Disco Derail! - TTCAL/PAL Discussion and Support!

[heart tree]

Whoa Allie there's a lot going on here. Honestly I think any of your scenarios is possible. Did you do the test after fasting? I think that might affect it. I just did a little research on google and read it is ok to get one at 5 dpo but the number would be lower than 7 dpo. They are looking for a 10 or above. Anything lower may mean weak ovulation. To be honest I'm confused by your info too. I don't think you are in denial or trying to justify bad news. I just think you have conflicting and confusing information.

 

[heart tree]

One thing that has never been wrong for me is temping. You might want to try vaginal temping next cycle to see if it is more accurate.

 

[Allie84]

Thanks hearty. I just googled too, and even if it was 5dpo it still should be higher. I was going to take progesterone cream this cycle just for kicks, but didn't because of that stupid blood test. I should have just done it, because I had that bit of spotting at 7dpo and loads of cramps, but nothing after. I wonder if an egg was trying to implant but my progesterone was too low? There's no point wondering, I suppose, or even thinking the cream would do the trick, but I can't help but think about it. I was so happy to be ovulating within a decent time frame that I was going to go all out...so I'm wishing I had done the cream. However, when I went to GNC to get it, I saw that it said on the label that progesterone was known to be carcinogenic?! It put me off it, as well as wanting the blood test to be accurate. Grrr.

I think I will test vaginally next cycle. I also believe my temps might have been screwy this cycle due to feeling ill over the weekend.

 

[heart tree]

I think you might be jumping the gun here. A little spotting is not indicative of IB. It could be a fluctuation in hormones. If you were ill your temps could be wrong. I think you should have a few more charts under your belt before using the cream. You need to feel confident about your ov date. If you end up doing the cream before ov you will delay it even longer. Try not to beat yourself up. You are trying to understand your body. As you know I've had similar frustrations. With patience and maybe meds you can get in control of your cycle. I'm not sure about the cream being a carcinogen. What kind were you looking at? My acupuncturist told me the only safe one she knew about was the Emerita Pro gest brand. You can buy it from Amazon.

 

[Allie84]

Yeah, I guess I'm just looking for a reason to be mad at myself, ha. The cream I was looking at was the GNC Women's Progesterone Cream (incidently not available in California as per the website just now). You're right, it's best to be definitely sure of my ov date before I take it, and it seems as though my temps threw this cycle off. I guess once AF arrives I'll be able to deduce when I actually did ovulate.

Who would have thought with OPKS, a monitor, AND temping I would still be unsure of my ovulation date!

 

[heart tree]

I've had two cycles with positive opks a week before I actually ovulated. I hear you. Why can't it be easier? Certainly AF will give you a better idea. If she doesnt show tomorrow will you test again?

 

[Allie84]

I'm out of tests , not to mention sick of looking at stark white BFNs, but if AF isn't here in a few days I will test. I think I'll go buy some OPKs too, though, because now I'm not convinced this isn't going to go the way of my last two cycles where I ovulated on CD37. Maybe it's been a fever giving me crosshairs for a week. Who knows. I'm pretty much symptomless right now either way except feeling sickly.

Is this your last day of letrozole?

Oh, Megg, I want to add I just read those Vitamin D articles and found them very intersting. I'm about to add Vitamin D to my arsenal of vitamin supplements!

 

[Allie84]

I was just thinking and remembered my progesterone isn't high enough for me to be pregnant anyways. So, I don't think I'll test at all.

 

[heart tree]

I didn't want to say anything but since you did, I don't think it would be the worst idea to do some more opks.

Remind me what next steps are with your doctor? I would really love you to get this sorted. Maybe join me on the letrozole train. I know you hate drugs but they might give you a little sanity. That reminds me, I have to go take my last dose right now.

 

[Allie84]

The next steps are a butt load of CD3 blood tests, an ultrasound at my appt next month (don't know where in my cycle I will be), and a glucose challenge test. We'll then discuss treatment but he's thinking Metformin, or if my hormones are totally awful, Clomid (I may ask for letrozole instead). He also offered an HSG if I want one but isn't suggesting one yet.

I forgot to answer your question about when I took the progesterone test...it was about 5 in the evening, not fasting...I wonder if that affected it? I know it's cyclical according to time of day and all.

I'm back on the OPK train tomorrow. I'm glad you don't think it's crazy. It's hard to know what's right in the fever induced haze I've been living in.

 

[heart tree]

No honey not crazy at all. Just confusing. I'm glad you have a sound plan of action moving forward. The sooner you can address this the better. Letrozole aka Femara is waaaaay more expensive than Clomid which is why I think most people still use Clomid. If you can do Femara you should. From everything I read it is better for your body. And there is the discount program to get it fo $10 for 8 cycles. Some docs still think Clomid is the gold standard. Hopefully yours also believes in Femara. My FS obviously likes it and even my acupuncturist thinks it is much better.

I'm off to have dinner now. I kind of hope AF shows for you tomorrow so you can stop being confused and move on. xoxo

 

[Megg33k]

Actually, spotting post-O can be indicative of low progesterone. It was one of my tip-offs.

I wish I knew what to tell you... It would help if you could be 100% sure that it was done the right day... but if it was, you might need something stronger than the over the counter cream to help counteract the low levels. If you DO buy a cream, make sure it says "USP" on it... If not, its not the bio-identical stuff and won't help at all. The good ones are always sort of expensive... at least $20.

And, progesterone can change drastically from one cycle's ovulation to the next. A stronger O will come with higher numbers. The "what if this affected it" stuff won't help, it'll only drive you crazy wondering. There are no answers. I did that... and it never got me anywhere.

I'm out of tests , not to mention sick of looking at stark white BFNs, but if AF isn't here in a few days I will test. I think I'll go buy some OPKs too, though, because now I'm not convinced this isn't going to go the way of my last two cycles where I ovulated on CD37. Maybe it's been a fever giving me crosshairs for a week. Who knows. I'm pretty much symptomless right now either way except feeling sickly.

Is this your last day of letrozole?

Oh, Megg, I want to add I just read those Vitamin D articles and found them very intersting. I'm about to add Vitamin D to my arsenal of vitamin supplements!

The only thing I'll say about VIt D is that the excess isn't lost through urine. It stays with you. So, you really need it tested, because you can have too much. Your body can't eliminate it like it can with other supplements.

 

[Megg33k]

Oh! The roast! It was good. The Yorkshire pudding... I think I made it wrong. I need someone skilled with them to give me a recipe. The things that I made... I don't think that's what they're supposed to feel, look, or taste like. They weren't bad, but I'm sure they were wrong.

 

[heart tree]

Megg I agree. If progesterone is too low, the cream might not do a thing as it is such a low dose. The kind I use is bio- identical and is over $20. I also agree that the "what ifs" don't do any good. Sound advice for our sweet Allie.

I'm very curious about this Yorkshire pudding!

 

[vickyd]

Allie im not very experienced in these mattres but when i decided to try again a few months after my D&C i talked to doc about temping ect. to see my ovulation dates and he said that its best and most accurate if i have US on days 14, 16, 18 of my cycle to pinpoint exact ovulation dates. Then we can for certainty the correct date for progesterone testing. Although again he did not see justification for progesterone testing as this is warranted only if youve been trying for over a year. Again, this is the protocol of his clinic and im sure its different everywhere.

Mone, thanks for your kind words babe. I really hope that you will be in my shoes in the near future but hopefully without the neurosis.

Hearty now that youve finished with the meds do you just BD as normal?

Megg im sure you did everything right with the yorkshire pudding, they are just bland and i think the descriptions you were getting on here were making you think they are better than they actually are LOL!!!!!!!

 

[vickyd]

Oh i forgot to clarify why most people didnt have a clue about my pregnancy. At work i wear alot of loose fitting clothes since i have to be at the production site alot where the labourers tend to stare at your body parts and comment without any political correctness. There actually is no laws here that protect you from verbal sexual harasment so i just try and avoid looking feminine lol!!! The other thing is that im in my own lab and i wear a labcoat all day so my collegues just thought i was putting on weight. Pretty sneaky of me right????

 

[Sparkly]

Sparkly - sounds like you have everything covered - do you think the metformin is helpful, I've come off it as I didn't think it was doing anything and because I ovulate I still don't know why the specialist put me on it... he said it would improve egg quality, but I think it made it worse.... i've been doing lots of reading up on it though and it is supposed to give those with PCOS the same miscarriage rate as those without, so now i'm thinking bugger I should be back on it.... (ahhhh!!! can you tell I'm confused!)

I have no idea if the metformin is helping me or not, but I have been told not to stop taking it! I was on it a few years ago and didn't feel it was helping me so stopped it, then after my m/c when I read the research on pcos and m/c I was shocked to find we have a 45% chance of miscarrying every pregnancy, with the metformin this knocks it back to around 15% which is just like 'normal'. I still ovulate without any medication, and my cycles are very regular, but that is deceptive as I have every single other pcos symptom It is your choice of course, but give yourself the best chance honey, I know the side effects can be horrible, but once your body settles down with it, it gets easier.

 

[Sparkly]

Allie - I agree with Meg here, spotting after ov is usually a sign of low progesterone. Back in June this year I had an annovulatory cycle and spotted for 2 bloody weeks!! I feel you may benefit from clomid/leterezole it will give you a stronger ovulation and raise your progesterone.

 

[prgirl_cesca]

ARGH hormonal anger is not good for me today!

I went for my consultant appointment yesterday and it was a complete waste of time. I got in there and he was going through my miscarriages in great detail (explaining what a blighted ovum is - yeah I f*cking know mate!!!) and then said "oh so you've had your 20 week scan then?"

Cue confusion from me and OH and turns out he's not meant to see me until 21 weeks!! I said that as I had once had a heart murmer (I stress - HAD one, not have one) I assumed the midwife wanted me to come early. Then I mentioned my history with ovarian tumours and cysts and turns out no one had bothered sending ANY of my medical notes across!!! So I had to sit there with the secretary going through details about my consultant and private clinic from the time so they can request them.

What a waste of time. My heart 'murmur' does not affect my day to day life and when they diagnosed it at 15 they told me it was so minor it was nothing and would have faded by the age of 18. And my ovarian cysts etc wouldn't affect my pregnancy now I imagine.

Gah. My mum keeps saying she wants me under consultant care as it's safer and she'd rather they looked after me properly, but all I keep thinking is I have to take two hours out of work (I know you get paid time off for appointments, but my boss is VERY difficult with these things) for these appointments whereas its 20 mins for the midwife, and all i can imagine is me strapped down during labour unable to move for monitors etc.

*and breathe*

 

[sugarlove]

Hi girls, think I've caught up now. Hope you are all having a good day.

Amy, fab news on the ultrasound. Do you have any pics yet?

Hearty, good luck with the meds this month. I have my fingers crossed for you

Nato, that's crap about your hubby being away for BDing period. Mine was meant to be going away last month during my ov time and I lost the plot completely! We'd had a break for a few months, so was really counting on that one. Cried a lot and generally stamped by feet. In the end, he lied and said we had a fertility appt around the day he was meant to be flying to America. It worked, and he went the next week instead. Not that it mattered, as no BFP for me anyway!

Sparkly, good luck with the cough medicine. Maybe I'm weird, but I love the taste of it!

Mone, so sorry to hear you had a meltdown if you do feel emotionally ready to go for it this month, I really wish the best of you.

Megg, I'm about to purchase a slowcooker from Tesco. The hard part for me will be getting my arse out of bed early enough in the morning to put the ingredients in in, but I'm going to give it a go. I adore Yorskhire puds, but they're a bugger to make. I just use frozen ones and cheat!

Allie, sorry to hear about the low progesterone levels. Mine came back as 12, but according to my temps, CBFM and OPK I ovulated. If you google it, normal progeterone levels seem to vary depending on where you look. I'm going to ask my FS when I see him on the 22nd Nov. Certainly, I'm spotting every month and I know this is a sign of low progesterone. If I'm offered clomid or anything like that, I'm going to take his hand off for it! Since my experience with the B6 this month (luteal phase even shorter!), I'm not taking any other extra supplements to Pregnacare unless FS approves it.

I nearly died laughing watching Shaun R on I'm a celeb last night. I've never seen anyone eat a penis with such gusto
I reckon Gill Mcteeth is putting on her fears for the camera! it's not on tonight cos of football I depend on this and X Factor to get me through the long Winter nights!
x