Clomid...Hoping 3rd Times a Charm

[beaglemom]

I don't see you as being negative either, savvy. No worries, I think we'd all be the same way!
That's great, beaglemom! At least you have an answer now!

So just a random bit of info I read about... I know Erin mentioned the book Making Babies in the other thread but I found a copy of it at Half Price Books the other day so I bought it. It mentions that CM can be too acidic therefore causing the sperm to die before making it past the cervix. They recommend fixing this by using a baking soda douche when you BD around O time. I was reading up on this and I found a lot of women were having acidic CM bc of clomid. I'm obviously not taking clomid anymore but I think I may try it anyways. Baking soda doesn't seem like it could hurt too much, so why not? Lol. But I just thought I'd let you ladies know about that tid bit of info!

I have always been nervous about messing with my "eco system". Seems like there should be a test for that or something.

 

[beaglemom]

So whenever we have a life event or get a new pet, we go to this ornament kiosk in the mall to get a Christmas ornament. Each of our pets past & present have a personalized one & the year. Basically you pick a blank ornament, different styles, & tell them what to write. We love it. Our tree is filled with random ornaments. The year we bought a house, we got one with a house saying first home. So anyways, my husband goes there today & gets me an early x-mas gift. He picks out an ornament. It is a half-moon with a teddy bear & stars. He tells the guy we are trying & have issues. So he asks the guy to put the year, then one star says boy & one star says girl. Then in the middle it says Whatever It Takes. The guy does it & then tells him he & his wife were in the same boat & now she is pregnant with twins. My husband says it’s a sign. Even if it doesn’t happen this month, these are the things that keep me going on this journey.

 

[allisonmh]

There is a postcoital test that they do after you bd to see if the sperm are still alive, but from what I've read a lot of doctors don't use them anymore bc they don't feel they are reliable. If it was some weird ingredient they were suggesting, I don't think id be so open to it, but baking soda doesn't seem to bother anything. I was telling my husband this and of course his response was, omg you're going to be like a middle school volcano science experiment! I busted out laughing just imagining the sight! Hahahaha!

 

[allisonmh]

That's so cute, beaglemom!

 

[moni77]

ahh beaglemom!!

My OB did the postcoital test on me. You have to have sex 2 hours before your appointment. That was how we learned for the first time that hubbys numbers were potentially low.

 

[allisonmh]

Moni, that's interesting that they did one. Everything I've read says a lot of drs don't do them anymore. And odd that they diagnosed low sperm count from that rather than doing a normal SA... I've been seeing an RE and they never mentioned anything about this test. Maybe I should ask. I think I'll still try the baking soda thing. It's worth a shot!

 

[savvysaver]

Thanks girls!

Beaglemom, so sweet of your hubby! Love those positive stories with happy endings. The day you hold your baby you will look back and realize the timing is perfect and it was worth the journey you took.

Omg...laughing so hard about the volcano! !

 

[moni77]

Moni, that's interesting that they did one. Everything I've read says a lot of drs don't do them anymore. And odd that they diagnosed low sperm count from that rather than doing a normal SA... I've been seeing an RE and they never mentioned anything about this test. Maybe I should ask. I think I'll still try the baking soda thing. It's worth a shot!

No that was what prompted us to do the SA. When she did the test she looks at the sample in a microscope and said you should see about 20 moving sperm and she only saw one. She let me look as well - so she said this might be your problem. Nothing was confirmed with the test - the SA confirmed the low counts. I'm sure it was just a chance for them to get more money out of me. It just happened I was at that point in my cycle when I first went in to get tested and so it was the first potential test that could be done. If you have already had a full workup and an SA I believe it would be a waste of time and money.

 

[beaglemom]

Allison, you have me very curious & now the crazy google searches have started. I guess basically you are trying to neutralize the acid in your body. I went to amazon & just searched vaginal ph. You can find kits to test you ph level. I saw one by vagisil used to measure to determine infection. I can assume it would work just to check ph. you want you ph above 7 during your fertile time. I may try testing this at home next cycle if this one is a bust. I also read some women wet their finger, place it in baking soda, then insert. Not sure about that! Anyways, I also found forums where women swear by it. I have also read other ways to neutralize your acidity through diet. Very interesting stuff.

 

[allisonmh]

Beaglemom, yeah it's just baking soda so I don't see what it can hurt. There's no mention of ph being too alkaline so why not try it? I might try the strips too just to know for sure though if I can get them before O time. I'm planning on stopping for a thermometer on my way home from work so I can start temping so maybe I'll see if they have the vagisil strips as well. I just want to cover all bases! Lol. And I love the picture of the ornament you posted, so so cute!!

Moni, that makes sense that they did an SA after that. Much clearer now. Lol. But yeah, as beaglemom said, I may just buy the strips and test myself rather than paying for an office visit again since my stupid insurance doesn't cover any of this!!

 

[ERosePW]

I don't see you as being negative either, savvy. No worries, I think we'd all be the same way!
That's great, beaglemom! At least you have an answer now!

So just a random bit of info I read about... I know Erin mentioned the book Making Babies in the other thread but I found a copy of it at Half Price Books the other day so I bought it. It mentions that CM can be too acidic therefore causing the sperm to die before making it past the cervix. They recommend fixing this by using a baking soda douche when you BD around O time. I was reading up on this and I found a lot of women were having acidic CM bc of clomid. I'm obviously not taking clomid anymore but I think I may try it anyways. Baking soda doesn't seem like it could hurt too much, so why not? Lol. But I just thought I'd let you ladies know about that tid bit of info!

I have always been nervous about messing with my "eco system". Seems like there should be a test for that or something.

There is actually an OTC test you can use. Although it's meant for women who are having yeast-like symptoms, so they can determine whether it's a yeast infection or bacterial inf. But I saw no reason why I couldn't try it just to see if I was acidic in general. After I read that in the book, I wondered if my cm was too acidic, and since I don't like the idea of douching, I bought that screening kit because what it's testing for is acidity. If you're acidic, the tip of the stick will turn blue. If it doesn't change color, then supposedly it's not acidic. Of course, it states that if you're acidic then you could have BV, and if it's not acidic, it means you may have a yeast infection, but that's only if you're having symptoms. So I gave it a shot. It came out normal. It came with two sticks, so I put a regular lube on it to see if it would turn colors (since I've heard most lubes are acidic and kill sperm), and sure enough, that stink turned blue.

I've been absent for a while ladies, but I want to respond to others' comments and update on my status, so I'll jump back on in a bit. This just happened to be the first post I saw, and thought I'd let you know there's an easy way to check acidity.

 

[ERosePW]

Oops, I just read someone (beaglemom?) mention the vaginal screening kit. See, I'm waaay behind, lol! Anyway, I did try it and it worked, along with using something acidic on the second stick to make sure. After I'd read that in the book, it got me curious, but I didn't want to bother with the douching unless I was indeed acidic.

Savvy...... I am SO sorry, Hun! I about fell outta my chair just now when I read that, I'm just so surprised. I feel very hurt for you. That had to be one of the most disappointing moments for you. Do NOT apologize to us for anything! This is what we're here for.... To get each other through the tough times, and that includes something like that. Gosh, sweets, I really am sorry. I'm happy that you're looking ahead and trying to remain positive. Just don't ever feel like you can't vent to us and let us know how you're feeling!

 

[ERosePW]

Beaglemom, glad your bloods came back normal! That's ruled out, awesome!

Btw, loved reading all the great psychic readings!! You all have me so tempted to get another, yikes! Lol

Allison, I agree, the Making Babies book is very interesting and contains some really great tips! I've learned a lot! Glad you're enjoying!

I saw my dr today, and although I feel very, very positive about this cycle, I'm getting this show on the road, just in case. I'm getting bloods taken tomorrow and he's testing everything under the sun.... All hormones, thyroid, sugar, pituitary (prolactin), and a few other things he mentioned that were unfamiliar.... I told him just to test everything that could be the culprit. He doesn't think anything will be wrong there though, as he feels I'd be having some symptoms for most of those things, except some of the hormones. Also, while I'm there, they're going to do an u/s to check for cysts/fibroids and make sure everything looks good. Although, he's still not expecting to see anything wrong, as I had an abdominal myomectomy a couple yrs ago, and all has been well since then, so we'll see. The biggest thing is that I'm scheduling the HSG for Jan. Just want to rule out blocked tubes.

I'm feeling great about this cycle, as I was finally on my higher dose of clomid, and I had a super strong O this cycle, and BDing was timed perfectly and frequently. Plus, I really feel like the robitussin helped get rid of the hostile cm! I was shocked that after my dr gave me a higher clomid dose, that it didn't get even worse! Beaglemom, I'm so glad you reminded me of that! I didn't get super EWCM, but at least the hostile stuff never came, and I had a tiny bit of stretch to it this time. As far as I'm concerned, that's an improvement! My temp is already starting to rise, so after a couple more higher temps, FF will give me crosshairs. I feel super optimistic this month. But I wanted to get all these tests done, just to be proactive if it's an unsuccessful cycle. I don't want to keep trying, just to find out there's been something wrong the whole time. I can always cancel the HSG if I need to.

Gosh ladies, sorry so long.... I just felt like I had some catching up to do since I was so behind!

 

[savvysaver]

Erin, I was worried about where you were. Glad to hear you are doing good and have some testing that will give you some answers, though with your clomid increase and smiley opk I have positive vibes and ffeelings for you this month!!

AF is kicking my butt. I am super crampy and just miserable. Hoping my vacation and seeing our friends helps cheer me up. Hope everyone else is doing good!

 

[beaglemom]

Moni77, I am just curious as to why you have chosen IUI. You may have already said. Was it basically financial reasons? The reason I ask is because I was on another thread expressing my concern for the fertility clinic I will probably be referred to. They have very positive reviews. But the negative ones said they were not being heard & wanted to try other options before jumping in to IVF. That is where I am. I mean, if it is just my husband’s numbers & they are not horrible, why not try other options first? Part of it is money. I do have a small cap I can use for infertility. But from what I can see, my insurance may cover plenty of meds just may limit me on the costs of procedures. Obviously, I want to be pregnant sooner rather than later. But I also do not believe in procedures just for the sake of it. I mean, I don’t even get a flu shot. When I popped my first clomid pill I almost cried. The thought of those hormones in my body doing things a normal person’s body should not be doing…along with knowing this is the path I have to take because I am not one of the lucky ones. So I don’t feel my gradual move in this direction is a bad thing. It frustrates me a little to have other people on the forum judge my decisions without knowing my whole situation or where my mind is…or even where I am in life in general. She had her tubes removed so IVF is her only option. And maybe I will go straight to IVF, but I need to know I will have a doctor at least willing to listen to my concerns & respect my hesitation. I feel like none of us are really in the same boat on this journey. We are all here to keep each other positive & answer questions we may have. I also had someone who was on clomid say to me why are you on it if you already ovulate? I think you need a second opinion. She almost made it out like since she needs it to ovulate, I should feel bad. I did not choose any of this. Nor would I choose it for anyone else. And you are not my doctor. I try not to be insensitive on here & really only try to put out positive energy & help out where I feel I am helpful. I feel like women are always so confrontation & seem to always be in competition even if the other person isn’t racing.

Ugh…I don’t know. Maybe I am just having a rough day. Work is slow & after tomorrow, I will be off until the following Thurs. I think my husband working nights & this whole journey plus life is just wearing me out. But my husband will be bad on days in January…not too far away now.

On a positive note, I went to Walmart & bought a 3 pack of FRER with $1 coupon & then 2 boxes of the clear blue +/- tests (2 tests each) & they each had a $2 coupon. So with my husband’s employee discount & the coupons & Walmart’s low price anyways, I spent about $22 on 7 brand name tests. I am ready for next week. I can never wait, so I plan to start testing EOD starting Monday. That will be 10 dpo for me.

Oh, & thank you to everyone here who is always so helpful & supportive.

 

[allisonmh]

Erin, did you use the ph strips during your fertile days? Apparently ph changes during those days, so it's recommended to test then. I couldn't find any at Walgreens or cvs yesterday so maybe I'll amazon it and hope they come before O time.

Beaglemom, I totally understand how you feel. I ovulate on my own, sometimes anyways, and I was still on the clomid. Some people are just really negative and insensitive. My BFF who is also TTC has been really negative with me lately. Her husband isn't as on board with the whole thing as ours seem to be and he doesn't want to spend money for her to go to a specialist, etc. so I think she kinda feels like I'm going to get pregnant before her and is a little butt hurt that my husband is so supportive of the situation. She got all on my ass the other day about how she thinks the tea is a stupid idea and that I shouldn't use the progesterone cream like I had planned on doing. I didn't argue with her, but it's like, I've been to the dr, they prescribed me progesterone so I think I can use the cream. She has pcos like me and had a chemical pregnancy about a year or so ago so I see how she can be getting discouraged, but low progesterone is so common in women with pcos that I wanted to tell her that she should probably be using it as well since I'd be willing to bet that low prog played a role in her chemical. It's really hard to talk to people that don't want to listen. Especially good friends and doctors. My regular OB completely blew me off when I suggested I might have pcos. You just gotta keep your head up and do what you think is best for you. Don't let people bring you down. : )

 

[beaglemom]

Thanks Allison...and yes def do the ph test during the fertile time. Apparently you are acidic during you cycle but should be more neutral or a higher ph during fertile time. There is also a way to use this method for gender selection. But I just do not care about that!

 

[savvysaver]

Hugs beaglemom, some women are so rude at times and no one needs that, especially here. Your doctor gave you clomid for a reason. I have meds for depression, I am not depressed but studies have shown that they calm the nerves in the intestines in people with IBS. Clomid may be mainly used for women who don't ovulate but I am sure there are other reasons you could take it. I try my best to not judge others that are negative...I feel we are all here for the exact same reasons, we each have our own journey and I am here to support and cheer for every woman to get their bfp. No one should have to go thru this and I am lucky to have met such an amazing group of woman right here in this thread.

Ps....Woohoo for some cheap tests! It is crazy what those cost. I am bummed I didn’t bring my bbt or opks...obviously wasn't thinking I would need them. Luckily I had a few women products in my luggage from previous trips or I would have been in trouble!

 

[ERosePW]

beaglemom, I'm so sorry that you're feeling a bit discouraged right now. I hate when people have snarky comments. Sort of like when I posted the comment about wanting to know people's experiences with Robitussin, and that one girl made the comment: "Robittussin?? I don't know what that is where you're from, but in my country, that's cough syrup!" and then she put the laughing/pointing smiley. I was like, wow....real nice. And FYI to her...I used the Robitussin this cycle, and it did improve my CM a lot! I understand all your feelings....everyone seems to have their own very strong opinions on TTC. We're all just speculating on some things, and doing our best. My mom didnt want me to increase my clomid dose. She's very, very supportive of this whole thing, but I could tell she was a little hesitant on the phone when I told her i wanted to increase my dose. I'm not sure what she's afraid of...the side effects, potential long-term issues, multiples...? I'm not sure...but as supportive and loving as she is, she just didnt seem to want me to take a higher dose than I was on. People don't seem to understand just how much of a hurry I'm in to be a mother. I want it more than I've ever wanted anything. I also have the same feelings on IUI vs IVF. I'm trying not to think about it just yet, but it has been a year, and in reality, that could become my solution. I'll do whatever it takes to have a baby, but I'm like you, in that I just want a good FS (if it comes to that point) who will really evaluate me and my situation, listen to me, and then help me determine what's best for me.

allison, that is a very good point! I think I used it around cd8, because it said to wait until five days after AF, and my AF only lasted three days. So it was sometime around cd8, and that definitely wouldn't have been in my fertile time. Thank you! I will probably buy that kit again next cycle (if needed), and use it right in my fertile window. If I am acidic during that time, I may consider the baking soda, lol. I've had such a gut feeling that either my CM or something like that is just preventing the spermies from getting where they need to go, so if i find out I'm acidic during my fertile time, I'll be wanting to do something about that immediately. I'm so glad you asked if i did it during my fertile time! Thanks again!

savvy, so sorry you dont have your bbt or OPKs. When do you get back from vacation? Will it be too late to start all that when you get back? I mean, I know its best to start bbt on cd1, but my very first chart ever, I didnt start it until cd7 because I just decided right then I was ready to do it, haha! So it doesn't give full data, but it gets you started. But I guess it depends on how long your vacation is.

I feel like I could chat with you ladies for hours right now! It sometimes just feels good to really TALK about it and get it all out. Unfortunately, I have to run. But will check back in later, I'm sure. xoxoxo

 

[allisonmh]

IUI and IVF is why I'm not taking clomid anymore. The dr was ready to move on to IUI after my 3 rounds of clomid and I'm just not ready for that. I want a baby so badly, but I'm just not ready for such assistance yet. I don't understand why so many people rush into things like that. Not only is it expensive, but it's just not how I imagined getting pregnant. And I think if I do get to the point of trying those solutions, I'll be absolutely crushed if it doesn't work. I've heard of so many people having failed IVF attempts and then end up getting pregnant naturally so I'd rather have that be my absolute last resort. We just have to have faith that it'll happen. : )

And savvy, on another thread I follow, one of the ladies had a chemical and ended up getting pregnant again the next cycle, so don't lose hope! And enjoy your vacation! I hope you're somewhere beautiful and relaxing!