Currently 2 dpo. Trying pineapple, brazil nuts, and lots of leafy greens during this 2ww. 

Are you ladies using any formal tracking/checking in right now, or just checking in as desired here and there? I need to get back in the mix!


----------



## beccabonny

Hi Fern! Thanks for the warm wishes. Sorry to hear about your struggles; try to not stress too hard! Everyone gains differently during pg - 5lbs may seem like a lot now, but that could slow down. Your goals sound good and very realistic :) Glad to hear everything is good on the scan front!

Bronte, how is it learning to cook fish? I&#8217;ve always been super-intimidated by it.

IRYM, sounds like you did great this weekend! 

I&#8217;m a little bummed that I didn&#8217;t lose anything this last week, but it was a holiday weekend and I worked extra hours, so&#8230;.at least I didn&#8217;t gain anything. I can focus on being healthier this week! I did well not overdoing it with beer or sweets, so that&#8217;s something.

Welcome back MissDoc! I&#8217;m checking in here once a week for now.


----------



## BronteForever

MissDoc - welcome back. Sweets are my weakness as well and I've found I just have to get rid of them all together when I'm trying to lose weight and then try to add them in a bit if I'm maintaining. I can't seem to find a happy medium as far as they are concerned. I'm fine with fruits and natural sweets, but I have to pretty much get rid of all cookies, pies, cakes, ice cream, etc. when trying to lose weight. It sucks. Good luck on your goals.

Swimmy - I like the vanilla Shakeology and I blend it with unsweetened almond milk, half a banana, small spoonful of almond butter or natural peanut butter, and ice. That's my favorite. But the vanilla allows you to mix it much easier to make more combos than any of the other flavors. I actually really like them now. I have to use almond milk though, not a fan of just water.

Becca - well I'm mostly doing shrimp or buying pre-cut and seasoned frozen fish (which probably isn't the healthiest). I don't make fish much at all, since I tend to stick with turkey and chicken. But I've been trying it. I'm not a cook, so I have to do easier stuff or it won't happen at all.

And holidays are always hard to lose stuff. 

AFM - I actually maintained this week which I find fascinating, since I feel super bloated from my meds. I will take it!!


----------



## drjo718

Bronte, your egg retrieval is soon! How are things looking?


----------



## BronteForever

Dr Jo - it's looking pretty good. Retrieval was originally set for tomorrow but it will likely get pushed back to Friday. I'll find out tomorrow at my ultrasound. I have between 20-25 follicles but alot of them are small and won't catch up. There are about 11 that should be in range on Friday. We'll see.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

Just checking in.

My eating was pretty "meh" for the last week. Not terrible, but not good. However, today I've started up the Nupo diet again (which is a Danish meal replacement VLCD) which I had really good success with in the past and I think will fit better with my super busy lifestyle (since I'm busy and tired I usually end up eating badly; with this I don't have to think too hard about food; just make sure to throw drinks / bars into my bag).

I finally got a positive OPK yesterday on CD21. 4 days later than normal (usually positive OPK on CD17), but anyway we covered it BD-wise, so on now I just wait. But I'm focusing on food in the meantime; I'm determined to get to my needed weight before my November appointment. I can't stand having to wait longer for fertility treatments because my BMI is too high.

In other news, DH scheduled his SA for the week of July 25th. I'll be traveling that week for work so it seemed like the most convenient time.

I'll check in again later and try to catch up! Hope you are all well! :hugs:


----------



## ireadyermind

Good to hear from so many people!

And welcome back, *MissDoc*! We're still doing Monday weigh-ins and keeping charts. You can see links to all current members' charts on the very first page. If you want to make a new chart, go right ahead and I'll add you to the list! :) Some of us are also using MyFitnessPal to track food, see each others' progress and so on.

I was doing weekly challenges, but then we got a big uptick in BFPs and it was only me and Ursaula doing the weight loss thing for a bit, so I stopped! Haha


*Mrs. Tigger* - I hope the Nupo diet works for you! I've done Medifast in the past, and while it does get the weight off, as soon as I went back to eating my own food, all the weight just piled back on! Even when I gradually switched off the food, and was eating at what should have been maintenance calorie levels. Bah! But I think a lot of that had to do with my hormones being out of whack with PCOS? Who knows...

Anyway I look forward to seeing your results with that!


*Becca* - Good job not overdoing it with beer or sweets. I think we all have trouble with sugary stuff, eh? I know I sure do, and Bronte said she does as well...

Sugar has been proven to be addictive, so I can see why we all have trouble kicking the habit!



AFM - I go in for my blood tests tomorrow. Here's hoping we get to the bottom of my problems!

Meanwhile, I had a dream the night before last that DH and I found the home of our dreams and bought it. I woke up feeling determined to make that happen! We've been buying "stepping stone homes", which are basically older, run down homes that we could live in a while, fix up and sell at a higher value than we paid so that we can afford a better home later. 

And lately we've been kinda stalling out on getting this house fixed up. I've mentioned before that there are some tasks that I can't do due to allergies (I'm severely allergic to grass), or physical limitations that I need DH to help with, and he has just been dragging his heels so badly... We wanted our back yard to be finished LAST MONTH and we haven't even started on it yet! :dohh:

So last night we sat down and had a discussion. We worked out how much funds we could put into savings every month, how we could cut back on some expenses, how much to put toward credit card bills to pay them off so that when it comes time to apply for a new mortgage, we're in a prime position to get it done...

Our Realtor says that spring is the best time to put a house on the market, so we're going to do as much as we possibly can to this house by February and on the 28th, take stock of all our improvements and see if we're ready to put this place on the market. 

So I guess wish us luck! We have several big things that need fixing here, most of which we can do ourselves without needing permits or anything. It's going to be a chaotic 8mos ahead of us!


----------



## beccabonny

Tigger - I guess meh is better than bad, right? I hope things go well with the Nupo diet. The less thinking about food there is, the better, IMHO. Congrats on the posi OPK! I'm still waiting on mine. Hope this will be your month! Sounds like you are on the right track. Hopefully the SA will turn out all good. 

IRYM - sugar is definitely a problem! It is hard not to get carried away when this area takes ice cream so seriously! You can't go a mile without passing an ice cream place. At least when I do fall to temptation I eat slowly and give the part I don't eat to SO. He eats everything I do (and more) and maintains the same weight. Sometimes I'm a bit jealous! 

Can't wait to see how your tests turn out tomorrow. 

Sounds like you have a big task ahead of you with the house, but you guys will get it done. Just one thing at a time as you can. It can be frustrating when DH doesn't get to stuff - I hope he is able to stop dragging his feet so much! At least you're able to prepare for your next move and have a time table in front of you. My SO and I are in the early stages of looking for a home to buy. The market is not great for selling here, so we would have to find something we want to keep permanently, or possibly rent out one day if we decide to move somewhere else. The upside is that homes are pretty cheap. The idea of fixing a place up is so appealing - you must feel so accomplished when you finish one! I wish you all the luck in the world :)


----------



## BronteForever

Mrs. Tigger - good luck as you start a new diet. Hope it really helps with your cravings and helps you get in nutritional food without too much work. When I get really busy I find it hard to eat healthier as well. 

November isn't too far away so best wishes getting your BMI down for the appointment. 

IRYM - good luck with blood tests tomorrow. Really hope they can give you some answers and solutions to help. Your house jobs sound like a lot of fun but I do know they can definetly get overwhelming at times. Good luck on all your projects and hope they dream hope is out there waiting for you. 

Becca - how fun you might be house shopping soon as well. Good luck!


----------



## MissDoc

Thanks, all! 

Bronte, I hope you have some great ones ready for retrieval later this week!

Tigger, it's great you guys had the BD situation covered despite the odd delay in O'ing. I o'd later than ever too this month and was thrown off by it.


IRYM, I hope your bloodwork goes well and is very informative. I commend you guys on the house flipping. That seems really rewarding when it all comes together. We bought our home about 2 years ago and plan to stay in it for 10+ years. There's so much we want to do, but are hellbent on being debt free first (my student loans will be paid off in November, then need to work on an emergency fund, then will aggressively pay toward the mortgage for awhile) before we take on any projects.

Today is a better day healthwise so far. I've had about 50 oz water, and healthy and balanced breakfast and lunch. Did have some vanilla cookies as a snack, but didn't go overboard. Dinner will be salmon burgers and broccoli. Today is a no-exercise day, but will work getting 10k steps on my fitbit. Oh, I plan on buying new batteries for the scale in the next day or two so I can weigh and get a sense for where I'm at number wise and what I'm working with.


----------



## ireadyermind

*MissDoc* - Thanks! I just got back from the lab, and let me say -- I've been "needled" tons of times before today, but today's jab really hurt! Ugh. I think there'll be a bruise there. Ah well. It's all for a good cause, eh?


Good job doing better on your eating and water yesterday! I know that can be really hard. Especially if you get cravings or PMS symptoms as soon as you ovulate. Do you plan your day's food ahead of time, or do you just have a general idea, or do you just wing it based on what's in your pantry? (I almost typed "panty." What an unfortunate typo that would have been!)



As for the house flipping... We never really _intended_ to be house flippers, and I guess technically we aren't since we live in each home for a few years before moving on, but so far it's just been sheer luck that homes we've purchased and fixed up have turned out to be worth way more than we paid! Our first home was a short sale, and the price was so greatly reduced that it cost less than the price of a used luxury car. lol!

This is the second home we've purchased and will be selling. Now that we're a little more "in the know", when we go to buy my supposed dream home (lol), I'll deliberately look for homes which are short sales, foreclosures or fixers so that we have almost instant equity when we buy one. That's a nice safety net, I think. To be able to borrow against the house in cases of emergency.


----------



## MissDoc

IRYM, it IS for a good cause. All worth it in the end and those memories will melt away when you have your bfp.  

Haha, I sort of plan my meals. We plan dinners for the week over the weekend because that's when we do our grocery shopping. Lunch is often leftovers or something simple to throw together if there aren't any decent leftovers. Breakfast is always half caff coffee with whole milk and either high protein yogurt or a kind protein bar and banana. So meals are becoming pretty settled, but it's the snacking and the sweet junk that gets me. I lose my willpower in the afternoons and want chocolatey or cheesy things, lol. 

Yesterday went very closely to my plan. Ended with 80+ oz water, ate about 1900 calories and burned about 2400 (per my fitbit charge HR monitor), got my 10k steps. 

Today hasn't been the best so far... way too high calorie only half way through the day. Breakfast was half caff coffee with whole milk, a high protein yogurt with a tbs of plum jam added for sweetness, and 3 brazil nuts. Then late morning I had like 8 pieces of candy without realizing until afterwards that added up to a whopping 680 cals. They were little chocolate/caramel squares. Lunch was a little chicken salad and an ounce of white cheddar cheese on the side. I'm going to try to just eat carrots and pineapple if I'm hungry before dinner. Dinner will be martha stewart's one-pan pasta with a side salad and likely a small glass of white wine. Will aim for 10k steps and I have a 35-40 min workout video to do these eve. I'll aim for 80 oz water again. The crappy part is I've had a ton of calories but feel hungry because so many of them were empty candy calories. Grrr.


----------



## ireadyermind

I hate that!

Yesterday I tried so hard to eat well, had egg whites with a little cheese for breakfast, my snacks were low fat yogurts, fruit, string cheese, etc. even though I was eating well, I was absolutely starving by lunch time... Decided to add a large helping of sugar free jello to the menu to try and fill the bottomless pit my stomach seemed to be, and that didn't help either... Finally caved and had peanut butter and crackers, and THAT seemed to stop the urge to devour everything in sight.

Why are our bodies convinced that "enough" food isn't actually enough!? lol


----------



## swimmyj1

I think im going to try the shakes with the almond milk. Hopefully I didn't like them because I was using water and they just tasted like poo haha. 
Started back on metformin yesterday, only 500mg daily for now but it is messing with my GI something horrible. I don't remember it being like this when I was on the 1,000 but maybe I just don't remember it. 

IRYM - can't wait for you lab results! Very envious that you have the energy and patience to fix up homes. We have lived in our house for 2 years and I hate the kitchen and bathroom but the idea of redoing them makes me freaked so I just live with it. 

Bronte - 11 eggs! that would be great!! I can't wait to hear how it went today, rest up!

Tigger - fingers are crossed on the SA! Hopefully using this diet will get you down before your appointment :)


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Some days I definitely do not have the energy! And the majority of the work we're doing is small: patching up cracks, dents and dings; beautifying the front lawn, including removing a tree stump; painting.... There are a few things that are too big for us to handle alone. We are hiring that out! I certainly don't have the strength, energy or motivation to handle the back yard myself! Who wants to get up at the crack of dawn and slave all day long to get work done for FREE? Not me! I will gladly pay someone whose job it is, and who had all the right tools AND the proper insurance! :haha:


As for the test results, we got some of them back which were repeats of the ones I had done last month. Still waiting on Testosterone to come back, which is what they missed last time and wanted me to do this time around. I am so impatient to see what that comes back as!


----------



## MissDoc

Hi ladies! Hope you're all doing well. I'm in a bit of stressful patch. Worked 15 hours yesterday and have been working 11 hours today so far with only about 30 minutes break for lunch because I'm just so busy. So eating and activity haven't been the best last night and today. But I'm doing a whole body weights workout with a friend tonight when I get home from work, so hopefully that'll help out. 

TTC wise, I'm 6dpo, but CD 23 of a typically 27-28 day cycle, and I'm feeling minor cramps as I usually do, so I'm not feeling optimistic. But too busy to obsess over it either.


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - hope you get more results soon. I had high testosterone and frankly I'm not sure what it even means. I'd wager with PCOS yours might be a tad high as well so I'm curious to see what they tell you and paths they put you on to help. How are the results that have come back so far?

I agree with you on hiring out jobs. I'd much rather do that. We live in a house built in 1929 so we always have projects come up. The sink in our downstairs bathroom started leaking about a year ago. But the hubby didn't want to pay to have anyone do it. He started working on it. But couldn't fix it. Then he had to chisel out plaster to access more of the pipe. It's been sitting like that for months now. He's moved on and started other projects and we continue to have a sink less bathroom. Plus we have to maneuver around it to get to the toilet. Would have been fixed a year ago if we'd just called someone. Grrr. 

MissDoc - wow you sound super busy with work. I'm very impressed if you found time to workout in there. Great job. Good luck this cycle. 

AFM - retrieval went well. They got 14 eggs and 9 have fertilized now (we had a straggler that waited till this morning but managed to fertilize ) so now we wait. We are doing genetic testing on just the chromosomes to help find the embryos most likely to implant and least likely to miscarry due to my age. So transfer should happen in September.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Bronte* - Woo! How exciting! FXd for you! :dust:

That bathroom sink sounds like how my DH handles things. He took on the job of fixing our leaky sink himself, but took for EVER to complete it and left a bucket under the leaky pipe so that the water wouldn't get everywhere.. It's still in need of a few final touches, but we finally got the last piece he needed yesterday, after the sink has been leaking for several months. :dohh: 


*MissDoc* - Cramps can go either way! You're still in and your temps look good. FXd!



AFM - Super excited about this home repair stuff. I've been looking at sale listings in the area we want to buy a house, but I know I shouldn't. We're about 8mos away from putting THIS house on the market, and we're in no position to buy one right now (still saving up a little bit more cash for a down payment) - but I can't help it! There are some beautiful homes and amazing properties and I'm just so excited. Haha

I even went out to help DH with yardwork today. Did as much as I could before my skin started itching and the sneezes set in. Even after a double dose of allergy meds, I can't hack it out there. Haha. 

When we're all settled into our new house, I'm definitely looking into allergy treatment from my physician, 'cause this is nuts! I've put it off long enough! lol


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hello Ladies :flower:

Just checking in.

I'm doing well on my diet; the VLCD with meal replacements does well with me; then I don't have to think about food and I'm getting a balanced mixed of protein, fats, and carbs. In the evenings I'm having a small snack if I'm hungry, of either canned tuna with lemon pepper or hard-boiled egg with some salt. The hardest part has been not having my coffee w/ milk throughout the day. My only real side effect has been tiredness; I've started taking extra Vitamin C and that seems to help. I've made a new ticker to track what I need to lose before my appointment (and gave myself a 2 kg buffer in case I'm bloated on appointment day :winkwink:).

Today I'm 3 DPO (I am pretty sure -- this cycle was a weird cycle; I think maybe having gained a few kg of fat may have messed a bit with my hormones -- good thing I'm fixing that :thumbup:), but I'm not worrying about TTC this month (though DH and I did have good timing BD-wise, so we'll see). For now I'm focused on weight loss. I've got upcoming work travel and I'm prepping how I'm gonna deal with my diet on that trip; I think I'll mostly plan on packing a lot of my meal replacements and taking them with me. There might be some business lunches or dinners I can't politely get out of, but if I can just manage something healthy there, I think I'll probably be OK.

All this talk about houses makes me want to start looking, lol. We bought our apartment back in 2012 and have been fixing different things on it, but luckily it was mostly renovated before we moved in. We had the kitchen floor replaced (it was an original soft-wood floor and this building is from 1918, so it was splitting, sagging, etc). We had tile put in and it's much better. :thumbup:

*iredyermind* - Please let us know what the testosterone results are! With PCOS, mine was a little elevated.

*bronte* -- So exciting that they got so many eggies! If transfer will be in September, then what will they do with them now? Freeze them? (Sorry, I don't know much about IVF)


----------



## swimmyj1

Bronte - can't wait to find out the genetic work up of your eggies :) that is an amazing # that took!! A friend that is due next week only got 1 from hers. So excited for you! 

IRYM - haha that's exactly what I would do, pay someone else to do it hehe. There is no harm in looking at what is on the market right now. Heck its even pretty smart then you get a good idea of what you budget will get you and what area's have the most open. I think i was looking online for about 3-4 months before we actually started looking looking haha. Its so much fun to look and dream!

Doc - I hear ya! try not to work too hard, great job getting to the gym anyway though, very impressed. I work 12 hours shifts and after work I just go home and crash. For a while I was doing really good and going for a quick 1-2 mile hike but then it got too hot, hopefully this fall/winter I can pick it back up.

Tigger - love the tracker idea! will the business dinners be at restaurants that you could look up the menu's ahead of time? Sometimes it has helped me before to do that then I know what the healthy options are. I know you can do it!


----------



## MissDoc

Thanks, ladies. I think working/stressing too much led to me getting sick. :-( Saturday night I was both chilled and sweating all night and then all day yesterday (Sunday) and still today. Just hot flushes and sweating easily but no actual fever. A tiny part of me is hoping it has to do with implantation and not just a regular old cold/virus. I was reading that some women experience hot flushes around that time. Before my period I always have one night of nightsweats and restless sleep, but this has been multiple nights and day times too, so who knows. Today is 8dpo, and I'm wishing for this week to zoom by so I can start testing. My eating has not been ideal (plenty of nutritious foods, but still oversnacking). Hopefully today it'll be back evened out.

Bronte-- that seems like a great number of eggs! Like Tigger, I don't know much about IVF... why do you have to wait until September for the next step?

IRYM-- Oh I so know that house fever feeling. It's hard not to look when you're in that stage! Congrats on making progress on the repairs. 

Tigger-- I hope your trip goes well and it doesn't feel too hard to stay on track. It seems that you're planning as much as you can, so that should help with success! Nice work on the well timed BD despite not really focusing on TTC right now. Never hurts to try a little anyway. ;-)

Swimmy-- I don't blame you for not wanting to go out in the heat after a long shift + pregnant. That does not sound appealing! Hopefully in a few months it'll start feeling nice again.


----------



## ireadyermind

Morning, gals! It sounds like we were all pretty busy over the weekend, hey?

DH and I got the back yard cleaned up, some tree stumps removed and weeds cleared out. We went along the fences and looked at what needs repairing there. We also bought weed killer for the side yards and the stuff that's sprouting up between the cracks in the patio and did some quick work on the front yard.

It doesn't look like much, but it's progress and that makes me happy! :)


But we had 2 nights of takeout dinner after being just plain exhausted and too tired to cook, so this morning I was unsurprised to see I'm bloated and retaining water like mad. 4 extra pounds of it since Thursday! So I'm going with Thursday's weight on my chart this week, since I know for a fact I didn't gain 4lbs of fat in three days. lol


*Swimmy & MissDoc* - Thanks! :) We are still about 8mos out on house buying. I wanted to give us time to save up money AND we want to put the house on the market during peak buying season, so that's end of February here. It feels like it's forever from now!

*MrsTigger* - My testosterone was a little lower this month than when it was tested in August of last year. However, there's still more of it in my system than there is Estrogen, which is causing the same symptoms of elevated testosterone even if it's technically low. :dohh: I still haven't officially talked to my physician yet though, it's still early and she has to send my results to the endocrinologist first. I'm so impatient!


----------



## ireadyermind

Man, I'm still waiting to hear back on the test results from the endocrinologists. My physician has seen them and says that Estrogen is still low, but that she herself is waiting to hear back from Endocrinology with their thoughts on the subject. Sheesh!


----------



## BronteForever

Mrs Tigger - so glad your diet is going well. Yay! Traveling does really through off my eating habits and diet as well. It just gets hard when you get out of your normal schedule and food you spot when traveling is so tempting! Hope the packing works and you can find some nice, healthy alternatives when eating out.

Miss Doc - hope you feel better! Really hope that's a good sign of implantation instead of an illness. That would be wonderful!

Swimmy - thanks! How is your diet going? Have you been having to monitor your sugars daily then?

IRYM - hope you hear soon. It does seem to take forever to get an answer from the doctors sometimes. Sorry about the bloating. Hope it comes off soon. I'm still pretty bloated from all my meds as well and it's not fun.

AFM - to answer the questions: they will freeze the embryos as soon as they reach the blastocyst stage (which usually happens day 5 or 6 - should be tomorrow), since that's proven to be the most ideal stage for transferring the embryos back to the uterus and they hold up much better for freezing. The embryos also have to be a certain quality before they will freeze them as well. 

I could have done a "fresh" transfer as they call it, but chose to have genetic testing done on any that reach the blastocyst stage, because it will increase my odds of implantation by about 40 percent given my age and significantly decrease the chances of a miscarriage, since it basically weeds out the genetically abnormal embryos which cannot be viable. Sadly, since I'm 35, apparently half of all my eggs are supposed to be bad (which just seems sad). Anyway, we find out tomorrow how many made it, so we are expecting to lose quite a bit that didn't develop or continue to grow.


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies, reading along and loving everyone's goals :) weight loss and renovating, etc!

Missdoc I'm especially stalking for your tests in the next few days ;).

And IRYM to hear what your endocrinologist says.

I had a tummy bug on the weekend and ever since I've totally gone off sweets & junk food. Not that I was eating those every day, but I felt I was eating too many empty calories. So this week has been really good so far, only healthy foods. And I've done some exercise daily. Schools start again next week then I'll have to adapt my workout routine again and try not to get too lazy!


----------



## MissDoc

Bronte, thanks for the info! It's interesting to hear how that works and so depressing to hear the half of eggs are bad part, bleh! I hope you get good news about how many developed well!! Fingers crossed for you.

IRYM, I'm looking forward to hearing what the low estrogen will mean for you and what their plan will be for helping you address it. Hope you hear soon! 

Fern, way to go on making this a better week! Sorry to hear about the stomach bug though, those really are the worst. 


I have been a mess these past couple of days with health stuff. Starting to feel better but premenstrual cramps are getting worse, suggesting period rather than a BFP is coming. And I'm feel more sad than usual about that. I really, really wanted this to be our month. I have an appt with my obgyn tomorrow and I'll start talking to her about this fertility stuff. We ditched the protection back in 2015, but have only been having consistently well timed intercourse in the more recent past, so I don't know if they'll take me seriously yet but I hope they will. I'm 32, and no one in my family conceived past 24, which feels pretty dooming. Granted, there were lifestyle factors that likely affected them too, but still. Feeling a little pity party today over doing everything in the "right" order and getting my life together before TTC in earnest, and now that we are so very ready nothing is happening. Sorry for my whining, ladies! Tomorrow will be a better day!


----------



## ireadyermind

*MissDoc* - I can totally relate to your feelings! DH and I also waited to get our finances in order, get good jobs, buy a house, etc. before we started trying to conceive, and now we find out my body's so screwed up, I may have to resort to IVF... whereas my sisters both accidentally got pregnant before age 20, have lived off of government aid ever since, and never thought twice about it.

The only thing keeping me going is seeing that we now have a diagnosis of "low estrogen" and I'm going to be talking to someone about that soon!


Don't give up! If you're going to be talking to someone about infertility soon, you might discover that there was just one small thing that was throwing everything off. With any luck, it'll be an easy fix!


I had a dream last night that I was picking up medication from the pharmacy and was told by the pharmacist, "All it takes is one TINY little thing to be just a little bit off, and you won't conceive. I hope this medication helps you!" lol

My subconscious cheering me on, I guess.


*Fern* - Blech. Stomach flu is never fun! I'm glad you're through with it and able to get back to eating healthy stuff!


AFM - More house prep stuff lined up this week. Yesterday we had someone come and take some of the excess firewood in my back yard off our hands. Today we're having someone over to tune up the AC system. I've been trying to get a quote for someone to come out and pour concrete but haven't had much luck. It seems like a lot of businessmen around here won't work with a female customer. I might have to resort to having my husband call and make the appointment. Grr.


----------



## MissDoc

Thanks for the reassurance, IRYM. It's so annoying how easy it is for people who shouldn't procreate to get pregnant. 

I love that your subconscious is cheering you on, haha! Hopefully it's right!

So I visited my obgyn yesterday and she agreed to do bloodwork and an ovarian reserve test (AMH test) and a sonogram of my uterine area. I'm spotting now, so hopefully I start my period soon. If I start today or tomorrow, then I do the labwork on Monday, and the sono is scheduled for two weeks. I feel good about doing this first line of testing.

Healthwise, I have not done well this week. Starting today, I am going to log all of my food and count calories again. I'm exercising 4x a week, but I think on my 3 non-workout days I'll add in some light cardio (like a 30 minute brisk walk outside or on the treadmill). I think I'm going to go back to good old fashioned counting of calories in-calories out. I know I don't do well with a very low calorie diet (I get headaches, mood swings, etc. if I eat less than 1600 consistently), so I'll be aiming to eat between 1600-1900 calories, which would generally give me a 500 calorie deficit depending on my activity level each day. I feel like my weight is just creeping up and up and up and I need to get more serious about it.


----------



## ireadyermind

*MissDoc* - So glad your doctor agreed to get you started on tests right away! I hope you have an answer soon!

Calorie counting sounds like a good idea. I try to do that with MyFitnessPal, but I'm not very consistent at entering everything in like I ought. Swimmy added me as a friend on there, and I like being able to "like" her status updates and whatnot.

If you happen to set up an account there, let me know and I'll add you as a friend too! :)


----------



## ireadyermind

Good morning, happy Monday everyone!

New weigh-in today, and maybe a new challenge this week?

Who is up for a weekly challenge? For a while it was just me and Ursaula, and now that she's taking a break I only have myself to challenge! lol. So if anyone else is up for a challenge, let me know and we can start one.


----------



## MissDoc

I could be a little flaky with a challenge, I'll be honest. Lol. My current self challenge for this week is to hit 10k steps daily, stick to 4x week programmed exercise, and not have any days where I don't eat veggies.

Any self challenges you're working through right now?

Oh, adding that stupid AF came, as I knew she would. Since it was late Saturday when it came, Sunday is counted as CD 1, so my labs were bumped to tomorrow instead of today (as it has to be at least CD 3 when they do them). So tomorrow morning I go for them.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hey guys. I can't believe my eyes.

This is at 10 DPO.
 



Attached Files:







IMG_2016-07-18 22:56:35.jpg
File size: 27.4 KB
Views: 15


----------



## BronteForever

Congrats Mrs Tigger. Wonderful news. 

IRYM - I wouldn't mind doing challenges. I'm trying to go back to losing some weight now that this IVF cycle failed. I'd like to lose more before the next one.


----------



## drjo718

Tigger- oh my goodness, huge congrats!

Bronte- I'm so sorry to see that you need another ivf cycle. How are you handling it?


----------



## ireadyermind

*MissDoc* - Mostly, I'm challenging myself to make better food choices. The past week wasn't that great. I had ZERO motivation to cook anything! It's so darned hot, I just wanted to lay around in shorts and tank top and eat ice cream. Rofl.

*MrsTigger* - Omg! Those lines are wonderful at 10dpo! Congrats!
:dust:

*Bronte* - Aww, so sorry to hear that IVF failed! :cry:


AFM - Appointment with the endocrinologist today. I hope I get some sort of medication or something!  I'm due to O any day now and I feel like if I got a treatment started this cycle I might have a chance at a sticky bfp? I don't know. :dohh:


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - i have been seriously slacking on calorie counting. i had the week off work and just ate when and what I felt like (bad me!!) but for whatever reason I didn't have one bad blood sugar so go figure lol. Dreading getting on a scale on monday though :( let us know what your doc says about getting your hormones fixed!!

A friend of mine just put her house up for sale they did a lot of remodeling and updating. they asked 40,000$ more than they bought it for. It entered a bidding war on the 2nd day and they ended up selling it for 65,000$ more than they had bought it! i really need to look into home reno haha

Bronte - I am so sorry that IVF didn't work this cycle :( sending you lots of hugs and thoughts.

Tigger - those are amazing lines for 10dpo!! holy cow I didn't get a + on a digital until like 15dpo i think!. Fingers crossed this is a sticky bean!

AFM - It sounds horrible but I'm to the point were I would rather have some high sugars but eat fruit, than be eating not as good for you food and have good sugars. Does that sound bad? I just cant take not eating fruit in this heat but its totally ok to eat a burger or hotdogs at a bbq and feel yucky from all the meat.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - That doesn't sound crazy at all. Lately all I've wanted is salads and fruit - or fruit salads! - and it really sucks that those are off my list now!


As for the meeting with the Endocrinologist:

1. She took the time to ask me about my concerns and symptoms, and why I thought I might have PCOS.

2. She discussed PCOS with me and some of the possible treatments aside from Metformin, but we ruled those out because 1 was birth control, 1 was a med that can cause birth defects if you're on it and you get pregnant, and the other one was just clomid and all it's for is getting pregnant if you're not ovulating.

3. She checked my thyroid gland and test results, and while she was checking my neck, she noticed I have a large hump on the back of my neck. Well, that's a symptom of Cushing's Syndrome, and apparently that syndrome has a lot of similar symptoms as PCOS, so I have to get tests done to check for THAT now, too. Eesh!

4. Lastly, and perhaps the biggest part of the whole thing... After I left, she dug into my medical file and saw that I'd had a diagnostic ultrasound done last July. Lo and Behold, there were cysts all over my ovaries in the ultrasound! And my OB/GYN saw them in that ultrasound and STILL told me I didn't have PCOS, I just needed to eat better. I was pissed that the GYN still ignored me after all my complaints about ovary pain, long cycles, facial hair, etc.! 

Definitely switching to a different GYN for my next visit!

Now I have an official diagnosis of PCOS, for which I am already being treated. If I want to dig into the hormone issues further, I have to go back to the fertility clinic to talk to them.

In the meantime, there's the midnight saliva collection test I have to do for the Cushing's Syndrome. I could have BOTH of these syndromes and that'd be why it's so so so hard for me to lose weight, even when I'm doing everything right!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

*BronteForever* - I'm so sorry your IVF failed! Is there an explanation as for why, or it just happened? Will you be undergoing an identical protocol, or will something change the second time around?

* swimmyj1* - Good luck keeping those sugars under control! I can definitely understand the fruit craving!

* ireadyermind* - So glad you're getting answers. How long will it be before you know about the Cushings Syndrome test results?

*MissDoc* - I may have missed it -- what are you being tested for? Just the standard CD3 hormone checks?

*drjo718* - Thanks!

Thanks everyone for the congratulations -- it still hasn't completely sunk in yet! I'm so used to never seeing anything but a :bfn: that I'm just shocked. I keep staring at my test thinking, "Is that really mine?" And I'm so terrified of something going wrong that I am scared to get excited. I thought there was no chance this cycle as it was just such a weird cycle (I ovulated 5 days later than normal). I tested again today at 12DPO and on the blue dye test, the test line is now as dark as the control line. I also tested on a FRER and the test line is a bit lighter than the control line, but not much. I'm currently traveling and I'm 6 hours behind DH, so when I found out it was about 10:30 PM where I am and 4:30 AM where DH was, but I called him IMMEDIATELY. He was a little confused at first because he just woke up but is happy and sad that I'm away for another week and a half. :cloud9: When I get back home I'll be 5w2d (by my estimation), and I'll be in touch with my specialist. She wanted me to come in for an early scan and also get me in touch with a specialist to monitor my thyroid, but I've done as she instructed and started taking an extra half dose of my thyroid medication as soon as I got my :bfp:

I'm starting to get used to the idea, though, and I keep telling myself that 80% of pregnancies result in perfectly healthy babies. I'm going to cautiously make my way over to first tri, but I will still check in here as I want to not gain too much weight during my pregnancy and I want to see how all you lovely ladies are getting on. :hugs:


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - wow even more tests? Hopefully when they are all done you will have more answers. How incredibly frustrating that you had cysts before that could have been a big clue and your OB glazed over them. Super frustrating and I agree it's probably time to look for a new OB. 

Mrs. Tigger - I'm sure it has to be a shock. A very good one, but a shock still the same. I think being scared is perfectly natural especially after suffering a loss or taking long to TTC. But you are right in that the majority of pregnancies progress fine. Really hope you have a healthy one. 

AFM - I haven't had a follow up with the doctor that was subbing for my cycle or my doctor. Both are still on vacation this week. I meet with the sub doctor next week to hopefully get some answers. I really feel they stimmed me too long and it messed up my eggs. But we'll see what they say. I won't know what's changed for the next time until I talk to my doctor on August 10. For sure I'd hope they won't go two days at the end for an ultrasound and risk over stimming me again. Apart from that I have a ton of questions to ask about things to change. Again we'll see what they say.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs Tigger* - I'll take the test overnight from Friday into Saturday morning, and drop the test off at the lab first thing Saturday. That way me taking the car doesn't cause my husband to be late for work. And who knows? He may even come with me and we can go out to breakfast or something, after!

It's so exciting to hear about your BFP! Is this the first one you've EVER gotten? How awesome you must feel! I can completely understand about the nerves, though. With my BFP, I refused to tell anyone but DH and my mom about it because I was so nervous about complications and MCs. But try to stay positive!
:dust:

*Bronte* - I always feel a little offended when physicians go on vacation in the middle of something important. Like, how dare they leave me!? lol


AFM - My elderly kitty hasn't been doing well the past couple of days. She's still eating regularly, but is super weak and wobbly, has trouble standing and getting around, and just this morning has started hiding in the bathroom in the dark... I'm so sad. I've owned her since she was a baby, and she was my BFF all through high school. She slept with me every night and rode around the house on my shoulder! :cry: 

She's 16 - 17 years old, though, so I've been suspecting this for some time. It's just hard. I'm almost afraid to go in and check on her throughout the day. :(


----------



## BronteForever

I'm not offended the physician left, but I'm pissed i wasn't properly looked after in his absence. This cycle cost me $17,000 or slightly more (none of it paid by insurance). That's a ton of money for me not to be looked at properly. And I wasn't told my physician was going on a month-long vacation. The physician I did have made two very poor calls that now have set me up worse for a next cycle. That's a huge deal.

IRYM - so sorry about your cat. How sad. Even when it's expected, it's not easy.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Yes, this is my first :bfp: ever! I currently need to break my POAS addiction! It's too early for major symptoms so I keep POAS to prove to myself I'm still pregnant. I need help :dohh:But I've got even nicer dark lines now at 13DPO and my cervix is now soft but very tightly closed (unlike right before when :witch: comes).

So far not much in the way of symptoms -- just pulling/tugging around my uterus area and tension headaches the last 2 days. And this evening I suddenly noticed my boobs are sore and tender and feel "full" (if that makes sense).

*ireadyermind* So sorry about your kitty! I have two furry girls (sisters) at home and I can't imagine how hard it must be for you!

*BronteForever* That sounds terrible! Is there any possibility at all at getting some of your money back? In Denmark everyone disappears for a month or so in the summer. It's super frustrating.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - I would be so mad that your obgyn didn't tell you about the cysts! for sure you need a different one! PCOS + cushings would make it very hard for you to lose weight I hope that isn't the case. But at least now you have an offical diagnosis of PCOS and can hopefully with some meds regulate those hormones out :) I'm so sorry about you cat :( even when they are older it is so heart breaking to see them decline. Both my boys (dogs) are 13+ and even just going for little walks around the block are becoming too much for them. Yesterday I had to carry my pug home on our walk (heart breaking) 

Tigger - I swear I was POAS every day haha, I still found test when cleaning out my bathroom that i had written 9weeks on jeze i was crazy. Also don't put too much focus on your cervix I made myself panic all the time checking mine. I had to do vaginal progesterone so would notice that sometimes it felt very open. It would scare the hell out of me that I was gonna start mc. My fingers are very crossed!!! 

Bronte - I would be really ticked that your doctor didn't tell you they were going out of town before starting the protocol. that is a ton of money to feel like you didn't get the correct amount of attention to your case. I would say something to him, even if you don't get any money back or a discount at least hopefully he would not to do the same thing to someone else.


----------



## Fern81

Well congrats mrstigger!!! Woohoo that is SO exciting! 

Swimmy- just a month left, time is flying by :) xx

Irym- as difficult as it must be to get the diagnosis and hear about the possibility of cushings, I'm happy for your sake that you have a new dr who is taking your issues seriously and will hopefully improve your quality of life. And massive sympathy with your kitty :( my animals are so precious to me & of course in my life I've lost quite a few... I understand exactly what you're going through. Huge hugs. Hope she passes quickly without suffering, when the time comes. Xx

Bronte- that is just such an unfair situation. I hope everything gets sorted out and you get your bfp soon.

Missdoc- just keep up the good work and don't let a little backsliding get to you. X

Afm- trying my best to fill up with nutrients daily. I'm still ravenous every day, the whole day lol. Still doing well with not eating sweets/junk food often at all. My 1st trimester weight gain seems to have stabilized at 3kg. Also walking/doing weights/ core exercises as much as possible. I don't want to struggle with labour or losing weight after baby just because of laziness now.


----------



## miracleworker

hi ladies..
i have been here reading and following up.... i just had a crazy first trimester and now things are cooling off at least.
Irym ; am glad u have a new doc who is checking on you seriously cause for a doc not to say anything on the multiple cyst that is bad. i feel for u, am so sorry about you furry baby i hope she goes through this without pain.
swimmy: wow only one month left that is some good news hang in there ,sure time do fly so fast.
mrs tigger: am happy for you congratulations...lol i feel for you and i was like that one minute am excited the other am worried. Sorry to tell u this that might not go away but its natural and when u are excited just go with the flow and let tomorrow worry for itself. i hope you get through this and get to hold a healthy baby i the end.
Fern: good job i just gaining 3kgs at least you also get to workout that is so good
Bronte; am so sorry dear it didnt work out and with all the frustration you get from the hospital
AFM well i have also managed to gain 3kgs in first trimester but could be cause eating had been a problem. But i couldn't workout at all, i wanna start now that i feel a little like myself, doc gave me a green light and he told me to swim its a good exercise. So am planning to start eating health more and walking during weekdays and swim during the weekend. i hope that helps, i wanna have a normal delivery in the end. I checked on this little one and it seems to have created that bond already so the doc told me chances of loosing it is so minimal i was relieved.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Miracle* - Good to hear from you, Miracle! Long time no see! :) I'm happy to hear that things are starting to cool off now. And good job only gaining 3kgs!

*Fern* - Man, I bet it gets really annoying when you're starving all day long! I know it does for me when I'm trying to cut back on carbs and that's all I want to eat 24hrs a day! lol. Hang in there, you got this!


AFM - My poor old kitty all of a sudden perked right up and is doing much better now. Without going into too much detail, I think it was all gastro-intestinal because she doesn't get a lot of fiber in her diet. She can't eat dry food because she has only 4 teeth (two canines/incisors and a couple of the tiny front teeth, nothing for chewing!) and I think that caused her poor little belly to get all stopped up. 

We dosed her with some canned food and vegetable oil, and after a couple of days she managed to potty without trouble and was back to chowing down on her soft foods, drinking plenty of water and she even made the trek upstairs! She hasn't been able to climb the stairs in a long time.

I'm so relieved, it looks like she'll have another few years left before we have to say good-bye. Whew!


My weight was nice and low all week long, and then of course I step on the scale this morning and it's spiked up again. I swear my body hates Mondays as much as my brain does. lol!


----------



## MissDoc

Bronte-- Holy cow that is a lot of money out of pocket to feel like anything less than a queen in how they treat you. I'm sorry for your experience. :-(

IRYM-- I am thrilled to hear about your kitkat doing better. I've had my fluffy guy for over 13 years and I can't stomach the thought of him not being around. 

Fern-- Thanks! That is definitely the name of the game... just dust yourself off and get back to it. I was just out of town for the weekend and ate like a fiend, and am trying to get back to good solid behaviors now. I will be exercising tonight with a friend.

Tigger-- I'm just so freaking happy for you! I can totally relate to only ever seeing BFNs. I can't imagine how amazing it would be to see BFP! Can't wait for you to get home and celebrate with the hubby! Oh and yeah, I just had CD 3 bloodwork, and this Thursday I do a standard sonogram and will hear the results of the bloodwork. Hoping it's all for nothing and I get a BFP without any intervention, but starting the journey of looking at things just to be safe.


I am determined to reach 10k steps today, do my planned exercise (30 min high intensity video workout with lots of lunges, squats, burpees, etc and an ab video), and keep my eats well managed. Breakfast was coffee and a Kind protein bar. Lunch is whole wheat pita with hummus, spinach, tomato, and a side of carrots. Afternoon snack is siggy's yogurt with berries. Dinner will be lentil potato spinach stew with a glass of white wine, followed by a mini brownie and a couple brazil nuts. That's the plan anyway.


----------



## beccabonny

IRYM, sorry your kitty wasn't feeling well! Glad she's feeling better! I've had success using fish oil (which I take myself) caplets squeezed onto the food when those issues come up! they LOVE it, too...:) 

Miss Doc - your plan sounds awesome! Food sounds delicious and healthy as well. I need somebody to come cater the healthy food - I have so much trouble planning anything out. Does anyone have any tips on motiving themselves to plan better?

Sorry I haven't been updating - I was all bloated last week and my pants were weirdly tight and I got really discouraged - it turns out as of Sunday I got a BFP, so I've of course gained 2lbs (probably just water retention). With my history I find it hard to get excited until we hear a heartbeat, but that's how it is now! I'm trying to stick with 30 minutes of exercise a day and eating healthy, and go in on 9 Aug to get a scan.


----------



## swimmyj1

Miracle - congrats 3kgs is not bad at all :)

IRYM - ugh that stinks that the scale went back up! so annoying. I have managed to stay the same this week so i'm pretty happy about that. At least i didn't gain more. Really annoyed though that my BS are back to being all over the place. I'm calling the office in the morning to see if there is anything else I should be doing. at least I don't have much longer. But i'm super freaked that the diabetes are gonna stick around post baby. 

Doc - LOVE your meal plan! I have already started setting up weekly meal plans that I know I can stick too. my problem is snacking, i need to keep around healthy snack alternatives or just keep water with me all the time so I drink instead of putting food in my mouth haha. Did you make it to your 10,000 steps?


becca- congrats on the bfp :) fingers crossed this is a sticky bean that has a beautiful heart beat. I don't blame you for being on the cautious side. I think all women who have had losses air on the side of caution. keep us posted :)

AFM - got some disappointing news at my docs on monday. Baby is still breach and is very tangled in the cord so trying to turn her is not an option :( also my fluid levels are lower so they are gonna do another scan friday. If they are below 5 then I will have a c-section this weekend. If not then we still will schedule a c-section and I will get another scan right before just to see if by some miricle she has come untangled and flipped. The tech kind of scared me though. She said if I notice decrease in movement I need to go to the ER right away sense tangled cord with low fluid level babies can "easily" strangle themselves or compress the cord. I'm glad for the warning but at the same time now really worried that I could come this far and still lose her :( I wanted to scream then get her out now! But i know it's a fine balance between full development and safety. Fingers crossed gals. I can't wait to get back on the weight loss train with you again. I am at my all time heaviest and need to really work to get back down again.
Also its weird DH is really upset by the idea of a c-section. he wanted the whole "labor experience" i guess i never thought about his disappointment in not getting to be involved in laboring.


----------



## BronteForever

Oh Swimmy - how incredibly stressful. I hope she's alright and they are able to safely get her out. And DH will get over the C-section right away I'm sure once he sees your daughter. Keeping you in my thoughts that everything goes well.

Miracle - swimming sounds like a great exercise for you now. Good luck on getting back to healthy eating and hope everything progresses nicely.

IRYM - so glad your cat is doing better. Sorry for the extra pounds. I've put on extra ones during my stim cycle, so I have extra to lose now as well. Good luck! Hopefully it finally gets easier to lose some weight for you, since you are on some proper meds now. 

AFM- my doctor thinks my failed cycle is to blame mostly on my BMI. Don't agree at all, but I do agree it's one of the things in my control so it's where I need to focus alot of my energy right now before my next IVF cycle. So I'm going to be back in full force with trying to lose weight.


----------



## miracleworker

IRYM am so sorry about weight gain, there was time when i was trying to loose weight and looks like it didn't workout i gave up on my scale because my clothes wer getting loose and when i compare my progress pictures i see the difference. Sometimes i dont really like scale

missdoc that sounds like a good plan hopefully will get you to your goals.

Bec congrats on your BFP am happy for you and its understandable , i was worried all the time up until my doc said now he is happy since my baby looks good and well attached so the chance of loosing it has decreased. But try to relax things will be fine.

Swimmy ooh so sorry i can imagine how you feel now but am sure its not that bad otherwise they would get her out immediately. My prayers are with you dear, am excited for you already. 

Bonte am so sorry but on the bright side you just got something to make you keep on pushing


----------



## miracleworker

AFM am just here trying to eat health though the idea of eating itself drives me crazy.


----------



## Fern81

Just quickly popping in- all the best to you Swimmy, I believe with all my heart your little girl will be just fine. Will be stalking for your updates. X


----------



## ireadyermind

Hey guys, just dropping in to say that the temporary improvement in my kitty didn't last.

She passed away Wednesday night and we found her yesterday morning. I've been so out of it due to her increasing frailty and decreasing health that I didn't even know what day it was when I woke up today.

I had been feeding her hourly by dropper, giving her fluids and some jarred chicken baby food and even though she seemed more alert and aware toward the end, it just wasn't enough. She would have turned 17 this fall and had been battling kidney issues for several years.


I'm heart broken and taking things a day at a time. There's already a noticeable hole in our lives where Beans' big personality used to be, and it's been harder for me to cope with this than I originally expected. I'm usually very stoic about these sorts of things, but losing Beans was harder on me than miscarriage, and even the death of my own grandfather.

Words can not even fully explain it.

Anyway...

I'll probably be absent from the forums for a few more days while I recuperate. 

In the mean time, the best I can do is try not to do a whole lot of emotional eating and try to find comfort in other things. 

Hope you all are doing well.

PS: Here's a picture of Beans sleeping beside me on the couch last summer.
 



Attached Files:







20150903_172442.jpg
File size: 42.9 KB
Views: 1


----------



## BronteForever

Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss, IRYM. Love the picture. She was adorable. I know for us our dog is pretty much like our kid so I can't imagine all you are going through. Sending you lots of hugs.


----------



## Fern81

Oh IRYM....my heart is breaking for you. My first cat looked just like Beans and I still have loads of photos of him everywhere. He was my baby. He died while I was in rehab and I couldn't even be there for him. That was almost 10 years ago and I still grieve for him. I get how you feel. After all they are our family! Hun at least your kitty was loved and well looked after until the very end, and they KNOW they're loved. Sending you so many hugs. Xxxxxxx


----------



## MissDoc

IRYM, I'm so, so sorry. I would (and will) be devastated for my cat. It may sound silly but he's one of my biggest connections in life (other than husband) and I get it. I hope you take some time to just let yourself grieve and be sad, but remember all of the immense joy that Beans brought into your life. 

Bronte, I'm sorry your doc seems to blame the failed cycle on BMI. That really sucks. I hope you feel great this go round and make any little changes that feel manageable.


Today I am utterly, deeply sad. The results of my testing were not good. While hormones are fine, I have a small polyp (which I don't think is much of a big deal), but more seriously, I have low ovarian reserve, with an AMH level of .6 (normal would be 1.5-11 for my age). My eggs, despite me being 32, are more like 42 yr old eggs. Getting pregnant and staying pregnant will be harder, and higher likelihood of abnormalities. Being sent to an RE straight away, and my OBGYN said they'd likely recommend IVF or donor eggs. This is crazy to me. Like, I can't even process it. I don't want donor eggs. I have no clue how to pay for IVF with no insurance coverage of it. AND the success rates are low with diminished ovarian reserve. I'm freaking 32. This is just mind boggling and devastating. I fully expected them to tell me everything was normal. Would have never in a million years thought low/bad eggs because I ovulate so well with cycles that are totally normal. I was doing this testing way too prematurely and expected it to be fine. Glad I got it done, but damn. This sucks.


----------



## BronteForever

MissDoc - oh Hon, I'm so sorry. Hugs. Low ovarian reserve is not fun at all and there are a few ladies in my other IVF groups that are dealing with them. Some have moved on to donor eggs and some haven't. You can still have success with IVF, but it very well could take more time and attempts. 

I don't have low AMH per say, but my eggs appear to be bad quality as well and we didn't know that until going through IVF, which was a super expensive way to find out. It's so hard to deal with and I'm sorry you are facing this now.

Once you have come to grips with it and if you want to talk any about IVF, feel free to ask me any questions you might have. I didn't think we could afford it either, but when we started to think about it just as another payment, such as a car, we wanted a kid more than we wanted a car, so we just worked around stuff to try it. They have great lending programs for it.


----------



## swimmyj1

Irym - I am so so sorry :( keeping you in my thoughts. Losing a fur baby is devistating, sending lots of hugs.

Doc - I'm so sorry about your lab results. A friend of mine went through IVF with very very low reserve and is having their rainbow baby. So it is possible. Take some time to process your options and feelings Hun. But I definatly agree with bronte looking into lending programs is a good idea. When we were looking at IVF we found some good programs.

Afm. - I'm annoyed. My fluid level was exactly 5 ... So I was admitted to the hospital over night they gave me the steroid shot to help babies lung development. Then some Doctor (not my doctor) said he didn't agree with a c-section at 37 weeks if we can keep baby in longer. So did fluid replacement over night and if my level didn't come up to 7.5 then we could do a section in the morning. Well level was almost 8 so they said I was ok to go home. I hate this about ob, you and your doctor have an understanding/plan but if they aren't the one on call for the hospital they are not making the choices. Ugh! Calling her office in the morning to schedule my c-section and schedule another ultrasound to recheck fluid. (Sorry I know I'm just whining and should be happy she gets a little longer cook time, but I'm just scared something bad will happen and I'll lose her last minute)


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks for the kind thoughts, everyone. It's still hard not being greeted first thing in the morning with her bossy meows and demands for love and food, but I didn't cry at all yesterday, so I guess that's progress.

*MissDoc* - I'm so sorry to hear about the eggs! You're right, that's a horribly expensive way to have to find out about their quality. There ought to be an easier way to test that before someone makes it too far into the infertility testing/treatments, you know? :hugs:

*Swimmy* - Yikes! Well, at least your fluid levels are back up, but I agree -- I'd be worried that something bad would happen and be pushing for that c-section! I hope you can get a hold of your usual OB and they can make things work for you. 



AFM - My weight didn't budge this week. I admit I did some emotional/comfort eating most of the week due to Beans's failing health. It was easier to grab junk food that didn't need cooking, rather than try to prepare something healthy. 

But DH and I found some good online meal plans that are easy to do, so that's what we're starting this week.

On the TTC front, today is CD32 and still no +OPK or sustained temp shift. This is going to be another looong cycle. Ugh. I am even more determined to get some weight off in the hopes that I'll move closer to a 30 day cycle instead of farther away from it.


-----------------------------------------
WEIGHT LOSS GROUP UPDATES
-----------------------------------------

Does anyone have some non-weight related progress markers they'd like to share? I've noticed that when I climb the stairs lately, I'm not as winded as I used to be. I've also been sleeping better lately than I have in many years. 

What have you ladies noticed about yourselves besides weight loss?


EDIT: remember, today starts a new month! Don't forget to get your chart posts updated.


----------



## drjo718

Swimmy- sorry to hear you're getting different answers from different doctors. That's always frustrating. If you were at my hospital, and we found out your fluid was 5 and you were term, you would have a baby. We don't give steroids after 36 weeks, and with oligohydramnios, we deliver. That's not to say the doc you saw was wrong, just a different practice, but I can see why you're ready. Hang in there. :hugs:

Iread- so sorry about your sweet kitty. I hope you're on the mend.


----------



## MissDoc

Hi there, ladies. I'm starting to feel slightly less crushed by my stupid low egg count. I haven't gotten the appt scheduled with fertility clinic yet, waiting on a call back. I did start ravenously reading "It Starts With the Egg", written by a genetic microbiologist who had low egg reserve herself. It's very informative. I saw lots of books about lifestyle changes, but I wanted one that tells me the science of each little thing, not just a million wishy washy recommendations. This one does a good job at either confirming or debunking stuff that circulates around. 

While I can't bring up my egg count, I can affect quality of eggs with lifestyle changes, and I'm going to try my best to do just that. Either naturally or with IVF, I want the best chances I can possibly have in my situation. So starting yesterday I went to a very very clean eating routine. No dyes, no preservatives, no nitrates, no added sugars or white flours, etc. Also working hard to limit my exposure to BPA and phthalates as there are some good clinical studies showing the affects of these toxins on egg health and fertility. It's hard to do though, because this stuff is everywhere. But even a week of dropping your exposure can drop the levels in your blood by half, so that's promising. 

I also am going to switch out my crappy CoQ10 for a better more bioavailable option (should arrive tonight or tomorrow) and start supplementation with medical grade microlized DHEA. This one is controversial because it's a hormone, but more and more fertility clinics around the country are recommending it as standard for women with low ovarian reserve and are seeing really amazing stats in trials, both with naturally getting pregnant and with IVF rates. So I'll start it when it arrives and if the RE is against it, I'll stop. 

I am going to be as awesomely proactive about enhancing my egg health as I can possibly be. 


Bronte-- I'll wait until I meet with the clinic before I start picking your brain too much about IVF, as I don't know if they'll recommend that yet (good chance they will, but we'll see). For now, do you mind telling me how long it took to get going with it and move into the first cycle once you decided on it? Thanks! 

This cycle was totally shot for me. Still no positive OPK but Fertility Friend thinks I o'd on Thursday, which would suck, because that's the day of my crappy news and we didn't bd that Wed or Thurs, so chances of conception aren't great. I won't be symptom spotting or obsessing over HPTs this cycle as I feel that I'm already out. Maybe that will be a nice break.


----------



## BronteForever

MissDoc. I've heard several other women recommend "It Starts with an Egg," so I also have my copy coming from the library. My doctor did not recommend DHEA for me. Strongly discouraged it, but I do not have low ovarian reserve, my issue is just egg quality. I know that will strongly affects what they recommend. But I'd be careful with that one without talking with your doctor since it affects hormones.

In terms of starting IVF, it could have happened quicker but we waited a bit to lose more weight and get a tad healthy. So it took a few weeks to get in to initial appointment and then we waited about 3 months to start. But we could have done it starting on CD3 of my next period. 

If you are just now starting ubiquinol (the higher quality CoQ10), I'd honestly give it 3 months to see if it improves stuff. It's easier to want to jump right in, but given how poor my egg qualities were, I wish I would have done more now. I mostly focused on diet changes for IVF and not supplements, which I now regret. I'm also going to start fertility massage and acupuncture.

Also, what dosage recommendation for ubiquinol did they say in the It Starts with an Egg book? I've read a lot of varying info and right now I'm going with 400 mg per day (which is comparable to about 800 mg of regular CoQ10).


----------



## BronteForever

Swimmy - I think you have every right to be nervous and hopefully your doctor listens to you. I can imaging that is incredibly frustrating having different doctors throughout the process, each with a different opinion.


----------



## MissDoc

Bronte, the book recommends the following doses of ubiquinol:

Basic Fertility Plan=100 mg
Intermediate Fertility Plan=200 mg
Advanced Fertility Plan=300 mg

She also points out that it's absorbed better if taken with a meal, and not too late at night because it can keep you up. Let me know if you need any other info from it while you're waiting on your copy!

She seconds your recommendation to give your eggs 3 months to see benefit from any changes, both with Ubiquinol and with DHEA. 

Heard back from the fertility clinic today and my appt is in a little over 3 weeks. Hopefully it flies by soon.


----------



## BronteForever

Thanks, the 300 mg, seems to be another popular recommendation. I'm assuming I'm definitely in the "advanced" fertility plan at this point.


----------



## swimmyj1

thanks for the well wishes gals :) it means a lot. Finally got a hold of my doctors RN. We are going to be doing non-stress tests twice a week and an ultrasound once a week. for close monitoring. I see her on thursday and have a lot of questions regarding plan of actions for abnormal tests. I refuse to get stuck in a position like last time. If my scan is abnormal on friday I want her out. I don't want to keep risking her like this it makes me angry. Especially when I know that standard practice is if over 36 weeks and low fluid levels they take baby out. Anyway if my levels are fine c-section is scheduled for the 16th regardless. So at least I know in the next 15 days she will be here and hopefully I can stop feeling like I'm going to lose her. 
Again thank you so much for listening to me whine about all of this I'm sorry gals. I just had a friend lose her rainbow baby at 37 weeks a few days ago and it has me really on edge. I cant image how she is feeling....

Bronte & Doc - our specialist also recommenced 300mg, and to give it 3-4 months to show improvement. Fingers crossed gals!! 
Doc - I bet that appointment will be here before you know it!


----------



## MissDoc

I'll be thinking of you Swimmy. Hopefully it all goes super smoothly. Thanks for sharing your specialist's rec of 300 mg. 

Question, the pills I have are 200 each, so I've just been taking 200. They are gel like capsules so I don't think they would do well with me halving one in order to get the 300.... so what should I do? Take just 200, take 400, or take one 200 mg pill of the ubiquinol and 2 100s of the coq10 (which I think equal just 100 of ubiquinol). This time before my appt and any planned medical intervention is so important and I want to do everything I possibly can. Ideas?


----------



## BronteForever

I'm doing 400 mg, but I don't know for sure. My doctor recommends up to 800 mg CoQ10 (which is about 400 mg of ubiquinol), and I've seen the primarily recommendations of 300-400 mg of ubiquinol. So if the extra doesn't hurt you, I'd say more is better. I honestly don't know though. I'm not great with supplements. Mine are the horse-size gel capsules too, so I think that would be impossible to split as well. Though mine are 100 mg capsules. Hopefully your doctor can tell you for sure. If you have DOR though, your already going to have lower quality, so you want the highest dosage that's allowed, I feel like.

In terms of what else to do, it sounds like you have a good game plan going. Definitely continue on the higher protein, low carb diet.

I also wore a heart rate monitor during my workout last night and I think I was too intense, so I'm switching up my workouts to mostly yoga and Pilates now. My goal is to stick with a heart rate between 120-140 so it doesn't hurt my egg quality even more.


----------



## BronteForever

Swimmy - so glad they are going to keep a close eye on her. She's going to be here so soon. Yay!!


----------



## MissDoc

Thanks! I'm glad to hear your doc recommended up to 800. I will do the 400 then. If I notice any weird side effects I'll drop down to 300.

Yoga and Pilates sound like a good plan for you!

The first chapters in the book are all about reducing toxin exposure, so I have (within the past 36 hrs, lol) replaced nearly all of my personal products (other than make up) with toxin-free alternatives. That was quite spendy (lotion, shampoo, conditioner, face wash, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, dish soap, laundry soap, cleaning supplies, hand soap, glass bottles instead of plastic,... lions tigers and bears, oh my!), but it feels good to be making changes. Today is Day 3 of really clean eating and it's going well so far, too. I need to pick up some batteries for my scale, it only works occasionally right now.


----------



## beccabonny

IRYM - so sorry about Bean. That is truly heartbreaking. It sounds like your kitty couldn't have had a happier life than the time you had together, but I know it hurts like nothing else to lose such a part of the family.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Becca* - Good to hear from you. Thanks for your kind words. I spoiled her rotten while I could and I hope she knew how much she was loved in the end!

Facebook alerted me that today was the anniversary of the day we brought her to my house from living with Mom (it took me 10 years to convince Mom to let me bring my kitty to live with me!) and I got all misty over it. :( It's hard.



*Everyone Else (lol)* - All this talk of CoQ10 is making me want to go out and get some!

I have decided that the next time AF shows up, which is a complete mystery right now, I will go back to taking Soy Isoflavones now that we know I have low estrogen. May also continue taking vitex until it's gone. My MC cycle was a vitex cycle, so maybe it did do something for me.


CD 34 today. No +OPK, no sustained temp shift. Ugh.


----------



## MissDoc

IRYM, those facebook updates are a blessing and a curse. So sweet and timely to be reminded of your sweetheart though. I'm sorry this cycle is dragging out for you. I didn't get a positive OPK this cycle yet either, but FF keeps thinking I've O'd, but changes it constantly due to temps increasing. So who knows. Such a weird cycle for me too. I hope the soy and vitex work wonders for you! 

I'm doing well today with eating, and I've been doing fantastically with water. I have a killer migraine right now, but I hope by the time I leave work in about 2.5 hrs it is better so I can stop by the gym and do 20-30 minutes of brisk walking on the treadmill. Oh, and I picked up batteries for the scale today, so will check my weight tomorrow. Last week it was 151.4, so I'm hoping that has dropped some because I've been kicking but on health habits.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

*ireadyermind* - So sorry to hear about your fur baby. My cats are like children to me, I can't imagine how hard this is for you.

*swimmy* - I would be so frustrated if I were you! I can totally understand that you want her out! Somehow I didn't realize how much of being pregnant is about worrying constantly.

I had my first appointment today. I thought I'd just check in and write a bit about how it went.

They dated me at 7w0d based on LMP. I know exactly when I ovulated though, and I am not 7w0d, I am 5w6d. But they are old fashioned and insist on using LMP :dohh: But the nurse explained that if I'm only a week or so off, it's not going to be a big deal.

Went through family history and a check of urine, blood pressure, etc. All came out well. I also didn't get a lecture about my weight, which I was worried about (I am still obese according to BMI, but it's also easy to tell by looking at me that I'm very muscular and dense; instead of getting a lecture, I got a congratulations and a :thumbup: for losing 50kg before getting pregnant). I've actually lost 2kg since getting my :bfp: though I attribute it to lack of appetite due to morning sickness.

Anyway, I'm in the system now and waiting to be contacted by the hospital to see my endocrinologist to monitor my thyroid.

On Monday I have an early scan with my specialist who has been treating me for PCO. She'll date my pregnancy and after I do that, I'll make the appointment for my Nuchal test.

So far all is well - I have plenty of symptoms (extreme fatigue and all-day nausea (worst in the morning) are the most major now, also sore/swollen breasts). Zero period-like cramping and zero bleeding. The doc said that strong symptoms early are a good sign. I will be 6w3d on Monday (using my ovulation date) so I'm crossing my fingers we'll be able to see a heartbeat.


----------



## ireadyermind

*MissDoc & Tigger* - Thanks, ladies. :) I'm doing better in regards to losing Beans, but there was another FB reminder from a couple of years ago this morning and it's hard not to dwell. I'm really trying to stay positive.

*MrsTigger* - On my MC cycle last year, it was a loooong cycle. I O'd on CD33 and didn't get a BFP until 15DPO. They scheduled my 8wk appointment only a week after my BFP. When I got in, I told them I wasn't 8 wks, I was only 3 because of my O date. The midwife looked at me like I was insane, got out a pocket calculator, and told me that that was "too early" to ovulate...

Then they did the vaginal ultrasound and didn't see anything, and told me I wasn't pregnant. As if I could make that mistake! The blood tests revealed it was very early, which I had been saying ALL along, and I got a second opinion from someone else.

Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is: You know you better than they know you! So if you feel like you need to add or subtract a week from your estimated due date, you go right ahead! lol



AFM -- Still no +OPK and no temp shift. I've stopped testing these past few days because at this point, I'm wasting OPKs. As soon as my temp hits 97.2, I will know I'm about to O. Then I will POAS, get that +OPK and put it on my chart, and BD. But for now... we're just taking it easy.

I'm assuming the stress of my kitty's illness and death is what's delaying me so severely. Stress always played a big factor for me. I'm hoping that this won't drag on so long that I'll have to go in and be "induced" or anything. Wish me luck on that front.



The meal plan DH and I have been following has been pretty easy to do. I'm surprised about that. But we've been at it a whole week and we're absolutely feeling deprived, so we're going to go out to a nice dinner tonight. It's not that we aren't getting enough food to eat every day, it's just that it's a little monotonous, and it cuts out many of the things I love, like cheese! 

How are you gals doing with your food intake?


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

Goodness, it's gone all quiet here! Where'd you all go?

I keep checking back to see if Swimmy's had her baby yet! :blush:

*ireadyermind* - I keep forgetting; have you had CD3 bloodwork done? It seems like you're having weird ovulation problems. Was it better before you started the metformin? What were your Cushings Syndrome test results?

*BronteForever* - How are you? Are you going to do IVF again soon, or take some time off?

*MissDoc* - I know the news must be super hard, but it's better to know than not know, right? I am sure your appointment will be here soon, but I know waiting is so frustrating. It feels like trying to get pregnant is all about waiting. Waiting to ovulate. Waiting for AF. Waiting for the next cycle. Waiting for appointments. Waiting, waiting, waiting!

*AFM* - I feel a little bad about my eating, but with my constant nausea my doctor's office just told me to focus on eating reasonably healthy, but otherwise just eat what I want in reasonable portions (not a problem, I can only eat small amounts at a time). So far the only things I can manage the last couple of weeks are bread/pasta, fruit, and a bit of veg. I'm worried about protein intake, but I just got some protein powder yesterday I'm going to use in fruit smoothies to make up for the fact that I can't stomach meat, beans, etc. I lost 2kg in the week immediately after getting my BFP, but I feel like it's creeping back on (though I suspect most of it's bloat).

In other news, I went for my first scan today; measured 2 days ahead at 6w5d and bubs was there with a healthy little heartbeat just thumping away. :cloud9: I was so worried after all the stories of MMC that I've read, and DH kept telling me everything would be fine. Maybe I should listen to him more often. :haha:


----------



## ireadyermind

*MrsTigger* - Aww, that's awesome! Little bean in there growing nicely. :)


I've only done CD7 blood tests, for whatever reason. The endocrinologists insisted I have them done on that day.... and then turned around and told me they couldn't tell me anything about my Estrogen and Progesterone and to ask someone else! So I don't even know why they asked me to repeat those tests anyway!

The ovulation issue worsened after I started Metformin. My temps are all OVER the place. Alternately, though, it could be the fact that my weight has gotten to the highest it's been in 10+ years that is causing this trouble.

Thankfully I've actually started losing weight again though! Lost 2lbs this week on the meal plan DH and I set up. 

I'm hoping that as I continue to lose more and more, I'll be able to get my cycles back on track.


The Cushing's test result hasn't come back yet. I'm pretty ticked. The endocrinologist says it takes up to 3 weeks for that to come back, and this is week 3 starting today... Sooo hopefully I hear something about it this week!


----------



## MissDoc

Tigger, you're absolutely right. Knowing is better than not knowing. And it's prompting me to be more motivated about my health overall, and that feels like a positive change. But yes, soooo much waiting. Yay for a happy healthy little heartbeat for your bean!

IRYM, congrats on the weightloss lady, that is just awesome! Oh how I love cheese and would be sad without it though!  Hopefully your cycle will pick up soon.

AFM, healthwise, I'm doing alright. I've lost 1.2 lbs in the past 10 or so days. I've met my step goal every day in the past week but Sunday. Still exercising about 4x per week. I ate somewhat junky over this last weekend because we were out of town at a wedding, but all other days have been on track. This week is off to a good start too. With the TTC stuff though I'm feeling bummed. Temp dropped today and mild cramping has started, as it always does, signaling the upcoming end of this cycle. I likely o'd earlier than FF thinks. As every other month when this starts, I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself and disappointed in the lack of pregnancy. I really really really want to get pregnant naturally without the expense, stress, and time commitment of IVF. So here's to hoping this cycle wraps up quickly so I can get on with trying again!


----------



## ireadyermind

*MissDoc* - I love cheese too! Haven't had any for an entire week, and that is sad indeed. lol

But I guess if it gets me closer to my goal weight and a BFP it'll be worth it. I can eat cheese all day long while I'm pregnant. ;)


----------



## MissDoc

I figured I should finally add a goal/stats post!


*----------------------------------------------
MissDoc's GOALS & STATS POST
----------------------------------------------*

Stats:
Height: 5' 6"
Starting Weight: 151.4 lbs (as of 8/1/16), 28.5% Body Fat, 24.4 BMI
Goal Weight: 138, goal of 25% or less body fat


Goals:
- Lose 13.4 lbs by Thanksgiving (or as much of that as possible before getting pregnant)
- Get body fat percentage at or under 25%
- Reduce exposure to harmful toxins that may impact fertility (not weight loss related)


My Plan:
-Exercise using Beachbody video workouts (Leandro's BBL program) 4x per week
-Achieve 10k step goal 6 out of 7 days each week
-Track calories/journal food, with the intent of having a 500 cal or more deficit each day (average)
-No sodas, juices, processed junk foods, and limited/occasional treat
-No artificial sweeteners or nitrates
-Eat food brought from home or cooked at home during the weekdays
-Drink 60+ ounces of water daily
-Red meat only 2 or less servings each week
-Use only natural personal products (no phthalates) and use only glass food and drink containers (no BPA)


Weigh-ins:

August 1, 2016: 151.4 (24.4 BMI)
August 8, 2016: 150.2 (24.2 BMI)
August 15, 2016:
August 22, 2016:


----------



## ireadyermind

I've added you to the "index", Miss Doc. :)


----------



## MissDoc

:thumbup: Thanks!


----------



## swimmyj1

Hey gals sorry I've been gone. But baby girl came into the world on August 5th. My fluid level was super low again. I went in and this resident started talking about doing fluids again. I refused and demanded that per me and my obs convo the day before we agreed if I wanted baby could come out that day. They started to argue until her Heart rate started to drop then it all went fast my DH barely made it to the OR for the section lol. I walked into the hospital at 6pm and at 726 she was here. 

Now time to bring on the weight loss! At delivery I was 236, post delivery 222.
3 month goal 210 (trying to be realistic lol but more would rock!) because I had to have a c-section I can't really exercise for 6 weeks but I can walk so every day I'm doing small walks and building up to further. Continuing to breast feed. Do arm exercises. Keep cal intake to 1500 .

Also going to avoid cheese hahahahaha ohhh man I can eat cheese like no issue


----------



## drjo718

Big congrats, swimmy! I'm glad she's here safe and sound.


----------



## BronteForever

Yay, I'm so glad she's here. Huge congrats!!!!!!!!

Can we see a photo or get a name?


----------



## Fern81

Congrats Swimmy!!! So glad you are both doing well. You seem to be in good spirits and coping well with a post-cs healthy living plan, breasfeeding, walking etc! Superwoman :)


----------



## swimmyj1

she's so tiny I just can't get over it! We decided to name her Elizabeth Ann. (Elizabeth from my favorite book character haha, and Ann is my mothers and grandmothers middle name).

I will say breast feeding is probably one of the hardest things I've had to do. It's defiantly teaching me to be patient. And defiantly not super woman haha this girl has had some serious crying meltdowns trying to figure out how to keep this little human happy the past week haha. 

Thank god for crock pots about the only way I can cook dinner with her and make something healthy! Tonight doing crock pot stir fry yummm
 



Attached Files:







image.jpg
File size: 43.5 KB
Views: 9


----------



## BronteForever

Awe...what a cutie. I love the name!

I've heard breastfeeding can be super hard so I think the tears are perfectly natural. Plus it's just such a change and emotional time in general. 

Great idea about the crockpot cooking. I don't use mine nearly enough.


----------



## ireadyermind

Congrats, Swimmy!

So glad everything came out all right. How silly of those doctors to tell you that you needed to do fluids again! Grrr.

Happy birthday, Elizabeth! Are you guys going to call her Lizzy, or Ella, or Beth? I have a niece named Elizabeth, and the fam calls her Lizzy. :)


----------



## MissDoc

Oh swimmy, she's just lovely. Congratulations. Be patient with yourself and with her and with hubby as you're navigating this crazy new world of mommyhood. I'm sure you're doing it justice! I love crockpots, too!


AFM, full flow started this morning (was spotting red yesterday) so calling today CD1. A new cycle. A new try. Will enjoy some pizza and wine tonight. Really just hoping for a miracle within the next couple of months. Feeling the usual mixture of hopeful and sad, something I'm starting to get accustomed to. The past 1-2 days I haven't been stellar with eating (nothing too crazy, just eating too much and probably a bit too much sugar. The last day or two before my period and the first day or two of it I always want bread, cheese, and sweets. I'm not fighting it too much. Still will exercise to counteract it a bit, and still not any artificial processed yuckiness.


----------



## BronteForever

MissDoc - good luck on getting back to helping eating. I've had a few slip ups the last few weeks too but was better about foods this week, but wasn't great about exercise. I need to kick it up a notch this next week which is my goal. 

Do you have an appointment scheduled with the RE yet? If so when is it? I forget.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Congrats, Swimmy! So glad she is here safe and sound, and good for you on standing your ground! :hugs:


----------



## MissDoc

Bronte, my appt is scheduled for the 23rd. That will be CD 11 for me, so near my fertile window. I don't know if they'll do repeat testing, a sono, or just talk. We'll see. I don't know what I'm hoping for. I guess we need to deal with this polyp situation and probably order more testing (antral follicle count, repeat AMH, etc.) so I'm not too hopeful that there will be any immediate intervention started. And when it comes to intervention, I wish I had a sense of whether they'll start me on oral meds, injectibles, recommend IUI, or go straight to IVF. Everything I read online seems pretty mixed and seems to depend on how aggressive the RE is. I really don't know which option I'm even hoping for. Still feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all but antsy to do SOMETHING.

Where are you in your process for IVF cycle number 2?


----------



## ireadyermind

*MissDoc* - What are you hoping your RE will do? Do you want him/her to say, "Let's skip straight to IUI!" or similar? Would you prefer he/she was less aggressive? 

AFM - Guys! This is the first weigh-in in ages where my weight didn't wildly fluctuate between one Monday and the next! Today I'm the same weight I was last Monday. And while that's not a loss, it's certainly not a GAIN!

I need to do a little better with avoiding sweets this week, and getting more water. I'm hoping this meal plan will just keep on working for me. :)


----------



## MissDoc

IRYM, congrats on the stable weight! I need to do a little better about sugar this week too. 

As far my hopes, I really just don't know. I guess I'm sort of hopeful that when the doc looks at all the tests together he thinks that I have a great shot with less invasive intervention. I'm hopeful he gives me the green light to start DHEA (in case I do end up in IVF), and maybe oral meds for a cycle or two, then skip to injectibles with IUI for a few cycles, then IVF. IF he thinks I can wait that long, that is. I'd like to start with less intervention first, but I also don't want to mess up or reduce my chances at all either, if that makes sense.

My student loans will be paid off in November... so in December we'll start having some disposable income. Granted not a ton, but at least some wiggle room in our budget. So I'm sort of hoping that IVF isn't recommended too quickly for financial reasons.


----------



## BronteForever

MissDoc - that's coming up soon!

From what I can tell, the RE's seem to base a lot of their recommendations on what you are comfortable with, so they might make a recommendation but alter it if you have funds or want to try lower-priced options first. As mine always tells me: I get to call the show (and decide what's best for me - they just guide me slightly and sometimes not a ton to be honest).

Whatever they do, they are probably going to suggest a pretty aggressive approach to get you pregnant as fast as possible since you have low reserve. So be prepared for things to move pretty quickly. They are likely going to definitely go to IUI's first since odds are better and you don't really want to mess around with low reserve. Now skipping straight to IVF is a personal call because it's largely financial based since it's at least 10 times or more the cost of IUIs. But the IUI success rate stat is something like 5-10 percent where IVF is more like 40 percent (that's average - low reserve is going to be lower). You are going to have a harder time regardless even with IVF with low reserve. So I'd not be shocked if they recommended it out right as an attempt to get you pregnant faster. Like I said, you might want to be prepared and know what you are willing to do to start with going in so you are prepared to get through things quickly as needed.

But you need to do what you are comfortable with at every stage.

And any RE's that I've heard of in the U.S. rarely if ever give you great info on supplements. Because nothing is proven and they tell you you can try whatever you want, but they can't guarantee it will help. So definitely ask about DHEA and other supplements, but be prepared for a lot of vagueness.

IRYM - great news on the weight maintenance. Yay!

AFM - I'm finally almost back to my pre-stimming weight. I'm going to try kicking the weight loss up a notch in the next few weeks.

We aren't doing my next IVF cycle until January for a number of reasons. Really hoping to improve my egg quality and I need a good 3-6 months of acupuncture and supplements before it could possible affect anything. I'm not putting a ton of hope in any of that to be honest, since my doc things more than anything it's my age. But it can't hurt to do all that stuff and lose more weight to try to help. That's all I can do. I can only afford this next round and if it doesn't work, we are likely moving onto adoption. It depends on how my egg quality looks though, if it's improved at all, I might be torn to try another cycle, but if it's the same, then we'd just be throwing money away for a big "maybe chance of it working" and it's not worth it.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I have to say, the first tri boards have me freaked out. We just lose people regularly to miscarriage and today we lost one of the buddies on our buddy thread at 8 weeks. I have my 8w2d scan on Friday and I'm completely freaking out now. So terrified; I'm scared of Friday but also feel like it can't get here soon enough. If everything is OK, I want to know, and if something is wrong, I also want to know.

It doesn't help that some of my symptoms have gone away (I have only slight nausea sometimes now, and I am less exhausted). I know it's common to start feeling better at about 8 weeks, but I'll still feel better once we know. So scary. :cry:

I haven't gotten on the scale, but I'm trying to pay attention to what I eat. My appetite is all weird and the usual healthy stuff like salads that would appeal to me don't appeal at all. Luckily, the bad stuff that usually appeals to me also doesn't appeal right now. :thumbup: I also have an appointment on Friday that I think will be about my thyroid and PCOS and pregnancy; they will probably weigh me then as well.

@BronteForever, I hope that these next few months you're able to get your body in a state that you feel will better prepare you for success. Are you staying with the same clinic and doctor, or moving to another one?

@MissDoc, your appointment is coming up! Are you excited?

@ireadyermind, good job on the stable weight! I wouldn't be surprised if weight gain is affecting ovulation; when I was heavier I wasn't ovulating either, and I think that no matter how much Metformin I took, it wouldn't have mattered if I hadn't lost the weight. However every person is different; I hope this is a sign of things getting back on track for you!


----------



## beccabonny

Swimmy - congrats on the new arrival! [on my birthday, no less!!] She is precious!! :cloud9:

And I agree on the cheese front...:haha: Good luck on your goals! Sounds like you have it well thought out.

MissDoc - You'll have a lot to fill us in on on Tuesday! I hope the appointment goes well and you start feeling less overwhelmed. 

IRYM - Yay for lack of fluctuation! Maintenance is awesome - personally, I'm really happy as long as the scale isn't moving up! :happydance:

Bronte - I'm excited to hear what progress you make in the next few weeks WL-wise. Congrats on being almost back to pre-stimming weight! 

Mrs. Tigger - sorry to hear you are feeling anxious! It's really normal to feel that way, but if you're still having symptoms that's a good sign, even if they are decreased! Mine went away and I felt completely normal (even felt really good) when I had the MMC. So...my bets are all on that little bean in there, super healthy!

AFM, I'm "recovering" from a family visit. During/after these things I get off course! It's weird, I don't feel like I can come out and just say that I'm trying to be healthier and lose weight despite the fact that three out of the four who visited have been on the healthy food train for a while and the fourth is allergic to gluten and soy, so if anyone would understand I'd think it would be them! I guess I just don't have that kind of close, issue-discussing relationship with my family. Not even my sisters, to some extent. I guess I am afraid I'll tell them and then fail to succeed, and they will know I've failed. I'd rather they just see the results and not the work. So I fall of the wagon whenever they are around. Especially when they leave food behind! Especially when that food is cheese. 

I actually did really well considering. I've only gone over my calorie goal a couple of times in a major way, and only one of those was over maintenance levels. Two weeks ago was my birthday weekend, and I overindulged on half a piece of Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory, but had skimped the day before to help balance out the calories. The week before the visit, I was VERY good and actually got down to 216 or 215. After they came, I had bounced back up to 221! Now I'm hovering around 217. I know these are all just fluctuations and I shouldn't invest in them. 

I'm going to go get a tape measure to take other measurements, and *gulp* take pictures to monitor my progress. I know I need to update my weight on here on Mondays, but I'm so down about it when I've gained, so it's hard to force myself to do. I'll be better about it in the future.

We are two weeks away from Sept 1 and I was supposed to lose 10lbs by them. Does it still count if I gain like seven and then lose them, plus five? :haha: I got up to 224 with the BFP, so I would only need to be at 214 for that goal to be realized! 

I've been really into the MyFitnessPal app in the last two weeks. Journaling my food makes me so much more aware of what I'm eating, when I'm overeating, and how exercise really impacts the calories. I like that I can see what other people are eating and get so much positivity from the social aspect of it. Now I really want to get a fitbit or something like that. I'm annoyed that most of the stuff I wear doesn't have pockets, so how am I supposed to track my steps accurately? :dohh:


----------



## BronteForever

Mrs Tigger - I'm sure it has to be incredibly stressful on the first Tri boards. Glad you are doing well. I know a lot of the symptoms do go away but I agree it has to be a challenge not knowing for sure. 

Great job on eating well and it's definetly an added bonus the naughty foods don't seem appealing right now. Yay. 

Best wishes for a healthy pregnancy. 

Becca - it does sound like a challenge to have to eat well with family but it sounds like you are doing great. 

The goal is for you so you can count anyway you want. Frankly if I were you since you had a bit of a hormone change with the chemical pregnancy, I'd definetly give yourself a break. You have been through a lot these past few months. Plus emotional eating is a thing. I'd consider it a victory that you've lost anything during this time. 

Glad you are liking Myfitness pal. I agree keeping a food journal makes you much more aware of what you are eating. I keep a modified one of my portions I'm eating. So it's pretty much calorie counting on a simplified version which is about all I can get the energy for.


----------



## swimmyj1

Mrs Tigger - i made myself sick with symptom spotting. mine would go away for a few days and I would panic and swear I was losing it again. Heck I was still checking my cervix driving myself more crazy sense it always felt open and some days really really open. I know it's impossible but try not to do this :( hopefully your scan is perfect! Honestly I would like to tell you the worring gets better once you get past the 1st tri but it doesn't lol. you worry about how much they are moving, fluid levels, heart rates, ect, ect. I did end up getting a home doppler and that made me feel better but I couldn't find her consistently until about 15 weeks. Hang in there hun

IRYM - hey I'm all about the no gain! keep it up hun! 

Doc - I can't wait to hear about how the appointment goes. I know I felt a little better just by going and knowing we could get a plan in place. I don't like being in limbo.

Bronte - I've heard acupuncture can do a lot for quality. Does it hurt at all? i was a big baby and didn't try it because I was worried it would hurt hahaha and I stink at laying still. 

Becca - Good job on not eating too bad while your family was here, my mom is here for the week and my nana next week. They keep telling me when to eat and that I need to eat more lol no a salad with a chicken breast is more then enough thank you :)

AFM - im now down to 217 so 7 lbs from my pre-pregnant weight. yay! however I did waist and hip measurments and I don't love that :( I can't do any core exercises for 6 more weeks per my doctor. But after that its game on! my gym has daycare so I can't use her as an excuse not to go. My doctor gave me a really hard time that I don't want to do birth control. I don't want the weight gain from it, I can use condoms, plus breast feeding, plus taking 3 years and an RE to get pregnant I feel like i'm ok, but she lectured me for a good 5 minutes and kept giving me different options.


----------



## BronteForever

Swimmy - great job on the weight loss already. I think it's your decision what you want to do for birth control but it's your doctors to give all the options so you know and can choose what's best for you. I haven't followed all your story but what treatment were you on from the RE that helped conceive your daughter?

Oh and the acupuncture needles didn't hurt at all. Didn't even feel really.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Becca* - Good to hear from you! I've been seeing all that new activity on MFP, good job there!

And I agree with the others: after a chemical, your hormones might be a little touchy. It's okay to go easy on yourself for a little while. :)

*Swimmy* - What on earth was the doctor lecturing you for! Like you don't know that sex leads to babies? I would have snapped and said, "It took me X years to get pregnant with THIS one, I don't think I have to worry!" lol.

Some doctors think they know best. And while they might know quite a lot, they don't know what's going on with you at home, what your plans are for the future, etc. 

When my sister had her youngest child, the doctors nagged and nagged and nagged her about how she ought to be breast feeding her baby instead of bottle feeding. Even when my mother and sister both said, "With three other kids, there's simply not time for me to sit and breast feed, I have to be able to have someone else help me," the nurses kept on and kept on.

I think that if your doctor has presented you the info on why or why not to make a choice, and you have made your decision, they ought to just drop it. Sigh.


*Bronte* - You'll have to let me know how the acupuncture works for you! I've been considering it myself, but I think I'll try fertility massage first. Get some improved circulation to my reproductive organs and see if it helps. Also I'm admittedly a little afraid of those needles, but since you said it doesn't hurt, I'm feeling somewhat brave! :haha:


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - I'd love to know more about your fertility massage as well? Were you going to go to a specialist or do self massage. I watched a few videos on you tube to try to do some self massage techniques. I've been doing a few of them but I need to get better at it.


----------



## ireadyermind

BronteForever said:


> IRYM - I'd love to know more about your fertility massage as well? Were you going to go to a specialist or do self massage. I watched a few videos on you tube to try to do some self massage techniques. I've been doing a few of them but I need to get better at it.

I'm going to try it myself, first. I already do something like it when my ovaries are aching due to cysts, and it does help! So I figured, why not learn how to do an actual fertility massage and kill two birds with one stone? :winkwink:

I don't know how to measure success or failure with it, but I figure the fact that it eases some of the pinching and cramping can only be a good thing.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

*ireadyermind* - I have never heard of fertility massage, but I just looked it up. It looks very interesting! How often are you doing it? Do you think it will help with ovulation?

*beccabonny* - Good to hear from you! I really hate how visits and other things can really just throw eating plans totally out of whack, and it takes days to recover. Good job on not going too far off track, though -- I wish I had your self control!

*swimmyj1* - Thanks :hugs: I'm doing a lot better since having seen the scan and saw/heard that everything was just perfect. I'm getting less anxious and more excited over time, but still wanting to just get to the 12 week milestone and get that scan out of the way (and also be able to tell everyone!)

*AFM* - Scan was fine, no problems at all, and saw a very healthy little baby growing right on time. But I saw the doctor on Friday to get referred to the endocrinologist to monitor my thyroid, and they told me about how my care would be different due to being considered "high risk" due to a BMI of 36. One thing is they recommend an epidural, which I have always not wanted. Something to think about. However, all doctors so far have given me a big :thumbup: for losing so much weight before getting pregnant. It's nice to be told you've done something right for a change :happydance:

However, in relevant news, they have suggested I gain no more than 9 kg. Going to have to work on that, i think. I think I'm going to have to go back to calorie counting as soon as I can (right now I still have a lot of appetite problems, but I assume/hope they'll be gone soon). Unfortunately calorie counting is so hard if you want to also have a social life and not always eat at home, etc. Not to mention if you have lack of energy to cook everything, etc. Does anyone have any recommendations for alternative plans that are easier to maintain?

I also really need to do at least some exercise again. I feel like I've been soooooo lazy (basically all I do outside of work is sleep and rest, and fit in housework when I can). I think I'll make it a goal this week to get moving -- at least start walking again, if nothing else. Perhaps I should take my Fitbit off my shelf and start wearing it again :blush:


----------



## BronteForever

Mrs. Tigger - sorry you are considered high risk, but sounds like they just don't want to take any chances, which is good. Glad they are on top of it and good luck staying within your recommended weight gain amounts. I'm sure it's tough, but you can do it! Sounds like you have a good starting plan.

AFM - finally seeing weight come back off and headed in the right direction. I've almost lost all the weight I gained in late 2015 and early 2016 after switching up my workout routine extensively and putting on extra weight super quickly. Now that it's almost shed that, I feel like I'm starting from scratch a bit on the weight loss front, which is both good and bad I guess. Really hope to see the weight keep coming off. Trying to do good with my workouts this week since I've been struggling getting them in after some emotionally draining days last week.


----------



## swimmyj1

bronte - i was on 100mg of clomid and doing follicle scans, also on metformin and progesterone. my DH was taking fertility aid (herb supplement) and clomid. So we were able to really bring his count up and increase his swimmers. With him having a genetic issue though it really was just super lucky that we got pregnant with a healthy baby as quickly as we did with treatment. If we were pregnant with a boy though the chance of genetic issue would be much higher. I think im gonna get acupuncture for increase milk supply I'll let you gals know if it works lol. 

IRYM - im sorry for your sister I know nurses/doctors can be super big bullies about breast feeding. Yes everyone knows breast milk is best but in the end babies just need to be fed! with multiple other kids in a house heck I don't think i would have time to breast feed. It takes up a ton of time! seriously like 5 hours of my day is spent feeding her haha. I'm sure when I go back to work she will end up getting a mix of formula and whatever I can pump. Medical staff need to understand every patient is different and they need to treat them that way!

AFM - weight is still coming off yay! now I'm down to 217 I wish normal weight loss was this easy lol. I'm waiting for it to sneak back on :( 
had a crazy weekend with my mom here. We took elizabeth to a yarn festival on Saturday having a great time. Until the weather went very south and a tornado ended up touching down and we had to book it to a bathroom and hide in there for over an hour! our area had 4 tornado's touch down yikes!!! the fire department after they passed had to help us all get out and around all the down trees. Thank goodness she slept through the whole thing and didn't wake up until we were safe in the car headed back home lol.


----------



## BronteForever

Thanks for sharing swimmy, since I joined a bit later, I missed some of the details of your TTC journey! So glad it worked for you and you had a healthy baby girl! Sounds like you had a scary weekend though. Wow, 4 tornadoes? In Michigan? Scary.


----------



## MissDoc

Bronte, congrats on getting the weight off and now having a fresh start. At least it doesn't feel like you're trying to undo damage, and now you can move into the progress phase. You are going to be so well situated for your January IVF. I am really, really rooting for you!

IRYM, I'm looking forward to hearing how you like the fertility massage. About a couple times a week I've been doing abdominal massage (just started), circular motions following the tract of large intestine (more to help with constipation) but maybe it'll have a fertility benefit as well! 

Swimmy, yikes you guys really had quite a weekend! I'm glad you're safe and sound. It must have been pretty scary hanging out in a bathroom with a baby in a possible tornado for an hour! 

Tigger, I'm glad your doc is taking such a cautious and proactive approach with your pregnancy. It's nice to know you're in good hands and have someone whose job it is to keep you healthy and lead to a healthy happy babe in your arms at the end of this. And I love your ticker--- red pill or blue pill, haha! 


AFM, I have my appt with the RE in a couple of hours. I'm feeling nervous but ready to get things moving. The diagnostic phase is covered by my insurance (all except a few tests, which may be about a thousand) so I am thankful to have any coverage at all. Once we have a diagnosis, it's all out of pocket, every little office visit, scan, test, med, everything. Not looking forward to that. The lady said it usually goes very quickly and they try to do all of the testing within one cycle/month so as to get a treatment plan in place by the following cycle. So that's good. 

Overall, for today I want to know what treatment direction he thinks we need to go in (even though I know he'll want more tests first), if I should start taking DHEA for my DOR, if there are any specific lifestyle changes he recommends. I am not sure what else I should be asking at appt #1. I do know that my biggest hope is that he doesn't even mention donor eggs this early. I really don't want to be considering that yet. My second biggest hope is that if he mentions IVF my dearest husband doesn't pass out or shut down at the cost, lol.


----------



## BronteForever

Oh MissDoc - really hope it all goes well!!!

We are all self-pay too and my husband did shut down at the mention of IVF originally. But after he calmed down and we looked at everything super well, we proceeded. It's a heck of alot to take in at first. None of this stuff is easy, but once you process everything, it will feel more manageable. You already seem like you are in a much better place after the initial shock of finding out you had diminished reserve. It will all get better like that. 

I hope you get some great info and a great game plan soon!


----------



## beccabonny

Swimmy, glad you are staying strong to your family trying to tell you how to eat. I guess they'll always tend to do that :haha: Congrats on the weight loss, great job!! Sounds like you had an action-packed weekend! Glad everyone was safe. 

IRYM - fertility massage, eh? That sounds interesting! Is it something you do to yourself, or have somebody do to you?

Mrs Tigger - So wonderful you were able to see your healthy little bean! I don't know as far as plans go, I'm sure ladies on this thread will have suggestions! I know I would lose faster if I stopped eating so much cheese! What kind of fitbit do you have? Do you like it? I'm really thinking about getting one soon. 

Bronte - Amazing job!! Despite that feeling of just getting back to the base, you have done work and deserve credit for that. I hope things continue in the right direction for you :)

MissDoc - I hope your appointment goes well! It's nice that you have at least some coverage. Hopefully you guys aren't too overwhelmed with fees later on! 

AFM - Hoping AF shows up in three days like she's supposed to so I can have a normal cycle! I'll be calling the doc on Friday to go over my tests since I spaced out on Monday. Next time I'll set my alarms for exactly 4pm. 

I'm pretty frustrated on the WL front since I've been pretty good and my weight is back to 220 after getting down to 215. I'm guessing it was that big plate of spaghetti last night and all that cheese last week. So...cutting down on the cheese and switching from pasta to spaghetti squash for the next month to see if that makes a difference. We've also recently discovered how amazing almond-coconut milk is.


----------



## BronteForever

Becca - sorry the weight crept back on. It might have been the cheese  It's so hard to pass up I know. Or it could be where you are at in your cycle or left over hormones. It normally takes my body a bit to even out and I always notice a bit of a gain just before my period as well. 

I love spaghetti squash and am excited to eat it again. What do you normally put on yours? I'm having to give up cheese and I used to like to mix it with a bit of that and some seasonings.

And almond-coconut milk is the best. I use that for my protein shakes sometimes!


----------



## beccabonny

Bronte - I bet my cycle has something to do with it as well. I am so bloated! I'm totally cool with that if it is. I just got a tape measure and will do measurements tonight to hopefully be able to gauge WL in multiple ways. 

The way you prep spaghetti squash sounds delicious! It's so good any way. Last time I made it, I did it stuffed with meat and rice and other veggies. To prepare, I usually bake it in the oven first, but I haven't made it too many times, so this will be my early attempts at scraping the "spaghetti" out of it. I've had it prepared like this at restaurants, though, and found it delicious. The recipe I have in mind for tonight is an alteration of a pasta recipe, Creamy avocado fettuccine with sauteed garlic beef. I've got some lean steak I'm going to sautee up in strips, then add with sliced tomatoes to the "spaghetti," which will all be tossed in a sauce made from avocadoes, lime juice and yogurt. Fingers crossed it works out! :blush:

What kind of protein shakes do you like? I was thinking about doing a powder or something, but I'm curious about what works for other people before I commit. :coffee:


----------



## MissDoc

Okay. Done with my RE visit! The picture is much better (so far) than we expected. Just looking at my AMH of .6 he said I likely have the reproductive system of a 42 yr old, and he expected to see 6 follicles in both ovaries combined. BUT I had 12. Which is exactly what I should have at 32. He said this is more important than the AMH, and he'll repeat it next month to be sure it's stable. He does not recommend IVF. Said my ovaries, lining, follicles, uterus, and cervix are "textbook beautiful", lol. I will do more bloodwork, an HSG and fluid sonogram, and hubby will do a semen analysis. If all that looks good, then we try naturally for 3 months (more if we want to) and then start meds and trigger shot with IUI to increase chances. He said the only way we'd move to IVF any time soon is if hubby's results come back abnormal or if my tubes are blocked. He's also doing genetic screening on both of us. So lots of testing over the next month, but the picture is so much better than my bloodwork suggests. I feel so relieved! Hopefully nothing else wacky shows up in our work ups. I was so so prepared to hear we needed IVF, but the doc says we are far from that at this point in time, and we'll try other things first. I feel really relieved, especially financially. Meds and IUI would be more like 1k a month, which we can deal with.


----------



## BronteForever

Becca - oh my gosh that all sounds amazing. Yum. Yum. I'm probably going to have to try something similar. A lot of our dishes we like to do a base and then separate toppings sometimes since my husbands vegetarian. This might be a easy one for us to customize our toppings. 

I order Shakeology right now. It's kind of expensive but it's my small way of helping my sister-in-law pay off her cancer bills since she gets part of the money. However it has whey protein and I just switched to try the vegan one so we'll see how it is. It's easy for me to do in the morning and make quick. Otherwise I was eating even worse in the morning. 

MissDoc - this is wonderful news. So glad it's better than what you expected. Getting thoroughly checked out so you know exactly what you are working with it a big relief. Hope everything else is looking good!!

IUI will be much softer on the bank so it's great to hear you can start there if needed and have some wiggle room with time. Yay!!


----------



## beccabonny

MissDoc - that's amazing news! I'm so glad to hear it! I'm glad your repro system is "textbook beautiful" - such a cool compliment. It's great you're able to move forward to testing, hopefully it will all go well. What a great visit!

Bronte - it worked out pretty well! My avocadoes weren't super ripe, but whatever...the squash was delish! I can see doing a lot with it - it would definitely lend itself to customized toppings. I hope the vegan shakeology turns out to be good! There's so much delicious vegan stuff now :) We just stick with oatmeal in the am. I just switched to making it with (dun. dun....) coconut almond milk!


----------



## ireadyermind

Hey ladies. Sorry I've been MIA for a bit! PMS was super gnarly this time around, since it's been almost 2mos since my last AF! Ugh. She arrived yesterday, SUPER heavy, tons of cramps.. I've been essentially holed up all week so I don't bite anyone's head off accidentally. :haha:

Anyway... I just skimmed everyone's posts. There's a lot to catch up on! If I missed anyone, I'm sorry. 

*MissDoc* - That's excellent news! And it just proves that blood test results shouldn't be anyone's sole method of diagnosis. I'm glad you went in and got a thorough exam from someone who appears to be knowledgeable about such things. 


*Becca* - I've never tried spaghetti squash, but I hear good things! You guys posting up your recipes and foods is making me hungry. I haven't had breakfast as of the time I'm writing this!

*Everyone else* (lol) - The fertility massage is something you can do yourself. You start it after AF ends and stop doing it a couple days before ovulation.

The idea is basically to increase circulation to those reproductive organs to help get them working properly. And as has been mentioned, it also helps relieve constipation too. :D


AFM - I'm back to Soy Isos this month, but trying 120mg instead of the 80mg I did before. Especially now that we know I'm low on Estrogen and my ovulation this month didn't happen until CD39! I'm doing CD1-5 this time in the hopes of getting an earlier O date and possibly more than one egg to increase chances of conception. We'll see!

If it doesn't work this month, then next month I'll bring it up to 160mg, and if THAT doesn't work, then up to the maximum dose of 200mg. Wish me luck. xD


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - thanks for update! So sorry you had a bad AF and there was such a long time in between them. Really hope it evens out and the Soy Isos helps.

I've been trying fertility massage a bit as well - don't think it can hurt. Let me know if you've found any good videos on in or just instructions. I've been looking for some better ones, but not having much luck and I'm a super visual person.


----------



## ireadyermind

BronteForever said:


> IRYM - thanks for update! So sorry you had a bad AF and there was such a long time in between them. Really hope it evens out and the Soy Isos helps.
> 
> I've been trying fertility massage a bit as well - don't think it can hurt. Let me know if you've found any good videos on in or just instructions. I've been looking for some better ones, but not having much luck and I'm a super visual person.

YouTube is excellent for that. Just search for Fertility Massage and browse the results. There are tons of 'em out there and I'm sure you'll find one that explains it to you in a way you can understand!


----------



## BronteForever

Thanks! I tried YouTube but didn't find any of them I really liked, but I don't think I searched very far, so I think I just need to devote sometime to looking. One of the videos wasn't too bad, so I've been using that one for now.


----------



## MissDoc

Hey ladies, thanks for the positive vibes. Glad to have some less than alarming news at least. I feel good about trying for the next few months and then doing IUI, and then going from there in regards to the big guns and when and how to move forward. It looks like I most likely ovulated yesterday. FF initially thought it was a few days ago, but I moved it as it tried to say it was Day 12 due purely to temps when OPKs were most glaring positive on Day 13 and still had EWCM up to yesterday. AND temp jumped much more obviously today. So yeah, I think I'm 1 DPO. We are going to go to dinner and have margaritas tonight to celebrate making it through the fertile week with our sanity and having had perfectly timed intercourse. Now the waiting period begins. 

IRYM, I hope the soy isos work for you without having to jack them up to the maximum dose. And yay for FINALLY being on the next cycle. Sheesh, that last one was a long one for you.

Becca and Bronte, your food talk is sounding so good. I love anything with avocado. Yum! Tomorrow is grocery planning/shopping and I'll try to to be really mindful about this next week's eating plan.


----------



## MissDoc

Hey ladies. I haven't weighed, but I can tell it's not good just by how my clothes are fitting. I need to reign it in! I have good eats planned for this week, so should be on track. I made pre-prepped snacks for the week. Chopped various veggies and put them in little mason jars with a side of homemade (non-mayo based) ranch dressing, also have boiled eggs, fruit, and kind bars as snacks. That should help keep me from snacking on sweet junky foods.


----------



## ireadyermind

Good job, *MissDoc* - and thanks for the kind wishes. Today's the last day to take the Isos this cycle so wish me luck!

I've been weighing every other day this week because a couple days before AF started up, I put on water weight like you wouldn't BELIEVE. My weight jumped up five pounds! 

It's starting to come off today now that AF has gone, so I'm hoping that by next Monday, it'll all be gone and I can have a more accurate way of telling how much I've gained or lost for the month. I wish water weight wasn't a thing! DH only has to deal with it if he eats salty food like french fries or chips/crisps. I'm so envious!


----------



## beccabonny

IRYM :wave: Happy to see you! Sorry about the rough PMS/AF. What a witch! I hope the soy Isos increased dosage works for you this cycle. Water weight is so frustrating, but at least you know it's just that! I wish it wasn't a thing, either. 

Bronte - I hope you find more good videos!


MissDoc - good job on perfect timing. I hope this is it for you! Speaking of avocadoes..I want to pick a bunch more up myself :) Good luck with your food shopping! Nice job pre-prepping. It all sounds delicious and healthy! 

AFM: Finally got over that water weight block myself which I was thinking was due to AF, but AF has not arrived as of yet (CD 34 - what a jerk...). I guess I'll have to get used to my cycle being longer than it used to be because it seems to be the case now. I've been doing really well on eating, not drinking at all, and I got decent workouts in over the weekend. I'm having fun learning new exercises (Bosu ball squats?) which is keeping me engaged with the types of exercises I really usually don't like. Anyway, feeling positive!


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: Congrats!!! She's soo cute!!

Hello everyone! :) :) Sorry I disappeared. To update everyone since the end of June, I booked my Gastric Sleeve Surgery in Mexico. July I had pre-op preparation. No one wanted to go with me to Mexico so I went by myself, left August 14, had the surgery August 15, back home by August 18. I have lost 52lbs since losing weight (386lbs down to 334lbs). I definitely feel a lot different already! :)

I am not ttc :( and not allowed to for 1 1/2 years! Hopefully I follow that and if I do then hopefully I can have my life more organized and be even more prepared and healthier!


----------



## BronteForever

Urs - thanks so much for the update. I've been thinking about you and wondering how you are doing. So glad to hear the surgery went well and you are already starting to see results. I wish the best for you. Are you on a liquid diet for now or how does that work?


----------



## Fern81

Congrats on taking such a big step Urs! Are you doing OK with healthy eating now? Glad it all went well. x

My good intentions ito eating plan (not eating too much, kale smoothies, exercise daily) etc went right out the window. Pregnancy is a lot different from what I expected! I get very hungry and nauseated if I don't eat. So I've been eating when I need to, trying to get enough protein and not eating refined carbs too often. I have to force myself to eat veg lol... I picked up a LOT of weight in the first trimester (about 10 pounds) from being extremely hungry all the time! but it's slowed down and so far I've only picked up 13 pounds in total. I'm trying to walk as much as I can and do arm weights & kettlebells but I'm soooo tired all the time. I don't want to struggle with weight loss after pregnancy too much. My body hasn't gotten that much bigger so far except for my bump, but oh my I have a LOT of cellulite now :( I'm guessing from all the hormones. I'm just going to keep doing what I can now and focus on weight loss next year. Baby's nutrition comes first now!

Anyway, we had our gender scan today and check it out!
 



Attached Files:







IMG_20160831_1_1.jpg
File size: 16.3 KB
Views: 6


----------



## BronteForever

Fern - I'm sure it has to be tough to eat healthy, but it sounds like you are doing great.

What's the gender?


----------



## beccabonny

Ursaula - whoa, welcome back and great loss! You are so brave for going through that whole thing on your own - respect! Time is always good to get things tidied up and make everything better for when you do TTC! 

Fern, 13lbs isn't too bad at all! I've heard the best thing to do is let yourself eat when you're hungry and don't push yourself too hard - basically listen to your body! Love the scan - is it a boy or a girl! I'm no expert...it definitely looks like a tiny person!


----------



## MissDoc

Urs, congratulations on the awesome journey you started. You've really hit the ground running with progress and I know it'll keep going for you. You'll be in a better place for TTC.

Fern, am I right in thinking that scan is from the bottom so we're looking the baby's bottom of booty, thighs, etc? If so, I think I see a little boy a'brewing!


----------



## Fern81

Missdoc you are right regarding the view and the gender! Yep thigh at the top and bottom, view is right from beneath baby's bum and that's a baby penis & testes :). 
We are so thrilled.

Thanks everyone!


----------



## BronteForever

Awe, yay, fern. It just looks like TV static to me as all my scans did for my IVF. So excited for you and excited you are having a boy. Yay!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - So good to hear from you! Congrats on the weight loss, I bet you're already noticing great things! I always find real world objects that weigh close to what I've lost or need to lose, and try to pick it up. For example, I could stand to lose 80lbs, and my dog weighs that much. I know for a fact I can't even pick him up, so imagine how hard my body is working just to carry that fat around, right? :dohh: 

Once you're all healed up, if you go to an office supply store and try to lift a 10 ream case of paper -- that's about the same as the weight you've just lost. It really puts things into perspective!



*Fern* - A boy! Congrats! I'm glad you said something, because I would have been clueless as to what we were looking at on that scan. :haha:



AFM - I have noticed some changes in taking the Soy Isos. For one thing, I have a libido again this week! Last month I had absolutely no desire to BD whatsoever. No libido, no drive, no nothing. My poor DH. :haha:

Since taking the 120mg SIs early this cycle, my libido is increasing. Not glaringly so, but enough so that I feel like someone who might possibly want to BD. So that's a huge difference at least in one department!

I've been doing the fertility massage since CD4 and I really like the way it makes me feel. I'm usually crampy/pinchy and tender around my ovaries all day, every day. But after a massage, that goes away for several hours! I've decided I'll try it in the morning after taking my BBT, and in the evening when I climb into bed. Even if it doesn't do anything for my actual fertility, at least I won't hurt all the time!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

*Ursaula* - So good to hear from you! I have been thinking about you and wondered how you were doing. And congrats on that amazing weight loss.

*Fern* - Good to hear from you as well! I have also been wondering how you are doing. Congrats on the baby boy.

I hope everyone is doing well. Pregnancy is not really like what I thought it would be. My appetite is all weird and foods I used to love, I can't stand anymore. However my nausea is decreasing now and my food versions are still there, but a bit less extreme, so I hope I can motivate myself to return to my normal healthy eating. I've not gone crazy so far, but I have been eating more carbs and less protein and veg than I'm used to. I can't tell how much weight I've gained really -- it keeps going up and down and I'm so bloated I look 16 weeks pregnant, at least (https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=964335&d=1472757280) :dohh: I am starting to walk and ride my bike more again, as my energy is coming back.

Today we had a scan at just over 10 weeks; baby seemed to be sleeping but was perfectly healthy an did wake up once to wave its little arms and legs around before going back to sleep. https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=964371&d=1472804933


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs. Tigger* - Aww, baby bump pics! Thanks for sharing!

I'm happy to hear the food aversions are decreasing slightly, and the nausea's going and energy's coming back. I say don't worry about your weight all that much until you have some more control over what you can eat! Right now it's all up in the air. You'll get back to the healthy menus soon enough. :)


----------



## MissDoc

Aww, Mrs. Tigger, so cute! I would just take it easy on yourself. You worked really hard to achieve this pregnancy, you deserve a little self understanding in regards to food planning for now. Just enjoy the parts you can!


Guys, I'm so so so impatient. Only 7 dpo and going absolutely nuts. Normally I'm just expecting AF to start and I do test, but later. Currently, I'm already anxious to test (BFN of course, duh self!), and am bouncing back and forth between feeling like I have GOT to be pregnant and I'm absolutely OUT. None of this makes sense of course. It's too early for anything. I'm just astounded by what a nutcase I can become when I typically am a very rational woman. Lol. I hope next cycle I'm back to a normal 'wait and see' mode rather than frantic and obsessed.


----------



## MissDoc

So today is 8 DPO and I got a squinter on two Wondfos with FMU. So I tested with a FRER second morning urine and light positive... Not a squinter. Holy crap. My first ever positive pregnancy test! Tried a digi too but it was BFN.

I sort of wish I hadn't tested this early, because the chance it sticks is just so low and that makes me nervous. Like mega scared. But I am thrilled to finally learn what a positive looks like from my own experience! I cried. This pursuit of pregnancy has just been so hard! Please stick, little ball of cells! Please oh please oh please!


----------



## BronteForever

Great news Miss Doc - really hope you have a sticky bean!!


----------



## MissDoc

Thank you so much! I'm in disbelief and am mostly just feeling terrified it's not "real"... Hard to feel confident after trying for so long with never a single positive. But it is really really reassuring to know that my body CAN get pregnant, whether it sticks or not.


----------



## BronteForever

Oh I know I'll be in shock if I get another positive ever. I think that's natural. 

There's lots of ladies that are LTTC that just randomly get a positive. Really hope it's good news.


----------



## ireadyermind

*MissDoc* - OMG How exciting! 

I so hope this is your sticky bean and you won't have to stress about TTC any more! Don't forget to show us those tests! :haha:

:dust:


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

OMG MissDoc, I am so happy for you! I was also in shock and terrified -- I'd never seen two lines on a pregnancy test in my life!

Fingers crossed that this one sticks. :hugs:


----------



## MissDoc

Thanks ladies. I feel like "normal" women would just be happy and assume they are pregnant and that's that. I wish I could be like that! As for test progression, Wondfo is slightly darker today (still light) and FRER is slightly lighter (not cool!). But a digi is positive and estimates me at 1-2 weeks post fertilization, which is accurate. So I'm trying to have hope in that. I just can't believe it's only 9 dpo. Symptoms are cramping, sort of a sustained crampy bruised uterus feeling. And it feels like it's being stretched like taffy. And my breasts are slightly sore. That's it. To be honest, these are symptoms I could easily get in any old TWW. Accept my uterus maybe feels more "stretchy" if that makes sense? Lol.

Anywho, I did fair yesterday with eating. Not perfect, but okay. Today I am going to make a concerted effort to do very well!


----------



## BronteForever

MissDoc - all of that sounds like great news and there isn't really any normal as far as pregnancy is concerned. 

Mrs Tigger - I'm actually not looking forward to being pregnant myself. I know some women love it but I could totally do without it and just want the kid. I know some of its left over from my ectopic since I'm scared to some extent but I think I never really wanted the pregnancy part. Really glad your nausea is reducing. That's great!


----------



## beccabonny

Mrs. Tigger - love the bump shot! Glad your aversions are tamping down a little. That is an adorable scan!

MissDoc - so exciting! I hope it sticks :hugs: did you do anymore testing yet? We could be bump buddies! sore breasts are a huge symptom for me. 

AFM - Got a BFP on 8/31 and I'm really feeling good about this time! I have sore boobs, food aversions, nausea, bloating, "growing" cramps, moodiness, tired...it's like all the symptoms fell on me at once. I'll gladly deal with it for a sticky bean. First scan is Monday. How do I go in with a full bladder without bursting? Any ideas? I have to drive a half hour there. I'm just hoping I can hold it and not pee all over anything...lol! May 2017 club :)


----------



## BronteForever

Becca - can you drink stuff on the way to the scan? That's what I did when I had to have full bladders for scans. Then you don't have as long to wait. So excited you have one coming up. Yay!


----------



## beccabonny

Bronte - good call! I was wondering if a half hour would be long enough or if I should drink it all before I leave!


----------



## BronteForever

I don't know, but they never said anything about it not being full enough when I did it that way.


----------



## drjo718

I'm not sure why some places even tell you to have a full bladder. We never tell our patients that, and you can usually see everything just fine.

Big congrats to missdoc and becca!


----------



## MissDoc

Oh Becca, how exciting! Congrats!! You're less than a week ahead of me. Hopefully these beans are sticky. The symptoms have hit me like a truck, especially the nausea, cramping, and super painful breasts. Trying to take it as a good sign though. Still full of utter terror that it won't stick bc I'm still only 11 dpo, but trying not to dwell in that. Lines are still getting darker. Had blood drawn today and will get the results tomorrow. 

I've been eating really well these last few days. Not trying to have a deficit though, just aiming to not go over maintenance. Also trying to adhere to my activity plan (exercising tonight with a friend).

Hope all you ladies are doing well this week!


----------



## swimmyj1

hey gals sorry I've been gone for a while. Can't believe all the BFP this group has gotten!!

Urs - so glad to hear from you again and glad to hear surgery went well :) how have you been feeling physically? 50+ weight loss is amazing!!

Bronte - I can't wait for your next IVF cycle, I hope it goes better than last time and that your doctor is there!

Becca - i didn't have a full bladder for my scans lol, I would just drink a bottle of water before going in but I never felt like my bladder was gonna burst. If they really need a better picture they can always do a vaginal ultrasound :) good luck

AFM - I developed some pretty bad baby blues. And I felt even more guilty sense I had wanted to have her so badly. My mom and nana stepped in and really helped. we all went up to my cabin for a little over a week. They helped me get outside more, start hiking again which always makes me happy. My DH came up for the holiday weekend and we all went home. I really need to work on going outside more, plus it will really help with weight loss not to just sit around at home with her watching netflix lol. my gym has a day care in it but i don't want her to go to a daycare with a lot of germs until shes a little bigger. 

Hope everyone had a good holiday weekend :)


----------



## beccabonny

MissDoc - I'm glad your lines are getting darker! Sounds like good signs all the way around. I so hope we can stay bump buddies, how cool would that be!? How did the blood test go?

Swimmy - thank you! That's a good point. Sorry to hear about the post partum, but it sounds like you had a wonderful holiday! Good luck getting outside more - you guys should have wonderful weather about now, right?


----------



## ireadyermind

*Becca* - Wow, congrats! I guess it's baby season around here! :) FXd for a sticky bean! 

:dust:


----------



## beccabonny

IRYM - thank you, I think this is the one!


----------



## BronteForever

Swimmy - so sorry you have been suffering from postpartum. Not fun at all. But that's great you have family around to support and help you out! The cabin sounds like it was a nice outing. 

MissDoc - sounds like it's good news to me! Really hope baby sticks.


----------



## Fern81

Yay congrats becca and missdoc!!


----------



## MissDoc

Thanks so much, ladies. The lines keep getting darker and digi now says 2-3 since conception, and initial beta from 2 days ago was 122 and they said anything over 30 would be good. Had another blood draw today to check how much it's increasing but won't get results until tomorrow end of day. They already scheduled a THIRD blood draw for Tuesday to check again. They seem a little nervous for me even though there is no indication anything is wrong. I think it's just because it's still so early. Only hitting 4 weeks tomorrow. Hope it sticks and we can be bump buddies Becca! You're 2 weeks ahead of me.

Swimmy, I'm sorry for the baby blues. It is much more common and normal than most think, your body has gone through so much hormonally. It has nothing to do with how much you want or love your little nugget. Glad to hear you're feeling on the mend!

IRYM, how is your cycle going? Feeling any different this time after the adjustment to soys?

How's everyone doing with health stuff? I don't think I've ever felt more motivated to eat healthfully. Bronte, I can see what you mean when you talk about your next IVF cycle being a major motivator that really helps you stick with your goals. When it feels like a baby is on the line, everything changes. I'm eating enough veggies and protein daily, not overeating, not eating processed stuff, only drinking water (other than 85% decaf coffee in the morning with whole milk and liquid stevia), and trying to do something active daily whether that be my beach body program/videos or walking on the treadmill at the gym. Even when nauseated, I feel motivated to be healthy. Wish I could have captured this kind of motivation before!


----------



## Ursaula

Congrats to the BFPs!!!!

Coming on here makes me want to try again SO SO bad! I was told to give it a year and a half though...we'll see how long I last. I HAD to update you gals though...my period started today!?!?!? All by itself!! First time in 6 years now that it started by itself and only once with progesterone starting it. Hopefully this becomes regular! Feeling in love with my body finally and like we're both on the same page.

In terms of a few of your questions I feel like a whole new person already and I still have 100lbs to lose from the sleeve alone in the next 11 months. I can't wait. However, physically, I ended up in emergency for dehydration. I'm alright now but it took me out for a good day or two.

What do you gals think? Is waiting 1.5 years something I have to do? I feel torn but I know this was definitely the right decision.

Hope all is well!


----------



## drjo718

Urs- congrats on the weight loss so far! As far as waiting for pregnancy, you definitely need to follow their recommendations. It's very important that you allow your body to heal and be strong enough to handle a pregnancy. Even if you feel better, you had a big surgery and your body will be going through a lot of adjustments over the next year+. The last thing you would want to do is jeopardize yourself or your unborn baby by trying too soon. &#9825;


----------



## BronteForever

Urs - great news on the period coming on it's own and for feeling better about yourself. I agree with everything DrJo said. She summed it up perfectly; I'd really follow their recommendations after a surgery and because your body is already in recovery-mode as it is and busy using energy to lose weight. I'm sorry it'll be a long wait for you (I'm in a 6 month one myself in an effort to get my body healthier and it's not fun waiting - I agree), but it's probably for the best.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - I can understand how you'd feel impatient! But like the others have said, it's best to wait. Give yourself time to readjust to your new body!

*MissDoc* - Aside from a slight increase in libido, I haven't noticed a whole heck of a lot in terms of changes. I *might* have ovulated several days earlier than normal, though, and made sure to BD with DH when I saw that low temperature on CD 13 I think it was.. OPKs are all negative though, so since FF says my usual fertile window is coming up, we'll start BDing every other day or so just to cover our bases.

What do you think of the temps on this month's chart??



AFM - Been feeling a little down and out lately. Discouraged over my lack of weight loss progress (again!), which I know would improve if I could just get on that exercise bike every single day. Managed to exercise two days last week and that was it. I really *really* dislike having to sit on that uncomfortable machine and just aimlessly pedaling with nothing to suitably keep my mind occupied! I've tried reading, watching TV or movies, listening to music, playing games on my phone... It doesn't work.

And we have an elliptical trainer, but because of my back problems and some old injuries, it is painful to use that too. In my lower back, I can feel my bones grinding and popping. In my bad foot/ankle/leg, the repetitive motion causes my foot to go numb and irritates the damaged cartilage. So even though I find the elliptical to be less mind-numbingly boring, I can't use it more than 10mins at a time on the lowest resistance setting.

Just about the only thing I can do regularly is walking, and with temperatures in the 90s (though thankfully getting slightly cooler as the year progresses), I have zero desire to go outside and do that either! Not to mention, I don't feel comfortable as a woman walking alone through the neighborhood. I am not a brave person. :dohh:

Bah. I know I'm just complaining. I'm sure there are people who can't even do half of what I do and would love the chance to gripe about only being able to use an elliptical trainer for 10mins. I should be grateful I didn't end up with a more severe disability than the one I have now! But yeah. Still feeling really blue this week. 

Hopefully I'll get out of my funk and back on the bike soon.


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - sorry you are feeling blue. I think it's the week since several others I know have had bad weeks. Me included. 

My motivation is down as well. I was going to suggest walking later at night when it's cool which is what we have to do with our dog but then you said you don't like walking in the neighborhood itself. My gentle dog usually scares anyone on our walks so maybe you need a German Shepard/Labrador mix to go on walks with 

I really like my Beachbody stuff and there's a few that are low impact but not sure they'd work for you either. 

I've found when I'm in a rut I usually have to change it up. I'm trying to go back to skating myself because group workouts usually motivate me a lot more. 

Good luck finding something.


----------



## MissDoc

I hope everyone's "off" week is behind them and we're all feeling good about a new week! I'm eating really healthy and exercising well. I'm sticking to these health habits as though this little bean's life depends on it, lol. My motivation is really high. Going from eating like crap to eating really healthy and exercising consistently has made me lose a lb. I don't think I mind mild losses in this first tri as long as they come naturally (I'm not aiming for them) and I'm getting really high quality calories. Trying to be sure I eat between 1800 and 2200 per day and get at least 70g protein, 5 servings of fruits and veggies, and lots of water.


----------



## krissie328

I hope you ladies don't mind if I join you. I have been ttc #2 for two years now. I have done 4 rounds of clomid and one round of femara. I am just so emotionally and physically exhausted so I have decided to take a medication break for the next bit. I am thinking of doing another round of clomid in December. 

But first I want to lose some weight and get back to eating healthier and at least walking more. 

*Stats:*
Height: 5'6"
Starting Weight: ~222 (will weigh in on 9/19 for official start weight.) 
Goal Weight: 170
MyFitnessPal Username: krissiebean

*Goals:*
- I would like to be under 200 lbs before doing my next round of Clomid. 
- Ultimately I would like to get to 170 lbs.
- Take my vitamins and supplements regularly!! I am so forgetful about these. 

*My Plan:*
- My current plan is going to be low carb (defined as under 75 carbs a day.) 
- I would also like to hit 7500 steps per day. 

*September*

*Weigh-ins:*
9/19/16: 223.6
9/26/16: 221 (-2.6)

*Things I struggled with this month:* I had a hard time getting started on my diet. I really only had two good days my first week. But I still managed a 2.6 lb loss, so I guess while it wasn't up to my standards it was still a good loss. 

*Things I did well this month:* I did actually start eating better and taking my supplements more regularly. And I am working on moving a bit more so that is helping me feel better. 

*October*
10/3/16: 221.4 witch: is here)
10/10/16:
10/17/16:
10/24/16:
10/31/16: 

*Things I struggled with this month:*

*Things I did well this month:*


----------



## BronteForever

Hey Krissie - welcome to the group and good luck on focusing on you and taking a medication break. This process can get so overwhelming and draining at times. I think breaks are helpful and needed!

Sounds like you have a good plan and goals to get your fitness on track!


----------



## krissie328

Thanks Bronte. I am definitely feeling this is the right thing for us right now. Ttc can be so draining and frustrating. I can see by your signature you have struggled as well. :hugs: I hope January brings you your bfp.


----------



## Ursaula

Welcome Krissie! :)

Thanks gals for your input on waiting to ttc. I KNOW deep down inside it is for the best. Doesn't mean I have to like it though! 

Thinking of you all!


----------



## miracleworker

hello ladies
i miss you all... its been a while but am following all of your journey

congratulations to all the bfp's and i wish you all a happy pregnancy.

URS congrats on loosing weight...it is a good feeling am sure and your body will feel alot better. 

Welcom Kriss am sure you will love this group everyone here is lovely

AFM have been havin alot on my plate and i get so tired at the end of the day. Somedays i try to walk but havent done that so much. i once tried exercising with someladies on youtube but it was just that once. We have a wedding (brother in law) in coming two weeks and there is so much to do. Maybe after it i can pull myself together. 
As for my baby i started feeling it moving since week 16 and now and then i feel big kicks..am glad because i know something is there and as we all are cant stop worrying. I will go for my 20 weeks scan on 9/16 but i dont wanna find gender of the baby am team yellow though its tempting:dohh:


----------



## beccabonny

Yay, MissDoc, being bump buddies will be awesome! Hopefully both our little beans stick :) So far, so good! I also have lost a pound so far this first tri! You're doing such a great job being healthy! What kind of things are you eating for protein?

I'm not feeling motivated. I'm so tired and have major food aversions right now, it's making it hard for me to do my cool substitutions. I've had a bit of junk food but I'm trying not to overdo it. I'm also going easy on the exercise since I get this really tight uncomfortable feeling even walking far. I'll wait until 2nd tri and then add back in at least light workouts. I would prefer to continue lifting weights as well, but again, I'm afraid of overdoing it. I was working out during both previous losses, and actually at the very start of this pg until i found out, but now I'd rather just be super careful. I've cut out all caffiene as coffee repulses me now. Lemon ginger tea is good. I don't mind the lack of energy, I am happy to have the symptoms. I feel like I keep saying that, but it's so true. 

Urs - amazing progress! I think it's important you wait and get your body strong before trying for that LO :)

IRYM - I agree about exercise bikes. Unless it's the one that has the screen to make it look like you're actually going somewhere, it's pretty boring :( The only luck I had was to compete against myself to see if I could beat my own time going a certain distance. Sometimes the only way was to break it into five minute increments, then say, wow, ok, I got five minutes and now I only have such and such time left. Then I would do it again for the next five. And over and over, until eventually I only had five minutes left and felt so accomplished for not giving up despite the boredom. Can you do any other types of workouts, like exercise ball, resistance, body weight, swimming? I couldn't believe how winded some of those body weight workouts got me, squat-type ones in particular, but also "supermans!" I hope you're able to get out of your funk :hugs: I totally relate. 

Welcome, Krissie! Sounds like your goals are very reasonable! 

Miracle, congrats to you as well and I'm glad you can feel kicks! That's so exciting! Can't wait to hear about your scan, even if you stay team yellow :)


----------



## MissDoc

Becca, I don't have any food aversions yet... but you're almost 3 weeks ahead of me, so I'm not counting myself lucky yet. It could all still be in my future. I also love the symptoms I do have because I feel like I earned every one of these symptoms darnit, lol, and I need every reassurance I can get. I've been doing lean meats, boiled eggs, greek yogurt, cheese, whole milk, peanut butter, and high protein "good seed" bread with avocado. I'm still exercising, but watching heart rate and stopping if it gets high. 

Miracle, how exciting that you've felt baby move. That must be such a trip! Congrats!

Urs, you're really doing great and prioritizing all of the right things right now... keep it up!

Krissie, welcome! You've joined a really great group here.  We'll help you achieve your goals. 

Bronte, how are you feeling this week? Is the funk letting up yet?


----------



## swimmyj1

I'm sorry so many of us are feeling down:( things got worse for me this week and I ended up seaking my doctors help with the post partum. I know medication takes weeks to work sometimes but I feel relief that my doctor knows and I seeing her counsel services too. I also developed a breast infection had a fever of 102 for multiple days and my DH was out of town for work. Yikes! I could have kissed the nurses at my lactation class they put me in one of the empty hospital rooms let me sleep for a few hours. My mom is coming back next week to watch her while I have an all day class. Sorry another venting message but you gals have just been such a rock for me. Thank you :)

On a positive note I'm down another pound yay!!!! But I'll probably gain 5 with my mom here hahahaha 

Urs - I'm sure it's really hard to wait but it will be worth it to be health :) hang in there Hun

Krissie- this group is amazing! Good luck! 

Goal of the week for me go out and hike at least once.


----------



## beccabonny

swimmy, sorry to hear you're still struggling. i'm glad you went to your provider, it must have been a relief to share it and despite the fact that it takes a little time, just knowing you're doing something to treat it is a huge step. also sorry about the infection, that sounds terrible! hope you're feeling better or feeling better soon.


----------



## BronteForever

Thanks Krissie! Yes it's been a bit of a struggle for me, but to be honest it's gotten easier with time. Though, I'm still recovering from the failed IVF cycle and trying to keep some positivity for the next one in January. But it is hard to stay positive sometimes throughout this process sometimes.

Becca - sorry you aren't feeling motivated and having food aversions. That stinks. Just try the best you can and that's all you can do. 

MissDoc - I'm doing better emotionally this week, but definitely still not getting in as many workouts as I'd like. Probably because I'll be having dinner out 2 times this week which not only makes it harder to eat healthy but workout. I'll get it figured out eventually. I've been stalled on weight loss and would really like to see the scale moving the correct direction. 

I bet the symptoms are helpful to make you feel pregnant as well, so it's strangely comforting. So I guess you get your food aversions MissDoc 

Swimmy - good for you for seeking help and getting it worked out. Sorry you are having trouble still, but that's wonderful you have a great support system that can come in and help. There's no shame in admitting you need help. If I do end up pregnant, postpartum is something I'm worried about as well, since I already have depression and anxiety and have been on meds and counseling on and off since I was 15. It runs in my family and is triggered somewhat my hormones. Plus, they had to switch my meds while TTC and then take me off if I conceive so I'll already be a bit of a mess. 

Anyway, I know it has to be a huge transition and add into that hormonal changes and postpartum and I imagine it's a lot to deal with. So seeking help with getting medications and counseling was definitely the right move and can only help. Good luck!


----------



## BronteForever

I've definetly stalled on my weight loss and need to figure out what's causing it to overcome it. But I haven't figured it out. I gave up dairy and gluten and wondering if the carb deficit isn't helping so I'm going to try to find more non-gluten carbs this week. Plus I'm really going to try to track my food intake well to figure it out. 

However I've noticed I always have a decent weight loss on the week of my period and then less or none all other times. Anyone knows what causes that? I thought most people gained on their period?

Anyway, really hoping I get over this plateau.


----------



## krissie328

Bronte- I find sometimes to few carbs will cause a stall. So definitely try adding some back into your diet. 

As for my period I do gain. So I'm afraid I'm not much help. I do lose it all when af leaves at least. 

Afm, just got back home from vacation. I will weigh in tomorrow and get started with my diet again. I'm so nervous but excited to working on getting healthy. I feel terrible!


----------



## BronteForever

Thanks Krissie - I added in some carbs such as sweet potatoes and higher carb fruits and veggies but it might not be enough. Going to try to figure it out. I'm not great at this stuff but I want to see results. 

Hope you had a nice vacation. That's always the worst time to try to keep up a diet and exercise plan. Good luck getting back into it!


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

Just checking in. I've been mostly away from the boards and haven't really kept up with anything.

*krissie328* - Welcome! I think you'll find that this group is full of just some lovely, lovely ladies!

*BronteForever* - Weight loss is so frustrating. Sometimes I swear I feel like there's zero connection between input and results. Hang in there!

*beccabonny* and *MissDoc* - Huge, huge congratulations to both of you!!! I'm so happy for you both! H&H 9 Months!

*miracleworker* - Hang in there, it's tough! I'm sure it must be exciting to feel the baby move. :cloud9:

*Ursaula* - Congrats on the weight loss! I agree with the others, that waiting is important. It would be terrible to not wait and something went wrong instead. Hang in there! :hugs:

*AFM* - I'm 12w5d today and we had the nuchal test. Everything is just completely normal and our risk of Downs is 1:10,082, which is very very low risk.

It freaks me out how human the baby looks now; we could see lips, nose, and even fingers!

https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=966881&amp;d=1474281909

First tri symptoms have mostly gone for me; I'm trying to be more active now. Unfortunately I am now dealing with dizziness (which apparently is not uncommon in 2nd tri) so I am trying to be careful.

Now that we're out of the high-risk range, we announced at work and Facebook and everyone's just thrilled. :cloud9:


----------



## krissie328

Congrats Mrs. Tigger! It's love that your bub is doing so well and you're feeling better.

Afm, did my weigh in today. I've got my motivation to work hard so just gotta stick to it.


----------



## BronteForever

Mrs. Tigger - love the scan photos. So cute! It is amazing how much of a little human they are even so early. 

Krissie - good luck. You can do it. Sticking to a plan is hard for me. Just gotta take it one day at a time.


----------



## krissie328

Yea, I am already struggling with the, " I can cheat today and start tomorrow." attitude. But I am trying to stay on track and stay motivated.


----------



## Ursaula

Hi gals! I haven't been very motivated this week either.

Mrs. T: I'm so happy for you! I know once I am pregnant I will be worrying all through first trimester. It must be such a relief moving into second trimester and everything being normal. Love the scan.

Thinking of everyone.


Quick update: I'm not the best at keeping updated right now.

My mood is having a hard spell where I'm constantly freaking out or needing to go somewhere to feel safe. I have an upcoming appointment with my psychiatrist though to discuss this.

I have officially lost 66lbs. I now weigh in at 320lbs. Hoping to be down 100lbs by November.


----------



## krissie328

How was everyone's weekend? I had a good weekend. I did a lot of yard work in prepping for fall/winter. I have more planned for this week while the weather is still nice. I struggled with my diet over the weekend but I still managed a 2.6 lb loss for the week. So while my diet isn't perfect it is definitely better and heading in the right direction.


----------



## swimmyj1

Bronte - I gain weight during my period so I'm not much help there either sorry you hit a stall on weight loss, those always bum me out. But it's better than the alternative of gaining (or so I tell myself lol) 

Kris - I hear ya on the cheat day! But I unfortunately caved. I went to a baseball game for my DHs birthday ate crap there, then we went back to my moms for pizza and cake. I went carb crazy &#55357;&#56848; Im sure the scale will reflect that lol

Urs - hopefully your docs can help I'm sorry your feeling that way :( it's scary how your mind can really turn on you. Hang in there we are always here to listen. 

Tiger - yay! Congrats on making it to the second Tri and telling everyone:) glad those symptoms cleared up a bit. Dizzyness got me also 

Afm - feeling a lot better, thanks for being so supportive. My scale kept giving me an error message this morning so I couldn't weigh in. Probably not a bad thing with all the junk this weekend lol. 

Irym - hope your doing good :)


----------



## BronteForever

Krissie - great job on the weight loss. I think a 1-3 lb loss each week is about ideal, since it's supposed to be easier to keep off long term.

I didn't lose any, but lost some right before my period like normal at the beginning of the week. I had a few "treats" this week because it was "fair week," so going to try to be strict this upcoming week.

Swimmy - I think you are right, I'd much rather stay the same then gain weight for sure! Glad you are feeling better. That's great news!


----------



## swimmyj1

I'm up 5lbs ugh totally not blaming but my DH keeps buying total junk food and I'm the worse snacker ever! Seriously in afew days I think I've eaten a whole thing of Oreos. The weather has been raining/cold so I haven't taken lizzy for a walk really. I need good ideas for in house work outs. 
Also to help prevent bad snacking today I've left carrots out on the counter.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- youtube has some good workout things. 

I have also been horrible at eating lately. This week I have had bad pms and work stress. Af arri ved today so hoping now I can focus on getting back on track.


----------



## MissDoc

I have been so terrible at eating. The first 4.5-5 weeks I did great with eating and exercising, but after 5 weeks the nausea starting getting unbearable. I only vomit occasionally, so I still eat enough, but I'm overeating crappy things because that's what sounds good. I know I've gained a few lbs so far in this first tri, even though there's no reason to gain this early. I need to get it under control but it's so hard when you feel absolutely terrible and only bad things sound good.  I haven't exercised much either because I just feel so sick. I need to at least start walking. I can say that I've been great about water though. Getting plenty of that every day.


----------



## ireadyermind

Hey guys. Sorry I've been MIA!

I've fallen victim to a series of colds and other ailments and I've been laying low a while. My brain has been so frazzled I completely fell out of any semblance of a routine. Yikes.

First there was a head cold, the symptoms of which triggered a TMJ flare-up... The flare-up caused the entire left side of my face to hurt like MAD, including all the teeth on the left side of my mouth. I can ask for cortizone injections to my FACE but I said no thank you and I've been toughing it out with the occasional Motrin tablet. 

Then this morning I wake up with what feels like bronchitis! I can't catch a break, but apparently I *can* catch every illness out there! :haha:


Today's 16dpo. Usually AF shows up first thing in the morning, but so far there's been nothing. No steep temp drop either, only a tiny one. I kinda-sorta have my hopes up, but I'm trying not to get too excited.

Hope you gals are all plugging on ahead. I know I need to get back to my routine 'cause the scale is STILL creeping up no matter what I eat or don't eat.




Anyway, I'm just checking in. Skimmed some of the earlier posts. Good to see your little bean's doing well, MissDoc! I'll try to do some more in-depth reading later this week.


----------



## ireadyermind

And now 17dpo, no AF and BFN this morning. I could possibly be 15dpo today, with those two wonky discarded temps on my chart, but the +OPK and EWCM I had earlier make me think otherwise.

Going nuts today trying to keep busy while I wait and see if AF shows up. So far, no sign.

Anyway!

How's everyone else doing?


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - keeping my fingers crossed for you that this is good news. Holy cow you have been through alot of illnesses later. So glad you are finally feeling better. Hope you continue to improve.

Just plugging along and super sore today after I went back to skating. Hopefully I get some good weight loss this month. I've definitely been stalled.


----------



## beccabonny

bronte, hope your week is going well!

swimmy, it's so much harder when it's in the house! i'm lucky bc OH will eat ALL of it if I can just wait until he's around. He's worse than me. I have totally eaten a thing of oreos before, more than once, and honestly I don't think I regret it. Carrots are always good, good idea to help keep your snacking in the right place! 

missdoc, i'm right there with you! At this point the nutrition is not as important as it will be (they say) so I'm just focusing on eating stuff that I want. For me that's like...bagels and cream cheese, milk, and anything with tomato sauce. I've somehow lost two lbs during the first tri. First pregnancy I gained 14 in 9 weeks (with twins), so it's always different. The water is good! I also feel a bit better when I'm more active, so walking seems like a good idea. I've been taking it easy and will until 12 weeks, then I plan to start working out again, at least lightly. This whole 15 lb weight restriction is kind of rediculous. 

IRYM - glad to see you again! Hope you're feeling better. TMJ is an awful thing. :( :hugs: Waiting to see what's going on with AF or no AF for you! Fingers crossed!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Bronte* - Thanks! I'm gradually starting to feel like myself, and picking back up on neglected housework. I even did some detail work in the kitchen, like pulling all the knobs off the stove to scrub them. That never happens, so you can tell I'm feeling much better. lol!

*Becca* - Still no AF! No spotting, no cramps. Nothing but sore BBs. 

I tested again this morning and BFN!

Do you gals think I could have O'd later than what FF suggests? Even if I O'd a couple days later, I'd be at 16DPO now and AF should have arrived already! 

So I'm either 18dpo or 16dpo, no sign of AF, and BFNs. This is maddening!


EDIT: I do have this super super super faintly pink-tinged CM that I can't even see when I wipe. The only reason I noticed it is because I started putting a pad on every morning, since I'm expecting AF any time now. By the end of the day it has a SUPER faint brownish-pinkish tinge to it and that's it. I've never seen this before so I'm not sure what to expect.


----------



## beccabonny

I've had my Os be off by a week from FF, so it's possible! And very annoying :( Glad to hear that you're feeling a bit better!


----------



## ireadyermind

beccabonny said:


> I've had my Os be off by a week from FF, so it's possible! And very annoying :( Glad to hear that you're feeling a bit better!

Looking at my chart, though, I don't think my predicted O date is wrong. I have EWCM, a +OPK and a temp dip followed by a sustained rise all between CD20 - CD24.

I continued to do OPKs for several days after my first +OPK (just to be sure!) and was getting negatives even up to 5 days after, so I'm pretty sure it isn't late ovulation. The sustained temp rise only happens when ovulation has occurred, and since my chart shows a sustained rise, I know I O'd at some point within that time frame.

ALSO

Normally whenever my temp drops below 98.0° regardless of what my cover line is, AF arrives that day. Here's day two of temps below 98.0 and there's no sign of :witch:!


I've been trying to find stuff to do to keep myself busy, but it's not working. I still obsess. And I tell myself that the Wondfo HPT has *got* to be wrong! lol


----------



## beccabonny

So strange!! My OPKs were never positive until actual ovulation, so if I ovulated late, I got the +OPK late. Can't get much more accurate than your tracking, IRYM!


----------



## BronteForever

IRYM - I'm not really good at interpreting charts and yours are so long so I'm not sure what's supposed to be normal or not. Just really hope you get good news!


----------



## ireadyermind

BronteForever said:


> IRYM - I'm not really good at interpreting charts and yours are so long so I'm not sure what's supposed to be normal or not. Just really hope you get good news!

Believe it or not, this is a relatively short cycle. :dohh: lol


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- your chart looks really good. Not sure why your temp fell like that without af though. What is your normal LP? I would definitely test, but I have issues with that. :blush:


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> IRYM- your chart looks really good. Not sure why your temp fell like that without af though. What is your normal LP? I would definitely test, but I have issues with that. :blush:

My LPs are 15 days. I have already tested 3 times and BFN. Not even squinters or evaps, just stark white negatives.

BUT just a few minutes ago I started spotting. Pretty sure it's officially AF. Booo!

I will be doing Soy Isoflavones again, but this time increasing the dosage to 160mg this time. Last month I took 120mg and saw some promising results. Let's see what 160mg does!

It's now officially 2 years TTC with no sticky beans. Wish me luck (again)!


----------



## krissie328

Nooo!! I am so sorry hun. I had a good response to the soy as well. I think I jumped straight to 200 mg for two cycles. But neither resulted in a bfp. I really hope it works for you soon. 

Next month is our 2 year mark of trying for #2. I am just struggling to process it all right now and kinda just trying to ignore it.


----------



## BronteForever

So sorry IRYM - this whole process sucks. I'm about done myself. If the next IVF cycle doesn't work, I'm pretty sure we will be done and may wait awhile to move on to looking into adoption or we might not. The decision seems to fluctuate a lot. But lately, I've just been really ready to move on.


----------



## krissie328

:hugs: I am so sorry ladies. 

I have been thinking a lot about what our next step might be if these next couple cycles don't work out. We might be able to do injectibles but I don't see ivf being an option. It just breaks my heart that this is so difficult and never feels like it is going to happen.


----------



## swimmyj1

Irym- I'm sorry you had been so ill :( i hope that your feeling better and that's it for you this winter. I'm dreading my usual winter cold.

Bronte - I really hope that your next ivf works. But adoption is always a wonderful option.

Krissie - I'm sorry you guys are having such a hard time ttc #2. I get so much anxiety when my dh brings up ttc for a second baby. 

Afm - still no af after having lizzy ugh. I wish I knew what my body was doing! If I haven't started by my drs appointment in dec I will bring it up to my doctor then. I'm still pumping so maybe That's why?? I just got home from a weeks trip with my mom. And now I'm dreading going back to work in 10 days &#128557;


----------



## drjo718

Swimmy, it can be normal to not have a period until after you're done breastfeeding. I'm about 6 months out, and even with poor milk supply I haven't had one.


----------



## MissDoc

Hey ladies. How are you all doing? I haven't had much activity or exercise in a while, but Sunday decided to recommit to exercising. Needed something a little lower impact though, so I'm trying Yoga Booty Ballet (Beachbody program) for a month to see how I like it. It's sort of wacky and silly, but fun and seems like a good workout. I'm 2 days in and liking it well enough so far. 

As of today, I'm discharged from the fertility clinic and back to my ObGyn. It'll be fun going back to her pregnant, as the last time we spoke she told me I would likely need donor eggs, wished me well, and sent me on to the RE. So I'm sure it'll be a fun surprise for her that I'm pregnant with my own eggs.

I've been sick still, and the dread and worry is ever present, but is starting to shift toward more positivity. I do genetic blood testing this Thursday and it will probably take a couple weeks to get those results back, but I think once I do (if clear) I'll relax into being pregnant a little more.


----------



## Ursaula

Hope everyone is alright. I'm always thinking of you gals.

For me, I am down 84lbs so far and my doctor and dietician are concerned it is too much to be losing even with the surgery. I am 10 weeks post op, secretly hoping for 100lbs down by 3 months (12 weeks), but I know they won't be happy and health needs to come first.

Haven't had another period since the one I updated you gals on a while ago. A little bummed out about it.

Sending joyful thoughts and love to all of you.


----------



## swimmyj1

urs - holy cow 84 lbs! thats amazing good job!!! 

missing everyone hoping we can get the weight loss group back up. I'm back to work as of today and realized i really need to get myself moving. i thought i was doing ok but in the last month I have put on 12 lbs! that is just not ok! I've started using my fit bit and need to really look at what im eating bored eating is really killing me :( 

hope everyone is ok missed ya guys!


----------



## BronteForever

Urs - wow that's so much weight dropped already and that's good they are watching you and not wanting you to lose it too quickly so you stay healthy the entire time. Congrats and best wishes on reaching even more goals. Hopefully your periods will even out again once you get into the range you are shooting for.

Swimmy - I have been doing bad on my eating and well and definitely need to get back into everything. I've been really busy and staying active, but because I've been so busy I've been eating out alot and eating more sweets. So I really need to gear down and get healthier before the next IVF round. So I'm in on getting back to being accountable to each other. 

Hope going back to work is working out for you and the transition wasn't too challenging.


----------



## Ursaula

Hello again!
I'm starting to check on here more frequently as I have sort of exciting news, aside from the weight loss. This will be post 1 of 2 for me.

But first! I have a CHALLENGE for everyone wanting to participate. I thought since a lot of us are struggling right now with our eating/weight/exercise that this might be helpful, so here it is;
Write down a list of FIVE things related to eating/weight/exercise that you are struggling with. Choose one to work on and focus on it for the whole week! Don't worry about the other 4, the one you choose is the only one that matters this week. This weeks challenge will end on November 14, so it's more 1 1/2 weeks. Make it an important one! I'll go first;

Five Things Challenge:
1. Getting all of my vitamins in for the day.
2. Drinking enough water.
3. Walking.
4. Eating 6 small meals/day.
5. Eating healthier foods.

This week, I choose: Getting all of my vitamins in for the day.


----------



## Ursaula

My second post is more of an update on my romantic life (and weight loss pics!) but feel free to skip over to the pics. I just need to tell someone and thought you gals would put up with me. 

Here's my "rant":
I decided to end it with my s/o and I since we had been on and off the past couple of months and things just weren't working out with him wanting to transition and the stress I had wanting a kid was making us rush that decision. I ended it back in August right before my surgery but we wanted to remain friends so we still talk almost every day and see each other once in a while as friends.

Flash up to now. I have met a pretty cool guy...I have butterflies all the time! He is 33 (I am 21), and he has two boys ages 4 and 8. I have yet to meet the kids but him and I have talked and he had a vasectomy done last year. I know there is such thing as a vasectomy reversal though...so I'm wondering if you gals know anything about it? Not for right now, but for future perhaps if this does become more serious, and of course when I am given the O.K. from my doctors. Also, how long did you wait until you told your s/o you love them? I'm just curious about this...hehe.

RANT OVER, PIC TIME!
Top left: Approx. 386lbs.
Bottom left: -50lbs, approx. 336lbs.
Right: TODAY -88lbs, approx. 298lbs.
 



Attached Files:







20161103_151443.jpg
File size: 47.3 KB
Views: 6









20161103_151322.jpg
File size: 47.6 KB
Views: 8


----------



## Ursaula

Forgot to mention, I AM IN THE 200s AGAIN!!! EEEEE!


----------



## MissDoc

Urs, I'll play along. Good idea. The things I've been struggling with are:

1) Eating too much candy or snacky things
2) Not exercising consistently
3) Not eating vegetables or paying enough attention to nutrient balance
4) Not getting enough steps daily
5) Eating fast foods or eating out too much in general

All of these things are so problematic I don't know where I should start, lol. I think a basic first step would be to stop with the overreating of sugary things (#1). So that's where I'll start. I already have eaten like crap today, but no more candy or sweets starting now. Or at least, not over eating it--- a more mindful approach.


----------



## Ursaula

Sounds great MissDoc!
How have you been doing with the sweets? I find for me I have to really follow the "out of sight out of mind rule" with them, or just not have them in the house at all.

I've been trying to get all my vitamins in but it just isn't working. My friend yesterday gave me an idea to program times into my phone as reminders to take them. I take them all through out the day for maximal absorption of each so I'm setting this up right now.


----------



## krissie328

Great job on the weight loss Urs. I don't know much about VR but I believe the longer you wait the harder it can be to get things going again (I think due to scar tissue). But I have seen many success stories. I told DH I loved him within a couple months of dating. But we really rushed things, were engaged within 3 months and married at 10 months. But we have been married 11.5 years so not to shabby. 

Five Things Challenge:
1. Eat whole foods. 
2. Take all my supplements. 
3. Snacking all the time. 
4. Exercise!! 
5. Reduce carbs to under 50.

I am going to start with #2 and taking all my supplements. I have a lot of them going on right now due to starting a new cycle.


----------



## swimmyj1

I like this challenge lol 

Five Things Challenge:
1. Take my vitamins
2. Cut fast foods
3. Stop buying candy!!! 
4. Think/react to bored eating vs hungry
5. Meet fitbit step goals!

I'm going to start with cutting fast food, Goal of no fast food for a month hopefully i can increase it from there. 

Urs - your looking good! so proud of you for all that loss :) (also ps love that you have a pug hahaha) as for VR i don't know much either. my uncle had one but it had been i believe close to 10 years and him and his second wife so far have not been able to have a baby. But I've also heard of successes. I'm glad you've found someone that has made you happy! me and my DH have a pretty good age gap and haven't found many issues with it. Also funny story regarding saying I love you. My DH said it to me on our first date haha but I also was the RN for his favorite sports team and got him front row tickets and a signed jersey. then was super embarrassed he said it so didn't say it again for a long time haha. (he hates when I tell people that story).

AFM - still no period and no sign of it getting here :( I took an ovulation test yesterday and it was completely blank so it probably will be a long time from now. 

IRYM - haven't heard from you in a while hope your ok


----------



## Ursaula

Yay, more challengers! Thanks gals for the congratulations :) Also good to know that the longer he waits the harder it will be to conceive. As well, it's nice to know that taking stuff quicker isn't a bad thing.

A little note on the love situation: I am TERRIBLE at lying and he started teasing me and saying I was in love with him and I just kind of sat there with a bright red face trying to avoid eye contact. In the end, he now knows I love him. BOYS!

Krissie: I have a feeling once he's done with the lawyer and the divorce is complete that there will be a ring. I don't plan on marrying him too soon though since he is just getting out of a marriage himself. If he asks sooner rather than later I would probably say yes but stay engaged for a year or two. Not only for his sake but the kids as well.

Swimmy: That's really funny about the 'I love you' thing, very cool on your part, too!

I'm not sure how long it usually takes after having a baby for things to return to normal, as I've never been in that situation. I hope it isn't long for you now though.

AFM: The challenge is going alright. I've been able to get in a few more of my vitamins but not nearly as many as I'm suppose to. How is the challenge going for everyone else?

Thinking of all of you!


----------



## krissie328

That is great Urs!! I hope it all works out as it sounds like it is a much better situation. 

Swimmy- af can come back at so many different times. Mine came back immediately and I had 4 perfect cycles then PCOS decided it was time to be a bother and I have been irregular since. But some women don't get them back 15+ months and even get pregnant without them showing back up. 

Afm, the challenge is going well. I missed my morning pills yesterday but for the other two days I took them all.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I hope you are all well! I've been checking in a bit -- super impressed with your weight loss, Ursaula! That is seriously just amazing!

All is going OK over here. We just hit the halfway mark at 20 weeks and so far this pregnancy I've gained 7kg, which is disappointing, but I'm supposed to be eating a balanced diet, so I'm not on my low-GI diet (and with tiredness, occasional sickness, etc, I doubt I'd manage to stay on it anyway), and also they stopped my Metformin at week 12, so I doubt I'm metabolizing carbs as well now. Oh well, there are a lot of women who have gained a lot more than 7kg by week 20 and turn out to be fine. :shrug:

The doctor's have been a bit worried about my weight (my BMI at getting pregnant was 36), but so far everything's perfect. Baby measures right on time every time they check and I had the first gestational diabetes test and passed it with flying colors (not a hint of a problem).

I'm also doing poorly on exercise (back pain and hip pain not helping). :dohh:

Today we had the 20 week scan and found out that, in addition to everything being seemingly perfect and without any complications, we're having a little boy. :blue:

I hope you're all doing well. I should really consider joining one of these challenges myself!


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks Krissie and Mrs. T!

Mrs. T: I'm so excited for you! A little boy <3. I wouldn't be too concerned with the amount of weight you have gained unless the doctors and tests are showing there needs to be something done. Feel free to join the challenges! You get to choose what to work on so it can be something easy or hard and very adapting to pregnancy.

AFM: The challenge was going alright for me until yesterday. I ran out of my medication and today is Remembrance Day in Canada (Like Memorial Day), so it's a holiday and my pharmacy isn't open until Monday. I fainted yesterday already and today I'm extremely dizzy. At a loss on what to do as I don't think my body can handle the weekend without them...

Keep in mind those doing the challenge that this Monday marks our first chosen task complete! Work hard during the weekend to make sure you're at your best for Monday!


----------



## krissie328

Congrats Tigger! Little boys are amazing fun. 

Oh that's not good Urs. Can you call the hospital or doctor emergency number? Maybe you can get some from the office. I hope you are doing okay. 

Afm, doing okay with the challenge so that's great. But I'm having a rough week. Work has been hard and I'm so so down with not getting pregnant. I can't believe the emotional toll it's taking. It doesn't help so many people seem to be announcing right now.


----------



## drjo718

Hi ladies, I'm back on the weight loss wagon. Trying to lose the baby weight plus more. Started on November 2nd with a goal to lose 2lbs a week. I was 222.4 the 2nd and 220.6 the 9th, so so far so good. Doing low carb 90% of the time. With PCOS that's what seems to work for me. I'm still breastfeeding with a very low milk supply, so I'm playing that by ear. Then before Nora is a year old, we want to start trying for #2. My midwife already told me to just let her know when I want Femara again, so at least i know I don't have to wait a full year and then try several months before getting help since I already have a diagnosis this time around.


----------



## ireadyermind

Hey gals.

Sorry I've been MIA. Things have been a combination of hectic, stressful, and then painfully slow. heh

With my official diagnosis of PCOS, I decided to focus exclusively on diet to help with weight loss, combined with the Metformin. I haven't stepped on a scale in months.

Unfortunately the Met is causing some strange side effects for me. While I didn't seem to have the intestinal distress that many of you gals said it caused for you, what it DID cause me was heartbeat irregularities, so unfortunately I had to stop taking it.

I haven't yet discussed alternatives with my physician, but she did tell me to opt for low carb diet options and to ignore "PCOS diet" menus altogether. So far that hasn't really done me any good. Counting calories and carbs hasn't really changed the speed at which I'm gaining weight, sooo... Not sure what else to do in that instance.

I did read an article which said that people with PCOS could expect to lose 1/4 to 1/2 a pound a week as opposed to the 1 to 2lbs others might lose on the same diet plan. Very frustrating.

In addition,FOUR friends and family members recently announced pregnancies and their photos and comments are all over my feed. I'm happy for these women, but as DH and I move into year three of TTC, I feel my heart sinking. The fourth pregnancy announcement happened tonight, as a matter of fact, and I *almost* cried about it.

It's DH's sister in law who's pregnant this time, and since we are going to spend this Christmas with DH's family, I'm dreading it now. With a new pregnancy for everyone to gush over, I'm dreading an endless stream of "And when are YOU going to have kids!?" from the in-laws.

I might ask DH to gently break the news to them before we go, how he and I have been TTC for years now and are actively seeking assistance from a fertility clinic. Perhaps if they know ahead of time, it will prevent them from poking their noses into our private lives in front of all the other gathered relatives over Christmas dinner. 

I'm sure I'm rambling now! I am just very upset over this latest announcement and DH doesn't seem to understand why, and is not affected by the news whatsoever. I needed someone to turn to, so I figured you gals would be my best outlet.

Anyway. Not to be a downer. I'm happy to see so many of you are still going strong in our little group! Keep up the good work.

I keep saying I'll try to be more active around here, and I do mean it! It's just been a little stressful to keep TTC and weight loss at the forefront of my mind, so I had to take a little break.

Hopefully will pop back in off and on over the next couple of weeks leading up to Thanksgiving (November 24th here in the States).


----------



## krissie328

I'm sorry things are rough right now IRYM. :hugs: Holidays do seem to add to the stress. Once we came out to my in laws about fertility issues it was definitely a huge weight lifted. 

I also have PCOS and have found myo-inositol works similar to metformin without all the side effects. I would definitely research it and even bring it up with your doctor as many of them have started recommending it for PCOS patients.


----------



## Ursaula

Hello everyone!

Krissie: I know how you feel! I'm going through waves of depression about now being pregnant. I don't have a solid relationship yet either and I would like that before pregnancy. I wouldn't mind a job by then too but my doctors are pushing that out of reach still. I figure if everything goes well with my new guy, and given the timing of my surgery for recovery, I should be able to start trying again in February 2018. So far away :(

Drjo: Good news you don't have to wait longer again for femara. Excited for you to start trying again, too!

IRYM: All I can say is I'm sorry :( you know we all understand, vent away! Big hug! I'd get your DH to bring it up prior, I think that is a good idea to save on some hurt feelings.

AFM: Quick update. I managed to get to a walk in and receive a prescription so we're all good now.

(Post 1 of 2)


----------



## Ursaula

Today is also MONDAY! Time to self reflect for those of us who decided to challenge ourselves this past week. We also need to make a new goal to ADD to our completed challenge.
_________________________

SELF REFLECTION
This week I challenged myself to: 
Days I was successful: 
Things I found interfered with sticking to my challenge:
Ideas on how to improve the interference:

NEW GOAL
This week I will work on:

[Remember: This week we will be working on the goal we just finished AND this new goal! Two challenges in one week!]

If you struggled take time to really think about interference and how you can improve those situations. Also feel free to do another week of your original goal to really get it to sink in!
_________________________

This week I challenged myself to: Take all of my supplements.
Days I was successful: 2
Things I found interfered with sticking to my challenge: Running out of medications, the amount of medications I need to take in a day and the number of hours in a day.
Ideas on how to improve the interference: Set timers in my phone to go off when I am due for my meds!

NEW GOAL
This week I will work on: Drinking enough water and getting in all my vitamins.

Monday, November 21 will be our next reflection. Keep checking in throughout the week though! :)


----------



## MissDoc

Urs, thanks for organizing the challenge for us! 


SELF REFLECTION--
This week I challenged myself to: Not eating as much sugar
Days I was successful: 4
Things I found interfered with sticking to my challenge: Stress and hunger in the afternoons.
Ideas on how to improve the interference: Plan out meals and snacks and always have good options on hand, especially in the afternoons. Measure out any sweets that I eat so I don't overdo it as easily. 

NEW GOAL
This week I will work on: Exercising consistently. This one is probably my most important goal. I've been so lazy. And I'm gaining weight faster than I'd like. And I know I'll feel better about myself when I'm exercising again. I started yesterday and did Yoga Booty Ballet (Go Go) video through Beachbody. Today I'm going to do another from that series. No matter if I'm tired or not, I need to exercise as soon as I get home.

So that's my plan!

------------------------------------------------

Mrs. T-- Congrats on the little boy... me too! How fun!

IRYM-- I'm so so sorry these weeks have been so crappy. How frustrating about your meds and the fact that your diet isn't working. What an uphill battle that must feel like, on top of managing fertility issues. Just seems unfair! I think it's a good idea to have DH talk to fam ahead of time so they will be more sensitive (hopefully). Good luck this week, hon!

Jo-- Good luck with trying again! That's awesome!!

Swimmy-- What a cute first date story!

AFM, I really want to drag myself back into better health habits. I packed my lunch and snacks for work today and made a work out plan, so hopefully that helps. Baby boy is still doing okay in there, as far as I know (I listen to his little heartbeat with my doppler regularly). Next appt is on Thursday, but just a check in, not a scan or anything interesting. We made our announcement now, so the news is out there in the world.


----------



## krissie328

SELF REFLECTION
This week I challenged myself to: Take my supplements.
Days I was successful: 6
Things I found interfered with sticking to my challenge: I actually did really well. It was just a matter of remembering. 
Ideas on how to improve the interference: n/a

NEW GOAL
This week I will work on: Eating whole foods.


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks for the kind words, gals. 

Nice to see you were all keeping up on your goals and things in my absence. Thanks, Urs, for stepping up and starting some challenges. :)

I got sneak-attacked by AF today on 13DPO, which means she arrived 3 days early. Very heavy and clotty, but somehow not much in the way of cramping? Just really mild cramps. 

I'm a little on the fence about this. 

1) A heavy AF means my body actually produced enough of a lining that I could support a pregnancy

2) Why did AF arrive 3 days early? Was is a chemical pregnancy? Was it a non-viable egg? Who on earth knows?

Trying to stay positive. Feeling a little better after I spent the entire day yesterday on the couch in my nightgown. :dohh: I guess I just needed a day to let my brain turn off.


Anyway. Keep up the good work, ladies. I'm trying to think of positive things like being able to enjoy some holiday cocktails over thanksgiving.


----------



## swimmyj1

SELF REFLECTION - 

I didn't eat fast food once this week yay!!! (unless starbucks counts?? i needed a coffee on my way into work this week lol)
This week I'm going to work on taking my vitamin EVERY DAY!!! i have been sooo bad at this sense having lizzy

Mrs T - CONGRATS yay a boy :) he will be here before you know it! 

Drjo - i'm sorry about the low milk supply, I also have that problem so I supplement and exclusivly pump. It took a huge weight off my shoulders and I noticed that my baby blues went away almost instantly. You have to listen to your body and go with your gut :)

IRYM - I'm so sorry :( I know its not the same but pregnancy annoucements still sometimes upset me (and i accept thats just me being selfish and bitter about it taking us years to have lizzy). example I'm part of a mom group that we all had our babies in august and 2 of them are already pregnant again and complaining.... it made me so angry! in regards to you telling family about having to go to a fertility clinic. I felt very relieved after we told my family that we had been ttc for a while. people stopped asking the stupid questions and I actually learned that some others in my family had issues and had been ashamed to say anything. Maybe AF a little early is a good thing and your cycles are becoming more regular?? Wish I could just give ya a hug. 

AFM - I keep feeling so selfish, I want the normal feeling of getting AF again (crazy i know lol). I know that every women is different and some don't get it for a year after stopping breast feeding. But I seriously might ask my doctor when I see her on the 8th and see if there is anything I can take to start it that won't affect my breast milk supply.


----------



## krissie328

I have been the same way swimmy. After ltttc ds pregnancy announcements still bother me. Of course it's bothering me more now that we are struggling even more to get pregnant with a second. My dh's cousin told me she is very unhappy she is pregnant with #4 the day my period showed this cycle. I just could have exploded I was so angry and frustrated. 

Food is not going well this week. I think I'm going to just stick with taking my supplements and I'm going to walk a bit during the day. I don't think I'm in the right head space to deal with food atm.


----------



## MissDoc

Yesterday I did well with exercise, but I overate. I swear I struggle with both eating decently and exercising at the same time, it's like I can do one or the other, that's all you get from me world! Lol. My breakfast choice today wasn't too healthy (a decaf latte and chocolate croissant) so I'll need to be mindful about the rest of my choices today and not use it as an excuse to just eat whatever else. 

Swimmy, I'm pregnant now and feel the same way. When I see other pregnancy announcements, a small part of me feels irritated. Like for some reason, I only find value in these announcements when I know the couple struggled and had to work at getting pregnant. And that's just not fair. But I think it's an easy bias to have after all of this TTC stuff.


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks gals. You always cheer me up at least a little bit when I'm struggling!

All this cheerful news on here. *MissDoc*'s BFP, *Mrs T* having a boy, *Urs*'s weight loss. Such good things. :)

*Swimmy* - Early AF means my luteal phase shortened from 15 to 13 days, so while a shorter cycle is good, it's not good if my LP is what's shortening!



I've started taking Maca Root & Vitex again. With my MC last year, I had started taking them the month before. I really hope that's what did it and maybe DH and I can have a Christmas BFP? 

I really want to get back to the infertility clinic and demand to talk to a doctor instead of being routinely brushed off and told to just keep up with my testing. At this point I've done so many tests that I feel aren't necessary (seriously, _another_ exploratory ultrasound?), I'm getting frustrated. 

But with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, and all the things I need to do to prepare for those, I don't think I'm going to have the time to drop what I'm doing and drive across town for appointments! 

Decisions, decisions.


Anyway.... to all you ladies in the USA celebrating Thanksgiving next week, what are your plans? Anyone preparing any healthy side dishes or desserts? Let me know!


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- fx that combo works for you again. 


As for Thanksgiving.. I am going to be making herb roasted turkey and from scratch green bean casserole. In pretty excited for both since I've never tried either. The rest will br traditional stuff like mashed potatoes and stuffing, so really not healthy. My in laws are coming down so it should be nice and busy. My dh and fil are suppose to be putting builtin shelves into my basement. It's my Christmas gift and I'm so excited to unpack all my books finally!


----------



## ireadyermind

Ooo, built-in shelves? I've always wanted some of those! I bet that will be so nice. :)

You'll have to let me know how the turkey turns out. This year DH and I are doing a smoked turkey. We did a test run earlier this month that turned out _amazing_, so I'm excited to see how the family responds to it. 



Aaannddd -- got some good news today!

Gathered up my courage and told my current HMO to send me all of my medical records because I'm going somewhere else.

Then contacted the local private clinic and didn't expect to hear from them for a few days, but was able to talk to someone almost immediately! Many of the tests they run on their patients were already done on me. And the kicker is that they were ones that I demanded my physician test me on, since the fertility clinic wouldn't!

Anyway...

Once I get my records from the old doctor, I'm setting up an appointment with the new. I could get in to see them as early as the end of December. I'm starting to get excited! I should probably get back to doing core workouts and muscle building a little more regularly, right? :haha:


----------



## krissie328

That's fantastic irym! Fx you get your records quickly and can set up an appointment. What type of treatment are you looking at pursuing?

Yes, I'm so excited for the shelves. We have a big room downstairs and one side we are putting in bookshelves and a bench. The other side we are putting up two shelves and in between will be a screen for a projector.


----------



## drjo718

Hi ladies. I read all your updates, but it's hard for me to respond to everyone since I'm on my phone. Irym, I'm excited for you to get the ball rolling! 

I just wanted to post here for accountability to my weight loss plan. I'm down to 217.6. Which is 3 pounds over the last week. My goal is 2lbs a week, so I'm happy. I'm about done with pumping now (baby won't breastfeed due to low supply), so I talked to my midwife about trying again in January and told her I would probably need Provera and femara. She prescribed them for me right then, and suggested I continue taking metformin throughout pregnancy. That was easier than I expected.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Oo is it going to be like a reading nook with the bench in the middle? That sounds awesome!

I'll be starting with Clomid or similar, since my testing thus far doesn't show any physical issues other than PCOS. I don't ovulate until CD30 or later, and it seems to be getting worse the longer I'm off of birth control. The first year after I stopped it, my cycles stayed at 35 days for quite a while. But they're getting gradually longer and longer. Booo.

So I guess I need help in that regard. If a few rounds of Clomid doesn't work, we'll discuss things from there.


*DrJo* - Does Metformin help with milk production?


EDIT: Oo, what luck! I called the clinic to set up an appointment today, and someone had cancelled theirs -- so now instead of waiting til January for an appointment, I get to go in on Nov 29th! That is, if DH can get the morning off. They want us both present to go over anything, and I'd take him with me anyway so that he can hear it all straight from the doctor's mouth instead of second hand from me.

Anyway! Maybe we'll be able to get started with some kinda treatment on my very next cycle!


----------



## Ursaula

Hi gals! Sorry I was absent...had a hard start to my week but it's looking much better now. [I ran out of my antidepressants too on the weekend so I was a basket case earlier this week.]

IRYM: I'm super excited for you! I can't wait to hear all about your appointment!

Keep up the challenges everyone! Four days until we check in again with our progression. For me, I found I've been so focused on trying to get enough fluids in I'm not taking my vitamins...I'm going to focus on fluids for the rest of this week then probably switch back trying to add vitamins again. How is everyone else doing with theirs?

Quick update in regards to WTT: My period is still absent. I had ONE all by myself at the start of September and still nothing and I've lost 25% of my body weight (down 97lbs now) and it STILL isn't coming. I'm so frustrated with it...I was so hoping that by Feb. 2018 I would have a few cycles already figured out and ready to start TTC again. I know it's still early though...


----------



## krissie328

Irym- it will be the shelves along the wall and the bench in the corner. I will upload a pic when they are finished. 

That's great you have an appt so soon! Fx oral meds are all you need. I got pregnant with ds my first round of clomid. 

Urs- don't be discouraged yet. You have come a long ways so your body is probably still sorting itself out.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - 97 pounds lost? Amazing job! That's got to feel so great! I agree with Krissie. Your body is probably still sorting itself out. I think once your weight starts to stabilize you'll find that things start coming together again. :)


----------



## drjo718

Iread- I'm so excited for you! Be sure to keep us updated on your news from the clinic. Metformin can help PCOS women with milk supply by allowing the glands in the breast to respond properly to hormones that increase their size during pregnancy. Last time I had very little breast growth (which was a bummer since I'm only a B), and it clearly was a problem for breastfeeding. So I'll try anything that might help.


----------



## ireadyermind

drjo718 said:


> Iread- I'm so excited for you! Be sure to keep us updated on your news from the clinic. Metformin can help PCOS women with milk supply by allowing the glands in the breast to respond properly to hormones that increase their size during pregnancy. Last time I had very little breast growth (which was a bummer since I'm only a B), and it clearly was a problem for breastfeeding. So I'll try anything that might help.

Oh, that makes sense!

I hope I don't have a problem with that. It never occurred to me that PCOS might also affect the glands in the breast! :dohh:

I wonder if there are other medications that will do the same? Since Metformin has been causing me heart issues as a side-effect, it's off-limits.

I have to say I've always been a little worried about breast growth during pregnancy. I've always had a large bust -- wore a B cup in 5th grade and now I'm at a G! It's hard enough to find bras as it is, I can't imagine what I'll do if my breasts go up several cup sizes. Sigh.


----------



## krissie328

I had breastfeeding issues and ended up producing almost nothing. Even with metformin and fenugreek I couldn't produce. I tried bfing and then topping with formula until 5 weeks and then went straight to formula.


----------



## drjo718

Krissie- did you take metformin during pregnancy or just after delivery? I'm taking it now, but it doesn't seem to help with milk production after delivery.

Iread- fenugreek helps some ladies with supply, but it can make you and your baby gassy. Domperidone cn be purchased from pharmacies outside the US, and it helped me a little, but it comes with a low risk of cardiac side effects. Brewers yeast and oats also help some people.


----------



## krissie328

Jo- I've taken metformin a long time. So during pregnancy and after.


----------



## ireadyermind

*DrJo* - I had read about fenugreek, oatmeal, etc. as being useful, but I hadn't really heard about Metformin helping with that.

I wonder if other insulin-sensitizing drugs would do the same? I'm still waiting to hear back from my physician about the side-effects I was experiencing with the Met and what else is available to me. I imagine that since it's toward the end of the year, the offices will be very busy with people wanting to get their appointments in so they can use up any remaining benefits. 

Sorry to hear that the Met doesn't seem to help you now! :(



AFM --

I'm feeling a little bit special today. :haha: When I made my appointment with the fertility clinic, I already had a complete copy of my medical records, my BBT charts, etc. and forwarded them all to the doctor's office right away. The nurse was so pleased! :haha: I imagine there are some women who don't do their research, or who have to be nagged about sending files -- just like with any business. Not every customer is cooperative or easy to work with.

I'm glad I was one of the 'good' ones. Someone give me a gold star on my behavior chart for the day! ;)


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - hahaha yes you are a gold star patient! I love when my patients have everything I need :) I'm so glad you are at a new clinic now! You are paying a lot of money for those services and you should feel like you are getting somewhere!! Hopefully you guys can start treatment right away. That's how it was where I went. I met with the doctor, we made a plan and that same cycle we started treatment! As for breast feeding I am large chested (even after a breast reduction lol) and I didn't go up in size at all, until my milk came in then its more of just I'm a size bigger when im full and a size smaller when they are empty hehehe. Fenigreek helped me a ton with supply after having lizzy. There are a few other meds you can take - like reglin is one of them for example. She doesn't breast feed because of a bad latch and her upper lip is slightly fuzed. I didn't want her to have surgery to fix it so little when she will out grow it. So i just pump and she gets that. I've increased my supply enough for her to almost never need formula but so far I don't have enough for a back up supply. 

Drjo - I took metformin the whole time but my supply wasn't good until i started pumping and doing the fenigreek so i don't think metformin did much for me. 

Krissie - omg built in book shelves are my dream! can't wait to see pictures!!!!

Urs - you body has had a huge shock, I'm surprised you have gotten AF at all yet (even if it was only once). When a body loses large amounts of weight or gains it quickly usually it throws off the hormones too much and you won't get a period. I'm betting when you start to slow down AF will come back. But in the mean time you have a buddy with me I still haven't gotten mine and I'm getting frustated. I know nursing/pumping moms don't always get one but I miss being regular and having my own body!! (sorry broken record here lol) 

AFM - for thanksgiving we are going to my mom's on the other side of the state. there is a ton of family drama going on right now so I'm less excited than I usually am. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday lol. I plan on eating lots and lots of cheesy potatos! they are my weakness but I only make them on thankgiving and christmas so i'm going for it! lol I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday. I'm seriously hoping no one gets into a fight and ruins it or I might have to go crazy and kick someone ... fingers crossed!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Woo, gold stars for me! :haha:

I'm interested in getting a reduction myself, but I was concerned how it would affect breast feeding ability and told DH that I wanted to wait until after we have kids. These things don't even shrink when I lose weight, so I guess I'm stuck with 'em until then! lol


AFM --

Finally heard back from my physician. She said that my heart irregularities are harmless, but can be very uncomfortable. She says I have the option of taking beta blockers to prevent that from happening, so that I can still take the Metformin and let it do its work on me.

I am considering it! But first I asked her if the palpitations are a sign of lactic acidosis, as some of my research suggests. If it is, I'll simply stop taking the Metformin altogether, I suppose. If not, we can try the beta blockers!

When I was taking Met, my cravings for carbs dropped dramatically. It made it so much easier to stick to a low carb diet! I'm still trying really hard to stick to that, but it'd be great if I could go back on Met and start seeing the scale moved downward!


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- you could try myo-inositol. It has similar insulin sensitizing effects like metformin but without all the side effects. I have taken it for two cycles now with nothing bad to say. It is suppose to be important for people with PCOS.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> IRYM- you could try myo-inositol. It has similar insulin sensitizing effects like metformin but without all the side effects. I have taken it for two cycles now with nothing bad to say. It is suppose to be important for people with PCOS.

I saw that you mentioned it earlier. My physician has never heard of it and didn't have anything to say about it, unfortunately. She doesn't seem to be the most knowledgeable person, but she IS willing to look into things, research and help me find out what I need, so that's good. Better than the previous doc that would just tell me "nope" and that'd be the end of it.

I think until I see what the fertility doc has to say next week, I'd better hold off on that one! I'm still doing my Maca root and cinnamon tablets, though. The maca has seriously increased my energy levels, so that's great. I'm gonna keep on it until told otherwise! lol


----------



## krissie328

Yes, I would wait until after the fertility appointment for sure. You can buy it over the counter so that isn't an issue. I go to my doctor on the 7th of December so I am hoping we can get a better game plan. I am afraid though we might be heading towards a fertility specialist referral. I am thinking if that happens we will probably put ttc with medical aid on hold. Dh is already leaning towards not having any more and it is breaking my heart.


----------



## MissDoc

Whoops, forgot to check in here on Monday and report my challenge results. I started the week off beautifully last week, with good and consistent exercise and was feeling great, but at about Thursday it all went to pot and I just completely gave in to being inactive and eating really poorly. And it's been that way until today, so a week of ickiness. I'm feeling guilty about it as I feel puffy, bloated, stiff, and constipated, knowing that my inactivity and poor diet is the culprit. 

I know today is Thanksgiving here in the states, but I'm going to get back on the health effort train today. Goals are to exercise, clean the house (hey it counts as activity!), buy a new scale, drink lots of water, and eat vegetables and fiber on purpose! Reasonable goals for a holiday.


----------



## drjo718

My weight check-in: 215.8 yesterday. My goal was 216.4 so I'm happy. We'll see what thanksgiving does...


----------



## Ursaula

Hello gals! Sorry I've missed the challenge updates. I hope all of you in the USA have had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to Monday. I'll get back on track with the challenge this Monday so be prepared!

Quick update of my life: Depression hit with full force. My body is still trying to rebound but it's taking a while because of my food intake being so low. All of my blood work has come back excellent. I had fatty liver disease going into surgery and my liver enzymes are either normal or almost normal now! My new male friend I've mentioned earlier has also ended up in the psych ward for a suicide attempt. It's a long story but basically his ex-wife is causing a lot of drama. I managed to save him (literally) and get him the help he needed. I'll keep you gals updated when I can. Thinking of you all.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - You said DH is leaning toward no more children. How many do you currently have?

*MissDoc* - Yes, those ARE reasonable goals! Like you, I'm stiff, bloated, aching and having stomach troubles from a week of poor eating. Trying to get back on the wagon after the holiday excess!

*DrJo* - Good job on beating your goal! Keep it up! :)

*Urs* - Sorry to hear about the depression! It sounds almost like your body is struggling to re-regulate its hormones now that you are so much smaller. Good job with regaining the normal liver enzyme levels! I bet you are feeling SO much better physically. :)


AFM - Yesterday and the day before, I felt like I was coming down with the stomach flu. I skipped dinner altogether last night because my stomach just couldn't handle it, and the very idea of eating anything made me queasy. I had chills and was so exhausted even though it was a lazy day, I was sure I had a fever. Went to bed and took my temperature beforehand-- nope, no fever. But it was a low temp of 98.04 at 830pm. 

Woke up this morning feeling more like my old self. I'll stick to bland foods, plenty of water, and maybe make it another early night tonight. 

Oh, and I POAS just to be sure the nausea wasn't something ELSE, and it was BFN. Which I expected, given that AF was only two weeks ago. 

Hopefully I'm back to my normal self by Tuesday morning! I'd hate to have to go across town to the fertility clinic with the flu. They did say I could still make my appt if I was sick, but that I'd have to use the private entrance so that I didn't spread my germs to everyone in the waiting room.

Hope everyone else is doing well!


----------



## krissie328

Irym- I hope you're feeling better before your appointment. 

We have one son. He took us 8 years ttc. He's also very 2.5 st the moment and really running dh patience for sure. I think deep down he really does want another.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> Irym- I hope you're feeling better before your appointment.
> 
> We have one son. He took us 8 years ttc. He's also very 2.5 st the moment and really running dh patience for sure. I think deep down he really does want another.

I can see how having a toddler might make someone feel like they're too stressed out for another child. Every time we go visit my sister and her 4 kids, DH is always super exhausted and he's like, "Are we sure we want our own...?" :dohh:

Maybe once your little guy's gotten past the worst of the 'terrible twos and threes', your DH will reconsider? And hopefully you'll have your BFP timed perfectly for that! :hugs:


----------



## krissie328

Thanks irym. I'm definitely understanding the appeal to bigger age gaps. Ds is exhausting and I believe he is actually on the more mellow side. I think we will continue with herbal supplements for the time being after this cycle. I know he won't actually prevent on his end so not really an issue.


----------



## Ursaula

Good morning gals! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving (for those it applies to). However, it's time to get back on track! This week we are going to do a "restart" week by looking back at our goals and choosing the first one we worked on. The main goal is to take this slow and turn our challenges into habits, so by repeating them they become more known and eventually natural.

Also, because I imagine a few of us have slacked off the past week I am adding in a little piece to help us get back into our exercises. Add 5! If you're doing push-ups, add 5. If you're going for walks, add 5 minutes. Whatever it is, add 5.

Good luck this week gals!


----------



## Ursaula

Update: My depression has almost levelled out again :)

Weight loss wise I have officially lost 100lbs! (101lbs to be exact)


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - 101 pounds! That's amazing! Good work! I'm SO envious! You should definitely post some before and after photos! :)

If I wasn't being pressured by the OB/GYN to hurry and have babies so that I can get a hysterectomy after, I would have had the same surgery done and spent a year getting fit. 

As it stands, it looks like we'll be trying for baby FIRST and then I'll get the surgery done once our little ones (if we can reach my goal of two!) are at least a couple of years old. 



AFM - Getting excited for my appointment tomorrow! I've been researching various options for fertility treatment, and it looks like if the FS decides that I'm not going to ovulate within the next couple weeks, he could prescribe Clomid on the spot and tell me to take it right away. It would essentially improve whatever ovulation I was going to have on my own, and possibly move it up so that I'm not waiting another month for AF and whatnot.

I went out and got a new shirt to wear to the appointment. :haha: I feel like DH and I need to make a good impression when we arrive. You only get one first impression, and I'd rather it be a good one! lol


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: Thank you! Also my fingers AND toes are crossed for your appointment, keep us all updated!! I'll be stalking on here to look for that update 

As per your request...PICTURES! I'm the blonde in both before pictures. I think you gals will be able to tell which one was taken after losing 95lbs. LOTS of loose skin! Anyway, enjoy :)
 



Attached Files:







20161115_091028.jpg
File size: 47.3 KB
Views: 7









IMG_8378.jpg
File size: 39.6 KB
Views: 5


----------



## krissie328

Urs- you are looking great! And so much healthier. So so happy for you hun.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - Fabulous! Thanks for sharing, you're doing so well! :D I'd love to keep seeing update photos!

And thanks for keeping your fingers crossed for me. Haha. I might need it!


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, gals - just got home after running around town all morning! My fertility consultation was over by about 930am and we've been running ever since. Phew, I'm beat! Got some Christmas shopping done since DH opted to stay home entirely today, rather than only taking part of the morning off. I think he's feeling burned out at work and is looking for any excuse to get a day away. :haha:

Anyway! Here's what the FS said:

Since I have had a cervical cone biopsy, he wants to jump me straight to IUI and add Femara, estrogen supplements, AND a progesterone supplement to the deal. We did an internal ultrasound today, and we learned that my uterine lining is too thin for being CD16. Additionally, he did not see any follicles that were nearing maturity and it doesn't look like I'll be ovulating within the next few days. That's what I had expected, so no surprise there. It looks like I'm stuck waiting around for what could be another 3+ weeks for ovulation and AF!

So for now, it's just a waiting game. I'm supposed to call back on CD1, get my Femara prescription, and go from there.

I told all of this to my mother, and she's already started making plans. :dohh: She said, "Well, this New Years' Eve is probably the last time you'll be able to drink for a long time, so let's party it up!" lol



But that's all the news I have for now. I'm going to go bonkers waiting for AF to show up! I decided that I'm going to take this time to really focus on my eating and exercise habits. One good bit of news is that I was lighter at weigh-in today than I thought I'd be! And I was fully clothed, too! So I'm happy with that. Maybe I can knock a couple more pounds off before I start taking Femara.


----------



## MissDoc

IRYM, that is just fabulous news! I love how ready the FS is for you to jump into treatment. So meds and IUI sounds like a great plan to me. I bet it feels really good to know that someone is going to work hard with you to make sure you become pregnant. What a relief.  And a great plan to use this time to focus on making a healthy environment for a little embryo. 


AFM, I have struggled a bit trying to get back on track. Things I'm doing well include: getting enough water, taking more steps (most days), and cutting back on fast food. Things I still need to work on: eating less sweet things, exercising more frequently, and better snack choices.


----------



## drjo718

Iread- I'm so excited for you that you finally have a plan in place! 

Afm, down to 214.6, which was my goal. :)


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- that is a great update! He sounds like he is going to be proactive and get you to your bfp! 

drjo- great job on the weightloss!! 

MissDoc- I am in a similar boat. I am just struggling to get on track. I have told myself that I need to get back and start working on losing weight. 

I did finally ovulate this cycle, I am now 3 dpo. I just wish I knew why I am ovulating so late in my cycle (4 cycles now!).


----------



## ireadyermind

*DrJo* - Good job reaching your goal! That has to be so satisfying, seeing progress being made!

*Krissie* - From what I have learned, low estrogen (or lower than normal estrogen) can cause it to take longer for you to ovulate. Maybe do a little research and see whether or not you think that's something which might be affecting you? It's worth a look! :)


AFM - I'm also very pleased that this doctor doesn't seem to want to just slap a "one size fits all" treatment plan on me like the previous clinic seems to have wanted to do. It turns out that he is the HEAD of the local OB/GYN committee and knows my personal OB/GYN and was very shocked to learn that she had brushed off my PCOS concerns!

I wanted to ask him to recommend me someone else, but I didn't get around to it in the flurry of everything else we had to do that morning. Plus, I normally wake up at 8am every day and yesterday I got up at 6am. SO TIRED. lol

This waiting to ovulate thing is going to drive me mad, you guys. How am I going to pass the time!?


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- I didn't know that. But it relates to my light periods and suspected thin lining. I will definitely have to look into it. And talk to my doctor next week.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> IRYM- I didn't know that. But it relates to my light periods and suspected thin lining. I will definitely have to look into it. And talk to my doctor next week.

My doctor said estrogen supplements will thicken the lining and make heavier periods, too. It could be all related!

I hope your doctor has something to help you. :)


----------



## swimmyj1

So glad so many of you have good news!!

Urs - you look amazing!!! great job!!! im sorry to hear about your boyfriend - depression is not an easy thing to struggle with

drjo - yay for weight goal!!!!

IRYM - I'm so so so excited that this doctor was better for you and that they have a plan in place!! Hopefully AF shows up quickly and you can get started :) can't wait for the updates!!

Krissie - I'm sorry to hear that your DH is slowing down on the TTC #2 train :( my DH is pushing to start trying again for #2 but i have a feeling he will be changing his mind when she starts moving and getting into things. I want to give it a little more time between really ttc. We aren't preventing or anything but I figure around her 1st birthday we will be back at the fertility center making a plan (but who knows its too far away lol). and thats if i even get AF by then ughhhh!

AFM - still no AF and no sign of ovulation when I've been testing - seriously they are completely blank! thats never happened to me before. I thought maybe it was a bad batch but my friend took one and hers was almost positive. I see my doctor on the 8th so I might have her give me something to get it started. As for weigh in im still 230 :( I guess i should be grateful I haven't gone up but I'm getting pretty depressed that i've gained so much post baby.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- I hope you start losing soon. I know what it's like to stay stalled at a weight. 

Dh started pushing for a second when ds was 4 months old, so we stopped preventing. At 18 months we started fertility meds again. Which brings us to today. 

They definitely do get more and more busy as time goes on. Plus ds is right in the middle of 2 year old behavior. Thankfully dh hasn't pushed it anymore so I am just going to keep going on with things.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimming* - Wow, completely blank? I don't think I've seen that before either! I don't blame you for having someone else test one for you. I wonder what could be causing that problem?

As for the weight stalling out.... I feel you! Those plateaus are SO hard! Everything I've learned about fitness and dieting says that when you hit those, it's best to change up your routine. Do a different exercise routine, change your diet a little (increase or decrease calories by 100), eat different proteins or veggies, etc.

Our bodies are incredibly adaptable and we can become super efficient operating at a lower calorie range, which is why plateaus happen. Google has all kinds of resources available if you look up "weight plateau" or "plateau busters" or similar. That might be of some use to you. :)



*Krissie* - Wow, he wanted to start trying for another when the first was only 4 mos old? That's ambitious! :haha: It's good though. It means he does want more kids! He just sees now that they're a lot of work.

I'm wondering if maybe he saw the infantile "sleep, eat, poop, sleep" pattern and thought, "Gee, raising kids is EASY!" :haha:


----------



## krissie328

Yea, infants are an adjustment but not really that difficult. Toddlers on the other hand are so much work! When DS was about a year I felt so ready for another one because things were going so well. Well he started walking at 15 months and things quickly spiraled out of control!! Okay, not really but it did make me reconsider another one for a time. 

I will say though with DS's language getting better I think we are going back into a nice routine and things are easier. So hopefully it stays that way. 

I weighed in today and was up almost 3 lbs. :nope: But I am determined to stick with my diet so I am back on track today!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - I think when kids learn to speak and make their needs known, things do tend to improve! I have never been a mother, but I _am_ 10 years older than my youngest sister, and since my mother was a single mom who worked 40+ hrs a week, a lot of the childcare fell to me. 

When my sister learned to tell us that she wanted food, she was thirsty, she had hurt herself -- things got easier. There were still tantrums and fights and things, but they were more about being tired or irritable than because she couldn't tell us what was wrong.

And besides that, toddlers sometimes say _hilarious_ stuff! Haha

I can remember my sister telling me at age 2 that she 'used to' paint and do woodwork all the time! And when I asked her, "Oh really? When was this?" she says, "About 30 years ago." :haha:




On a completely unrelated note, something that's been bothering me for a couple days now:

RANT WARNING.... lol

I come from a family of street-smart-but-not-book-smart people. No college educations, no love for reading, no desire to learn simply for the joy of learning. Normally it's no big deal, but recently their reactions to my preference to read and learn have been becoming very negative.

For example, my mom was considering getting two dogs for Christmas. My sister's dog had just had puppies. When I said to mom, "We were told that you should get one of each gender so that there's less competition between them," Mom agreed and asked my sister for a male and female pair.

My sister loudly proclaimed over the phone, "Just because [iReadYerMind] reads books, doesn't mean she knows anything about dogs!" Nevermind the fact that this wasn't something I had read about, I was told this directly by a local trainer and animal rescue worker. AND nevermind the fact that I have extensive experience with animals, their training, and so on. I had always wanted to be a veterinarian from childhood and had grown up learning things accordingly. Anyway....

At Thanksgiving, I mentioned the fact that my fireplace wouldn't start up the other day, and how even when I _could_ get a small flame lit, all the smoke was flooding into the house rather than up the chimney, even though we just had it cleaned and the flu was open. I mentioned how, after trying several things to solve the issue, I decided to do a google search and see if I could troubleshoot it, and how the very first thing I found and tried ended up working.

My mother snapped, "You don't have to google everything, why wouldn't you just try a bunch more stuff!?"


They make me feel like I'm stupid or somehow less intelligent for reading and learning from books. But how do teachers convey ideas and facts to their students? Textbooks! How do scientists share their findings from their studies with others, without having to travel the world and give lectures to everyone? Essays, books, and articles! How do famous chefs teach others how to cook amazing things? Cook books! Or what about when you're trying to build/assemble something and you don't know how? Instruction manuals!

They ALL require reading and they are ALL completely valid ways of learning information when you don't have, or can't get, hands-on experience.


I do not understand their insistence that somehow, learning stuff from a book is less valid than just randomly trying things out until you've managed to get something that works, or never bothering to learn anything at all.


How would you gals handle something like this? 

I am not a confrontational woman, so I generally let the comments and belittling slide. Of the 3 of my mother's children, I'm the only one with a diploma AND the only one who's attended college. Neither of my parents did, nor did their parents. I can see why they might not think much of "book learning", but I don't understand why they feel it's *bad* to read and learn.



END OF RANT, SORRY! :dohh:


----------



## krissie328

Yes, toddlers are so funny. This morning ds said bye, do dh same where are you going? And with all the attitude he could gather ds said I go bye. Like geez dad get with the program. 
---
I can totally relate. I'm about 30 credits shy of a PhD. Nobody in my family understands why I have pursued education or why I read to learn or for pleasure. I hate feeling like a know it all but I've researched in depth about things I'm curious about. I'm sorry you're so frustrated by them. :hug:


----------



## ireadyermind

Your DS has places to go and people to see! C'mon, dad! lol




It's so strange to me how there are some people who are content to never learn anything new, and just spend all their spare time watching TV. I love being able to go research whatever I want to on the internet whenever it takes my fancy, and I can't stand reality TV shows like the Kardashians. 

I'm not saying it's a wrong way of life, I just don't understand it. I guess like they don't understand how I can spend a whole day with my nose buried in a novel just for the fun of it!

But you don't hear ME telling them how stupid it is to watch TV or anything like that. The most I've said is, "I don't care for that show" or a similar reply. I don't treat my family as lesser beings just because they do other things with their spare time. Why treat me like pursuing intellectual pastimes makes me stupid and/or worthless? Ugh.


----------



## krissie328

That is so annoying/frustrating. I don't get it either. When I tell people I don't really watch TV they look at me like I grew a second head. Eh!

So I'm 5 dpo and finally kinda feeling like I might be willing to test earlier. But still not very optimistic for this cycle.


----------



## ireadyermind

Right!

DH and I don't subscribe to cable, we don't have the digital antenna for our TV or anything. We watch a couple things on netflix but that's it, and when we tell people we've never seen a popular show or movie, they flip! lol


What makes you feel like you'd want to test earlier this month?


----------



## krissie328

I have no idea... mostly cause I'm impatient. :haha: I'm gonna try for 10 dpo and then probably not again until after is due/late.

In previous cycles I've tested with ic at 7 dpo. But I don't think I will this cycle.


----------



## MissDoc

Hey ladies, how did everyone do with this past week? I feel like I've done better-ish. I exercised (either a home video, walking/jogging on treadmill, or walking at track) a total of 4 days, and 2 other days I got plenty of walking in just naturally. So 6 out of 7 nicely active days. It was a maintenance week in regards to calorie intake/eating, but that's pretty much what I'm aiming for right now so that's good. Could have had more vegetables and better food choices, but I'll keep trying. 

IRYM, I don't interact much with my family, but they are the same. I'm the only one with even a high school diploma out of everyone, and I went on to get a PhD, so I'm definitely perceived as the "know it all" and there's a lot said like "Oh you know how she is...". I don't even give them advice or information really, they just assume this is how I am. The only time I say something to them about their practices or preferences is when someone makes a bigoted or racist comment, I'll call them out on it, and the response is always "oh you know that's not what I meant, you just to have to prove you know everything, right?" So I don't talk to anyone in my family for years at a time. There's just no one I feel close to. There are other reasons for that too (e.g., history of alcoholism, etc.). I am sad about not really having close family, and my husband's family is a country away, but we are still much closer to them, EVEN with a language barrier. Lol.


----------



## ireadyermind

*MissDoc* - That's a shame. I feel the same way: not really close to any of my family members. I'm the black sheep or odd woman out, simply because I have an education. Rather than making it something to aspire to, I'm treated the same way they treated my uncle who had pretty severe paranoid schizophrenia. Except the only 'problem' I have is a love of reading and learning. It's sad.

But you have DH, and at least DH's family seems to like you! That's something, at least. :) 



AFM - I lost 0.2 pounds this week! Woo. That's better than I was anticipating, even if it's not even a quarter of a pound.

I started doing my daily cardio after dinner when DH is home to watch me and make sure I do it. Sometimes I get distracted (I usually bring something to read, craft, or watch while I'm biking) and stop pedaling, and DH will say, "Are you done, or are you gonna keep pedaling?" and then I start back up again. Haha

It's keeping me on track and accountable, so that's good! And another upside is that DH takes a turn on the bike, too. We've been watching The X-Files (again) on Netflix, and he'll bike for 1 episode and I bike for 1 episode. That's about 45mins each, 5x a week. Not too shabby.

Saturday we spent most of the day shopping for Christmas gifts and logged 6,000 extra steps for the day, which was great. Sunday was a rest/cheat day, and today in addition to cardio, it's an arm workout day. So I've got my weights nearby and I'm going to try to remember to do wall pushups after every bathroom break.


----------



## krissie328

MissDoc- Great job this week!! Definitely a step in the right direction. 

IRYM- I like the idea of having DH there to help keep you focused and motivated. I really need to get back into watching x-files. I stopped around season 5 and I have no idea why. 

Afm, food has been horrible and I am up another 0.6 lbs this week. I just don't know. I think it is work stress and holiday stress all piled into one. We did put up our tree Saturday so that made me feel good. And our roommates are moving out so that is one less stress. I am excited to get my craft room all set up again. 

I am also 8 dpo with an appointment to talk with my doctor about next steps on Wednesday. I will be 10 dpo and I plant to test that morning. I doubt I am pregnant but it would be nice to know before going in if I were.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - It does help having DH there! And FX'd that you'll get a BFP on 10dpo without needing any help!


----------



## swimmyj1

Sorry just catching up this week has not been good to me :(

IRYM - im sorry your family is so belittling of you, that is so frustrating. I would hope that they would value your input even more, sense you are more educated. Unfortunately my advise isn't great. you have 2 options you could either confront your mother and flat out ask why she feels that you looking for an educated method to problem solve things isn't the correct way to do things. OR (this would be me lol) you can just avoid telling them these things. Family means a ton to me but if I was constantly being put down I don't think I would seek out having as many conversations with them. My DH and I get into arguments sometimes because I am higher educated and he didn't finish high school, so sometimes when i say things that I've looked up or suggest a different way of doing something instead of trying a million wrong ways he gets frustrated. I have to remember he wasn't taught to look up answers like we were. 

Krissie - yay glad you are getting your craft room back!!! what kind of crafts do you do? how did testing go?

AFM - im going for a breast ultrasound in a few days. When i say my OB yesterday she found a dense spot (probably from nursing but best to be safe). She also asked me if I wanted to jump start my period and start TTC#2... is it bad I'm scared to really think about TTC again? (as you all know) it can consume your life if you let it, and i know that i totally did. 
We got a ton of snow the other day and my driveway was total ice. I walked down my steps and fell hard. Thank god lizzy was strapped into her car seat but it went tumbling down the stairs and drive way. god I felt horrible. Shes screaming, I split my head open on a step. Thank god she is ok, just bruising from the seat belt.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- glad you are all okay! Fx your ultrasound goes okay and it is nothing serious. 

Afm, af arrived yesterday. I met with my doctor on Wed and he said there is nothing left he can do. So he's referred me to the fertility clinic. It's 2 hours away so we can't do anything until June when I'm out for summer break. I'm gonna focus on my diet and taking some natural supplements for now. I do have some left over femara and clomid but I think I'm gonna work on losing weight. If I can lose about 20 lbs I think I'll give clomid another shot.


----------



## swimmyj1

I think that's a good goal. that stinks that the FC is 2 hours away :( i was lucky and mine was really close to our house. 

So i know you gals will get a kick out of this. So on my way home from work this morning. I called my DH and made a comment that we haven't had any "adult time" in a while so if she was still sleeping when I got home we should. First thing out of his mouth was "Oh are you ovulating right now, I'll go in late to work tomorrow so we don't miss the window" :dohh: .... I think i ruined bedding for him and just made it about making a baby lol :shrug:


----------



## drjo718

How is everyone doing? I fell off the wagon and gained back 3.5lbs. I was 218 this morning :(. At least it's still less than when I started. But..I got my first postpartum period on Wednesday, so maybe the cravings and hunger were hormonal. It isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, or as bad as before I had a baby. I started femara today to start trying for baby #2! It seems kind of surreal. I'm enjoying my daughter, but I'm also not exactly young, and don't want my fibroid to grow back, so we figured we ought to ttc again sooner than later, especially since it took us so long the first time.


----------



## Ursaula

Hello again, gals.

Sending positive vibes and hugs to you all.

I apologize for being MIA again. I ended up needing hospitalized for medication checks from my depression. Long story short, new guy was a jerk. Anyway, I do have some positive info. I talked to my doctor and after going through blood work and other tests I have been put back on metformin and given the OK to TTC again. I purchased Vitex yesterday as well and started taking it. I'm not sure what my long term plan is in regards to it all but I'm hoping to regulate my cycles for now.

Thinking of you all.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - The next time it happens, I've resolved to ask Mom why she thinks there's something wrong with me looking up what I want to know, when I want to know it (as opposed to just fumbling through life trying and failing repeatedly). I'm not a confrontational person, and I've let this slide my whole life -- but lately I've been realizing that I need to put a stop to it if I ever want to be seen as anything other than the black sheep.

There is nothing wrong with preferring books and artwork over sports. There is nothing wrong with learning new things daily. There is nothing wrong with preferring to research my options, my recipes, my _whatever it is_ before just jumping into something without looking. And I need to tell them that I don't appreciate being treated like a lesser human being for it! So here's hoping it doesn't dissolve into some kind of fight.


*Krissie* - Ack! 2hrs away is nuts! That's really unfortunate. :( But I think you have the right idea. Use the waiting time as time to get into better shape, because it will increase your odds! :)


*Urs* - Woo! You're approved to TTC again! How exciting! Sorry to hear about the depression. I know it's hard to grapple with that along with everything else you have on your shoulders. We're here to lend sympathetic ears if you need to vent!




AFM --

My birthday was yesterday (December 16th). DH and I spent it together. We went to breakfast, a movie, and dinner over the course of the day. We saw "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", and I really enjoyed it. :) If you haven't seen it, I recommend it! Super cute film.

I've been MIA because I was getting really downhearted about ovulation taking forEVER this cycle. Because of course it would choose this month to be the longest wait I've ever had in the past 2.5 years! I should have expected that. Sigh. But it looks like I finally ovulated today, so I'll wait to confirm that in the next few days and then inform my specialist right away!


Also!

Let me get your opinion on something, ladies!


My sister in law asked DH when we were heading down to their house for Christmas. We're going down on the 23rd, because his family tradition is to open all gifts on Christmas Eve, and the "Gifts from Santa" are only stocking stuffers and things for the kids on Christmas day.

Well, SIL says to him.. since you're coming down on the 23rd, you can help me clean house.

I was super annoyed with that! This woman has her mother, aunt, grandmother, her husband's family, her youngest brother AND her brother-in-law all living in the same town, and she chooses to tell my husband that it's he and I that need to help her. Uh, no!

We're driving 4+ hrs to get there, taking time off work for the trip, we have to board our dogs because they won't let us bring them, we're forced to get a hotel room because they don't want us sleeping at their place, AND DH hasn't seen any of them for two years! That his sister feels it's acceptable to demand that he help her clean her house just blows me away.

I would _never_ make my family members responsible for cleaning up my house. Especially considering she's known she was going to host Christmas there since LAST Christmas! I made sure to tell DH that I had ZERO intention of making that long trip down, only to have to go clean someone else's house when I have some of MY family in town that I had intended to spend the afternoon with. 

Am I being unreasonable here? Is it wrong of me to think that just because I would never ask an out of town guest to clean my house, that no one should?


----------



## swimmyj1

drjo - yay!! glad AF finally showed up! im still waiting (not very patiently lol) fingers crossed #2 comes faster!

urs - im glad you were able to get some help for your depression that is not an easy thing to overcome. Hang in there hun. Also very sorry about the bf being a jerk (too many of those guys out there)

IRYM - gonna sound a little harsh here but 100% you should stand up to your mom! you are intelligent and just because you don't do things the way she does does not give her the right to treat you badly! good of you to sick up for yourself! I hope it doesn't become a fight but even if it does im glad you plan on saying something. As for the house cleaning WTF!!! heck no i wouldn't be ok with going over to a family members house (esp one I'm not close with or near by!) and clean for them before a family event!! who even asks something like that!?! I might help my mom before Christmas because my aunt and uncle stink and never host or help with Christmas but it means so much to my nana. I don't think you are out of line at all not to help clean! i sure wouldn't lol. 

AFM - currently having it out with my mom who wants to take lizzy for 2 days before Christmas while i work ... i'm just not ready for her to be 2 1/2 hours away from me (even for a short time). and she keeps making comments how im being a helicopter mom and need to let it go. 1 i don't have enough milk for 2 days away and 2. shes my baby! why should i have to justify myself?!? sorry little rant here lol


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Okay, as long as I know I'm not crazy for thinking the SIL is being out of line! We are her guests and she wants us to clean her house? No!


As for your mom: If she wants to see your daughter so badly, she should come to town and stay a couple of days. Maybe that would be a nice compromise? It might also allow you to have a little 'me time', if you needed to leave the house for something-or-other, or wanted to have a date night with DH, etc.

If you feel like having your mother stay with you in your house is too much, maybe suggest a hotel? You could make the argument that staying in a hotel would mean your mom won't wake up in the night with the baby, and also you guys would have access to a hot tub if grandma wanted to watch the baby for a bit, while you and DH relax! ^^


----------



## krissie328

drjo- Fx it is a much shorter journey to #2 for you!! 

Urs- :hugs: So sorry things didn't work out with the guy. But at least you know now and it didn't go on too long. I hope you're doing better. But that is great news you are free to ttc when you are ready. 

IRYM- I think that is a good idea to stand up and as why they feel the need to do that. Hopefully it will help them to stop. 

On the other note, that is just crazy to expect a guest to help clean!! I hope you are able to tell her no and not cause any problems. 

Swimmy- wow that is just crazy!! I would definitely not want to leave my baby that little. DS was 21 months before my mom got him for a night. I think IRYM had a couple good ideas. Hopefully you guys can come to a nice compromise. 

Afm, diet is so-so at the moment. Way to much sweets. I am making homemade candy for work and family and I am definitely enjoying some. 

Still waiting to o this cycle. I hope it comes at a reasonable time so we have a good chance. I work until Wed this week so if it holds out until after that we should be able to get some good bding in.


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks everyone.

IRYM: I agree with what the others have said. I don't believe it's right to ask others to clean your own mess let alone others from out of town! I'd be upset too.

Swimmy: I also agree with yours. I wouldn't want to leave my baby alone with anyone for a while let alone a day or two.

Krissie: Any update on o?

Hello to everyone! :)

Afm: (Rant) I WANT A BABY! I want my period to come and I want to ovulate and conceive and URGH!!!! My past s/o and I are together again, no surprises there as we both really missed each other a lot during the break. S/o has told me they want to be a part of the baby's life if we were to have one together. It still feels a little like a donor situation but I think they mean well.

I like to think my body is trying to do something. My Temps are either 97.0 or 97.1 for the past 5 days. I've taken opks, all negative but one came out a little darker than the rest. I'm just so tired of this. Where's my stupid period? Where's my stupid eggs? Frustrated.


----------



## krissie328

Nothing new, still waiting to o. Opks are still negative. 

I do understand though. I'm so over waiting and ttc. I just want a little bug already.


----------



## swimmyj1

Thanks for the mom suggestions gals :) I've decided to take a leap of faith and let my mom have her for the 2 nights. I work both nights so I wouldn't be home anyway and my DH works during the day so I wouldn't get any sleep between shifts. We already planned on driving to my moms early Christmas morning (I get out of work at 7 am). This way we will still drive over without a crabby lizzy in the car. My family is having a big Christmas party on Christmas eve and my great grandma will be there and really wants to see her. I'm still really nervous but going 2 days with no sleep then going to my families and doing Christmas is pretty impossible. My DH has talked me down and my mom promises to facetime with me both days and send lots of pictures. And by some miracle I will get canceled Christmas eve and we can drive over earlier. (sorry long rant lol) I'm sure I will be on here her first night away freaking out hahaha. 

IRYM - did you figure out what you guys are going to do when visiting his family? 

Urs - lol love your rant, that's how I feel about not getting a period. like HELLOOOO!! where are you AF! I'm waiting!!! hopefully it won't be long for you. Congrats on getting back with you s/o :)

AFM - the scale I'm down a lb but I'm not sure about that, ive kind of just been up or down a few lbs all month :( 
Tell me if you think this is crazy, do you gals think its too far ahead to make an appointment at our fertility doc in Aug? (yep that's right 8 months away lol) I know they currently have a waiting list and I'm worried they won't have a spot to take us when I'm ready to TTC #2. we've agreed we will just jump strait to them when ttc and not try on our own again. (I don't mean to sound ungrateful that we have one baby, because I feel so blessed having her. My DH is 8 years older than me and has made comments about not wanting to be 40 and having a baby, so more than 3 years and he doesn't want #2)


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- I'd definitely make the appointment. I wish I'd sought help sooner tbh. I wanted a closer age gap and we are well past that and still ttc. I love my ds to pieces but my heart just has a missing part right now.

I'm glad you made a decision regarding your mom taking dd. She will be fine. But I know how difficult that first time is. :hugs:


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - I hear you! It's so stressful waiting for AF or ovulation.. And I know you've been waiting EXTRA long! I wish there was something we could do to magically make that happen for you, but at the very least we're here if you need to rant some more. :)

*Swimmy* - That's definitely not too early, especially given that there's a waiting list. I would definitely want to get in to that clinic as soon as I was ready, and if you waited until then to make the appt, you'd probably end up having to wait several months longer! Good job planning ahead. :)



AFM - CD38 and _still_ waiting to ovulate! I always do after my temps hit 97.2F, with 21 tracked cycles confirming that trend, and this month they reached that point and nothing happened. It just makes me feel like nothing I do in terms of trying to get healthy is working.
FS says if there's no O or AF by Jan 1, we'll force AF and start a new cycle. So I guess that's something!



EDIT: We'll be heading off to hubby's family's town tomorrow, so I won't be here until after Christmas. Merry Christmas to those celebrating. I hope everyone has safe travels and their holidays go smoothly!


----------



## swimmyj1

Thanks for making me not feel so crazy (or ungrateful) :) I will say OMG i missed sleep! her being at my moms for the day was a good idea. lol i came home from work, slept woke up to pump and then went back to bed before my next shift!! feels amazing!!! hehehe 

IRYM - I'm glad you FS is going to jump start you with the new year if nothing is happening. They sound like they are more proactive then the other place. I hope everything goes well at his families house!

I signed up for a holding weight for the holiday thing at work. I weighed in tonight and so far I haven't gained anything sense thanksgiving yay! I wish I would have lost some but at least its not up with all the junk i've eaten this week. 

Merry christmas everyone!!!


----------



## Ursaula

Merry Christmas gals! :)

IRYM: Glad to hear your fs is taking things more seriously!

Swimmy: Happy to hear you slept well, hehe.

AFM: I have a question. I'm currently taking metformin and vitex to even out my hormones. I've ordered emerita progesterone cream from Amazon but don't expect it until middle of January...My next doctor appointment is mid-January as well, which I will get Provera if af hasn't shown. I tried drinking parsley tea to try and jump start af, nothing. I have also tried dong quai capsules. STILL no af. My question is, what am I doing wrong? Are there any other af inducing home remedies?


----------



## krissie328

Urs- dong quai has always brought on af for me. Maybe try it with black cohosh? Or it could be the vitex countering it. 

If possible ask for prometrium instead of provera. It's quite a bit gentler. 

Afm, I got a positive opk today. This is the earliest I'll ovulate since May. :happydance: Now let's hope it gets us a bfp for the new year.


----------



## krissie328

Oh one home remedy to bring on af is large doses of vitamin c. It has to be the one without rosehip though.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Congrats on maintaining since Thanksgiving! I'm sure I haven't. I'm afraid to step on the scale! lol

*Urs* - I don't know of any home remedies to force AF to start, sorry! The only one I know of for hormone balance at all is Maca, but I don't think it's for bringing on AF.

*Krissie* - Oo, yay for early ovulation! I hope this means your system's primed and ready for another BFP! :)


AFM - Christmas with the in-laws, OMG. It's always a sh*itshow, but this year was particularly bad.

Prepare yourself for a wall of text! lol.



First, DH's sister decided that since no one was going to clean her house for her, she wasn't going to host Christmas there anymore. And she decided this on Dec 23rd. Hubby's family does all of its gift opening stuff on Christmas Eve, then family dinner and stocking gifts on the 25th. So cancelling Christmas at her house on the 23rd had everyone scrambling to make arrangements.

So DH's younger brother steps in and says we can all go to HIS house, only it's a teeny tiny house and barely fit everyone all together there.

His wife, meanwhile, bitched and moaned about everyone being at her house all day long, and nearly had a meltdown when dinner was finished and everyone cleared the table and put their dishes in the sink. She starts washing dishes, and as we're all helping store leftovers and putting more dishes in the sink, she flips out and storms off, leaving everyone else to do dishes while she sat in her bedroom. 

So THEN we find out that we were expected to provide some food for Christmas dinner, only no one bothered to TELL us that. DH's mom just called us up and was like, "So you can bring [dish they expected us to provide] to my house to put in the fridge!" and DH was like, "Uh - what?" Thank God I had decided to make a rice/casserole side dish and bring some desserts for Christmas dinner. But when DH told his mom that my side dish was rice, she was like, ".... oh. Well, [Great Aunt] brought rice." DH is like, so? Is it this exact recipe? Is it going to hurt anything to have extra of something? There are 20 people showing up for dinner! So the two of them decide that, no, it's not a big deal. They serve my rice.

Great Aunt goes down the 'buffet line' serving herself a dish when dinner rolls around. She gets to my casserole, glares at it, and *shoves* the dish across the counter! Then she goes down the line and serves herself her OWN rice without touching any of what I made.

As though I was somehow being rude and/or thoughtless for contributing to the meal! And let me just say, her dish was a tomato based Spanish rice dish, whereas mine was a cheesy, green chile rice dish. It wasn't like we both brought the same thing. 

She also refused to touch any of the dessert I made, because SHE brought desserts. 

Then she and her husband were getting ready to leave, and they gave EVERYONE hugs goodbye, and well wishes, EXCEPT for DH and me. DH and I didn't even get a sideways glance.

I couldn't believe it! In what universe is this kind of behavior acceptable?


There was a lot more that was just ridiculous, but that was the most shocking one. It was like Great Aunt, who is in her late 60s or early 70s, had suddenly reverted to being 3 years old and throwing temper tantrums. I basically spend every Christmas with DH's family in silence, simmering over every slight they direct at us because even though DH and I have been together for 10 years now, they still treat me like absolute sh*t.

I told DH that for Christmas 2018, when we would generally go to visit with his fam, we can invite his parents to our home instead, and avoid all the drama completely.

Ugh.

Anyway! I hope everyone else had an excellent Christmas!


----------



## krissie328

Irym- what awful behavior from them all. I'm sorry they were acting that way. It definitely doesn't make for a good holiday. 

Afm, my inlaws came into town yesterday and will be here until Friday. 

I'm in a ton of pain. This ovulation is definitelya strong one. I've also had a long surge. No idea if that means anything? But I'm gonna hold off testing until 11 dpo, so Jan 7th.


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks gals :)

IRYM: I hate family gatherings. That's when I usually have my melt downs so I can understand where your DH's sister-in-law was coming from. The great Aunt sounds like a pain though. I'm sorry it was sh*tty.

Krissie: Yay ovulation! Can't wait until you start testing 

AFM: I purchased Vitamin C and Black Cohosh today to take along with Dong Quai. Fx'd this brings af.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - I would understand my SIL's meltdown IF she had a logical reason to melt down. Social anxieties, illness, etc. etc. Unfortunately she's something of a drama queen and does this sort of thing for attention from her husband. 

As someone who has anxiety issues, I completely understand being overwhelmed by holiday functions and too many people. If that were the case, I would have offered words of support. But this woman doesn't have anxiety issues. We were all already chipping in with putting away leftovers, cleaning up, etc. We broke down the folding tables, put away the chairs, cleared off counters, tidied up her living room, etc. and she pitched a fit because she had to wash dishes. :dohh:


Anyway!

FX'd the new herbal supplements help you!


----------



## krissie328

Eh, no temp rise today. I'm hoping it goes up tomorrow. But I'm certian yesterday was o day based on pain and today my cm turned creamy. 

I've decided to wait until 11 dpo to test. Early testing has really got me down the last few cycles.


----------



## drjo718

It's a positive opk day! Earliest ever with femara, CD15.


----------



## MommaMykee

Hello all! New to the forums! 

I am also plus-size and have met with my doctor who has already told me that I would have a better chance at conceiving if I lost 10% of my body weight. I have actually lost 23 pounds already, and am hoping to continue. 

Stats:
Height: 5'4"
Starting Weight: 245
Goal Weight: 175 
MyFitnessPal Username: Tofurrific

Goals:
Lose 20 lbs by 2/16/17 (my birthday!)
Lose 20 lbs more by 6/5/27 (2nd wedding anniversary!)
Lose 30 lbs more by 12/31/17

My Plan:
Gym at least 3x a week (strength plus cardio)
Healthy eating (smart choices, eating in moderation) with 1 cheat meal

Excited to have a group to talk to for advice, support and ideas. Good luck all!


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: Ah, I understand now. That does sound VERY annoying. By the way, what is your ttc plan for the next few months? You've mentioned seeing the fs, what are you hoping for?

Krissie: Fx'd it goes up and you did ovulate.

Drjo: Eee! Positive opk, AND on cd15! Woot!

MommaMykee: Welcome :) and congrats on your weight loss! I hope losing the 10% works for you and hope you find your goals are easy to achieve :)

AFM: I think dong quai made me ovulate? I've had cramping today though but if my temperature is "higher" tomorrow ff will mark me down as having ovulated on boxing day. I guess we'll find out tomorrow morning...(Actual 100% ovulation would be fantastic!) My cm has drastically changed the past two days as well. There is now none of it so I'm feeling a little hopeful. Fx'd!


----------



## Ursaula

I ovulated!?

I guess we'll see what happens in 14ish days, whether I actually get af (or a bfp :) )


----------



## ireadyermind

*DrJo* - Woo, +OPK! Are you doing IUI or just good ol' BDing this cycle?

*MommaMykee* - Welcome! Good to see a new face! :) Congrats on the weight you've lost so far!

*Urs* - Oo, good to hear that the supplements worked! FX'd for you!

I have a little treatment blurb in my signature, but I'll mention it here too: Medicated IUI with trigger shot. Details below..!

*Krissie* - Wow, testing on 11DPO is later than you usually test? When have you been testing before this?


AFM-- 

CD4 today, so day 2 of Femara. I'll finish the Femara on CD7, then CD8 - 13 I'll be taking Estradiol supplements. Then CD13 or 14 I'll go into the clinic for a US and possible trigger shot, followed by IUI, and then progesterone supplements. Lots of meds going on here!

So far no side effects from the Femara, except _maybe_ a spike in libido. I don't know if that's from the meds though. We'll see!


----------



## krissie328

Irym- that sounds like a great course of action. A bit aggressive but hopefully it won't take long to get your bfp.

I usually start testing 7/8 dpo. I use to enjoy early testing but it's been getting to me the last two cycles. So I figure cd 11 (my lp is only 12 days) is good for me. I'm trying hard to keep my mind off of it.


----------



## drjo718

Iread- just BDing. Which my husband is thrilled about since I've had virtually no sex drive since giving birth lol. Usually I don't get any side effects from femara, so hopefully you'll feel fine!


----------



## Ursaula

IRYM: I wasn't positive with the signature so I thought I'd ask. I hope things will finally work out for both of us. You've been waiting a long time!

Krissie/Drjo: How is ovulation treating you gals? I'm not used to this at all so I'm not sure what to expect. Is it normal to cramp after ovulation?


----------



## krissie328

Urs- this time I had about 4 hours of pain when I o'd. After that it's been achy in my ovary but nothing significant.


----------



## drjo718

Urs- I had a ton of lower abdominal and lower back pressure and cramping beginning Wednesday evening into early Thursday afternoon. Then just soreness after the egg released. I've only felt ovulation one other time, and that was when I conceived Nora.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - We've been waiting almost three years now! :( Thanks for your well wishes. We're super hopeful (and impatient)!

As for Ovulation pain --- My ovaries hurt every single day, so I can't say much about them. When I was on birth control, they only hurt from O to AF, so I think it's fairly common to feel crampy in the TWW.


----------



## MissDoc

Hey there, ladies. Glad to see you all survived the holidays. But man, some of the stories of your relatives... sheesh. More stressful than enjoyable it sounds! We stayed home, just the two of us. It was nice and quiet and pretty lazy. Enjoyed having a few days off. 

I'm currently 20+4 along, and at my recent OB visit she recommended that I aim for gaining 10 lbs (no more than 15) in the second half of pregnancy. My weight gain has been at a much faster rate than that so far, so I think it'll be a bit of a challenge. I am really going to try harder to focus on health habits. My current goal is hitting 10k steps each day and keeping track of calories so that I can monitor my input/output (with the goal of hitting maintenance or a touch over or under)... hopefully that'll help slow my gain a bit.

Any current fitness goals from anyone else?


----------



## krissie328

That seems like a good set of goals MissDoc.

I'm working hard to be back on the wagon today. I prepped a bunch of low carb food today so hoping that helps. I need to go to the store and get some more ingredients. With the bitter cold and going back to work Wed I think crockpot soups and stews will really help. 

I really didn't gain anything over the holidays, just maintained. So that is something.


----------



## ireadyermind

*MissDoc* -- Good to hear from you! :)

DH and I went grocery shopping last night, and I bought enough food to make 11 different slow cooker meals, each of which serves 4 and can be prepared in advance and frozen. 

That means, from each recipe DH and I will have 2 nights of dinner, sometimes 3, and THAT means that these 10 recipes will last us all month!

Today I'm going to prep everything and freeze it, including home made waffles to freeze so that DH can pop some into the toaster and eat them before he leaves for work in the mornings.

The entire grocery bill for the slow cooker food was around $80, which was excellent. 

So I guess that's to say that my current goal is to eat more home-cooked meals and watch our grocery budget shrink as a result. :haha:


If anyone wants the recipe collection, with printable grocery shopping list, let me know!


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks gals for the info!

I made a little testing thread in the pregnancy test section if anyone wants to check it out.

As for healthiness, I just bought a jump rope today! I'm super excited to start into an exercise routine finally.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies :flower:

I hope you're all well. I've not been on the boards much; tired and busy. We had very quiet holidays; just the two of us for Christmas, then just went over to a freind's place for New Years. We didn't take any extra holidays off work, but work was very slow, so we felt we got some rest anyway.

@MissDoc - My weight gain has also been too high so far, but I've just about given up. I know I will get it off again when I am done with everything and can go back on my Low GI diet and my Metformin. They aren't nagging me about it, at least. In fact they seemed surprised I tested negative for Gestational Diabetes. :thumbup:

@Ursaula - Good luck with the TTC. I wasn't ovulating and therefore I had no periods, but with a few months on Metformin and having lost a fair bit of weight, I started ovulating and getting regular periods, then I got pregnant on my 3rd month of actual trying (after we confirmed I was in fact ovulating). Hopefully the weight loss helps you.

@ireadyermind - Wow, that's a crazy family situation you've got going on there. I'm looking forward to hear if things get going for you now that you're being seen by what sounds to be a better clinic.

@krissie328 - Not gaining over the holidays is a huge achievement! I wish I could say the same were true for me! Good luck!

@drjo718 - Can't believe you're TTC2 already; where does the time go? It seems like yesterday you were writing about getting your BFP! Good luck!

I'm doing OK; just tired. I'll be 28 weeks tomorrow, so baby is getting big. Today was a bit stressful, as the last two days I'd noticed reduced movements, and when I called the midwife asked me to come in straight away for monitoring, but it turns out everything is completely fine. It seems baby has turned head down, so they think the combination of the position change and the fact that he's getting bigger (and has less room) means I won't be getting as many of the obvious kicks and jabs but instead more rolls and pushing out...so I just have to pay more attention. My weight gain has been too high (although it's hard for anyone to track accurately because I also retain a lot of water that I'll lose again over the course of a couple of days, so my weight is all over the place). But blood pressure is great and I had my second gestational diabetes test last week, which I passed (so no diabetes). We have a 3D scan booked for this Friday, so looking forward to seeing him again. I'm also looking forward to maternity leave starting at the end of February, and we have a week's holiday with some friends planned for the week after next which will be a nice break.

Hope all is well! :hugs:


----------



## ireadyermind

So good to hear from you, Mrs Tigger! :) Glad to see that everything's okay with baby. Decreased movement would worry me, too! 

And I agree, it IS a crazy family situation! I am SO glad that I only have to see those people every other year. I don't think I could handle living in town. DH asked me the other day, "Well what would happen if we had to move back to my hometown for some reason?" I said, DH, I love you, but I cannot imagine any situation whatsoever that would force us to move back to your hometown. And even if there WERE, I'm sure we could find other ways to solve whatever it is than to move back there! :haha:




AFM -- I had trouble sleeping last night. I've been so keyed up with excitement lately! We are so hopeful for this IUI. The only medical reasons anyone can see for my infertility is the cervical surgery, and PCOS. Since I was ovulating on my own, the main thing was low estrogen and thin lining. DH has no MFI, so with this aggressive course of action, I think we have a real chance!


I spent a good two hours in bed last night reading forum threads and articles on IUI success rates when paired with meds and trigger shots. My RE says it's a 50% chance of success, and they therefore present their IUI treatments as 'packages' of two. Because my PCOS issue will be 'fixed' with meds, and we'll bypass the cervical issue with IUI, we're super optimistic.

Is it crazy of me to be browsing nursery ideas and cloth diaper reviews when I'm not pregnant yet!? lol


----------



## MissDoc

IRYM-- I'm really impressed with your slowcooker freezer meals! I do that with a whitebean chicken chili that I love. Yay for more homecooked meals. I need to take a page out of your book. And I'm really excited for you that you have such a great shot over these next two cycles. That is awesome! I don't think it's crazy to look at nursery ideas and such. I think we get so bogged down with the TTC part we forget to think forward about the actual baby and our lives with baby. And visualization is supposed to be great for TTC, so I say keep up the looking at baby stuff unless it starts feeling depressing! I know everyone has one of these stories, but when we were working with an RE and I felt like I really truly had a chance to get pregnant in a real way (versus just hopeful trying), I felt so optimistic that first cycle after that. It was just different for me. Just a sense of true belief and calmness versus the desperate hope I had had in all the previous cycles. And that's the cycle we finally conceived. I don't know if there's anything to it, who knows. But it felt like there was. Like my brain finally believed I could get help and be pregnant. I hope it works like that for you too in one of these very soon upcoming cycles!

Tigger-- So great to hear from you! Glad your sweet little one is doing well and has turned downward. That's great progress. I feel ya on the weight. I was well behaved yesterday but today I'm eating everything in sight and I'm just going to give myself grace and let it pass. Tomorrow I'll try harder. 

Urs-- Yay for your ovulation! That's great. I hope good things happen. And enjoy your jump rope!


----------



## swimmyj1

hey gals sorry i haven't been on sense Christmas, its been a long stressful week. 

IRYM - omg yay IUI!!! my fingers are soooo crossed. i'm so glad they are being so aggressive with your TTC at this clinic :) that's how my clinic was and in 2 cycles there we got pregnant with lizzy! fingers crossed you won't need a second cycle lol. as for your DH's family god what a nightmare!!! I won't blame you for not wanting to go there in 2018 i wouldn't either! Great plan on inviting them lol. I would love the crock pot stuff please!!! i've been doing more crock pot meals!

Urs- i hope you can jump start this cycle :( i totally get your frustration. I'm still waiting for mine ugh 

Doc - congrats on team blue!!! can't wait to see a picture of him when he gets here! As for weight gain i know it isn't easy. my problem was more of an issue of gain after being pregnant :( hang in there hun.

Tigger - so glad to hear from you too :) i'm so glad he went head down. lizzy never turned and would get her head stuck under my ribs omg that hurt! lol Hang in there I know the last trimester is no fun. Hope the 3D scan is lots of fun :) 

Krissi - fingers crossed on this cycle. good for you trying to wait to test lol i never could make it past 8dpo haha

AFM - (another long rant from me lol) had a really big spike in weight gain this week. I've been doing way to much stress eating. The day after christmas our lab got sick and he just went down hill fast. Unfortunately with his old age we chose to put him down. Our pug has been having a really hard time adjusting to him not being here. Poor little guy already has a lot of anxiety from being abused and burt was his life line. I also got sick the day after and was having really bad stomach pain. I thought it was from eating all the junk on christmas .... nope turned out i needed to get my appendix out >.< spent 2 days in the hospital. I wouldn't take any narcoitcs sense i'm still feeding lizzy and this one nurse was so mean about it. I kept telling her ummm i'm a nurse here in this hospital i know the risks i can handle the pain with tylenol. but whatever I'm home now and don't have to go back to work until next week. My moms here to help for a few days. But on a happy note I'm going on my yearly girls weekend trip next weekend :) yay!! looking forward to some great R&R. It sounds shallow but i've also been really struggling with my body image. my body is just .... stretched out? after having lizzy lol. and with not having sex in over a month I'm just feeling very unattractive (sorry just whining right now) lol.

Can't wait to see how everyones TTW goes I have a good feeling about this month, i have some friends doing IUI's and IVFs!!! Hopefully going to be on more with being home this week lol.


----------



## krissie328

Tigger- I think feeling baby less about 28 weeks is very common. When I was pregnant with ds I spent 4 hours being monitored for reduced movements at 28 weeks. Turned out nothing was wrong. He was head down so maybe that was part of it. 

Irym- I'm so excited for you to get your bfp! I've also browsed nursery stuff for a little girl. If we have another boy it will be a lot of reused stuff, but a girl will need some new bits. 

I'd love the recipes/list as well. I love using my slow cooker. I'm also getting into using an instant pot, which I am totally in love with. 

Swimmy- I'm so sorry about your lab. :hugs: I hope your pug is able to adjust quickly. I'm glad you figured out your appendix and everything is okay. 

I just wanted to say it sucks dealing with body image after a baby. I think it was over 1.5 years before I didn't feel gross and all stretched. I think I've read somewhere it takes about that long to fully recover from birth and pregnancy. I believe it! I hope you're able to have about relaxing fun trip! 

Afm, 8 dpo tomorrow ans trying not to test. But I'm back to my excited, over thinking all my 'symptoms' mode.


----------



## ireadyermind

*MissDoc* - You are so right about the relief and hopefulness that has cropped up this month! Before this, I had just been grimly hanging on to any scrap of hope I could find, and even that was hard work.

This month, I've even stopped temping. All the RE wants me to do is OPKs and to call them on CD13 whether or not I have a positive, so they can take a look at my ovaries with an ultrasound. So even THAT stress has been lifted from my shoulders for the time being! It's been such a change. I feel motivated to get more done around the house, I've been more creative lately (I'm usually creative anyway, but that's my job. lol), and these estrogen supplements are helping me feel more like myself, too. 


*Swimmy* - Aww, so sorry to hear about your pup! Losing pets is SO hard, even when you're the one who makes the choice to end their suffering. :hugs: Have you considered adopting a friend for your little pug?

Our mixed breed, Nellie, is getting up there in age. She's been Watson's whole life. He's only four and has never known any other life than one with Nellie, who is 10 - 11 or so. She's starting to gray in the face, gets a little confused sometimes, and seems to have issues with incontinence. But she's not in any pain and doesn't have any disease, so we're just taking things as they come. I know Watson will be so lost when she passes. We're considering adopting a 3rd dog when it becomes clear that Nellie doesn't have long, just so it's easier on Watson when she goes.

The things we do for our pets, eh?


And sorry to hear about your appendix! Why is it that the nurse felt like you don't have a say on what goes into your own body? If you want to take tylenol or nothing, that's your business! Oye.


*Krissie* - No matter how many times we go through the TWW, there's always that symptom spotting phase that we know we shouldn't do, but do anyway! :haha:

Good luck! FX'd!


----------



## ireadyermind

-----------------------------------------------------
10 slow cooker meals w/grocery list
-----------------------------------------------------

Since a few of you gals wanted this, here it is!

I'll share with you a few things I learned while making these:

First, A lot of these recipes say to use fresh versions of veggies that you can also find frozen. I went with the fresh versions, like green beans and spinach, but next time I'm doing frozen! It's less expensive that way, and you already know the veggies will freeze well because they already ARE frozen! AND, in the case of the green beans, if I buy them fresh I have to trim the ends, wash the beans and chop them up. Too much extra work involved! lol

Second, see if you can't plan to do these recipes when your local grocer has a sale on meat. We paid full price for all of ours this time around, but next time I'm scouring local ads for coupons and good deals, and might even buy in bulk and make extras.

Third, invest in slow cooker liners! As often as you'll be using your cooker, you'll be cleaning it over and over. As I well know, slow cooking for 6+ hrs means that there's food which is basically baked onto the insides of the pot. The liners may cost a little extra, but to me they are well worth it. Dish washing is my least favorite chore out of all of them, even compared to scrubbing toilets. lol

And lastly, if you can, get an extra pair of hands to help you with this, because without something to hold the freezer bags open for you while you pour stuff in, you risk the bag collapsing or folding and all your stuff goes everywhere!



Oh, and PS -- You can find tons more of these sorts of collections on Pinterest. That's where I got mine. :)
 



Attached Files:







10_crock-pot-meals.pdf
File size: 175.9 KB
Views: 2


----------



## krissie328

Thanks for the recipes irym! I'm gonna convince dh to do that over the weekend of the 14th since we have an extra day off. 

We got a snow day today. There's probably 7-8 inches out there and it's suppose to snow all night! My dad lives in central oregon and says they have 1.5 feet. I don't think I'd be able to cope with that. I seriously hate winter and snow.


----------



## krissie328

Oh and yea, no matter how many times I'm always excited in the tww. I did test this morning. I got either a faint positive or a nasty evap. But like I said I'm snowed in and out of tests (except a couple dodgy wondfos). So maybe tomorrow if dh drives me to work or Friday I will stop by the store.


----------



## Ursaula

Fx'd Krissie!

I've had really hopeful tests with Wondfo the past couple days. I bought Dollar Tree tests and 2 FRER. The Dollar Tree looks pretty negative though :(

IRYM: Thanks for the meals!


----------



## ireadyermind

Oooo, send pics of those tests so I can obsess over them! :haha:



I start OPKs today to determine when I should go to the clinic! I'm getting SO nervous and excited, I don't know what to do with myself!


----------



## krissie328

I took a frer this morning and it was a bfn. But that test yesterday is still bugging me. I'm hoping to get another of that brand tonight. I'll post tomorrow, hopefully. 

I'm having such a difficult time with smell sensitivity. I'm really hoping it's a good sign. It was with my ds! As was taste, which I'm also experiencing my water tastes horrible. Dh says it's fine. :shrug:


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Aww, well good luck if you get another one of those tests!
:dust:



AFM -- Guys! Today I had EWCM! That doesn't happen on its own except as a fluke. I'm so stoked! That means this medication is working! :happydance:

No +OPK today, but I'm supposed to test until Saturday and then call and let them know if I got a positive or not, and either way they'll bring me in for an ultrasound. FX'd I get a +OPK on schedule though.


----------



## Ursaula

Krissie: Looking forward to your test becoming a BFP!

IRYM: YAY medications that work!

If any of you want to see my tests (IRYM-hehe), I have them from 7dpo-present (10dpo) in the Pregnancy Test section under "7dpo Wondfo :)".


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - Oh, thanks for the heads up! I always forget about that forum. 

I took a look and posted my comment!


----------



## Ursaula

Any updates? :)


----------



## ireadyermind

None from me except my nipples are on fire today. Haha

-OPK this morning. If I don't get a +OPK tomorrow morning, I still have to call the clinic and set up an appt for an ultrasound, so I'll know more tomorrow!

How about you?


----------



## krissie328

Not much here, my test was bfn today. I know it's still early but I'm disappointed.


----------



## krissie328

How are you ladies doing?

I'm expecting af today since my temp dropped yesterday. :nope:

But in better news I've lost 1.2 lbs last week. I'm pretty excited to say the least. Now I need to get serious and back on my diet. If we have to go to the fertility clinic I would like my bmi out of the obese range. That means 36.8 lbs before June. So roughly 7.5 lbs a month.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Whew, that's an aggressive goal! But just think of it as a reflection of how badly you want baby #2! :)


AFM - Went to the clinic yesterday. My lining was much thicker this cycle, thanks to the estrogen supplements. I went from being less than 6mm on CD17 last cycle, to 8.6mm thick on CD 14 this cycle. What an improvement!

I have two eggs which were something like 13mm and 11mm, and one on another ovary which was only about 9mm, so they aren't ready for ovulation yet. We're going back on Wednesday the 11th for yet another ultrasound. Hopefully both the larger eggs are over 18mm on Wednesday, because I feel like if it's only one good egg, our odds of conceiving this cycle are pretty slim. :\

Wish us luck!


DH and I have decided that if we do two IUI cycles and they don't work, I'm going to go have the stomach sleeve surgery done and then we'll try again in 6ish mos when my weight stabilizes.

EDIT: Updated the follicle size after reviewing my records.


----------



## krissie328

Irym- that is a great improvement in lining! Fx both eggies are good to go and iui is successful. 


Yes, it is a lofty goal but I'm hoping the motivation of the fertility clinic will help. I've read a lot about fertility treatments and success rates based on bmi so I figure we gotta give it out all if we are spending the money. 

I think the two iuis is a good idea and you have a backup plan.


----------



## Ursaula

Krissie: Good luck this upcoming cycle! You know we'll all be cheering you on during your goal for losing weight :)

IRYM: WOO!! Fx'd for you! Also super excited to hear you're considering the sleeve. I LOVE mine!

AFM: 14dpo and I posted my updated FRER pics on my little testing thread. I think I will be mia the next couple of days. I will be going to emergency tomorrow in the city and we're hoping they will have my gallbladder taken out. I've been horrific.


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies just checking in.

Urs- I checked the testing thread and posted a comment. Btw you are looking great! Good luck with your gall bladder surgery. I had mine removed and I know how intensely sick it can make you. 
X

Irym- I'm glad that you've found a dr who is willing to treat you more aggressively. Hope your follies grow well!

Well, all my good intentions for posting more on here and being accountable for my diet & exercise choices went right out the window. Pregnancy is hard and exhausting lol and I had to eat carbs & exercise less than I wanted!! Still, 90% of the time I did not eat junk, most of my carbs were whole grain, I'm still walking and swimming whenever I can.... so all in all I'm happy. And after baby I will just have to go back to Atkins/paleo for weight loss!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Hey, Fern! Good to hear from you! It sounds like things are going well. I'm sure we all understand how difficult it's been to stick to a diet when you have a LO in there demanding other things! :)


AFM - Guys, I'm a little worried! The doctor told me Sunday that I wasn't going to ovulate and to not bother with OPK testing yesterday. Well, I tested anyway because I was paranoid about missing a surge. The test results were ALMOST positive, but not quite. So I waited and tested before bed, and suddenly the tests were coming back super faint, and are still super faint this morning. But the test never was actually positive, just nearly positive.

What if I got my surge yesterday evening and we missed my window!?

DH and I BD'd Sunday morning so we should be okay if I did surge Monday evening, but we aren't supposed to BD any more until the collection for IUI on Wednesday or Thursday. 

Now, it MIGHT still work out... if I did surge yesterday evening, they wouldn't have brought me in for IUI until 36hrs later. That'd mean late tonight or first thing tomorrow, which is when I have my appointment.

In which case, they could probably just do the IUI tomorrow morning...?

Ugh. The stress!


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- I would find it unlikely you did surge since your follicles were so small at the ultrasound. But in the event that you did, maybe just call and ask? Have you used opks in the past? I know for me my surge is usually a little longer so I rarely miss it. 

Afm, I finally called and scheduled a fertility consultation on Feb. 20th. I have been sick to my stomach all day about it. I am so anxious. But looking at last year I had confirmed 8 cycles with ovulation and 1 I believe I did ovulate but it was so early ff didn't recognize it. So 9 cycles out of 12. We did get pregnant twice but lost both. 

I have six weeks until this appointment so I am just going to try to focus on my weight. I am not sure what to do about taking the lydia pinkham. Guess I will play it by ear next cycle.


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie - thanks for making me feel better, that's exactly how i feel about my body ... everything is just very stretched out lol. I hope everything at the clinic goes great :) and in no time you will have that BFP!!!

Urs- hope your surgery goes well! gallbladders can be such a pain. (literally)

Fern - almost done :) can't wait to see a picture of your peanut. It's so hard to eat good when your craving things. Sometimes you can get insane hungry after you've delivered. I didn't know that and went to town on carbs for like 2 weeks >.< 

IRYM - ahhh!!! i hope you haven't missed your window!! that is scary! maybe it was just a slight surge where that smaller egg was reabsorbed. My doc said that can happen. but when was rescaned 2 days later I still had the larger follicles growing. I really hope that's the case. Fingers crossed. Can't wait to see the update!

AFM - I randomly took an OPK today and for the first time have a light line yay!!! hopefully my body is finally returning to normal! I've been doing much better this week watching what I've been eating. Fingers crossed I can keep it up when I go away for my girls weekend on friday. gonna bring lots of veggies so i stay away from the cookies.


----------



## MissDoc

Krissie-- That is ambitious but even if you get close you'll feel great knowing that you got your body to a better place for fertility treatments. It seems totally reasonable that if you're paying for it, you want to get the most out of it you can!

Swimmy-- How exciting that your body seems to be gradually re-regulating itself and you're getting some of the "normal" fertility signs back. Hope that keeps happening!

Urs-- Yikes! I'm really sorry to hear about your emergency issues with your gall bladder. I hope it gets resolved quickly and easily for you! Your body has been through a lot!

IRYM-- Oh man, hope you didn't miss anything. I'll hope that it was as swimmy said, and perhaps a smaller follie was reabsorbed but you didn't release the good egg(s). Good luck with seeing your doc!

AFM, I've had a really rough week. Just a string of unfortunate events, the most unpleasant of which is I broke a tooth (a molar that had an old filling in it from childhood) and it also cracked a crown adjacent to it. I wasn't even doing anything interesting when it broke... eating chicken and rice and sweet potatoes! So yesterday was miserable with dental work. 4.5 hours of removing the old filling, pulling out the bad pieces of tooth, hollowing it out, and doing a restoration overlay... all with minimal pain relief due to being pregnant. That was really hard. The first 1 hr it was tolerable but the last 3 hours it was excruciating and they just kept saying, "we're trying to hurry, so sorry." They'll leave the cracked crown until after pregnancy as that wasn't as important. And right now I'm thankful, I don't think I can do more dental work without better pain relief in the moment. They did say it's okay to take pain pills I had from a previous dental surgery, but to be sparing with them, no more than 1-2 days worth. I took one when I got home yesterday because it hurt so bad, but haven't taken any more. It hurts but is manageable now. Half my face is super swollen so that'll be fun at work today, lol. Ugh.

I haven't been active this week but eating has been okay so far. I've been doing meal prep and prepping snacks so that helps. Today is a baby shower for a coworker though over lunch time at work, so I suspect it will be harder to stay on track today. I'll try though! Portion control will be my goal. 

I would really like to maintain my weight a few weeks in a row in order to normalize weight gain trajectory a bit.


----------



## krissie328

MissDoc- that sounds so miserable. I hope it doesn't bother you too much until you can get it fixed. :hugs:

Urs- I hope you get to feeling better soon too. 

IRYM- any update on you?

Swimmy- fx you can stay on track during your trip. I find it so hard being accountable when I am out like that. 

Afm, my mom is taking DS overnight when we go to our fertility appointment. It is 2 hours away so we decided to get a hotel and enjoy some time together. I am really looking forward to it.


----------



## ireadyermind

No updates yet, guys. We're getting ready to leave for the appointment as I'm writing this! Or, well, I'm personally ready. DH is upstairs in the shower. Once he's ready, I can do my morning OPK and we'll head out the door.


----------



## krissie328

Fx everything is good to go!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks, Krissie!

Here's the OPK today. Thoughts? It looks *almost* positive to me, but not quite. I guess that's a good sign! We'll probably do the trigger today, you think?
 



Attached Files:







OPK_Jan11.jpg
File size: 27.7 KB
Views: 3


----------



## krissie328

Your opk definitely looks like its going positive. I bet that is a great sign you'll be doing a trigger soon.


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, bad news. The ultrasound showed that my follicles and lining were *shrinking*, rather than growing. One of the two follies on my right ovary disappeared entirely, while the other one remained the same size. The one on the left grew a little, but not enough. My lining thinned from 8.6 to 5.7! 

This cycle has been cancelled, and the doc I spoke to today will be discussing these findings with my usual specialist and getting back to me. :cry:

He said I'll either hear from them in the next couple days, or I'll have to call them on my next CD1. What a let down!

It looks like as soon as I stopped taking the estrogen supplements, my body just quit doing what it was supposed to and actually started going backwards? I didn't even know that was possible! Meanwhile, we just wasted all that money on this cycle... I'm so bummed. 

DH and I resolved to BD tonight to see if we can try naturally without the IUI and see what happens. I'm not hopeful, seeing how thin that lining was after only 3 days. 


This does prove my original theory, though. I knew my body wasn't making enough estrogen and had been pressing my physician and OB/GYN to do something about it, and now look! GREAT bodily function response when I'm taking estradiol, severe regression as soon as I stop taking it. 

We may end up jumping right to injectables this next cycle, depending on what my physician says.


----------



## krissie328

Oh IRYM- I am so sorry. That is very disappointing. It does sound like you were right about the estrogen. Your doctor does seem to be knowledgeable so hopefully next cycle will be much better. :hugs:


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Thanks for your kind words. :) It helps to have all of you ladies here for support. DH didn't even seem phased that we had to cancel the cycle. 


After the initial dismay wore off, I got to wondering: what if the disappearance of that second follie on my right side was because I actually ovulated it a day or two earlier? It was the largest one; if it grew enough over the course of 3 days to be released, maybe we missed it?

And then today, I had watery pink spotting on the tissue when I went to the restroom just now? It's FAR too early for AF... is it possible that I ovulated days ago when I got that first near-positive OPK and this is implantation!? 

Since I actually had EWCM last weekend, and DH and I BD'd on Sunday, it's slightly, baaaarely possible I actually O'd then and not Thursday...?

I don't know what my body is doing! lol


----------



## krissie328

It definitely sounds super confusing. Sounds like you will have an answer soon though.


----------



## ireadyermind

I'm not even sure how long to wait before I POAS. Oye. They told me not to bother with temping this cycle, so I'm a little in the dark here.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - I am so so sorry! that sounds like such a confusing mess :( I'm hoping your doctor has gotten back to you already. I would want more answers or at least to know what the next part of the plan is if AF shows up. I'm still secretly hoping you ovulated earlier than you thought, but with lining thinning that might not have happened :( Sending lots of hugs. Hopefully you have some better news at your next appointment.

krissie - I love your get away idea for the FC :) its a great idea to get away and have some you time!

AFM - I got a +opk 2 days ago!! yay!!! now just hoping i actually get AF in 2 weeks and it isn't my body playing tricks on me. It's kind of an odd feeling hoping AF will show up lol.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - lol! It probably IS weird wishing for AF instead of the reverse! Too funny. I don't know what I'll do with myself if I manage to get pregnant. How will I pass the months if not by temping, OPKing and POAS at the end of every month? lol!


AFM - No, I still haven't heard back from a doctor. I've talked to four different women at the clinic, nurses and whatnot, about this situation since Friday. Each one of them has promised to talk to someone else to get their opinion, and then I get a call with them completely ignoring my questions and saying, "So you started your period on Friday? Okay, let's order you more letrozole!" And I have to say -- WAIT A MINUTE, I HAVE QUESTIONS.

I repeated myself three times on the phone last night, "I don't know if this is AF, it seems like really heavy spotting. It stopped by now and I only had one day of actual bleeding. It's roughly 20 days too early for a period!" over and over.

Then the woman actually pulled up my file mid-conversation -- why wouldn't you do that before you called me? -- and says OH! It's too early for your period!

Me: THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING!

She still wanted to put me on letrozole until I asked her what that would do to me if this wasn't AF and was just weird spotting. Then she decided she'd ask one of the doctors on call. I'm supposed to hear back from her today.

Good grief. I can't be the only person they've ever treated who ended up with weird mid-cycle stuff going on after stopping taking the estradiol and having a cancelled IUI.


----------



## krissie328

ITYM- how frustrating! I hate not being listened to, especially on something like you know my own cycle. I hope you are able to get a solid answer. 

Swimmy- it is always so bizarre when you wish for af. It happens every once in awhile for me. 

Afm, just not feeling this cycle at all. I haven't even started with opks or tracking cm. I just don't care right now. I am sure as o gets a little closer I will feel better.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - any update on the clinic? I would be so frustrated with that! i'm sure your not the only one to have this happen.

Krissie - how have you been feeling?

AFM - well no weight gain but also no loss :( i really need to figure something out. But between working nights and trying to get any sleep I can during the day idk what to do. I'm sure as it starts to get a little warmer here I can get lizzy outside more and go for walks/hikes. I also really need to get reconnected with my DH. I'm hoping to find a sitter for friday so we can have a date night but so far no luck. we need to spend some time together just us. i think it will help stop all the small bickering we have been doing lately.


----------



## MissDoc

IRYM-- Oh my goodness that is annoying. I think they must just get in their groove or script or something and forget to STOP and listen to the unique situation of each woman. Frustrating. I hope you were able to make them listen to you and they got your plan adjusted appropriately.

Krissie-- Sorry you've been feeling bleh about trying, but that's probably better than super frantic. Sounds like a good time to be easing back into things. Hopefully O time is more exciting for you!

Swimmy-- I hope you guys are able to get a date night soon. Baby isn't even here yet for me and I've been feeling that strain as well... we're both just busy and exhausted all the time, and when we have down time we work on baby stuff. We need time to just reconnect. Definitely need a more (any!) romance in our lives. 


AFM, I have been so inconsistent. Some good days, but mostly "off the wagon" days. Yesterday I decided to recommit (I know I do this a lot) to an exercise plan. I'll focus less on diet and food since it's hard for me right now, and put more of my energy and efforts into consistent physical activity. I need to build strength and stamina for labor and delivery and beyond. And still need to slow my weight gain a bit. 

Baby is doing great though. At his last scan his little organs and blood vessels are all perfectly developed. He's on the big side for gestational age (like 97th percentile!) right now, so hope that he's just in a growth spurt and that he regresses toward the mean a bit before delivery. Working on getting his room together is fun. That's pretty much what I've been doing in my spare time when I get home from work... ordering and slowly accumulating the bigger baby stuff, and being lazy and reading for pleasure. Trying to rally a little more and exercise first thing when I get home each day.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- I hope you can get a date night in soon. I know the first year it was hard for me. I rarely left ds except when I was at work. It has gotten better the older he is as he likes to go places and be around other people. Thankfully my mom is around and takes him quite a bit and it helps so much. 

MissDoc- try not to worry about the percentiles quite yet. They kept telling me ds was going to be huge. He ended up being 8 lbs 9 oz and I guess that is big? The nurses kept telling me he was so big. But really he seemed just fine and delivery was fine. I think they like to stress expecting moms out. 

Afm, O should be soon. I have been getting watery to ewcm the last three days. So just trying to bd as much as possible and hoping o happens Friday at the latest. I am not as tender as I was last cycle so I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing. OPKs are still negative so just waiting.

I have decided next cycle to do clomid and l-carnitine and see if that helps. It should be my last cycle before we start anything with the fertility clinic. One benefit is l-carnitine is suppose to help with weight loss so it can't hurt.


----------



## swimmyj1

Doc - try not to worry too much about size. they told me lizzy would be big and she was only 6 lbs 4 oz. smallest one in the nursery. ultrasounds aren't great for measuring weight

krissie - sounds like a good plan for your next cycle! so excited your visit is only a month away! 

AFM - i got on the scale while at work tonight and i'm up 3lbs :( i need to do something! snap myself out of this funk!! but the bigger i get the worse attitude i get towards weight loss. :(


----------



## ireadyermind

*MissDoc* - They did finally listen to me, but I still don't think they understood what I was asking. They offered to have me come in for an ultrasound, which was dumb, because I was already too late to start taking Femara again if it WAS AF, and if it wasn't AF we'd have to wait for AF to come around anyway... so I said, "Whatever the ultrasound would reveal, I'd still have to just wait it out. So no thanks." They charge like $300 per ultrasound. Who wants to pay that much money when it wouldn't even help us out?


Anyway! Glad to hear your LO is doing well! It sounds like so much fun to get a nursery put together, I envy you. :haha:

Would DH be willing to help remind you about workouts and whatnot, to help keep you accountable?


*Swimmy* - I can totally relate to that mentality. Trying to lose weight and seeing a gain does terrible things to my motivation, which means I do even worse in terms of workouts and diet plans.... I hope you find something to kickstart your progress again!

What about working out with friends, or even just finding someone to go on walks with? Do you use fitness apps? What about setting smaller goals and giving yourself a reward for reaching that goal?

Ex: 5lbs lost, new nail polish, makeup item, new iTunes/mp3 music download, etc.
10lbs lost, movie night with DH (no snacks though!), or a new book to read, new inexpensive outfit accessory, and so on.

Maybe that would help you work toward your goals if you had something to look forward to when you reach them?


*Krissie* - The waiting is the worst part of all of this. It's like 90% of TTCing, and that royally sucks! But it sounds like you're doing the best you can for this cycle. Good luck!


AFM - Still waiting on AF. Had one heck of an evap line on a Wondfo HPT the other day. I'm sure it's nothing, but it got my hopes up for the barest minute.

Since DH and I have been doing the slow cooker meals, I've lost almost 3 pounds. I think a lot of it has to do with how we're almost never eating takeout/fast food anymore. 

If you gals were considering it, I highly recommend the whole practice! :) It takes a load off my shoulders and I find that I'm starting to feel like I have time for other things. I really don't like to cook, so being responsible for dinner every single night used to stress me out far more than it should have.

Now that I don't have to worry about it, I've been doing more arts and crafts, finishing small projects around the house, that sort of thing.

Let me know if you gals try it and what you think of it!


----------



## krissie328

That is awesome IRYM about freeing up time and less stress with cooking. I have been working more on cooking at home. DH has really been stepping it up to help too. That has been such a big relief. 

I am pretty sure my weight is maintaining right now. But I am not really trying. But I have been meeting my steps goal consistently so that is progress. I am planning to up it in two weeks by 500 steps a day. I know it isn't much but with all the snow it is impossible to go for a walk outside. 

I forgot my opks at home so I cannot test until this evening. I was hoping to get a positive today and ovulate tomorrow. Now I am not so sure. My usual ovulation signs aren't here and my cm is just sitting at watery. I usually have good ewcm so it has me a bit worried.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Sorry to hear that your O signs are all wonky! Have you been unusually stressed this month? It might delay you a few days, if so.

I know it's been said a million times, but try not to fret too much. Find some stuff to distract yourself with so that hopefully time will pass quickly today. :)


----------



## krissie328

Thanks IRYM. I don't think I've been terribly stressed. But it's not uncommon for me not to ovulate. So I'm thinking it's just one of those. I'll probably start progesterone next week to bring on af and do clomid next cycle.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - i have started doing more crock pot meals and it really does help me. my DH unfortunately has been really snotty lately about it and the last few time ive started to put stuff in the crock pot he gets annoyed we are doing that "again" it's not like im cooking the same stuff everytime. I don't really like beef or pork so its usually a chicken dish but whatever. He doesn't like he doesn't have to eat it. 
your idea for the reward system is a great idea!! i think tonight at work im gonna type something up (i love check lists lol) just little goals and little rewards followed by big goals with big rewards hehe. I think if i ever hit my total happy goal of 150 I will be going on a 1-2 week vacation!

Kris- I hate how our bodies can be so inconsistent! I'm sorry it looks like you won't be ovulating this cycle :( but fingers crossed it was just late

AFM - I just can't shake this funk i've been in. I think im going to make an appointment with my doctor and maybe be referred back to a therapist. Also considering marriage counseling. I now see very clearly what they mean by the 1st year a baby is around it can really rock your marriage. I feel like we are fighting over everything. This morning we had a particularly nasty fight and I said some things I kind of regret but at the same time dont? (if that makes any sense?) he's just not making very good life choices and its putting a huge burden on me as the primary bread winner and then im still excepted to take care of lizzy when im home, clean, cook, ect ect. and i just kind of lost my marbles. My one close friend in the area told me today that she feels like me having a baby has ruined our friendship and she just isn't in a stage in her life where she wants to have mom friends .... i was floored and did not see that coming. Sorry to complain so much, I really do love being a mom I just wish i had better support systems close by. and super sorry for the long complaining rant. I'm just feeling so lost and sad, idk what else to do.


----------



## krissie328

Wow swimmy- that is awful of your 'friend'. :hugs:

DH and I did marriage counseling when ds was 9 months old. I'm pretty sure it saved our marriage. Even now we both use what we learned to help. I'd highly recommend it. 

Afm, I'm not bothering with waiting for o. I know my body well enough at this point. So I am on day 3 or progesterone to bring on af. She should be here the end of next week.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - So sorry to hear that about DH and your friend! It sounds like you don't have the support system that you need to really thrive. I wish we all lived near one another so we could lend a helping hand!

I'm glad to see you've started the slow cooker thing. Especially if you feel it helps take more of the workload off of your shoulders. If DH doesn't want to eat slow cooker meals on a regular basis, he can cook dinner himself, eh? :haha:

But really. It sounds like you and he have very different ideas of what it means to be married and in a partnership. Where you expect him to function as one half of a team, he seems to think everything is your responsibility. I think that going to some counseling could really help.

As for that friend... what a rotten thing to say! This may be harsh of me to feel, but I think that if she is using your baby as an excuse to 'dump' you, especially considering how hard you tried for a child, then I think she wasn't as good a friend as you thought she was. She may have even been looking for an excuse to break things off.

I have heard it say that the average person loses something like half their friends when they get married... I'm sure the same is true for having kids too.

Hang in there, Swimmy. We love you and we're here to lend our ears, suggestions, and anecdotes!



*Krissie* - Ugh, I think I'm going to have to start progesterone too. Today is CD36 and no AF in sight. Maybe I ought to contact the clinic so we can get a jumpstart on this next cycle! I'm tired of waiting! lol


----------



## Wishx

Hello Ladies!
I'm new to the thread and figured i'd join in. I have been working out for the past month. I started at 196 and am currently 186 - an exact 10lbs loss.
Although, it may be cut short. I am currently going on 8 days of my AF being late :shrug: we weren't exactly trying this month since i would like to lose 20lbs first.
I oddly don't feel like testing? I read that working out can affect your cycle so i will probably wait until the weekend making me 13 days late. I dont know why but i don't want to waste the money/get my hopes up if af is just running late from the change. Last night i had light spotting once when i used the washroom and have had nothing since. 
I took all of last week off from the gym just because i have felt exhausted and i didnt want to over work my body. I'm going to go tonight and get some cardio in (light cardio just incase).
I dont have a goal pant size or anything like that, i have a few dresses id like to wear that dont make me look like a sausage :haha:


----------



## ireadyermind

Welcome, *Wish*! Good job on the 10lbs loss so far!

That's super exciting you're late for AF. I hope it's good news! They do say that losing weight can jump start your fertility, so maybe that was it and you've already got your BFP? Keep us posted! :D


----------



## Wishx

Thank you!
I talked to my OH and we're going to test tonight so im holding my bladder! 9 days late it super unusual for me but for some reason i feel like it will be negative.

I went back to the gym last night for some light cardio and the entire time i was on the eliptical i swear it felt like there was a pit in my stomach being jossled around and i started feeling sick so i switched onto a spin bike and still felt sick so i ended up going home after like 25-30 minutes.


----------



## krissie328

Fx for you wish!! 

Today is day 4 of progesterone. I am not sure if that is making me feel unwell or what. I am also struggling with high blood pressure. I have no idea why this has suddenly become an issue but back in June it was noted at a doctor's appointment and it seems to be getting worse. I have no idea why. :cry: Pretty sure we will be postponing our fertility consult until that is under control. No need to spend so much money at this point. :cry:


----------



## ireadyermind

*Wish* - What were the test results?

*Krissie* - One thing to look into, regarding the jump in blood pressure, is the amount of sodium you're consuming. Even if you don't add it to food yourself, it's a preservative, which means that tons of companies load up their prepared foods with salt.

AND many companies inject their chicken breasts and thighs with a high sodium broth to help them appear more plump, to increase the weight so that they cost more, and to keep the meat from graying on the shelf. Which is a pretty crappy thing to do, if you ask me! 

Last year I had a few months of high blood pressure, and one of the things I learned during that time was that the grocery store we were shopping at had their butcher load up their store brand breasts with salt water. Blech. Some frozen brands also do it. We just have to read labels like crazy people and select the chicken with the least amount of sodium listed.


----------



## krissie328

I have seen that saline solution warning on chicken before. I agree it is such a terrible thing to do. So dishonest. 

Yea, I don't eat a ton of prepared food but I have been looking at salt a bit more just to keep it in check. I am also trying devout myself to my diet again. Today has been okay. I am trying to convince myself if I stay good until I get home then I can grill steaks for dinner.. Take that snow!!! :haha: I am so over winter.


----------



## swimmyj1

Thanks for the kind words and support gals :) i think your right i think she was just looking for an excuse to call off our friendship. We were really close before I had lizzy but anytime i would bring up fertility treatments or ttc she would brush things off and say I shouldn't waste my money it will happen if its meant to. idk guess I would rather have a true friend or no friend at all.

IRYM - Totally wish we lived closer you would be a great friend/support system :) did you end up taking some progesterone to get things started?

Krissie - I'm sooo with you on being over winter! i want to get outside!!! it was 5 degrees today ughhh!

Wish - welcome! congrats on the 10 lb weight loss way to go!!! cant wait to hear how testing goes :)

as for me, doing lots more crock pot meals. I started using my fitness pal again. I think i might try weight watchers. also my gym has a day care so I have to get lizzy signed up and I can take her while I do a work out. I just need the motivation to get my butt moving hahaha. I also have a reward system for every 5lbs I loose. :) with a nice vacation if I loose 40 this year :) i think that's a realistic goal (don't want to set myself up for failure). Also I made an appointment with the marriage councilor. DH really doesn't want to go, but when I explained that I need this and he needs to be willing to be a partner he agreed, (I also thinking me saying we would go out to dinner before without lizzy sold him hehe). Feeling much better about myself, thanks for getting me through a rough patch.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Aw, thanks for saying that. I'm glad I'm being helpful for you!

I didn't need to take progesterone, thankfully. I started noticing typical AF signs a few days ago and just waited it out. Sure enough, AF showed up this morning and can I just say.. OW. I basically stayed on the couch ALL DAY today, like a bump on a log. :nope:


*Krissie* - We don't do a lot of prepared foods either. And on the occasion we do, I wake up feeling SO bloated and gross. Almost like it's the mother of all hangovers. lol!



AFM -- I tried calling the clinic today, but for some damned reason, they turn off their answering service on weekends! So I can't leave a voicemail on the nurse's line for them to receive first thing tomorrow morning! Ugh. If I dial in my assigned extension number when I reach the automated message, the line actually hangs up on me. :growlmad:

So I'm going to try to get up early so that I'm awake and coherent and can call them at 8:01am and tell them I'm now on CD2 and they need to hurry and send in my prescription. :haha:

Hopefully I get a BFP this month, otherwise we're putting things on hold until probably April-ish so that we can move houses AND avoid a December due date. I think that being made to wait two months would feel like an eternity. But on the other hand, it'd give me more time to get in shape, so there's that.


----------



## swimmyj1

I stink at waiting I totally get how that feels to wait. Is there a reason you wouldn't want a dec due date? Or just a personal preference. 
Im still very much hoping for a BFP this cycle!!!! 
I thought for sure I ovulated about 2-3 weeks ago but looks like I was wrong. Still no AF


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- I'm glad you're doing marriage counseling. I really believe it saved our marriage. And it's always nice to have some alone time together.

Irym- hopefully they can get it called in for you. I totally get not wanting a Dec baby. I'm also hoping to avoid Jan since winter is so bitterly cold here. It would be miserable to have a newborn.

Afm, I have 2 more days of progesterone then just waiting for af. I think we'll try on our own this month. Then we're waiting until May. I'm probably going to change my fertility appointment to June. That way I have time to focus on getting healthier. I'm going to talk with my gp in April after I've monitored my BP for awhile.


----------



## drjo718

Hi ladies, just checking in. Swimmy, I didn't realize you were ttc again! We can tough it out together. :) 

Afm, I took 7.5mg of Femara this cycle, and I'm not sure if i ovulated. I had the physical signs, like a week of ewcm, cervical changes, and pain and pressure for a few days that went away suddenly (which has meant ovulation in past cycles). But, no truly positive opk, and my temps are weird. So frustrating. If I did ovulate when I had signs, I'm 5dpo today and our bd timing was spot on. I'm going in on Tuesday for a progesterone draw to know for sure, and to check my prolactin level and thyroid. I fell off the weight loss wagon so I need to get back to that too.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - It's not so much the cold weather I'm concerned about as the Christmas holiday. I know we've discussed it in this thread before, so I won't get into it again because I'm sure no one wants to hear me rant. lol! But even as badly as I want a baby, since I have the power to plan it, I'm going to try to avoid December as best I can. :haha: 



*DrJo* - Good to hear from you! Was just looking at your signature and realized your baby is already 9mos old! Where has the time gone!?

Good luck with the Femara. I'm on the same dose of 7.5mg this cycle, followed by estrogen supplements since my last attempt at IUI didn't even get to ovulation. FX'd you actually O'd when you thought you did, and good luck! :)

I have heard, and I hope it's true, that once your body has had one baby, then the next one's a little easier. My mother had to take fertility meds to get pregnant with me, and then had my sister by accident. So there's at least one bit of anecdotal evidence for that. :haha:


----------



## krissie328

Irym- I definitely want to avoid a holiday baby too. And January for the cold.

I wish it had been true after the first it was easier. I just hope it either happens this year or I am able to find the strength to just have one and be happy we were blessed to have him.

Afm, af is here. So cd 1.


----------



## drjo718

Thanks iread! I was hoping my body would be able to figure it out after nora, but I'm not sure that's the case. &#128577;


----------



## swimmyj1

Drjo welcome back!! have you gotten AF back yet? I'm still breast breast feeding and haven't had one yet. 

-- agreed I wouldn't want a holiday baby. But if I can help it I don't want a peak of summer baby again either. That was miserable haha.

I was doing really good counting cals this week. But the last 2 days I binged :(


----------



## drjo718

Thanks swimmy! I got my first pp period on Dec 14 (I was done pumping mid november). Took femara right away that cycle but no luck. I just got my progesterone results back and I did indeed ovulate with progesterone at 28. Prolactin and thyroid were normal. I'm not really feeling lucky this cycle and I've been sick, so not holding out much hope. AF is due the 16th.


----------



## ireadyermind

*DrJo* - What are your thoughts on illness making it easier for an egg to implant? There are cases where a woman's immune system is a little too aggressive and attacks embryos the same as if they're bacteria or viruses. If you've already got a cold or other illness, your body's focused on THAT instead of the egg.

Have you heard of or read anything along these lines? I was doing some research a while back because I seem to get fevers in the TWW very frequently, and I was worried that my body was attacking a potential sticky bean. Just curious.


AFM - Our pet parrot passed away suddenly yesterday morning. She was awake and greeted DH when he came downstairs to get ready for work. He gave her head rubs, and she was playing with some toys. When I came downstairs two hours later, she was gone.

It's been a little bit glum today. My brain still expected to see her first thing this morning, and I had a little moment of disappointment when I remembered that she wasn't going to be there. :(

She was a rescue bird. We had taken her in from a case of neglect. She had been fed a poor diet her whole life, lived in the same cage with only a single toy and perch, rarely handled, and in the years before we got her, she was locked away in a spare room in the dark, where she spent 99% of her time alone. :( It took us 3 or 4 months of talking to her owner to convince him that we could provide her the kind of life she needed.

At age 27ish, she was already nearing the end of her species' lifespan of approximately 35 years, but we gave her a really good final 3 years of life. Her mental and physical health improved dramatically, she was more active and talkative, etc. So we're looking on the positive side and remembering that she was a happy birdy in her final days. 


Anyway, didn't mean to drag down the thread. DH and I are still going strong with the slow cooker meals. I haven't stepped on a scale in ages and probably should, but I hate being disappointed in the number I see there, and how it drags me down for the rest of the day.

So I'm just going to keep trying to make good choices and hope that something starts working.


Does anyone have plans for Valentine's Day?


----------



## krissie328

Irym- I'm sorry to hear about your birdy. That is great you were able to provide a good life for her the last few years. :hugs:

Afm, we are going out of town Feb. 19-20th. We are counting it as our valentine's day time. I'm super excited to go with dh and leave ds with my mom.

I need to focus more on diet. It's just been too much right now. So I'm working on making the best choices I'm able to. 

I've been having more dizziness. I have no idea why. It could be blood pressure, but typically it's a low BP and not high. Hopefully my doctor can help me.


----------



## drjo718

Iread- so sorry about your bird. :(

I haven't read anything scientific about illness and implantation, but what you said makes sense. I was sick and puking 2 years ago at the same dpo with femara, with the same 7dpo progesterone, and wasn't pregnant. I also had a fibroid interfering with implantation then, so it's hard to say what would have happened.


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks gals. 

*Krissie* - Could the dizziness be an inner ear thing? I'm having issues with it right now. When I sit, stand, lay down or turn my head too quickly, I get dizzy. But my ears are just slightly congested, and at random intervals throughout the day, I get the sensation that I have just changed altitudes and my ears pop.

You might try taking a mild decongestant and seeing if that helps the dizziness?


*DrJo* - I didn't mean to say that illness = pregnancy. Sorry if I was a little confusing. 

I just meant, what if there's a chance that being ill while in your TWW could slightly increase the odds of success, since the body will be less focused on attacking an egg, and more focused on germ fighting? 

I know that odds of pregnancy are only 20% a month for fertile women anyway, and less for those of us with infertility. So what if having a cold during the TWW made it go from (for example) a 15% chance to, say, a 17% chance of pregnancy? :haha:

I will take any increase I can get! But I'm not going to go hang out with sick people just in the hopes of catching a cold. Hahaha

Anyway, the only articles I can find are ones that say, "Sometimes illness can cause a delay of ovulation" and others that say, "You can still TTC while sick!" but nothing on the effects of illness and implantation. Boo.



AFM - So we had this freak Tornado touch down for about 5 minutes a couple weeks ago. It was right by my house, and living in Sacramento CA means that tornados are virtually nonexistent here. Our homes and things aren't designed to handle that kind of stress. The winds were SO strong, my entire house was shaking from the force of it. We ended up losing shingles from the roof, I think, and now there's a leak. Sigh.

Our insurance company is finally sending someone out to do an estimate today, but there's a $1,000 deductible before they'll cover the cost of repairing the damage. Ugh. Since DH and I are trying to prep this house for sale, this is not something we needed to have happen! $1,000 out of pocket is not a small number. Thank goodness we always keep a little money set aside in savings for times like this, but man... You never hope to have to actually USE it.

Plus that eats into our available funds for fertility treatment... Oye. It's been a rough month already.


----------



## drjo718

Iread- I understood what you meant, but I didn't respond very clearly. :) It would be nice to have a slightly better chance due to being sick lol. I tested at 9dpo today &#128579; and of course bfn. I did have a bfp with Nora at 10dpo and not even with fmu. But with my mc I tested negative at 10dpo. Still not feeling lucky this time. I'd love an October baby, but if I'm not successful this time, then I'll be able to fully enjoy vacation in a few weeks.


----------



## krissie328

Irym- man that is crazy you had a tornado. Hopefully it won't cost much to repair the roof. It's always something it seems. Our water heater went last week. Eh!

Irym- I bet you're right about the inner ear. I currently have an ear infection and have been super dizzy (more so) since the day before the pain started. It actually makes sense. And I have chronic ear infections so I don't normally pay any attention to them. 

I started clomid last night but I don't know if I want to continue. Dh and have been discussing at length not having any more children. And to be honest I think we are both in that train of thought. So yea... just a lot to digest and I feel like I have no time to decide. I'm already upset at the age gap do if we do have another I don't want it even larger. But we aren't even sold on the idea that a second one is for us. 

Eh!


----------



## drjo718

Ok ladies, I might be crazy. I see a SUPER faint line. Help!


----------



## krissie328

I see it too drjo!


----------



## ireadyermind

I think I see something, DrJo! :O


----------



## drjo718

Tested again!


----------



## krissie328

Congrats hun!


----------



## ireadyermind

Woo! Congrats! Definitely a line there! 

:dust:


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - im so sorry about your bird :( that sounds so sudden! im glad she had a good rest of her life though. Crazy about the tornado! I know what you mean. I've seriously considered lowering my deductible to 250$ but then i would be paying a ton more a year for "just in case" 

Drjo YAYYAY totally see a line!!! can't believe it happened that quick way to go hun!

AFM - hopefully going to dinner and a movie tonight for v-day I have a sitter and everything :) I was really excited this will be our first "date" in like a year. But my DH informed me today that he invited one of his friends and his wife for a double date ugh! i feel selfish but im really hoping that they can't find a sitter last minute. is that mean of me?


----------



## Fern81

Congrats drjo!

Swimmy- glad you're going for counselling. I've finally convinced my husband that we see someone too; now to decide on who & when. 

Sooo I need to re-join to help me lose my baby weight! I still have about 9kg to lose. I can't go carb-free while breastfeeding but I'm going to try to start exercising tomorrow.


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern - congrats!! did you have a boy or girl? and what name did you pick (if your ok with sharing :) I was doing really good watching my carbs/intake. then idk i had a harry potter movie marathon and carb overloaded and sugar galore! im so mad at myself!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Good morning, ladies!

*DrJo* - Any BFP updates? :D

*Fern* - Good to hear from you! You know you're always welcome back here with us. :)


AFM -- SUUUPER dark +OPK this morning! I have an appt scheduled with the clinic in an hour. Trying to pass the time before leaving, but I'm nervous and excited! I'm hoping the meds actually did their job this time. If this OPK is anything to go by, I should be set. :haha:

Wish me luck, gals. I'll have more info for you after the appointment.


----------



## drjo718

Iread- can't wait to hear about your appointment! I'm sooo excited for you! 

Afm, I had an hcg test on Monday and another on Wednesday. Monday's was 63, yesterday's was 145! So we're doubling and all is well so far. I can schedule an ultrasound for 7 or 8 weeks. It all feels a little surreal right now. I didn't even think I ovulated, and here I am. With my first pregnancy, I had a feeling of doom and gloom from the beginning. With Nora, I felt very sure that everything would be fine. With this one, I don't know what I feel. Maybe it's because it happened quickly this time? I did tell my husband several months ago that we were destined to conceive in January and have a baby on our anniversary, which is October 10...this baby is due October 24. So maybe it's just meant to be.


----------



## krissie328

Irym- I hope you get great news at your appointment. 

Drjo- that's great news about your beta. 

Swimmy- did you get to have some alone time for va lettings? I hope so. 

Afm, we cancelled our fertility appointment. For now the plan is just to work on my health and not prevent. I doubt anything will happen. I am going to give myself until October or so before deciding for sure if we are done with one or not. 

Now just gotta actually stick to getting healthier.


----------



## ireadyermind

*DrJo* - Woo, doubling betas! I'm rooting for that little bean! I can understand being uncertain how to feel about this pregnancy. It's kind of a torturous thing to go through after miscarriage, isn't it? 

But FX'd and dust and good vibes for you!


*Krissie* - Giving yourself time to consider your options is a good thing. We're here to support you whatever you decide. :)



AFM -- Just got back from the clinic. We had a nice breakfast afterwards, so my apologies for the delay. 

Ultrasound showed 1 follicle at 18.7mm, 1 at 25mm, and 1 follicle lagging at (I think she said) 15mm. Doc said my lining also looks excellent, but didn't tell me the measurement on that one, and my blind self couldn't see it on the screen from as far away as I was. :dohh: Just happy to hear it's a good lining.

Got the trigger shot today, we go in tomorrow at 830am for collection and IUI! I'm so excited!


----------



## krissie328

Woo! Those are awesome follicles. I'm so happy to hear you have a good shot this cycle. :happydance:


----------



## drjo718

Those are great follicle sizes, iread! Hopefully your 2 larger ones will release with the trigger and you'll have double the chances!


----------



## Fern81

Thanks for the welcome back :) I need this positive energy! Eating right and finding time to exercise with a newborn is hard lol.

Irym- that sounds awesome! Sounds like 2 large follies, great response to meds etc! Oh I'm keeping my fx so hard for you. Keep warm in the tww :) have you asked your dr about baby asprin? It helps embies stick even if you have no blood clotting issues (by helping along placental invasion), and can do no harm unless you have a blood disorder like haemophilia. This is according to my maternal-fetal medicine specialist dr. X

Congrats again drjo. I hope this lil bean sticks (I have no doubt it will though!) And an anniversary baby! That's a great sign :).

Swimmy- oh don't we all have days like those! I've had a couple of days like that in a row now. We had 2 Valentine's evenings (dinner out and candlelight dinner at home the next night) and have been snacking on leftover choccies since :/ at least once it's finished I won't be tempted anymore because going shopping is hard. We should both just NOT have sweets at home; less temptation. I had a little boy, he is just amazing! I'll try to pm you his name (posting from my phone).

I got a postpartum exercise plan from a biokineticist (spelling?) but this man has clearly never been 3 weeks postpartum himself lol. He's set up an intense 60 min HIIT workout for me daily. First off, finding a whole hour daily is HARD! Secondly, I'm still recovering physically from childbirth and definitely don't have the energy for a daily bootcamp yet. Oi. So I plan on doing a modified version of the plan and build up the intensity. And keep going for lots of walks with the stroller!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Yes, I had heard about Baby Aspirin, and the good news is that so had the clinic! lol

They put me on low dose aspirin from CD1 and I'm to continue until told otherwise. The awesome thing is that I've been following that regime on my own before I even started being treated there. Haha


Well, today's the day, gals! Appointment for DH is in an hour, and my IUI in two hours. I'm so nervous!


EDIT: After Appt update!

We get into the exam room today and notice they have a little container of smelling salts taped to the wall. Not stored in a drawer or container on the counter, it's taped to the wall with a little bit of scotch tape. As though they couldn't waste the time spent opening a drawer to get to these things if they needed to.

It made me nervous! Was the procedure going to be SO painful that I ran the risk of fainting?

But I convince myself it can't be worse than the cervical biopsies I have to put up with every 6mos. The ones where they are literally cutting two or three rice-sized pieces of flesh from my cervix without numbing the area first. It can't be worse than that.

And it can't be worse than the HSG, where they shoved a catheter up there and inflated a balloon in my uterus! So I calm myself down, the doc comes in, inserts the speculum and the whole thing is over faster than I can count to 10-Mississippi. Phew!

So I just couldn't imagine how they would ever need those smelling salts. I'm honestly asking here, and I mean no disrespect: ARE there ladies that faint over something as minor as this?




Anyway.... Doc said that DH had 35million motile, healthy sperm AFTER washing for this IUI, and they consider anything over 8 to be a good collection. He said, "So you (DH) had a good day!" haha

When we did an ultrasound to see what was going on with the follicles, the 18mm and 11mm ones were gone, but the 25mm follicle was still there. He estimated that one will release at about 2am and wants us to come back tomorrow morning at 730am for another IUI.

I am a person for whom early mornings are TORTURE.. but we're gonna do whatever it takes to get our best odds at a sticky BFP!


----------



## ireadyermind

I updated my previous post with info, but I wanted to add -- Anyone care to speculate what could've happened to the 18mm and 11mm follies? Can they disappear in fewer than 24hrs without actually releasing an egg? Would they just reabsorb themselves like that, when follies are supposed to be *growing* at 2 to 3 mm per day until ovulation?

It's also possible the doc just didn't see them on the other side there. He didn't exactly spend a long time poking around with the wand.


----------



## krissie328

I have no idea why they would disappear. I'd be inclined to say at least the bigger was just hiding. 

At any rate dh had a good donation so that sounds very promising! I'm so excited for you this cycle.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* Since the smaller ones were on my left ovary, I don't think the larger one hid them, since it was on my right. They just disappeared! I don't even know how that's possible, but it happened to me last cycle too. All my good follies vanished the day after I stopped taking estrogen supplements. I'm glad the 25mm one was still there!


----------



## krissie328

Yea, must be something about the hormones. It's amazing how intricate our bodies are when it comes to reproduction. 

That is great your had one good follicle so still a great chance.


----------



## Fern81

Good news IRYM, I'm guessing the follies might have been at the back of the ovary and that he just didn't visualise them (maybe he was just concerned with the larger follie??). But it still sounds great!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - That's a good point. I didn't think about my ovary as a round object in 3D space, I was thinking of it more like a flat thing. I hadn't considered that my moving around and whatnot during the day might've shifted the ovary and follicles as well!

I'm waiting for DH to finish showering and getting ready, and then we're off to our second IUI!

I felt overall crampy and uncomfortable last night at bedtime and wasn't able to get a good night's sleep at ALL. I think I will come home and take a nap! :haha:


----------



## ireadyermind

And I did come home and nap! Which was good, because this second IUI had me much more crampy than yesterday's. It was good to just lay down and let it pass while I slept.

Now the next decision is: do I do daily Wondfos to watch the Ovidrel leave my system, and then start testing for BFPs? Or do I just wait out the 15 days they want me to wait before testing?

Decisions, decisions.

What would you ladies do in my place?


----------



## krissie328

I'd totally test it out but I'm insanely impatient. :blush:


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> I'd totally test it out but I'm insanely impatient. :blush:

lol me too!

I keep telling myself not to go test today because it's better to do it in the morning anyway, but then I argue with myself again and say, "So? We're just waiting for the Ovidrel to leave my system! Time of day doesn't matter!"

Haven't decided yet one way or the other. Wait til morning, or do it now? :haha:

I think I will probably cave and end up testing it out. :dohh: I can't wait 15 whole days before testing!

My research says this dose of ovidrel should be out of my system 7 days after taking it, which would be Thursday. Hmmmm.


----------



## Fern81

I tested out my ivf trigger from about 10"dpo". I would stop drinking fluids at about 9pm (making sure to keep well hydrated during the day), then try to time a bathroom trip at about 10 pm, after which I tested every morning at the same time after a 9 hr hold. With the same brand test. And after all of that OVERKILL, I still didn't believe my bfp at first lol!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - lol! I don't think it's overkill if you waited til 10dpo to test!

I did test last night, and the line was already fairly faint, all things considered.

I'm waiting til tomorrow morning to test again, since it takes 28hrs for the levels to drop by half. From there, who knows?

I hope I'm one of those lucky gals that gets a BFP on like 10dpo! That'd be amazing. ^^


----------



## krissie328

Fx you do get an early bfp! I'm always so jealous of those ladies. :haha:

So.. I think I ovulated yesterday. I randomly took an opk on Sunday (cd14) because of how I was feeling and it was nearly positive. But I didn't think anymore of it. Then my sex drive was through the roof Sun/Monday. And this morning I woke up feverish with sore bbs. Which following previous cycles are all my typical o signs. I'm not sure about cm as I wasn't checking. I did take my temp this morning to see and it was in my typical post-o range as well. 

So I'm fairly certian I did o yesterday on cd 15. Which would be just amazing since it's the earliest I've o'd since my chemical in May! 

I'm gonna try not to go crazy with testing though. I don't want to be optimistic as the last few cycles have been crushing.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Nice, early O is a good sign that your hormones are getting back in line and doing their jobs. Good luck!


----------



## Fern81

Good luck for both you ladies in the tww! Irym- please post some line porn if you are indeed testing out the trigger :).

Sooo I started exercising yesterday, decided to start out easy and build up the intensity. I'm still tired from sleep deprivation and recovery. But it felt good to do something! 

Anyone have any diet/exercise plans for the week?


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Well since you asked! :haha:

I've attached the tests I've done so far. Is it just me, or does today's test look _darker_ than yesterday's? My FMU was more dilute this morning too. I don't know what to think! :dohh:


As for exercise... No, no plans here. These supplements are making me SO tired that lately it's all I can do to stay awake past dinner. And that's WITH a nap at midday (thank goodness I work from home and can do that!). 

They told me fatigue and moodiness were side effects of all these things, but man, I feel like it's the PMS from hell. lol


I'm just trying not to pig out on junk food. And hey, at least it's GOOD sleep I'm getting! Normally I'm such a light sleeper, I wake up 4+ times a night and never feel quite rested.
 



Attached Files:







Feb22_Preview.jpg
File size: 33.1 KB
Views: 2


----------



## drjo718

Iread, today's test does look a little darker, but the control line also looks darker than yesterday's, so I don't think it means anything. I noticed that with wondfos just recently (since I'm a poas-aholic and am still testing to see my lines darken).


----------



## ireadyermind

drjo718 said:


> Iread, today's test does look a little darker, but the control line also looks darker than yesterday's, so I don't think it means anything. I noticed that with wondfos just recently (since I'm a poas-aholic and am still testing to see my lines darken).

I suppose tomorrow's test will tell! :haha:

I'm only 5dpIUI so it's still super early. I think I O'd the first follicle on Feb 17th, and the second on Feb 18th in the wee hours of the morning, so I'm starting my count from Feb 17th, and I told myself I wouldn't count any test results as positive until 10dpIUI, to give the trigger plenty of time to leave my system.

But the waiting is killing me! :dohh:


----------



## Fern81

Irym- Hopefully there is a morula in there, turning into a blastocyst right about now, getting ready to implant! I agree with drjo, looks like the trigger still has to start leaving. I'm going to be stalking your tests every day :) so exciting!


----------



## Fern81

Yeah progesterone is a monster. And it makes symptom spotting impossible boooo!


----------



## swimmyj1

Sorry haven't been on in a bit. I've been working a ton! So many sick people :( 
Irym - fingers are soooo crossed! I'm going to be stalking for good news. I don't put too much stock in trending lines. I did that and it drove me crazy! Did you test again today? (Picture junky lol)

My diet has been horrible. DH keeps bringing home cupcakes from my favorite cupcake store omg they are amazing! And I know that he is trying to make me feel better but I keep telling him food treats aren't the answer. I need to have resistance to not eat them lol or 3.


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks gals. :)

Today's test is so faint you can barely see it, so of course it's even more difficult to see in a photo. That means tomorrow's should be negative, and then I can test on 10dpiui. But that seems like it's an eternity away!

I'm just trying to keep myself occupied. Got a crafting project done yesterday and starting up a new one today, in addition to working on some paid art commissions and some side art projects as well.

I still find myself obsessing, though.


Last night when inserting the progesterone suppository, there was SO MUCH lotiony CM, I almost couldn't believe it. I have never ever made that much on my own in the TWW before, and it wasn't suppository residue either. I guess these little things are doing their job!


----------



## ireadyermind

Line updates! :)

Yesterday's and today's. I can see them both clearly on the strip when wet, but my camera just isn't picking them up that well. 

To make matters worse, I can see the lines when I look at the pics on my phone screen, but when I look at them on my PC screen they're gone. :dohh:

Can you gals see anything?

I'm wondering if today's faint line is something besides the trigger, like an evap? The trigger was 8 days ago, and the 2500 dose. It's the same kind of faint line I got last month, which never progressed to anything. So if you gals would count THIS as a line, then I'd have to count last month as another CP, since last time's was the same... But who even knows! lol :wacko:

It's all so maddening!
 



Attached Files:







Feb24_Preview.jpg
File size: 16 KB
Views: 3


----------



## krissie328

I can see both lines. I've seen weird lines on those in the past that I thought for sure would lead to a bfp. But they never did.


----------



## krissie328

This tww wait is killing me. I was trying not to focus on it and it was easy when I was at work. But I got a snow day today so not much to do but think. Even playing with ds hasn't helped put my mind at ease. 

I am trying to do more things like walk/stand to promote good blood flow and hopefully a good lining just incase.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - I know how you feel! It's been torture for me too. Shame we can't all just fast forward through the TWW with a remote control, right? :haha:



AFM - Negative HPT this morning. Now the real testing can begin! I'll probably wait til 10dpiui, which is Monday or Tuesday, depending which IUI we base that off of. :)


----------



## krissie328

Yep, I would definitely like to fast forward a week. My official test date is next Sunday. :wacko: 

I'm thinking of getting started on my bil quilt since his wedding is in June. I don't want to rush it at the last second and not get the finish right. And I need three distraction.


----------



## Fern81

Irym- fx!!!!

Krissie- I would love to see a pic of the quilt when you are done. I adore quilts!


----------



## krissie328

Fern81 said:


> Krissie- I would love to see a pic of the quilt when you are done. I adore quilts!

I'll do that! I've made it my goal to do at least 3 quilts this year, but I'm hoping to get 5 done. The 1 for June and 4 for Christmas.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Thanks!

*Krissie* - I wish I knew how to quilt well enough to make decent blankets. I tried a small quilted placemat project just before thanksgiving. It turned out _okay_, but not great. Somehow all of my squares ended up different sizes, even when I measured out a 4'' x 4'' cardboard square to use for tracing. :haha: I don't even know how I managed it!

My craft of choice is crochet.

I just made the most adorable set of tiny crochet garden gnomes for a friend who's obsessed with gnomes. They're scheduled to reach her on Wednesday for her birthday. I hope she likes them as much as I did. Haha


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- I seem to have the same problem with squares. Even when I am really careful with my seams and measuring/cutting. I often use a disappearing nine square pattern. That way even if they are off it isn't noticeable. :haha:

I have some very basic crochet skills. I have a friend that is really good so she has taught me a few new things. Some day I would like to learn how to make more advanced creatures.


----------



## swimmyj1

My fingers are super crossed for both of you this cycle!!! Feeling lots of good vibes!

My craft of choice is knitting. I'm working on a toddler sweater for a coworker having a baby in may. And a matching hat/blanket set for one having her baby in July. Trying to make sure they will fit when it gets cooler out. I'm not great at sizing my patterns. I just finished sewing some cloth diaper bags, I could do those all day haha.

Really hoping I get canceled from work tonight. I'm really just not feeling it today. Me and my DH started couples therapy. Idk if it's making communication worse or better. I know I'm the problem I've just hit a low funk and can't seem to shake it. It's good for a day or two then comes right back.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- I think it is great you guys are doing couple's counseling. Are you able to do some individual counseling as well? That sounds like it might help. 

I have just started sewing bags for DS. He always carries a ton of small toys with him. Well he gets irate when they fall out of his hands. So now he has two small over the shoulder bags to sort and put things into when we go out. So far he loves them.


----------



## Ursaula

Guess who's back!

I'm excited for so many of you!

IRYM: It's Monday, have you tested yet!?

I'll try to keep my update short...
I waited 23 hours in emergency before I saw a doctor and had my gallbladder removed FINALLY (Jan.15). I'll be given the "ok" on March 1 to live normal again after recovery. My doctor jump-started my period with provera. I am currently on cd19 and have taken Vitex and Metformin since December. My s/o and I are done again. I feel I say this a lot, however, this time I am contemplating on even being in contact. They've become a negative person in my life so I'm trying to make the decision for my well-being. I have been with a new guy for almost two weeks now. I am 129lbs down.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Urs* - Good to hear from you! Sorry things have been so crummy for you. Gallbladder removal AND breaking up with your S/O seems so hard!

But it sounds like you're on the right track to a healthier, happier you. Good job. :)

And I did test this morning, but it wasn't FMU and was really dilute. I have been shedding a lot of water weight lately and peeing lots more than usual (not a pregnancy symptom, it happens every tww), so I was up a couple times overnight and it never occurred to my sleepy brain to save some for testing later. :haha:

So of course there was nothing on the test. MAYBE an evap, but also I have line eye. lol


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie - im doing individual counseling but so far he hasn't been willing to go. It's frustrating to me because I think it would help him too, but he keeps saying if he has a problem he would rather talk to me not a stranger. Which I get but if the problem is communication between us that isnt such a great plan lol. One thing I'm definitely trying to tell myself more often is I married him for him not to change things about him or control him. (I tend to be controlling and he goes with the flow). But then I get overwhelmed and hate that he isn't doing enough to help. Lol not his fault when I wanted control in the first place.

Urs - welcome back!!! So proud of you with your weight loss! I'm so sorry to hear about your bad ER experience and you SO. Just my advise and I know it's not easy. But being around negative people isn't healthy to you. If it was me I would try and walk away.

Irym - soooo wish you were temping right now lol. I know it isn't accurate with meds but I am a chart junky. I'm crazy and miss temping. Fingers crossed that today's has a little line


----------



## Fern81

Hi there Urs!! I would love to see a pic of you having lost sooo much. Good news about your gallbladder. Better to have the toxicity removed! Sorry to hear about your ex-SO.

Irym- if you don't post a pic it never happened (lol jk but I want to seeee!) Still fx!!

Oh wow you ladies are talented, I can't do any type of needlepoint or crocheting etc. I can knit scarves and that's it.


----------



## Fern81

Swimmy- lots of hugs xx


----------



## drjo718

Hello ladies!

Iread- you need to post pics of your tests so we can all examine them! Lol.

Swimmy- I'm the same as you, controlling. I like things are certain way, and my husband is very accommodating and tries to make me happy, but he just isn't as particular as I am. It frustrates m which then frustrates him, and I know the problem is on my end. It's so hard to keep it in check sometimes!

Urs- great job on the weight loss! I'm with fern, we want pics! I hope you're recovering nicely. 

I'm jealous of you ladies who can crochet. I was going to teach myself when I was pregnant with Nora, but there just wasn't time. I can cross-stitch like nobody's business, though. :)

We're taking Nora on her first flight on Thursday. My husband, Nora, my MIL, and I are going to California for a week. I've made lists of everything we need to do in the next couple days (although I work 13 hours Wed so that days shot), and made a list of what to pack for Nora and myself. My parents will be taking our three dogs and one of them takes 6 different medications a day so I have to get that all set up. Vacationing with a baby requires so much more packing! I feel like I'll forget something, but I know there will be stores nearby if I do. I just hope she does well on the planes. We're thinking of buying a pack and play when we get there instead of bringing one along, because I don't like using a hotel one. Grosses me out. My husband is a hotel manager and I know those things don't get cleaned well. I also don't know what to bring for her as far as toys. I know I'm rambling...any input would be appreciated!


----------



## krissie328

I'll catch up later today... just wanted to give you all something to examine for me.
 



Attached Files:







20170228_041715-660x373.jpg
File size: 26.5 KB
Views: 7


----------



## Fern81

Krissie I could see that without even enlarging! Omw I hope it gets darker!!!

Drjo- no suggestions I'm so sorry XD! Hope you enjoy your vacation.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - It has been a relief not temping, even though I also sometimes wish I had continued. None of it would have matched my usual patterns though, so it would have been fairly useless to me. I'm already stressed enough about this cycle as-is! :haha:


*DrJo* - Wow, what brings you out to my neck of the woods? Have you ever been to CA before? Any plans to visit local sight seeing spots or anything?


*Krissie* - Hmm. I don't see anything, I'm sorry. :( I don't have as keen an eye as Fern, I guess!



AFM - No pics of a test today. FMU was super dilute again this morning, because I was just carrying on with my water intake before bed like it was no big deal. Then I belatedly remembered I wanted to test this morning, and realized I'd finished half a liter of water already, and then I was mentally kicking myself for it. Because not only would it make test results weaker, but then I'd have to get up super early to pee! lol

So I'm going to try to limit my water to just sips tonight after dinner. Then maybe tomorrow morning I'll have better FMU for testing. Besides, if there was nothing yesterday, it's better to wait 48hrs before testing again anyway, right?


But I *do* have pics of crochet gnomes! So that's something. :haha: Enjoy!



EDIT: Did any of you gals use progesterone suppositories and find that they made you nauseated, or cause food aversions? We had lite caesar salad with dinner and I put one bite in my mouth and nearly threw up. The texture and the flavor were SO GROSS and I generally really enjoy the stuff! I've also had trouble with brushing my tongue while brushing teeth in the morning, and every time I cough, it triggers my gag reflex too. Very annoying. My research says that yes, progesterone causes nausea -- but I don't know what's up with this gag reflex business.
 



Attached Files:







gnomes01.jpg
File size: 58.1 KB
Views: 3









gnomes02.jpg
File size: 19.8 KB
Views: 2


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- Those gnomes are seriously the best!!! 

Urs- happy to hear from you. I have to agree that cutting contact with your ex is probably what is best for you. I think it sounds toxic and you would do better to just let him go all around. :hugs: 

Awesome job with the weightloss! You are rocking it for sure. 

Swimmy- I remember that now. Sorry, I forgot that you said DH wasn't willing to go. I do have to say I have a controlling personality too. But even though I had a lot of issues to work through, I also needed my DH to hear some of mine and learn some of his to better support each other. I do hope that your DH is at least willing to talk to you if nothing else. 

Drjo- Definitely just buy a pack n play there. At least they are pretty inexpensive. As far as toys, when DS was that age he pretty much just liked this multi toy chewable lion. It had like 6 or so different things to chew on and was soft. I probably would have brough a couple extra small toys he favored. Oh and a mirror, he sure did (does still) love to look at himself. 

Fern & IRYM- thanks for the input. I really have no idea what to think. Yesterday I think I got a nasty evap line that gave me some hope. While I feel like I might see something, it is not a definite thing. Still crazy early but figured why now. :haha:


----------



## drjo718

Krissie- thanks for the tips! I see half a line on your test, but I wouldn't trust it out of the case. I hope a good line shows up soon!

Iread- We just chose somewhere reasonably warm and zika-free for a trip. I've been to California twice before, once to San Diego, and once to Yosemite and the LA area. This time we'll be in San Francisco for a few days and then Anaheim/LA for a few days. My MIL is from LA and my DH was born there but moved when he turned one. Where are you at? We'll be doing typical touristy things in San Francisco, then visiting some family and friends around LA, going to Disneyland (which I don't really care about but MIL and DH are obsessed with anything Disney), and going to the beach and ocean (which is entirely for me :)).


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie - idk I might have line eye but i think I see something hmmmm fingers crossed!!

Drjo- that sounds like such a fun vacation! I would probably buy a pack and play or co-sleep, (not recommend by docs ) but I have done it with Lizzy. I'm with u I would vote the beach over Disney any day hahaha. 

Irym - I remember progesterone made me a little nauseous but the texture of food making me sick wasn't something that happened except for the cycle that I was pregnant hehehehe fingers super super crossed!! 

This sounds so selfish of me but I can't wait to be done breast feeding so I can jump start my cycles! Can't decide if I want to stop at 9 months or a year. Also totally have to resist the cupcake urge today. My favorite cupcake place is making my favorite kind ugh! Darn cupcakes will be my down fall!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Thanks!

*DrJo* - I'm in Sacramento. San Francisco is really an excellent city for sightseeing and other touristy attractions. They've got a submarine permanently stationed there that you can tour, then of course there's Alcatraz, Pier 39... There's a Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, a wax museum (never been to that one), the Exploratorium children's science museum, the street cars, and on and on. You're sure to get all your exercise in on a day spent in SF! lol

Also, Disneyland can be GREAT if you go on a weekday while all the schools are in session. No lines for rides, considerably less crowded, and so on. If you happen to be there during Spring Break, though... Yeesh. Lookout. lol


*Swimmy* - Thanks. I'm really hoping it's a BFP and not the progesterone!

As for the breast feeding -- I don't have any experience with this, but the difference between 9mos and 1yr is only 3 months. If you really want to stop BFing at 9mos, I think you're fine to go ahead and do so. That's my two cents, anyway!


AFM -- POAS this morning and _thought_ I saw a line. But it was so so faint, I gave the test a couple more minutes to 'cook' and looked again, and now it's gone. I don't know if it was a dye run, or an actual line, or if it was my mind playing tricks on me! I'm calling it a BFN and testing again in a couple days, I guess.


----------



## drjo718

Thanks for the tips, iread. We'll only be in San Francisco for 2.5 days so we had to pick and choose what to do. We definitely have a full plan! Disney will be fine, we're going on a tuesday, I just can't go on the thrill rides.

I had some bleeding this morning. I'm at work and the midwife was able to get me in to radiology for an ultrasound. I haven't gotten a full report yet, but I was able to see and hear a heartbeat at 116 bpm &#128147;. Baby is measuring 6 weeks. My lmp puts me at 6+4, but ovulation puts me at 6+1. It's given me a little piece of mind for vacation.


----------



## krissie328

That is great news drjo!! So excited little one is doing so well. 

Swimmy- Like IRYM said it probably doesn't make a significant difference when you stop. My only suggestion would be if they are eating more solid food around 9 months that would be a good time, but if they are still bfing a lot then maybe stick it out. 

IRYM- I have had that same thing happen to me too on tests. I think it must just be the dye pooling on the strip. SOOO frustrating. 

I also poas this morning. I had a lot of water to drink last night and it was a bfn. Not sure how I feel about this cycle. My bbs are just killing me and my coffee tasted burned this morning. Both were early signs with DS. But on the other hand, maybe it is just pms symptoms that I never noticed before. I don't drink a lot of coffee or have a lot of tww, so who knows. 

So look at my dip this morning:


My Ovulation Chart

I realize that I don't have any pre-o temps, this was because we weren't trying. But once I realized I ovulated I started tracking again. My chart is all weird this cycle even for my tww.


----------



## ireadyermind

drjo718 said:


> I had some bleeding this morning. I'm at work and the midwife was able to get me in to radiology for an ultrasound. I haven't gotten a full report yet, but I was able to see and hear a heartbeat at 116 bpm &#128147;. Baby is measuring 6 weeks. My lmp puts me at 6+4, but ovulation puts me at 6+1. It's given me a little piece of mind for vacation.

Aww, glad to hear everything's going well. Keep doing your thing, little bean! :thumbup:


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, I"m not feeling too hopeful this cycle, ladies.

BFN again today at 12/13dpiui (depending on which iui we base this off of), with AF due in about 3 days. I know I'm not out til AF shows, but I'm feeling discouraged. Let's hope I'm one of those gals that doesn't get a BFP until AF is late!

With my MC cycle I didn't get even a squinter until 15dpo I guess, so there's that. But I always figured the lines were so light and took so long because it wasn't a viable pregnancy. 

What do you think? Should I hold out hope, or do you think the tests would have shown something by now?


----------



## krissie328

I wouldn't give up home just quite yet. :hugs:

My temp went to my pre-o temp level today. So pretty sure af is trying to show. Which would mean I actually o'd sooner than I thought. I was incredibly crampy and cold last night which are both common for the day before af shows. 

I just wish I wasn't so aware of my body and known what post-o feels like for me. I actually got my hopes up and it really sucks to be so crushed.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Sometimes I think that learning to spot all these symptoms is a bigger curse than it is a blessing, because so many of them are just like PG symptoms that we drive ourselves crazy with wondering. 

I wish I could have been like my sisters, who never even think about getting pregnant, they just ARE one day, completely by surprise!

:hugs:




So -- help me out here, gals.

I did 2 tests this morning in the same urine: 1 wondfo, 1 SurePredict. Usually I collect FMU in a cup, and then my plan is that if the wondfo shows a faint line, I'll get my last FRER out to test with the same urine.

The wondfo is a glaring negative, but the SurePredict (blue handle) looks like the pictures I've attached.

I don't know what to think. The SP tests always turn yellow when dipped in urine (I think wondfos have a little filter to prevent that?), and the dye took its SWEET TIME moving across the strip, too. It's one of the reasons I stopped buying them, but I had ONE left and decided to try it this morning.

So is this a dye run? An evap? A false positive? My own imagination making me see things that aren't there? Sorry the pics are of dry tests. I have been hemming and hawing over this all morning and finally remembered to snap a photo to share with you gals. :dohh:


I know that the only real test is waiting for AF, but this is driving me crazy! :wacko:


PS: I uploaded several tweaked versions of the photo too, for your line porn viewing pleasure! :haha:
 



Attached Files:







03-02-17_bfp.jpg
File size: 60.3 KB
Views: 6









03-02-17_bfp02.jpg
File size: 69.4 KB
Views: 5









03-02-17_bfp03.jpg
File size: 63.8 KB
Views: 4









03-02-17_bfp-neg.jpg
File size: 60.6 KB
Views: 4


----------



## Fern81

That line is definitely there. What a pity it's not on the wondfo too, just to make things clearer!! When will you be testing again? I hope tomorrow! ;)


----------



## Fern81

Sorry krissie. I really thought your test was positive x


----------



## ireadyermind

Fern81 said:


> That line is definitely there. What a pity it's not on the wondfo too, just to make things clearer!! When will you be testing again? I hope tomorrow! ;)

I may or may not test in the morning. I would hate to see another BFN, you know? I have onnneee FRER left and I'm trying to save that for the official testing day of March 6th.

Meanwhile, these Wondfos are just blank as blank can be. Bah! 

I figure maybe I should wait until the day after tomorrow.


----------



## krissie328

I have line eye so I'm no help. 

I was leaning that way too, Fern. It's definitely disappointing.


----------



## swimmyj1

I definitely see a line but idk if it's a run or not. Ugh!!! Stupid tests I want the wondfo to be + !!!! My fingers are still very crossed. I know people who haven't gotten their + until like 15-20dpo it happens! We need some good news from out group!


----------



## ireadyermind

I caved and tested again this morning, couldn't help myself! >.>

I dug through my hoard of HPTs and managed to find one last SurePredict test, and this time I took some product reviews into consideration and dipped it for 10s instead of the recommended 5s. The strip looks much better this time -- but they're both BFN, so yesterday's was probably a dye run like I feared.

Welp, 3 more days until the official clinic test date. I'm not feeling too positive at this point! And I had a dream last night that I started AF. What a stupid thing to dream about! lol
 



Attached Files:







03-03-17_cropped.jpg
File size: 11.4 KB
Views: 6









03-03-17_inverted.jpg
File size: 11.4 KB
Views: 3


----------



## krissie328

I swear I see something on both. :wacko: See, I have terrible line eye. 

Afm, af showed today. Two days before I was expecting, which means I ovulated on CD 13. Pretty shocked to be honest. 

But it has helped me realize a few of my feelings towards having another one. Just need to decide with DH fully on board either way.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> I swear I see something on both. :wacko: See, I have terrible line eye.
> 
> Afm, af showed today. Two days before I was expecting, which means I ovulated on CD 13. Pretty shocked to be honest.
> 
> But it has helped me realize a few of my feelings towards having another one. Just need to decide with DH fully on board either way.

Well I hope you're right and I'm wrong about these tests! :haha:

Sorry to hear AF showed for you today. :(


----------



## drjo718

Iread, I don't usually have line eye, but I think I see a little something on that wondfo. Maybe a hint of half a line at the bottom of the strip.


----------



## swimmyj1

Weird I must have line eye too because I think i see something on both... hehe come on Monday!!!!! 

Drjo - how ru feeling?

Krissie - I'm sorry af showed up cd 13 is pretty great to ovulate. Mine weren't ever that spot on to schedule.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- one time we were ttc for the 2 years I ovulated cd 12. All the others were cd 18-25.


----------



## drjo718

Swimmy, thanks for asking! I feel pretty good most of the time. I have nausea off and on, I throw up once almost every day, and I usually can't eat anything sweet. I could live on huhot and Ramen noodles lol. My ultrasound showed a simple cyst on my left ovary, which I also had with Nora, and a small subchorionic hemorrhage which will hopefully resolve soon.


----------



## ireadyermind

You guys are giving me hope! xD I'm biased toward my own tests, so it's good to get outside opinions. Rofl.

*Krissie* - That sounds just like me. Without meds, the earliest I ever ovulated was CD17 and I thought that was amazing! lol. It was soooo weird to ovulate only 10 days after AF! :haha:

*DrJo* - Oh man, Ramen noodles. They're so addictive! I bet they're easier on your stomach too! 




AFM -- Here are today's test pictures. I just have the worst line eye. I swear I see something, but then of course I'm pretty desperate at this point. I'm considering these BFN and not very hopeful. Started making plans with DH for how to handle our next two months.
 



Attached Files:







03-04-17_1cropped.jpg
File size: 49.9 KB
Views: 8









03-04-17_1cropped_inv.jpg
File size: 50.3 KB
Views: 5


----------



## drjo718

Iread- I see what you see on those tests, I'm just not sure it's a legit line.


----------



## swimmyj1

Yeah this time I'm not seeing much of a line :( what's the game plan for the next two months if this one doesn't end up with a bfp? (Still hoping it does)


----------



## swimmyj1

Today was a great day. I didn't think counceling was helping much until last night he got home told me to go take a nap. He woke me up 2 hours later had put lizzy to bed, made me dinner, finished the laundry and asked to play cards together after dinner. During dinner he said I think the counselor was right doing nice things for each other without expecting anything back does make me feel better. Totally heart melting :) and she is right doing something that you know is helping the other person without asking does make you feel better.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy, that is really great news. I am glad to hear that it is helping. 

IRYM- How are you doing? 

Drjo- I hope the nausea doesn't stick around too much longer for you. 

Afm, not much new going on here. Just waiting for af to leave. I am trying to make the tough decision on what to do next. I am still not sure I want to pursue having a second one, but I don't feel right making the decision not to try either. I think it is a head vs heart situation.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - That's so great! So even if DH isn't going with you, he's learning stuff as you relate it to him from your sessions? Or did I miss something, and he has decided to go?

I hope things continue to improve!


*Krissie* - Do you think it'd help to make a Pros & Cons list for TTC#2? If the pros of having a second child outweigh the cons, then it might give you the help you need to make that final decision?


AFM -- AF arrived this morning, right on schedule. Thanks to all the BFNs, I was expecting it.

So my plan for the next few months is as follows: March, we're taking a break so we can finish up house stuff and possibly put the house on the market. And also because if I conceived in March, we'd have a Christmas due date, and you all know my feelings on THAT. :haha:

I'm going to ask the clinic to still give me letrozole so that I can ovulate at CD14ish rather than CD20+ and get that cycle over with in time for a mid-April IUI. I just haven't called them yet. Still waking up and dealing with AF cramps.

So our next treatment cycle is tentatively scheduled for April, and I'll be asking to be increased to 10mg of Letrozle instead of 7.5, because this cycle we _barely_ had two good follies, and I think only one of them actually released an egg with the trigger shot. Ideally, I would personally hope for ~3 eggs. I don't mind the possibility of twins, and having 3 different chances for pregnancy in one cycle is A-OK in my book.

So I'm trying to be hopeful for April.


----------



## krissie328

So sorry af decided to arrive IRYM! :hugs:

Hopefully they will let you do letrozole this cycle and be ready for April. 

I should probably make a physical pros/cons list. But honestly, I think one child would definitely have way more pros. Which kinda plays on why I want one, but then there is that part of me that doesn't want to regret not having another one. And to be honestly DH is being completely useless. I think he is completely indifferent and it is making me frustrated.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> So sorry af decided to arrive IRYM! :hugs:
> 
> Hopefully they will let you do letrozole this cycle and be ready for April.
> 
> I should probably make a physical pros/cons list. But honestly, I think one child would definitely have way more pros. Which kinda plays on why I want one, but then there is that part of me that doesn't want to regret not having another one. And to be honestly DH is being completely useless. I think he is completely indifferent and it is making me frustrated.


Thanks. :) 

I'm sorry your DH is being so uncooperative. Do you think he's pulling the "I have to be a strong emotionless man" card and only pretending not to care, or is it that he actually does not have any desire to participate in this discussion?

And if it's the latter, do you think his indifference would continue after the birth of another child? As in, would he also be indifferent, unhelpful, etc. with baby #2?


----------



## ireadyermind

Update: Just got off the phone with the clinic. Looks like my only option for March is to wait it out. They won't give me fertility meds unless I agree to come in for regular ultrasounds (and they said I *have* to do a trigger shot even if I don't plan on an IUI), which doesn't work with our moving schedule at all.

So I asked about Provera to force a period, and they said their minimum cycle length for that is 45 days! :growlmad:

I told the lady that's much too long, especially considering they consider a long "average" cycle to be 35 days. She said to call back if I go over 35 days (lol... IF? Without letrozole, it's WHEN) and they'll consider giving me provera then. I guess it's something.


Sooo back to temping this month for me, and we play the waiting game. It's going to be a looong 35 - 45 days! lol


----------



## krissie328

ireadyermind said:


> I'm sorry your DH is being so uncooperative. Do you think he's pulling the "I have to be a strong emotionless man" card and only pretending not to care, or is it that he actually does not have any desire to participate in this discussion?
> 
> And if it's the latter, do you think his indifference would continue after the birth of another child? As in, would he also be indifferent, unhelpful, etc. with baby #2?

I think that he does have an opinion but I haven't figured it out. I think he is actually leaning towards not having any more but I know if we had another he would be excited. With both my losses he was so over the moon. But I think cycle after cycle is wearing us both down. 

We have been together for almost 13 years. We always talked about having multiple children (he actually wanted 3 or 4). So to now be discussing an only is very different. We are both in our early 30s so that is not an issue. It is more an issue that we are already looking at a 4 year age gap and now we aren't sure the benefits of a sibling will be what we desired. Plus we are both happy with what we have now with DS. 

And maybe that is what bothers me. I am happy with DS and I am afraid that an another baby will push me back into the depression I had a lot of DS early months. I didn't cope well at all and I have no desire to repeat that. But I also don't want to regret not having another one for what I think feels so selfish.


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- just saw your update. That is disappointing. I have the same long cycles too and it just sucks. Do you ever ovulate on your own?


----------



## ireadyermind

I see what you're saying with your DH. The TTCing gets so exhausting. The repeated hope and let downs, the jaded feeling you get when you see a BFP and then spend you next weeks bouncing from joy to terror that you're just gonna lose everything again... It's not all fun and games.

Since you're young enough, I say don't worry too much about waiting.

There is a 10 year age gap between me and my youngest sister. We get along just fine -- and we rarely fought as kids. Additionally, I was able to provide my mother with a lot of help when it came to diaper changes, making sure the baby didn't get into anything, etc. Which meant my mom was able to cook without distractions, clean house, etc. because I was perfectly capable of holding a bottle, changing a diaper or sitting in the bathroom with sister in the bathtub.

With a slightly larger age gap, you may not go through that same sort of depression after baby #2 because you won't have to worry as much about DS. 

Not to say that you won't worry about him at ALL, but he will be old enough to understand things better, to not need 100% of your attention 100% of the time, and will be at a stage where he can go out and do Big Brother things with Dad, etc.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is: Don't stress over waiting a year if that's what you wanna do! The age gap isn't as big a deal as you might think. :)



As for me -- I always ovulate on my own. It's just that sometimes it isn't until CD33 or later.

I was hoping that they'd be able to give me meds to force ovulation earlier so I'd have a 30 day cycle instead of a 50 day cycle. But I guess they can't without all those other strings attached. Booooo.


----------



## krissie328

Thanks for that insight! It actually helps a lot. I've decided just to let it go for now and revisit in a couple months. I still need to lose weight and get to a place I'd even feel comfortable getting pregnant.

That definately sucks waiting so long to o. Hopefully it will cooperate and you'll be able to move on quickly into April.


----------



## drjo718

Swimmy- so happy to hear counseling is helping!

Krissy- I'm sorry you're struggling with a decision. I think it's a good plan to just wait a while and revisit the topic later. Thinking of you. 

Iread- if you had iui in mid-April, that would give you a due date of early January, and you could very well end up with a Christmas baby. So maybe that's the bright side of being forced to wait longer?

Afm, we just finished in san francisco and arrive in Anaheim late last night. I bled for 24 hours ending last night, mostly when wiping, but needed a liner. I'm hoping everything is fine and it's just the hemorrhage bleeding. We did a bit of hiking Saturday in Muir woods, so maybe that irritated it.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - You're welcome, glad it helped a little. :)

*DrJo* - Very true. As it stands, if we have to wait 45ish days for my next AF, it looks like I'd end up ovulating closer to April 30th which would be better. Still, it gets very tiresome with all this waiting waiting waiting! lol


I'm sure everything's OK with your little bean in there. :hugs:


----------



## drjo718

Iread, thanks. Right now I feel like everything is fine, it's just so much unknown in the weeks to come. I empathize with you on the waiting. Before femara, my cycles were 2-5 months long, so I get it. :)


----------



## Greensboroug

This is actually my goal. My SO is very fit and wants me to keep up. I think that is reasonable. I have seen the pictures with fit model having 3 babies at 40, I don't think that should be a problem at all.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Greensboroug* - Hello! Welcome to our thread! :) Do you have a specific amount of weight you'd like to lose, or are you simply aiming to become more fit overall?


----------



## swimmyj1

Irym - sorry i probably didn't word that very well, my DH is going to the marriage counseling with me but they suggested private sessions as well and he won't go to those. Which is fine I get hes uncomfortable talking with a "stranger" so as long as hes going to the marriage counseling and its helping I'm a happy camper. Another focus last week was a healthy sex life post baby hahaha we actually managed to do the deed twice this week. hehehe huge improvement from 2-3 times a month! (i checked to see if i happen to be ovulating and of course im not darn:shrug:) I'm sorry to see AF showed up and that you are gonna have to wait so long for the next round. 

Drjo - i'm sure it's nothing but i know how scary bleeding can be. too bad they don't have "cheep" home ultrasounds that you can just take a quick peek hehe. hiking sounds wonderful! i can't wait to go this summer! today was so nice and it killed me not to go. 

Krissie - i hate when Dh's won't put in their input when it comes to TTC its like HELLOOOO don't you want a say in any of this? it takes 2 your know lol. Hang in there hun. My friend had really bad post partum with her first baby waited almost 5-6 years to have the second and didn't have it at all with the second baby. not saying that always happens but having a little helper to keep an eye out while she took a shower or whatever around the house she said helped a lot. Plus when her daughter was in school she got to take naps/have alone time with baby #2.

Greens - welcome to the group!!!

afm - not wanting to get on the scale Dh keeps bringing home treats/snacks and as much as i love cupcakes when i end up on TLC weight loss shows he will for sure be listed as my enabler :dohh: Going to my parents this weekend and treating myself to a hair cut/color I have more grey hair than my grandma right now hahaha. :haha:


----------



## drjo718

I have an ultrasound with the specialists on Wednesday, shortly before my first midwife appointment. I'm scared they won't find a heartbeat. I've had 3 bleeding/spotting episodes in 9 days. My hemorrhage is in the lower uterine segment which tends to be worse bc the bleeding irritates the cervix. For now I'm on pelvic rest and not to lift more than 30 lbs. Keeping my fingers crossed for good news on Wed.


----------



## swimmyj1

Oh drjo I really hope you get good news. Any bleeding is really scary in pregnancy. Have you had any cramping??

I'm down 2 lbs right now yay me!!!
also what do you guys think of this opk i took today?
 



Attached Files:







IMG_3024.jpg
File size: 46.5 KB
Views: 3


----------



## drjo718

Swimmy, I've had very mild cramping occasionally. Nothing worrisome. Last spotting was on Thursday and my cervix is closed. Still puking though.

That opk looks super positive to me! Are you ttc again?


----------



## swimmyj1

yeah i think we are going to start. i still haven't gotten a period yet so i've just been taking opks at random lol. gonna attack my DH when I get home from work tonight hahahaha i think he will know what thats about :haha: 
I'll take another test today and let you know what it says


----------



## krissie328

Drjo- I hope your scan goes well and all is fine. Bleeding is so stressful.

Swimmy- that's one positive opk! Good luck.


----------



## ireadyermind

*DrJo* - FX'd everything's okay! That spotting would be worrisome to me too.

*Swimmy* - I agree, looks positive to me too! Good luck TTC #2 and make sure to post lots of line porn for us! :D

*Krissie* - I see that new pic of your DS. Very cute!



AFM - DH and I had some work done in our master bath over the weekend. The contractor screwed up and ordered us the wrong siding, though, and they had to take a 3rd day to install that. The contractor wasn't very professional in the way he handled it. He first tried to blame ME for the issue, then blamed his boss, then blamed it on the items in the warehouse not being labeled, and then finally admitted that even though he looked at our order form and saw "4x4 white tile", he still grabbed the flat, plain, cheap siding that someone else ordered. Sigh.

Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, DH and I repaired about 15 feet/5 meters of fence in our back yard, dug up plants and roots that were damaging the fence, etc. I ache like you wouldn't believe! So much bending, hauling, hammering, prying... Whew! It's probably good I'm not currently pregnant, or I'd never have been able to help poor DH with all of it. 

We still have quite a lot of work to do before we can sell the house, but it's all coming along nicely.


----------



## MissDoc

Hey ladies! Hope all is well with you all! Everything is alright here. I have about 9-10 weeks left to go and am now hitting the uncomfortable, lots of reflux, achey all over stage. But baby boy is doing well and is at the 71st %ile by sonogram, so that's good (he was measuring even bigger, but is starting to regress down toward average, thankfully). I've gained 29 lbs in 30 weeks, and my doc has encouraged me not to gain any more (ideally) in this last stretch. So I'm making more of an effort. To be honest, I was living like it was a bit of a free for all. Eating whatever I wanted. Now I'm reigning it in. Today is day 5 of new and improved behavior (tracking food, aiming for 80+g protein, getting enough water, having veggies and fruit daily, not overdoing the sweets, walking more, etc.). Trying to keep it going.

DrJo-- Really hope your little one is safe and secure in there. My fingers are crossed for you!

IRYM-- Man those long cycles must suck having to wait so long. TTC is already so much waiting without long cycles even. Hang in there!

Swimmy-- I'd definitely call that positive... happy bd'ing! And YAY YAY YAY on the weight loss. Congrats!


----------



## swimmyj1

Irym - I am always sooo impressed by how great you and your dh are at do it yourself projects!! I hate yard work (so my yard is pretty simple lol). I would not be happy with that contractor at all!!! Playing the blame game is not ok. My friend had that happen when she ordered carpet the company ordered and brought the wrong one. They ended up getting it for free and just had to pay for labor!! I probably would have kept the wrong color carpet too hahaha

Doc - I'm sorry your getting uncomfortable I know the last 3 months it's almost impossible. Good job on tracking your food. I'm still up about 27lbs :( but most of it was gained after having lizzy so no excuse there

Today's 2 tests were again very very + even more than the one I posted (on my phone so can't put up a picture) I don't usually have surges like this hmmmm


----------



## drjo718

Everything is good on my ultrasound! Baby was measuring right on, little heart beating at 188. No sign of the subchorionic hemorrhage so I'm hoping all the bleeding was it resolving. Yay!


----------



## krissie328

That's such fantastic news drjo.


----------



## swimmyj1

I'm so glad everything went great with the ultrasound! (I'm betting a girl hehe) 

My opks stayed very dark + for 3 days I only bd once so not much hope this cycle. I'll just be glad to get af back hahaha

Also doing much much better on meal prep this week. I don't like wasting food so if it's all ready to go I would rather eat that then go out. :) except for nights I work. That is still my downfall of eating really bad


----------



## drjo718

I would love another girl! I don't know what to do with boys lol. I don't have brothers, neither does DH. I know I'd be fine lol. What's funny is before I even knew I was pregnant, I was walking at work and got this strong feeling I was pregnant with a boy. That sure feeling hasn't continued, though. With Nora I felt the whole time that she was a girl.


----------



## ireadyermind

&#9827;&#9827;&#9827; Happy St. Patrick's Day, gals! Hope everyone's wearing green. Don't wanna hafta come over there and pinch anyone. ;)



So glad to hear that everything's okay with your little bean, DrJo. 



AFM -- I think I forgot to mention that I started taking Myo-Inositol about a week ago. Two 750mg pills a day, one at breakfast and one at lunch. Thus far the biggest change is that I don't feel that overwhelming brain fog that made everything seem 10x more difficult than it actually was, and made me feel like I was always utterly exhausted.

In point of fact, the day before I started taking them, I slept from 10pm the previous night til 10am the next morning. Woke up, had breakfast, went back to bed at 12pm and slept til almost 3pm. Did my few chores and errands, came back home and went to bed at 930pm and slept through the night. And the whole day I felt so so so tired.

That was a regular occurrence, even with the help of caffeine. I have learned that that's because of the insulin resistance and my body not being able to fuel itself with what I'm eating.

Well, the inositol seems to be solving that. I only need 1 cup of coffee a day now, no afternoon energy slump, I can get right out of bed in the morning and feel rested, and I have no problem staying awake later than 930pm on a regular basis.

So it's looking up! I'm hoping it will help with weight loss too. We'll see.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - that is great! i know what you mean about having low energy. I swear I could sleep for 16 hours at a time if someone let me. I've been seriously considering trying Thrive. one of my friends sells it and has had a ton of successful weight loss with energy boost. the cost is a lot though and I don't love that idea. 150$ a month yikes!

I finally got out for a hike yesterday. It was perfect weather! I didn't realize how much I really really missed it until I was out there. It felt like all of my worry and stress was just gone :) hoping to go at least once this weekend again if the weather behaves. Im est myself to be at 8dpo right now fingers crossed i should see AF in like 3-4 days!


----------



## swimmyj1

Well AF showed up and is here with an insane vengeance. I don't think i've ever had a period this bad. Or been this moody, I seriously was soooo mean to my DH today. Just everything he said set me off. ugh work has been total crap the last few nights. Looking forward to having 4 off and going to a concert with my mom today :) goal of only having one beer and splitting a meal before hand. Shes trying to lose weight too. 

hope everyone is doing well!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - I hope AF gets the heck over with and leaves you alone for a good 9 months. :D What concert are you going to?


AFM -- DH and I both came down with the flu a week ago. Mine turned into acute bronchitis, and here I am, hacking and coughing and pretty much miserable. Forget any kind of exercise, just having a conversation with DH leaves me winded. Ugh!

On the upside, the side effect of the expectorant I'm taking is severe dry mouth, which has me drinking probably 2x the water I was before all this. So I'm sick, but well hydrated. :dohh:



How's everyone else doing?


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hi Ladies! :flower:

I've been completely off the boards for awhile (mostly just on Facebook), but I thought I'd check in. My baby is due any day now (due date is this Wednesday, the 29th), and man I'm definitely gonna have some weight to lose once this is all said and done. I went back on carbs after I got pregnant (as I'd read lots of conflicting stuff about restricting types of food during pregnancy, and I didn't want to risk it), and that combined with the fact that I stopped taking Metformin at 12 weeks (standard practice here in Denmark) meant man I've been struggling. Plus the last few weeks, well, I had no idea that it would be so hard to have decent self-control. I was lucky that through the pregnancy I didn't get gestational diabetes, which they were worried about due to my PCOS and BMI when I got pregnant. But I'm definitely going to have my work cut out for me, so I'll be back soon!

I hope to read through some of the recent pages and try and catch up with everyone. :hugs:


----------



## ireadyermind

*MrsTigger* - Aww, baby's almost here! So exciting! It's good to hear from you. I can understand not wanting to restrict your diet if it might've caused your LO some issues. 

We'll be here offering encouragement and support when you're ready to get back to it. :)




AFM - Looks like I might've ovulated early this month! :O Not taking any fertility meds, just the myo-inositol and it looks like I O'd CD16 instead of 21+. Awesome. 

I've just about kicked the bronchitis and I hope to get back to fitness soon. Wish me luck. :haha:


----------



## krissie328

Good luck Mrs. T!!! 

IRYM- that is great news!! Fx for you hun. 

Afm, just been super sick the last 1.5 weeks. I have not been motivated to do anything. My fitness level has been couch potato. Hopefully I start getting better soon. DH and I have almost entirely cleaned the house of "bad" foods and are starting to move towards eating healthier. I think it will do us both some good.


----------



## drjo718

Mrs tigger- so excited baby is almost here! I hope it goes smoothly for you.

Iread- yay for ovulation!

Afm, I've had 2 more bleeding episodes and some additional spotting. I'll be having another ultrasound this week to check on things again. It's just so nerve-wracking. I feel like I can't relax and enjoy pregnancy since I lost my first. I have a doppler and have caught baby's heartbeat a few times, but usually I just hear a ton of movement. This morning I heard no movement but found the heartbeat for about a minute. I'm on pelvic rest and a lift limit of 20lbs. I want to exercise but that's definitely out. I can't even swim bc of the bleeding. 

We still haven't been able to tell my step-dad I'm pregnant. He's had to miss the last two family dinners we planned due to my grandma's health issues. He's her power of attorney so has to be at the hospital for anything important. We're hoping she'll be transferred to a rehab center tomorrow, and maybe things will settle down a little. She still hasn't met Nora, but I don't want to take her while grandma has pneumonia (which is only one of several issues). 

And as if anything else needed to be happening, my oldest dog is chronically ill and takes 6 different medications every day. He was supposed to only live a few more months to a year...that was over 2 years ago. We've decided to stop all meds as we run out of what we have, except his diuretic to keep the fluid off his lungs. The meds are about $300 a month, but we've been making it work. Now he's lost a ton of weight, doesn't play like he used to, and can't hold his bladder very well. He's coughing more and he has to work harder to breathe more often. The ground is thawed now so we can bury him when he dies. I just hope he doesn't die right before or during Nora's birthday party. That'd really put a damper on things.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - yay for ovulation! i love when the body does what its supposed to do and on time!! hehe

Mrs. T - so good to hear from ya! hope everything goes well with delivery :) cant wait to see a picture!

Krissie - I wish i could get my DH to cut junk food. He talks about how he needs to eat better and will do it with me ... then bring home a pizza or buy crap from the store

Drjo - i'm so sorry the bleeding keeps happening. That is so scary. I'm sure everything is fine. So glad you are picking up stuff on the home doppler. I couldn't find anything until like 12+ weeks. Fingers crossed this scan goes well! I'm sorry to hear about your dog. We stopped med treatments on our lab also. It just wasn't fair to him to keep him going when he was clearly miserable and kept getting sick. So the last time he got really sick we took him in to be put down. I miss him a lot but I know it was the kindest thing to do. sending hugs

AFM- af was soooo crampy this time. I'm not usually a pain wuss but omg I vomited a few times they were so bad. going to start ovulation testing in a few days just to see what day i ovulate at. and if this LP is really short again. I am ashamed to admit that today before work i ate 1/2 a big bag of chips to myself :( idk whats wrong with me i need to get this under control!


----------



## drjo718

Everything looks good on my ultrasound, no reason found for the bleeding so I must just have a friable cervix. Baby was moving around like crazy. Heart rate 170. If the Ramzi theory holds true, this will be another girl. &#128522;


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks, ladies!

*Krissie* - Ugh, you've been sick too? That sucks! It's definitely going around. I hope you feel better soon!


*Swimmy* - I hate when AF is so bad you wanna throw up. Sorry to hear you're feeling so crummy! I hope it's all over now and you're on your way to ovulation. :) In regards to the carb bingeing, can you maybe get rid of all chips, crackers, and other carby snacks from the house? Only keep the things that need cooking or prep on hand? I find that it helps me cut back. If I can't just grab the item and mindlessly eat it, I do better. We keep dry brown rice, raw potatoes, and pasta on hand - but not chips, crackers, cookies, etc. as a general rule. Otherwise I will do the same thing!




*DrJo* - Glad to hear everything was okay in there! I'm interested to see if that Ramzi theory holds out. There's a reason things like that become old wives' tales, right? :haha: 


AFM - This BEAUTIFUL stray kitty showed up at my house the other day. Never seen him around here before, and we know all the neighborhood cats because they're constantly starting scuffles with MY cats. lol

Anyway, he's starving - skin and bones! And he's very young. I'm determined to scoop him up and feed him. DH says he is okay with taking this little guy in, which I was surprised about. We'll get the kitty neutered, vaccinated, and see if we can't get him turned into a lovey house kitty. :) DH is going to swing by the feed store down the street from his office and get a live cat trap today, so FX'd we can save this baby! 

Picture attached. Look at his lovely fur!
 



Attached Files:







sstray-kitty.jpg
File size: 50.4 KB
Views: 1


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- he is beautiful. Hopefully you guys can get him and give him a loving home. 

Drjo- so happy everything is going well. I hope you can tell step-dad soon. 

Swimmy- fx af is out and you are getting some practice in now. 

Afm, yes this illness was dreadful. I am finally getting better I think. Today I feel mostly human. 

It took a lot of years for DH to come around to better eating. I think one of the first times I went low carb he was forced into cause I do all the cooking. He actually felt so good on it he keeps insisting we start back. :haha:


----------



## drjo718

Krissie- glad you're feeling better.

Swimmy- sorry about a nasty af!

Iread- I actually read several studies with large sample sizes about the Ramzi theory when I was pregnant with Nora. It's backed by evidence, and was true with Nora, so I guess we'll see! On my 6 week scan, the yolk sac was at my right, but the placenta seems to have formed on my left, so I still feel a bit up in the air about it.

Afm, my dog died yesterday. It's sad but I'm honestly relieved. It was time. We buried him today. 

We did manage to finally tell my step-dad about the new baby, and he's ridiculously excited. His mom just got moved from the hospital to a rehab center/nursing home. She's still weak and can't get out of bed. He agreed not to tell her about the baby, since his brother is best friends with my mom's brother and no one in the family can keep a secret. However, if she starts taking a turn for the worse, I agreed to tell her before Easter, which is when I'm planning to tell the rest of the family. 

I'm hoping things calm down a bit now. I'm starting to plan Nora's birthday party. Does anyone have suggestions for a 1-year-old Easter basket? We want to do something small for her.


----------



## swimmyj1

Irym - that is a beautiful cat! Hope you guys can scoop him up, he looks like he could use a loving home. I usually do well with keeping junk out of the house. My DH is the problem he goes to the store after I do and buys chips and candy ughhhhh 

Drjo - so glad the ultrasound went well :) I'm seriously betting girl lol.

Krissie - glad your starting to feel better. I have a horrible cold, feeling super yucky myself. I'm calling into work tomorrow for sure

Afm - Sad news on my end lizzy is in the hospital with rsv:( I hate that my peanut got so sick so fast. Seriously less than 24 hours she went from her happy self to being a lethargic floppy baby. I'm feeling so helpless. I can't even hold her because I'm also sick and they have asked me not to visit unless I'm dropping off breast milk. I can start visiting when my fever has been gone for 24 hours and I no longer have a runny nose/cough. I seriously sobbed dropping off my husband tonight who is staying with her. I feel like this is all my fault I probably bring home germs all the time from work. I don't hold her when I have my scrubs on and change shoes at work so idk how else to better protect her :(


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- I hope lizzy gets better quickly. That would be so scarry! :hugs: Sounds like you really do all you can to protect her, try not to be too hard on yourself. 

I did a round of antibiotics and the day after I stopped them my cold started back. I'm pretty miserable tonight.


----------



## Aerith07

Hi ladies! Hubby wants a baby, but I'm not ready physically or mentally yet. Haha. I have two boys age 4 and 1 and I want to lose about 15lbs before trying for baby #3.


----------



## swimmyj1

Welcome aerith! Anything your doing to try and lose the 15lbs? 

Afm - This week has been really stressful. Lizzy has a drs appointment to go over some "conserning" labs (the staff wouldn't tell me what over the phone which is making me worry worse!) they want us seen right away so we are going in tomorrow morning. On a happier note my anniversary is on Monday. Hopefully having a date night Saturday. And I purged the house of "bad" foods! Yay!!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Aerith* - Welcome to the group! Are you a FFVII fan by any chance? Love your username! :D


*Swimmy* - I hate when the dr's office does that! If they know it's you over the phone by confirming your personal details, why can't they discuss things with you there instead of in the office? It just doesn't make sense to have to pack up your baby and make the drive over when they could easily relay information by phone. 

I hope it's nothing serious. :hugs:

And happy early anniversary!


AFM - AF is supposed to start today. My temp dropped steeply to match that "supposed to start" date, and I woke up feeling a little crampy. I'm a little excited over what the MYO-Inositol did for me! CD16 ovulation AND a 14 day LP? That's great!

Start sending me all your sticky bean vibes because I really want this next IUI to work!


----------



## krissie328

Welcome aerith!

Swimmy- I hope everything turns out okay with the labs. How frustrating they wouldn't talk about them. :hugs:

IRYM- What great results with the myo-inositol!! Fx your IUI works this cycle. 

Afm, I am still trying to get over this illness. I think now it might be morphing into allergies. So not quite as bad. I am almost done with my first month of birth control. I plan to do one more and then we have decided we will try 6 more months for #2!! I am nervous/excited and it seems so bizarre to be thinking about it again. 

I am currently doing a low carb diet hoping to lose some weight and hopefully get my pcos a bit more under control.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Don't you hate it when it becomes hard to tell the difference between allergies and an illness? Sometimes for me, even with allergy medications I'm sneezing and have a sore throat, and feel like it might as well be another cold! Ugh.

I'm glad you and DH reached a decision about the TTC subject. 6 more months after this next round of BC sounds good to me! Good luck!



AFM - Minor update: AF started today, a couple days later than I expected. But that's okay, 'cause now I'm not too worried about missing out on family Easter plans because I'd have to be at the clinic for a trigger shot or something. lol

Just waiting to hear back from the clinic this morning and see if they agreed with my request to bump up to 10mg of letrozole instead of 7.5mg again. I want more than just 1 good follie and 1 iffy follie in there this time!


Meanwhile, I finished another art piece that I'm particularly proud of. Thought I'd share it with you ladies. :) My little art business seems to be picking up, which is awesome. I've worked really hard to get it going. It's taken time, but things are starting to improve. 

:happydance:
 



Attached Files:







000_FINAL.jpg
File size: 27.6 KB
Views: 0


----------



## krissie328

Irym- fx for this cycle! 

Your art is beautiful. <3

Afm, I'm considering just starting this coming cycle. The due date would be Jan which I'm not fond of but dh wants as many opportunities to try as possible. And at the end of the day a healthy baby is what matters.


----------



## swimmyj1

Wow that art work is amazing! Irym seriously! I have zero art talent lol. Fingers and toes crossed! And doing lots of baby dust dances!!! You need your rainbow baby!!!!

Krissie - I would probably side with ur DH better to just try than not try lol. That being said I wouldn't really want a aug baby again omg that big and hot wasn't much fun!

Afm - we have to meet with a peds oncologist on Tuesday and getting an MRI/pet scan with sedation on Monday. They are concerned and want to rule out cancer/lymphoma .... I just can't picture it. My gal is such a happy baby. My peds doctor said a few times she doesn't think that she has cancer she only flagged 1 lab marker but They want to be sure. Leaving her today for a few hours I was a reck. And it made my mom and DH pretty mad :( but I just don't want to leave her until I know more info. I don't think that's selfish do you? And it's not like I refused to go out I just didn't want to be gone all day.


----------



## krissie328

:hugs: That must be terrifying swimmy. Hopefully Tuesday's results show everything is completely fine.

I think you're reacting fine given the circumstances. Definitely love on that baby all you need.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - No one should be giving you trouble over wanting to stay with your baby in a time like this! Why on earth were they mad at you for doing what you needed to do?

I hope all the labs and scans come back clear and your baby is fine! :hugs:


----------



## swimmyj1

I kind of exploded on both of them for being mad at me. My mom was annoyed that I didn't "trust her" (clearly that was not the issue! Lizzy has done a 2 night sleep over before). And my DH was mad that I was ruining our anniversary night (I very bluntly told him our daughter means more to me than him getting laid hehehe) he didn't like that comment but seriously they both needed to realize it wasn't about them. I'm at work tonight then going for her scans. Im gonna be crazy tired lol oh well.
Also ovulating is looking like it's gonna be super late but I haven't been great on testing this time :( 

Irym - I forgot to ask is your art on etsy or is it for a company?


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Good for you standing up for yourself when they were being jerks! I don't see how they could honestly believe YOU were being selfish when this was all about your child! Ugh.




I do occasionally post things on Etsy, but I don't have a lot of luck there since my stuff's digital rather than on canvas. Most of my commissions come from Facebook and DeviantArt, and then the occasional family member or friend.

My main galleries are here:

pointyhat.deviantart.com
fb.com/tphdesigns
and thepointedhat.net (my personal site, but it's under construction)

You gals are all welcome to add/like/share/favorite/whatever my art. I'd appreciate the support! :flower:


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - added on FB :) I really would like some art for lizzy's room, but i'm not sure if what I want would be copy right or not (def do not want to get you into trouble!)

So lizzy's scans looked ok but her 2nd round of blood work still wasn't great. They want to do a repeat scan in 2 months and another set of labs in 1 month. The doctor/staff were amazing, answered a ton of questions for me. Gave me a list of things to watch for and to call them if i notice any of them. Reassured me that it's not uncommon for tests to come back questionable. most babies never need lab work so parents would never know. They also explained that medicine still likes to go off age for kids for "normal lab values" when every kid grows and develops at different rates. lizzy is a little on the bigger side now (89+ % for height and weight) so it would make sense for her lab work to be different than a baby who was in the 20%.... not gonna lie still nervous but not as ba.
Thanks gals for a good place to vent.

Also heck ya! down 5 lbs!!! i didn't even stress eat :happydance: and opk is looking pretty close to + today. I know I won't get pregnant but really hoping my LP will start getting longer again. The 7 days it was last cycle was just not long enough


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks for the Likes to those of you who checked out my FB. I really appreciate the support! :)

*Swimmy* - Feel free to message me on FB and let me know what you were thinking. I'd be happy to tell you whether or not it's doable (and permissible by copyright law). :)

I'm glad your LO is in such good hands with those doctors. It sounds like they really made an effort to put you at ease. And good job losing 5lbs!


----------



## ireadyermind

Good morning, gals.

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter (if you celebrate it)! I spent the weekend with my mom and my 3 nephews. My sister unfortunately spent her Easter in Pediatric Emergency care with the littlest of her children, my niece Ellie. She had a massive abscess appear on her tummy almost overnight. It started out as a small, pea-sized bump and within hours was the size of a deck of cards.

She's on IV antibiotics and fluids with regular cleaning of the abscess. We're hoping she isn't going to need it surgically treated, so keep your fingers crossed there. Despite being stuck in the hospital, she was very cheerful when we went to see her!



Anyway, just popped in to give everyone a minor update. I got a +OPK this morning and I'm waiting to hear back from the clinic to schedule my ultrasound and trigger shot tomorrow. 

Wish me luck, gals! This is round #3 and the third time's the charm, right? :) I hope we have 2 GOOD follicles in there, since I'm not even done taking my estrogen pills this cycle (today's the last day) and already have a positive test.

Let's hope for at least 2 mature follies, maybe 3!


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- How scary for your sister and niece!! I hope she recovers quickly. 

Good luck with this cycle, I hope third time is the charm for you. 

Swimmy- great job on the weightloss. 

Afm, Easter weekend was lovely. DS had a great time hunting eggs in our backyard. He even showed us he can count so that was pretty fun to see. It is amazing all the things they pick up. 

I decided to do birth control this cycle. The idea is to try next cycle. I guess I will see if I have the guts to do it. :dohh:


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Thanks! Last I heard, they switched my niece to a different type of antibiotics and are starting to see some promising results. Hopefully no surgery!


IUI Update: The clinic wanted me in *today* for the ultrasound and trigger, so I had to snag an Uber ride out there since I don't have a car when hubby is at work. They said they didn't have any later appointments available because there was a surgery scheduled at the clinic and apparently EVERY SINGLE DOCTOR was going to be in on it, so there wasn't anything else available today. Ugh. Stressful.

Anyway, made it there with a few minutes to spare, got in for the ultrasound and there's not a single good follie in there! The largest was 8mm. Grr.

Sooo they are giving me a second round of Letrozole to take starting today. I go back the 28th to see if that did me any good. They said they won't bump me up to 10mg Letrozole either, 7.5mg is the max dose they will administer. 

After this, it's on to injectables. But if the cost is as high for that treatment plan as I think it is, I will insist on skipping straight to IVF instead.


----------



## krissie328

Oh no, how disappointing IRYM!!! I hope this second round of letrozole helps produce a good follicle. 

When I checked into injectables it was $1500-2000 per cycle depending on how much would be needed.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> Oh no, how disappointing IRYM!!! I hope this second round of letrozole helps produce a good follicle.
> 
> When I checked into injectables it was $1500-2000 per cycle depending on how much would be needed.

Yeah, it's so pricey! And this clinic's success rate with a mixed injectable & letrozole cycle is only 24%! That's *less* than their success rate with Letrozole alone, which is 27%.

So this clinic charges $9,950 USD for the first round of IVF and I thought, why would I do several rounds of injectables at $2k each (for a total of $6,000+), and THEN pay $9,950 for IVF? That'd be a total of $15k, not including what I've already spent.

Why not skip right to IVF, you know? I'd avoid spending that extra money and wasting several months trying, too.

Sigh. It's a lot of money no matter what we do. I'll have to discuss it all (again) with DH this evening of course, but I'm fairly certain he'll agree with me.


----------



## krissie328

Yes, I would say go for three ivf at this point. The success rate is so much higher.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> Yes, I would say go for three ivf at this point. The success rate is so much higher.

Yeah for sure! They list their success rate for my age group at 62%. That's pretty good!


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies I've been reading along but been bad with updating, I apologize! 

Swimmy I'm sorry that you have to go through this stressful time with your dd. I can't even imagine how you must be feeling. Geez I would also not want to be away from my son for all those tests. Love, hugs and prayers for little Lizzy. Xx

Irym- sorry about the failure with the letrozole. I would advocate IVF since it helped me after 2 years of clomid and everything else had failed. Good luck with a difficult decision. 

Krissie- ah your son's egg hunt sounds so cute! Good luck with your ttc decisions too!

Hi to everyone else, hope you are all doing well.

I finally started taking my diet seriously (it's so difficult with a newborn and adapting to all the changes & hormones but it should not be an excuse....) I've lost about 6 lb but that's about a quarter of what I want to lose. I'm trying to cut out as many carbs as possible and I HAVE TO start exercising. I walked more when I was pregnant than I do now! Not good.


----------



## swimmyj1

hey gals sorry i haven't been on for a while it has been a busy week. 

IRYM - i will have to find some examples of some art that I want so i can send it to you :) I completely agree I would jump right to IVF! no way would i pay that for a less % chance!! I hope they listen to you about it.

Fern - nice to hear from you! 6lbs is amazing that fast after baby!! i was still putting on weight then hahaha. keep up the good work


Krissie - I'm glad you had a fun easter

AFM - Easter wasn't much fun this year, my family came out but my mom was very critical of how i'm handling lizzy which drove me crazy! yes she has had some low grade temps because she runs hot at night and is teething. This is nothing new. but she had to make multiple comments about how I was turning a "blind eye" to her being sick..... i was soo glad when she went home haha. More wonderful news a pipe broke in my wall behind my shower, hopefully that getting fixed today. oh and somehow 2 of my tires popped on my car lol also getting fixed today. lol I just can't win this week! As for fertility. i'm just waiting for af this time, no way I could be pregnant this cycle but i would love for a little longer LP. Just have to keep my head up above water for a little while longer. hahaha


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Ugh! I don't like it when my mom critiques my housekeeping, I think I'd be just as upset (or moreso!) if she started critiquing my parenting! Just because someone is a new mom, it doesn't automatically mean that they're clueless or haven't talking to a nurse, etc. I feel for you!



AFM -- AF arrived today, 10 days early and VERY heavy. It looks like the doc's idea to give me more letrozole this month didn't work. We're essentially out of fertility funds now until we sell the house, so I'm going to have to call the office and tell them that we want to skip injectables and go straight to IVF in May/June. :cry:


----------



## krissie328

So sorry IRYM. I hope you guys can sell your house quickly (or has it sold and you're waiting to close?)

So I inserted my nuvaring late this cycle and I swear I ovulated 3 days ago. I am getting all my classic post o signs. And I was all over Dh this weekend which kinda goes along with my idea.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - i hope you can get the house sold fast. our job market here is insane houses aren't even being put up for 24 hours before being sold. I'm sorry that the med's didn't work this time around. I hope they can get you into IVF next cycle so you don't have to wait.

Krissie - how do you like the nuvaring? i've thought about using it before but was kind of intimidated by it lol.

AFM - AF also came today sooo an 8 day LP instead of 7 ... grand lol. I think im gonna start temping again (or at least trying too, some days i don't get more than 2-3 hours sleep so idk how that will work, but hey worth a shot)


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- hopefully temping will give you a better idea of what's going on with your cycle.

I do like nuvaring. It's super easy to use. I never feel it and we leave it in during sex and dh doesn't feel it either.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Waiting to hear from the doctor today! And thanks, I hope it sells quick too! My realtor said homes in this neighborhood are selling in less than a week in most cases. We just need to hurry and finish our updates!


*Krissie* - Not that this will happen to you or anything, but my sister got pregnant on the Nuva Ring. For that reason, I never tried it. Had I known I'd come across these infertility problems, maybe I should have! :haha:


----------



## swimmyj1

Looks like i need to buy a new thermometer lol mine apparently died and i didn't notice. I actually decided to stop breast feeding this month, I feel really bad about it but lizzy is almost 9 months old. she is a good eater and has had formula before with no problem. But i hate that my nipples bleed almost daily and feel like they have been put in a meat grinder. i have used about every boob cream out there and it keeps coming back. I'll probably cry every day of weaning ... oohh lovely lol. 
After im done with the wheening process i think im going to make our fertility appointment. i keep feeling like im rushing it but i know the longer i wait the worse our chances are. My DH seems to think that we won't need to go back there for treatment that its just gonna happen on its own this time .... i think hes delusional and honestly i'm mentally preparing that #2 just won't happen... I probably shouldn't be so negative about it. 

Sorry just needed to ramble tonight


----------



## swimmyj1

already this cycle is being weird not cool.
but on a good weight loss note i am down another 2 lbs!! yay!!!! I also signed up with a personal trainer at my gym. Hoping having someone push me and hold me accountable for showing up will help, cuz i just keep putting it off. 

anyone doing anything differently for weight loss lately? 

Also i emailed my doctor about fertility meds and if I can just get clomid and progesterone from her or not. (I guess doesn't hurt to ask)


----------



## ireadyermind

Hey gals, sorry for being MIA! We've been crazy busy with this house stuff!

We found a house we wanted to put an offer on, but we can't make an offer on a house until OUR house is on the market. That meant we put everything into overdrive and spent almost 7 straight days working our butts off from 8am to midnight every night. Landscaping, painting and redoing a bathroom, tore up and replaced our patio... the list goes on! I've been so exhausted that I just fall into bed at night and know nothing until 730am the next day. lol

We're nearing completion of all the upgrades and repairs, our offer on the other house has been accepted and my house has been on the market since Monday.

The number of requested showings has been crazy! I had 4 people come by yesterday (the first day of showing!) alone, with more scheduled throughout the week. In between showings, I'm scrubbing baseboards and every nook and cranny which may have collected dust over the years we've been here. DH is finishing a walkway on the side of the house every evening after work. By this point, my already problematic back is hating me! I could hardly get out of bed this morning, but there's still so much to be done.... I'm interested to see if all this work affects my weight loss at all. It's been non-stop!

Anyway the new house we've put the offer on is on 1.41 acres, and it has a stream running at the back edge of it! Absolutely gorgeous. 


*Swimmy* - Congrats on losing the two pounds! I like the idea of a trainer. I've always wanted to try that. Someone who could help me work around my minor disability of a near useless right foot (an old injury that never healed right). I hope it works out for you!




EDIT: OH! And it's been 95°F/35°C while we're doing all this! I'm melting!

EDIT 2: ANNNDD I've been sick with bronchitis this whole time, too. I've never been more tired in my LIFE. lol


----------



## krissie328

Irym- the property sounds beautiful. Fx your house sells quickly and that you can get some rest! What a crazy week. 

Swimmy- any word back from the doctor? I haven't done anything new for weightless. I'm currently working on low carb. I think I'm right around 7 lbs down. 

Afm, my nuvaring comes out tomorrow. I'm so uncertain about ttc. At this rate time will determine we have only one. Which I'm slowly coming around to the idea.


----------



## drjo718

Iread, I empathize with you on the house! My husband just accepted a job 2.5 hours from where we live, and he starts may 23, so we have to move FAST. We found a house we liked and made an offer, but after negotiations, we learned today they're requiring our current house to be pending sale by may 20 for the contract to go thru. So, we have to scramble and we met with a realtor and our house is going on the market in the morning! We have soooooo much to do to make it show-ready, and it's extra challenging with a very active 1 year old. 

Everyone keep everything crossed for me please! We really need our house to sell fast and to get this other house!!


----------



## swimmyj1

All of these exciting house things going on!!! 

Irym - your new house sounds beautiful I would really love for our next house to have 10+ acres on it. And a stream would be perfect! I'm sorry all the cleaning and having to get the house together so fast to sell is hurting you. I don't blame you for being totally beat!!! 

Krissie - can't wait to see how this cycle goes after the ring comes out. Do you have a time line in mind for how long you want to try for a second before deciding to officially stop or is it kind of just see how it goes? 

Drjo - good to hear from you! That will be a very fast move! Idk how you can even try and keep your house tidy with a ONE year old lol. My house is a reck and I just pick up all the toys at the end of the day haha. Hopefully it won't take long for your house to sell. I never realized how hard it is to get a mortgage on one house while selling your previous home. 

Afm - I made an appointment with my doctor for June to talk about the fertility Meds. She called in a script for metformin but won't do the clomid/progesterone before talking with me first. Makes sense. I keep having doubts about trying so aggressively so fast but then will flip flop and justify it. Probably doesn't help I'm so sleep deprived. I worked 13 hours yesterday night came home took care of lizzy all day (she took about an hour nap) then back to work for another 13 hour. Thank goodness my dh doesn't work until 4pm today because I plan on sleeping like the dead. My temp was way up yesterday but I think it's because I didn't sleep very long. Do you think I should delete it? Also sorry if the spelling is bad on this entry I'm doing it on my phone while on break tonight lol.


----------



## ireadyermind

*DrJo* - Good luck! I hope the house sells quickly!

We just accepted an offer on ours today, so here's hoping it all works out! :)

*Swimmy* - Holy moly, you ARE sleep deprived! I don't know how you do it, I'd be absolutely useless after a string of days like that.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- I hope you were able you get some sleep. 

No, we don't have any timeline. We are back in ttc limbo. We've had some extensive conversations lately and I think we are leaning more to not ttc at all. There are so many reasons buy logically we both agree one is probably better for us at this point. 

Irym- that is awesome you have an accepted offer. Fx everything works out smoothly.


----------



## swimmyj1

I slept like the dead hahaha it was soooo nice!!! 

Irym - congrats on the offer!!! Hopefully it all goes smooth!!

krissie - It's good that you both seem to be on the same page with ttc. But I'm sure that wasn't an easy decision to come to.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- that's great. Sounds like you needed it. 

It was a very difficult decision. We've been talking about it about 6 months now. But really seemed ask the important questions on Saturday. I think that it helped too that I called dh out on being so wishy washy about it. I think he just wants me to be happy and would do whatever that meant. However, he has now said he believes we'd be better off with one and I agree with the reasoning he has.


----------



## swimmyj1

It's nice that he was trying to be nice but you are right communication is key.

AFM - i started metformin today i forgot how much this stuff messed with my stomach yuck. I was hoping with decreasing nursing ovulation would come a little sooner but it doesn't look like that's gonna happen. maybe by next cycle it will.


----------



## swimmyj1

Has anyone ever had + opks but no temp spike? I'm assuming this means I didn't really ovulate


----------



## krissie328

swimmyj1 said:


> Has anyone ever had + opks but no temp spike? I'm assuming this means I didn't really ovulate

I have on several occasions. With those I keep monitoring and I have found I ovulated later. One cycle I had three positive opks with the third time being the one with the temp shift.


----------



## swimmyj1

oh darn guess that means i have too keep peeing on a stick lol. 

Today out of no where my DH told me that if we aren't pregnant with baby #2 by the time lizzy is 3 he doesn't want a second. Or if we have another mc again :( we didn't really get to talk about it before i had to leave for work but i was kind of shocked by the mc comment. I feel like now if i by some miracle i get pregnant again i wouldn't want to tell him encase it didn't go well ....


----------



## krissie328

So we are currently ntnp. I don't hold much hope for it. But I've had great cm the last two days and an almost positive opk. I guess we'll see what happens as this is a natural o and I'm on CD 14. 

The picture isn't great it actually looks darker in person.
 



Attached Files:







20170521_162334_crop_597x597.jpg
File size: 215.4 KB
Views: 0


----------



## swimmyj1

ooohhh that looks pretty close to me! .... i think i would bed lol sense your not preventing or anything hehehe.


----------



## krissie328

swimmyj1 said:


> ooohhh that looks pretty close to me! .... i think i would bed lol sense your not preventing or anything hehehe.

Lol.. Yea we had a date night Saturday and got a good couple sessions in. I think af will be due June 5th. 

How are things going for the rest of you ladies?


----------



## swimmyj1

bad news on my end my god father was in a motor cycle accident today and is icu many broken bones. :( i was planning on going up north to my cabin for the holiday weekend but now i feel like i should go back to my home town to see him. 

I'm in the TWW. it says im on 5dpo but idk looking at my temps i swear im only on 3dpo at most. the only thing throwing me off is the + opks. here is to hoping my LP is longer this time!!

can't wait till next week when i meet with my OB fingers crossed she will give me the clomid and progesterone!

IRYM - how are you doing? hope all is well with moving :)


----------



## krissie328

Oh no swimmy I'm so sorry about your god father. :hugs:

I think ff is right and you're 5 dpo. With the opks that's the logical answer. Sometimes I get a slower rise like that too.


----------



## Praty

Hi Ladies, I'm still pretty new here and trying to get the hang of things. Was wondering if I could join your support group... Here's a little about me... I am 30 years old and DH is 28. I have been on birth control since I was about 16 years old and in October quit the birth control. In November DH and I began unprotected sex and I just assumed I would get pregnant no problem. After spending half of my life preventing I thought it would happen right away. Unfortunately that was not the case... so as suggested by a friend I bought an ovulation predictor kit and never got a positive during my suggested fertile window in November. I was so discouraged I pretty much quit trying for the next few months. We continued to BD but there was no scheduling around when I was supposed to be fertile or ovulating... and still nothing. So when my cycle began again March 10 I decided it was time to get back in the game. I bought a big pack of ovulation kits and after 14 days of negative during and way past my suggested fertile window I finally got a positive LH surge on CD 24 & 25. I was also taking my BBT every morning and had a dip and rise so Fertility Friend determined my ovulation day to be CD 25. DH and I were BDing every 3 days and when I got the +OVK we did that day too. I was sooo sure this was it... but nope. So I know it could be a number of reasons but I figure I will do what I can to increase my chances and something I can definitely work on is my weight. I'm constantly up and down with it. In October I was down to 173 pounds and now I'm back up to 205... I'm 5 ft 2 in so I know its tough on my body and could be partially to blame. I also noticed that the first few months off of my birth control my cycle was lasting 28 to 30 days and once I started gaining more weight my cycles got longer. Last cycle was 36 days and this cycle I'm at 39 days but AF should be here tonight or tomorrow. Sorry so long... I think I might have needed to do a little venting along with introducing myself. So I'm open to ideas and suggestions and would really appreciate it.


----------



## swimmyj1

Hey Praty - we would love to have you in our group, and venting is important :) Im sorry to hear about your ttc struggles :( how many days from ovulation to getting your period do you have usually? having a short Lutial phase can make getting pregnant harder. do you get the egg white discharge around ovulation? If you google vitamins for you and you DH to take to help getting pregnant that can also be helpful to some people. I had my husband taking vitamin B12, C, D and E and it increased his count and motility. 

AFM - my LP was only 8 days this time :( not loving that at all! meeting with my dr on thursday. I might wait until my aug cycle to take it though (idk keep flip flopping). Also my dieting seems to be working im down again this week yay!!! i've started doing shakes and eating a ton more veggies. I had a full body scan and my ideal weight is around 170 (if you went my BMI it would say 120 ... i haven't been that sense like middle school lol). right now im down to 235 so i have a long way to go.

Krissie - how have you been doing anything new?


----------



## ireadyermind

Hey guys, sorry I've been MIA! This house stuff has been kicking my butt! My updates will be at the end after I address what I've missed!

*Krissie* - Is it harder to NTNP after TTCing for so long? For me, I see the +OPK and even though I know we can't conceive without help, I want to drag DH to bed! :haha:



*Swimmy* -- Aww, sorry to hear about your god father! I hope he gets out of ICU soon and can come home not long after. Motorcycle accidents are no laughing matter. 



*Praty* - You're definitely welcome to join! :) I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with TTC, too. It's such a difficult thing to go through. Swimmy has some good pointers, but I'll repeat them here (and add some of my own!) so there's less chance you'll miss them!

1. Count the number of days from ovulation until the first day of your period (AF, Aunt Flo -- or CD1 for Cycle Day 1). You should be getting 14 days. Fewer days means less time for an egg to implant. More days just means it's confusing knowing when to test for pregnancy. My personal average is 15 days, for example.

If you're getting 12 or fewer, a good B Vitamin complex supplement should help lengthen that to healthier ranges.

2. Check for stretchy, clear discharge (EWCM, which stands for "egg white cervical mucus") during ovulation time. If you're not getting it, it can indicate hormonal imbalance. EWCM is what helps sperm swim through your cervix and into the uterus. You can use a conception friendly lubricant like PreSeed to help without needing a prescription.

3. Start taking a prenatal vitamin NOW if you can get them. Some places require a prescription for them, but they will do wonders for your overall health. DH ought to be taking a multivitamin, too.

4. Avoid more than 8oz of caffeinated beverage a day.

5. If DH is wearing tighty whities for underwear, he should switch to a loose fitting kind. Sperm prefer to be cooler than the rest of a man's body, which is why testicles are on the outside! :)

Bear in mind that any changes you make nutritionally, or with underwear, will take up to 3mos before you start seeing positive results. Don't lose hope! :) And we're here any time you need to vent!



*AFM* -- Sorry again for being MIA. I've been so exhausted with house stuff, it's nuts! DH and I spent a leisurely weekend not doing much at all, and I'm back feeling rested and ready to go. Our close of escrow date got moved on the new house from June 9th to June 13th, boooo. So it gives us less time to move in because we can only stay in the old house until 6pm June 15th. 

What a bunch of hooey! lol

I had my consultation with the fertility clinic on May 23rd, and if you recall I was going to demand to skip the other medication options and go straight to IVF. Well, my doctor said, "For your case, we recommend going straight to IVF" which was not what I'd been told previously. I'm so relieved!

I have my first of many appointments tomorrow, which is a Saline Sonohysterogram to make sure I don't have polyps, scarring or other issues in my uterus. I need 2 updated blood tests done, and then my next cycle we start birth control. Then the following month is stimulation and egg retrieval, and the month after THAT is implantation! :O

So I could be pregnant in September, after all these years! It's SO exciting. We _will_ be doing the genetic testing for my own peace of mind, and freezing the remaining embryos for baby #2 (If I don't end up with twins) down the road.

So having this visible, nearby goal to work toward has really helped me jumpstart my diet and exercise routine again!

I'm on day 2 of this challenge: https://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/calendar-challenge.asp?calendar=3

PLUS an extra 30mins of cardio a night, enforced by DH if I don't do it myself, PLUS 2 - 5mins cardio after every bathroom break, AND hunkering down on the low carb meal plans again. I don't know if I'll be able to lose anything by September, but I hope so.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- that sucks your lp was so short. Are you gonna try anything to get it longer?

Irym- it's so hard to ntnp since I know all my fertile signs. But oh well. This cycle I did opks when the ewcm started. I ovulated on cd 17 and so at is due June 6th. I even tried pineapple core so we'll see what happens.


----------



## krissie328

Irym- that is great they are going to jump straight to ivf. Hopefully all the tests go smoothly and you get a lovely bfp soon. September is really not that far off.


----------



## swimmyj1

Irym - welcome back! Your house stuff sounds so over whelming! I'm not looking forward to putting my house up for sale in a few years. I'm so so so excited for your IVF your new doctor sounds so great!!!! I cant believe that by September you could have your bfp!!!! That callenge looks hard. It's good your DH helps push you and keep you on track.... mine brings home pizza hahaha. 

Krissie - I meet with my dr tomorrow I'm pretty bummed that I'm gonna miss being able to take clomid this cycle by 2 days. But I really really hope she will give me clomid and progesterone. I've read on a few blogs that you lp can be really short and it can take months for it to regulate post breast feeding and getting your period back.

Afm - feeling really great doing my shakes and eating smarter. It's only the 3rd day though and I need to keep up the motivation to stick with it. I wish you could just decided to diet and drop like 10lbs lol.


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks, guys. :)

*Swimmy* - He's not a NEW doctor, just the one I like best at the clinic. The way it works is that they have a rotation of four or more doctors on staff. Whichever one is working the day you come in is the one who does your procedure. It seems as though most days I come in, I end up with the doctor who has the least pleasant bedside manner and is always in a rush to just get me out the door so he can move on to the next.

I know they have people waiting who also need treatment, but geez, I'm not a cow at an auction! lol



My Saline sonogram came back all clear, which is a relief. I was worried that years using an IUD would have left scarring, and it doesn't appear to have done that.


Additionally, we should hear back from DH's HR department on whether or not our move to a different city qualifies us for an insurance switch. If it does, the new insurance will cover up to $10k IVF expenses, and the clinic we're using is in their network! :o Keep your fingers crossed for us on that one. I'm really hoping we could make it happen. If they can't, the nearest in-network emergency room for our current plan is 45mins away. Not good.

I don't want to have to go to a closer ER and pay through the nose for treatment, or risk the 45mins drive (that's without traffic!) to go to the other one just so we aren't charged thousands of dollars for whatever it is we might need. Blech.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - that stinks with the doctor rotation! I would want to see the same doctor every time (unless its the mean one lol). I really really hope you can switch insurance 10K in IVF help would be amazing!!!! Our insurance changed sense having lizzy so I need to check and see if any fertility is covered this time. I know lab work and all that was 100% covered before and now its not we have a co-payment for them (not usually super expensive but annoying)

AFM - I was really shocked how well things went with my OB. She took a look through my folder from the fertility clinic gave me a script for the 100 dose of clomid and progesterone. I was sooo expecting her to make me start on the 50 like my old ob. She said if this doesn't work in 2 cycles she will jump to the 150 once and then refer to the fertility clinic again. She also called my DH's doctor and got an order for him to get a repeat SA. She said if its too low (under 18mil or his motility was under 50%) then to call her and she will just put in the referral now and not waste time. I keep feeling really excited and then overwhelmed.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - That's excellent! Sounds like this OB is really on your side, and that's so important when it comes to your wellbeing in general, and not just fertility related stuff. So glad to hear she's going to skip the lower doses altogether rather than ignoring your medical history. :)



AFM - Finally heard back from DH's work and they ARE letting us switch insurance companies! So excited! We're on a high deductible plan so they won't cover the first $3,000 USD of bills, but since we had planned to pay for the entire procedure out of pocket, $3k is nothing! They'll also cover prescription medications, and that's a big portion of the costs too. I'm so relieved we won't be spending as much money and could potentially use the extra on a nursery. :happydance:


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- that is great your ob is being supportive. Fx clomid is all you need. 

Irym- also such great news! 

Afm, it's been a rough day. Our cat had to be put down today and it really came out of nowhere. I'm just so sad. We've had him for 10 years.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - omg yay!!!!! that is amazing! im soooo happy for you :) that will be such a money saver!!!

Krissie - I am so so sorry :( losing a pet is never an easy thing especially unexpected. sending lots and lots of hugs


----------



## Fern81

Hi ladies 
So exciting to see everyone's ttc plans! Yay for impending ivf IRYM, I really hope you are successful 

So sorry to read about your cat krissie :( Pets are family and it's just heartbreaking.

So I'm going to see the fertility specialist on 20 June to discuss FET in September-ish. So excited, although I know we were incredibly lucky that IVF #1 worked and that it may not work again. I'll be OK if it doesn't. At least I have one perfect son already. 
I'm really struggling to lose the baby weight. Am on a strict paleo/banting/very low carb diet and exercise but my weight stays the same. My body shape is slowly changing and I'm already looking better & losing inches but the scale doesn't really show a change. I've also started using a waist trainer and have a diet buddy, we motivate each other daily and are in friendly competition :) such a great motivator. My dr says my weight loss struggles are probably hormonal after the pregnancy. I'm not giving up though and planning FET is a great motivator to eat as clean & healthy as possible.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - So sorry to hear about your kitty. When you have them for that long, it's like losing a child. You're just heartbroken. Try to remember the happy things about your cat and it will help you get through this. :hugs:

*Fern* - So good to hear from you! Don't worry about what the scale says, especially if you're getting slimmer and your clothes fit better. You're most likely still losing body fat, but could be gaining muscle in its place. Losing inches is just as valid an indicator of progress as is watching numbers go downward on the scale. Keep up the good work!


AFM -- It's been a week since I started super duper cracking down on my low carb diet, and making sure to work out every single day. The scale says I've lost FOUR pounds since Monday, but I'm sure that's just water weight. Still, it's so nice to see that loss even if I know it's not body fat yet. 

This IVF schedule is what has given me the motivation to really push myself. I want to lose as much as I can in time for IVF so that I'll be overall healthier when I get my sticky bean!


----------



## krissie328

Thanks so much ladies. :hugs:

Good job staying on track Fern and irym. It's so hard. I have hormonal problems that really cause weight issues. 

Afm, I got my bfp today. I'm a little in shock and just praying it sticks. I'm due on Valentine's and my first miscarriage started on Valentine's so it would be nice to heal that a little more.


----------



## deafgal01

Guess I fell off the wagon and then I was really busy focused on my graduate studies for my masters.

Hi ladies. I don't think most of you remember me if at all. But I'm trying again to get to a healthier me. I've been seeing a registered dietician/health coach for at least a year now so we've been monitoring my weight and bmi, as well as talking about my goals for myself. I finally got back on myfitnesspal too so I can track my water intake (this month's goal is to drink enough fluids as well as do 3 times a week exercise).


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie - OMG CONGRATS!!!! i really hope this is a very sticky bean!!! 

IRYM - its insane how fast weight comes off when you go low carb isn't it? I'm down 7lbs in a week after cutting out bread/pasta's. I'm still eating fruit though so im not completely carb free. 

Fern - the baby weight is a really hard thing to lose!! i was up 30lbs still a month ago. heck i put on more weight after lizzy than when being pregnant with her. lol. but if you notice your cloths are fitting better that's a big improvement! you are probably gaining muscle from carting a baby around lol. Are you breast feeding? i know some women lose weight while doing that (i didn't but i lost it much faster after i've stopped)

Deafgal - welcome back!!! sometimes its hard to drink enough water. 

AFM - my Dh's SA came back this time with only 2.4mil count, and only 23% are motile..... we are being sent back to the fertility clinic again the appointment is on the 28th. I wasn't thinking it was going to be that bad.... we don't really have the money for IVF so lizzy is probably going to be an only child. He also had a really high WBC count in the semen I don't really know what causes that


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- that is so disappointing about dh semen analysis. I hope the clinic can offer you something within budget. :hugs:


----------



## swimmyj1

i pulled up his results from 2 years ago. It looks like he had WBC's in that sample too but they also had wayyy more info on the last sample. this one it just says WBC's present ... no number or anything. Maybe i will have them redo it at the fertility clinic anyway. Me and my DH talked about it a lot today and he said he doesn't want IVF he would rather use a donor. He wouldn't see that child as any less than the one we have. but we are getting ahead of ourselves (like i always do lol)


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Wow, congrats! There you were being all pessimistic about ever getting another BFP, and here is one already! :happydance: FX'd for a sticky bean!

*Deafgal* - Of course we remember you! :hugs: Welcome back! What do you think about the dietician? I've never been to one, but it's been recommended to me before. Do you like having the info they provide?

When it comes to getting enough water, perhaps you can try flavoring the water with fruit slices (lemon, mint leaves, or cucumber, perhaps?) to make it more appealing. I use sugar free crystal light powder in mine and it really helps.


*Swimmy* - Aw, man! Sorry to hear about DH's SA. :( The fertility folks don't have any way to help him increase the count, huh?

I usually don't lose weight quickly on a low carb diet, but it is the only diet that produces steady results at more than 0.25lbs a week. Other meal plans I've tried where calorie counting was the only goal wouldn't even have helped me maintain weight, let alone lose any. So frustrating! But with low carb, I can expect maybe a pound a week now that I'm not all bloated.

Did you know that for every 1g carbs you eat, your body holds 4g water to help digest it? That's why there's usually such a big loss the first week you start a low carb diet plan. :flower:



AFM -- Still doing the low carb thing, but my exercise "momentum" has slowed. One of the things I really don't like about a low carb diet is that I feel sleepy all the time, no matter how much protein I get during the day. But I've been managing to do at least 15 mins of exercise every day, so that's something.

Yesterday was spent packing up part of the kitchen. All the stuff we don't use often, like vases, shot glasses, mason jars, etc. as well as the lesser-used small appliances all got packed up. I had to climb up and down a short step ladder all day so I figured that oughta count as my leg day! lol

I need to get my exercising back up to 30mins/day or longer if I hope to make any real progress. It's one thing to lose a few pounds of water weight, but I want to fit into a smaller pants size!


----------



## deafgal01

I'm glad someone remembers me, iready. :) :hugs:

I like going to her. In the beginning she's provided me with very useful information, and current information regarding food. We've discussed food fads - different types of diets people are going on and the whole cleansing thing that some people do occasionally. I actually learned those have no "healthy" benefits to me and that it's better to do gradual changes to my lifestyle to improve my health. She encouraged having more greens/vegetables on my plate than carbs and proteins, so in the beginning we worked on adding in more vegetables to the diet. I set the goals, and she writes them down so my goals change from month to month, sometimes I continue working on the goals because I haven't met it yet or whatever. When I was out in Colorado last summer, she provided me with recipe ideas for my breakfast smoothie to include fruits and yogurt. She also has tracked my weight (and offered to check my blood as well). So with her holding me accountable, I feel like I'm actually making more effort to do my best with being healthy - especially with my spouse's concern that I could eventually get diabetics like my dad.

She is more of a "support" than educational role now - as I've already been equipped with what I need to know anyways. Occasionally I do have questions come up - like recently I had my dr do a full blood lab work for my upcoming wellness/health appt and I sent her an email asking questions about what RBC and Hgb were and whether I could have changed/fixed with diet/exercise if that was possible because they were coming back high (while everything else was still within normal range). She was able to ease my worries about that quickly with information that I would prob have had to wait another week for and having that as a tool was really nice this time around. In the end, I decided not drinking enough fluids the day before/that week probably influenced these levels to go up a little higher than "acceptable" and that it's really nothing to worry about because if it was, the office would have called to talk about it sooner than my appt.

In all this time, I've maintained to keep doing ballroom dancing (private and group lessons at the local studio). I love it. That's the only thing I've been consistent with exercise wise. I do that maybe two times a week - sometimes three. 3 years of doing that now. Wow. It's my most expensive hobby but I love it.

Now that I'm done with grad school, we're turning our focus to handling our finances so we've been doing Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University lately. Trying to tackle my huge school debt has been scary to look at but with that, I've been forced to look at it and really know how much I have in debt to my name. We'll prob be out of debt in about 4 years at this rate. I'm excited about that prospect because the sooner we get out of debt, the sooner we can save more money towards vacation and dance lessons and whatever we please.

So overall, we're working on getting towards healthier us (food wise and exercise/active lifestyle) plus getting our money in better shape so that we can be in control of it (instead of money controlling our lives). It really does make a huge difference mentally and emotionally when I don't feel so controlled by money and we plan things out instead of letting money control us.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Deafgal* - That sounds like it's been really beneficial, then! Getting all that information, someone to help keep you accountable, AND someone to offer support sounds really great. 

And getting your finances in order is definitely a good thing, too! My mom always thought I was crazy for wanting to be in a better place, financially, before having kids. She kept saying, "That is unrealistic, no one's ever in the place they want to be when it comes to money!" But she's wrong there! If DH and I hadn't worked so hard to become financially stable, we never would have been able to afford IVF for example. Nor would we have a home in a SAFE part of the state to raise a child in, as opposed to the ghetto we lived in years ago.

Good work on getting all of that taken care of! Do you feel like you're close to reaching your goals there, or is there a ways to go yet?


----------



## krissie328

Thanks ladies! I'm super nervous but trying to stay optimistic. 

Deafgal- I agree with irym. It's so awesome to get your finances in order. Dh and I are working on that now. I estimate about 3.5-4 years until we are done paying off our current major debt. I really look forward to the freedom that will allow us to travel and do some renovations to our home.


----------



## krissie328

Irym- I need to get back into walking. It's good for insulin sensitivity and hopefully not gaining too much. So far I've been starving so it's not looking too good....


----------



## deafgal01

I have a ways to go with my financial goals - obviously with a lot of school debt weighing us down. So possibly a few years there with that. But i'll feel so much more free once that debt's gone.

Maybe that'll even open up the "adoption" route possibility. I don't know at this point. I honestly don't know if I'll ever get my goal to become a mommy someday.

As for food/exercise, I will get there. If I utilize myfitnesspal the way I should and encourage my spouse to do the same (and friends who are on that app too), I do think we will eventually get to that point we want to be at with our health/weight. Ideally the chart says I should be 150ish. I disagree cuz that's not factoring in the big bones, so I'd be happy at 160. That's only 35 lbs away for me right now. So as long I track and all, I will eventually get to that point over the next couple months, and then the tricky part is maintaining that. I know this week (1-2 weeks) alone is already showing progress cuz I feel like my shorts aren't as tight as they were before I started tracking my meals/exercises.


----------



## deafgal01

krissie- where would you go if you could travel? I know Europe is on my list. I wouldn't mind going to Hawaii too.


----------



## krissie328

deafgal01 said:


> krissie- where would you go if you could travel? I know Europe is on my list. I wouldn't mind going to Hawaii too.

I definitely want to visit Italy and New Zealand. Those are my two dreams. I would also love to go on an Alaskan cruise and maybe someday a Caribbean adventure.

In the near future I want to go Yosimite.


----------



## deafgal01

I would totally do cruises again. I did one on the east Caribbean and that was so much fun!!!!!!! The ship I was on was so huge, I easily hit my steps goal everyday that I was on the cruise because I had to walk everywhere to get to my food or see things or do things.


----------



## krissie328

Yea I would love to do a cruise for our 15th anniversary in 3 years. We aren't quite sure yet though if we want to do that will DS and potentially this baby will be 2.


----------



## deafgal01

You might have to see what other ladies think of the daycare services on cruises. Then you could have "couple" time alone with your husband at some point during the cruise. I think it also depends on the cruise you take - if it's kids friendly type where there's tons of stuff for them to do. The one I took through Carnival I believe, has carousel and kids pools. I don't know what other kids attractions they had other than those because I don't have kids myself and didn't have to think about looking into that.


----------



## krissie328

I had no idea cruises had day care services or carousels. Wow gonna have to really check that out. That could really help with our decision.


----------



## deafgal01

Ah my ship was through Royal Caribbean. I thought it was Carnival. My bad. I went on Oasis of the Seas, but I think they have a newer ship that's bigger with water slides now. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/ships/class/ship/home.do?shipCode=OA


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Walking is definitely a good thing to keep up with now that you have your BFP. :) It's not as good an option for me personally due to a minor disability I have (old injury in my right foot which never healed right), but I do go walking when I'm able! It strengthens your legs, and as your legs contain some very large muscle groups, stronger leg muscles mean a faster resting metabolism. :) That could help keep pregnancy weight down.

*Deafgal* - What weight loss goal have you set for yourself? I know MyFitnessPal asks how many pounds you aim to lose a week and takes that into consideration when it gives you a calorie goal. What've you set yours to?


----------



## deafgal01

Mine is set at 160 for my weight loss goal and I have it set to 1 pound per week (gradual is often better for long term) considering i'm not very active like my best friend is. So for my calorie, it tells me I have "1,590" allowed per day, that's not counting in the exercise and other things.

I danced for like 75 minutes today. Wow!!!! It was actually 3 different sessions - 1 private lesson for about 45 minutes, 1 group lesson which is 45 minutes (but with the instructing/teaching portion, I figured it's actually more like 30 minutes), and followed by party dance time (which we stayed for about 20 minutes after the group lesson). Party is about an hour long, but we always leave around 9:20/9:30 as we need to get home to bed.


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie - my friend has used the daycare on cruise ships a few times. Her oldest was 4 and youngest 1 1/2 when they went the first time. She said it was nice because then they would have dinner together a few nights just her and her DH. 

I totally fell off the weight loss train this weekend. I ate wayyyy too much crap at my cousins grad party. I think before my biggest problem was I would just throw in the towel after a weekend of bad eating and give up eating healthy. This time I'm just gonna go back to healthy eating.


----------



## deafgal01

It happens every now and then, swim... Glad you're getting back to eating healthy now that the weekend's over.

I've been doing pretty good tracking everything. I've been drinking enough fluids most of the time. I need to drink a little more today but other than that, I've been staying on top of taking a sip of water every once in a while. The tricky part is we are going on vacation this week and that's going to be hard to stay on track with my calories limit/intake but I know we've discussed the possibility of sharing a few meals, not all of them but some of them to help manage limiting our food. Other than that, we can also be wise with what we choose - raw or cooked rather than fried vegetables, etc. Plus I'm not counting in the exercises we'll be getting this week - all the walking and stuff.


----------



## ireadyermind

Cruises sound like so much fun. DH has been on a few with his family and says they're great. My mom's been on some and really had an excellent time doing that too, so it's something I would definitely consider!

*Deafgal* - So it's been a week since you started back up with MFP. Has the app's recommendations on your calories and exercise lead to that 1lbs loss you set it for? :)

*Swimmy* - I feel your pain! With all this chaos with packing, appts with the realtor, appts with the title company, etc etc. I have been SO exhausted that I haven't cooked dinner in about four days. Last night I opted for sub sandwiches since they're loaded up with veggies and aren't greasy at all. So I'm trying to stay as healthy as possible!

But don't beat yourself up over splurging at a party. It's really difficult not to eat junk food when it's sitting out in front of you, and everyone around you is eating it as well. You'd have to have WAY more than just an iron will. Maybe a titanium will? :haha:


AFM - Sale on our new house closes tomorrow or Wednesday! You can guess which day I'd prefer the sale close on. lol. I am super excited! Picked out paint colors for the master bedroom and the living room, as those will get painted almost immediately. 

We're wrapping up packing the house and have started to move furniture and boxes into the garage for easy loading into a moving van. I ache from head to toe from all the hauling and lifting. I go to bed around 10:30 and sleep til 7:30 and wake up feeling exhausted. Yeesh!

I'll be very glad when all of this is over! And not just because the new house is beautiful. :D


----------



## krissie328

Irym- good luck with closing and the move. It's such a stressful time but it sounds like your new place is going to be so worth it! 

Afm, I'm so dizzy and tired lately I haven't been getting anything done. I almost feel guilty but I am just trying to take care of myself for now. I don't know how I'd survive working right now.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - you are gonna need a vacation when this is all over! post some pictures of the new house! I love seeing house projects it gives me ideas. Really hoping this summer I can sand down my kitchen cabinets and paint them. I would really love white ones. 

Krissie - im sorry you have felt so dizzy :( you have to take care of you! and falling down while trying to do dishes or house work won't help anyone.

AFM - looks like my body might be back to normal this cycle!! yay!!!! I got a peak on my monitor yesterday so I should ovulate today. I've had a lot of side pain tonight while at work. I know there is like zero chance of getting pregnant but it just feels weird not bding during o time hahaha so I didn't want to waste it. Our referral is in for the fertility doc hopefully they have other options besides IVF.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Thanks! What do you think is causing the dizziness? Are you dehydrated at all? I second what Swimmy said: take care of yourself!

*Swimmy* - Well, now I'll have to flood this thread with before & after pics! :haha:

And I can totally relate to the weird feeling you get when you don't BD around O time. Since we're moving to IVF, I've stopped temping and using OPKs, but when I feel like I might be ovulating I automatically want to schedule some BD! In a way it's more stressful not knowing what exactly my body is doing. Arg!


AFM - Getting the last of the small stuff packed at the house today. We're HOPING we close the sale and get our key today, but the seller of the house was intentionally dragging his feet, signed his half of the paperwork late on purpose, and when we went to do our final walkthrough last Saturday, he still hadn't moved most of his stuff out. We're all worried he won't be moved out by 5pm today as promised! Bah.

DH and I had hoped to be able to go out there tonight with a pickup load of stuff, buy some paint and new baseboards, and get as much painting done in the master bedroom as we could tonight. But if the seller isn't moved out today, that puts a kink in the whole schedule. We have to be out of our current house by Friday, so any delay in the closing of the new house sale means that much less time we have to move. :growlmad:

But we'll make the best of things, I suppose!


----------



## krissie328

Irym- how frustrating. I hope you get the keys today and the other guy is out. I'd love to see before and after pics. I wish I'd done that with our place. I've done so much and no way to look back now.

Afm, I'm wondering if low blood pressure. I'm on aspirin so not sure if that is the cause. I'm going to get it checked tomorrow at my blood draw. I'm definitely not dehydrated. That's one thing I'm pretty good at. 

I totally relate to bding around o. Kinda how I got pregnant. :rofl: I was pretty sure o was imminent given all my signs so we just kept going until my signs changed and temp spiked.


----------



## deafgal01

iready- I think the app helped the loss by making me more aware of how many calories i was consuming in a day - before I started tracking, I was consuming about enough to maintain or even gain a little. So now with this tracking method, I am able to make sure I stay under my intake, most of the time which will help the weight loss. I've also noticed the app tells me other info - fat, saturated fat, sodium, etc. I have not quite fully understood what all that means or how it affects my health/weight loss yet.

I'm on vacation this week. It has been really hard to stay on track with staying under the calories but we've been doing ok. We shared a pizza Monday night for dinner and we didn't 'even eat the whole pie so we saved the leftovers from that for Tuesday night dinner. We stayed under our calories for Monday (that's with the walking counted in). Tuesday we didn't stay within our calories limit. I went over by 500ish. I don't think yesterday was a success with that as well but I think we did better trying to be aware and limit what we ate (we shared lunch - chili dogs and fries and some of dinner - sweet corn yesterday)

I best look at the food options for today - I know what restaurants we were recommended to check out - Grand Traverse Pie Company is one of them. Wow, just looked at their nutrition info and wow... If I want to be smart with my calories, I need to go light on breakfast, and maybe then I can afford a bowl of soup and then one slice of pie. The Omelette Shop is the other one we've been told about.

Last night we ate at Mama Lu's - a taco place. The taco were ok, not something we'd totally order there but their sweet corn, omg...


----------



## MissDoc

Hey ladies! I need to hop back on the healthy train. I had my baby exactly a month ago, May 15th. It was a fast and furious unmedicated delivery. My contractions started 4-5 minutes apart, and quickly moved to 90 seconds apart. By the time we got to the hospital I was 8 cm dilated and baby boy was here within an hour. Crazy. It was like a tsunami of sensations and pain, but worth it. Also had a very rough recovery because I had unusual severe internal and external tearing requiring an OR trip after baby was here. Just now starting to feel fairly normal again, lack of sleep and fussy baby not withstanding. I gained a whopping 50 lbs during pregnancy. 30 came off easily, now I'm stuck with an extra 20, plus the weight I wish I would have lost before getting pregnant. So I need to gradually incorporate healthy habits again to get the scale moving.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - did you get the keys on time? i hate when sellers do that. We changed the locks on everything when we bought and the guy left a lot of stuff in the garage (he didn't ask to come back for it or anything). 2 weeks later i get a knock on my door its him super mad that we locked him out and he wanted the stuff in the garage! well we had thrown it all out it was mostly junk and like 15 rusty can of paint. He was pissed and called the cops on me! like WTF dude! i called up our relator who looked over the paperwork and said no where was that in the agreement and to have the police remove him if he wouldn't leave. (ugh it was not ok!)

Krissie - asprin shouldn't cause low blood pressures. Glad you are getting it checked. 

MissDoc - so glad your back! baby weight is hard to loose. im still up like 15 lbs :( Im sorry you had so much tearing post delivery that must be horrible feeling. Are you nursing? Im sorry baby boy is fussy, not sleeping is enough to make anyone crazy. I was so tired one time i forgot my daughters name .... i seriously called her Emily at a doctors appointment ... like the whole appointment until the doctor asked me if that was her nickname.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Well yeah it's how you got pregnant. We're just talking about how it feels weird NOT to BD during that time. Like something is missing from the routine. :haha:


*Deafgal* - Definitely useful to know what your average daily calorie intake is. For some reason for me, sticking to the calorie goals doesn't cause weight loss. I have to do calories AND low carb, or else it's futile. Have you made any progress so far? Are you back from vacation yet? How'd you do with those other restaurants that were recommended to you?


*MissDoc* - Welcome back! I'm glad your labor wasn't a long and drawn out one, but that's really crappy that there was so much tearing! :( Sorry to hear that. It's good you're starting to feel like yourself again, though.


*Swimmy* - We got the keys a day late, and when we got here with a truckload of stuff, there were still people here moving out!

Apparently the former owner got into a fight/argument with his brother, and rather than telling his brother to leave or something, he just got into his moving van and drove off, leaving tons of his stuff here. His family didn't want him to get into trouble with the police or anything, so they were here cleaning up after him. The guy left furniture, dishes, knick knacks and paint in the garage.. there was even a whole car here.

One of the guys was all, "Maybe you could help us move this all out so we can be gone faster!" Uh, no. I just spent a week packing up and moving all my own stuff, I don't need to do yours for you too!

Our Realtor was furious, WE were furious, and the people kept saying they'd come back in the morning for the rest. We told them anything we found in the house after they were gone was going to be dumped out in the driveway, and not to come in. Then we went and got new deadbolts for all the doors. Ugh. 

You get at least a week's advance notice on when escrow will close, and we gave this guy three extra days to move out per his request, and he STILL couldn't get all his stuff together and out of the house on time. And not only that, but he didn't clean ANYTHING. So I couldn't even start unpacking stuff right away because it all had to be scrubbed first. Gross. 

I guess that's what happens when you buy from a bachelor! But this man was in his late 40s, early 50s. You'd think he'd be more mature than to throw a hissy fit and storm off because of an argument with his brother. :growlmad:

But we're slowly making progress. I'll definitely post before and after pics!


Oh, AND I just got my estimated egg retrieval date: July 24th! Eeee! That's sooner than I expected!


----------



## deafgal01

I am back home from vacation and it's nice to be back home where things are easier to track. I did ok rest of vacation - balanced out the calories consumed with more walking than I usually/normally do at home. I also looked up nutrient info before going out to help plan my meals/options better. I think it worked because at the pie company place, I was able to go light with a cup of soup, which in turn allowed room for a piece of pie to myself!!!! Normally I'd share with my spouse in this type of scenario but I really wanted that entire pie piece to myself. Greedy maybe... I just wanted a whole slice.

Yes, the weight's coming off so far. I just saw my health coach this morning and she said while my bmi has increased, my weight is definitely coming down. She said it's possible that up till now, I've been dehydrated from not drinking enough water, which can mess with my bmi and my blood results. She will re-evaluate my bmi result again next month to see what happens. In that case, I'll keep consuming water trying to get in the appropriate amount I need daily (I drink about 52 ounces of water per day, and the app recommends I get 65 ounce per day) but now that I'm able to drink 2 full 26 oz, I may be able to up that to 78 ounce. Only trouble is I don't like having to use the bathroom so much (especially at work, I don't see the point of running to the toilet every hour or so, especially when I have 70 minutes classes, with 7 minutes passing time) but perhaps by doing this over the summer, I can build up my bladder and be able to go longer in between. We will see where I am with my fluids over the next month in terms of how it affects my potty habits.

I better go and track my lunch. I need to do that.


----------



## krissie328

ireadyermind said:


> *Krissie* - Well yeah it's how you got pregnant. We're just talking about how it feels weird NOT to BD during that time. Like something is missing from the routine. :haha:

Yea, that's what I was trying to say. It is weird not to. 

That's awesome your egg retrieval can be so soon. Are you going yo try a fresh or frozen transfer?

That's super frustrating with the house. We had a similar situation where the previous people left a ton of stuff. Thankfully they never came back and we gave it away or trashed it. They didn't clean either. So gross!


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - 1 more month!! how exciting!!!

AFM - I have some pretty horrible news. Sunday I found out that my DH cheated on me ... I'm still processing it all we have gone to a marriage councilor already sense he told me. Clearly ttc for baby #2 is not going to be happening anytime soon until I figure out what I want to do from here. He wants to work everything out, i don't want to get a divorce but I also don't know if I will ever be able to trust him again ... what is a marriage without trust? I'm just going to focus on losing weight and my daughter for now. Still gonna log in here and message with you gals I love your updates :) Sorry for such a sad drama post this time


----------



## krissie328

Oh swimmy! I'm so so sorry yo hear you are going through that. Take care of yourself hun. :hugs:


----------



## deafgal01

That stinks, swim! We're here for you anyways. I think that's an ideal focus - health/weight loss and your daughter.

Whatever you do decide to do with your marriage is ultimately up to you. I would find it so hard to trust again after such a blow.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Aww, swimmy, so sorry to hear that! We're here if you need to vent!

*Krissie* - They'll only do frozen due to my pcos and how it's caused me severe hormonal deficiencies. They're worried that all the meds all at once will screw everything up instead of making things run smoothly. So I get 1 month of birth control pills, then 2 weeks of injectable meds and that's it til September when we do a frozen transfer. I'm also considering paying for the genetic testing on the embryos too.


----------



## krissie328

Irym- I have heard great things for fet with pcos so I hope it works for you too. Honesty, if you ca. Afford it I would do the genetic testing. 

I swear it was the birth control and low carb diet that led to this pregnancy. I'm still in such shock about it though. I'm hoping after my scan July 5th will help it feel more real.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> Irym- I have heard great things for fet with pcos so I hope it works for you too. Honesty, if you ca. Afford it I would do the genetic testing.
> 
> I swear it was the birth control and low carb diet that led to this pregnancy. I'm still in such shock about it though. I'm hoping after my scan July 5th will help it feel more real.

Yeah I'm leaning toward the testing more than not. It would be better to know about problems in advance instead of getting pregnant and losing the baby! For that peace of mind, I think it's worth paying more.



AFM - DH's work says we CAN'T switch insurance companies because they claim our current provider covers this area. Well, the nearest one of their network hospitals is 45mins away! There's a third party facility 20mi away that accepts the policy we have, but it's a nursing facility for the elderly and disabled!

So we have zero facilities here in this city that accept our insurance plan, and DH's HR department is saying basically, "too bad". I told DH he needs to call and talk to a supervisor directly instead of emailing someone, because often it's easier to refuse someone something when you aren't speaking with them directly.

I want them to show me where there's an in-network doctor's office in our zip code!

DH now says if we can't get the insurance switched, he wants to wait til January to do IVF because open enrollment for insurance isn't until November for his employer.

I'm not sure what to think now. I know I have plenty to do this summer so I could keep busy and work on losing weight, but at the same time, we've already waited SO LONG. It's been over 3 years now and I am just not sure what to do at this point. I can see why DH doesn't want to spend the money we have saved up if he can avoid it, but at the same time I'm so impatient!


----------



## deafgal01

iready- that is so hard to deal with the insurance and waiting. I know 3 years seems forever. I agree, try calling them to talk with someone - there's gotta be something that can be done like they can expand their network to accept medical services in your zip code or something.


----------



## ireadyermind

deafgal01 said:


> iready- that is so hard to deal with the insurance and waiting. I know 3 years seems forever. I agree, try calling them to talk with someone - there's gotta be something that can be done like they can expand their network to accept medical services in your zip code or something.

It feels like forever. I know that many women have had to wait longer than I have, and I sometimes feel guilty about complaining about my 3 years when there are people like you, Deafgal, who have been waiting so much longer than I have, and are still staying optimistic. :hugs:

But on the other hand, having had cervical cancer and being told that it WILL come back eventually, I'm so afraid that it will come back before I have even just ONE baby, and that I will have to have a complete hysterectomy and never get my chance. :cry: That's my biggest fear. If it was just a matter of waiting 6mos for an insurance change, I could do that no problem, you know?

I'm kind of an emotional mess about it right now. Probably a side effect of the BC pills. I feel like I could just break down into sobs for being made to wait a few months for IVF. 

I guess I had my heart set on a BFP this September!

EDIT: Oh, and about the insurance -- it's this weird chain of hospitals that only exists in California, and then only in certain cities. If a physician is not employed directly by this company, they can't accept this form of insurance. It's a little bit like... hm. How do I explain it? The company builds, maintains, and runs their own offices and hospitals. And all their doctors and specialists have to work inside one of those facilities. And those people are the ONLY ONES you can see when you're on this plan.

It's a worthless plan, and they cover next to nothing in terms of treatment and co-pays, and not every office or facility offers all of their available services. They send you driving all over town for stuff because you can't just pick the doctor closest to you, it HAS to be one of their employees. And now they're giving us crap because they claim they have offices in this city, and they don't!


----------



## deafgal01

ready - Call them bullshit on that - they can't deny you the right to see someone local (just because their network doesn't have anything/anyone you can see in your zip code). Insurance makes me mad at times (the amount of stuff they don't even cover or are supposed to cover).

Aw Bless you! :hugs: I was trying to figure out how to word that so you'd not be offended at 3 years vs 6 years. I do have my moments where I'm not this positive but yeah... Every one of us deserves a baby (or a bfp) sooner or later. The cancer thing sounds scary so I don't blame you one bit for wanting to take the opportunity as soon as possible, every chance you get.

In other news, how is everyone doing with their health goals? Mine for this month is to be active/exercise 3 times a week for more than 10-15 minutes each time, and eat more vegetables in my diet. I fell off the wagon yesterday as we had a pitch in to go to and I did spurge a little bit, but it's back on track today (I've been good about not consuming too many calories today).


----------



## ireadyermind

We have called them out on it for sure! My husband pointed out that even though there is an old folks' home near us, we aren't elderly people in need of a skilled nursing facility. Not only that, but you can't even be seen there without a referral!

So if we need emergency care, they're essentially forcing us to pay out of pocket for an ER visit because we would of course go to the ER 5 miles away instead of the one 45 miles away.

DH said, "I know what your system tells you, but I'M telling you that there are NOT any of their facilities in this city, nor within 5 miles or even 10 miles of us!" and the lady was like, "Well it says there are, so."

I just feel like she doesn't want to handle paperwork for a switch, even if we're legally able to do so.


----------



## krissie328

That is incredibly frustrating irym. Hopefully he can talk to someone in person soon.


----------



## Mrs. Tigger

Hello Ladies :flower:

Remember me? I had my baby at the beginning of April and have been trying to learn how to live this new crazy life.

I'm back! I need to start getting control of my eating and start doing something about all of this baby weight. :blush: There's definitely a lot to tackle. I think I am still about 30kg above where I feel I "must" get to, and ideally I'd like to get 10 or 20 past that, but we'll see. For now I need to start thinking about how to incorporate healthy changes into my new crazy life.

I'll try to catch up over the next few days.

Hope you're all doing well! :hugs:


----------



## ireadyermind

*Deafgal* - DH doesn't want to call and talk to them in person, even though it's been several days since they last replied to his emails. I can't call for him since it's his work we get the insurance through, so I'm kinda stuck. It's looking more and more like he just wants to wait til open enrollment. But then what happens if there's an emergency between now and then? We're screwed. Ugh. Dumb insurance laws.


*Mrs Tigger* - Of course we remember you! Welcome back. :) How are you adjusting?



AFM -- I just spent the whole weekend painting and prettying up the master bedroom of the house. Still not done yet, but I already LOVE what we've accomplished. I'll show gals pics as soon as everything's complete!

In terms of fitness, I've been relying on all this painting, removing and replacing baseboards, sanding, hammering, etc. to count as my exercise. I usually have a light breakfast, a protein bar for lunch, but then we end up eating takeout or something for dinner.

With temps reaching 107°F/42°C, it's too damn hot to cook anything. We tried doing salads with cold chicken, but even cooking the chicken is too much. The old AC in this house doesn't lower the temp much below 82°F during the peak heat of the day, so adding to that by turning on the stove is a bad idea.

We've done lots of cold sandwiches, a night of sushi and veggies, and one day for lunch I just ate a heap of baby carrots. lol!

Thankfully the weather's cooling some now and I can start thinking about cooking again. I just have to hope that the work we've been putting in on the house has helped to offset the nights we are takeout for dinner!


----------



## deafgal01

:hi: Mrs Tigger.

So excited to hear about the progress on your home, iready. I will be eager to see how it all turns out when it's all finally done.

I gotta get my game plan together. I'm flying Wednesday - so it'll be easy to grab breakfast at the airport (if I'm hungry) - if not, I'll eat at my layover in Phoenix in between flights. Then I gotta figure out how to be smart with my meals for the week (hotel provides breakfast, then I have lunch thru the conference I'm attending Thurs - Sat, so that means I'm on my own for dinner). I may have to quickly brainstorm ideas Wed night when I have a better idea of what's in the area out there (Salt Lake City) to help plan my dinner. Sunday and Monday I prob will meet with friends so not sure what the meals look like there (if I'll grab something light or what).

One thing for sure - I'll definitely try to log everything I consume while on the trip. I'm taking my water bottle (empty) to the airport so that I can have it with me for the trip to help track my water intake and encourage me to drink rather than snack on stuff. I think I'll be ok, just got to remember to track the meals (maybe even some exercise while I'm at it).


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - i was getting so mad reading your posts about insurance ... its total bs i hate how insurance works. I think its crap that people who have no medical background get to dictate what is covered and what isn't (sorry as an RN it's kind of one of my hot topics lol). If your DH waits until open enrollment can you guys then go on the better plan? I hope you don't have to wait that long

Tigger! - welcome back :) how is baby doing? Adjusting can be hard, some days i think i have it down then she learns something new and i have to start all over hahaha. 

AFM - i need to increase my water intake, i was doing really really good then all this insaneness happened and i fell off the wagon. I went for a hike the other day, at least i have to carry and extra 25lbs around so that's good cardo. my goal is to get back to going twice a week (weather permitting I can't go if its too hot). Going to couples therapy on thursday. its gonna be an up hill battle and I'm gonna try and put effort in. He really wants to work it out but he's also the one who messed it all up lol. thank god my STD panal came back negative. and I think im gonna get an IUD put in no point having periods right? does anyone know if they cause weight gain like the pill can? sorry weird question to ask here.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - I've had both Mirena (hormonal) IUD, and Paragard (non-hormonal) IUD. The Mirena caused worse acne than what PCOS was already giving me (it became cystic acne and the scarring was pretty bad), and weight gain, but not having periods was nice. So you may get regular acne and have trouble losing weight. There were a few other side effects that were possible, but I didn't notice them.

The Paragard didn't cause any of that, but I also had periods on it and INSANELY sharp, painful cramps. Like the kind that make your legs go weak and that take your breath away. I put up with them for years, because the alternative was going back on hormonal BC and that, to me, was worse. I'm not sure how PCOS changed the side effects. It could be that the cramps were due to bad cysts. But since I hadn't had my diagnosis at that time, and no one would take my complaints of cramps seriously, I will never know.


As for the insurance -- yes, we could wait for open enrollment to switch. That's November, and the new insurance wouldn't go into effect til January. But I asked DH: what happens if we have an emergency before then? Do they expect us to drive 45mins to an hour to get to one of their in-network emergency rooms? Or are they going to force us to pay out of pocket for treatment at the ER here in town? Neither option is right OR fair, in my opinion.


----------



## Fern81

Hi everyone 

Welcome back deafgal and mrstigger! Hope you get your weight loss goals accomplished. 

Swimmy I'm so sorry to read about your dh and he can be glad I don't know him in person because I would have kicked him where it matters. Hard. Good for you to carry on and be positive about yourself hun.

Irym are you eating a special diet in prep for ivf? I recall you saying something about low carb?

Geez I'm really struggling with this glued-on baby weight. Still attempting paleo. Idk if I said it on here but we're doing FET in August or Sept. So far the plan is:
Finish my 7 or so birth control pills
Wait out AF
Wait for one natural cycle
When AF starts again, phone in day 1 to get the meds started and the ball rolling.

So that could be anywhere from about 6 weeks from now. I'm excited and terrified. And trying to be healthy in preparation for all this.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- I hope couples therapy helps you move forward with what's right for you. 

Hiking sounds like a lot of fun. I would love to do it more but it's so hot here. It is suppose to be over 100 all week. 

Fern- your FET is coming up quick. How are you feeling about that? I think a close age gap would definitely have it's perks. 

Afm, I have an ultrasound on Wed. I'm so nervous for it.


----------



## krissie328

Irym- I hope all your home improvements are going well. Dh made up a plan for the next three years. We are talking about possibly moving in 3-4 so would need to have things ready over time to sell. And if we don't sell at least it's that much closer to how we want it to be. 

I also had my ultrasound today. We saw one baby with a strong heartbeat. <3 I'm still in shock this is all happening.


----------



## Fern81

Congrats krissie, I'm sure I'll also be in shock if I manage to fall pregnant again. I'm really nervous but if we have another baby I would like a small age gap to get the difficult baby phase over and done with.


----------



## Fern81

How is everyone doing with their healthy eating and weight loss goals?
I'm starting a fertility "cleanse"/prep today, in preparation for the FET next menstrual cycle (whenever that might be!). So no sugar or refined carbs, no coffee or alcohol, lots of vitamins esp iron, vit D, folic acid, calcium/magnesium and l-arginine. And I need to do a little bit of exercise each day argh that's going to be the most difficult as it's winter here and all I want to do is sit under a blanket :D


----------



## rdn10

Fern81 said:


> How is everyone doing with their healthy eating and weight loss goals?
> I'm starting a fertility "cleanse"/prep today, in preparation for the FET next menstrual cycle (whenever that might be!). So no sugar or refined carbs, no coffee or alcohol, lots of vitamins esp iron, vit D, folic acid, calcium/magnesium and l-arginine. And I need to do a little bit of exercise each day argh that's going to be the most difficult as it's winter here and all I want to do is sit under a blanket :D

Sounds like a great regimen! 

Good luck with the daily exercise! Are you able to workout from home? I find that I am less likely to skip my workouts if I have the option to workout at home. There are also some great (and free!) workouts videos on YouTube!

It's great that you are taking all those vitamins for fertility support. Have you looked into CoQ10 and fish oil as well? There is research to support the use of both. 

Best of luck!!


----------



## krissie328

Fern- sounds like a solid plan getting ready for your FET. 

I weighed myself this morning and found I've lost a lb so far. I'm excited my weight is maintaining even though I've been eating more. I'm still hoping to keep my weight gain around 15 lbs and really hoping no more than 20.


----------



## swimmyj1

Hey gals sorry I've been mia just a lot going on emotionally. But still taking it day by day :) I'm down 13lbs total so far but I'm most happy about being down 2.5 inches on my waist and 1.5 on my hips yay!!! I'm feeling so motivated I'm trying to only weigh in once a month and do measurements so I don't feel discouraged if I don't lose any one week. Tomorrow I'm doing an all day kayak for my birthday :) hope the weather stays ok. 

Rdn- I also have been doing home work outs! I love YouTube I almost bought a fitness program but decided to check there first and was so glad I did. 

Fern - so excited for you! Fingers crossed your babies can be close together 

Irym - thanks for the tips on IUDs I think I'm gonna hold off then I don't want anything to slow down my weight loss lol I gained weight like crazy on birthcontrol.

Krissie - time is flying by already! Can't believe your almost 9 weeks! I'm glad baby has a strong heartbeat :)


----------



## Fern81

Krissie - it's good to start a pregnancy with weight LOSS lol. I have to lose soooo much weight, I haven't lost the baby weight from last time so if I get pregnant again now... don't even want to think about it! I will have to be on a diet during my whole pregnancy!

Swimmy - good job on the weight and inches lost! Hope you had a lovely birthday and that you are doing well.

rdn - yep I have some really nice home workouts, I agree they work lovely. I just have to get a way to work them in around baby's schedule, it won't be hard to do but I'm just too lazy! What a bad excuse! I do enjoy walking around the neighborhood with the stroller or him in a carrier though. Yep I'm taking vitamins and L-arginine BUT I don't have to do the whole 3-month egg cell health preparation with co-Q 10 etc because we already have frozen embryos. I only need to get my uterus and blood flow as healthy as possible :).

IRYM hope you are doing well in preparation for your IVF too!

Geez I looked at my stats and what I weighed last year this time.... pregnancy wrecked my body for sure!


----------



## deafgal01

I'm now back on track since being back from my trip. I only gained maybe 2 pounds so I didn't do so bad for being away from home and eating out. At this rate, I should be hitting under 190 next week or so. That's progress I've not seen in years, and I'm excited to be able to get back under that number.


----------



## ireadyermind

Hey all, sorry for being MIA again.

DH decided he wanted to cancel IVF this autumn and I'm pretty upset about it. While it may not seem like a long wait until January, I am at risk for my cervical cancer to return at any time. 

I have already had part of my cervix removed as part of my treatment, and if the cancer comes back, the next step is a hysterectomy. 

I am so worried that we will see precancerous cells on my next pap test, and I feel like ANY delay in IVF is a huge risk. But DH has seen a glimpse of a world where insurance will cover part of the IVF fees, and now nothing will do but that we've switched over to the new coverage first -- regardless of the fact that we're working against the clock, so to speak.

On a happier note, I invited my two oldest nephews to my home for a week long visit without Mom. They are two of four siblings, and they rarely get time away from "the hoard", as I call it, to do things that are just for them. So I printed up a fancy invitation with RSVP card and mailed it to them just for fun, and they arrived July 7th and stayed through July 14th. They are 5 and 8 years old.

We did things like build a giant slip-n-slide with some industrial plastic sheeting, we went berry picking on my property and got well over a pound of blackberries for cobbler. We made our own pizzas (including dough from scratch) for dinner one night, we went swimming in the creek, and we built a fort out of all the cardboard boxes I had leftover from moving.

For the most part, the boys were well behaved. But as the week went on and they got more comfortable at my house, they let their manners slip somewhat and we had quite a few time outs over the course of the last three days. :haha: 

All in all, it's something I'd definitely do again next summer. Especially because the boys will be a little more mature by then, and less likely to throw tantrums over something as simple as what cartoon we're going to watch before naptime. lol


Anyway, I did go through and read all your posts. It sounds like things are coming along nicely, gals! I'm back on low carb again as of today, since I slipped up a bit while the kids were here, and hope to start seeing results again.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Independence Day here in the States!


----------



## mrs.green2015

Hi ladies!
I was here a long long time ago (about a year ago) but being pregnant I fell off the wagon but I'm back and ready to shed some pounds post-babies. 
I started fresh yesterday with a meal replacement plan and some at home workouts. I got high blood pressure during the very beginning of my pregnancy and I haven't been able to get off the medication since. I was hopeful I would be able to after giving birth but I think I need to loose some weight and see if that helps. So my main motivation this time is to keep up with my babies since they're going to start crawling any day now and to get off the medication since I'd like to have that under control before we have another baby. 


IRYM- I've been checking in every once in awhile to keep up with you and I'm so sorry to hear that DH wants to put off IVF. So your new coverage will help with the fertility cost?
That's so rare, ours covered 50% and it was unheard of. 
Also sounds like you had a blast with your nephews! That's fantastic.


----------



## swimmyj1

deafgal - 2lbs from a trip isn't so bad. I always gain way too much when on vacation lol. 190's is amazing! way to go!!!!! I will do a total happy dance once im under 200 i still have a ways to go though :( 

IRYM - ugh im sooo frustated for you! i understand him wanting insurance to help cover but i agree with you its not worth the weight. yes the cervial cancer may not come back before then but risking isn't something i would want to do :( maybe you can have the clinic set you up so you can do it in january right when your new coverage would take over. sounds like a lot of fun having your nephews up :) i love that age of kids (even with the tantrums hahaha)

mrs green!!! - welcome back!!!! how are the boys? I know how hard it can be to get motivated but you will be sooo grateful that you will once they get moving. lizzy is my big motivation to get healthy. I bought a bike wagon that she goes in and i can ride around pulling her. 

AFM - therapy has been helping me a lot. Its hard to believe its already been a month sense i found everything out :( Still just taking it one day at a time. and just trying to focus on lizzy and weight loss. im down another 2 lbs this week yay!!!!! and i exersise everyday! even if its just a 30 minute youtube yoga/fatburning work out. but my goal is 3-4 days at the gym. I know I could be doing better on weight loss if I had more willpower when it comes to food lol but those darn carbs are soooo good! and ice cream :( at least today i rode my bike 2 miles to the ice cream place sooo it kind of made an even trade right? haha I also finally mustered up courage to take "before" photos and will compare them in 6-8 months :) 

I'm not looking forward to going to my families this weekend. Its a cousins wedding but everything is just so tense sense my mom found out that my DH cheated. my dad won't talk to him at all ... and isn't talking to me because he flat out told me i'm weak for not leaving him. :( i don't feel weak for not leaving, if anything i think its harder to try and stay and try to rebuild ... isn't this my choice?


----------



## mrs.green2015

Swimmy- congrats on the weight loss! I need to take before pictures but I'm too scared. What if I fail and don't loose? 
The boys are great! They are almost 7 months old! How does it go so fast? They are totally my main motivation. They're starting to move around already and it scares me how quickly it'll be here lol 
I wanted to comment on the situation with your DH. It is 100%! YOUR choice and it IS harder to stay than to leave. It infuriates me that people are pushing their options on you. About 4 years ago my DH cheated on me and obviously decided to stay so I know how hard and how much work it is. I didn't tell many and I made it very clear (after I realized people thought they needed to tell me what to do) that it's mine of their business and I will be making my own decision and that If I wanted their opinion I would ask. I don't know how long ago any of his happened but I would have a talk with your family and tell them they need to back off. All they are going to do is make this harder on you and Lizzy. Ever since then I have always said "don't say you would or wouldn't do something unless you've been in the situation because the fact is you DON'T know what you would do" I always thought I'd leave until it happened. Sorry this was so long and mostly a ramble but if you ever need support please feel free to reach out.


----------



## swimmyj1

Thank you Green. Its nice to read that another person has gone through this and worked it out. It's making it so I just don't want to be around my family and that stinks because I love them. 

but on a good news side :) this is the first time I didn't have a weight increase before starting my period yay!!! can't wait to weigh in next week! im really annoyed that my doctors office can't get me in for an IUD this month either!! like WTF people, if I was pregnant you could get me in right away lol


----------



## deafgal01

How's everyone doing?

I've been quite busy. After I came back from my Utah trip, I was home and doing well with the tracking and weight loss until camp... I went to camp and did my volunteer time, but I found tracking food harder to do as I couldn't track the food as confidently as I could as when I'm home and helping make the meals (which means I know what goes into the meals and how much). Luckily, the damage wasn't too bad - I balanced out by doing lots of walking around so that helped combat it a little - so in the end I did gain a tiny bit but not as much as I would have in the past.

My health coach got promoted, so she will introduce us to another person in the next month or two. I'm sad about that, she's been with us for at least 2 years in our journey with getting healthier. However, she did say the new people taking over are extremely excited to meet us (as they used to be in position where the people coming to them weren't motivated or in the program unless they were "required" to show up). So I guess that's a nice change for the people coming in to take over her position (not sure which two we will meet with yet).

Last night we celebrated 10 years married, we went to Bonefish Grill and shared the Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer. We both ordered a meal entree, I only ate half of my chicken (it looked like I got 2 chicken on my plate), and we ended it by sharing a piece of complimentary cheesecake. It was perfect way to end the day yesterday (having worked all day). Today we were able to host lunch cook out at our house (invited intimate family and few friends). I put out vegetables and Z made a fruit salad as well as cook hot dogs and burgers. We had a great time hosting the party and I'm glad we had some healthy options to offer with the junk food (chips, etc.).


----------



## MissDoc

Hi lovely ladies! It's been a very long time. I can't remember if I've posted since having the baby, but I don't think so. He's 12 weeks old now, and is just wonderful, despite never sleeping, lol. I need to get my booty back in gear. I'm still 20 lbs up from pregnancy (I gained wayyyyy too much). 

Going to take small steps to gradually get my eating on track and not eat out so much. Currently just learning how to be back at work and parent (there aren't enough hours in a day!) so exercise isn't really on the menu much yet, but at some point I'll find a good rhythm. 

Krissie, congrats to you on your pregnancy!! Soooo exciting! 

IRYM, I am so so sorry that your DH is insistent on waiting for IVF. I think it's semi-rational to do so, but if it were me I'd be losing my mind at the thought of waiting. TTC is so hard and it can be crushing to wait even longer when you feel like you're working against a clock. *hugs*


----------



## ireadyermind

Sorry for being MIA again ladies. It's been so busy here. Constantly working on the house, getting to know our new town, and trying not to melt in the summer heat. We've had temps as high as 116Â°F these past couple weeks. It makes doing anything other than laying (naked?) in front of a fan absolutely miserable.

But it's finally cooling down. DH and I actually were able to go for a walk through the local farmers market on Wednesday without ending up sweat soaked. That was a nice walk.

I've started to see the scale creep down at last, and my size 22 jeans are awfully baggy. I think it's how busy we've been with everything that's helping me out.

I was doing really well on my diet and was just about to celebrate making it another week without any issues, when I got the SHOCK of my LIFE this morning!

A BFP that seemed to come out of nowhere! I'm super excited and simultaneously terrified!


I'm trying to get an appointment TODAY since it's been almost 2mos since my last AF (not unusual, given my PCOS), but the office nearest us is booked clear into next week and I'm so afraid I will MC before then!

Send me all the dust and sticky bean thoughts you gals can muster, please!
 



Attached Files:







2017_BFP.jpg
File size: 23.4 KB
Views: 1


----------



## krissie328

Irym- that is amazing and super dark! I'm so so excited for you. I hope you can get am appointment soon.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> Irym- that is amazing and super dark! I'm so so excited for you. I hope you can get am appointment soon.

Thanks! We were NOT TTC at all this month. It's been so infernally hot, BD is too much hassle and not at all pleasant... I'm so shocked!


----------



## krissie328

ireadyermind said:


> krissie328 said:
> 
> 
> Irym- that is amazing and super dark! I'm so so excited for you. I hope you can get am appointment soon.
> 
> Thanks! We were NOT TTC at all this month. It's been so infernally hot, BD is too much hassle and not at all pleasant... I'm so shocked!Click to expand...

Sounds like it has been miserable down there. I'm curious to see how far along you are. Hopefully you get to skip a couple extra weeks of worry.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> Sounds like it has been miserable down there. I'm curious to see how far along you are. Hopefully you get to skip a couple extra weeks of worry.

I'm curious too! I was on BC until July 10th or so, and I took 1 HPT the week I finished, 1 the week after, and 1 today. Today's was the only one that ever showed a BFP! 

I'm thinking the BC must have done something to help me, and then we just happened to BD in the right timeframe...? I wasn't using OPKs or BBT or anything!


----------



## krissie328

That's what happened to me! I was on birth control March and April and I got my bfp in June. I really feel like it reset my system after all those fertility drugs I was taking.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> That's what happened to me! I was on birth control March and April and I got my bfp in June. I really feel like it reset my system after all those fertility drugs I was taking.

Isn't that funny? I only took ONE MONTH of BC pills. If that's all it took, why didn't we try that sooner!? lol I feel like I wasted a lot of money!


----------



## krissie328

ireadyermind said:


> krissie328 said:
> 
> 
> That's what happened to me! I was on birth control March and April and I got my bfp in June. I really feel like it reset my system after all those fertility drugs I was taking.
> 
> Isn't that funny? I only took ONE MONTH of BC pills. If that's all it took, why didn't we try that sooner!? lol I feel like I wasted a lot of money!Click to expand...

No kidding! It's just too bad you don't know for sure if that was what you needed.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> No kidding! It's just too bad you don't know for sure if that was what you needed.

Yeah seriously. :dohh: Maybe they oughta start all infertility patients with one month of BC before any further treatment! Haha.


----------



## MissDoc

Holy Guacamole!!! IRYM this is AHHHMAZING NEWS!!! I am crossing everything for you that this is a strong strong strong little bean. So so excited for you.


----------



## swimmyj1

OMG IRYM!!! i seriously saw this and let out a squeak at work!!! this is amazing good news!!! i love that you got surprise BFP you sooo deserve this!!! do you have a doctors appointment yet or have had any blood drawn? ahhh can't wait for more news :) keep us posted!


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks, ladies! I am so in shock, it doesn't seem real! I went to the pharmacy and picked up some FRERs to double check with this morning, just in case I somehow got a false positive on the Wondfos, and the test line showed up BEFORE the control!

I'm so excited and simultaneously terrified!

My first appt isn't until Tuesday 8/15, in the afternoon, so as soon as I know something, I'll be sure to tell you.

Also, look at these lines! I've never had lines this dark, ever! Should I take it as a positive sign? I'm so nervous.
 



Attached Files:







2017-08-12 10.44.54.jpg
File size: 39.5 KB
Views: 2


----------



## krissie328

Well in my experience my successful pregnancies are the only ones to get that dark. This pregnancy didn't go as dark as the control until after 5 weeks I believe.

I guess Tuesday isn't too far to wait. I hope they give you a dating scan.


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks, Krissie. Im thinking im only 5weeks at most. 
Would a line this dark possibly mean twins? :O

Tuesday's not too far, but it feels like ages! Lol.

They're going to do a scan and all blood work the same day. I told them about my fertility treatments and how I know my estrogen and progesterone are low and I'm worried about it, and they basically dismissed me on it! 

So DH is coming with me to the appt and we're going to ask AGAIN, and if they still ignore it, I'm calling the fertility clinic and seeing what my doctor thinks.


----------



## krissie328

I've seen a lot of women get dark tests sooner. For whatever reason this pregnancy the hcg was low, maybe late implanter? 

Good idea to have dh there. I'd definatley call the clinic if the other doctor ignores you. I'm paranoid enough I might even call first thing Monday.


----------



## krissie328

When I did get betas done they also did progesterone, but I'm not sure if that's standard or just my office.


----------



## ireadyermind

I have crappy insurance with this group called Kaiser. They treat us more like cattle in line for milking rather than individual human beings. I've had to fight and argue with every doctor I've had, except one, just to be taken seriously on minor ailments. I'm assuming it'll be the same for a pregnancy. 

January can't get here fast enough. I'm switching insurance and finding a private practice where I'll be treated well and looked after!

I may contact the fertility clinic Monday to get a copy of my records anyway. I can ask the doctor what he thinks then.


----------



## swimmyj1

that line is sooo dark!! eeekkkk!!! i still can't believe it! tuesday can't get here fast enough!!! i can't believe they won't take your low progesterone seriously. I would totally call the fertility clinic monday and see if they can give you a script for progesterone suppositories or something. 

My OB office didn't do progesterone levels with my betas but that could have been because i was already taking progesterone lol


----------



## ireadyermind

Lol Swimmy, if YOU can't believe it, imagine how I feel! :haha: I'm still in shock over here. Trying to stay positive, but you know the doubt creeps in. 

Do you gals think it's possible I'm farther along than 4 ish weeks? The line is SO dark... but when I did an HPT last week, there wasn't even a squinter of a line! How'd it get so dark in 4 or so days?

Bah. I can't wait til Tuesday. They'll give me a date then, but in the meantime I'm going nuts with all this wondering.... :dohh:


----------



## krissie328

Oh, I missed you did an hpt last week. I'd guess you're probably no more than 4.5-5 weeks then. But I think such a strong test is a great sign. I've heard wondfo can take awhile to darken and yours looked great. 

I think I implanted late so my bfp was a serious squinter the day af was due at 13 dpo. 12 dpo was stark white.


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, I never had AF after I stoped taking the BC pills, so I did one hpt the week after, one hpt the week after that, and one more hpt the week after THAT, and all were negative. But I had this sneaking suspicion that they were wrong, somehow, so I did another one Friday and the line showed up instantly! 

So I don't know what's going on. DH and I didn't really BD at all the past 2 weeks, mostly just the end of July. So maybe we just happened to sync up with O time!

A friend of mine who has been supporting me through the fertility treatments and knows about the BFP says she thinks moving out here to the countryside and the decrease in stress and sleep disturbances was what sealed the deal for me. :haha: We've only been out here 2mos!


----------



## MissDoc

That line is beautifully dark, IRYM. I'd guess you have a strong little bean there. My lines for my little guy were the same. They got dark very very quickly, and HCG levels were tripling rather than doubling, but no twins... just a strong little boy brewing in there! I hope the same is true for you. You've got a strong sticky little one sprouting! 

I remember taking multiple pregnancy tests daily for over a month because I couldn't believe we got pregnant on our own before starting IVF, so I definitely know the amazing tumultuous feelings of awe, thrill, terror, and the absolute inability to think of anything else or be productive in any way that isn't baby related. Haha! What a wild wonderful time for you! I hope tomorrow goes very well and you're reassured. 

Krissie, how are you feeling? Hope this pregnancy is going smoothly for you so far!


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- I love your new ticker.. <3

MissDoc- Things are going well now. I am finally past that first tri fatigue and am starting to feel good. I am still having a ton of food aversions but I am making it work.

I was in complete shock with this one until maybe two weeks ago. I was barely able to even acknowledge it in person. I think part of it was the fear of something going bad at my 12 week scan. After that came back good I was much more excited. Even DH is now coming around to the idea and talking about it and planning.


----------



## ireadyermind

MissDoc said:


> I remember taking multiple pregnancy tests daily for over a month because I couldn't believe we got pregnant on our own before starting IVF, so I definitely know the amazing tumultuous feelings of awe, thrill, terror, and the absolute inability to think of anything else or be productive in any way that isn't baby related. Haha! What a wild wonderful time for you! I hope tomorrow goes very well and you're reassured.


Oh boy, I am in that same place right now. I debated taking another Wondfo test this morning, but I knew that since I took one yesterday, it wouldn't be much different today and wasn't going to prove anything to me, AND I've already taken 4 tests already. :dohh:

I've been in "all things pregnancy" mode and I think DH is a little put off by it. He's never been that great at discussing things dealing with female anatomy. I complain my boobs hurt, he gets this weird expression on his face and he's like, "I'm sorry...?"

This morning, I thought I'd sleep in so that it helped pass the time til tomorrow, but of course I couldn't. So now I'm going to have to try to find something to do to keep busy until then! 


*Krissie* - Thanks! I'll have to remember to adjust it after my scan tomorrow to more accurately reflect my due date.

Glad to hear you're feeling a little more relaxed and cheerful about this pregnancy!


----------



## swimmyj1

Can't wait to hear about your scan today!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

Good morning, gals. I'm here to report on my appt yesterday, and to post HPT pics, since I'm still obsessed with POAS. :dohh:

The ultrasound didn't reveal anything yesterday. It's too early to see anything, according to my OB. I suspected as much, and it was refreshing to hear her talk about this pregnancy in terms of "but we'll probably see it later" and not immediately jumping on the Miscarriage bandwagon like the last time. This is a new OB and I already like her a lot better.

On the other hand, when I asked her about progesterone and estrogen supplements, she says she's forbidden from prescribing it to me because she doesn't work on the infertility team! What a ridiculous rule! If you're an OB and your patient needs supplements to continue a healthy pregnancy, you oughta be able to provide them! :growlmad:

So since I still haven't heard back from the fertility clinic after my message Monday morning, I'm going to call again today. This is too important to wait any longer.

After the scan, I was sent to the lab for blood tests for the usual. HGC, blood typing, etc. even though they already know my blood type and that I'm HIV negative and all that. I guess it's standard procedure to redo all of it every time.

The OB said she won't tell me what my HGC numbers are until Thursday after the second draw, so I'm going nuts over here because I'd at least like to know if my first draw was higher than when I MC'd in 2015!

So in the meantime, I'm POAS every couple days to watch the lines.

Here's today's compared with Friday's, within the 5min window. I'm feeling a little optimistic about those lines!
 



Attached Files:







2017_BFP_Then and Now.jpg
File size: 97.3 KB
Views: 0


----------



## krissie328

Wow!! Fantastic progression. It definitely seems to be a strong little bean. 

That is pretty ridiculous that they cannot prescribe those as an OB. Hopefully when you are able to switch insurances you will have better options.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> Wow!! Fantastic progression. It definitely seems to be a strong little bean.
> 
> That is pretty ridiculous that they cannot prescribe those as an OB. Hopefully when you are able to switch insurances you will have better options.

Thanks! I hope it continues to be a strong bean! :thumbup:

I wish we could switch insurance sooner than January! If I didn't have the private fertility clinic to fall back on, I would have no way to get supplements, and since you're supposed to take them up to 12 weeks I could lose this pregnancy due to my OB's inaction!

It's unbelievable that Kaiser won't let the OB do what she thinks is right for her patient, given the patient's medical history. Why not allow her to call down to their office and consult with a specialist on whether or not to prescribe supplements? It's as though they care more about the OB not stepping on anyone's toes than they care about the patient -- me! :x

How many people have miscarried due to this same problem of low hormones and their OB's inability to correct it with medication? I'm sure there are plenty of women who can't afford to seek outside, out of pocket treatment from a third party.


----------



## krissie328

I am sure the number is really high! I am pretty sure my first miscarriage was because of low progesterone. In fact I am certain because when it was test it was 0.7. But at the time I didn't know. Both my successful pregnancies I started progesterone when I got the bfp. 

I hope your private fertility clinic is able to get back to you soon about it.


----------



## MissDoc

Yay for a nice clear progression. That's looking really good. I'm also annoyed for you about the progesterone and about your OB's policy of not giving you your HCG numbers until they have two draws. I get why they do it, because the first number rarely tells you anything. But if I want my numbers then give my numbers, damn it. Lol. 

Another crazy woman thing I did was take the digi tests regularly because it gave me a sense of progression too. At first it didn't show on a digi, then it did, then the weeks estimation kept going up. I looked up online the HCG thresholds that would trigger each week estimation (1-2 weeks, 3 weeks, etc) on a digi, so I had an idea of my HCG from those. Haha. Yep, crazy woman. But fertility issues will do that to you!


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> I am sure the number is really high! I am pretty sure my first miscarriage was because of low progesterone. In fact I am certain because when it was test it was 0.7. But at the time I didn't know. Both my successful pregnancies I started progesterone when I got the bfp.
> 
> I hope your private fertility clinic is able to get back to you soon about it.

And that's such a shame. All these women who are essentially being ignored even when the OBs are aware of a problem! It's so upsetting.

I hope the clinic gets back to me, too. They're usually pretty good about it, but it'd be just my luck that this time they take days to get back to me. :dohh:


----------



## ireadyermind

Whew, the clinic got back to me and they're sending my supplement prescription over to the pharmacy right now! What a relief. At least now I know we're doing everything we can to help this little bean stick!

:dust:


----------



## krissie328

ireadyermind said:


> Whew, the clinic got back to me and they're sending my supplement prescription over to the pharmacy right now! What a relief. At least now I know we're doing everything we can to help this little bean stick!
> 
> :dust:

:happydance:

Great news.


----------



## ireadyermind

Holy cow, I just got my bhcg levels back from the OB (I had to ask for them, she wasn't going to tell me!) and they're at *3320*! I'm so relieved and excited... stick, little bean, stick!

On the other hand, we should have seen a little sac somewhere if my levels were that high yesterday, right? The American Pregnancy Assoc says that a sac should show up once levels are between 1,000 and 2,000.

Why is there so much to worry about in early pregnancy!? Oye.


----------



## krissie328

Wow, what a great number. I'm not sure about the sac thing. I've never had an early scan like that.


----------



## krissie328

I was just thinking if it was an abdominal ultrasound it's unlikely you would see anything.


----------



## swimmyj1

omg that HCG is amazing!!! im wondering if your over 4.4 weeks. I don't remember off hand what my HCG levels were around that time but i remember not being able to see anything on the ultrasound at the 5 week scan but at around 6 weeks i had a little blob with a flicker heart beat. I love the progression of your lines!!!!

My fingers as super super crossed you need a sticky bean.

was it an abdominal ultrasound? cuz even at 10 weeks i could barely see anything on my abdominal one but the vaginal one was perfect


----------



## ireadyermind

It was a vaginal ultrasound, and I suppose I could be at 5 weeks-ish? Since it's been so long since an actual AF, I really just had to make an estimate. I go for another blood test tomorrow. So nervous!


----------



## swimmyj1

let us know how it goes. fingers are super crossed!!! also if they have an old crappy machine sometimes that doesn't pick up like it should. 

Idk why but i am having super baby fever this week. we are still doing therapy and that is going well. today my DH brought up having a second baby ... its like he could read my mind that i was feeling weak hahaha. I'm on a weight loss stall and i hate it!!! I know im building muscle though, really working my upper body and abs. I've had 2 people i haven't seen in about a month flat out ask me how much weight ive lost so that made me feel better. :)


----------



## swimmyj1

Also i was thinking with you HCG that high it won't usually double in 48 hours at this point i think its 72??? i could be wrong though


----------



## krissie328

swimmyj1 said:


> Also i was thinking with you HCG that high it won't usually double in 48 hours at this point i think its 72??? i could be wrong though

Yes, I was gonna bring that up too. Doubling time should be slowing down.

Swimmy- sorry you've had a stall, but it sounds like you're still doing awesome!


----------



## MissDoc

IRYM, I hope that first number gives you some solid hope. That's awesome. STRONG baby! So much goes into whether they see it or not, including angles, skill of technician, where it implanted, etc. But clearly it's strong! When do you get a repeat US?

Swimmy, way to go on working your upper body and it being noticeable to others. That's the best! Hopefully the scale starts moving soon. 

I FINALLY made myself exercise yesterday, and boy is my lower body sore. It wasn't fun to realize how weak and out of shape I am, but it felt good to finally be doing something about it. Going to exercise again today!


----------



## krissie328

Good luck with keeping up the exercise MissDoc. 

I need to start going for walks again now that the weather is cooling off some. I have been feeling really miserable lately.


----------



## ireadyermind

I think the OB only called it "doubling time" because she figured my numbers were going to be low. Seeing them this high, she probably knows to adjust accordingly. At least, I hope she does. As I've said numerous times, Kaiser's medical system is horrible.

Their ultrasound machine is the WORST. You can barely see anything on the screen, unlike at the fertility clinic where everything's crystal clear and even I, an unskilled civilian, could tell what was what. When the Kaiser OB showed me the ultrasound screen in her office on Tuesday, there was just a vague gray fog. No clear lines, no variation in color, nothing to help define the uterus and lining. And *I* thought I saw something on screen, but she spent maybe 2 minutes looking and gave up.

*Swimmy* - Oh no, baby fever is the worst! I hope you pull through it okay. It's interesting how DH seemed to know what was on your mind and how he brought it up himself.

*MissDoc* - I can relate! I always think I'm strong, and then I do a workout and my legs turn to jello, and it reminds me there's always room for improvement! :haha: But good job starting up on your exercise routine again!


----------



## swimmyj1

Irym - any news on your hcg results? I'm seriously betting it was their machine.

Doc - ooohhh the first few weeks back at working out are the hardest! I had to skip arm day today lol they hurt too bad. I wish I could just lift for like a day and the arm fat just fall off hahaha


----------



## ireadyermind

Nope, no news yet. They don't release the info to me for some reason, I have to wait for my OB to call and tell me. And since it's almost 6pm, it's too late to expect anyone to call. It's so frustrating. 

I hope she calls me in the morning, rather than making me wait all day long for results! 

And I hope you're right that it was just their crappy machine that couldn't see anything, and not because I have an ectopic pregnancy!


----------



## Fern81

IRYM- CONGRATS!!! Great news!! I strongly doubt that you will see anything that early. Even my fertility dr who tests hcg super early (from 12dpo!) only does ultrasounds from 7-8 weeks. 

In other news, AF started yesterday so we're starting FET! I'm nervous as hell. I hope it works but at the same time I'm so scared to have 2 babies.


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, the numbers from my second blood draw came back just now: *7195!*

But my Kaiser OB thinks that, since we couldn't see anything last Tuesday, this pregnancy is ectopic and has referred me to the radiology lab to be looked at on the "good" ultrasound machines. She even told me that if I have pain or bleeding, to go to the ER.

I don't know how to feel about this. On one hand, I think her crappy machine combined with how early it was on the 15th was why we couldn't see anything. On the other hand, if my levels were so high, why couldn't we at least see a little blip?

Does how far along the pregnancy is override HCG numbers? So what I mean to say is, should we ignore the numbers in favor of how far along I believe I am? If I'm around 5 weeks, is that too early to see anything, regardless of what my HCG levels are?

AND, if this pregnancy was ectopic, doesn't that mean my numbers would NOT be doubling?



*Fern* - Will they not transfer one embryo at a time, if you're worried about multiples?


----------



## krissie328

Fern!! I cannot believe its almost FET time. Fx you have another successful transfer. 

IRYM- Those are great numbers. I have seen stories where ectopic numbers get that high, but it seems to not be as common. I definitely think another scan with better equipment is a good idea. To be honest (and I am a constant worrier) I wouldn't get too worried yet. I definitely think the dates of your pregnancy would be a better indicator as to what you see right now. :hugs: The early weeks are the worst.


----------



## ireadyermind

I'm worried 'cause of my previous miscarriage. Didn't make it to 6 weeks. I feel like this is the best chance I've had so far, you know? And for the OB to immediately jump to conclusions... it doesn't make me feel all that optimistic!

I know ectopic pregnancies are rare, and I don't have any history of them or any risk factors to increase my odds of an ectopic, but I still worry. I'm trying to find positive stories about women whose numbers were high, but still didn't see anything until 6 weeks.


----------



## krissie328

Oh I understand!! I had two miscarriages before 6 weeks. On the day of my 6th week I think I cried the entire time and slept. It was a relief and at the same time it was so worrying given my history. 

I hope they can get you a scan soon!!


----------



## ireadyermind

:hugs: MCs are so heartbreaking. 

I've been doing my research and I don't feel any ectopic-related pains or symptoms, so I suppose that's a good thing. I do feel like I have an ovarian cyst (again) though. Always on my left ovary. I'm hoping that's all it is.

It's exactly the same ache that I feel every month on my ovaries, and I feel it on my right ovary too. I can also gently prod it and there's no additional pain. No dizziness, nausea, etc. either.



I just hate that the OB jumped to that conclusion without any reason to suspect an ectopic! My numbers are great, I'm still 5 weeks or less, and I have no symptoms. It's added stress I really don't need.

I wish they'd have listened to me when I said that even though my LMP was ages ago (June), I'm definitely not 8 weeks along, and to schedule my appt a little farther out. We could have avoided this whole thing! :dohh:


----------



## swimmyj1

I seriously would bet that its their crappy machines is why they didn't see anything. My friend said some machines she had worked with can't see a fetus until its 10+ weeks! That's insane!!!

Other option for you hcg level being higher is multiples .... you were on birth control so your body can release multiple eggs after going off of it. As stressful as it is for her to be sending you to a specialist at least you will be able to see everything on a better ultrasound machine. Fingers very very crossed!!!! 

I'm trying not to weird myself out but I think I'm gonna take a pregnancy test when I get home from my trip my boobs are killing me and I've thrown up the last 3 days


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* -- Oooo I hope it's a BFP!

I called the fertility clinic and told them my concerns about the ectopic, but they said my numbers looked great and they wanted to see me at around 6 weeks. Since I don't know exactly when 6 weeks is, we set an appt for Thursday of this week.

I'm going to tell the Kaiser specialists I don't want to see them until after the clinic has done its own scan. I *know* the clinic has high quality machines, whereas Kaiser's machines are often outdated and low quality, AND they charge more for the scans despite my being insured through them. Ridiculous.

Do you really think it could be multiples? Wouldn't that be something!


----------



## swimmyj1

i found a wondfo in my bag lol (yep im sooo crazy i actually found a pregnancy test in my bag haha) it was totally blank. Im anywhere between 7-9dpo i think?? i haven't really been tracking. I don't think there really is anyway i could have a BFP but then i think of you and yours came out of no where hahahaha and that scares me. 

Im soooo glad that you are going through the fertility clinic to get a scan! its insane that its cheaper even without insurance!! can't wait to hear how thursday goes!!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Aww, bummer on the BFN. Do you think you just have a stomach virus, then? If there was enough hcg in your body to cause nausea, you'd definitely get a BFP by now..!

AFM -- Yeah, I agree it's stupid that it's cheaper to pay for a service out of pocket than it is to pay for one that's on my plan. I think it's because Kaiser counts it as a "specialty service". Not all of their offices have the "good" ultrasound equipment. We'd have to drive over an hour away for the scan and there's still no guarantee their machines are up to date or as high a quality as the fertility clinic offers. Oye.

In other news... I was woken up last night due to extreme hunger pangs. Like, no joke, I was absolutely RAVENOUS. I was so hungry it was also making me feel nauseated. I managed to fall back to sleep but woke up early and was just as hungry as before. What gives? Isn't it too early in the game to be this hungry?

I even ate a very late dinner last night (9pm!) full of protein and veggies, and even though I finished the whole bowlful, it barely seemed to last!

This is really going to harm my chances of keeping weight gain low as this pregnancy progresses. Have any of you gals experienced something like this around 5 weeks?


----------



## MissDoc

IRYM, it doesn't seem to me that they had any reason to be bringing up ectopics yet. That seems wreckless and hasty, given you don't have ANY symptoms of a freaking ectopic pregnancy. I mean, I suppose it could happen, but I'm not sure why they jumped to that conclusion. I hear all the time about them not seeing baby in early scans and it doesn't seem to mean a thing. I'm sorry you're feeling that worry. Really hoping your next high quality scan goes well.

Swimmy, agreed! One workout should just blast the fat right off. Lol. If only!

I didn't exercise over the weekend as I had a sick baby attached to me like velcro and minimal sleeping. But today I'll be back on for working out before I pick him up from daycare.


----------



## ireadyermind

*MissDoc* - Thanks, lady! I don't know why they jumped to that conclusion, either! I even asked my OB about it. I said, "If my numbers are doubling as they should, and I don't have any pain or bleeding, why are we concerned about an ectopic? Don't ectopics have low and slow rising numbers?"

She only said, "Well most of the time they do, but sometimes they don't."

Does she not realize that she's essentially told me I probably have a life threatening problem that could rupture and cause me to bleed out at any moment? Does she not realize that ectopic pregnancies are 1% - 2% of all pregnancies and that I don't have any additional medical history to increase my chances of an ectopic? It's all so frustrating. I've been telling myself "It'll be alright" all weekend just to keep myself calm.


Anyway.... Sorry to hear your LO was sick! That's so stressful, and you've got to be exhausted. Kudos to you for jumping back on the workout wagon so soon after tending to your little guy! I don't think I'd have the willpower to get back to it without a day or two of extra sleep!


----------



## ireadyermind

Ugh. You guys, I'm seriously irked at how this Kaiser company is handling things! I just got a call from their radiology dept, as I was expecting to, only the nurse on the line was scolding me for not showing up at an appt last Friday. An appt I never made! Turns out the OB I saw put me in for an "emergency, same-day" scan in radiology without telling me so! So I cleared that up with her and explained that the OB had told me we were to schedule it for sometime this week.

Then she goes on to ask me if I'm "still having pain or bleeding". STILL? No, I've never had any pain or bleeding! So apparently the OB also told them I'm having symptoms of an ectopic when there are none to date, *including* the fact that my hcg numbers are rising appropriately. She is so dead set on this being an ectopic that she's making up symptoms to get me seen by the radiology specialists!

I'm so irritated by all of this. :growlmad:

I explained to them that I'm getting a private scan done Thursday and don't need theirs, and they're still demanding I come in and see THEM on Wednesday. At this point I'm inclined to go into their radiology dept just to get them off my back. And aside from the obvious, I really hope it's a regular ole intrauterine pregnancy just to rub it in the OB's face. Ugh!

Sorry to bring this here, but I just needed to vent. As if I didn't already have enough stress weighing on me, the OB is telling people I'm an emergency case and need treatment ASAP.


----------



## krissie328

That is incredibly frustrating IRYM. It seems like they are handling things so poorly. I hope your scan this week goes well and shows a happy little baby.


----------



## swimmyj1

Definitely had a stomach bug ughhh I hate being sick. AF should be here soon. I keep having dreams of bfp - darn baby brain!!! I had to work on the nursery floor the other night at work. They just had me rock, change and feed newborns all night. It was an ovary explosion hahaha. Totally didn't help my baby brain at all! I fell off the wagon this weekend with healthy eating. But getting right back on! Went to the gym for an hour today yay!!!

Irym - it's not too early to be hungry! Going through my pregnancy journal around 6 weeks I was hungry every few hours until I started getting sick. But even with getting sick I was always munching in crackers or fruit. Try and keep low carb snacks around, or a few crackers next to your bed during the night. I would be super pissed at your doctor! That is not ok!!! I started refusing scans/testing at the end of my pregnancy. 
Your doctor had no right to lie about anything!! I would probably end up going in for a scan with them anyway so they don't have a reason to drop you as a patient. Do you get to switch doctors when you get your new insurance? 


Doc - I'm sorry about your kiddo getting sick :( Lizzy has another yeast infection and she's been miserable too. It definitely makes going to work out harder when they are stuck like glue. Hope he feels better soon!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* - Thanks!

*Swimmy* - Aw man, stomach flu royally sucks. You're feeling better now, right?

It sounds like you definitely have a case of baby brain! It seems like people are just rubbing it in when they make you work the nursery floor. :haha: I hope the crazy BFP dreams move on and let you sleep!


AFM - They can't drop me, but could transfer me to a different OB in the same department. Unfortunately there's no guarantee a new OB would be any different. Once we switch insurance, I can go to any doctor I choose that accepts my plan, not only ones that work in Kaiser facilities. So that'll be nice, especially since there's a birth center 5mins from here at the local hospital and I won't have to drive over an hour to get to a Kaiser facility.

I was so frustrated yesterday that I called the RN hotline and talked to the nurse there. I laid everything out: my long cycles, how the dept insisted I was 8 weeks when I was probably only 4ish, how the OB jumped to the ectopic conclusion despite appropriately rising numbers and a lack of other symptoms, etc. The nurse said given everything I've told her, there's NO REASON for me to have to worry about an ectopic at all. 

I said, "Then why is this OB jumping to that conclusion and making me stress about it all week?" and she covered for the OB by saying that she's "just being extra careful." 

It was a little bit of a relief to hear the nurse say I shouldn't worry about an ectopic at all, but the seed of doubt has already been planted. I worry about every twinge, every pinch or pull, every least little thing that feels new or slightly uncomfortable. 

This morning when I woke up, I didn't feel nearly as nauseated as I did yesterday, and now I worry that maybe something's wrong. It's awful, they've really screwed me up with this!


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- That does seem a little mean to put you on the baby floor. I am sure that wouldn't help your baby fever at all. I hope it eases soon. Great job staying on track (and getting back on track!!) 

Doc and Swimmy- I hope your babies feel better soon. Sick babies are so rough. :hugs:

IRYM- That is good the nurse at least confirmed there was no reason to be concerned over an ectopic. My hospital covers for each other too. It can be frustrating!!

I found in the early days of pregnancy I was very hungry. It probably lasted until 6-7 weeks. I also know my nausea came and went from day to day. There never was a consistent pattern to it. I don't think it fluctuating really can be a good gauge on how well the pregnancy is doing since there are so many other variables. I did find having a snack handy did seem to help quite a bit though.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - i seriously drove myself insane thinking something was wrong when my nausea would go away for a few days. sometimes i would go 3-4 days without feeling sick and even once i went to the ER sure that something was going south. Nope all was fine. I know its impossible but unless your bleeding bright blood i would try and stay positive. :) (im waiting very impatiently for your scans lol)

i took a test today .... ummmm guys??? is this an evap or something???
 



Attached Files:







unnamed.jpg
File size: 47.6 KB
Views: 7









unnamed (1).jpg
File size: 53.5 KB
Views: 8


----------



## krissie328

swimmyj1 said:


> i took a test today .... ummmm guys??? is this an evap or something???

That top picture looks really dark to be an evap. The evaps I've always got on wondfo have a ways been pretty faint. Plus it looks pink to me!


----------



## ireadyermind

Swimmy, that looks like a line to me! Holy moly! :happydance:


----------



## swimmyj1

ugh ok sooo i took a test to work this would have been about 7 hours without peeing and its completely negative. I think the other test was just faulty or something. ---- im really annoyed about it lol :dohh:
 



Attached Files:







IMG_4605.jpg
File size: 14.8 KB
Views: 5


----------



## krissie328

How strange.. That other one was pretty convincing.


----------



## ireadyermind

I agree, that previous one was WAY too dark to be an evap! I saw color too!


----------



## MissDoc

IRYM-- Oh man, I'm so annoyed at your doctor! I bet you'll be so relieved when you change insurances. Thursday can't come fast enough for your "good" scan at the fertility doc. I bet you have a beautiful little bean sprouting in that uterus. You should take some reassurance from the nurse stating there's no reason to consider ectopic, but I totally get the fear and doubt. The early days are so so stressful and hard anyways when you've struggled to conceive. Every little thing feels like a threat to your baby, and that's without a jerky doctor stressing you for no reason! Good luck to you getting through today and making it to tomorrow for your scan!

Swimmy, I'm so sorry for your kiddo's infection. That sounds just awful. Hopefully it clears up soon. Took my guy to the pedi today and doc just said he seems to be getting back to back colds from adjusting to daycare germs and nothing to do but ride it out and saline and suction like crazy for his snotty nose and congestion. Bleh.

If I were you I'd be taking HPTs every morning with FMU for a few days. That test was convincing! Maybe it's so super early that only really strong urine will catch it? IF it's an evap, then booooo to that. Those false positive piss me off! 


So I have 1 week of attempted healthier habits under my belt. I exercised 3x in the week and had 5 days of at least some caloric deficit. Hoping that this week I can do the same or better!


----------



## swimmyj1

I think it was a CP I took a test this morning and it was + but 2 hours later I started bleeding. I kind of have mixed feelings about it. I know right now is not the time for us to have one I've just been careless thinking no way it could happen without fertility treatments. Maybe this was my wake up call lol. 

Monday me and DH are going on a horse therapy thing. Hoping that will be fun, I really like horses but he has never really been around them. 

Doc - yay for eating better!!! I fell off the wagon and need to get back on. (Easier said than done esp when I'm on my period haha)

Irym - dying for some good news on your scans! Fingers crossed!!!


----------



## krissie328

Sorry to hear that swimmy. :hugs: The horse therapy sounds interesting, I hope you guys have a good time. 

Doc- great job on the healthier eating and exercising!! 

IRYM- I hope your scan goes well today.


----------



## ireadyermind

Aw, bummer, Swimmy! Sorry to hear it's a CP. I hope the horseback riding goes well. I'm a horse crazy girl and have been since childhood. I LOVE riding. I hope you both enjoy it!


The scan isn't for another few hours, but I'll be sure to fill everyone in as soon as I know anything. Thanks for the well wishes. :)


----------



## ireadyermind

Just got back from the clinic, and it's good news! Definitely NOT an ectopic and we got to see the little heartbeat and everything! 

I'm measuring 6w2d and the heart rate is 119bpm. Yay!


----------



## krissie328

Yay! Such wonderful news irym. So happy little bug is doing well.


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks, Krissie. I'm SO relieved after all this stress and bother!


----------



## krissie328

ireadyermind said:


> Thanks, Krissie. I'm SO relieved after all this stress and bother!

Oh yea I have no doubt! It's pretty unfair how your ob treated it. But at least now you know things are good. What does that make your due date? I'm guessing April?


----------



## ireadyermind

April 17, 2018. :) my original guess was April 21 so I wasn't too far off!


----------



## swimmyj1

omg yay!!!!! that makes me sooo happy for you! lizzy's first heartbeat scan at 6 weeks was 120.

Any hopes for a boy or girl?


----------



## Fern81

Omw congrats irym!! 
19 days left until we TEST after this FET, feels like time is flying by! Hope we can be bump buddies!
I still haven't lost the baby weight from the previous bub so I'm not allowing myself to pick up much with the next one! Will need accountability :)


----------



## krissie328

Ftx your transfer is successful fern. It will be lovely to have a little surge of 2018 babies.


----------



## swimmyj1

Ahhh fingers crossed fern!!!


----------



## ireadyermind

FX'd, Fern! :dust:


*Swimmy * - I'm hoping for a girl. I have more experience caring for girls and it'd make me feel much less overwhelmed, I think. I mean, I'll still be overwhelmed at first, but it won't be as bad. :haha:

Also, my mom has far too many grandsons and only 1 granddaughter right now. Lol


----------



## swimmyj1

i always thought i wanted a boy but i wouldn't trade a having a girl for the world now lol. honestly if I had another i would hope for a girl hahaha. 

IRYM - are you going to do the genetic blood draw at 10 weeks and find out the gender?

also as for weight loss i need to kick my butt back in gear i've been way to liberal with eating. sure im still working out and my cloths are fitting better but i think i would be losing weight if i cut more crap out. ughhh sooo hard i love ice cream and chocolate :(


----------



## krissie328

I always wanted a girl. I was disappointed when we found out we were having a boy, but now I couldn't imagine it any other way. He's so different from what I know, but it's lovely seeing the world from his perspective. 

I won't lie, I do hope more for a girl this time. But if we end up with a boy at least I know it will be okay. I'm not so desperate for a girl now that I'll try for a third.


----------



## MissDoc

Yay IRYM! And Fingers crossed, Fern! So much going on here!!!!!!!

It's so funny, before I got pregnant, and all my life, I wanted a girl. But once I was pregnant I felt so strongly that I knew it was a little boy from the very beginning that I bonded with that idea, and I was right. Now I love it so so much that if we are lucky enough to have a second I would be really happy with a baby boy. They are just so so sweet and snuggly with mommy, and the idea of a little brother for my son is a nice one to think of. Weird though, I never would have expected I would feel that way. I always thought I'd be perusing the gender disappointment threads if I had only boys-- now I think I may even prefer only boys. So strange how we adjust our expectations and wants once those little balls of wonder are in our arms.


As for health, uggggggh, I totally fell off the wagon. Was going so well too. Trying to get back in gear today!


----------



## krissie328

My boy use to be so snugly to mommy. It was so nice. About 3-4 months ago he became daddy's boy. I think its because daddy relates to tractors and bugs more than mommy. I do look forward to if it is another boy having a brother for DS. I think he would bond well to another boy, which I find important given the larger than desired age gap we are going to have. 

I was convinced my first was a girl I started a pink and yellow owl baby blanket. I need to finish it and give it away if we are having another boy.


----------



## Fern81

I also hoped for a girl IRYM and tbh I had gender disappointment when I found out G was a boy. But now I can't imagine it any other way. He is so easygoing and my special buddy :). 
I would love a girl next just because I have a name picked out lol and would love one of each... but on the other hand if G has a brother it will be great! Best buds :). Ok so all my :) explained - we have a transfer date! Next Tuesday 5 Sept 9Am. Then bHcg a week later!!


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Have you tried some of those ice cream recipes that use frozen bananas as a base? Much healthier than regular ice cream AND you can add cocoa powder for a chocolate version, too. :) I make it occasionally.

*MissDoc* - Don't consider a little setback as falling completely off the wagon, look at it more like it's a temporary relapse or a minor hurdle. You're doing just fine if you get right back up and keep going! :hugs:

*Krissie* - Maybe you'll get your girl this time around! :)


AFM -- I'm on the fence about finding out the gender at 10 weeks. My mom is insisting that we seal the results and send them to her so she can plan a big gender reveal bash, but I half suspect the test results would just be sent to my medical inbox and I'd see them and spoil the surprise! lol

It's an automated system... So I wonder if I could ask them to mail me something instead, and mark it with "GENDER RESULTS" on the outside so I don't open it. lol


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - How exciting! :dust: 

I want one of each gender too, so I suppose it doesn't matter too much which one we get first, but I love the name we have picked out for a girl too much to hope for a boy first. lol!


----------



## krissie328

Fern!! How exciting. That seems so much sooner than I was expecting. 

IRYM- That is fun your mom wants to do something. Hopefully if you want to do that you can make something work with the results. 

Yes, I always thought I would have one of each. We have a girl's name. If we have a boy I am afraid he won't have a name for awhile. We just cannot agree. And to be honest I think part of it is because I just don't want to think about it right now.


----------



## RawrGirl

ireadyermind said:


> Just got back from the clinic, and it's good news! Definitely NOT an ectopic and we got to see the little heartbeat and everything!
> 
> I'm measuring 6w2d and the heart rate is 119bpm. Yay!

So I've just read from July to now, biting my nails for you, and hurling imaginary curses at your OB. I'm very relieved to have gotten to the this post and that everything is okay. 

I started reading this thread because I am obese and hoping to lose weight before getting pregnant (and/or during my first trimester if I get pregnant this cycle) so as to not be obese for the rest of the pregnancy. I've read several articles online about doctor's now recommending obese women to lose weight in the first trimester and/or to maintain their during the 2nd and 3rd trimester. So, I was just wondering if any of you pregnant ladies have been told that by your OB. Or if you lost weight or didn't gain during a previous pregnancy, how did it go? 

I ask all this because my last pregnancy (at 37) was very difficult, I got pregnant in the overweight category and gained 30 my first trimester and another 30 over the 2nd and 3rd. I was in so much pain my 3rd trimester that I could barely walk my last month. Also, they ended up inducing me a week early because my son was so big (he was 9.6 and would have been over 10 pounds if I'd delivered on due date). And his shoulder got stuck (he was fine, thank God!) but instead of giving him to me directly as per my birth plan for skin-to-skin, they had to whisk him away to ensure his shoulder wasn't out of socket. 

Fast forward to a year later, and I've still not lost any of the weight due to multiple different stressers (from house damage, to beloved cat dying, to new job, and a move) and am now TTC at an obese weight. If I started out last time in the overweight category, I am terrified of the weight gain starting in the obese category. (Also, this will be 3rd pregnancy, I have a son who is now 19 and I also gained 60 pounds with him, I just was lucky enough to have started in the healthy category with him. Point is, I seem to gain 60 pounds every pregnancy.)

*My TTC Journal*

https://www.connectedmoms.com/tickers/tickers/1ktwyy1179sptkf5.png

https://www.connectedmoms.com/tickers/tickers/r0tzx8ipxtlxjexi.png

https://www.connectedmoms.com/tickers/tickers/ospbxxrky94uez14.png


----------



## ireadyermind

*RawrGirl* - Aww, thanks so much! There's still lots of idiocy going on with my OB's office, but hopefully things will smooth out soon? I hope so, anyway.


Welcome to the group! :) I'm in the same position as you, starting this pregnancy in the Obese category. I was told to only gain about 10lbs the entire pregnancy. Ironically I was doing really well on a diet the week before I found out I was pregnant, and had to stop doing it... Go figure, right? lol

I'll tell you some of the things that I'm trying so that I don't gain too much weight:

-- Eat bananas with breakfast. They're kind of like a "slow release" food, which helps keep your blood sugar levels evened out. Also, the potassium in 'em is great for preventing muscle cramps!

-- I bought 100cal protein bars to eat as snacks between meals. They're also low carb, which is good for me since carbs are my enemy. But the protein in them should help keep me full. And it's a healthier snack option than a bag of chips, cookies, etc. which I am prone to inhaling like there's no tomorrow. lol

-- Lastly, I'm trying out Special K's Protein cereal for breakfast in the mornings, too. Right now, eggs are so disgusting to me, I can't stand the thought of them most mornings. But I do love to eat the sugary cereals! It's just that they don't sustain me and I'm hungry again in less than an hour. So I'm hoping this protein stuff will help keep me full longer.


I've only been pregnant 3 weeks now so I haven't really had the chance to see how well this works, but I will be able to update you after my next prenatal appointment. :)


----------



## krissie328

I only gained 25 lbs in my first pregnancy. (Same start weight as this one). A lot of it was by following a gestational diabetes eating plan. I had 15-20 carbs at breakfast, 20 for mid morning snack, 45 at lunch and dinner, and usually a veggie snack in the afternoon. Sometimes I would have some greek yogurt with strawberries or blueberries before bed. 

This time I am hoping to only gain roughly 15 lbs for the entire pregnancy. But I am also on a different medication regimen for the blood sugar issues so I am hoping that will help.


----------



## RawrGirl

Unfortunately, I don't like bananas. But i do buy the Special K Protein and Protein Cheerios. I even buy Fairlife milk because it has 2x the protein and half the sugars of reg milk. 

My problem is emotional eating. As soon as life gets stressful, I ditch the healthy cooking and order pizza and gorge on chocolate. *sigh*

I had been pretty active before pregnancy, but now am so out of shape and heavier than I've ever been that it's hard to get back into it. Especially since I can do so much less. However, I did find a DVD that I actually like (which is amazing because I hate cardio DVD's). It's only 10 minutes long and High Intensity. I can barely do it as I'm so out of shape, but because it's only 10 minutes I can usually talk myself into it, lol.


----------



## ireadyermind

*RawrGirl* - Do you have a friend or family member who can be like your fitness drill sergeant? I have hubby keep my bored/emotional eating in check by reminding me that I am trying to reach a goal and I won't if I cheat on my diet. It does help having someone to keep me accountable.

Good job talking yourself into that 10min DVD! I'm the same as you, I don't care for cardio videos. Half the time I feel silly prancing around the room, and the other half I don't have the space proper equipment to get them done either! I just can't win. :haha:


Unfortunately, I have an enormous 5cm x 5cm cyst on my right ovary right now and the OB has forbidden me from lifting, carrying, high impact exercise and even BDing until it disappears! So even if I was able to find a workout I enjoyed, I wouldn't be allowed to do it. Boooo!



*Krissie* - Why only gain 15lbs this time? Are you in the obese BMI category too?


----------



## krissie328

ireadyermind said:


> Krissie[/b] - Why only gain 15lbs this time? Are you in the obese BMI category too?

Yes, I am!! I primarily don't want to gain too much extra because of how miserable I was with my son. And maybe that was just end of pregnancy but I thought maybe this time I could head it off some. I also had a ton of water retention at the end of my pregnancy that lasted a good two weeks until I had him. Granted it was the hottest part of summer so that probably played a part in that. 

How are you feeling IRYM? That is terrible you have a large cyst. I had one about half that size the start of this pregnancy and it bothered me for a long time.


----------



## Diane77

krissie328 said:


> Yay! Such wonderful news irym. So happy little bug is doing well.


Yay!


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> How are you feeling IRYM? That is terrible you have a large cyst. I had one about half that size the start of this pregnancy and it bothered me for a long time.

I am battling pretty gnarly nausea all day long. I've been taking ginger root capsules, but all THAT does is prevent vomiting. The nausea is still there in full force. Ugh.

The cyst doesn't bother me unless I'm overdoing it with housework, walking too fast, or sleeping on it wrong. I hope it doesn't get any larger! I'm so bored not being able to do anything around here. Lol

I was super exhausted last week, took 4+ hour long naps during the day. With my PCOS hormonal imbalances, Im tired all the darn time ANYWAY... so pregnancy just adds to the fatigue. This week I'm managing with two separate one hour naps and a regular night of sleep. So it's improving slowly, but I sure wish the nausea would go away! :dohh:


----------



## mrs.green2015

Wow so sorry I've missed so much. Admittedly I haven't read everything but I am so so so happy for you IRYM. I did read one part where you said you have Kaiser and didn't like it. I also seem to remember we live close-ish. I also have kaiser and delivered at Kaiser Roseville (I hate south sac) and I LOVE LOVE LOVE my doctor. I went through soooo many before I found her so if you're looking for recommendations let me know. 


Weight loss is going okay for me. I've lost about 15 pounds so far and I'm not doing a struck diet and only some light cardio so I can't complain. I basically diet all week and most weekends but I also allow myself to have cheat meals. 

Hope everyone is doing well!


----------



## krissie328

Yea, I never found anything for the nausea. I ate crystallized ginger. 

The exhaustion is borderline debilitating. It let up at 12 weeks for me. But it's creeping back. I suspect it's related to low iron now. I'm working to boost that so hopefully it helps.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Mrs Green * - Aw, thanks! We live in Placerville now, so unfortunately Roseville isn't doable for us. It takes me over an hour to get there from my house. We're trying to switch insurances entirely, but DH's work says we aren't ALLOWED to switch because there's a Kaiser building half an hour away. Ridiculous. 

*Krissie* - Man, I wish there was a safe, natural remedy for the nausea too! I'd be ALL over it. Lol

In the meantime I mostly just lie down in a dim room and hope for the best.


----------



## swimmyj1

Raw girl - welcome!!!! I'm also a stress eater it is soooo hard to break that cycle! im also a bored eater (luckly a child makes it almost impossible to be bored hahaha). A tip that has worked for me with stress eating is before i eat something when im not hungy i ask myself will this really make me feel better? or will i just feel guilty for eating it later? I started my last pregnancy in the obese range. I didn't gain alot (i had nausea the whole time ughhh!) but afterward having her i gained almost 30lbs. As for losing weight in your first trimster my OB recommeneded it for me. nothing dramatic but like a 5-10lbs loss was my goal. 

Krissie - 15lbs is a great goal!! thats pretty much baby, water and placenta :) 

Green - way to go!! keep up the good work!! 

--- I am loving all of our good luck on this thread lately!!! its good to come here and see all the happy news :hugs: 

Afm - please don't judge the pictures lol i'm still pretty embarrased by how much weight loss i have to go. But i wanted to share my success pictures. they are taken about 1 month apart. I was getting really frusterated because my scale wasn't going down as fast as i wanted. I've gone from only being able lift (in work outs) 30lbs of weight to 80lbs! and I do about 30-40 mintues of cardo on moderate intenstiy (i remember barely being able to do 20 on low :blush:) 
(the black pants are now). I've replaced 1 meal a day with protien shakes and that seems to have given me the boost i needed. 

As for ttc - i really do think im gonna wait a few years before thinking about it again .... my dh keeps bringing it up and wanting to remake our appointment but i just don't know where we are going or if i will ever be able to trust him enough to have a second baby. I'm not saying no im just saying no for now. hope you gals don't mind me sticking around and enjoying all your good news though :hugs:
 



Attached Files:







IMG_4637.jpg
File size: 29.9 KB
Views: 7









IMG_4638.jpg
File size: 28.9 KB
Views: 6


----------



## RawrGirl

swimmyj1 said:


> Raw girl - welcome!!!! I'm also a stress eater it is soooo hard to break that cycle! im also a bored eater (luckly a child makes it almost impossible to be bored hahaha). A tip that has worked for me with stress eating is before i eat something when im not hungy i ask myself will this really make me feel better? or will i just feel guilty for eating it later? I started my last pregnancy in the obese range. I didn't gain alot (i had nausea the whole time ughhh!) but afterward having her i gained almost 30lbs. As for losing weight in your first trimster my OB recommeneded it for me. nothing dramatic but like a 5-10lbs loss was my goal.

Thanks for the warm welcome! I have tried that tip, but it doesn't usually work for me. It's almost like I go on autopilot when I'm stressed and just shovel the food in. :( I've never been this heavy without being pregnant before. It's really discouraging. The only time I seem to do a good job is when I do a Ketogenic diet but I didn't feel like cutting my carbs so drastically, esp since I can't if I get pregnant anyway. But I do much better on that rigid of a diet. Ugh. Must learn self-control/discipline. I've seen shirts or memes that say I run because I eat or I run so I can eat. Something like that. Anyway, that would be me. Except I don't run enough, lol. The problem is, I LOVE food. I love cooking food. I love cheese. And wine. Fortunately, when I cook, I cook healthy (low carb) -- and make really yummy meals. But when I get stressed, I have no desire to cook and order pizza. 

Anyway, your before & after pics are looking great! Maybe I will be brave enough to post some tomorrow.


----------



## krissie328

Rawrgirl- I found sometimes putting a reminder on the cupboard and fridge would help me stop. But I also know after awhile it was just there and it stopped being effective. 

Swimmy- I can definitely see a difference!! Great job at sticking with it. I am sorry DH keeps bring ttc up right now. I definitely think you need more time. Is that something you maybe bring up during counseling? :hugs:

Afm, I feel sick today. I hope I am not getting sick since DH and I are planning a short trip this weekend.


----------



## mrs.green2015

Krissie- oh the exhausting, I don't miss that. I hope it subsides soon for you. 

IRYM- crazy!! There's a kaiser facility near you (Folsom) but no hospital the closest one is Roseville! Also- we almost moved to placerville but it was expensive so we looked in pollock pines which we like too but now we're renting in our home town *yuck* down near Elk Grove. Hopefully you can get rid of kaiser soon. 

Swim-you look great! Keep up the great work and I totally get the ttc front just do what feels best for you.


----------



## krissie328

Hey ladies! I hope you are all having a good weekend. We have a long one here. I decided to find the motivation to finish the quilt for my friend's daughter. I want to give it to her for Christmas and I'm glad I finished it now. I was struggling crawling around and bending getting it finished yesterday. 

We are going out of town tonight. I can't say I'm excited but I at least hope it turns out to be a nice trip.
 



Attached Files:







20170902_120756-747x1328.jpg
File size: 43.5 KB
Views: 4


----------



## RawrGirl

Not doing so well on the diet this weekend. Not doing horrible, mind you, but ordered pizza last night, plus went out for burgers Friday night. And now getting take away on way to lake. O well. At least I've been working/exercising...sanded bookcases yesterday and gonna stain them tomorrow.


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie - hope the trip goes ok

Rawgirl- I also didn't do so great this weekend. I had a friend came out and we ate out for lunch and dinner. Ugh regretting it today, I feel so yucky. Gonna hit the gym in the morning after work tonight though and today I'm sticking with protein shakes.


----------



## Fern81

Swimmy- your improvement is quite noticeable girl!!

Irym how are you feeling?

Krissie I LOVE that quilt! I love quilts in general and that one has such nice colours and so neat! 

I'm really suffering with eating well. I'm taking SEVEN hormone pills daily and both the oral estrogen and progesterone has "unusual and fast weight gain" listed as common side effects. Plus I'm really hungry & think that might also be as a result of the enormous amount of progesterone because I felt this way in early pregnancy. 

Anyway rawgirl, hi!! 
I always find that having lots of healthy food already in the house helps me avoid takeout & junk food. When I really successfully dieted last year before ivf, I used to make healthy meals for myself in bulk (lean protein & veg, and then just add very LITTLE olive oil or shallow fry veg in a LITTLE coconut oil for those healthy fats.) Then I would freeze those meat& veg in portions for myself and it's even easier to just defrost it than going out to buy junk food!! And have lots of veg, greek yogurt, carrots, avocados and cooked eggs etc in the house for during the day. 

Having said that, I'm desperately unsuccessful now. I'm so nervous for my FET tomorrow and for some reason last year before IVF I was motivated to eat & work out "perfectly" for 3 months prior; this time I'm just motivated to comfort eat urgh.


----------



## Fern81

Read back now, good job on the weight loss after your twinnies green!! 

Irym- oh I see you're suffering from nausea and sleepiness. The yucky progesterone supplements probably makes it worse. I never had nausea but I got tips from well meaning people like eating green apples/ chewing on bland crackers to help keep the nausea at bay. There are also pregnancy safe meds that you can take if it gets too bad. Good luck!


----------



## MissDoc

Krissie, I really like your quilt. How pretty! I wish I had your talent! Great to get it done now before you get to the big and super uncomfortable stage!

Fern, Reading about you lost weight in the past with meal prep makes me feel like I really need to be doing that. I think that is probably such a key for me. If eating well is EASY and readily available I will probably do it. But if I have to work for it at all, I grab poptarts and cheese instead. Haha! So sad. Sorry you're struggling right now, I bet it feels quite difficult to make any changes with all those hormones working against you!

Rawr, I'm the same way. I'm a freaking psychologist and I KNOW I should stop and think through my choices and actively make decisions about food, but I just don't. It's autopilot. I eat pure crap then the thinking kicks in afterward!

Swimmy, your pictures are really motivating. You've made visible changes to your body. How awesome! I don't blame you for wanting to wait until you feel more secure and trusting in your marriage.

As for me, ladies. I really need to get my act together with food. It's really hard to exercise with full time work plus a 16 week old, but I don't have any excuse not to eat better. I just keep choosing crap. And then feeling guilty afterwards. I think I need to do some food prep. Make a few big meals that we can eat from for the week, have boiled eggs, veggies, small servings of cheese, apples and pb, etc. available to snack on easily. Drink more water. I've been eating a lot of convenience foods (kind bars, lara bars, string cheese) and processed crap or sweets (pop tarts, soda, ice cream, fast food). I NEED to lose 20 lbs. I WANT to lose more like 30.

We won't try for a second until our little one is at least a year old, likely more like 18-24 months, even though that makes me a little nervous with our fertility issues. But there is no darn reason I can't lose 30 lbs in 18-24 mos. Or at least not a justifiable reason. Just gotta get and stay motivated.


----------



## ireadyermind

Hey, gals! Look at how busy this thread is! :)

I skimmed the last few posts to get a gist for what's been happening lately and it all sounds really good!

Swimmy - I love the pics! Good for you, putting them out here for us despite being shy about it! I love that we can see the changes you're making to your body. Keep it up!

Krissie - nice job on the quilt! I'm so unskilled when it comes to quilting, I envy your ability. :)

Rawr - Fern makes some good points. Meal prep makes it so much easier to avoid going out for junk. DH helps me on 1 weekend day. We go get all the groceries, then prep at least 1 week's worth of meals in a couple of hours. Then it's just a matter of popping something into the microwave or oven. You can make some pretty amazing comfort foods like that and they're healthier than takeout. Worth a look!

Fern - yeah I'm betting the progesterone and estrogen supplements aren't helping with the nausea! It seems to have lessened some the past couple of days, though, so that's a relief. 

I think you're allowed to take it easy on yourself this time around with FET. It's a stressful time for you! :hugs:


AFM - I am still fed up with Kaiser. I emailed my OB with my ultrasound images and notes from the fertility clinic on Monday last week. When I called the office Tuesday to set up my next prenatal appt, they didn't bother pulling up my records and instead started trying to set me up as though their office had never seen me before.

After clearing that up, they wanted to set my appt for weeks from now, except the OB had indicated I'm a high risk patient and need 2x visits a month. So I contacted the OB, who told me they won't bother checking my cervix at all until I reach 14 weeks. But I don't understand why that is, because they check it with the same ultrasound wand they'll be using to look at my little bean with! Why refuse to check my cervical length and opening at 9 weeks if it doesn't take any extra work? I am on some cervical cancer support boards and have read stories about women miscarrying because their cervix dilated at 9 or 10 weeks. Something which can be remedied via cerclage. It's so enfuriating how this company is so disinterested in the wellbeing of their prenatal patients! 

Then after all that, the OB says, "You need to send me all the documents the fertility clinic gave you". When I told her I already had, she didn't reply. It was like she didn't even realize those were from me to begin with, despite my name being plastered all over everything. Grrr.


In happier news... August 25th, DH and I went with my mother and her bf to a Pat Benatar concert, with Toto as their openers. That was a good one.

Then this weekend August 31st, we saw Tom Petty on his 40th anniversary tour. I was slightly disappointed in that one; Tom seemed bored and worn out at the end of a long tour. The songs were a little slower than they should have been, and he seemed to rely a lot on his backup singers. Still, it was a nice concert. Tom Petty probably won't tour again. He's 67 or older. 

Pregnancy wise, I'm less tired and less nauseated these past few days. I was able to catch up on some house cleaning that was being neglected while I was so nauseated. 

Still dealing with the ovarian cyst, which now feels pinchy and uncomfortable. I'm wondering if it's growing, but since Kaiser won't see me for another week or more, I won't know for a while.


----------



## Fern81

I have a passenger on board! One blastocyst, same grading as baby G had. We'll see if it sticks! The other embie did thaw but was not great quality (12 cell morula) so seeing as we do NOT want to take the chance of having twins, we donated that embie for scientific research. I'm feeling so much calmer and better now that the transfer is done!! All the hormones are not helping my mood swings lol.

Irym that's ridiculous! When you switch your insurance, will you remain with kaiser?


----------



## krissie328

Congrats fern! Ftx for you in the next couple weeks.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Wooo! :dust: How many days til you test? FX'd!

As for Kaiser... how to explain? They are their own private company. You cannot use their doctors or facilities unless you're paying for their specific insurance plan. They do not accept any other types of insurance, and you cannot use their insurance anywhere else either.

They have a limited number of office buildings in the city, and not every building has every service, and there are only two of their hospitals in the whole county, both of which are over an hour's drive away from me.

I will definitely NOT be using their doctors and services when I switch insurance companies. I'd love to just find a good OB somewhere in town, so my drives are 10 -15 mins away instead of 45+, and be able to use the birthing center at the hospital 5 miles from my house. That's the ideal.

We can put in our request for a change in November and we'll officially be switched over by January. Right now, DH and I are considering paying outta pocket for OB care from a local OB until January, when they'll take our new insurance plan. :)


----------



## krissie328

ireadyermind said:


> *Fern*Right now, DH and I are considering paying outta pocket for OB care from a local OB until January, when they'll take our new insurance plan. :)

That sounds like it wouldn't be such a bad idea. They should be able to get you set on an payment plan pretty easily. My OB for both pregnancies did that and we just pay a monthly fee. It has been really great to be able to do that and have one less bill at the end. It does not factor in the birth or hospital stay, just the ob fees. 

I am getting so excited to see baby in 3 more weeks. I hope they don't drag on to terribly. We will officially have the gender then so it will be fun to know.


----------



## Fern81

Ok so it's over. I got a heavy period at 7dpo. I'm guessing progesterone issues or idk, but we are now a one child family. Lost the embie. I cried my eyes out for hours in the early hours of the morning but then dh and I went to get our son from his crib to cuddle with us in bed, and forced ourselves to think of pros to having just one. Eg we'll have more money to spend on him, can take him on trips even overseas, spoil him rotten, send him to the best schools etc. If I don't try to look at the bright side I will be too horribly sad at losing my last embie and never having a sibling.
My son is clearly a miracle baby. And he is such a great lovie. I mean which other babies smile and laugh at you when they see you first thing in the morning after quietly sttn. He is always smiling. Just had a bad leap at 5 months for about 2 weeks and that was THAT. He'll never have a sibling but he can play with the neighbour's kids and hopefully not feel lonely.
I HAVE to focus on the positive otherwise I'll sink into depression. And now I'm GOING TO LOSE 20KG.


----------



## RawrGirl

So sorry, Fern! You are right to focus on the positive that you do have a child. My 19-year old was an only child. And my DH was an only child. (And if I don't get a BFP this cycle or next, my LO will be an only child). My husband keeps trying to reassure me -- from experience -- that being an only child isn't that bad a thing. 

But I do feel for you. I am hoping for a sibling for LO so badly, and will be heartbroken if he's another only. But as you said, I will just love him all the more for it. He's very smiley too. He was completely unplanned -- we weren't going to try for kids until about now. So if I can't now due to age, I got really lucky (or God knew best, lol) that I have my unplanned LO.

Anyway...if we both end up with onlies, we can start parenting journals and hang out there and talk about how great it is to have the money and time to give our LO the best we can. :hugs:


----------



## krissie328

:hugs: Fern I am so sorry. I learned from experience that grief and the grieving that it requires. Like you said there really are so many pros to an only child. I do hope you find your peace with it.


----------



## Fern81

Thanks so much ladies for the kind words. 
Rawr I hope you do get your baby! But I'll take you up on your offer if not. Xx


----------



## mrs.green2015

Fern - I'm so sorry hun but you're such a strong woman! I am my mothers miracle child and an only child and it was fine. It actually made my relationship between my mom and I super close. Of course there will be times when he's a child that G will say he wants a sibling and that he's bored but when he's older he'll understand just how much you mean to him and how much you went through to have him. Baby G is an amazing little man and so lucky to have you as his momma 

IRYM- that's so crazy with kaiser! I've never heard such horror stories! You really need to get away from them. Out of curiosity did you go to the kaiser fertility clinic in Roseville? That's where we went and I loved the fertility doctor he was so encouraging and sweet. can't remember his name now though haha 

I also ate terribly over the 3 day weekend so I'm right there with you ladies!

I'm sorry I can't remember anything else. 

AFM- started working out again yesterday (vs. just walking and light workouts) and oh man am I tired and sore! Last time I tried to work out I really hurt my c-section incision site so I'm trying to take the ab workouts a little easy and so far so good but he rest of me is exhausted! Haha it's a 30 day challenge and my goal is to get it done in 40 days since I know I won't workout on sundays and possibly saturdays haha.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Fern* - Aw, Fern, I'm sorry! It's great that you're looking on the bright side, but I wish you didn't have to! :hugs:


*Mrs.Green* - Nope, private fertility clinic. We tried Kaiser's and they wouldn't even let me talk to a fertility doctor. They just kept scheduling tests for me left and right, without taking my medical history into consideration. Any time I asked to speak to a doctor, I was told I couldn't until I had completed EVERY diagnostic test they offered!

So DH and I went to the Nor Cal Fertility clinic. It's also in Roseville, and we paid out of pocket. The very first thing they did was sit down and talk to us, look at my medical history, and then devise a plan. Unlike Kaiser's "One plan fits all", Nor Cal built my treatment plan around ME, rather than trying to make me work for them.


----------



## mrs.green2015

IRYM- omg you and Kaiser just don't mix lol it's like they see your name and give your terrible service. I'm sorry that happened to you. I did have to do the test but it took maybe a week? It would have taken longer because of those HSG needing to be early in your cycle or something but they asked if I wanted them to call when someone canceled and they called me back a couple hours later to come in a few days later. 
Did you love nor cal? I've heard such good things about them and originally thought about going there for a consult first but kaiser paid for 50% of our infertility treatments so we stayed with kaiser.


----------



## ireadyermind

mrs.green2015 said:


> IRYM- omg you and Kaiser just don't mix lol it's like they see your name and give your terrible service. I'm sorry that happened to you. I did have to do the test but it took maybe a week? It would have taken longer because of those HSG needing to be early in your cycle or something but they asked if I wanted them to call when someone canceled and they called me back a couple hours later to come in a few days later.
> Did you love nor cal? I've heard such good things about them and originally thought about going there for a consult first but kaiser paid for 50% of our infertility treatments so we stayed with kaiser.


Yeah, I donno what it is. Maybe it's because all my appts were with the infertility center in Sacramento. Roseville just might be a better group of people.

Plus, our Kaiser plan did not cover a single cent of infertility treatments, so to be given that kind of run around when we're paying for everything out of pocket was a huge no-no for me. We figured if we're paying for it ourselves, we're going to get good service!

I did really like Nor Cal. The personalized treatment was one thing, but the doctors there were generally very caring people with excellent bedside manner. There was only one man there I didn't care for, because he tended to rush the appointments along and didn't spend time answering questions or talking about concerns.

Even when I got pregnant on my own, Nor Cal was willing to see me and prescribe necessary medications when Kaiser wouldn't (not 'couldn't', flat out _would not_). If it wasn't for them, Kaiser would have immediately jumped on the "ectopic pregnancy" bandwagon and tried to get me to emergency for a scan when I had zero pain or bleeding, my hcg numbers were doubling nicely, and so on.


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- I cannot believe you area already 8.5 weeks!! This has sure flown by. Then again I am struggling to think I am two weeks away from the half way mark.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> IRYM- I cannot believe you area already 8.5 weeks!! This has sure flown by. Then again I am struggling to think I am two weeks away from the half way mark.

Man, I sure don't feel like it's flying by! :haha: My next appt is Monday and that feels like ages from now.

I can't believe you're halfway, either! It seems like you just got your BFP a few days ago!


----------



## krissie328

Yea, my first pregnancy was so long. I swear every day was painful. But this time it has been different. I don't know if I am really that much more busy or if it just doesn't seem to be on the front of my mind since I have DS and a house now to take all my time and thoughts away. 

Then there is the part that thinks its the fear of adding a second that is making it go so fast. :haha:


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern - I'm so so sorry :( i was hoping you would have you 2nd BFP when i checked back. I'm proud of you for finding the silver lining though. Those are the things that I try and focus on too. My heart still thinks about a second baby (I haven&#8217;t been able to give up opks lol). But my head knows that it won&#8217;t happen. Plan a great trip together :) I think my silver lining is knowing I will be able to help my DD with her education costs more than my parents could. 

IRYM &#8211; I can&#8217;t believe your already 8 weeks!!! Where has the time gone!?!?!?! Can&#8217;t wait to hear how Monday goes :) if I was you I probably would end up paying out of pocket for a drs office I wanted until the insurance changes. Or at least find and OB who would do what should be done with your cancer hx. 

Krissie &#8211; I can&#8217;t believe your already in your 2nd tri! I&#8217;m glad its been going much better than your other pregnancy. 

AFM &#8211; im on cd 17 and still no sign of ovulating. I hate how crazy irregular my cycles have been sense having lizzy!!! Some months I&#8217;m ovulating by like cd 15 and others not till cd 25 ughhhhhhh and my LP is still shorter than before. Also I think im gonna avoid the scale for a few months. I&#8217;m working out everyday but the scale isn&#8217;t moving! My cloths are getting smaller and clearly im slimming down but I want the scale to show it hahaha.


----------



## mrs.green2015

IRYM- I know I missed your bfp but you did already have one scan correct? When's your next one? 

Krissie- I haven't had a pregnancy while having kids but I can imagine is flying by since kids kind of take up a lot of time and energy! Lol 

Swim- good for you for putting the scale away. You can totally see the difference in your pictures so you're just getting stronger and gaining muscle. And sorry if this is a repeat but are you ntnp or what? I know you said you weren't ready to ttc with your DH yet but since you're tracking your cycle and talking about ovulation I got a bit confused. 

AFM- today's eating hasn't been great but I've stuck with smaller portions so at least there's that... I did work out though! Tomorrow won't be much better as we're throwing a party here but I will try to be as good as I can.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - 9 weeks on Tuesday the 12th!

I know what you mean about wanting the scale to reflect your hard work. But paying attention to how your clothes fit is a great way to measure progress too! Just keep reminding yourself that muscle weighs more than fat, and you're definitely building muscle while you're working out! :)


*Mrs Green* - I did already have one scan and was measured at 6w2d. We saw the heartbeat (119bpm) and everything looked good! My next scan is today!



AFM -- Called the nurse's hotline on Friday because my MS had pretty much vanished, and I was worried it meant that something was wrong. I went from having all day long, severe MS to nothing at all in the span of about 8 hours. The nurse said not to fret, and that because I had seen the heartbeat at 6 weeks that I was already past a big hurdle, and that my odds of miscarrying went down to something like 2% at this point.

It was a relief to hear at the time. And my MS came back over the weekend, so I'm back to being sick allllll day. I haven't vomited, only get the heaves. But it's very very difficult for me to vomit, even when I have food poisoning. I have to tickle the back of my throat with a cotton swab before I'll actually empty my stomach. I'm not sure why that is, but it's kept me from throwing up every few hours the past few weeks.

I know it can't be classified as hyperemesis gravidarum if I'm not throwing up, but I feel like the only reason I'm not throwing up is because of my damned stubborn esophagus! It's good, in a way. I can keep food and fluids down, even if it's only crackers and toast some days.

I stepped on the scale this morning and I'm pleased to see I haven't gained any weight since August 15th. I'm going to make sure to wear lightweight clothing to my appt so they don't factor in the weight of my clothes when I step on the scale like they did last time! :haha:

Last time, they asked me what I weighed before I got my BFP. I told them. Then I stepped on the scale in their office and weighed like 5lbs more. The nurse says, "Well it looks like you're already gaining weight..." and I said, "No, I weigh myself first thing in the morning, in my underwear, on an empty stomach. YOU guys are weighing me at the end of the day, after lunch, in full dress WITH shoes on!" The nurse goes, "Oh. Okay." :dohh:

Anyway.

Fingers crossed for me, gals. I'm still so nervous we'll receive bad news today. I really hate that I can't enjoy this pregnancy thanks to so many CPs and the MC and all the other trouble we've had. I can't shake the feeling that I'm doomed to failure!


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- Ftx for a good scan today!!! I'm still struggling with feelings of doubt if I will bring home this baby. It seems crazy at 18 weeks but it just feel so surreal after everything. And of course my doctor had to bring up the risk of still birth in diabetic mothers at my first prenatal appointment.


----------



## MissDoc

Fern, big big big hugs to you. I'm sorry for the grieving you must be doing, but also impressed by your grace in handling it. Your smiley little boy will be such a loved child. And will have a more full life in many ways because of it! I may be in your shoes in a couple of years, so I have sympathy in advance. We didn't think we could even have our one baby son, and are so thankful for him, but hoping we get another miracle in a couple years despite the low odds. If not, then he too will be a very well-loved only child. And that's okay.

Krissie, I felt that same doom and gloom all the way to about 34 weeks with my kiddo, and even then still worried a little about still birth. You just hear so many horror stories that it's easy to think you might be one of them. But all signs point to everything going very well for your growing little one so far! Fingers crossed it keeps going that way! (And goes quickly and smoothly!)

Swimmy, I forgot, when did your periods start coming back after Lizzy? I know I'm no where near that happening as Lucas is not yet 4 months and I'm BF'ing, but I'm curious when it generally returns for women. I also feel the urge to be tracking cycles as I've done it for so freaking long. But I don't even have a cycle to track. haha!

IRYM, wow! Past the 8 week mark! That's great. MC numbers drop significantly past the 7 week mark and past the 12 week mark. Great milestones to cross! And as weird as it sounds, yay for morning sickness being back! Lol.


----------



## ireadyermind

Well, just got home from my OB appt. We were able to hear the heartbeat again - OB only said it was good, wouldn't say how many bpm - but we're unable to measure the embryo. You could BARELY see it on the screen, but could clearly make out the yolk sac. 

So now I'm nervous. I asked the OB why there was such poor visibility, and she said it's because I'm overweight and the machine is old. I thought that a vaginal probe would be less affected by my weight?

Anyway, now I'm worried. Does the presence of a healthy heartbeat mean everything is okay, or should I worry? What little the OB could see on screen measured at 7w4d but she couldn't find the fetal pole on her screen. Since I'm 9 weeks tomorrow, 7w4d is worrying.

Have any of you ladies had to deal with something like this before?


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- so my experience is this... My prepregnancy bmi was 35. I had these scans 6 days apart. In the first one you can barely make out baby. It was terrible. I couldn't even see the heartbeat on the screen. So fast forward a week to my doctors clinic with more advanced equipment and the scan was so much clearer and looked like a little baby. I think quality of the machine definatley makes a huge difference.
 



Attached Files:







PhotoGrid_1505178207452-640x640.jpg
File size: 34.3 KB
Views: 3


----------



## ireadyermind

Thank you for sharing that. A little more time could make a world of difference here, but you know I worry! 

I'm going to be calling the specialty ultrasound dept tomorrow morning to ask if they can squeeze me in same-day for a scan on the good machines. But my insurance plan doesn't cover that dept's services, so it's yet another out of pocket expense. I really am not sure why I bother going back to this place! :dohh: This is just one more thing for me to worry about!


----------



## swimmyj1

Mrs.green - lol yeah I am being super confusing. I have a serious addiction to peeing on sticks. Hahaha I'm not ttc though I'm more just trying to see if my cycles are going back to normal or not. I hate that they are still so random. Before my daughter I had a pretty clear pattern. I made an appointment for next month and I seriously might just ask for birthcontrol to just go back to being regular. I'm just really nervous about weight gain.

IRYM - a crappy machine vs a good machine makes all the difference! If they are doing vaginal ultrasounds and still not being able to measure accurately that's not you that's their machine. i would want a better scan, clearly your current doctors office is not set up for early fetal scans. Which is crazy frustrating!!!

Afm - I went to a drop in yoga class yesterday and the gym. I really need to work on balance haha that's for sure! My nutrition place wants me to go to a conference with them this Saturday and enter my before and after pictures in a weight loss comparison event. I think I'm gonna pass though. I'm not really comfortable with lots of random people seeing my progress photos lol. I feel bad for turning them down though, and passing up on 600+$ if I was to win over all.


----------



## ireadyermind

Well guys, I was able to get an ultrasound today at the last minute from the radiology dept. It's good news! My little bean is doing well, measuring exactly 9w1d and a heart rate of 176bpm. I'm so relieved!

We could see arms and legs, eye buds, and the little bean wiggled while we were warching, too. <3


----------



## krissie328

Fantastic news irym! I'm so glad they could get you seen on a good machine and everything looks great! Sounds like the doctor's office needs to get rid of that machine!


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> Fantastic news irym! I'm so glad they could get you seen on a good machine and everything looks great! Sounds like the doctor's office needs to get rid of that machine!

I agree, what's the point of having an ultrasound machine in the exam room if it can't accurately date or even VIEW a fetus? They don't even do gender scans in the OB office, you have to go to the specialty radiology dept for that, too!

They've scheduled mine at around 20 weeks, for December 1st. The radiology dept is so overbooked, it takes months to get in unless you're an emergency case. 

If the OB dept would upgrade it's machines, I bet they could take all kinds of stress off of the radiology dept. But you know they're not going to spend that kind of money. :growlmad: This whole company is ridiculous.


----------



## krissie328

Well that is good you got your anatomy scan schedule. 

Mine is on the 25th. I am super excited to know for sure what we are having.


----------



## ireadyermind

Whoa, that's right around the corner! How exciting! 

My mom insists on knowing the gender before we do, so she can throw DH and me a gender reveal party. She didn't get to do one with her other 5 grandchildren, so it looks like I'm the lucky one! :haha:

Are you going to have a gender reveal party?


----------



## krissie328

Haha, well that is exciting she can spoil you guys! 

We aren't doing anything special. We are doing family pics Sept 30th so we are gonna have DS open a box with pink or blue balloons and record it. If we can get him to say baby brother or baby sister that would be so cute.


----------



## ireadyermind

Have you asked him what his guess is for the gender? Is he excited for a sibling? I've seen kids cry when the baby's gender isn't what they hoped for. But I always think in those instances, it's because the parents didn't explain very well. Like maybe the kids thought they'd get to choose the gender rather than it being random chance.


----------



## krissie328

He has told us it's a baby sister from the start. He refused to even say boy names. But now he will say baby brother if prompted. I don't think he understands really. But we've been reading books abo It bringing home baby and he seems excited when ever he sees a baby. Although he definatley has been wanting to be the baby more. Which part of me enjoys the extra cuddles but then part of me worries it's gonna be harder to transition. But if I've learned anything these last 3 years is nearly all behaviors are just a phase.


----------



## ireadyermind

Aww. Well maybe he's right! They say your kids know before you do! :haha:

I don't have any kids to base my experience off of, though, so what do I know? 

What are you hoping for?


----------



## krissie328

I lean slightly more towards a girl but I'd be delighted with a boy too. Either way there are so many good things to look forward to.


----------



## MissDoc

Aww, IRYM and Krissie, it's so fun seeing your dialogue about pregnancy and gender and all the exciting stuff. I only have a 4 month old but it makes me miss the thrill/amazement/fears/excitement that come with pregnancy. Such a wild time of wonder! I'll be really looking forward to your scans.


----------



## krissie328

MissDoc said:


> Aww, IRYM and Krissie, it's so fun seeing your dialogue about pregnancy and gender and all the exciting stuff. I only have a 4 month old but it makes me miss the thrill/amazement/fears/excitement that come with pregnancy. Such a wild time of wonder! I'll be really looking forward to your scans.

Yea, I really did miss all the excitement with my son after I had him. It is fun to experience it again. Some days it doesn't seem as exciting to other people because he is our second, but to me it is still exciting. 

Only a week left until my scan!! I am super excited for sure.


----------



## ireadyermind

I'm still in this stage of disbelief over this pregnancy. I don't feel pregnant, except for the nausea and sore BBs, so there's still this kind of denial I'm going through. I really can't believe it! 

And with all the struggle and hassle of getting here, and then all the drama from Kaiser, I'm not really letting myself enjoy any of this. I'm still afraid of losing this little bean! It's been difficult. 

Throw in the all day nausea and heaves, all I've been doing is sleeping lately. I think once we're past the 12 week hurdle I might start letting myself feel hopeful.


----------



## swimmyj1

I'm just so excited for both of you :)

Irym - I'm sooo glad they could get you on a better machine!!! I was gonna post pictures of my friends ultrasound on a bad machine vs a good one and omg you couldn't see anything on her scan at 10 weeks on the bad one! And she's maybe 120lbs!!! So annoying!

I haven't been doing as well with eating well as I hoped :( but my DH makes it soooo difficult sometimes. I use to be a person that my happiness was tied to food. He doesn't understand that bringing me home Chinese or cupcakes isn't an ok thing to do anymore. Even if that was what would make me happy in the past :(


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - I have another appt on the 26th and they're using the bad machine again. Do you suppose we will be able to see an 11 week fetus on it? I can't stand that Kaiser can't provide me with clear scans! It's important to monitor growth and they can't accurately do that!


I can relate to your troubles with your DH bringing home junk food. Neither of us like cooking and DH is always up for a burger and fries. He's my enabler!

AFM - 10 weeks today! I'm just trying to focus on maintaining my weight. Eating small meals is not hard due to the nausea, but I'm hungry more often, so I eat many small meals. I'm afraid to step on the scale tomorrow! :dohh:


----------



## krissie328

I am my DH's enabler!! :haha: Seriously though, I need him to help me stay in check. I have been terrible lately. I am up almost 6 lbs!!! I am not looking forward to my weigh in on Monday. I think that is 4 lbs from a month ago. 

IRYM- I would honestly not hope to see much next week on that machine. It sounds just dreadful. :nope:

Happy 10 weeks!! I believe you are close to when the placenta takes over so hopefully the nausea will go down some.


----------



## krissie328

Hey ladies! We had our anatomy scan this morning. Everything looked good. And we are having a little girl. We are both just over the moon.
 



Attached Files:







20170925_104814-620x427.jpg
File size: 29.2 KB
Views: 3


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> Hey ladies! We had our anatomy scan this morning. Everything looked good. And we are having a little girl. We are both just over the moon.

Aww, yay! Congrats!


----------



## MissDoc

Congratulations Krissie! How awesomely exciting!


----------



## krissie328

Thanks ladies!! 

Good luck today IRYM. I hope they can get you a better ultrasound today.


----------



## ireadyermind

Nope, they didn't get a better one. They didn't use the internal wand this time and barely got a vague blob on screen. We did get to hear the heartbeat again, though, and it's in the high 160s, she said.

I was disappointed, I wanted a new pic to take home for my pregnancy reveal to the in-laws this weekend! Oh well...

Oh anD some good news, I haven't gained any weight so far and only 1 week left in this trimester!


----------



## krissie328

Such a bummer!! But at least you did get to hear the heartbeat. <3

Yay for no weight gain!! Mine is not going so well anymore. :cry: I think I am right around 7 lbs. I am just constantly hungry or eating because I don't feel well.


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie - omg yay a girl!!!! So excited for you &#10084;&#65039;&#10084;&#65039;

IRYM - I hate that they keep using that crappy machine!!!! But at least they can measure a heart beat. Do you have a home Doppler? I loved hearing the heart beat. But sometimes it could cause anxiety if I couldn't find the heart beat.

Afm - going to my doctors on Wednesday. I think I'm gonna ask for a weight loss supplement and birth control lol. Idk if she will go for it but never hurts to ask.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - I decided against getting a doppler for that very reason. I'd be so afraid and anxious if I couldn't find the heartbeat at any time. :\

What sort of weight loss supplement would you ask for? An appetite suppressant, maybe?


----------



## krissie328

I have a home doppler from my son. I found him super early, like 9 weeks. This one it was 13/14 weeks. It definitely caused a lot of anxiety. I have barely used it for that reason. 

Swimmy- good luck at your appointment. I hope that she is helpful.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - How'd your appointment go? Did you get any weight loss meds from your doctor?

*Krissie* - How are things with you?

AFM - Things are still crazy around here. Our kitchen's being remodeled, so it makes it really hard to cook meals at home since we don't have a stove. I've been doing slow cooker meals where possible, and salads and lean options when we eat takeout. I hope that keeps things under control.

Pregnancy-wise, we discovered that my thyroid has swung from being slightly too slow (Kaiser won't prescribe meds because they deemed it an acceptable level), to being slightly too FAST. So I guess pregnancy for me causes a mild case of hyperthyroidism. It may explain why I haven't gained weight yet. And I'm guessing it'll calm down when my placenta takes over completely. I read that HCG is what causes the thyroid to speed up, and I had really high early HCG levels. So that's probably all it is.

I should be going in for my first glucose challenge tomorrow. Wish me luck, I'd hate to have GD!


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - i can't believe your already almost 13 weeks!!! where is the time going!!! how did you GD test go? I hated drinking that crap it was horrible!!! 

Krissie - how are you doing? buying anything pink yet? 

AFM - my doc agreed to a weight loss suppliment yay!!! its an appitite suppressent i'm only taking 1/2 a tab for now just because i don't want to drop too fast then go off it and gain everything back. Also going to start on birth control this next cycle for like 3 months just to try and get my LP/cycles to hopefully reset. they are sooo all over the place though. It's a shame i'm not TTC right now lol i have gotten some serious EWCM that i wouldn't even need to take an OPK to know i was ovulating! almost a little too much its yucky. 
Lizzy has been really sick the last 2 weeks. We did a few day stay at the hospital :( she caught a really yucky stomach bug and stopped eating and drinking. Thankfully yesterday her appitite seems to have come back in full force. I like having my good eater back (taking it slow on her tummy though).
I missed you guys :)


----------



## krissie328

Irym- I experienced similar hormone shifts in early pregnancy. About 18 weeks that shifted and now they are back down. So it does sound like its probably the pregnancy. 

Why are they testing glucose so early? My doctor told me anything before 20 weeks is considered preexisting and not gestational. 

Swimmy- that's great your doctor offered some support. I think you're approaching it from a sensible point and hopefully it works well for you. 

I hope Lizzy is back to her normal self soon. How scary she was in the hospital. :hugs:

Afm, my sister and mom surprised me and painted the nursery and my mom found a dresser and bed she also painted to go in there. It is so cute! Im excited now I can start organizing her stuff. 

My mom has been going crazy on the buying stuff. She is so so excited. I've bought a little bit but not much. 

I have my fetal echo tomorrow. There were no noticible defects at my 20 week ultrasound but I am still a touch nervous.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Aww, poor baby. That's the worst when they're sick, 'cause they don't know why they feel so awful and they're too little to understand an explanation. Glad to hear things are looking up, though! Lots of applesauce, toast and bananas in Lizzy's future!

*Krissie* - I don't know why they're testing so early. Probably only because I'm overweight. Doesn't matter that I've never had a blood sugar problem even with severe PCOS, they see a fat person, they assume the worst. Sigh.

That's so cute that your family is doing all this nursery stuff for you! :D 

AFM -- Ended up not going for the glucose test because the nearest lab I can get to is closed on weekends! Unlike every other lab in the company. Grr.

My next appt is at a Kaiser office over an hour's drive from here, so I'm going to leave early and do the test at their facility since I'll be there anyway. Have I mentioned how much I dislike this company?

They have me "assigned" to the nearest birthing center available for them, which is over an hour's drive from my house! That is NOT ideal, nor is it safe. And if we get stuck in traffic or there's an accident that causes a detour, or road construction, or ANYTHING, that hour-long drive could turn into two and I could potentially end up having a baby in my car. I'm so done with these people.

Anyway.

On a happier note, we'll be revealing my pregnancy to my family this weekend! I'm excited!


----------



## MissDoc

Swimmy, so sorry miss Lizzy was sick. It's the absolute worst having sick babies! Hate it so much! Can't imagine having to do a hospital stay. Poor you guys!

IRYM, yay for doing your preg reveal! So exciting. Sorry for the stupid runaround you're getting from your health system. So happy for you that this pregnancy seems nice and sticky though. Every time I log in I am looking to make sure your pregnancy is still in a good place! You've waited so long for this and it's so amazing that you're now entering second trimester around now. Yayyy to that. 

Krissie, how cool that your little girl's room is coming together. Does it still feel wild to be expecting a little girl and you'll get to have one of each? How cool is that?!


As for me, it's been hit or miss healthwise. In the past 9 days I've had 3 great days, 2 decent days, and 4 crappy days. At least it's not all bad. Lol. Still loving motherhood, even though my tiny little germ factory keeps giving me a cold that he brings home from daycare, and he's having some wacky sleep nights (some nights he'll sleep 8 hrs in a row, some he eats just 1x, and other nights, like last night, he was literally up for 4 freaking hours throughout the night). But he's adorable, and sweet, and silly, and that makes up for it. He is in the phase where he is delighted by his own feet, loves toys, and smiles or giggles if you make eye contact with him or smile at him. And the very best is while I'm nursing him in the morning he reaches up and puts his little hand on my face while staring into my eyes and nursing. Ugh. Heart just melts.


----------



## krissie328

MissDoc- Don't you just love this time of year!! My son has been sick for over a week and had to share with both DH and me. 

IRYM- So crazy you are at 2nd tri!! I hope some of the nausea/fatigue are lifting. 

Yea, it is super crazy that we are having one of each. It still seems so surreal. But it is getting more exciting as I put her room together. I got some fabric on Monday to make curtains so I am hoping to do that this weekend. 

We weren't able to do the fetal echo Monday. She was apparently sleeping and I couldn't get her awake so I have to go back on the 23rd. It just sucks its a 2 hours drive up there.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - are you going to be able to change insurance in the new year? Cuz over a year away really sucks! I mean people in remote area have to drive far away. Worse comes to worse you could always go to another hospital if you were in labor lol they have to take you hahaha. I hope all is going well!!!

MissDoc - I loved that age! so smiley and exploring everything around them :) without actually being able to climb around and ruin things hahahaha. 

Krissie - that is so great that your mom is doing so much :) its so sweet that shes excited. I wish i would have spent more time doing lizzys room. A 2 hour drive for a test really stinks. I hope everything goes well!

AFM - i have just been in a real funk the last few days. Lizzy is doing better and we went on a little mini vacation for 4 days. and also did some family outdoor fall pictures. It was nice but idk ever sense getting back i've gotten back into an angry/depressed mood. Only time im really relaxed is at the gym (who knew hahaha). My mom and grandma pushed about a 2nd baby this time until i cried ... so that ruined my vacation a bit. I just wish they would leave me alone about it! they keep saying how sad it will be for lizzy... thanks for making me feel worse guys!!!


----------



## krissie328

So sorry they are putting pressure on you swimmy. I always hated the comments about how Christian needed a sibling. Once I actually researched only children it helped arm me with no he actually doesn't and this is what research says... But I know it doesn't help, especially, when you aren't 100% on the only child train. :hugs:


----------



## ireadyermind

*MissDoc* - I agree, that's the most fun stage. Everything is new and wonderful, but they aren't at the point they're getting into everything and putting themselves in danger! :haha: 

And good on you for looking at the positives and reminding yourself that even if you weren't at 100% for the week, there were more good days than bad ones. Keep that up!


*Krissie* - Yuck, a 2 hour drive for your appointment really sucks! Do you make the trip alone, or does DH go too?


*Swimmy* - Aw man, how come your family can't leave well enough alone on the baby subject? Has the novelty worn off with your current LO already, that they are already wanting to move on to another one? And why can't they just accept that you're not ready for baby number two? That's so frustrating! :hugs:

Lizzy will be just fine whether she has a younger sibling or not! She has you and your DH to love her, and can interact with other children and cousins to learn to share and whatnot. I know plenty of single kids who turned out just fine as adults.



AFM -- Revealed my pregnancy to the fam last weekend! Since my mom is always pressing us kids for a group photo at every function, we went up for my nephews' birthday parties. Mom predictably bugged us all for a photo, I put up a token resistance and told my sisters to "just get it over with so she'll leave us alone". 

The first pic, Mom said, "Say cheese!" and then pretended that the photo didn't turn out and she had to take another one. For that one, she said, "Say.... IRYM's pregnant!" and snapped a rapid series of pics one after the other to catch everyone's reactions.

It came out really well! You could see some people's faces like :O and one sister is in disbelief, and my youngest sister cried. I'm waiting to get the pics emailed to me from Mom so I can print and frame them. It was so cute!


Diet-wise, I've been eating pretty much whatever I want... BUT what I'm craving all the time is salad. Specifically fresh tomatoes! lol. DH buys me baskets of cherry tomatoes, which I will happily eat in one sitting. :haha:

My usual craving for sweets has gone right out the window, so I haven't been eating anything sugary or sweet after dinner the way that we used to, except for maybe a couple times a week. 

I'm still on activity restrictions due to the cyst on my right ovary, and NOW another one has appeared on my left ovary that wasn't there at 9 weeks. I don't know if I ovulated again while already pregnant, or what. But now I've got large cysts on each side and we're just in a "wait and see" mode there.

But despite that, I haven't gained any weight at all for the first trimester. Woo! I think the OB will be proud of me for that. I feel like I was eating enough for three people for a while there. lol


----------



## MissDoc

Swimmy, sorry for the pressure you're feeling. That must be really tough to deal with on top of your own emotions about it all. Bleh!

Krissie, bummer that you have to try again for the echo, especially since it's such a drive. Annoying!

I have totally slipped healthwise and have been eating too much sugar. I need to reign it in! My husband is out of town for work for a week (will be back on Saturday) so I've just been focused on doing everything without any help babywise, and it's making me have no energy left to care about what I'm eating. But the baby is great. Sweet little silly goose. Last week he was in a major sleep regression waking every 90 freaking minutes, but this week he's cutting me slack and has only been waking once, so I nurse him, then pump and go back to sleep, so only up for maybe 45-60 mins total. I can handle that much better than constant wakings!

We did some pumpkin patch pics and I felt really bad about how I looked weight wise. I just looked much bigger than I would have hoped at this stage post partum... but then again, I did gain 50 lbs in pregnancy. :-( Bleh. Just gotta be more effortful and consistent to make progress.


----------



## MissDoc

IRYM, what a cool reveal! That is so special! Glad it went really well. And super congrats on not gaining throughout the first tri. Man, I wish I craved salads. What an upside!


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- that is such an exciting pregnancy reveal! I bet you have some awesome pictures to remember it by. 

That totally sucks you still have a cyst and another one now!! I hope they aren't causing you too much trouble. My only one was gone by my 12 week scan. 

Are you going to find out the gender? I think you said you were going to. I think it is a boy. 

MissDoc- :hugs: losing weight sucks and is so hard. I am really not looking forward to after the baby is here and I am trying again. 

Afm, I will be making the trip alone on Monday. My mom went with me last week but this coming week nobody is available. I have discovered every time I drink ice tea she really seems to get moving so I am going to try that before I go so hopefully she is awake and cooperative.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie * - What makes you think it's a boy? :)

That sucks you don't have company for such a long trip! I am the kind of person that needs company on long drives, because driving makes me super sleepy!


----------



## krissie328

They say craving carbs/weight gain are more closely associated with girl pregnancy. Whereas, protein and salt are more likely boy. Plus boys you don't tend to gain as much weight. So far two of my friends and myself this has been true. :haha:

Yea, it's a boring drive. I also struggle with sleepiness when driving. I have some books on tape so I will likely bring one of those along.


----------



## ireadyermind

Interesting. Both of my sisters gained weight while pregnant with their boys, but I don't know what they were craving while pregnant. My mom only ever had girls, and with us she craved spicy Mexican food, hamburgers, etc. So there are two alternative outcomes for the salty foods/weight gain theory! :haha:

And what about my crazy, all-day-long, intense morning sickness? And the high heart rate? At my Nuchal Translucency scan at 13w1d, we were at 161bpm. According to the old wives' tales, those both say girl, right?

I'm all over the place with what I think baby will be! lol. Sometimes talking to DH, I will call LO a He. Sometimes, I call LO a She.

We're hoping to get booked for an early ultrasound at 16 weeks (the end of this month) for an anatomy scan, rather than being forced to wait til December. I can't wait!


----------



## krissie328

My son's hb was also fast, I think usually 160s. But this one's was always very high. Always in the 170s, once it was 182. 

I'm not sure about morning sickness as I didn't have it either time, neither did my mom who had 2 girls. 

I think its fun to guess. But I was wrong about my son. I was so sure he was a girl. This one I also thought was a girl. 

I think symptoms and experiences really vary person to person. I had one friend didn't even know she was pregnant until 5 months. But my other friend was sooo sick with her two girls. 

That is exciting you might get an early gender scan. I wanted to so bad but we are trying to save as much as we can for maternity leave. But I really wanted to know as soon as possible.


----------



## MissDoc

Umm, I gained 50 lbs with my boy pregnancy! Lol. And craved carbs all the way through and had lots of morning sickness. And he had super high heart rate. So I guess ya never know! The wives tales were all over the place with us. I read a study that says boys make you more hungry, but even that the effects were very small so hardly "true" in the scientific sense. 

The Ramzi theory was the only one that correctly predicted boy for us. Everything else said girl I think... with the sickness, acne, high heart rate, carby cravings, weight gain, etc. Oh, but everyone did guess boy for me because how I was carrying... all out front, big old beachball belly. Although I didn't start showing till around 20 weeks. 

We did the early gender blood test so we knew by 11 weeks, which was so awesome. Insurance covered most of it, and if they would have denied it the testing company works out a deal with you so I would have paid like 130 max, so it was way worth it!


----------



## krissie328

With my boy I carried all in the front too. This one I just look massive all around. I'm already up 14 lbs and I am really not eating bad or that much. It's definitely been so frustrating.


----------



## krissie328

I just wanted to update that I had the fetal echo yesterday and everything looks good with her heart. There was one spot he couldn't see but he said he was not worried at this time.


----------



## ireadyermind

Krissie - Glad to hear that everything went well for the fetal echo! 

MissDoc - So do you think that how a woman is carrying her baby might be a true old wives' tale?


AFM - stepped on the scale this morning, and apparently I've lost 4 pounds? I feel like all I do is eat and sleep, and I'm still on activity restrictions too! Where has the weight gone?

I'm thinking it must be due to hormones. Perhaps now that I'm pregnant, they're in healthier ranges, and now my body can function normally? So the healthy diet I've been following for years, which never worked with PCOS, is suddenly causing weight loss?

I've even added the recommended 300cals/day to my diet, but I'm still losing. Is it dangerous to lose weight while pregnant, even if you're eating enough and getting all your vitamins? Hmmm


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- I don't think a 4 lb loss would be considered unhealthy. Especially where you are getting a good healthy diet in there. I am sure you can always discuss it too with your doctor, but I know when I was losing (12 lbs in all with DS) my doctor was actually happy since I was overweight. 

This time I cannot stop gaining. Even with a decent diet I cannot even maintain. I am up 14 lbs and while my doctor did mention I had gained weight I didn't get negative feedback. I just feel so much pressure to keep it in check yet no matter what I do it keeps going up. Oh well, I guess for now it must be what my body needs.


----------



## MissDoc

IRYM, with the extra 300 cals you've added... be sure that you've calculated your MAINTENANCE calories and then added the extra 300 cals, not the restricted diet calories + 300. So for example, a minimally active 200 lb woman's maintenance calories would be around 2300-2400, so she would need to eat 2600-2700 while pregnant to maintain/fuel baby and body. I'm certain you know this, so I'm sorry if I'm preaching stuff you already know! But I'd say, IF you truly are eating 2600+ and losing (even 2400+ and losing), it's okay. Your baby will get what he/she needs at that level. If you're eating under that, then you are dieting, whether you mean to or not.

About the bump/carrying thing... I don't know if I necessarily believe that one's true either, it was just one of the only ones that panned out in my case. Everyone seemed to guess boy from me by looking at me. I can't wait for your early gender scan. So exciting!!

Krissie-- That's how I was, whether I ate well or not I gained with my kiddo. Which made me annoyed at my body because I was like, really body, there's no way we truly NEED this extra weight, I already have plenty. Lol. But so it goes. Worth it, for sure!

As for me, been fairly stressed recently, not paying attention to eating and activity. My baby has parainfluenza and croup and resting stridor (compromised breathing) which led to us being in the emergency room over the weekend, and him getting steroid shot and ventilated epinephrine to open his airways. It's been rough. I've never been more scared in my life than when seeing my child gasp for breath and look panic stricken at not being able to breathe. Ugh. There is no terror like that. He's getting better, just wanting to nurse non stop and sleep is a wreck.


----------



## krissie328

MissDoc- your poor baby!! That would be terrifying. That is good he is getting better, but none the less stressful for you. I hope he gets better quickly. 

Yea, I do not need to be gaining weight. I am so annoyed but at this point I am just going to go with it since I am so limited on what I can eat at this point.


----------



## swimmyj1

Finally had time to come on and see how everyone is doing :) 

IRYM - i wouldn't worry about losing 4lbs at this point. I lost about 12 i think in my first trimster and my doc was fine with it sense i was already over weight. I can't wait to read what you are having!!! 

Doc - So sorry to hear your baby has been sick :( it is sooo horrible when they are ill. you feel so helpless. 

Krissie - how frustating!! i hate when your doing everything that you should be doing and you still gain weight. Hopefully it slows down for you soon :( not much else you can do at this point right/

AFM - I've been sick the last few weeks so I definatly haven't been working out my goal of 5 days a week but I've usually been hitting 3. I'm really upset that I cant see any progress between my september photos and this months :( im down another 7.5 lbs total for the month but was hoping to at least see the progess. All the halloween candy around my house is not helping my depressed mood hahaha. But I do have some great news!!! After thanksgiving I will be starting my dream job in the emergency room!!!! I know the 4 months of orrienation are going to be horrible. I'm hardly ever going to be home and my grandma is going to come live with me to help with lizzy. I feel really guilty that there will be multiple days I will leave before she gets up and not get home till shes in bed. But its only for 4 months right? and its not every day. In the long run i know this will be better for us, I will have more certifications and make more money. (sorry long update lol)


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- that's so frustrating you aren't seeing progress. Hopefully it catches up to your weightloss soon. 

How amazing you are starting your dream job! It will be no doubt a tough four months but it sounds like you have some great support to help out.


----------



## MissDoc

Krissie, it is the worst when they are sick! Bleh! I'm sorry you're on the gaining train this pregnancy. But overall, it's all worth it. Our bodies sometimes just do whatever they need to do (even if we disagree with them). This may be your last kiddo, right? If so, you have the rest of your life after this baby to worry about your body and weight loss. Might as well enjoy this brief time in your life (within reason)!

Swimmy, that schedule sounds brutal. No doubt you'll have some days you'll be questioning your decision, but long term it sounds like a great opportunity! 7.5 lbs in a month is awesome by any standards! You should be proud of that. I know I would be! I hope you see results in the mirror soon for all that work. 

IRYM, how are you and the little growing nugget? I'm soooo on pins and needles waiting to hear the sex of the baby. This part is so fun because there's just no wrong answer or bad outcome... either will be soooo exciting, but I love knowing!

So I am trying to monitor my eating better. I did well the past 2 days, and crappy today (too many snacks and halloween candy, boooo). But I'll try to salvage today by taking a walk or doing yoga or something mild, drinking lots of water, and making dinner a good one.


----------



## krissie328

MissDoc- yes, this is my last pregnancy. I think I have decided to just go ahead and have my tubes tied after this one. I know that I have no desire to have any more now so it seems to be the most logical thing to do. My DH has dragged his feet getting the snip and I don't want another surprise. I have decided to embrace the weight gain and not worry. So far it has been very stable and right on track and not excessive by any measure. Just way more than I expected since my son's was so different. I think I figured out how much baby and all the extra fluid weighs and I think I have only gained about 3 lbs on top of that. 

I hope you are doing better with eating healthy. It can be so hard for sure!! I am trying to focus on eating healthy right now but sometimes it just sucks always being good. 

IRYM- I hope your scan went well and you know baby's gender!! 
--
It is snowing here today. I cannot believe it is that time of year already!!


----------



## cameobelle

Stats:
Height:*5' 2
Starting Weight:192
Goal Weight:145
MyFitnessPal Username:cameobelle

Goals:
Lose __2_ lbs/kgs by: (11/15/2017)
Fit into size __8_ pants by: (date)
Be able to do ___ push-ups by: (date)
(Feel free to change these to suit your needs!)

My Plan:
(Include daily calorie goals or minutes of exercise, menu plans, workout routines, etc.)
1200 calories, 16000 steps, 30 min workout daily

Weigh-ins:
(11/13/2017):
(date):
(date):
(date):

Things I struggled with this month:

Things I did well this month:


----------



## ireadyermind

Hey, gals! Sorry for being MIA again. Life gets hectic and then all I do is eat and sleep for days at a time. Lol!

I skimmed through all the recent posts to get caught up, sounds like thing have been more or less going smoothly! All except swimmy's LO being so sick. :(

Krissie - How's the weight gain doing now? Have you found anything that's helped you slow the gain?

Swimmy - I hope that new job goes well! It sounds like a challenge, but if it's your dream job, it'll be worth it!

MissDoc - Yes, it's been maintenance +300 cals, sometimes far more than that when I have one of those "bottomless pit" days that seem to pop up a couple times a week. I'm not losing any more and my thyroid seems to have slowed back to normal ranges, so that's good.

Cameobelle - Welcome to the group! :) Tell us a little about yourself?


AFM - just did the gender reveal on Saturday! It was torture waiting all week to learn the outcome, but now we know! It's a girl! :heart: That's what I was hoping for, I'm thrilled!


----------



## krissie328

Congratulations on your little girl! <3 Have you guys picked out a name yet? 

I have finally stopped gaining. I've switched to eating protein first and then the carbs. It seems to be helping. Plus, I have really switched my snacks to focus on fruits and veggies. I've noticed better blood sugars as well so something is working.


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks!

Glad to hear you found something that works. I also focus on veggies and protein before eating carbs... usually. Haha

We've picked Guinevere (Gwen. I love the nickname Gwen!) as a first name, but we're stumped on a middle name. DH has shot down everything I've suggested. Dozens of names suggested, and he hates em all! Sheesh.


----------



## krissie328

I thought that was what you said before. I absolutely love that name too. I hope you guys can agree on a middle name soon. That was part of our problem when coming up with a second boy name. We just couldn't agree. I was so happy when it was a girl.

DH really worked on the nursery this weekend. Now I just need to get it organized. I think I will aim to do that during Thanksgiving weekend. I plan to wash up my nb-3 mo clothes over Christmas break. It is crazy how fast time is going!! I am third tri today and that is just hard to wrap my brain around.


----------



## MissDoc

Aaahhhhhh so exciting IRYM! Congrats on your daughter. How awesome that it worked out in the direction you were hoping. SO thrilled for you. 

Krissie, wow. Third tri? Crazy how quickly time flies. It's interesting though, while I was pregnant it felt like forever (probably because I was so anxious to move it along and have him healthy and safe so was counting every day) but when I look back at it it feels like the tiniest blip of time. And he's 6 months tomorrow and it feels like it has zoomed by. 

As for me, health shmealth. Lol. I am a mess. I'll have a few good days then say eff it and jump face first into junk food and after a few days come up for air and realize I'm doing myself no favors. Trying to get it under control.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - yay!! a girl!!!! also i love the name you have picked out. There is something about older names that i've always loved. I bet that week of not knowing was super hard. Are you going to have a theme for your nursery?

Krissie - I can't believe your already in the 3rd trimester. time is flying by! I don't blame you for wanting to get your tubes tied if you know you are done after this baby. If i ever had a second one I would be getting it done after that for sure. 

Doc - control is soooo hard!!! i just had a 3 day run of bad choices ugh! Only good thing about it is I pretty much only ate 1 meal those days (of all crap) so i didn't go too over my cals. why does food that is bad for you taste so good and is so much easier to make!!! I don't mind cooking good food, i just hate the prep work and the dishes afterwards. I can't believe your boy is already 6 months old! How is he doing? 

AFM - It's getting harder and harder to work on my current floor at work. I'm just so over the drama and the BS. I probably will be eating those words in a few weeks when im over tired and my brain is fried of new information but right now its sounding pretty good. On an even better note I hit my 30lb weight loss goal!!! my friend spoiled me with a spa day. I cut 13 inches off my hair and had an amazing massage.


----------



## cameobelle

Guinevere, is a great name!!! Congratulations!! 

About myself: I am a stay at home Mom. I am a Photographer but I am just starting so not a lot going on. I help my Hubby with his business too. I couldn't keep weight on in high school and now I can't seem to lose it. Course we have had a lot of stress the last 2 yrs but are hoping to be moving out to the country and have a ranch and just relax. :) I make 1950's dresses and we are part of a group that creates historical armor, bows, garments, food, etc. of the Middle Ages. We just started trying to conceive. I have Lupus and FM so I really want to lose some weight before getting pregnant. I tried nutrisystem and I didn't lose any more than I would have by calorie counting and portion control. So I am doing that, steps and exercising daily. Well at least that is the plan. Monday we make an emergency trip to Wisconsin since my sister with Cancer isn't doing well.


----------



## ireadyermind

Wow, you guys. I had a reply post all typed and - I thought - posted, and then today I look and there's nothing! Oye. I must've had a poor connection while I was away from home for Thanksgiving!

Anyway, let me catch up!

*Krissie* - Wow, yeah! Your due date's right around the corner! Time has sure flown, I know I feel like you only just announced your +HPT a couple weeks ago instead of 8 months ago!

*MissDoc* - The holidays are awful for diets! The best I can say is try to aim for "everything in moderation" and try not to deny yourself too much. I think it's not worth the stress to fret over diet plans and whatnot when everyone around you is enjoying themselves. Let yourself have a piece of pie, but not a GIANT piece, and don't eat until you feel like bursting. :) We can all hop back on that New Years Resolution bandwagon in January! :haha:

*Swimmy* - Not knowing for that whole week drove me crazy! Haha

We're doing a enchanted forest theme for the nursery, and I'm going to be pretty daring and attempt to paint a mural on one wall. It'll be the largest piece of artwork I've ever undertaken, and I know I'll obsess over every little detail, but I'm really excited about it too!

And a BIIIIIG congrats on reaching that 30lbs goal! That's amazing!


*CameoBelle* - Ooo, another artist in the group! Do you have an online portfolio for your photographs? I'd love to see it, if so!




AFM -- I'm nearing the halfway point and I can't believe it! So far I've only gained 2lbs, and I'm convinced that it's more because I'm wearing winter clothes when I step on the scale than anything else. My first weigh-ins for this pregnancy were in shorts, sandals and lightweight shirts. Now, I come in wearing long pants, a sweater, and heavy shoes. lol

So I'm pretty sure my clothes alone weigh 2+ pounds and are skewing my results! :haha:

Anyway, dinner's ready here and I'd better get to it. I'll check in again soon!


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- Yay tomorrow is half way!! That is so exciting. I hope you post a pic of the mural when you are finished. Do you have any ideas what it might be yet? I have one thing I want to paint but it won't be nearly the undertaking. It will be wildflowers with the quote: "Do you suppose she is a wildflower?"

My pregnancy is just going at warp speed this time. I just cannot believe I am into the single digits in weeks until she is here. I got a great bargain on some girls clothes from a buy, sell, trade group yesterday. So I sorted those yesterday and now I just need to do the wash of all her nb-3 month clothes. Her nursery needs organized a bit but outside of that I feel like we are really close to ready. I need a crib mattress and formula but that is really all I am missing. I cannot believe this is real!!! 

I had my 28 week growth scan last Wednesday. She is doing well at the 45th percentile. She looks so much like her brother. <3


----------



## krissie328

Here is the only good pic we got of her. She would not get her hand away from her face. At my 20 week scan she had her leg up there. :haha:
 



Attached Files:







24139300_1026859204120380_1842961871_o.jpg
File size: 24.6 KB
Views: 3


----------



## MissDoc

Oh my gosh, ladies. You are getting so far along in your pregnancies, crazy! It's awesome everything's going well! Nurseries and names and scans, oh my! You all may have already posted this at some point, but Krissie and IRYM, do you have any thoughts about how you'd like your births to go? (other than short, painless, and easy, lol). I love hearing about people's hopes for births and their birth stories. I find is so fascinating and special, no matter how it unfolds!

I made it through the thanksgiving holiday quite well. I started PiYo 8 days ago and have consistently done the workouts and have eaten in more moderation, which is sometimes hard as breastfeeding keeps me totally ravenous most of the time.

I want/need to lose 25ish lbs before I start thinking about TTC again. But for the first time since delivering that doesn't feel so insurmountable any more. So there's that!


----------



## krissie328

Great job MissDoc. I think once I get past the first three days with any diet/exercise I tend to stay pretty motivated. Hopefully you will too!! 

I am not too fussed with the birth. I had a really good delivery with DS. I was induced and had him 10 hours after pitocin was started. If I am induced this time I plan to get an epidural again, if I go naturally then I would like to try naturally. But I am totally open to an epidural again if I feel like I need it. I just hope that if my tear from DS reopens that this doctor can stitch it properly so it stops bothering me during sex, even though it has gotten better there are still times when it hurts. Sorry that was probably a tmi. I just really want to avoid a c-section at all costs outside of an emergency. 

My family has really short natural labors so I keep hoping I get that this time. My mom was in labor 6 hours with twins and 4 hours with me and I am not sure with my sister. My sister was in labor less than 2 hours with her son and didn't even know it until she was pushing/crowning in her bathroom!! Of course all the babies in my family have also been premature, literally my son is the only full term baby I know!! I guess it is good to know I didn't inherit what appears to be an incompetent cervix.


----------



## MissDoc

No TMI Krissie-- I had between a third and fourth degree tear from my insanely rapid medication-free birth (3.75 hours total). My very first contractions were less than 4 mins apart. The whole thing was fast and furious, and my little guy had his hand up by his face when he came out, was a big baby, and sunny side up... so a "perfect storm" for a major tear. It's 6 months later and it's still painful. I'm very scared of tearing like that again, but like you, want to avoid a cesarean if I can. Although, I'm not sure what's better recovery wise (major perineal surgical repair versus cesarean). 

Here's to hoping for a quick and smooth labor for you, but FULL TERM! *fingers crossed*


----------



## krissie328

Yikes, sounds like a very painful experience!! I do agree that it is hard to decide which surgery would be more difficult to recover from. I only had a second degree tear and it hurt for a long time. 

I realized today that I have 55 days until I am 37 weeks. I am focusing really hard on not panicking. :haha:


----------



## swimmyj1

hey gals just wanted to pop in and see how everyone was doing :) sorry i haven't been on much my new job has keep me insanely busy. 

I can't believe how fast these babies are going to be here!!!! 

IRYM how have you been doing? 

Krissie - oooohhh man when you break it down in days that is like no time at all lol. its easy to say oh i have 2 months left and it seem further away.

Doc - that labor sounds horrible! I'm so sorry :( I will say that while i would have rathered the option of a vaginal delivery my c-section was a breeze lol. Idk that i would want to even try for a vaginal delivery if i ever have a second one hahahaha. 

AFM- besides work i haven't been up to much. I'm now down 35lbs!!! yay!!!!! Im only 5lbs away from being under 200 i can't wait!!! lately I have been struggling with the idea of a 2nd baby. some days i want one soooo bad and i cry about it. Others I realize how easy things have gotten with lizzy being my center of attention, and that the idea of going back to the ferility doctors sounds horrible. i just don't know how to cope with the harder days :(


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- the new job sounds like its keeping you busy! How are you enjoying it? Congrats on your weight loss, you've done so well. 

Its so hard deciding on a second one. Maybe once work settles down and Izzie is a little older you'll have a better idea. I must admit I'm happy with our bigger gap even though it's not initially what I wanted. 

I hope everyone is doing well. 

On Monday I was told I'll be induced at 38 weeks. So just 39 days! Outside of a couple things we are ready for her. I had a scare 2 weeks ago that got me admitted to L&D overnight with treats of delivery so it really motivated me to get things finished. 

Short story is my bi weekly ob appt showed a blood pressure of 180/110. Very out of the ordinary for me. It came down by morning but it was very scary. I was on bedrest for a week where my numbers all remained average and my labs were good so I was released back to work. Still good numbers so no idea why it was so crazy that day.


----------



## ireadyermind

Whew, guys - It's been crazy busy here! I tend to disappear from forums and online life over the holidays, and now that things are calming down, I'm back!

I'm 25 weeks as of yesterday, and everything's going well so far. Last appt, little girl measured in the 96th percentile, a week ahead of schedule. Whew! I guess DH and I make giant babies? We'll see how her growth compares as we continue!

I spent the weeks leading up to Christmas making custom crocheted and sewed gifts for everyone. They were mostly a hit, but of course the stuff I made for the kids weren't as "cool" as the toys they got. That's okay, I knew they'd get enough toys, and anyway I never know what to buy them that they don't already have! 

I made: 

-- Snowflake coasters, and rice-filled heat bags for the adults 
-- Great White Shark slippers for the eldest nephew
-- Troll themed beanies for the two youngest
-- Ninja turtle beanie for the 2nd eldest boy
-- Dinosaur beanie for the 2nd youngest boy

It took forEVER but I really felt like I'd accomplished quite a lot by the time it was all done. 

When it comes to baby weight and health/fitness, I'm doing alright. I've only gained 5 or 6 lbs so far, and I'm sure most of that is thanks to Christmas feasting. lol

I've started waddling a bit, because my lower back and hips aren't taking well to the baby weight on my front side. I expected that, as I already had a bad back going into this. I've got a belly band coming in the mail, so hopefully that helps. As it stands, walking makes my hips pop and my lower vertebrae grind together with every step. Ow.

And then a couple days after Christmas, I came down with a sinus infection AND bronchitis at once. Currently dealing with that. Blech. I have the humidifier running virtually all day, Vicks Vapo Rub is my new best friend, and I've single-handedly filled an entire garbage can with tissues. :cry:

So even though I'm feeling cheerful about baby, the good holiday season, and starting off a new year, my body feels like it's hosting a revolution against me. Haha


I very briefly skimmed everyone's posts, but I don't have the time to individually comment right now, unfortunately! I'm going to try and sit down and go through everything properly in the coming days and get back to everyone!


In the meantime, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope everyone's doing well!


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- I love homemade gifts! I did a few of those this year. Not as much as I wanted due to being so tired and then it is really hard to tie quilts on the floor while pregnant. :haha:

Your hip/back pain sounds awful. I hope the belly band helps. 

We can't seem to get well here either. My son has been constantly sick since Thanksgiving and I just seem to have a lingering mild cold. Hopefully it clears up before baby arrives. I'm extremely paranoid about flu season and having an infant. 

I should find out Monday when my induction will be. I am hoping for Jan 24th but it might be the following week. I'm still continuing to struggle with high blood pressure. I was sent to L&D yesterday to be monitored again. This is my thirs trip in a month. :cry: And to top it off I was contracting every 3-5 mins for about 5 hours yesterday. Clearly they weren't productive and I was sent home after my bp checked out.


----------



## krissie328

Well after seeing my doctor yesterday blood pressure was still climbing. He doubled my dose of blood pressure meds but said if it keeps going up I'll end up being induced sooner. But the latest he will let me go is January 24th, so that is when my induction is scheduled. I will be 37+2 so hopefully she is a strong little one and won't need any nicu time.


----------



## ireadyermind

Yikes, Krissie! That's scary that your blood pressure keeps climbing! Have they put you on bed rest? I mean, as much bed rest as you can get with a three year-old in the house, anyway! 

I'm sure everything will be fine, though. Super excited for you and your new LO! I can't wait for pictures!


AFM -- Still waiting on the completion of our kitchen remodel that we ordered and paid a deposit for in July 2017. I finally had to find the company's HQ email and file an official complaint last week. Wouldn't you believe it, suddenly everyone's falling all over themselves to complete work that should have been done in October!

But of course, the construction foreman and HIS boss are trying to place the blame elsewhere. It's never the fault of the people responsible for the delay, is it? Oye. I had to make a point to tell them that we've been without a stove or running water in my kitchen since July 2017. I've been making do with a hot plate for cooking and heating water, so I can wash dishes in plastic tubs in my non-functional sink.

I said, "And I'm due to have a baby in April and where am I supposed to sterilize bottles and heat milk without a stove or a dishwasher!?" So I guess that lit a fire under those people. I'll never refer them to anyone, though, that's for sure...



In baby-related news, met with my new in-town OB's office today. Just their intake RN though, who got all my medical history from me, emergency contact info, etc. We got a folder of paperwork to take home, info on first-time parenting classes (DH is so excited about that! lol), and info on how to set up a tour of the birthing center.

It's such a night and day experience from Kaiser! This RN took a good 45mins to answer all of our questions, thoroughly covered everything she could think of in terms of my health and previous history, and even recommended us to a local dentist since we're new in town. In no way did she make us feel like we were an inconvenience, or that we should hurry up and leave so she could see more patients.

What a difference receiving medical care in a small town! AND she told me that their birthing center ONLY sees patients from this particular medical practice, which covers a population of around 10,000 people.... which means there's only a small number of folks who are pregnant and delivering at any given time. I'm pretty pleased!

My appt with my actual OB (described as "the friendliest old grandpa") is on the 19th. Wish me luck, I hope he's as kind and thorough as the RN was!


----------



## krissie328

Irym- I am shocked you have been dealing with no kitchen for 6 months. I'd have gone crazy. I hope they get it done quickly. 

Your new doctor's office sounds so much better. Hopefully now you will be able to enjoy going.

Afm, bp is still high but in a more acceptable range. But now I am having a lot of swelling. I have another follow up Friday and a growth scan on Tuesday.


----------



## ireadyermind

*Krissie* -- It sounds like the BP meds are helping! That's a relief.


I did go a little crazy without a functional kitchen. I love to bake around the holidays, and couldn't do anything. Any time I had to bring food to a family gathering, it had to be something that required zero stove or oven prep. Thankfully we have a slow cooker, so I can still do nightly meals, and DH loves to BBQ, so we've been eating a lot of those two types of food. It's been too warm for snow here, and DH is a human furnace, so 40°F temps don't bother him in the least and he stands out on the patio in a t-shirt, BBQing chicken breasts. lol

The worst thing is not being able to wash dishes at a real sink, or load 'em into a dishwasher. I always scrub dishes by hand before putting them into a dishwasher, so it's not that I have to hand wash stuff. But I feel that dishwashers get hot enough to sterilize stuff, especially pet dishes, and that hand washing alone isn't sufficient. So that's been a problem. 

We've been using paper plates a lot to help combat that issue, 'cause I don't have the means to just quickly wash up dinner dishes every night. But thankfully the construction crew is supposed to come back on Monday to finish everything. At the very least, I'll have a stove, sink, and dishwasher again!


----------



## deafgal01

I'm floored at the fact you was able to manage without a stove and sink/dishwasher all the time. I'm glad they're finally going to finish it soon though after that complaint. Really there's no excuse acceptable for this type of slack on their part. I once went without a stove for a few days (we had to get a replacement for the stove) and that was challenging enough alone - realizing how much cooking we actually do in this household (we resorted to grilling out as that happened in the summer so easy enough to try new ideas/recipes on the grill due to that stove not working).

Sorry that I've not been checking in as much these days. Sounds like you're doing great with your pregnancy journey and that clinic is perfect!


----------



## ireadyermind

Good to hear from you, Deafgal!

We wouldn't have made it through this kitchen fiasco if it weren't for my slow cooker, toaster oven, BBQ, and microwave! We've really had to get creative with our dinners! :haha:


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - I can't believe you have gone this long without a kitchen!!!! I'm glad they are going to get it done before she gets here. That would be a total mess!!! 

Krissie - high BP's are scary stuff :( make sure you keep a close eye on it even after delivery. Fingers crossed everything with you delivery goes super smoothy. Super excited to see a picture lol

Deafgal - how have you been? it's been nice to hear from you!

AFM - I went off the birthcontrol this month, I don't know what i was thinking trying to go back on that lol my body has never liked it. Sure enough not even 3 months on it and bleeding started 1/2 way through the cycles. ugh noooo thank you!!! my DH is getting an MRI of his back and has surgery for later next month but depending on how that all goes we should be back to the clinic by the begining of march. I'm just really impatient lol. Lizzy has started loving babies and i think that is making it harder on me. When i watch my friends little girl she loves to softly pet her and give her kisses. Before i didn't think she would like having a sibling but now i think she would hahaha. Also work has been going really well. I'm just so much happier in the ER than my old floor. I only have lost 2lbs sense christmas but at least I haven't gained anything right?


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- that is great you are enjoying your new position. Lizzy sounds so precious with your friend's baby. <3

Fx everything goes well with your dh mri and the clinic. 

Afm, bp is up and down. It seems every other appointment it is too high. My growth scan is scheduled for today with my induction scheduled for the 24th. 

Thank goodness my swelling has virtually gone away. That was a miserable 4 days. I do wonder if it wasn't from doubling my bp meds, or possibly me resting more?

I really do hope my blood sugars and bp go back to normal after she is born. In some happy news I had my a1c done today and it was good. :happydance: It feels nice to know something is going right this pregnancy. 

I have the nursery done, all the bags packed, and carseat base installed. I definitely think we are as ready as we can be for her arrival.


----------



## MissDoc

Krissie, so glad you're doing better. Can't believe your date is just 8 days away! So exciting!!!! Sounds like you're ready for her! Hopefully she's a strong chunky little one and doesn't need much intervention!

IRYM, Holy cow that sounds miserable, I'm sorry your contractors were so awful, but glad it'll be done soon! And yay for good healthcare! How are you feeling these days?

Swimmy, I think I missed that you were trying again for a second? Whoa! Congratulations. Hope it happens quickly. How's parent life going overall? 

All is well here, just not healthwise. Lol. I just can't muster motivation to stay consistent. Life working full time and balancing mommyhood with my gorgeous, goofy, loveable little 8 month old feels like it uses up all my energy. I think in regards to trying again, we'll wait until he's 18 months or 2 years. But before we even consider it I do really need to get at least 20 lbs off. If I get pregnant at this weight and put on as much as I did the first time, it'll be pretty miserable, and I don't want that to happen. As of now, I have plenty of time to get that 20 lbs off before we consider it (10-16 months), but I need to start chipping away at it so I don't feel like I'm rushing to get it off later.


----------



## krissie328

MissDoc- that sounds like a good age gap. I am really looking forward to having 3.5 years between my two. My DS has really developed a lot over the last year and I think it will help make the transition better. Plus we were able to potty train and so that expense is gone. 

I have a growth scan in an hour. I am so excited. I am guessing she will be right around 6.5-7 lbs based on expected growth from her last estimate at 32 weeks. She is definately pressing on my cervix and it is getting quite painful to move. I am very much looking forward to her getting here. Although, still nervous about having two and how my DS will react. He is going through a tough phase so hopefully he will mellow out soon.


----------



## krissie328

My growth scan went good yesterday. Baby is measuring about seven pounds and everything looked healthy. The only problem is she is sitting diagonally instead of head down. So basically the doctor told me if she isn't head down by next Wednesday then they will prep me for a C-section. She has been laying diagonal for weeks now, so I feel a little frustrated. The thought of a C-section is pretty scary so I'm trying to process that and prepare for that outcome.


----------



## swimmyj1

MissDoc- i don't think i ever formally decided on starting TTC#2 idk if its the hormones from stopping birthcontrol or what but baby fever has me bad lol. part of me is trying not to get my hopes up with anything. Really hoping my LP went back to 11-12 days instead of the 10 day one i was having after pregnancy.

Krissie - have they talked at all about trying to flip her at all? or is it too risky with your bp? I just can't believe she will be here so soon!!! I will say my c-section wasn't bad at all. Honestly i think i would be scared for a vaginal delivery hahaha but i'm sure its just fear of the unknown. :) it's great your prepairing for either outcome. 

AFM - (bear with me baby fever has made me a little crazy tonight (and that work is super slow lol)) today i started looking up donor profiles and i think i found one that would be a match. is that creepy?? i feel like thats a little creepy, almost like i'm shopping for a baby???


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- no they haven't talked to me about turning her yet. The doctor was reviewing my scan results after I had already left and had his nurse call and let me know. I have a follow-up appointment on Friday so I plan to ask then. In the meantime I have looked up some suggestions from spinning babies and online to try.

Did you use a donor for your daughter? I definitely think if that is the route you are going that it is not creepy. I definitely would be doing it too. Of course I'd find it interesting anyways so might do it without looking for donor. :haha:


----------



## krissie328

Miss Alice Rose is finally here!

I came in on 1/23/18 to start cervical ripening. They did 4 rounds of cytotec. I was not dilating so I asked to change it up about 4. They decided on a folley bulb. That was inserted about 6 pm. I tried to sleep from 8:30-11 but was having some contractions so asked for some Tylenol. At 11:15 I woke up needing to pee so got up and my water went and I was 3 cm. After that the contractions were just on top of each other. She was born right about 1:30 am on 1/25/18. I had requested an epidural but it was all so fast I ended up having her with nothing. There was only my nurse in the room when she was born. 

She was 6 lbs 5 oz, 18 inches long. She is doing so good and I am just so in love with her.
 



Attached Files:







59512-427x759.jpg
File size: 27.5 KB
Views: 5


----------



## Ursaula

Oh Krissie, she's adorable!!!

Congrats IRYM and to everyone else with their dedication and hard decision making. It has been a treat to come back on here and read up on the well-being of all of you.

I'd like to try and keep this post short but I will do some quick-version of the past 11 months offline.

Last I remember, I was dating guy who I liked but felt like I couldn't really be myself around him. I am no longer with this guy. I believe at that time some of you (Fern :wink wink: )were asking for more weight loss photo updates, I have attached them below. Big photos of me are around 386lbs. The smaller ones were not that long ago, I've weighed in at 216lbs for a couple months now! :happy dance: 

As for a quick catch-up. My mental health plummeted as my medications stopped working. I was hospitalized for a month and a half. Medication all re-figured out. I feel FABULOUS! I have literally lived the last 9 or so months in basically ZERO mental related pain. I have never felt so free and alive in my life. I honestly feel I have my life. I am LIVING MY LIFE! So yes, mental status has been wonderful. During this time I also met a super smart, artistic guy and we just clicked. I moved in with him after about a month and have never looked back. We have pets together, we do everything together. We had our first night away from each other two days ago (while I was off getting a tonsillectomy!! Finally), we missed each other so much! Because I had lost so much weight my reproductive system randomly decided in June to start working on a fairly regular basis. Seems she's gone missing again though...

I can't wait to hopefully chat with all you gals again on a more regular basis. Oh, and please let me know what you think of my last picture. Surprise! (top test-Jan.21 fmu. bottom test-Jan.26 random dribble early evening).
 



Attached Files:







WeightLoss.jpg
File size: 22.6 KB
Views: 2









WeightLoss2.jpg
File size: 20 KB
Views: 2









WeightLoss3.jpg
File size: 23.5 KB
Views: 3









20180126_172929.jpg
File size: 29.3 KB
Views: 4


----------



## krissie328

Ursula! How great to hear from you. It sounds like the last year has been a great change for you. I'm so happy you have been able to get your mental health under control. 

Congrats on your bfp!


----------



## Fern81

Omg how wonderful for all of you! 

Congrats on your fast and uncomplicated birth Krissie, she is wonderful!! I'm so happy for you!

And then Urs, wow your life really has made a 360! I'm ecstatic to see you are at such a great weight and so healthy and that you're preggies!!!!!!! Please don't stay away now!! We (I!) Need updates throughout!!!


----------



## Ursaula

Thank you gals for your loving words, they truly mean a lot. Hehe, I definitely plan on keeping updated as much as possible.

My doctor gave me hcg bloodwork to do. I did it last week at 4 weeks 3 days. When I saw him today he stated my legwork is fantastic but hcg is low where it should be by now. He said my hcg was at 725. It concerned me but as I've been researching online, 725 at 4 weeks 3 days is good. Maybe he thought it was for today (5 weeks 2 days)? I'd love your input on this. I have an ultrasound tomorrow (Feb. 1). He said he will get a hold of me regardless once he hears anything. If it isn't looking good he has already given me hcg repeated testing (every 2 days, for 3 labs). What are your opinions of hcg 725 at 4 weeks 3 days lmp?


----------



## Ursaula

On my phone typing that. Legwork=Labwork thanks "autocorrect". Also hcg was 732. Not 725.


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie - she is beautiful!!!!! I'm so glad she is here and everything went smoothly. So happy for you. (also loving your new profile picture!!!)

urs - omg soooo glad to hear from you again!!! and a super huge congrats to your bfp!!!! my Hcg at 18 dpo was only 343 with lizzy soooo for 4 weeks 3 days yours seems great to me. But the big thing is the repeat one lab value doesn't tell you much. Heck my first one with lizzy was 32! no joke lol and that was 2 days past my missed period. so you never know. 

AFM - using a donor this cycle!!! I just started my cycle yesterday and gave the company a call. I'm doing clomid. Only thing that makes me nervious is the "sample" is only good for a few days after delivery so timing it makes me a little nervous. If it doesn't work this cycle (i maybe would try 2 times at home) but if it doesn't work we will just have it delievered to the clinic and pay the extra 1,000$ for implanting. Thanks for making me feel better about "baby shopping" lol


----------



## krissie328

Urs- that number is good, but like swimmy said one number alone usually doesn't say much. 

Swimmy- good luck this cycle. Ftx you get the timing right!

Thank you! Ds just adores her, its been so precious. He seems to be handling the transition well so hopefully it keeps going smoothly.


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: Super exciting about the donor cycle!! I hope it works right away not only for cost purposes but emotionally as well. I feel we've all been through so much.

Krissie: I love looking at your photo too. It makes me happy to hear they're bonding. I've been waiting for an update on little precious, and of course Mommy, too! How are things playing out for you?

AFM: You gals keep me sane sometimes. I'm feeling better with the hcg. My ultrasound yesterday though has me worried now. Ugh! I think I just had the ultrasound too early. For abdominal, the technician could kind of see a small black sack. I ended up agreeing to the transvaginal ultrasound and we got some better photos of the sack. He printed one for me. However, my doctor called later and stated there was no visible baby in the sack. He said I might just be too early yet. (Why make me stress to begin with then and just wait longer?). He has me going for bloodwork today and Monday to see how the hcg is progressing. Another ultrasound will be in 4 weeks to give things time to grow. We'll see from there.


----------



## krissie328

Ursula- you're definately early still. I think giving it more time to grow and watching the hcg is a good plan. I don't think they expect to see anything until after hcg reaches 2000+.

Afm, Alice is doing great. She is feeding well and at her first appt had only lost 1 oz since her discharge. I'm sure now she is close to her birth weight. She is such a calm and curious little thing. She even did tummy time yesterday with little complaint. My DH is also bonding well which has been so helpful. With ds I think the shock of becoming parents after 9 years of marriage really through him into depression and he struggled a lot. So it's great to have a different experience this time.

I am doing okay. I've healed from the birth well, however, I am a week out and still struggling with preeclampsia. My blood pressure is just out of control and I'm now on two different meds trying to get it down. My swelling has gone down significantly though but I have some fluid on my lungs making me feel a little breathless if I do too much. 

Emotionally, I feel a little raw. My DH was suppose to get a vasectomy on Monday. It had been scheduled for months and we had been planning it since we found out I was pregnant. Well the doctor could not do it in office because of some connective tissue issues. So now all I keep thinking about is having another baby. I'm pretty sure its hormones but its really messing with me. I always expected once she was here that I would feel done. My biggest factor is age as we would want a little bit bigger gap and DH feels he would be getting too old, and I'm inclined to agree too. So I'm hoping once these hormones settle that I start feeling content. I'm gonna talk with my doctor at my pp check in March about a tubal since now that seems to be our best option now that DH vasectomy would require him to go under general anaesthesia. 

I'm also trying to get back to losing weight. I am at just over 20 lbs gained. So I'm hoping to put a dent in that by April when I go back to work. 

Outside of those major things I'm just trying to soak in as much of my two babies as I can. It's so hard to beleive I have two after all these years!


----------



## swimmyj1

Urs - yeah they cant usually see anything much yet. I know its impossible not to worry but I hope that everything goes well. (Playing devils advocate here so please dont hate me) - if by some horrible chance its not, there is a silver lining. You are having more normal cycles and were able to get a bfp without a ton of treatment. Thats huge from where you were a few years ago. I am very much hoping this is a sticky healthy baby though! 

Krissie - Im sorry to hear your blood pressure is still high :( I was hoping delivery would fix that for you. Very glad that your dh is doing so much better this time around! Having that help is soooo important. Its a scary feeling to make such a permanent choice like a tubal even when you know you probably wont have more children its hard to make that choice. Ive always know I didnt want more than 2 kids and me and my dh agreed on that same choice but I think if we have 2 I would still freak out a bit about making that a forever choice lol.

Afm - Im on cd 2 I think Im gonna start clomid on cd 4. Timing stuff out with a donor has me stressed out. I dont want to call too early for the sample to be sent and it go bad before I can use it. Or call to late and it be useless lol. Who would have thought this would be stressful Hahahaha


----------



## Fern81

Urs- no usually at this stage they can only see the cavity where the baby is growing- not any baby yet! The baby is still basically as small as a poppy seed! On my sil's 6 week scan they could also only see the black cavity in the uterus- normal view for that stage in the gestation hun. You'll see more later. Xxxx good numbers!


----------



## Fern81

Ooohhh good luck with your donor swimmy! So exciting!

Krissy, so glad little miss is doing well. I'm so broody atm but can't really afford to be pregs right now. My life is crazy. Maybe in a month or so. :)


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern - I cant believe your little guy is a year old already!!! Where has the time gone!?! Sorry everything is so crazy for you right now. Hope everything evens out.


----------



## Ursaula

I can't believe it's been a year already, either! Did you do anything special to celebrate, Fern?

Swimmy: I greatly appreciate you temporarily playing the devils advocate. You are 100% right. A couple years ago I didn't even have periods.

What are your updates in terms of your cycle? When will the donor sperm be arriving?

Krissie: Glad little Alice is doing well. Hopefully your health gets back in order and you feel better.

AFM: What would I do without you gals? You've helped me through so much! I had bloodwork done on Friday and more today to compare hcg. My doctor called about 20 minutes ago saying not to bother doing todays bloodwork. I have a viable pregnancy! 100% He said! On 19dpo (approx.) I was at 732. On Friday (27dpo approx.) I was over 13,000! He gave me the exact number but I can't remember it. He said it's all well.


----------



## MissDoc

Urs-- So so happy to hear your updates. ESPECIALLY THE BFP! ahhh! Congratulations. You must be to the moon with excitement. How does your partner feel about it?

Swimmy-- Ooooh, it's go time! Eek, that is so exciting. I hope the timing is just right and everything goes smoothly!

Krissie-- Holy cow! Congratulations on your amazing birth-- you are a rock star momma... natural childbirth is no joke! I want to go natural again if we get lucky enough to have a second but I had major tearing and rough recovery the last time so it makes me nervous. Your daughter is beautiful! Does it feel wild to realize you have a daughter now? A sweet little boy and lovely little girl. What a precious family!

Fern, hope things chill out for you soon and pregnancy is on the horizon!


Nothing to report here, other than tomorrow's my bday. Still avoiding health changes like the plague, lol, need to get with it! Whoever said breastfeeding makes the weight fall off, shame on them! I've been breast feeding 8 months and am still 20 lbs up over pre-preg weight. Breastfeeding makes me ravenous all the time. And if I exercise, I get even hungrier and just replace the calories I burned by eating more. Ugh.


----------



## krissie328

Urs- fantastic update! Congrats again. 

MissDoc- it was one heck of a ride but if we have another baby I would do it again. My recovery was so much better this time. 

It has been crazy thinking about the fact we have two and one of each. It was always what I wanted and its hard to beleive it. She has fit in so well and it such a sweet and content baby. I can honestly say I would be willing to go for a third if things line up in a couple years and DH agrees. But at this point I'm finding it unlikely to happen, which I'm sure I'll be okay with too.


----------



## swimmyj1

urs - i knew it! yay!!! so excited for you!!!!! can't wait for more updates :) 

Doc - hahaha i was thinking the same thing about breastfeeding!! i put on more weight while breastfeeding than when i was pregnant! I was sooooo mad lol hungry all the time. I didn't get anywhere until after I stopped breastfeeding it was so frustrating but i get their nutrition is more important. I'm sure the weight will come off once your done nursing. 

krissie - i'm just so happy for you, everytime i see the picture of them together it just looks so complete :) I always thought i would want 2 boys or even one of each but its funny how things change because now i would be more than over joyed with 2 girls hahaha but thats me getting ahead of myself.

AFM - i forgot how much i felt totally crazy on clomid lol. I can't stop obsessing and its driving me nuts. I keep going over my previous cycles over and over. ones without clomid and ones with trying to get the timing right. (this would be soooo much easier if i had more regular cycles hahaha. As it stands I'm going to "implant" on feb 15th. That would put me on CD 16 and hopefully i ovulate that night or the next day. on clomid i ovulated anywhere between CD 15 and CD 18. Sorry for the rambling. I for sure can say that if we do a donor again i'm going to do it with the clinic no at home lol. The clinic has the freezers needed to keep samples until needed.


----------



## swimmyj1

hope everyone has a wonderful valentines day tomorrow :)


----------



## Fern81

Hi swimmy fx for you especially with those clomid hormones! I remember those!
So we have decided that unless we win the lotto we are one and done lol. I don't think I'll have a hysterectomy until next year (medical aid fund issues) but until then, welp we barely have sex as it is and I'm infertile so we're good. I am really VERY VERY happy with baby G! And am saving up for the metabolic diet. I think that's the best thing ever.


----------



## Fern81

Urs and irym- news!!


----------



## krissie328

swimmyj1 said:


> hope everyone has a wonderful valentines day tomorrow :)

Happy Valentine's! I hope your insem goes well. Ftx you catch that egg.

Fern- it is such a hard decision to decide to be oad. But when we had decided that I was looking forward to it.


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern - what is the metabolic diet? 

Im annoyed Ive come down with this respiratory sickness and I think it has completely messed up my temp charting this month. I think Ill disregard the unusually high temps. I tested 3 times with an opk that day so no way I missed my surge and ive never ovulated that early even on clomid. But of course it has me worried I missed my opportunity. :(


----------



## krissie328

Aww swimmy that is so frustrating. I really hope you haven't missed it. 

How are you irym and Ursula? So excited to hear how your pregnancies are going.

Afm, things seem to be settling in okay. My bp is still higher but not dangerous so hopefully it will continue to go down. I'm trying to lose weight and eat low carb and lower sodium so hopefully those together will get my bp under control.

Alice is such a sweet baby. She isn't sleeping well at night and having ds at home I can't sleep during the day with her, so I'm very tired. I hope her sleeping sorts itself soon. I think with ds he was 5 weeks when it switched. But I feel so blessed that my son is such a good boy and has taken to her so well. He keeps telling me he wants a big baby sister because he wants to play tractors with her. :cloud9:


----------



## Fern81

Naaawww disregard those temps Swimmy. We were moving around so much between here, my parents, guest house etc because we are STILL having the flood damage from Oct last year fixed; (and of course baby couldn't be here when the floors took forever to be sanded and sealed) plus I started taking my bbt again to see if my cycles have started regulating again after the failed FET last year, because of course I would love to have normal healthy hormone levels back. Around days 13-16 my bbt SPIKED through the roof and I thought I ovulated. I wasn't sick. On cd 16 it went down to 36.1. Ok, confusing. On cd 18 I clearly recognized ovulation pain on my left side for the first time since G has been born. Quickly took an ovulation test and it was very very positive. So I packed away my thermometer; clearly other factors were influencing those temps. You know your body better Swimmy. I think you are right and it was just the illness. Fx fx!

The metabolic diet: well (at least what it means over here) there is a specialist in my city who takes a blood sample, sends it to Germany and then a specialist over there tests a bunch of hormones eg thyroid, adrenals, pancreatic hormones etc. They tailor make an eating plan for you body's needs. Eg a person who has hypothyroidism vs one with pcos vs one with adrenal fatigue all have different nutritional needs. Then you also get counselling for 12 weeks because it's a holistic approach; optimal health needs a healthy mind, body and soul etc etc. My bff will be doing it now; I can't afford it right now so I'll first see and find out exactly what the process entails from her point of view. 

Aaaawww krissy I'm so glad your family situation sounds so amazing right now! Hope she sleeps better soon. Xx


----------



## Ursaula

Thank you to everyone for the congratulations! It makes me happy. My partner is trying to not be over-joyed as I'm still first trimester. He even THINKS we won't buy anything for baby until I'm about to pop, HA! 

Krissie: I love your updates about your little man. He sounds so excited for his new sister. Too cute. Glad your bp is lowering. Praying sleep comes soon for you, too!

Swimmy: Illness really throws of BBT so I agree, disregard those temps. Other than the temps off, would everything else have been in place? (EWCM, CP, etc?).

Fern: I've never heard anything like that. Do they take allergies into account when making plans?

AFM: Nausea and vomiting. I'm 7 weeks 3 days. I can't keep anything down. Soda crackers, even just water. I'm making an appointment for help with my gp. Do any of you gals have advice until then? I wake up multiple times in the night for it as well. My breasts have gotten huge and hurt and I'm starting to pee more, always freezing. I just need help with the morning (24/7) sickness. My mental stability has declined, however was told if I'm feeling this poor physically it should decline some. I agree with that but I do see my psychiatrist in a week now. My first ob/gyn appointment is March 1. Will she check for a heartbeat? My next ultrasound is March 7 so I haven't seen baby or heard a heartbeat yet.


----------



## swimmyj1

Urs - sounds like that is a strong pregnancy youve got going on!!! I lost weight my first tri due to nausea. Only thing that helped me was hard candies .... I would suck on those on and off through out the day and it kept the nausea at bay. I would think they would try for a heart beat but might not be able to get it yet. My dr couldnt get lizzys in office until 12 weeks. They did an ultrasound to recheck for a heart beat at 10 weeks. 


Fern - its ashame that its so expensive to do the testing because that sounds amazing! It would be great to find out exactly what your body needs.

Krissie - hang in there hun Im sure sleep is not happening much at all right now :( not much help for the here and now but you will blink and she will be sleeping through the night. Hopefully she follows the same pattern as your DS. 

Afm - Ive had 2 days of strong + opks and lots of Ewcm. I implanted the donor today so hopefully I hit the timing ok. Weird thing is I didnt have any ovulation cramping like i usually do. I had that cramping around cd13??? Guess Ill just wait and see what happens sense temping is out lol. Im gonna start progesterone in 3 days just to be sure Im post ovulation.


----------



## swimmyj1

Im so annoyed at wondfos the evap lines are horrible!!!
 



Attached Files:







D9E4CF9D-271E-4075-8E90-0FAD032841C6.jpg
File size: 55.6 KB
Views: 8


----------



## krissie328

Wow that is super convincing swimmy. :nope:


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: When do you plan to start testing with hpt other than wondfo? Or are you hoping to hold out unless something is obvious?

AFM: I caved and ended up at the doctors. Severely dehydrated and my blood pressure was low. I'm now on a vomiting/nausea med (Diclectin?). It helps quite a bit. My brain chemicals are crazy. I've had a very hard week mentally. Relieved I see my psychiatrist tomorrow.

Thinking of you all.


----------



## swimmyj1

I'm going to test on Saturday or sunday. If I don't get a BFP by 14DPO I'll stop the progesterone. I forgot how horrible nauseous it makes me ugh stupid false symptoms lol. 

Krissie - how has it been going? getting any better with sleep?

urs - glad they could get you started on something, sorry you have been feeling so ill (but on a plus side yay for a strong pregnancy from the sound of it!!) Glad that you are getting in with your therapist tomorrow its good to be able to talk things out :)


----------



## krissie328

Urs- so sorry you are struggling.. I hope the meds help. 

Swimmy- good luck testing. Ftx for your bfp!

Afm, sleep has been better. I'm certian Alice had silent reflux. I've found holding her upright for 15-20 mins after eating and elevating her to sleep has almost eliminated her grunting and noise. Which means mommy can sleep between feeds. 

I also feel soo much better. I've been cleaning my house and it feels so nice. 

I'm getting ready to get quotes on redoing my master bathroom. I'm so excited. It's a small space but its a gut job. I want everything redone so it's gonna be a project but I'm looking forward to using it as it has not been usable the 3 years we've lived here. I'm hoping it can be done the last week of March. Happy birthday to me! :haha:


----------



## swimmyj1

Ive decided if I dont get pregnant this cycle Im gonna talk with my dh and use our tax return for a nice vacation and to redo our kitchen floors lol. So at least then I will have something to look forward to either way Hahahaha. 

Not doing well at all regarding healthy food choices and they cut the hours of my gym daycare. Hopefully as the weather gets warmer me and lizzy can get out and hike!!! I had a really rough night at work, having an unresponsive 5 month old is not something I will ever get use to seeing :(


----------



## swimmyj1

10dpo and negative :( I forgot how depressed ttc can make you lol


----------



## MissDoc

Swimmy, sorry for the negative tests so far. Especially after that darn convincing wondfo... no fair! Hope the next few days bring a positive test though.

Krissie, so glad you're feeling better. Reflux is sooo awful. Mine had it so bad... his temperament was night and day different once he grew out of that.


----------



## krissie328

So sorry swimmy. It is honestly one of the worst things about ttc.


----------



## swimmyj1

Today 10dpo was a bfn also. Definitely feeling out this cycle. Ill give the progesterone a little bit longer then stop just incase. 

Me and my dh had a big talk today about ttc, he wants to go back to the fertility clinic and give this a real go, or at least find out what our options are. Im glad hes taking more interest in it, it feels like less of the stress is on my plate.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy-that is good DH is taking more interest. Do you know what type of timeline that will be?


----------



## swimmyj1

No clue on the timeline Im thinking of calling them today and setting up an appointment. Hopefully it wont be months out.


----------



## swimmyj1

Fertility appointment made for the end of March, a month out isnt bad!


----------



## krissie328

No, that will be here before you know it. 

DH has decided he is for sure done with babies and I'm inclined to lean that way as well. He is waiting for a call back from his doctor to schedule his vasectomy for this summer. It is so so bittersweet but in my heart I know another one would spread us too thin. I feel like two is a good manageable number for us.


----------



## swimmyj1

Its great you guys can agree that 2 is a good number for you. It is hard though making it official. 

Todays 13dpo and bfn Im gonna stop the progesterone (I didnt even take it last night before work). Im also starting to look into financing for ivf. I just want to have everything ready for March. Im trying to tell myself its going to be a long road but I suck at waiting.


----------



## Ursaula

Hope you gals are doing alright.

I wanted to pop in and give an update. I received fluids via IV a couple weeks ago then was moved into the psychiatric unit. My psychiatrist works there and wanted to do a bunch of tests to make sure everything was going alright for me. Two ultrasounds showed four gestational sacks (quadruplets). At my last ultrasound in hospital 2 had been absorbed so I had 2 sacks AND babies left (twins) but only one has a heartbeat and the second one showed smaller (first one showed 9w6d at the time we were guessing 9w4d so it was 2d ahead of us. Second one showed 8w5d). We assume second will be absorbed as well and we'll be left with one. Which is ok, easier to manage. :) Heartbeat was 169bpm at 9w6d.


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: Where are you in your current cycle? Are you planning on going to the clinic for insem or are you going to wait for your appointment at the end of March? Either way, good luck! :)

Krissie: How are your two wonderful babies? How are you? I hope you're sitting at a better spot with your dh deciding he's done. I've told my partner this is the only pregnancy I will be having. I'm open for more children but my body can't do it and he's realizing that.

Hope the rest of you are alright! Looking forward to future updates.

AFM: I've been put on a medication called Zofran. After 5 weeks of not being able to eat and hardly taking in fluid, I am able to eat little bits and drink throughout the day. It doesn't get rid of my nausea feeling but it is preventing me from vomiting. I didn't think my body would react like this. 11 weeks 2 days and we see our obgyn on Wednesday.


----------



## krissie328

Urs- I'm sorry this pregnancy has been so rough. It is so hard trying to function when you feel so terrible! 

Afm, DH did get a call back and they had a cancellation so his vasectomy was last Tuesday. I was very anxious leading up to it but now that it is finished I am certian in was the right decision. 

My obgyn told me at my pp check another pregnancy would likely be the same or worse. He is particularly concerned as my blood pressure has still not returned to normal. I think for me that was a huge turning point as I struggled to cope the last few months so I think being done is the best decision. 

Looking forward now to raising my babies and hopefully working on my own hobbies and health. It's amazing how much ttc really overtook my mind.


----------



## krissie328

Oh.. and the kiddos are doing well. Alice seems to be developing a sleep pattern which is helping. I'm hoping she will continue to sleep well at night as i go back to work.

Christian is still doing well with her and likes to sing to her when she is whiney. It's so precious! He is suppose to get his tonsils out on the 23rd. I'm super nervous about it. His cousin has the same procedure in December and struggled with recovery.


----------



## Ursaula

Krissie: That was fast! I'm glad you see the positives with the vasectomy. Love your two munchkins to the max! They sound priceless.

When do you head back to work?

I just had my tonsillectomy at the end of January. Even though my experience was rough, I had other factors your son doesn't have (age, pregnancy, strep throat). I had zero pain until my allergic reaction to the pain medication, then I made the decision of no more pain meds. I'm sure if you keep up on the meds as directed by the doctor, and give him cold (kids-ice cream, cold pudding, fudgsicles?) He'll be great in no time. I'm eager to hear how it goes.

AFM: We have our ob/gyn appointment tomorrow. My partner still hasn't seen baby so I hope tomorrow is his day. Hopefully I'll be able to get a photo to show you gals.

My s/o hates my dog. He has since I moved in last year. I've made the decision to find my baby a new home for both their sakes. Her new family is picking her up tomorrow. Heartbroken.


----------



## Fern81

Omw Urs starting out with quads!! Did they give you a reason or did it just happen by chance? Hope the rest of your pregnancy goes smoothly. Xx hope we get to see a pic!

Enjoy your kiddos krissy :)


----------



## krissie328

Urs- I'm sorry about your dog. I hope she has a good happy home. I hope you got to see baby!

I go back to work Monday for half days that week. Then I have spring break off and then back full time on April 2nd. I have 8 weeks then off for summer break. So just trying to stay positive I can make it that long and hopefully by August we are all in a better routine. 

Thanks fern, how are you doing?


----------



## Ursaula

Fern: Their only guess for quads was that my body hasn't ovulated in years so it did a large ovulation. I don't know how accurate this thought is though...

Krissie: Thank you. She instantly loved the man. If she has issues with someone they're usually male so that was great to see her connect so quickly. It's all done now, I know I made the right choice.

It's unfortunate you aren't able to take right to August off. I hope things go smoothly for you as you make the transition back.

AFM: Had a poor experience at our ob/gyn yesterday. We saw her resident first who then lied to her about the ultrasound. I felt betrayed and unwelcome. We didn't get a photo because our ob/gyn rushed our appointment. She wanted another couple in the room but we were already in the room. Sigh, whatever. Not every appointment can be good I suppose. I'll be seeing her every 2 weeks until birth because of history and medical issues.


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern :) how are you doing?

Krissie- Im sorry you have to go back so soon. Glad you at least can just to 1/2 days for a little bit. Fingers crossed you guys can find a good routine quickly. 

Urs- Im sorry you dont like your Obgyn any chance you can change drs? What do you mean lied about your ultrasound? They should have pictures of that on file. At least they are monitoring you closer due to your history. 

Arm - Sorry I decided to take the month off from ttc and actually went on vacation for 2 weeks with my dd. I didnt realize how much I needed the ocean and sunshine lol. (Until I got horribly sunburned the first day hahaha). Fertility doc appointment was today. I felt a little disappointed compared to our last time starting with them. We do have a plan though in place. My dh is going for his SA Thursday morning. Have you ever heard of them only wanting guys to wait 1-2 days before testing? If his count is normal clearly it wont be lol we will do med cycle. If its 5-15 mil start on clomid and try an iui in a few months. If its below 5 still do the clomid. See how much improvement we get but if not enough then jump right to ivf. I think its a reasonable plan just makes me a bit nervous to have it a written out for us again.


----------



## MissDoc

Swimmy, I'm sorry the plan is nerve wracking, but so good you guys got in and have a plan now, all laid out. Also sounds like the vacation was just what you needed! I hope along with the nerves you also feel excited about these next steps!

We are starting to try again in June. Aaaaack. I'm so excited and really hope it goes well for us. If I had a magic wand and could choose when we actually conceive, I would hope for it to happen in August/September so we could deliver in May/June and our little one would be past the 2 yr mark before new baby was born. But of course I know it is highly unlikely to work out exactly as I want it to, lol.


----------



## swimmyj1

Doc - Hahahaha I said if we do IVF I want to do aug/sept for that exact reason lol. A may/June baby would be sooo nice! I would like to avoid being pregnant the summer again. But beggars cant be choosers right? My day 3 labs all came back normal. Still waiting on his SA results, fingers crossed we can get them Monday.


----------



## MissDoc

Swimmy, exactly! My first was a May baby and it was perfect pregnancy wise... but having mat leave in the dog days of summer was brutal, it gets up to around 100 degrees here so taking a newborn out in that wasn't realistic. I guess there are pros and cons to everything. I mostly just want my son to be 2 first! Lol. Two under two just sounds too stressful! (Even though I know there's not anything particularly magical about the age two... but it just feels like it would be better!)

I am anxiously awaiting your husband's SA results! Fingers crossed! (Just realized this is the only place where saying I'm looking forward to someone's semen analysis is totally normal, haha!)

IRYM, how are you doing? We haven't heard from you in a bit?!


----------



## krissie328

Hmm.. I thought I replied awhile back. Must not have pushed send. 

Urs- I am glad your dog was able to connect with him, it sounds like a positive transition for her. How are you feeling? Happy 2nd trimestes!! I hope your experiences at your ob improve. :hugs:

Swimmy- I hope you get the SA soon and that it is looking good for ttc. I think when my DH did his he was told to abstain for 3 days, but that was over 5 years ago so it might have been 2-3 days?

I wanted desperately to avoid a Dec/Jan baby but she was still born in January. Granted when she was conceived we weren't exactly trying. I guess it all worked out how it was suppose to anyways. 

IRYM- Full term!! I hope everything has been going well and that you have your little girl in your arms soon.


----------



## Ursaula

Krissie: How has your little guy done with the tonsillectomy?

I feel excited to be in second trimester! However nausea and vomiting have gotten worse AGAIN (didn't know that was possible!?) so I've been put on a cluster of meds (Because I don't take enough as it is :( ). I'm really worrying about baby with all of these medications now.

Swimmy: It's different here. When you find out you're pregnant you see your gp who puts you in the ob/gyn system for the closest hospital to you that delivers. Your ob/gyn is then chosen at random. You don't decide who it is or where you deliver (unless you move). There is one female ob/gyn and three males. So I was so happy I got the female.

The resident told our ob/gyn there was no heartbeat. It freaked us out when our ob/gyn came in all panicked asking about it.

Our last appointment with her went WAY better. Her resident was at the clinic but our ob/gyn told her I'm a very special case and to just leave me for her to do. We talked briefly about being induced, birth planning, in case I need psychiatric care afterwards, all concerns. We did get to hear the heartbeat for our first time too. Sounded like a UFO taking off!

Glad to hear you had a vacation! I also find it weird they only asked 1-2 days for SA. I've always heard at least 3. Maybe they have a newer advanced machine now?

MissDoc: I loved your SA comment! This is really the only normal place to be excited over someone else's SA.

Your insight on having a newborn in hot weather has made me feel a little better. I'll be 7 and 8 months pregnant during our summer. You made me realize I'd rather be the one dying of heat than my baby. Not that it gets THAT hot here. We're still heavily under snow and will be until likely end of May.


----------



## krissie328

Urs- it went really well. He has recovered easily and eating!! I cannot believe that having such enlarged tonsils was causing him to not be able to eat. The ENT was shocked how big they were so that says something. I am glad it is over and now I hope we can get him off the nutritional drinks and eating more regular food. So far he has tried over 5 new things!! For him that is amazing because he usually eats the same few things. 

I had a July baby and I live in the desert. It was hard for the first two months because everything was so hot. January wasn't much easier though but at least it is easier to keep them warm than cool them off. I do like now that the weather is improving that she is big enough to take outside for short periods. I am hoping this summer to spent time outside.


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie- omg idk how you handled pregnant and the desert lol that one week I spent in Vegas while pregnant I thought I was dying Hahahaha but sometimes Michigan gets soooo sticky hot not great to be out pregnant or with a new baby lol. 

Urs- Im so glad your last visit went better!!! Hearing the heartbeat is so great :) I loved being able to find it at home it usually made me feel better.

Irym- Hope everything is going well :)

Afm - results came back! 
Count was 3.1 million, motility was 54.5% and morph was 8% so at least morph and motility are good! But the count that low isnt great :( I have to call tomorrow for a follow up visit next week. They also have WBC in his semen but they cultured it and there was no bacteria, so its probably from the kidney stones he had.


----------



## Ursaula

Krissie: Relieved to hear! He's a trooper, that's for sure. Very interesting how he's trying different foods now as well.

I can't imagine living in a desert. We have about 1 month of spring, 2 months of summer, 1 week (sometimes, usually less) of fall, then the rest is winter snow and ice. I don't handle heat well so I'm concerned for baby.

Swimmy: I ended up buying a Doppler on eBay (still waiting for it to arrive) but I thought of you during the whole process! I'm excited to listen in when I want to and not wait for appointments.

Glad the results are back! Do you have the appointment for follow up booked?

AFM: S/o and I drove to the big city yesterday. I was hoping to check out a baby store or two just to see what they have. I kind of am getting an idea what we will be wanting to buy right away and the quality it needs to be, etc. However, we drove 3 hours to get to the city so s/o could buy himself an earring (which he has since decided he doesn't like) Then eat and go back home. Because SOMEONE didn't want to go to baby stores because they make this SOMEONE feel weird and uncomfortable. He wants to wait until about a week before baby arrives before we START buying ANYTHING. Even crib, bottles, etc. I ended up asking if he's looked online at anything even baby related. He said "No, because we don't have a baby yet." End of rant.


----------



## MissDoc

Urs, I definitely wouldn't wait that long. That's just unreasonable on his part. I get waiting till the half way point or so, or even if he wants to wait til viability around 25 weeks, but when you're in your last month of pregnancy you don't want to be stressing about baby stuff. He's gonna have to suck up his discomfort and put your comfort and practicality above it. Sorry for the rant on your behalf! 

Krissie so glad your sweetie is doing well! 

Swimmy, glad the results came back and aren't too terrible. Is there anything to help the count not being what you'd like it to be?


----------



## Ursaula

MissDoc: I really appreciate your comment. At first I kept thinking "am I crazy for thinking that's too late?". I've talked with him and explained my concerns and how viability is around that 25 week mark. He apologized and said he just really doesn't want to lose baby and have everything set up because it would be even harder. I understand his worry with everything that has happened during the early stages of my pregnancy. He wants to look at a few major things (like a crib) so we can see what brands are sturdy and will work for us then shop around for lowest priced stores. I stood strong and told him I need the nursery set up with furnishings starting at 25 weeks. And I need the nursery complete at 28 weeks (because we are still unsure of induction date). He said once we know gender he'll probably go crazy spending with me. I love him but when the nursery is being used as the cat litter room, has no floor (main room has no floor either), the walls are peeling, and there are cords everywhere and he says he doesn't want to do anything until late third trimester... I'm glad I talked to him I'll just say that! Haha.


----------



## krissie328

Urs- I'm glad you were able to talk to him. It sounds like there is a lot of work and waiting so late would not be a good idea. 

With my son we moved when I was 38 weeks. It killed me not having a place set up until then. It was the second room I did after the kitchen. With my daughter my mom/sister painted it about 22 weeks and I finished it about 33/34 weeks. 

Swimmy- I'm glad things aren't too terrible. I hope they get things where they need to be quickly.


----------



## MissDoc

Urs, I'm glad you were able to talk some sense into him and he could explain where he is coming from. Sounds like great progress, and some peace of mind for you!

Krissie, I have a question for you and the other ladies with two or who are trying for two. I need some advice! So I have a lot of mixed feelings about when to try for a second. My husband wants to start trying now, as he thinks it's risky to push it off longer than necessary with my low ovarian reserve, and he thinks it'll take us awhile. I don't know why, but I really don't think it'll take long. I just have this feeling that number two will be easier to conceive, and my OB told me expects that as well. (I know there's no real way to tell, other than give it a shot though). 

I'd really like around 2+ years between the birth of my kiddos. I feel like my first, if he's 2, will be more ready and able to understand and be involved in a more meaningful way and I won't feel like I'm robbing him of his babyhood. He turns one mid May, so if we happened to get pregnant as soon as we start trying and I want him to be 2ish or more, than we'd start trying in August, when he's 15 mos. That would guarantee he'd be 2 or older if next baby makes it full term. But my husband is really uncomfortable with waiting past May or June at the latest to start trying. 

So I guess my question is this. Am I being foolish or wreckless? Should we go ahead and start trying when my son is 1, and at the "worst", even it we got pregnant immediately, he'd be 21 months when next baby arrived. For those of you with two, do you feel 21 mos is old enough tolerate a newborn sibling and have some understanding of what's happening?

I know it's unlikely to happen ASAP, but it could, so I want to make sure I'm okay with that outcome if it does happen.


----------



## krissie328

MissDoc- I can see both sides. We started ntnp when DS was 4 months old. We obviously had problems. We ended up doing 9 (I think) medicated cycles. So it was definitely much harder the second time.

However, with that said I really do like the age gap we ended up with. We had originally wanted around 2 years, but to be honest I think that would have been really hard still, but my DS was just recently dx with a hearing impairment at 21 months and wasn't talking yet. 

At the end of the day no matter what happens you'll adjust and make it work.


----------



## swimmyj1

Urs - definitely glad you got him to come around. I was the one in our relationship to want to wait putting a nursery/buying stuff lol. But my nursery was at least mostly together by 34 weeks. Only advice with the home Doppler. Try not to panic if you cant find baby sometimes. I use to freak out if I couldnt find her heartbeat. Me being overweight and her being breach made it harder to find her constantly. 

Doc - If it was me I wouldnt want to wait too long. But i can see both sides to the argument. Hopefully it doesnt take as long but you never know. You could always not prevent but not try once your son is 1 but then start actively trying once he gets a little older. I really would love a 2 1/2 year age gap. My daughter plays with a group of girls and thats about the age gap range. Its sooo much fun to watch them all play together. The older ones love to help with the babies lol

Afm - trying not to get all worked up this cycle but loving the timing we have going on lol. I forgot how stressful temping/tracking cycles can really be.


----------



## swimmyj1

Can someone give me some help with my chart this month? I disregarded my temp for cd 15 because I had only slept about 2 hours that day and it was higher than my baseline. I got a + opk that afternoon and then cd 16 my temp shot up. Do you gals think I did the right thing discarding that temp? If not it says I ovulated on cd 14 before I even had a + opk. Idk just super confused here lol


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- yes, I think you did the right thing. I would say cd 15 as o day.


----------



## swimmyj1

thanks :) we did an iui that day with frozen and fresh semen. i had a nice big follicle so i was a little confused lol. not super hopeful but fingers are crossed


----------



## krissie328

That's exciting, ftx!


----------



## swimmyj1

Really disappointed in myself I'm up 4lbs :( I've been doing so much stress eating. How is everyone doing with their eating habits?


----------



## krissie328

Mine have been complete garbage lately. Last I weighed myself I was 3 lbs up. Probably higher now.


----------



## MissDoc

I think you did the right thing with your chart and IUI. I would have guessed CD 15 too. Good luck!!!

So it's 11 months after my kiddo's birth, and I'm still up 14+ lbs from pre pregnancy weight. I would very much like that to be gone before getting pregnant again, as I was a bit overweight before the first pregnancy. But I don't know if it's going to happen. I do well for a few days at a time then stop, then start again. My current goal is to get 5 lbs off at least, because if I can do that, and then if/when getting pregnant just gain 20ish lbs, I'll still be in a much better place than I was with my first. 

But staying committed to getting even 5 lbs off is so darned hard. Lol. I'm back on the wagon today and brought my lunch to work, so hopefully that helps! My goal is to track everything this week in a journal and monitor my caloric intake, with the goal of about 500 deficit, including what is burned through breastfeeding.


----------



## swimmyj1

I hit the gym today. And changed up my routine. I need to get my earring back under control! I was doing so well! 40lbs down was sooo hard and Im worried Im gonna start putting it on again.


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: I, too, agree with cd15. Proud of you for starting NOW and not putting it off until "Monday" or "next week". Starting is always the hardest.

My diet involves eating anything that doesn't make me sick. Lots of grapes (CRAVINGS FOR GRAPES), cheese, applesauce...that's about it. What have you worked on to get your eating better again?

Krissie: Do you have some fitness goals right now?

MissDoc: What helps me sometimes is saying "Oh, I want to lose just 5lbs, that's easy!" And then set a goal to have it done by a certain date and try to beat that goal. I feel when I have a goal I want to do it asap. Then I would end up losing even more weight from the rush! Packed lunches are a great help, too!

AFM: I sleep. That's about it. 24/7. If I'm not at any of my appointments (3/week roughly), then I am sleeping and taking medications for nausea and constipation. Is it ok to be SO tired in 2nd trimester?

Next Friday we find out the gender (will be 17w6d). We did maternal screening Monday (for chromosome abnormalities). We know something will be affecting baby, I'm nervous to find out what...


----------



## krissie328

Urs- I hope your scan goes well. In was so so tired with DD through the entire pregnancy. It was awful. I think for some women that just happens. 

I do have some fitness goals. I'd love to start working out at least 20 mins a day. We have a massive unused room in our basement so I want to set up the projector and do some videos.

My weight is back down. Turns out my period showed up Saturday so that explains the sudden increase.


----------



## swimmyj1

Urs- I know its hard but try and remember its just a screening for genetics. Lizzy flagged some genetic abnormalities and so did my friends child and neither were born with any issues. I hope that is the case for you. They should get a better idea at your anatomy scan if anything looks strange. 

Krissie- sometimes I go up like 8lbs before af shows up!!! That isnt fair at least we know its just water weight lol. Glad yours came off.

Afm - I went to the gym this morning at 5am before my dh had to go to work. I work the next 3 nights so the rest of the week is pretty much out for working out. But at least I got 2 good days in this week. I really need to go back to cutting down my carbs. I love bread too much!!! 
I think Ill try testing on Sunday. Gonna try and hold off testing until then.


----------



## swimmyj1

i did a blood test tonight at work (its kind of cool just like a urine test but you put blood on it). It detects starting at 10hcg and it was a bfn booooo. I know im only 10dpo but feeling like this isn't my month either. I had an appointment at the fertility clinic yesterday and had a serious crying fit after. My DH had to work so he couldn't come but she pretty much told me IVF was our only option and then went over everything for over 45 minutes. What method she would use, meds, the option to wait 3 or 5 days after fertilizing or doing frozen. I felt like my head was going to explode. I don't know if i could handle all the appointments and 15,000$ worth of expense (even if my nana said she would lend me the money so we wouldn't have to get a loan). My DH said he wants to use a donor instead but the dr wouldn't even talk to me about donor/iui options because my DH wasn't there to confirm that's what he wanted. He already has an appointment at the urologists in a few weeks for an ultrasound and blood work to see if there is something they can do. Sorry for such a long rant i'm just feeling very overwhelmed and defeated tonight.


----------



## krissie328

Sorry about the bfn swimmy. 

That appt sounds like it was tough. Was this the same place you used before?


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: Thank you for sharing. All of us on here have struggled trying to have our babies one way or another. We all want the same thing, a healthy baby.

Have you explained the appointment to your DH? Tell him that you would appreciate him making it next appointment because the specialist couldn't take your word as his word. Or have him call them and voice his wants so everyone is on the same page. I wouldn't say you're jumping to IVF right now, I'd say she just gave you the run down incase it comes to that but nothing could be decided until your DH is present. When is your next appointment with the specialist?

AFM: Our gender scan has been moved up to Monday! Excited. I hope it helps me calm down from all the anxiety. I hope to update you gals relatively soon after the appointment. Hehe!


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie- it is the same place we used before, but the doctor I had before isnt there anymore :( so we have a different one. 

Urs- I dont have another appointment yet. Im going to make one on Monday and make sure its a day my dh can be there (my own fault for scheduling it on a bad day). Im sooo excited to see pictures/find out what your having!!!! 

I have to have another hsg scan before doing a donor or ivf so Im gonna call Monday to have that sceduled. Im also going to call and make another appointment on a day I know my dh can be there to decide officially on a donor. The more we have talked about it the more the more I realize thats probably our smartest way to go. If my dh is comfortable and says he wouldnt think of that child as anything but his I guess there isnt a reason not to right?


----------



## Fern81

Hi gals! 
Swimmy- sorry about the bfn. Ivf is not the worst thing in the world! (It gave me my perfect son!) But I found it emotionally harder than any other ttc methods. Be calm, listen to calming music, smile a lot :)

Urs! Congrats on almost finding out the gender! Only a few more weeks until you reach viability date, wow!!! 

Irym- if you are still reading your thread :) please update us! We are all hoping that you and baby are ok!


----------



## krissie328

Urs- excited for tomorrow! I hope your scan goes good. 

Swimmy- I hope your next appt is better and you guys are able to proceed. It seems if you do go the donor route there should be a lot more options other than ivf. 

How are you doing fern?


----------



## Ursaula

The gal doing the ultrasound is 90% positive it's a GIRL! Yay! We will go back to her just to do a double check because she likes to be 99% sure at least. She told us that our baby is the most active one she's ever seen and she's been doing these ultrasounds for years. She also mentioned for about the last 7 months she hasn't had a single girl, only boys, so she thought it was going to be another boy. Excited for our girl! We have tons of photos.
 



Attached Files:







MASON_NICOLE_1.jpg
File size: 26.4 KB
Views: 1









MASON_NICOLE_11.jpg
File size: 22.5 KB
Views: 3









MASON_NICOLE_18.jpg
File size: 30.1 KB
Views: 3









MASON_NICOLE_24.jpg
File size: 27.6 KB
Views: 2


----------



## krissie328

Yay! Congratulations on your girl. That does definitely look girl
My boy was so obvious, no missing that. 

Do you guys have any names picked out?


----------



## swimmyj1

Omg yay urs!!!! Congrats. Totally would say thats a girl lol

I got a bfp guys!!!!!!! Kind of freaking out! Ive taken 1 hospital test and 2 wondfos tonight all have light lines. Gonna take a digital and FRER tomorrow!


----------



## krissie328

Aww swimmy that's wonderful news! Ftx for a healthy sticky bean. <3


----------



## swimmyj1

I had betas drawn today. I still havent told my dh lol idk when/how Im gonna tell him. I kind of want to do a cute thing with lizzy in a t-shirt but idk if I can wait that long


----------



## swimmyj1

thought i would post my tests. my beta today was only 28.9 today going to go back friday morning for a redraw. still trying not to be to hopeful. How is everyone else doing?
 



Attached Files:







LastShareCollage.jpg
File size: 51.1 KB
Views: 2









LastShareCollage (1).jpg
File size: 72.3 KB
Views: 1


----------



## krissie328

Aww congrats! My first beta was only 6 with my daughter. My Dr wouldn't even redraw for a week if I was still getting positives. 

I hope your next draw shows a strong increase.


----------



## Fern81

Omw swimmy i have everything crossed for you!

Yay urs for a healthy little girl!

Thx Krissy I'm doing ok, struggling a LOT with my thyroid suddenly and have picked up some weight because I urgently had to stop doing keto. And other stuff going on health wise. But I'm slowly trying to figure everything out and trying to get my thyroid, my menstrual health and weight back on track. Xx


----------



## swimmyj1

Fern - i'm sorry you've been having such a struggle lately :( is your doctor running more tests on your thyroid to see whats going on?

Krissie - i need some advice with dealing with a toddler lol. My DD has started throwing these crazy tantrums when things don't go her way, hitting and trying to bite. She says about 4-6 words and we have had her hearing checked so we know its not a hearing issue at this point. I've tried time out, ignoring the behavior, heck i've even bitten her back. Do most kids do this about the 1 1/2-2 age?

AFM - beta was 103 today!!!!! i drew about 46 hours after the first draw lol i was being impatient. doing another draw on saturday.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- I'm so happy your beta is increasing properly. Have you told dh yet?

As for toddler behavior... my son was dx with a hearing impairment at 21 months so he was clearly not listening at that age. However, my normal hearing nephew was the same way. They both went through a biting phase around two as well. As for the tantrums I found just ignoring them and then briefly stating when it was over why it was not okay was effective. Although I found the terrible 2s to actually be easy with my son, 3 on the other hand has been challenging. We use the corner (he seriously acts like this is the worst punishment) and after 3 mins we discuss what happened and how he can approach it different next time, but at 2 he couldn't have done this. Although we did start timeouts then and often ended them with an I love you and a be nice warning. 

As for the biting, I know my mom bit my nephew a couple times because he was biting my son all the time. It didn't really seem to phase him. But after about 6 months it stopped. Not sure why really.


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: Eeeek! When do you plan to tell your DH???

Fern: Praying everything figures itself out for you. You've had a long struggle.

AFM: Our ob/gyn appointment yesterday went well. Maternal serum bloodwork was back and showed a very, very low chance of any abnormalities. I feel relieved now since my medication would have affected this as well as limb growth. We saw all limbs this past Monday though. Family gender reveal is tomorrow. Excited <3


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie - thanks for the advice, I keep trying to tell myself toddlers are frustrated because they cant tell us what they want. Heck I would be frustrated if I wanted to go outside or take a nap but no one was letting me lol. Today went better with using time outs.

Urs - a gender reveal is going to be fun!!!! Have you started buying things yet? 

Afm - I ended up telling my dh after getting the second blood results lol. He was like I knew it!!! You have been acting weird all week and I was wondering why you hadnt sent me for chocolate or ice cream this week Hahahaha. He knows my cycles wayyyyy to well. Trying to get some big projects done this month. We are building a play room in the basement Im soooo excited! 
On a sad note, a friend I made off of here told me this week she cant be my friend anymore because Im pregnant again before she had a baby :( it really hurt. I wasnt rubbing it in her face or anything she asked me to send pictures of tests and what not so I did. But she blocked me on fb now and stopped responding to text messages/calls. Its really hurt my feelings. I feel like I wouldnt be doing this if our rolls were reversed. But I guess everyone handles things differently. :(


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- it is so true they are frustrated because they can't explain their needs and wants. My son definitely has fewer tantrums now that he can use his words. A lot of his behaviors now are attention seeking. I've really focused on trying to get him one on one attention frequently through the day. He has really needed it since DD was born. 

I'm so sorry about your friend. All my friends had all their babies before I have one. Sometimes it hurt but I knew it wasn't about them and I always happy for them.

Urs- so happy your tests came back low risk.


----------



## MissDoc

Oh swimmy, this is such such delightful news! Congratulations!!! So amazing!!!

I'm really sorry about the friend. I can see both sides I guess. I felt I was always one of the last left in the monthly TTC threads when we were trying and it was hard, but I never felt so bad about that I could be happy for my friends who got pregnant. 

You definitely have us here to be happy for you!! How old will your daughter be when second baby arrives?


----------



## swimmyj1

Beta went up to 848 on Monday yay!!! Doubling time under 40 hours. Ultrasound is scheduled for 5/10. Cant wait!!!!

Thanks for the support with the friend situation krissie and doc. I felt so bad about hurting her, a little guilty even. until she messaged me saying she couldnt believe how selfish I was for getting pregnant a second time before she had one. (This is going to sound very judgy so bear with me please). 1st thing shes not even married yet, she called off her wedding when she found out her fiancée most likely wouldnt be able to have kids, 2 shes never been to a fertility doctor with him, 3 me being pregnant had nothing to do with her!!! I was graceful and ignored the texts.

Krissie - Im definitely going to have to make sure me and lizzy still get 1:1 I think thats really important for them to see you still have time for them. 

Doc - my daughter will be almost 2 1/2 so fingers crossed shes talking a little more than she is now. (And I would love to be able to potty train while Im on maternity leave hahaha)


----------



## krissie328

Your beta looks great!! I am so so excited for you. I hope your scan shows a nice little bean in there. How far will you be then? Hopefully you will see the heartbeat. 

The friend situation sucks but she does sound a bit crazy about it all. This is totally not about her at all so I guess it is just better to let that friendship go. :hugs:

Christian got a lot more needy for attention after the baby. He suddenly wanted me to play all the time with him or sit and snuggle. Things he never did before. I have honestly enjoyed it because he has never been a snugly kid. He has gained back some of that independence and is willing to go play outside alone now so that is nice. However, he is often chancing me around asking what I am doing too. :haha: 

I have four more weeks until summer break. I am so so ready to relax a little. I am just exhausted. Hopefully DD will be sleeping better come August.


----------



## MissDoc

Swimmy, that's all on her and not on you. She sounds a little wacko... you're "selfish" for getting pregnant? That is INSANE. You guys met on a board known for TTC after all, she should be prepared for her friends to get pregnant here. Anywho, yay for excellent betas!

Krissie, that's so sweet that you've gotten some snuggles from him. 

I keep waffling back and forth between getting those twinges of baby crazy-ness and feeling like oh crap, what are we thinking, we're not ready for another baby! I cycle through these feelings at least 1749 times per day. Lol. I'm getting whiplash from going back and forth emotionally so much! Haha!


----------



## krissie328

MissDoc- I was the same way. I felt so crazy some days by how fast my emotions changed.


----------



## swimmyj1

missdoc - i totally get what you mean lol. heck there are times that im like omg what did we do we aren't ready for a second baby yet! i have soooo many projects i need to get done. But then at the same time im super excited. 

I can't seem to get my emotions under control the last few days. i've been soooo crabby lol. Everyone annoys me. Hoping its just from lack of sleep and not something that will last all pregnancy lol


----------



## krissie328

How were you with your daughter?

I was mean with both my pregnancies. I also tended to lose my filter and even once told off my previous principal during an IEP meeting. My last pregnancy I asked a teacher how he got a master's degree because he was an idiot.. darn guy laughed like I was joking. I'm normally really nice and bend over backwards to help my teachers but pregnancy let's some of my true thoughts escape.


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie - hahahahaha omg that cracks me up!!! with my daughter I was a crier. Like anything even kind of sad I was a hot mess. One time I even cried in a patient room when she was mean to me hahaha. Totally not usually me. Cant believe I have an ultrasound in 6 days. Trying hard not to freak out, I keep having dreams about miscarriages and blight ovums at the scan.


----------



## krissie328

Remember that old boss I told off? Well funny enough my intern this year interviewed with him last week. Apparently he told her it was the longest pregnancy ever.. It really was a long one with my son. :haha: 

Good luck at your scan. It is so so hard not to worry. Especially with the first scan. I hope everything goes well and you see a healthy little bean growing in there. 

My DH's semen analysis came back and he is sterile. It was such a relief and sadness at the same time. I know we are done but part of me doesn't quite want to let go even though I know we don't actually want any more.


----------



## swimmyj1

hey krissie - hahahaha i do remember that! I don't blame you for being sad. knowing that hes sterile just makes it so final. which is hard because you know you can't really change your mind about a 3rd or have a "whoops". 


the last 2 days have really sucked :( i feel like almost anyone i tell about being pregnant isn't happy about it. me and one of my cousins are really close, she lives a few hours away but we are on a book of the month club together and I go up to see her with lizzy pretty often. She is struggling with infertility and I didn't want her hearing through the family grape vine or feeling like I didn't care enough about her to tell her myself. She congratulated me and said she was really happy for me that it didn't take as long of trying as we were worried about. But later that night her husband messaged me and asked me to keep my distance for a while and that they were calling off the camping trip we were all planning on going on in a month. I know shes hurting, but i just really wish she would have told me herself. I sent her one message saying I love her and to please message me if she has any questions about her up coming fertility dr appointment or when shes ready to hang out again, but didn't get a response (I wasn't really expecting one but it stinks). 

The next was my mom who i had to fill her in because we are supposed to be going to a beer festival this weekend. She told me i ruined this weekend for her and i'm not even 12 weeks pregnant so its not like i'm "really" pregnant and shouldn't be changing my life for a maybe that will probably end in a miscarriage like mine usually do. I hung up and cried a ton. 

I'm starting to feel like this was a bad idea having a second baby. I didn't realize how many friends/family i would lose or make upset. I have an aunt that also has struggled with infertility and has made remarks to me in the past about how she always is so envious of people with more than one child. What if she gets upset at me too? I have a kayaking trip with her in july i'm really looking forward to :( and i love lizzy and her daughter playing together up north during the summer. 

Sorry for the long rant I'm just having a rough go of things today. Do you think i should tell my aunt privately or just tell her when we tell everyone else?


----------



## krissie328

Oh hun I'm sorry your family is reacting so poorly. Especially your mom! That is a really cruel thing to say. I know when I first told my mom she was hesitant to get excited since I'd had two losses but she was supportive. 

Just remember this is your life and wanted baby so at the end of the day it doesn't matter if they are upset. I personally don't understand why they should care so much unless there's a significant impact on their life. 

As for your aunt... I'd probably message her first. I hope her reaction is better than some of the others. 

:hugs:


----------



## swimmyj1

Thanks krissie, it feels better being able to vent here. My dh and I are starting to plan a family camping trip instead. My 6 week ultrasound the babies HR was only 99, my doctor said there is a good chance this could end in a miscarriage :( I was measuring 5 days 6 weeks. Which is about 1-2 days behind I believe so not a big deal there. I go for a rescan on the 23rd. Im trying not to worry too much, nothing I can do if it is a miscarriage.


----------



## krissie328

I hope it was just a fluke and the baby hangs on. :hugs: I'm sorry it was more stressful than reassuring.


----------



## MissDoc

Swimmy really hoping the next visit is better and little babe's heartbeat gets nice and strong. At least it wasn't measuring too far behind. I'm so sorry for your mom's crappy attitude. I get where your cousin is coming from at least, she wasn't unkind to you, she is just struggling. But your mom acted like a jerk for no reason. I also would message your aunt first. And I would even say something like I'm really struggling with whether to tell people or not as it's a delicate thing and some have had some strong negative reactions, and we're not in a place of safety in the pregnancy yet... maybe that will help her to have a softened heart a bit. 

I bet the 23rd feels so far away, but I hope those days zoom by. * hugs *

As for me, All is going okay. My baby is one year old today. Holy crap! Seems like I just had him. Feeling proud that I've made it to the one year mark for breastfeeding and will start gradually introducing cow's milk over time now, so that'll be nice to have less pumping pressure. 

I should O some time this weekend, so it'll be our first time "trying" again. Eek! I've been doing decently healthwise. Either having maintenance days or deficit days. Starting to ever so slowly lose a little weight. I still have 12.5 lbs to go to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, and I'm losing at a rate of only like a lb or two a month, but at least it's going in the right direction finally.


----------



## krissie328

Aww congrats on your baby turning a year MissDoc. And breastfeeding so long. That is such a great accomplishment. Good luck ttc.

I'm working on losing weight. I finally am feeling really good and am using that positive feeling to get more active. Even if it's getting out into the yard and/or playing with my son it's more than I've been able to do for a year.


----------



## swimmyj1

Missdoc - can't believe he is a year now!!!! where has the time gone. Did you guys do anything fun for his birthday? and you get a huge round pat on the back for making it to a year that isn't always easy. I like your advice I think im gonna tell my aunt that before telling her to hopefully soften the blow a little. as for weight loss you are at least moving in the right direction!! i didn't start losing weight until after lizzy turned one lol great job!!

krissie - do you guys have anything fun planned this summer? I im really exciting to try tent camping/hiking with lizzy

afm - I had a lot of cramping (like strong enough to wake me up) with some bleeding last night, my obgyn had me come in for a follow up scan. I have a sub bleed that looks mostly resolved but they said i might have some more bleeding that would be normal. Babies HR was a nice 129 :) i cancelled my scan for the 23rd sense this one went well. I feel a lot better knowing why i've been cramping/spotting. On another good note the playroom in my basement is almost done! and i finished painting my kitchen cabinets this weekend. It felt soooo good to get some stuff done.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- I'm so happy your scan today went well and was good news re bleeding and baby. 

I am hoping to camp this summer too. There is one campground we drove through a couple years ago that I want to try. It's pretty far out of the way so I don't think many people go there. We also go to one of the state parks a couple times through the summer and it had a huge lake we play in and enjoy. I really look forward to that. We tried camping there once but it was too crowded. 

I'd love to get into hiking..we have all the stuff but I'm super out of shape, DH hates being outside, and Alice is too small. Maybe someday I'll actually be able to do it. :/

DS also turns 4 this summer so I am hoping to so something fun for that.


----------



## Ursaula

Glad the heartbeat went up Swimmy.

How is everyone doing? I've been having a very hard time. Can't update too much right now.

My question is how much did you guys have done with your nurseties/buying at around 20-25 weeks?


----------



## krissie328

Urs- I had nothing done with my son and with my daughter my mom and sister painted it at about 22 weeks. Nothing else was done though until 33-35 weeks. 

With my son we moved at 38 weeks so nothing was done except the crib when he was born.

Things are going good here. I'm feeling like my normal self finally and I'm looking forward to summer. I have 7 days left of work before 9 weeks off. I'm so so ready. I'm hoping to increase my fitness this summer. I'm so out of shape from basically a year of doing nothing physical. So that's my goal. I'm not quite sure how to achieve it but I'm thinking about it.

DD will be 4 months on Friday! She is getting so big. She talks all the time now. I really enjoy this phase.
 



Attached Files:







20180519_164331-1195x2124.jpg
File size: 16.6 KB
Views: 5


----------



## MissDoc

Thanks Swimmy and Krissie! We didn't do anything too big for his bday, just had two friends come over for a playdate. Low key but fun. It's so crazy how fast the time passes. He is moving up to the toddler class at daycare, and they sleep in cots instead of cribs, eat at communal tables instead of high chairs, use hard spout sippies (no more bottles), and all those babies drink whole milk. It's been a pain trying to transition my breastfed kiddo to sippies and to whole milk. He's always done a water sippy well, but he will not drink much milk out of a sippy. Right now we're doing half and half breast and whole milk, still warmed, but trying to offer in a sippy at school, but at home he still nurses. He's starting to get the hang of it, but if any of you breastfed into the young toddler phases, please let me know if you have any tips for transitioning!

Health wise, I've had a crappy couple of weeks. I was on a roll, but lost momentum. Tomorrow I am getting back on the train and will try to get a little weight off over the next couple of months. 

As for TTC, I think our timing this month missed the mark. My opks were being weird and I think I ovulated earlier than I thought and we probably missed the window entirely. But I'm okay with that as I've been so stressed with my son's transitions that it's nice to have another month to not be thinking about potential other baby.

Urs, I'm sorry you're not doing so well right now. Glad the pregnancy is trucking along though! We waited til around 20ish weeks before we made the big purchases. Around that time we got a crib, then the next month bought a dresser, then the next month a rocker/glider, final month a stroller/carseat. We did one large purchase a month to stretch it out, and started buying small stuff here and there (crib bedding, lamp, white noise machine, etc.). Our nursery was done by 36 weeks.


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie - being outdoorsy and active is so much harder with kids lol that is for sure! We are going camping in the middle of June for 2 nights. Im not excited that we are going to a busy state camp ground but there is a lot of stuff for lizzy which will be nice. You dd is getting so big! I love her picture. Me and my dd are going up north this weekend hopefully it isnt a drama fest like it usually is with my family lol.

Urs - sorry to hear things are hard right now. I hope they get better. I didnt have anything put together in our nursery until about 30-34 weeks I think? 

Doc - excited your ttc again lol. Im sorry transitioning him to the next stage room is hard on you guys. I wish I had good advice for you but we dont use a daycare and I stopped pumping after about 9 months. she didnt seem to notice much of a difference between breast, formula or milk for some reason.


----------



## Ursaula

I greatly appreciate all your comments in regards to the nursery. I've started buying things but my s/o seems to think something is wrong with every single thing I buy! Trying to calm down and tell myself it's just his anxiety wanting to make sure little baby is safe.

Krissie: That photo is too cute! I hope our little girl is that adorable.

Update on happenings: I'm sick 24/7 it seems and sleep about 18-20 hours a day. I'm not joking. A couple weeks back I was diagnosed with extreme strep throat (As usual) but was originally misdiagnosed. So by the time I got on meds it had infected my lungs as well. As if that wasn't enough, my tongue pealed off. Quite literally. All the little bumps turned fuzzy white and fell off, leaving my tongue completely bare and bleeding. Wasn't healing, wasn't healing, went back to 2 walk in doctors and emergency. Turns out I have extreme vitamin A + C deficiency (almost at 0 they said). Started taking more of each and my tongue has finally stopped bleeding. It's just starting to grow back the little bumps.


----------



## krissie328

Wow urs you sound completely miserable! I really hope you start feeling better soon. :hugs:


----------



## MissDoc

Yikes, so sorry to hear about your experience Urs, that sounds really rough. I hope things look up very quickly!


----------



## swimmyj1

urs yikes! omg that sounds super horrible. Im so sorry. i hope things get better


----------



## Ursaula

Thank you guys for letting me rant. I'm sure s/o is exhausted by it now.

Super quick update: My tongue problem was fixed for about 3 days then came back. On lots of medications again. Is it September yet? Back to bed...


----------



## Ursaula

Hope everyone is doing well!

How's your pregnancy coming along, Swimmy?

AFM: We had our intense heart ultrasound the other day. 30 minutes spent on the heart alone, watching it, photographing, etc. They also did the rest of the body but didn't take as long on it. Everything is perfect and on schedule except for the legs. Her legs are 3 WEEKS AHEAD of schedule. Is it normal for everything to be around the due date except for one measurement? Will it stay this way?


----------



## krissie328

Urs- that is totally normal. Especially after 20 weeks as all babies are shaped differently. Both mind had smaller limbs and larger heads. If there was any worry they would discuss it with you.


----------



## swimmyj1

urs - totally normal my daughters arms measured ahead a few times lol. depending on the way they are laying or stretched out the images can be crazy different. sometime lizzys crown rump length would have her measuring weeks ahead or behind depending on her position after 30 weeks. 

Krissie - how are the kids doing? how is the weight loss doing?

AFM - I went into the ER the other night with blood in my urine. turns out I have a pretty nasty kidney stone that we can't do anything about because im pregnant. Pain isn't fun but it could be worse. hoping I can just pass it soon. On the plus side the tech doing my kidney ultrasound took a peek at baby (perks of knowing my ultrasound techs lol). Baby is growing away. I have a funny video that looks like they stood up stretched and decided to use the placenta as a pillow hahaha. I'm not gonna try my home Doppler for a while because my placenta is in the front and baby is still hanging low in my pelvis. idk what changed but man did the nausea hit out of no where (maybe its the kidney stone??). I see my OB tomorrow, I think we are gonna do the genetic testing. 

I miss hearing from IRYM. I hope she is enjoying her sweet girl :)


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- sounds like things are going well re the pregnancy.. but that really sucks about the kidney stone. I hope it passes or clears up quickly. 

I also miss irym. I do hope she's enjoying her girl. 

Afm, things are going well here. I'm in my second week of summer break and I'm really enjoying it. I'm making an effort to get outside and enjoy summer and playing with the kids and stressing less about my messy house and unkempt flower beds. So far it's really helping.


----------



## Ursaula

Thanks gals!

I too miss IRYM.

Swimmy: Did you end up doing genetic testing? I hope the kidney is better...

Our garden is growing so much! Looking up lots of ways to preserve/freeze the produce.

Sick note, I'm being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. Do any of you have experience with this or know someone who has been pregnant? Will it affect baby eventually?


----------



## swimmyj1

krissie - i hear ya about the messy yard and what not lol. better to just enjoy it the house work will always be there (esp the laundry that seems to NEVER END in my house lol)

urs - i honestly don't have much knowledge on autoimmune with pregnancy. did you OB say anything about it or the risks? which disorder were you diagnosed with?

afm - we went camping this last week and it was a disaster it rained every day and by the end of the 3rd day everything in the tent was beyond soaked. lizzy had fun splashing in the puddles at least and didn't seem to mind the cold or the rain as much as we did. I did end up passing that kidney stone and ouch!!! hopefully i don't get another one. we did end up doing the genetic screening everything looks like it came back normal. not 100% accurate but darn close. Also looks like we are having a boy! kind of a scary thought lol, i was really kind of hoping for another girl but it will be nice to have one of each sense we will be all done after this. So far i'm only up about 2.5lbs so not too bad really really hoping to keep it under 15 but its sooo hard when im so hungry.


----------



## krissie328

Urs- I don't have any experience with auto immune but I hope your doctor can give you some reassurance.

Swimmy- I was just complaining to my mom about how much more laundry I seem to have. It's really quite rediculous really. 

Congrats on your boy. My boy was so much easier than my girl. :haha: honestly I could probably have 5 of him and be content. My girl definatley okay saying she's my last. I think the differences in the two is really part of the enjoyment. 

Atm, not much to report. My blood sugar has been horrible lately so it's just really that extra motivator to lose some weight. I've set a small goal so hoping to accomplish that before going back to work in 6 weeks.


----------



## Ursaula

Swimmy: A boy! How exciting to experience the similarities and differences of both sexes.

Krissie: Any improvement on your blood sugar?

AFM: I want to thank you gals. Being able to come on here and just vent when I'm frustrated, confused, or just lonely has helped me during this time.

Still waiting on results in regards to the autoimmune disease. I did see my ob/gyn this past Thursday. I am on bed rest (at home) and baby will 90% likely be preterm just with everything that has gone on. She's expecting baby to come in August instead of the end of September. We shall see, trying to stay positive. I hit 27 weeks yesterday.


----------



## swimmyj1

krissie - i hope hes easier lol, lizzy is hitting the terrible 2 age and ooooohhhh goodness!!! the sass level that has come out is crazy! at least she thinks time outs are horrible so at least if i usually ask her if she needs a time out it stops ... for now lol.
I knew you would get a kick out of this - my dh put a picture of the dragon from "the never ending story" up in my laundry room with the word story crossed out and he wrote laundry instead lol. I'm seriously about to give up doing laundry every again it never stops!!!!!! 

urs - sorry to hear about the bedrest that can't be much fun. also hopefully they can keep that peanut in a bit longer. :) can't believe your already 27 weeks!!!!

AFM - I have been able to find baby using the ultrasound machine at work now, I love seeing him move around in there :) 
I think we might be making a huge life change shortly after the baby comes. My grandma wants us to move in with her. She has 3 extra rooms and wants to build another bathroom in her basement. my mom and her really want us closer to them, but i've said about a million times no way can i afford the area they live in (seriously 3-4x higher housing costs lol) my house is worth about 60,000$ more now than when i bought it. they think we should sell the house. Pay off all of the student loans and credit card debt and put the remaining about in savings (probably about 10-20k). Save the money we would be using on a mortgage and student loans and just put it away over the next 3-4 years. then buy/build our dream home up north when the rest of my family plans on moving. I keep feeling like it would be a step backwards moving in with family. But i know my nana is lonely and would love us to be there. And i won't lie the help with the kids and saving money sounds sooooooo nice!!! (sorry long self talk there lol, i just keep flip flopping back and forth. but plenty of time to think about it)


----------



## krissie328

Urs- what a bummer about bed rest. I was on bed rest intermittently with my daughter and it was rough some days. I hope you're feeling better. 

Swimmy- that's too funny about the never ending laundry. :haha: 

Sounds like you guys have a difficult decision to make. I can see both sides. I will say I do love having the support of my mom living so close by. 

Afm, my oldest turned 4 today. I seriously can't even believe it. Other than that not much else. Still enjoying summer break and the kiddos.


----------



## MissDoc

Urs, bed rest sounds no fun, but I hope she keeps acooking for a while. But yay for being in the viability range now!

Swimmy, congrats on the sweet boy! I know everyone says this but I can second it, boys lovvvve their mamas. My good friend says her two daughters are major mamas girls, but then she met my kiddo and said, yep boys are different, they reallly love their mamas. I dont have a girl to compare, but a boy has been a very sweet experience. Like you did, I kind of want another of the same gender because I feel like weve finally got the hang of this one, haha, but I also want to experience the other side. As for your decision, I honestly would move in. Not for the help although thats great, because I think to be truly debt free gives your family so much freedom about what next life decisions to make. That will be so wonderful. 

Krissie, 4 years old, oh my gosh!! How wild! How does it feel going through the same stages with a second little one now? Totally different or pretty similar? Do you feel like a pro by now?! Does it still feel crazy to say you have kidS, plural. So cool!

AFM, we started trying for baby 2 last cycle, but BFN. Early in cycle two now, so the trying window is in a week or so. Ive decided Im going to use each cycle as a window of time to try to lose 3 lbs. Im 7 days in to this one and am 1.2 lbs down and doing well! So it gives me some motivation and solace, like each cycle Im not pregnant gives me another chance to lose a few more lbs and get closer to my pre-baby weight (which is just barely overweight). Id love to get back there before getting pregnant again, but if I had to choose of course Id rather be pregnant than skinny. &#128514; Although I will say, trying for baby number two has a very different tone to it. No longer the desperation. With my son, I would have sold everything I own and my soul to have him, I wouldnt have been whole without him. Now I feel like a second baby would complete our family and be icing the cake. Its a nice change.


----------



## krissie328

MissDoc- I hope you have a short journey to #2. You're so right about the different mentality. My son was the child I craved and worked so hard to get. My daughter it was very different and while we did try we also gave up. Looking back now I'm so happy we have her and she really was a missing piece to our family. I'm not sure my heart ever would have been full without both of my kids. 

Swimmy, I do think there is something amazing about being debt free. My husband and I are currently working hard to pay off our debt. We have about 2.5 years of credit cards and about 2 years on my car. I cannot wait to get those two massive payments gone. After that I hope we can pay off all our small debt and do a couple small projects around the house. Hopefully within 5 years we only have our mortgage to worry about. Which we could easily do on a single income. I really look forward to some financial freedom and hopefully we'll be able to travel with our kids while they are growing up. 

Afm, I do find having two kids absolutely crazy still. I really find that I've had to embrace being mom more and it's been a switch from one. I do find the second time around so much better. I only had a short bit of depression after and now I'm feeling like my normal self. (With DS my depression lasted over 2 years!) I also don't stress as much either, although she is developmental leaps ahead of where my son was and she eats which my son never did well until he got his tonsils out last March. But overall I think things are better and going easier, I've had a great summer with them both, I'm gonna be really sad to go back to work in a month.


----------



## krissie328

It's been quiet in here. How is everyone doing?


----------



## swimmyj1

hey gals :) sorry i've been on vacation on and off for the last few weeks. Decided to have some time up north at our cabin. Spent almost every day at the lake with lizzy. 

Krissie - i hope i have the same experience as you when it comes to the post depression. mine wasn't anywhere as bad as yours but it scared me so bad being that depressed. A 5 year debt free plan isn't bad at all. With my student loans as they are now I won't be done paying them for about 15 years eeekk! the idea of not being able to go outside though and play as much as lizzy likes when this baby first comes isn't going to be easy. She loves to be outside lol. 

Doc - yay for baby # 2 journey!!! i hope it doesn't take anywhere near as long :) I felt the same way, I don't think I felt as pressured but i felt like i was letting lizzy down by not giving her a sibling. (now i realized that was kind of silly to feel that way. only children can be just as happy).

AFM - cant believe i'm almost already 16 weeks! I started buying some boy cloths but not a ton (part of me keeps holding onto the 1% error rate lol) but i'm coming around. My anatomy scan is on aug 14th :) unfortunately my weight is up a total of 9lbs already ugh I need to stop snacking and eating out so much. So much for not gaining a lot of weight this time. It looks like we will be moving in with my grandma probably around march/april. I have SOOOOO much to get done around the house before even trying to sell it. My grandma drove 2 1/2 hours yesterday because she missed us and asked to spend a few days. (glad I was home and not out and about when she called and said i'm pulling in your driveway sorry i forgot to call). I can see now that shes just really lonely living alone and we would be helping her out too by being there.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- the time at the cabin sounds amazing. I keep pondering the idea of getting a cabin near Yellowstone. We have some friends that have a family cabin up there and it's so peaceful. 

I have a little over 7 years left on my student loans. Once they are paid off we will be eligible to sell our house and move if we want. For now we wouldn't qualify for a loan. Although my DH doesn't really want to sell our house anytime soon. 

Hopefully moving in with your grandma works well for you all. It sounds like a good financial plan at any rate. 

Afm, finally back on track with low carb. I'm down 8 lbs and my blood sugar has been fantastic. I also have a ton of energy so I'm just trying to stay focused and take it meal by meal. Hopefully I'm well established by the time work starts back up and I won't have any issues prepping lunches and sticking with low carb.


----------



## MissDoc

Congrats on the weightloss Krissie! 

And Swimmy, so jealous of your lake and cabin time. 

Nothing too exciting here. Ive taken a few days off from dieting. Ill be back on the horse tomorrow. 

As for babymaking, only BDd once in the fertile window and hubby was sick and on antibiotics (which lowers sperm count), so I have little to no hope that anything will take this cycle. Well try harder next cycle!


----------



## krissie328

That's disappointing MissDoc. Hopefully things go much better next cycle. 

Im trying to clean my basement which has been my catch all for 3 years. But we are getting new windows next week so I need to get it done. Hopefully it will encourage dh to finish putting in the built in shelves and we can actually start using it as our entertainment area. It's a fantastic space but just kinda boring in its current state. 

I'm finally not craving carbs like a crazy person, however, af also decided to show today so hopefully I can stay strong. I always get horrible cravings during that time. So far all I really seem to want is pot roast so I guess that's at least a safe craving. :haha:


----------



## swimmyj1

Doc - sorry to hear DH has been sick :( better luck next month

Krissie - I love yellowstone, it would be so amazing to have a cabin close by. good for you with the low carbs!!! that has been my downfall lately. I want cupcake and steak like all the time. At least the steak doesn't have carbs hahaha. good for you for getting the basement cleaned up. we build that huge play room in the basement and i've been too lazy to move all the toys/tv down there lol. at least the shelves we built helped with the clutter. 

AFM - for some reason this week nausea/vomiting has been hitting me hard :( also along with a summer cold. no fun. My friend from Washington flies in on friday. looking forward to spending time with her. was hoping for better weather so we could go out on the boat but we will play it by ear :) also started picking up some boy cloths :)


----------



## MissDoc

Krissie, ooh, basement organizing doesn't sound fun but itll be so worth it! And totally, pot roast is a reasonable craving. I just want cupcakes so badly. Lol. 

Swimmy, yuck on the cold and the just feeling crummy overall. Hope it calms down soon. And how sweet to start buying little boy clothes. Makes it real! Little boy clothes are so precious. There are always many more options for little girls, but I almost always dress my little boy so handsomely, so fun to dress up a little gentleman and make them look dapper! I loved sweet/smart stuff for my son rather than the super sports/athletic themed look. I had a blast buying boy clothes (a little too much of a blast if you ask my husband, haha!). 

Speaking of boy clothes, if we get to have a second and it's a boy it would be so nice to get to use all of our stuff again. Despite that, I'm still slightly hoping for a girl so I get to experience both and visit that side of the clothing department! Lol. 

As for health stuff, I am back on track with counting calories. I have 9.8 more lbs of the last pregnancy's babyweight to lose still, but plodding along!


----------



## krissie328

I'd say I'm 90% done with the basement but the rest has to wait until our windows are installed next week. Now I'm gonna tackle my craft room today. 

Part of my goal with the basement is to get the toys downstairs and out of the main living area. That way DS can play down there more and it encourages me to use the space. 

Swimmy- I hope the weather cooperates and you guys have a lovely weekend together. And that you feel better soon. 

MissDoc- good job getting back on track with diet. I'm almost two weeks in today and doing pretty good. I broke down and ate too many carbs yesterday (at least it was just cantaloupe) hopefully am over that.


----------



## swimmyj1

Hey gals - finally starting to feel better lol that took too long. 

Krissie - 90% of the way done is impressive! We finally got our playroom together this weekend. Soooo nice to have a liveable space down there and have all of her toys spread out (where I dont have to pick them all up every time someone comes over hahaha). I really need to start working on down sizing our belongings especially if we are going to move in a few months.

Doc - I feel like my dh will have this poor boy in camo patterns like 24/7. Hes big into fishing and hunting and I swear every time we go out hes picking out a new hunting outfit for him or something with fishing lol. Not exactly my favorite look even with loving the outdoors. You are sooo close to your pre pregnant weight! Way to go!!! 

Afm - starting to feel baby move a little this week, i forgot what a strange feeling that is to start with. Planning lizzys birthday party, we are going up north, gonna spend the morning at the beach if the weather allows then take the party back to our place for bbq and cake. Cant believe this gal is gonna be 2!


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- yay for more movements! Those early ones are always a little strange. 

So they weren't able to install almost half of the windows because they were measure wrong. I'm frustrated to say the least because now I'll have to take off work for this. But oh well, the ones installed are so beautiful. 

Cleaning the basement has encouraged dh to get working on it so hopefully as the weather cools outside he will do that. I want my library! :haha: 

I've been doing good on my diet and I'm now back to my pre pregnancy weight. While that is exciting I'm looking forward to losing more.


----------



## MissDoc

Swimmy, so funny with your husband getting so excited to have a little hunting buddy, lol. And oh my gosh, baby movements are the best. It's actually the biggest thing I look forward to about a potential second pregnancy...nothing like feeling your baby moving inside of you (until those last weeks where they never stop moving and kick you in the lungs and bladder repeatedly, lol). 

Krissy, jealous of your craft room, how cool! And congrats on being back at your pre-pregnancy weight. That is so awesome. 

As for me, I'm making progress. Lost 3.6 lbs last cycle, and I'm 8.6 lbs away from pre-pregnancy weight. Started my period yesterday, which wasn't a surprise given our poor planning with trying this cycle. I'm okay with it. Gives me another cycle to work on another few lbs! Maybe one of the next few cycles will be my cycle!


----------



## krissie328

Good luck this cycle MissDoc. Hopefully your timing will be perfect. 

I must admit we have a pretty perfect house for us. Other than the yard is too much work. I'm planning to take out all plants up front and replace the flower beds with weed barrier, rocks, and some whiskey barrels. It eliminates a huge chunk of yardwork and should make it manageable. My back is all fenced so I can work with the kids and not worry about them running into the road. Hopefully in a couple years I can afford to have a company come out every couple weeks to do the upkeep and then I can enjoy my summers more.


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie - sooo envious that you will have a library!! that is on my dream list. One day i'll have one (esp if we build a house in a few years). I agree with you I think yard work is the least fun, I think I would pay a service to do that over indoor cleaning if I had to pick. Congrats go getting down to pre-pregnant weight you did that fast! I'm kind of excited that we might sell our house in the winter so no one will notice that I haven't weeded or done anything to the flowers in years hahaha.

Doc - ooohh i forgot how uncomfortable the last few weeks get with movements lol. This kid seems like a kicker, I've been feeling a lot more the last few days. Hoping the next few cycles bring you some luck! 3.6 lb loss is great! almost 1 lb a week! 

AFM - I think im gonna try weight watchers a few months after having this baby. My friend is having some amazing success with it. Shes down 20lbs in under 3 months. So proud of her! I got on the scale at work today, so far doesn't look like any weight gain in the last 2-3 weeks but i've been making really poor food choices :( i need to cut that out!


----------



## ireadyermind

-peeks in-

Hellloooo, ladies!


----------



## krissie328

Eee! How are you doing irym? Your profile picture is so lovely. <3


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> Eee! How are you doing irym? Your profile picture is so lovely. <3

Aww, thanks! Hello, hello! Today's the first day since DD was born that I've felt like I've had time to breathe. I'm sorry it took me so long to get in here and check in!

How have you been doing?

And who wants to hear the tale of the 3rd trimester and baby's birth? I can't believe I've been away so long!


----------



## krissie328

I'd love to hear your story!

I find the first 3 months so overwhelming. It does get easier, or rather we adjust? 

Things are going great here. Both kids are growing fast and I went back to work last week. I'm struggling a little but thays typical after summer. DS starts preschool next week and is so so excited. I hope this year sets him up well for kindergarten.


----------



## swimmyj1

OMG IRYM!! We've missed you! Can't wait to hear about everything :) She is beautiful (and so are you :hugs:) love the picture update. 

krissie - sorry you had to go back to work :( that is never easy.

Can't believe my gal is now 2!!! had a fun birthday party, she loved water balloons. My mom drove me crazy all weekend but that's ok lol, it was nice to get away and be up north for a few days. Spent most of it on the beach. however not super happy that someone bought lizzy one of those toy cars kids can drive. Cuz she totally knows how to use it and likes to try and take off on it :dohh:


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> I'd love to hear your story!
> 
> I find the first 3 months so overwhelming. It does get easier, or rather we adjust?
> 
> Things are going great here. Both kids are growing fast and I went back to work last week. I'm struggling a little but thays typical after summer. DS starts preschool next week and is so so excited. I hope this year sets him up well for kindergarten.


Preschool! How exciting! My littlest nephew just started last fall, and he had typically been a Mama's boy with severe separation anxiety, so we thought his first day was going to be a problem. Well, they get to the preschool, the boy takes one look at all the toys and other kids, and poof! Gone straight to the fun. Could not care less that his mom was leaving him there to go to work. He made 2 friends the first day and hasn't complained once about going back, since. Haha

I hope it goes as well as that, or better, for your boy!

You're going to have to tell me all about your new LO too! So tiny in that profile pic! <3



AFM -- My pregnancy went by without a single problem until week 37. I woke up one night itching from head to toe! I knew that was a symptom of liver problems, so I went into the ER (and not just because the itching was miserable), and the docs there were like, "Well there's not a rash. I don't know what to tell you." I had to be the one to mention Obstetric Cholestasis. The said, "It's probably not that, but we will run tests anyway," and what do you know? Obstetric Cholestasis!

If you're unfamiliar with the syndrome, it's basically where your liver is overloaded with all the extra hormones, waste and other stuff dumped into your bloodstream by pregnancy, and stops being able to filter out the waste from your system. It can cause stillbirth if it's not caught in time, so I'm really glad I did! I got put on a drug called Ursadiol, which basically a supplemental liver acid that helps dissolve toxins in my bloodstream.

A few nights later, I started waking up with severe back pain. And I mean SEVERE. I have back pain every day of my life, so I'm somewhat inured to it. This pain was nauseating. It was so intense I had a hard time catching my breath. I was pretty certain it was back labor, actually, so I called and went into L&D, was hooked up to monitors, etc. Had 1 contraction a minute for ALMOST an hour, when they mysteriously vanished and didn't come back. I got sent home.

A few nights later, same thing again. Had what I was sure was back labor, headed into L&D, had contractions 1 minute apart for ALMOST an hour, then they stopped just short of an hour, and I was sent home.

The third time it happened, the OB on duty at the time said, basically, "Look, you've been 'almost' in labor three times, you have Obstetric Cholestasis that is not improving, and you're 38 weeks pregnant. I'm going to induce." 

Thank god I'd insisted on packing my hospital bags into the car that morning. lol



So they started me on pitocin on April 10th at about 8am. Only I didn't really respond to it. I stayed at 1cm dilated and 90% effaced, with next to no contractions for THREE DAYS. I insisted we try everything. A foley bulb, cervix softening medications, labor balls, walking up and down the hallway.. you name it, we tried it. Not only that, but the baby's head never dropped either. If she had, her head would have put pressure on my cervix and helped it to dilate like it should have, but she was tucked up above my right hip and would not budge from that spot. 

When April 13th rolled around and still no baby, we'd exhausted all our options. They told me at that point, all that was left was a c-section.

You guys, I was so upset by that news. I had mentally prepared myself for 9mos for a vaginal delivery and the pain and difficulty that would cause me, only to learn that my body had "failed" me and I needed surgery to have this baby.

The issue was that my cervix was so horribly scarred from my cancer removal surgeries and subsequent biopsies, it just couldn't function like it should have. And there was nothing the OB or nurses could do about that.

I just wanted to break down and cry, but I couldn't. My mom and youngest sister were both there, and they had both had c-sections themselves, and I didn't want to look like I was throwing a fit or being a big baby. 

Anyway, Gwen was born at 1:37 on Friday the 13th, after the longest 3 days of my life (up to that point). She weighed 9lbs and 1.5oz! I thought, "No wonder she never dropped, she was too big!"

And the fact that she was so large meant that from the very start, I was unable to produce enough breastmilk for her. She lost more than 10% of her body weight in less than 48hrs. So we had to start supplementing with formula until she started to gain weight, which meant we were in the delivery ward an extra 2 days to make sure she was healthy. And even after my milk really started coming in, it wasn't enough fr her. No matter what I ate or drank, how often she nursed or I pumped, there just wasn't enough.

Now at 16 weeks, my milk is all dried up. I was really upset about that, too. I told DH that I felt like a failure. Not only did my body fail to birth our baby the way it "should have", it couldn't produce milk to feed her. The baby blues really hit me hard. 

I'm doing better now though. It took a lot of reminding myself that the most important thing is that Gwen is here safe and sound. 


Oh, AND -- My first mother's day was a little over a month after Gwen was born, and DH totally botched it. After all the months I'd talked about it, how excited I was to celebrate my first Mother's Day, all the gift ideas I had come right out and shown him and said, "This would be an excellent mother's day gift!" All he did was run to the grocery store the evening of Mother's Day, and grab the last bouquet of roses they had, which were brown and wilty. And then had the nerve to say, "They were sold out of everything, so I just got you these."

He cooked some chicken for dinner, supposedly so I wouldn't have to cook, and that was that.


You guys, DH planned ahead enough to send his mother a professional flower arrangement from 1-800-Flowers, how come all I merited was a wilty bouquet from the grocery store? I cried and cried. Then later, DH's parents came up for a visit and his dad asked what he did for me for Mother's Day. DH was like, "Oh, I cooked dinner." His dad goes, "... that's all?"

DH: Well it was a good dinner! Chicken and salad!
FIL: But you're going to do something better for her next year, right?
DH: ...?
FIL: Because it's her first Mother's Day and she deserves something special?
DH: But it was a tasty dinner!

You guys, it was like it never occurred to him that perhaps he ought to do something special for my first mother's day and couldn't understand why everyone was shocked! He had NO CLUE.

For Father's day, I got him a custom wooden, carved photo frame that said, "Happy First Father's Day 2018, Love Gwen" and had his favorite photo of her in it, for his desk at work. It wasn't anything super duper, but it was sentimental, required some forethought, and I didn't run out to the grocery store last minute to scavenge the leftovers. :dohh:


Anyway, sorry for throwing up that wall of text there! Just so much to cover since the last time I checked in!


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - im sorry to hear that labor was such a mess for you, its completely ok to be disappointed that things didn't go as you had pictured. Same with breast feeding. I wanted to breast feed soooo badly, i kept trying to force lizzy along with supplementing but i was pretty much starving her. finally i switched to pumping what i could and just doing formula for the rest. 
I'm a true believer that a fed baby is best. No where when she graduates high school will it say she was breast fed or not lol. 

I'm so sorry that your DH messed up your mothers day! that is just crappy :( i'm glad his parents called him out on it hahaha. Hopefully next year he goes above and beyond. So wonderful to hear from you and to get an update


----------



## ireadyermind

*Swimmy* - Hello! Glad to be back, thanks for the compliments. :) 

It's so crazy your LO is already two! It seems like just the other day she was born! Happy birthday to her!


I agree with you that fed is best. It's just really hard to have yet another "failure" or setback on something my body is supposed to be able to do! Bah.

Not to mention, I was hoping that BFing would help me lose some baby weight! Haha


----------



## krissie328

Your DD sounds so much like my experience with DS. I beat myself up for not being able to bf due to basically no supply. He lost 25% weight at 2 weeks so we had no choice. But to be honest I think choosing to ff from the start this time is what caused me to not have PPD. It was an entirely new experience. Just be kind to yourself and know she is a happy, healthy baby and thriving no matter how you feed her. 

It sounds like the end of your pregnancy/labor was quite difficult. But so wonderful she is here now after all the struggles you guys had to get her. :cloud9:

Afm.. Alice is my last child after her pregnancy/postpartum. I developed very high bp and had 3 hospital stays from 31 weeks-36 weeks. I was put on bed rest and finally at 37 weeks they induced me when I finally developed pre-e. Which I was one of the lucky ones it actually went really bad after I had her and I was readmitted at 5 days pp due to insane bp and fluid on my lungs. I was very ill for about 3 months with bp and blood sugar that wouldn't settle down, but thankfully am doing so much better. 

Now little Alice is 6 months old and doing so good. Her brother just adores her and I can see them being good little trouble makers together. She already scoots after him and he loves to sing and play with her. Even though she was a bit of a surprise I am so glad it worked out and she is here. She is a complete daddy's girl though. It doesn't matter who is there if her daddy is home she is glued to him. I think I kinda understand how he felt now with DS since he is very much a mama's boy. 

Anyways this was her 6th month picture I took last week. <3
 



Attached Files:







20180731_172605-614x940.jpg
File size: 49.7 KB
Views: 3


----------



## ireadyermind

Krissie - Aww, what a cutie! So sorry to hear you were so sick, that's awful. :( Is everything back to normal now? No residual problems?


----------



## krissie328

So far my bp has remained slightly elevated but not enough to medicate. My blood sugar has been average since I started the keto diet a month ago. And I've lost 17 lbs down to my pre pregnancy weight. I'm hoping my bp will follow as I lose more weight.


----------



## ireadyermind

krissie328 said:


> So far my bp has remained slightly elevated but not enough to medicate. My blood sugar has been average since I started the keto diet a month ago. And I've lost 17 lbs down to my pre pregnancy weight. I'm hoping my bp will follow as I lose more weight.

Ooo, I've been wanting to do the Keto diet! Is it really hard to stick to? My doctor said not even to bother with the supposed "PCOS Diet" and to just stick to a low carb one, as that would work best for me. The problem is that I get such horrible carb withdrawal, I find it really difficult to stick to the program!

Metformin REALLY helped with those carb cravings, knocked them almost down to nothing, but it also caused me to develop an erratic heartbeat, complete with breathlessness. Sooo unfortunately I had to stop taking that. What a bummer, I felt like a whole new person while I was on it!

And, thinking "out loud" here, I just remembered that I had been taking Myo-inositol a few weeks before I got pregnant. I had lost 5lbs while I was on it, so maybe I should get back to it since I'm not breastfeeding any more!


----------



## krissie328

I found once I got past the first week I had almost no carb cravings. And I had some serious sugar addiction going on before starting. I did just go straight to less than 20g carbs and it has been great. I have can honestly say I have not felt this good in ages. I sleep deeper and need less sleep to function clearly. I would highly recommend it. The first week I drank a lot of smart water to keep my electrolytes up. I have only had one episode where I felt like total hell but I think I was dehydrated after spending all day in a hot office and running around. My biggest piece of advice would be to keep it simple. I do a lot of meat with a veggie for my meals. One of my favorites was a "bourbon chicken" with cauliflower rice. It was so good but it totally tasted like general taos. :haha: The best thing you can do is track everything for awhile. I use an app called cronometer which breaks down net carbs. There is so many hidden carbs in stuff so it is good to get use to knowing what is in your food. I plan to track for a couple months and then if I want the break see if I can keep it up without tracking. 

The best websites for recipes that I like are Two Sleevers and I breath, I'm hungry. I think they use a lot of real ingredients that are easy to find. I also shop sales on meat and freeze a lot because it can be spendy. But overall I would recommend it, especially to help sort through hormonal issues of PCOS and insulin sensitivity. I currently have normal blood sugars all day except fasting which is running 101-115 still. I swear that number is never going to down. :growlmad:

When I started keto I joined reddit and have found some great subs that are very helpful and encouraging to see such great progress. I lost 17 lbs in my first month and I have decided to not weigh in this month since it was starting to stress me out. Hopefully I can see some great results this month too. 

I loved Myo-inositol when I have taken it.


----------



## swimmyj1

Krissie - she is sooooo cute!!! can't believe she is already 6 months. 

I can't wait to get back to dieting and exercising honestly lol, I'm just soooo hungry this pregnancy. I've tried to do some yoga and low energy work outs but i end up getting so dizzy and nauseous after it didn't feel worth it. I had to break out my maternity scrubs today for work booo I wasn't quite ready to make that change lol. I really need to stop eating like crap though :( I think i'm gonna get back to using myfitness pal and just watch my intake. 

Have a wonderful rainbow baby story to share. my BFF found out in july that she was pregnant. Went to her OB and they pretty much told her to expect a new miscarriage due to her HCG levels being low and no fetal poll found. However she ovulates like 1-2 weeks later than normal. I insisted that she wait, ask for a follow up hcg test (we all know 1 means NOTHING!) and another scan in 2 weeks if no bleeding. HCG more than doubled in 48 hours. today her scan showed a beautiful wiggly 7 week 2 day baby with a strong heart beat! I'm sooooo excited for her! After her horrible ex husband left her "for not being able to have kids" she has wanted this sooo bad.


----------



## ireadyermind

swimmyj1 said:


> Krissie - she is sooooo cute!!! can't believe she is already 6 months.
> 
> I can't wait to get back to dieting and exercising honestly lol, I'm just soooo hungry this pregnancy. I've tried to do some yoga and low energy work outs but i end up getting so dizzy and nauseous after it didn't feel worth it. I had to break out my maternity scrubs today for work booo I wasn't quite ready to make that change lol. I really need to stop eating like crap though :( I think i'm gonna get back to using myfitness pal and just watch my intake.
> 
> Have a wonderful rainbow baby story to share. my BFF found out in july that she was pregnant. Went to her OB and they pretty much told her to expect a new miscarriage due to her HCG levels being low and no fetal poll found. However she ovulates like 1-2 weeks later than normal. I insisted that she wait, ask for a follow up hcg test (we all know 1 means NOTHING!) and another scan in 2 weeks if no bleeding. HCG more than doubled in 48 hours. today her scan showed a beautiful wiggly 7 week 2 day baby with a strong heart beat! I'm sooooo excited for her! After her horrible ex husband left her "for not being able to have kids" she has wanted this sooo bad.

Ooo, Swimmy, I didn't know you were pregnant again! Congrats!

Also, what wonderful news for your BFF! I hate when doctors immediately jump to the miscarriage diagnosis, that's what they told me about Gwen, even with healthy HCG levels. Turns out it was just their crappy ultrasound machines. When I went elsewhere for a second opinion, there she was, a little bean with a heartbeat! So glad your friend didn't lose hope after that misdiagnosis.


AFM - We're going to my little nephew's birthday party tomorrow. He turns 7 and specifically asked that I attend. <3 He's my little buddy. For a long time, I was the only one who gave him any real attention. I'd sit down with him one on one and play, ask him about his day, things he likes, etc. It means a lot to me that the first thing he asked about for his birthday was if I would be able to make it. It's a 3.5 hour drive, but worth it!

His mom has basically just flaked out on his party. She's putting in the bare minimum in terms of effort, which also made me really sad. Benjamin is the middle son and she acts like she just can't be bothered to try. Her only plans were to serve some PB&Js and a cake.

You guys might remember me saying so, but I have always been overlooked on birthdays because it's so close to Christmas. I remember feeling absolutely worthless when I was little, because no one remembered me or went to any effort. 

SO when I heard how little my sister was planning, I decided to do something about it. My youngest sister is planning some games (musical chairs, limbo, etc), and I went out and bought a face painting kit with some easy stencils so all the kids could get their faces painted. My mom (Ben's grandma) got party decor and toys.

I don't know if my sister had planned it like this in the hopes that everyone else would handle the party, but we weren't about to let her drop the ball on this one! But I'm going to be so exhausted wrangling 9 first-graders. lol!


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - way to go!! that is so wonderful that you are going to make his party special. you are a great aunt. It sounds maybe a little silly but I feel really bad this next baby is going to be born so close to Christmas. I think as they get older I'm going to actually have them celebrate their 1/2 birthday. That way if they want to have an outdoor party they can. Or we would do an indoor water park or something if they want to keep their birthday in the winter. It's not fair that December babies get skipped over because of the holidays. 
Thanks for the congrats! this one caught me a little off guard we were looking into ivf or a donor. I would have liked a little bigger age gap but I'm not gonna complain lol super thankful. Def will be done after #2 though


----------



## swimmyj1

i scanned myself at work last night, soooo I think the 1% chance of having another girl is gone lol.


----------



## ireadyermind

Aww, that's like what happened to us with Gwen. I was actually on BC to regulate my ovaries before IVF when we got pregnant with Gwen! :) How exciting!

----

Okay, I have to vent. We're at my mother's house, visiting with mom and my sisters. Gwen got hungry, so I asked DH to feed her. Now, bear in mind, DH went to bed an hour earlier than everyone. He slept through the night, even when Gwen woke up crying at 5am and wouldn't go back to sleep for 45 minutes. He took a nap yesterday, too. He was served food, we went out to breakfast, and basically had a vacation day despite me wanting to visit with the family we're here to see.

But how dare I make DH feed Gwen, he's tired! Why can't the poor man take a nap? Why aren't I caring for the baby myself? Poor DH WORKS all week!

As if being a SAHM isn't work. And as if I don't do any work! 

I said, uh - he gets 8+ hours solid sleep a night, wakes up and has a leisurely breakfast alone, showers without interruptions, spends 30mins on the toilet. Then he goes to work where he's being PAID for the stuff he does, gets an hour long lunch - again, uninterrupted - which is sometimes followed up by a nap in the car. Then he comes home, I fix dinner, do laundry, dishes, all the housework, care for the animals, etc and he plays with Gwen maybe 2hrs tops before she's in bed for the night. I think he can handle sometimes caring for HIS child on weekends!

My youngest sister said, "But then he doesn't get a break!" What about me? When do I get a break? Is asking DH to help care for his kid 2 out of 7 days a week that horrible? Especially when I still handle naps, bath time, bedtime, etc? And when I end up spending my whole weekend running errands or doing house maintenance? 


I'm pretty peeved right now. My husband sees Gwen so infrequently that she's beginning to treat him like he's a stranger! 

If he wanted weekends off and zero responsibility for a baby, he shouldn't have agreed to have one. And how dare my sisters insinuate that I ask too much of him.


----------



## MissDoc

Swimmy-- Such sweet news about your friend. I hope the rest of her pregnancy goes oh so smoothly. Congrats also on your little girl being 2 years old now! Man, time flies. It does feel like you just had her a couple months ago. Lol. And here you are expecting her little brother! 

Krissie-- Oh my gosh, she is such an adorable little chunk. Love the photo! And love hearing that her big brother is getting along well with her. That stresses me out about the idea of having a second (if we even can)... how will my son take it. He can't even tolerate the cat sleeping on my lap... he climbs up and sits on top of the cat. Lol. Definitely a mama's boy. Dad's great and all and he's crazy about him, but he wants to be on me non-stop. 

IRYM--- Oh my goodness! Look at you and that little girl! Such a beautiful duo. Congratulations on getting her here safely and soundly. I'm sorry things didn't go as you hoped. Not that it helps you feel any better, but I had a 4th degree tear with my natural delivery of a big baby, and healing from that was oh so awful. Most women do an elective c section for subsequent children when they tear that badly, so if we have a second baby, there's a good chance a cesarean is in my future, due to risks of repeat tearing. And that stresses me out and makes me sad, but the idea of tearing like that again majorly scares me. Not sure it was worth it, even though it went perfectly otherwise. I still don't feel "right" down there post tearing... over a year later and I still have pain. :-( So perhaps it's good your 9 pounder didn't come out vaginally! And breastfeeding, I'm still nursing my 15 month old and for me, it was DETERRENT to weight loss, not a helper. Up until about 10 months of age, I felt non stop ravenous due to breastfeeding... couldn't eat at a deficit at all. Like at all. Now that my milk supply is super low I can finally restrict my eating a bit and am finally starting to lose the baby weight... from 15 months ago (can I even call it baby weight anymore, lol?). With Krissie saying she thinks formula feeding contributed to not getting PPD with her second, I can totally see that. Breastfeeding was such a hard fought journey for us. Painful, he nursed every 45 mins, I had back to back clogged ducts and mastitis, off and on undersupply where I had to pump every 2 hrs plus constant nursing to get it back up each time, he had a tongue tie that had to be repaired. Just, whew. It was not easy. We trialed formulas and I kept a canister of the one that worked best for him in case we ever needed, but surprisingly we made it through. But if we have a second, I think I'd be less nutty about it, and more willing to just use the darn formula. I bet that process is much smoother, once you stop mom-guilting yourself. 

Your body made and carried that beautiful perfect baby, so it's definitely doing plenty right!! 

About your nephew, that's really sweet that you're making his bday special. What a disappointment that his mom isn't. It's nice he'll have you there to celebrate with him.

And the comments about your husband... screw that. And those stupid comments. I hate the idea that anything a dad does is automatically deserving of accolades, but it's the default expectation that mom does those things. I hear all the time how lucky I am that my husband cares for our son as an involved parent, but that's because he's his freaking father. And I set that expectation. That both of us are parents. I of course do more of the work because we nurse, and when there's a problem, little one wants mama, but I totally think dads should be dads and not "bonus" parents. So silly that you got flack for asking him to feed HIS child. And I don't even know your husband but I'm mad at him that he botched your first mother's day and didn't think of it as important, yet made his mother have a special day. That's pretty clueless of him. 
Congrats to you on not strangling your husband, and for doing nearly all of the baby care on your own. Those first months are so hard. 


As for me, I ovulate tonight or tomorrow. I'd say this is the first month since we've been trying that we've had good timing with intercourse. The past cycles we've only BD'd once in the fertile window, at the very end of the window. So maybe we'll get lucky this time. But if we don't it'll give me time to lose a few more lbs hopefully before trying again the next cycle. Still about 6ish lbs away from being at pre-pregnancy weight. Getting close though!


----------



## miracleworker

heey ladies, wow you guys are still here am happy to have found you again. i disappeared its been two years and a half now. Alot has happened after all this time, i hope you guys are all doing fine.


----------



## ireadyermind

*MiracleWorker* - Wow, welcome back! It's been so long! :) You'll have to update us on everything that's happened while you were away!

*MissDoc* - I owe you about half a dozen thanks for all your responses to my various posts!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks it's BS that DH screwed up my Mother's Day. I'm also glad that you agree with me on the subject of expecting my husband to be a parent even if he has a day job. It's like my mom and sisters are living in the 1950s instead of here in 2018. I flat out told DH in the car on the way home that I do not appreciate being made to feel like sh!t for asking him to help me out, and that raising a baby and managing a household every day by myself is hard work too! He said he agrees with me... but then I wonder why he didn't tell my family that? Instead, he let them guilt me into taking Gwen from him and then he went and took a nap! So instead of spending time with my family, I had to spend the afternoon alone in the back of the house feeding and caring for Gwen so she could nap... which was made all the more difficult because DH was snoring loudly enough to shake the house down, and I didn't have any other place I could put her to sleep. 


ANYWAY... So your DS is jealous of the cats, eh? I think that's simultaneously cute and an "uh oh" moment. :haha: Doesn't it make you feel so loved that he doesn't want to share you with anyone else? And at the same time, you do need him to be a little more independent. It'll come, though, I'm sure! My youngest sister's boy was a total mama's boy. Then as soon as he started preschool/daycare at age three... poof! A whole new boy. He made friends and everything!


----------



## ireadyermind

Just wanted to share! My sister, her daughter, and Gwen all together at my nephew's birthday party. <3
 



Attached Files:







received_1158602227622550.jpg
File size: 32.7 KB
Views: 7


----------



## krissie328

IRYM- I definitely think your feelings are justified re mother's day. Especially after everything you guys had gone through to get your DD. I hope he has learned his lesson for next year. 

I would not tolerate that kind of behavior and old fashioned thinking that women should always be the caregiver. I was like that a little bit with my first but finally it was too much and my DH had to suck it up and deal. I think it really takes a team to raise a child and it is exhausting. I work outside of the home but have summers off and I tell you what it is way more difficult to stay at home than go to work. I think men get off easy with that because they have a paying job, but really they get way more breaks than a SAHM. That is good your DH agreed so hopefully he can set a good example next time. 

That was such a great thing you did for your nephew. It can be so heartbreaking when parents do that. Hopefully he had a special day and made some great memories. 

AFM, My Ds starting preschool today. He was so excited and didn't even stop to say goodbye. I am really optimistic this will be a good year of growth for him. I like the program he is in so hopefully they deliver what they say. 

I am also back to work and it has been a struggle. I am finding managing two kids is a lot more challenging than just one. I am exhausted and I never seem to have any break times until the kids go to bed and by then either DH wants attention or I am just so exhausted I crash. Hopefully this improves soon as we get into a better routine.


----------



## swimmyj1

Miracle worker - welcome back!! Cant wait to hear an update :) 

Irym - I cant stand when women make those sort of comments about Dads taking care of their kids. Even if you are a SAHM that doesnt mean you dont get help and a break. Plus he should want to spend time with her and help you relax a little. Im not a SAHM but to heck if I was gonna do all the house work child rearing and all that jazz while my dh does nothing lol. (I will say that comment about 30 minutes bathroom breaks cracks me up! Lizzy started opening the door on my dh while hes going sooo those stopped real fast hahahaha). That picture is sooo cute! 

Krissie - cant believe hes already in preschool! Im glad he handled it so well. Hopefully once your DD starts sleeping better you will have more energy. I think thats my biggest worry with a second baby, having even less energy than I do now Hahahaha.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- yea I think it's a bit more of a struggle with two. But to be fair I'm just getting back to work the last two weeks after having 9 off and I'm having a beast of an af. I'm hoping once she's out I'll perk up a bit. Last night I was up at least every two hours because it was that heavy. I heard that can happen on keto so hopefully it mellows down.

Plus DD likes to wake up to eat about an hour before my alarm so it's not really worth trying to go back to sleep. But I won't complain since she's a way better sleeper than DS.


----------



## MissDoc

Aww, Krissie, so sweet that your little guy started preschool with such enthusiasm. That must make you feel good. My little one has been in a very "school" type daycare since infancy, and it absolutely blows my mind how much he knows and learns there. Like, at 15 months he can do the handmotions to lots of songs (twinkle twinkle, BINGO (he claps his little thighs for the letters), itsy bitsy spider, and wheels on the bus), and I didn't teach him any of that, so it's delightful to see how much they learn in those settings. He also knows lots of signs and other cool things that are above and beyond what we do at home. i bet you'll be delighted with the stuff Christian comes home doing! (just not delighted at all the cold bugs that preschool means, bleh!)

IRYM, I totally agree that days I've stayed home are harder work than the days I'm at work. I don't get why people think that stay at home mom or work at home mom also equals single parent. That's so silly. Like if both of you work outside the home would it mean that neither of you should care for your baby when you get home or on the weekends? Of course not, but for some reason when the dad works out side of the home he needs a "break" when he's home. Let me tell you, being at work IS the break. Lol. When I'm at work I can eat, check email, surf the web for a bit, have lunch with a coworker, pee in peace, and have a cup of coffee that I can drink at my leisure while it's actually hot. Those are luxuries that are rare when you are with your tiny human all day, although it's getting a little easier as my velcro baby turns into a sweet silly toddler who can entertain himself at least a LITTLE. Anywho, off my soapbox. That photo is ADORABLE!

Swimmy, that's my fear too... how in the hell does anyone parent two little ones and have any energy or sanity? I guess you'll find out soon. LOL. Hopefully I will as well. 

I'm 5 dpo right now, which is that annoying part of the cycle because it's too early for anything whatsoever, and just waiting waiting. I implanted really early with my son and got a bfp on 8dpo, so around that time is when I start getting really antsy and impatient.


----------



## miracleworker

Thank you all ....
Well i think i disappeared when i got pregnant, and it started with lots of complications, i was so confused. Reaching 20 weeks i had placenta previa so i was put into bed rest for a month and the i had high blood pressure which made my doctor to put me into a total rest, so no work or anything of such matter i was depressed as am so used to moving around. Stay on bed rest until delivery which was 37 weeks, i got to hold DD for the first time. I was over the moon and then postpartum depression got me, it was crazy. I really had to work on my metal health to get back on my feet.
Due to long bed rest and the high blood pressure condition i gained a lot of weight, I had to do something. So i tried to eat health and workout and i lost all the baby weight and 10lbs more, but boom i was pregnant again and here i am, 8 weeks pregnant.
This pregnancy came by surprise i didn't plan and we where not trying to conceive, I guess God decided to bless us with another one. 
when i was in week 5 i had bleeding in which they had to put me into 10 days bed rest and by then they couldnt see yolk sac and fetal pole so they told me to go back after two weeks which i did and there was a strong heartbeat. 
I have been through a lot emotionally, and am still adjusting as alot has to change. The morning sickness is killing me, i decided to opt for medicine to easy things up but its not working so am hanging in there. 
Am also worried to end up on bed rest again as i would really like to keep on working. My boss is kinda of a workerholic and he will talk all the way for not being able to make it to work, he will make my pregnancy even harder.
well that's more like it, on what happened to me.
Well i also wish i could eat the healthier choice to avoid gaining too much weight but looks like its carbs mainly that my stomach can at least stand. 

its so good to see you Swimmy and Irym


----------



## MissDoc

Gosh Miracle, that sounds incredibly stressful. I'm so sorry! Congratulations on your pregnancy though. I really hope this one goes much more smoothly the further along you get.


----------



## krissie328

MissDoc said:


> Swimmy, that's my fear too... how in the hell does anyone parent two little ones and have any energy or sanity? I guess you'll find out soon. LOL. Hopefully I will as well.

I don't think this is possible!! I felt like I was doing okay over the summer but since going back to work 2 weeks ago I am barely coping. I kinda lost it yesterday from all the stress. I think part of it is actually stemming from the fact DS's behavior has been very challenging lately. His first day of preschool the teacher said he basically would not listen and kept running off. I felt like such a crap parent after that meeting. She kept saying you need to talk to him.. like I haven't been doing that for weeks already!!! So I am just frustrated and sad things are rough to start. At least he has been very excited to go to school. 

My daughter is also getting her first two teeth and is not a good teether like my son. So she has been very whiney the last week or so. Now that they are through I am hoping she will settle down some. 

Miracle- That does sound like a stressful end to your pregnancy. Hopefully this one will be better. Congratulations.


----------



## miracleworker

MissDoc said:


> Gosh Miracle, that sounds incredibly stressful. I'm so sorry! Congratulations on your pregnancy though. I really hope this one goes much more smoothly the further along you get.

thank you i really hope for the best thid time around....MissDoc its been a while its good to see you and congrats on your bundle of joy.


----------



## miracleworker

krissie328 said:


> MissDoc said:
> 
> 
> Swimmy, that's my fear too... how in the hell does anyone parent two little ones and have any energy or sanity? I guess you'll find out soon. LOL. Hopefully I will as well.
> 
> I don't think this is possible!! I felt like I was doing okay over the summer but since going back to work 2 weeks ago I am barely coping. I kinda lost it yesterday from all the stress. I think part of it is actually stemming from the fact DS's behavior has been very challenging lately. His first day of preschool the teacher said he basically would not listen and kept running off. I felt like such a crap parent after that meeting. She kept saying you need to talk to him.. like I haven't been doing that for weeks already!!! So I am just frustrated and sad things are rough to start. At least he has been very excited to go to school.
> 
> My daughter is also getting her first two teeth and is not a good teether like my son. So she has been very whiney the last week or so. Now that they are through I am hoping she will settle down some.
> 
> Miracle- That does sound like a stressful end to your pregnancy. Hopefully this one will be better. Congratulations.Click to expand...

Heey Krissie, you are a good mother and know that you are doing your best. Being a mom its not easy and it comes with a lot, hang in there. Sometimes kids don't listen and that teacher should take it slow on you they eventually come along. 
Teething can be challenging hope she settles down. 
Thank you am hoping for the better one, at least God should give me a smooth one just because i had a rough one at first lol


----------



## MissDoc

Krissie, this is new for your little one! It&#8217;s not unusual at all for him to be having a bit of a tough time adjusting to the new behavioral expectations. That teacher needs to chill out! 


Guys, I think I just might be pregnant! Yesterday was 8dpo and I had massively faint barely there, only in the right light squinters on two wondfos. Today at 9 dpo, still super squinters but I can see them in any light, on two more. So I now have 4 wondfo squinters. They can&#8217;t ALL be flukes or indents, right? Feeling quite optimistically hopeful, although I recognize it&#8217;s incredibly early and it could just be chemical. Fingers crossed though!!


----------



## krissie328

How exciting MissDoc! I've got it all crossed this is your bfp!

Sorry about my statement. I was having a horrible day on Tuesday. I'm a school psychologist. Part of me is embarrassed my son is acting this way and the other part is that I can't take off my mom hat to put on the psych hat. But as I was telling a teacher this week it's only day 3 see if he settles down with time, I realized it's only day day 3 for my son as well. I gave his teacher some sensory stuff and we are working on whole body listening (since it is a bit issue everywhere) and I'm just giving him some extra love through this difficult transition. He's super excited to be at school and I want this to be a positive experience.


----------



## MissDoc

Aww, Krissie, my background is school psychology as well. I work in hospital settings as a pediatric psychologist now, but small world! I feel you. It's very hard to navigate the mom versus child psych roles. I really hope your little one feels more settled and adjusted soon!

I am so antsy wanting to test again! Going to try to wait til the morning but no promises. Lol. Really hope it's the real deal now that I've got my emotions invested in it happening. 

Just hopped on Amazon and ordered an "I'm a Big Brother" board book (and some FRERs, lol), and once I feel like I truly know for sure, I'll "reveal" to my husband by having our son give him this book to read and see if he catches on. Our 15 month old just bounces back and forth between the two of us wanting to read books (usually the same one or two) over and over and over. We'll usually read it a few times then send him to the other parent with the book, lol. I think it'll be a cute way to tell him.


----------



## krissie328

That is such a cute way to tell DH!! We gave our son Daniel Tiger's big brother book and used that to announce to his parents. I was surprised how slow they were. :haha: I wish I had done something fun with DD but to be honest it was so unexpected and we weren't all that excited at the time. I think we had finally grieved never having a second child and had decided all the positives for having an only child that we were trying to accept it. It was funny the night I went to get admitted to have her we went out by ourselves to dinner and chatted and it was funny how both of us had those feelings but now that she was almost here we were both excited and happy it happened. 

That is really interesting you have a background in school psychology. I don't meet to many in my area because it is so hard to find people. I have toyed some with going back to get a PhD and pursuing neuropsychology but right now I am kinda stuck in the public education sector. I want to get my loans paid off and where I live we have an amazing public employee retirement system so it is hard to give that up as it would ensure I could retire as early as 56 and have an income until I die (or even until my husband dies if he lives past me).


----------



## swimmyj1

Miracle worker - that sounds like a very very rough time. Congrats on your pregnancy. Really hope this one goes smoother. 

Doc - we need some pictures!!!! Lol i need some sticks to obsess over

Krissie - I wish I would have done a cute announcement with this pregnancy but honestly I just got too lazy lol. Its not fair that your sons teacher isnt giving much time for him to adjust. I went to my friends daughters preschool class last year and was blow away by how much it was like kindergarten instead of what I remembered preschool being. I dont know how they expect 3-4 year olds to sit still for so long or follow so many directions. Hopefully with some time he adjusts well.

Afm- so far this month Ive maintained my weight (depending on the scale lost a few pounds lol) fingers crossed I can keep up the better eating for the rest of this pregnancy. My dr approved a calorie and carb restricted diet for me and helped me plan it out. If I end up with GD again I can cut back a few more carbs.


----------



## MissDoc

Swimmy, I would be thrilled for you guys to weigh in on my faint tests! Every wondfo I take has some line but they&#8217;re not getting darker really, and still super faint, so I wonder if this will be a chemical. Wouldn&#8217;t know as I&#8217;ve never known if I&#8217;ve had one or not. I know it&#8217;s really early so I&#8217;m trying not to be in my head about it.

I&#8217;m attaching last night&#8217;s and his morning&#8217;s tests. Might be hard to see on the photo but it&#8217;s definitely visible in person.
 



Attached Files:







78B188C9-41C0-4762-A629-292318175000.jpg
File size: 17.7 KB
Views: 9









524387FE-3E7C-4E65-9BE1-72097444D5C9.jpg
File size: 22.3 KB
Views: 12


----------



## krissie328

Wondfo are hard to see progression. I've seen too many posts about them not getting darker but the pregnancies go on to be successful. Ftx this is it for you!


----------



## MissDoc

Thanks, Krissie, that's a little reassuring. I hope this is it too. With my son I got a very early BFP as well but they darkened daily, so that was my expectation with this too, even though that's probably not the standard experience each time. Hopefully tomorrow morning's looks a little more obvious. 

Because of all of these very very faint lines on like 10 tests now, I'm attached to the idea that this is it, so will be a bit disappointed if it does indeed turn out to be chemical. 

Oh, and I meant to respond (but I'm in potential-baby haze), I think a transition to neuropsych is a totally fluid and reasonable one for a school psych and I'm in the camp of going for it... but I also am antidebt and would never want to look at another student loan again now that they're gone, so I don't blame you for being hesitant!


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- his preschool is very much academic focused. They said most kids will know their letter names and sounds, reading beginning readers, how to spell their names, and identify 1-20 and count to 20. There were some other things but those are the thing Christian doesn't currently do independently. So it is definitely more school like and less play like. I thought with that academic part only being in the mornings and the afternoon being more play he would do okay. I just hope that he settles down soon. He is very bright and the teachers have told me that when they use pictures and less words he is often the first to complete the tasks and is very bright, but they are worried about his language processing. Which to be honest I have been too. So there might be something else contributing as well, or it could just be he is a 4 year old little boy that loves to explore and play. 

MissDoc- thanks, I think it would seem like a good transition. But like you I am pretty anit-debt right now. So if I go back I will likely look for a funded program. That will likely mean a move out of state so I am not sure if I can get DH on board for that. :haha:


----------



## MissDoc

Krissie, its so hard to tell at that age! At least he has the very best mama to support him if he is experiencing any setbacks. 

So, I peed on more sticks this evening. Two more positive wondfos but frer has maybe barely there squinter. Please tell me you guys can see these lines on the wondfos! No idea why it flipped the photo and is showing them vertically... a little harder to see that way, and I dont know how fix it. It isnt flipped when I upload it. But I think if you open the full size pic its still fairly visible.
 



Attached Files:







E4822310-E465-4E79-938D-A5D58B64EB10.jpg
File size: 17.2 KB
Views: 10









795CBC69-72F6-4638-9B91-3DD4E1DE5B13.jpeg
File size: 19.3 KB
Views: 8


----------



## krissie328

I can totally see it on them. In fact it looks quite a bit easier to see on those vs the ones from earlier..


----------



## MissDoc

Thanks Krissie! I thought so too. But this morning the lines are lighter and I&#8217;m having pink/brown spotting, so it&#8217;s hard not to think chemical. I&#8217;ll try again tonight as all of my evening tests have been more noticeable than FMU.


----------



## MissDoc

Well darn. Tests keep showing faint positives but spotting is getting heavier and more red, so I think this one isn&#8217;t sticking. &#55357;&#56866; 

I guess that gives me at least another cycle to lose a few more lbs and focus on health. Hopefully this early loss doesn&#8217;t throw off my cycle.


----------



## krissie328

I'm sorry MissDoc. :hugs:


----------



## miracleworker

MissDoc said:


> Well darn. Tests keep showing faint positives but spotting is getting heavier and more red, so I think this one isnt sticking. &#65533;&#65533;
> 
> I guess that gives me at least another cycle to lose a few more lbs and focus on health. Hopefully this early loss doesnt throw off my cycle.

i am so sorry for the loss, but as you said another opportunity to loose weight and focus on health also another chance to try again :hugs:


----------



## ireadyermind

Wow, so much to catch up on!

*MissDoc* - Aww, so sorry to see that chemical! :( I was so excited seeing those faint lines!

*Miracle* - Wow, what a hectic pregnancy! I hope this one is much better for you! With my morning sickness, for a long time all I could stomach was fruit popsicles. I lost quite a bit of weight due to the severity of it, even with medication! I hope yours passes soon!

*Krissie* - Not sure how a preschool could expect a kid to behave perfectly without any prior group schooling experiences. I'm sure things will improve as he gets accustomed to the new setting! :)



AFM - Been a busy week. DD is taking better naps once in a while, which means I'm able to get more done around the house. It makes me feel better about myself because beforehand, the place was a disaster, and DH would come home from work and add to the mess! Ugh. So I've been spending most of my free time cleaning, rearranging, painting, etc. whenever possible. We finally have new blinds up in my kitchen (the old ones were original to the house, brown, see-through, ugly pieces of junk!), I'm getting my living room in order, etc. We've been in the house about a year now, and it's finally starting to look like some adults live here, instead of a college dorm with the bare minimum of furniture and bare white walls. haha

In terms of weight loss... I started the Keto diet a week ago. I was already doing low carb, but this diet adds healthy fats to the meal plan to help you feel full rather than making you starve the whole time. So far it's going well. I seem to have lost one pound of body weight, which I'm happy about! I'd like to bump that up to 2lbs a week if possible, but I'll take what I can get right now. After this next week of the diet plan, I'm going to add in a little bit of a workout. Some cardio to start (dancing around the house with DD, doing some Mommy & Me videos or something), and then strength training later. FX'd it works! It's going to take me a couple of years to reach my goal at this rate, but better late than never!

EDIT: P.S. Gwen has outgrown her bassinet, so we've started trying 1 or 2 naps in the Pack & Play next to my bed instead. It takes her a while to get to sleep, but improving every day! I'm waiting til she's at least 6mos old AND can easily roll from tummy to back (she can do it, but struggles sometimes) before I move her to her crib in her room. So the Pack & Play is a perfect transitional bed for her right now. :)


----------



## hunni12

Good evening, 

I am not ttc but currently wanting to lose weight...just did not know if I could join in :)


----------



## swimmyj1

Doc Im so sorry :( I was totally hopeful over those lines. Maybe next month will be a sticky bean.

Irym- 2lbs a week is a great goal! I like the mommy and me fit videos. Lizzy pretty much just jumps on me and around while it does on but its a good work out.

Hunni- welcome! What are you trying for weight loss?


----------



## ireadyermind

hunni12 said:


> Good evening,
> 
> I am not ttc but currently wanting to lose weight...just did not know if I could join in :)

Of course you can join! Welcome welcome! :) I admit we haven't been super strict with the weigh-ins or anything, but we DO support each other, offer encouragement, and share recipes and other odds and ends as we all work toward getting fit.

Do you have any particular goals you'd like to work toward? What is your current meal plan or diet that you'd like to try? 


*Swimmy* - Sounds like your DD gets as much of a workout with those videos as you do! :haha:


AFM -- Good news! Gwen did all of her naps in the Pack & Play yesterday, so I decided to try and let her sleep in it overnight.. and it was a success! She went down with minimal fuss, and the overnight routine was just the same as always. We're already 3 naps in today (she's a cat napper!) and she has had very little trouble. I call that a win!

Also I just wanted to share with you some of our kitchen update pics. I'm so proud of all the work I've managed to do in this room since last September. It's taken me almost a year (and will probably take at least another month) to get this done, but we're almost there and I love the results!
 



Attached Files:







sink-area_then-now.jpg
File size: 38 KB
Views: 10









stove-area_then-now.jpg
File size: 39.3 KB
Views: 8


----------



## swimmyj1

ooohhhh my gosh your kitchen looks amazing!!!!!


----------



## miracleworker

ireadyermind said:


> hunni12 said:
> 
> 
> Good evening,
> 
> I am not ttc but currently wanting to lose weight...just did not know if I could join in :)
> 
> Of course you can join! Welcome welcome! :) I admit we haven't been super strict with the weigh-ins or anything, but we DO support each other, offer encouragement, and share recipes and other odds and ends as we all work toward getting fit.
> 
> Do you have any particular goals you'd like to work toward? What is your current meal plan or diet that you'd like to try?
> 
> 
> *Swimmy* - Sounds like your DD gets as much of a workout with those videos as you do! :haha:
> 
> 
> AFM -- Good news! Gwen did all of her naps in the Pack & Play yesterday, so I decided to try and let her sleep in it overnight.. and it was a success! She went down with minimal fuss, and the overnight routine was just the same as always. We're already 3 naps in today (she's a cat napper!) and she has had very little trouble. I call that a win!
> 
> Also I just wanted to share with you some of our kitchen update pics. I'm so proud of all the work I've managed to do in this room since last September. It's taken me almost a year (and will probably take at least another month) to get this done, but we're almost there and I love the results!Click to expand...

ooh wow your kitchen looks amazing and it was worthy the wait, you did great congrats

As for me i feel like am always angry, for some reason i feel like all the pains and nausea are not my cup of tea. Its like a torture so most of the time i keep telling myself baby girl remember that feeling of holding your baby for the first time, its all worthy it.

I have a small space in my house since we were planning to move to the bigger house in the future and this baby was a surprise so now i have to find space in my small house. So there is a room but i will have to do some painting and everything, its exciting as i love interior designing. :happydance:


----------



## Ursaula

Hi gals. I can't remember when I posted last. I'll try and be brief, I'm having a hard time.

Mid-June I was put on at home bed rest because I started fainting and it was becoming frequent.

End of June we put our cat to sleep. He just became super sick.

Start of July: My 26 year old brother had a major stroke. As of now he is physically ok. Mental mind of a 4 year old. Struggles with talking.

One week later (29 weeks): Had first preterm labour scare, sent to main hospital 3 hours away. Given lots of meds, it stopped, sent home.

31 weeks: Preterm labour scare #2.

32 weeks: Preterm labour scare #3.

33 weeks: Given steroid to try and calm the rapidly spreading autoimmune disease problem. Lost my mental health. Didn't trust anyone, thoughts of harming self and baby, extreme panic that baby had to come out or would die.

34 weeks 6 days (last Friday): Labour pains again. Stopped eating. 
Went to ER. I made it to 3cm dilated 50% effaced and stopped. Discharged. Went to ER and back home twice a day over the weekend.

35 weeks 1 day (Sunday): Foster niece passed away from cancer.

35 weeks 2 days (Monday): I couldn't walk anymore. My body was shutting down fast. Taken to ER. Ob on call broke waters right there. Epidural started. Pitocin given. After a little 2 hour nap I was ready to push. After a few pushes the nurse told me baby is stressed and not ok and she has to come out right now. Really focused in. We got her head out. One little noise she made and then stopped breathing. They got her out and off she went to NICU. Daddy followed. I stayed in my room for 4 1/2 hours before I could move again. We couldn't hold her for the first 24 hours.

She is 4 days old today and is making huge progress. Off all machines. The only thing she needs now is a feeding tube and incubater and caffeine (heartrate issues). Daddy and I can hold her more, but there are still times we can't. She accepted a bottle yesterday with me and took in 2mL that way. First time. She made her first cries yesterday too. I've never been so relieved to hear a baby cry. She recognizes my voice and scent. Loves when I hold her and calms right down listening to my heartbeat. She has jittering problems from the withdrawal of my antidepressants.

She was born August 28 at 12:07am. My body basically started rejecting her because it couldn't keep both of us alive. The ob said it would have ended in a stillbirth had it continued any longer. My body just shut down.

I was discharged the next day. I feel great physically now. It's so hard not having her here though. I'm having a meltdown right now. I'll post pictures when I'm able.


----------



## krissie328

Oh Urs what a journey! First off I'm so glad your daughter is here and safe. I hope her nicu stay is short. 

That really sounds like a scary end to your pregnancy all around. Hopefully now your autoimmune issues will calm down. 

Take care of yourself. Being a new mom, let alone of a preemie, is hard but you'll be fabulous. :hugs:


----------



## swimmyj1

oh urs - what a scary scary journey, I hope her NICU stay is short and that you get to heal quickly at home in the mean time. I'm so sorry about all your other hard ships/losses over the last few months. Sending lots of hugs. 
Take it one day at a time.

AFM - I've had a lot of people at work comment on my belly lately its been making me feel very self conscious. Can't believe its already September!


----------



## miracleworker

Urs that is a scary journey, am so sorry you had to go through all of that. But look at yourself as a worrier and you made it through it all, am pray for your lovely DD to be health and strong.


----------



## MissDoc

Urs, wow, what a tumultuous journey you've had! I am sorry for all of the difficulties this summer has brought you, but am happy to hear both you and your daughter are safe and on the other side of this challenging pregnancy and birth. I sure hope she gets stronger and stronger each day and that you get to be there a lot to snuggle and hold her until she is ready to come home to you. Hope you're resting and taking care of yourself. Can't wait to see pictures.

IRYM, your kitchen looks fabulous. I love all you did with it! Congrats. And yay for sleeping in the pack n play!

Swimmy, oh my gosh, it's an interesting time when it starts getting "real" to everyone around you. Did you start showing any sooner with this little one? I actually loved when my belly started looking obviously pregnant with my son, instead of just chunky. Haha!



As for me, I've been off the wagon healthwise for a week or so, ever since the chemical pregnancy. I'm not super sad or anything, just haven't been motivated to eat well or exercise. So today I printed out my daily exercise goals for this month. Going to follow the Piyo program from Beachbody. I'll really try to stick with it. As for TTC, we're jumping right back in after the early loss, as I don't think it messed up my cycle any. Or at least not that I can tell yet. Today is CD9, and I'll likely ovulate 7-8 days from now, so in a couple of days "sex week" will commence, LOL. Is it sad that it's the time of the cycle I dread most? I hate BDing just for the sake of TTC as it feels like a chore two days in. And I still have some discomfort/get sore very easily from the vaginal sidewall tearing and 4th degree tear I had with my son. Bleh!


----------



## swimmyj1

Doc - i feel like I got bigger faster with this baby. my belly got "rounder" a lot quicker at least lol. Great weight loss plan! Printing out goals and putting them on my fridge helped me a lot. Are you going to to OPK's this cycle with TTC?

AFM - working on getting our DD into a big girl bed, she is on night 3 and so far only the first night was rough. I loved putting her new room together. She picked out monsters inc sheets lol. my husband was kind of bummed that she didn't want the pink girly princess ones hahaha. Kind of dreading my weigh in at my drs office. I feel like I'm on a gaining streak again but don't want to check it myself lol. I have been craving/eating a coffee cup amount of ice cream every night. (sometimes 2 eeekkk)


----------



## ireadyermind

*All* - Thanks for the positive feedback on my kitchen! I still sometimes surprise myself walking in there first thing in the morning, it looks so lovely!

*Urs* - OMG, what an awful past few months you've had! I'm so relieved to hear that DD is here safely and seems to be making great strides toward coming home with you. I'm sure you are, too! We can't wait to see pictures of your strong little one!

*Miracle* - When I was pregnant, I also had a very short temper in the first trimester. Everything made me angry! And of course, my pets at the time thought it was the perfect opportunity to test my every nerve. lol. They're usually so well behaved, and for those 3 months they seemed to forget all their training, got into the trash, behaved awfully on walks and car rides, etc. I just couldn't cope and had to have my husband handle everything whenever possible. Haha

I hope it passes soon for you and you can get back to feeling like your normal self!

*Swimmy* - Don't feel bad about that, just make the best of it where possible! Can you switch to a light/low fat ice cream? Those Halo Top pints are pretty darn tasty and there's only ~300 calories in the whole pint, so even if you ate the entire thing in one sitting, you wouldn't be doing too much damage. They're a little pricey, but I found that that helped me not want to eat the whole thing too fast, as I'd have to go buy more! :haha:


AFM - Weighed in today after avoiding the scale all week, and it looks like I'm down 3 pounds since starting the keto diet 3 weeks ago. Woo!

I actually gained a pound last week, so had to fine tune my carb intake and cut back on a few things like coffee creamer. I like very light coffee and even my sugar free creamer added about 4 or 5 carbs to my daily intake. Considering you aim for under 20g net carbs per day, that 1 cup of coffee was 1/4 of my daily allowance!

So far, I'm finding it very easy to follow this diet, which is so strange because dieting has always been so hard for me! I don't feel much like I'm deprived with this one, probably because of all the healthy fats I'm allowed each day. Avocado, low fat diary, salmon, coconut oil, cashews and natural peanut butter are all approved, and help me feel satisfied longer. Plus, food tends to taste very rich and satisfying this way. I hope to be able to stick with it even after I reach my goal weight!

Going to try to get a little workout routine started to help boost my loss to maybe 2lbs a week.

Oh! And I started taking myo-inositol again. It's only been a few days, but I've already noticed that I don't need a midday caffeine pick-me-up like I used to, which is great! I've also added Vitamin D supplements back into my diet, since I routinely test low for that nutrient despite taking a daily multivitamin.


And last (but not least!), DD is in the middle of some kind of sleep regression, which is driving me nuts. Yesterday she went 5 hours without a nap, despite me rocking her, using white noise, comfy pajamas, clean diaper, making sure she had a full belly, sitting in a dim room... I tried wearing her out with tummy time and playtime, we walked and bounced and all manner of things. Right when she would doze off, she'd jerk herself awake and wind herself back up! Finally, she fell asleep about 6pm and slept for an hour... then was back up around 730 or 8 and starting to wind herself up again. Thank goodness DH was home by then because I was frazzled and mentally drained from trying to get my fussy, cranky DD to get some sleep. Send me good vibes to get through this and back to a baby who will take naps! Yeesh!


----------



## krissie328

Irym- look up the wonder weeks. My kids followed them perfectly with their little mood swings and it really helped me to understand what was going on when they're cranky. Since your daughter was a little early I was estimating her gestational age must be about 17 weeks and that is right in the middle of Wonder week. Which is actually more like a Wonder month at this age.


----------



## swimmyj1

IRYM - way to go on following your diet plan! sounds like you are rocking it :) Sorry your DD is in a sleep regression :( they are no fun. I also liked the wonder weeks, my gal didn't follow it exactly but it was usually pretty easy to see where she was at. Glad you DH could help out and give you a little break. thanks for the tip on the Halo ice cream, i tried it once before and wasn't a huge fan, is there a flavor you liked? I think i tried vanilla and birthday cake?

AFM - caught my first cold of the cooler season ugh i really just want to lay in bed and nap all day. Looking forward to getting my hair done monday though (as long as i don't have a fever or anything). I haven't had it cut or highlighted in almost a year!


----------



## swimmyj1

Had a bit of a silly panic moment today. my OBs office called to schedule my c-section eeekk!!! it just felt so official! 12/27 i have to be at the hospital at 530 in the morning. Really hoping he comes as planned. I just keep freaking out about what about lizzy if i was to go into labor in the middle of the night or on the holiday when my friends will be out of town or at holiday parties lol. I know we would figure it out, worse came to worse my DH would stay with her and I would go to the hospital until my mom or grandma could get over here to help. 

They also asked me about tying my tubes. i keep hovering on the fence about it, i don't have to officially decide until like 30 weeks or something like that. i know i don't want more than 2 but it just feels so officially "done".


----------



## miracleworker

swimmyj1 said:


> Had a bit of a silly panic moment today. my OBs office called to schedule my c-section eeekk!!! it just felt so official! 12/27 i have to be at the hospital at 530 in the morning. Really hoping he comes as planned. I just keep freaking out about what about lizzy if i was to go into labor in the middle of the night or on the holiday when my friends will be out of town or at holiday parties lol. I know we would figure it out, worse came to worse my DH would stay with her and I would go to the hospital until my mom or grandma could get over here to help.
> 
> They also asked me about tying my tubes. i keep hovering on the fence about it, i don't have to officially decide until like 30 weeks or something like that. i know i don't want more than 2 but it just feels so officially "done".

i think i understand you a lot,its overwhelming to know now this is happening and to tie your tubes can be emotional i really advice you to think it through as that would be it. I have seen people saying i wish didn't do it lol :dohh: . My sister did it and she was certain that was what she wanted and she never regrets it.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy I cannot believe you already have a date!! That really does make it seem more real. 

My doctor had asked about having my tubes tied (he was quite clear I should be done after my DD). And I wish I would have done it. DH did end up getting a vasectomy but for me I know without a doubt we are done and I think it would have been a good solution. However, if you are not 100% then I probably wouldn't do it yet. I did struggle for about 3 months with the being done forever part, but as my DD gets bigger I get more excited about all of the things we can do when she is no longer a baby. I look forward to the next phase of raising our children. 

IRYM- Sorry I didn't reply properly last time but I wanted to say that before I forgot. That is great you are sticking with keto. I was really strict for a month and saw great results. I keep meaning to get back on track but going back to work has really thrown me off. 

Urs- thinking of you hun. I hope your daughter is doing well. :hugs:


----------



## arianne

Hello girls!
I want to join this to get encouraged for healthy eating and exercising!
Also i need to remember to take my muti-vitamins!! I keep forgetting ugh!

I'm starting my IVF cycle in exactly 3 months, so i want to be super healthy for when that happens :)


----------



## swimmyj1

krissie - i probably should just get them tied, i know i don't want more kids i've known that for years lol. how are your kiddos doing?

miracleworker - how is pregnancy going?

arianne - welcome! congrats on IVF soon! thats sooo exciting! do you put an alarm in your phone to remind you to take the vitamins? thats about the only way i remember lol. did your fertility dr give you any tips for healthy eating or what kind of exercising you should do?

AFM - funny stories this week, 
1st one me and my DH went on a kayaking weekend trip. it was great to spend some one on one time together without phones or anything like that. However lesson learned ... before you get naked in the woods make sure you REALLY know what poison ivy looks like hahahaha ooooohhh the itch is real!! and of course some how DH doesn't have any!
2nd - my DD was laying with her head on my belly and baby brother kicked super hard. omg the look on her face was priceless. she now thinks its the funniest game in the words to lift up my shirt and poke at my belly to see if it moves back.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- I hope the itch goes away soon! That definitely sounds unpleasant. 

Arianne- Welcome, good luck on your journey. 

Afm, The kids are doing good. Alice is growing like a little weed now. She has started solids and loves to eat. It is so different from my DS who didn't really take to eating and was still on formula at 15 months because he wouldn't eat. I suspect she is getting ready to crawl, she has figured out how to move about by rolling and scooting. She refuses to be laid down during the day as she is so curious and excited for people and things around her. 

Christian is over a month into preschool now. He has struggled with his behavior and its caused me a lot of stress. They said one on one or in small groups he does fine but whole group he has all sorts of behaviors from pulling his pants down to hitting other kids. Academically/cognitively they have no concerns, just the behavior. But we do have a speech eval in the works so hopefully that will help him be able to express himself better. 

Otherwise, I am really struggling with headaches/migraines. It has been two solid weeks and I am almost to my breaking point. I have an appt today so hopefully they can help as this is impacting my life and work.


----------



## ireadyermind

Thanks for the tips on the book, ladies! I believe my SIL has a copy and is planning on sending that to me. I'll be interested to read it (when I have the chance) and see what it says about Gwen's current behaviors. :)

*Swimmy* - Oh man, I can see why you're on the fence. Getting tubes tied is so permanently permanent! But if you know you're done with two kids and do NOT want any more, I think you should take the plunge, so to speak. Better to do it during the csection than to wait for them to have to do ANOTHER surgery on you! Even if it's an outpatient procedure, that's just more downtime where you'll have to have help caring for your babies. 

As for the poison ivy/oak -- swab the affected areas with witch hazel and that should help tremendously! Of course verify that it's safe for pregnancy, but it oughta be considering it's a basic astringent and you aren't going to ingest any.


AFM - Been a little chaotic around here. Gwen still isn't napping well, so I've been scraping by with tons of coffee. I'm wrapping up week 5 of the keto diet and my weigh-in is tomorrow, so I'll let you gals know how I did the next time I log in.

I weighed myself early this week and it looks like I gained a bunch of weight back, but I'm fairly certain it's bloat from PMS, so wish me luck getting that off by tomorrow morning. :haha:

Gwen has started eating solid foods, which she is really enjoying. We started with yams, and after the initial surprise at the taste, she gets REALLY excited to eat them. Her little face turns into a :O and she starts flailing her legs excitedly. :haha: So cute, she's a little foodie in the making! Now if she could just take afternoon naps! lol

DH and my wedding anniversary is on the 23rd. We're going to have a cheat day on our diet so we can go out to dinner without worrying about carb counts. We've been married for 7 years, and have been together for 13! Whew!


----------



## miracleworker

Swimmy- sorry for the poison hope it gets better, hahaha am sure you can imagine when they are two and how they will act. I envy you that you are almost there. 

Arianne- welcome and all the best on your IVF. What is your goal on getting healthy

Iryn- Its good when the kids are eating well, DD has a habit of keeping food on her mouth i don't know what to do. 

ASF and the pregnancy, well am happy that am almost done with first trimester and i really hope i can get my energy back and nausea part to be over. Nausea, lack of sleep due to work and headache there after its my struggle right now. I had to be given nosic for the nausea and am still on to them. Otherwise i had my 12 weeks scan and the baby was measuring 13+6 and everything looked perfect.


----------



## krissie328

Miracleworker- that is great your scan went well. I hope you feel better soon. 

IRYM- Happy anniversary, I hope you guys had a lovely day. 

Afm, headaches are still a big issue. I have an appt with my GP next week now. But I am using it as motivation to get back to low carb and see if that helps. When I was doing strict keto over the summer I felt amazing so I am hoping. 

My daughter is also a food loving baby. It has been so much fun trying new things with her. We bought peaches at the farmers market Saturday and she just goes crazy for them. Pretty much the only thing she hasn't liked was carrots. My son was and still is a horribly picky eater. He didn't really eat solids until close to 1.5 years and even then it was only a handful of things. While is getting better it is still a struggle. At least he eats soup which I can pack full of veggies and he doesn't mind.


----------



## swimmyj1

Miracleworker - so glad your scan went well! sounds like baby is doing great!! hope your energy and nausea are doing better.

Krissie - I loved when lizzy moved on to real food lol, I was never a super fan of bottles 

AFM - sorry with this update it took me a while to find our page lol. Def rocking the big baby bump. I finally bought some more maternity shirts. This weekend my mom took lizzy and we painted her big girl room and re-set up the baby room. It feels weird that I have almost everything ready for him so early when i wanted so long the last time. But i guess it's easier when I don't have to buy very much stuff. I test for GD next week. sooo glad my OB said I can just eat a bag of skittles instead of drinking that nasty orange drink. And booked a 2 night vacation at an indoor water park with a friend and her kids for the 16th. Def keeping busy here!!


----------



## MissDoc

Hey ladies! So fun to pop in and see how your little ones/pregnancies/lives are going! 

Krissie, has your little guy had his speech eval yet?

Swimmy, yay on having his stuff set up, how exciting. Do you find yourself just walking in there and looking around like, whoa, a baby will be here soon?! Oh, and good luck on your GD test. And have fun at the water park!

Miracle, yay for a great scan. That is the best. And double yay for being out of the first tri. Woohoo!

IRYM, aww, I love your description of her little ooh face. I'm jealous she's eating so well. My kid was a marvelous eater as a baby, his fave was either peanut butter oatmeal or salmon. But now he's one week away from being 17 months and he's been on a food strike for 2 months, and even lost some weight. He wants no vegetables, no meat, no eggs, no cheese. Sigh. He wants some fruit, bread, milk, smoothies, and crunchy snacky carbs. That's it. And occasionally he'll eat some pieces of cut up preservative free turkey hotdog. It drives me nuts that my good eater completely disappeared. Arrgh.

As for me, I'm ovulating a little later than unusual which is a good thing this go round as I thought we were going to have to sit out this cycle as my husband was out of town for what usually is my fertile window. So hopefully this turns out to be our cycle. It was just me and the kiddo on our own for a week, and I ate like crap, so need to reign it in! Oh, and I'm fully and completely done with breastfeeding. Can't believe I did that for 16 mos! Last week he kept wanting to nurse, so I let him and he got so upset because I'm not really producing much if anything at this point. He kept signing "more" over and over while trying to nurse, until he gave up. And that's been it since then. He's asked a couple more times to nurse but I've distracted him and offered him regular milk and he's been fine with that. I do notice it's made him slightly more clingy. I think because he used to have a couple times of just nursing and being held and just looking into my eyes for like 20 mins straight at a time and getting that kind of attention, and now that we aren't doing that he wants to be picked up and hug me or give me kisses a lot. Like he'll want up and he will monkey climb up my body and just wrap his little arms tightly around my shoulders and cling to me and bury his head in my neck for like 2-3 minutes and just wants to stay that way. Then after he's had a good long hug he'll pop up and be ready to play again. It's pretty cute.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- How exciting you got Lizzy's new room painted and things are coming along for the baby. It is nice the second time because so much is already done, plus everything isn't so overwhelming!! 

MissDoc- that is great you were able to have good timing this cycle. FTX that this is your cycle! Awesome job for bfing for 16 months. 

Afm, As far as I know he has not had his official eval. The school is doing it so I am waiting on the results from that. To be honest I am a little annoyed it is taking so long, but I know sometimes it does. We have an appt with the developmental pediatrician tomorrow to discuss behaviors and to see if we should look at testing or waiting. 

DD is doing great. I think she might be one to self wean from bottles. She loves food and is actually showing a preference for it. She is consistently eating 3 solid meals a day with bottles in between. However, she is getting so big!! At only 8.5 months she is already in 18 mo-2T clothes. She is just tall and round. :haha: 

I had an appt last week and my bp was insanely high so I have restarted bp meds. I had really hoped after Alice it would normalize but it appears that is not the case. I am still getting intermittent headaches but not quite as often. Hopefully this continues to improve.


----------



## swimmyj1

Missdoc - 16 months!! you are a rock star!!! huge pat on the back. I hadn't thought about the clingy after nursing. fingers crossed this cycle!!! how many dpo are you?

Krissie - waiting for the eval results can be frustrating, hopefully your not waiting too much longer. its great that you DD is such a great eater! i swear lizzy was in 2t clothing by 1 lol such a chunk. it's crazy how fast they slim down though. sorry to hear about your BP. that really sucks that it went back up. what medications did they start you back on? Glad your not feeling super sick from it though

AFM - counting down the days until our little get away lol, I need some relaxing fun. Unfortunately I didn't pass the GD testing ugh! i'm not going to do the 3 hour testing just jump strait to testing. I'm just a little frustrated that I have to go through the education and everything again. I've called twice hoping they will at least write me a prescription for the test strips before my appointment or I won't be able to test until after coming back from vacation. Downloaded the fitnesspal app again to keep myself in check with carbs and cals a little better


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy- that sucks that you didn't pass the test. I dealt with it with both of mine. Thankfully I didn't have to sit through the education the second time. 

I was put on metoprolol. I'm pretty dizzy a lot of the time. I suspect it's from the meds. My headaches came back this past week, but af also started so could very well be hormonal. 

I'm putting in a lot of extra time at work. I hope after this round of testing things chill out some. I'm so exhausted. On top of that dh has been putting in over time because they got a massive project at work. At least he didn't have to work today. I'm hoping we can save this extra money for emergencies and a family vacation in a couple years.


----------



## swimmyj1

saving money is good :) but hopefully you guys can both relax and then spend it on a nice vacation lol. Sorry your the dizziness side effect. Do they have you testing your BP at home?

AFM - I'm down about 2-3 lbs sense doing carb control and dropping my cals to 1600-1800 a day. I know its water weight right now but it made me feel pretty good not to gain for once lol. Meeting with the educator in the morning then leaving for vacation! I'm really frustrated with my scheduling department right now. I've asked to talk to HR, they are saying I can't space out my paid time off over the 12 weeks of maternity leave, that they will pay it out and then I will have to write our benefit department checks every 2 weeks to keep my benefits from being terminated. It makes no sense to me and that's not how it was when I worked on another floor in the same hospital. They spaced out the pay to cover my out of pocket cost and then I got whatever was left over every 2 weeks. Hopefully my HR can clear it up.


----------



## Fern81

Hi girls, just scanning along as this year has been insane and Im super busy at work, which means more money to spend on baby! Wow they are expensive!
Congrats on the babies born and the new pregnancies.
Im also feeling a burning desire to have another little one! But if it doesnt happen at least Ive got the greatest child in the world :).
Ive also started the keto diet about 2 weeks ago and I feel great! Feel full and satisfied, loads more energy, and 2 kg down (any loss is a loss; at this rate I can lose 8+ kg before our long Dec holiday. Also started exercising again. With the healthy lifestyle I hope to give my hormones a kick start!


----------



## swimmyj1

great job with the weight loss fern!!!

our vacation was a lot of fun (and also exhausting lol) sense I went back to calorie/carb counting I'm down 2lbs yay!


----------



## krissie328

That is great you are being successful with the weightloss fern. I love the keto diet and have found a lot of success when I stick to it. 

Swimmy- that is great your vacation went well. Good luck with the carb counting. 

Afm, not much new really. Work is crazy busy right now. I am just trying to get on top of everything. I haven't been feeling well for awhile now so I am trying to get myself healthier. I just feel miserable and I am tired of it. I know what to do and I am enlisting my DH to help me be accountable.


----------



## swimmyj1

Sorry haven't checked in for a while. its been a bit of a rough go.

They wanted to start me on insulin but I choose the metformin route. my after meal numbers have still been fine but the darn fastings are anywhere between like 95-110. very annoying. Due to the lovely side effect of loose stools from the metformin I developed some lovely lovely hemroids .... that developed blood clots and had to be cut open. sweet jesus and mary that has been some PAIN in the ass (literally lol).
I just keep trying to tell myself only a few weeks left.

Down a total of 3 lbs :) happy I'm not gaining a ton so far at the end, carb counting must be doing its job lol.


----------



## krissie328

Swimmy! That sounds horrible. I hope you heal up quickly. 

Your due date is coming quickly. <3 My fasting never was good. My after meals was fine but my fasting number took a long-acting insulin dose at bedtime and then intermediate insulin dose between midnight and 1 in the morning. Even then I didn't have the best control of that number. But at least my A1C was well-controlled and that made my endocrinologist pretty happy.


----------



## MissDoc

Swimmy, oh my goodness, I'm sorry about that! What a literal pain in the rear!

Fern! Good to see you and way to go with weight loss. Hope it jumpstarts those hormones!

Krissy, hope things have chilled out for you and everything is feeling more calm now! 


As for me, still trucking along TTC. Feeling bummed to not have a sticky pregnancy yet, but we'll keep trying. Next O date is somewhere around 12/5, so at least one more chance to be pregnant by xmas, which would be a nice present.


----------



## MissDoc

Hey guys, it's been awhile. :-( How is everyone? 

Nada much here. I've lost a little bit of weight, but have been lazy recently and need to jump start my plan again. Today has been a good day so far.

Still TTC, currently 4dpo and hoping this is "the one" as usual, but too early to obsess much yet.


----------



## krissie328

Good luck MissDoc. I hope this is the one too. Good job on losing some weight. 

Swimmy- I hope you are busy snuggling your new little one. 

I am back on the keto diet, only 5 days into it. But I am already feeling better. DH is joining me this time and I think it will be good for us to help each other be accountable. Last time I fell apart when I went back to work after the summer, so with that in mind I am going to be diligent to have a lunch and snacks on hand to ward off any invites to eat out or temptation to grab something. I am 11 lbs from my wedding weight and I want to see that in the next few weeks. 

Alice turns one on the 25th!! I cannot believe how fast that went. She is crawling and pulling up on everything now. She is so determined and stubborn. Christian is busy growing taller and is out of his pants I just bought for winter so I gotta work on getting some more. 

I had two weeks off work and I am so not ready to be back. I hope I find some motivation soon.


----------



## Ursaula




----------



## Ursaula

Sorry it’s sending so many copies. I can’t figure it out but I’ll send some more as promised


----------



## Ursaula




----------



## Ursaula




----------



## Ursaula




----------



## Ursaula




----------



## Ursaula




----------



## Ursaula

I will try to update later. Photos of Liesel go from birth to now. Born 5 weeks early, stayed 7 weeks in NICU.

Photos of me. Sorry for so much skin but I wanted to show the crazy amount of skin I have before I get it removed. Collage photos, pink underwear was Jan. 2018. Black underwear Jan. 2019. Exact same weight, exact same day. Just one year apart. Talk soon I hope.


----------



## MissDoc

Ursaula what a little beauty you have! Congrats! Impressive to be the same weight a year apart and having had a baby in that time!!!

I'm sorry to hear she needed such a long NICU stay but boy does she look like a healthy little nugget now!


As for me, I've been losing weight, doing lower carbs and cutting out sugar. I'm finally pretty much at my pre pregnancy weight, but still need to lose another 5-10 lbs to be at a really good place. We've been TTC 7 cycles and 2 of those had chemicals. Just went through blood and scans to look at fertility and for my age everything looks good, actually better than it was a few years ago when I was trying with my son, which I attribute to supplements and diet. So we'll try another couples on our own and then see the RE to figure out if there's anything we can do as a next step.


----------



## krissie328

How is everyone doing? I'm not around much since the new update and work has been busy. 

MissDoc! Looks like you are pregnant? Congrats.


----------



## MissDoc

Hi krissie, how are those adorable kiddos? And YES! Finally pregnant with number two. Woohoo! I have a scan tomorrow so I’m looking forward to that. Baby has been fine on scans so far, but I do have a small SCH, but thankfully haven’t been bleeding, so hopefully it’s reabsorbing. 

This first tri I totally intended on eating really well and not gaining anything until second tri, but being so sick eating is the only thing that helps, so that has gone out the window. Hopefully when the sickness lifts I can better behave myself.


----------



## krissie328

Yay!! Congrats. That is so so exciting. 

My kids are doing awesome. DS started therapies in January and we are seeing a lot of growth with him. I am feeling a lot more confident with his transition to kindergarten next year. He is just such a smart little guy and I think with some structure and continuing the language and occupational therapies he is going to be just fine. 

DD is growing so fast, she will be 15 months this week. She is also a very clever little girl and oh boy does she have a strong will. She is so classic toddler its not even funny!! But on the other hand it is so nice to have a typical child and not to be worried all the time. (DS wasn't hearing at this age and so was behind developmentally). 

I can honestly say that through it all I am so happy we have the two but I am also glad we decided to be done. As DD gets older the more fun we are having as a family and I really enjoy it. 

As for me my job was trying to kill me this spring. I am so ready for summer break. My regular full time job was just so busy with referrals to complete. Now my side job is picking up so I am trying to juggle that on top of everything. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks things settle down with boy jobs and summer break will be here June 1st!! 

I am back to low carb eating and am slowly losing the weight. I am trying trying to just weigh in on the 1st so hoping to see a happy drop next week.


----------



## krissie328

Here are the kid's pictures from yesterday. <3


----------



## MissDoc

Oh my gosh, those babes are just beautiful. So great to hear that Christian is rocking his therapies, and you're getting the full blown typical toddler experience with Alice, lol. My son had ear tubes a couple of months ago and had some reversible hearing loss. The doctor said his ear fluid was like cement. We've noticed how he says some words has changed since the tubes. We had no idea it was that bad. So glad we got the tubes done and wish we knew better to do it sooner, but had a very conservative pedi who was reluctant to refer him. 

I'm with you, I am so excited for this second baby and desperately hoping for a healthy child, and then we will be DONE. With my son approaching two, life feels like it's just starting to get easier and more normal, and it feels a little crazy to contemplate delving back into the challenges of babyhood. But I know a year or two after #2 arrives, life will start to seem manageable again. It's just a couple more years of pure chaos. Lol. So ready to be on the other side, and past TTC and pregnancy and just have my two (hopefully healthy babies) and count my blessings and be done. I think this second little one is another boy, but I probably have another week or so until my NIPT results are in and we definitively know. 

Gosh, sounds like you've been beyond busy with work. I hope summer comes quickly for you so you can breathe a little!

When this pregnancy is done, I'll return to reduced carb as that was working really really well for me. Hope it goes great for you!


----------



## krissie328

My son was 21 months when he got his tubes put in and it was like night and day. He went from fewer than 10 words to over 70 in 3 months. We are still dealing with speech issues though at almost 5. However, as his language is growing we noticed there is a significant stuttering problem (his dad also had and still occasionally does have a stutter). We also had a pedi that would not refer and so I self referred at 18 months after an infant and toddler evaluator said she wanted me to get it checked to rule it out. 

Alice isn't quite walking yet but she is close. She currently is "walking" on her knees so just needs to get the confidence to stand and try. 

The first year was so hard!! I struggled with balancing life with two and going back to work. I think around 6 months it got quite a bit easier and now I am finding things manageable again. Thankfully Alice plays well with Christian and alone. She will even play in her room which we Christian didn't start doing until he was 4!

I am ready for summer break. We are getting a covered patio this week so I am really looking forward to a peaceful summer under that and in the garden. Both kids love outside so I suspect that is where we will spend the bulk of our time. I am going to paint the kid's playset and probably get a tire swing for it so that will be fun too.


----------



## MissDoc

How did the patio turn out Krissie? That an a porch swing and garden time sound truly delightful. 

Yeah, I am expecting the first year to be pretty rough. I feel like a 2.5 yr old and infant is an insane amount of juggling, especially for a working mom. And extra especially for having a needy toddler who lives on me and doesn't even like the cat to be on my lap. That should be fun, lol. I hope I can meet his needs while balancing life with a newborn. But people survive, and so will I. We'll figure it out! 

In regards to health, I need to reign in my eating and do better with getting active throughout this pregnancy. I've gained a bit quickly and would like to chill that out as I gained 50 with my first son and really want to avoid that this go round. Starting today to reign in my eating a bit and consciously get more steps in my days.


----------



## krissie328

I think just learning to be kind to yourself and understanding you are the mom of two littles and that will help a lot. Like you said you will make it through, somehow, we always do. 

The cover went up without any issues. We need to do some finishing work but overall I am very happy with it. I am very much looking forward to enjoying it. I work through the end of next week and then I am off for 9 weeks. I am so so ready! 

My diet has been awful the last two weeks. I have just been out of control. Part of my issue is that fact I am sick and my daughter has been sick. But part of it is also just excuses.


----------



## beckyv123

Not sure this is very active anymore but I’m trying to lose around 2 stone before TTC around June 2020 
I started slimming world two weeks ago and lost 1.5lb week one and 1.5lb week two which was Saturday just gone 
Not bothered how my body looks it’s more because I have fibromyalgia and pregnancy hurts! So the less weight I’m carrying the better I guess x


----------



## krissie328

Welcome Becky, I hope your weightloss journey goes well in prep for ttc next summer. 

How is everyone? Anybody still around?

I was off for awhile due to some pain in my hands from carpal tunnel. I had my surgery two weeks ago and seem to be symptom free in my right hand now. My left is scheduled for another month from now.


----------



## deafgal01

I'm still around - I've been busy with life.


----------

