Femara Friends!

[babybemine]

Hi All, I'm new to this Forum, and pretty new to the site, actually, although I skim from time to time.

By way of introduction, I'm 36 and DH and I have been TTC for over 5 years. We had two losses along the way, the most recent in January of this year.

For a number of boring and long reasons, my DH has been resistant to a SA. Well, he finally conceded and did one a month or so ago (he had a count of 800 million, Motility of 49%). I seem to ovulate normally and have regular cycles. I have a really mild form of PCOS, mostly controlled through super strict diet and exercise.

RE suggested Femara, Trigger, and then IUI for us for our next cycle, which should put IUI at the first week of July.

I've researched some of this, but I really have no idea what to expect. I plan to read a lot, and I'm hopeful to learn something from you girls.

Welcome Spinner,
Everyone experiences things differently. For myself I have experienced the Femara for 4 cycles, trigger for 1 cycle and the IUI for 2 cycles so far.
Femara was pills that I had to take on day 3-5 of my cycle. Side effects were minimal with the worst being a really bad migraine on one of those days.
The trigger was an injection with a small needle the DH put in my abdomen that barely hurt. No side effects from that. The trigger is used to help with ovulation.

IUI is a process. DH came to the office and produced sperm in a cup. We then leave the office and go for breakfast while they wash out the specimen. When we are done we come back the office and I had an ultrasound done and then they insert the specimen inside me. Felt as uncomfortable as a pap smear to me. I have a tipped uterus so the process takes a bit longer but it was over with pretty quickly. After they put a pillow under my bum and I lay with bum in air for a little bit then I go home and resume my normal life.

Another option made available to us is to produce the sperm at home and then bring in the sample. This does not work for us because we work nights and DH is not comfortable doing that at work before arrival.

Hope this all helps for you. If you have any questions them ask away. If I don't have helpful answers then someone else will.

 

[Cridge]

J_Lynn - In my last few cycles before I got pregnant, I would cramp for a day or two after I ovulated. When you ovulate, fluid is released and sometimes that makes you cramp. It was a great second way of knowing that I had in fact ovulated! GL!

 

[J_Lynn]

That's cool to know! Well at least if I don't get pregnant this cycle, at least I know I did ovulate - between the ultrasound, trigger shot, pains then cramping I am sure I ovulated. And that makes me so happy!

 

[ESwemba84]

I had some painful cramps last night also, so I'm hoping ovulation caused it! It's now been 36 hours since the Ovidrel, and I've read that is usually when ovulation happens. TWW starts tomorrow....

 

[J_Lynn]

I hope one of us, or preferably both, get a BFP this month. That would be great on the first femara cycle!! I am actually excited to pee on that stick this month ... I am going to do it at the first possible moment I can unlike most months when I just do it right before my next dr appointment so I can tell him "yup, I did it and yup, it was negative just like I already knew" I would like to see two little lines this time.

 

[karenh]

Karen - Glad to hear you are feeling better! 3 of my co-workers just came down with strep... really hoping it doesn't hit me next!

I don't know the difference between Ovidrel and Novarel. They are both hCG to "induce the eggs to become mature and fertilizable" (as according to the IVF packet I was just reading). I have always used the Ovidrel though.

Congratulations on being an aunt again, but I know how hard that is to watch your siblings announce they are "trying," announce their success, and then deliver, (and even celebrate their new child's first birthday) all while you are still TTC. My heart truly goes out to you. Praying that you get to overshadow her announcement with one of your own!!

You are so sweet! Thank you. I am excited to be an aunt again. I am coming to terms with the fact that even this was supposed to be my story, it is OK that she is going to have a baby. I am trying to be in a good place.

I usually take Ovidrel as well, but this time they had me use Novarel. I was just wondering why. Thanks for the info!

I really hope you don't get strep!

 

[karenh]

Ladies good luck in your tww, I hope you get your BFP!

 

[lilyV]

hello! this is my first cycle on Letrozole. 6 rounds of clomid failed. What are the chances this is better?

 

[sugarpi24]

clomid never worked for me...i never ovulated on it...i tried 3 cycles with it then was referred to a FS and they put me on Femera and i ovulated the first cycle on it! I like it much better than clomid! side effects arent as bad if you even have any! hope it works for you!

 

[karenh]

hello! this is my first cycle on Letrozole. 6 rounds of clomid failed. What are the chances this is better?

I did 5 rounds of Clomid all anovulatory. I did five rounds of Femara and produced follicles on all of them, got pregnant one of the cycles, but it was ectopic. It does work wonders for some people. Good luck.

 

[karenh]

I got AF this weekend. We are done TTC. It is really hard, but I think we may be moving toward adoption. DH is thinking about talking about it. We don't have the money right now becuase of our two years of medical treatments to try and have a baby, so we are probably going to have to wait two years before we can start that process. I really hope it doesn't take that long, but who knows.

 

[J_Lynn]

I got AF this weekend. We are done TTC. It is really hard, but I think we may be moving toward adoption. DH is thinking about talking about it. We don't have the money right now becuase of our two years of medical treatments to try and have a baby, so we are probably going to have to wait two years before we can start that process. I really hope it doesn't take that long, but who knows.

I'm sorry AF got you

My husband and I have already looked into adopting - because I will not be TTC forever, I am giving it this year and maybe into summer of next and then we will be done. I'm not spending too much money and time on this, so we have already looked into a bit. Now here, we can go through the county and if you foster then adopt, it is basically nothing. So, if that's something you're interested in - you could be foster parents and then go from there. It is a more affordable way of adopting. THat is how our friends adopted their twins - they fostered many children, and when the infant twins came into play they set the process into motion to adopt because the mother gave up custody completely to the state.

When it comes to adoption - I'm all about trying to find a way to save a few bucks because it can get expensive QUICK.

 

[Praying4bump]

I got AF this weekend. We are done TTC. It is really hard, but I think we may be moving toward adoption. DH is thinking about talking about it. We don't have the money right now becuase of our two years of medical treatments to try and have a baby, so we are probably going to have to wait two years before we can start that process. I really hope it doesn't take that long, but who knows.

I am so sorry Karen. I hope your adoption process isn't long wither. We decided before ever TTC, that we wanted to adopt...even if were able to conceive. I think adoption is beautiful, not only do you get someone to love but you give an abandoned child a family. I'm wishing you and DH the best.

 

[MMW430]

I got AF this weekend. We are done TTC. It is really hard, but I think we may be moving toward adoption. DH is thinking about talking about it. We don't have the money right now becuase of our two years of medical treatments to try and have a baby, so we are probably going to have to wait two years before we can start that process. I really hope it doesn't take that long, but who knows.

I'm very sorry to hear this.

I think there are grants around for adoption. I'd try to look into them.

 

[sugarpi24]

so sorry Karen i wish it didnt come to that but i understand. I hope the adoption works out for you guys and you will definitely make some children happy! My one friend has been trying for a kid for years and years and her and her hubby decided to foster children to get their foot in the door for adoption...so i hope it works for you and them! Hubby and i have talked about adoption here and there...but with everything going on we wouldnt be able too. I figure if we dont have children maybe we could do IVF sometime or just adopt animals good luck Karen!

 

[TonyaG]

Karen I am so sorry that your TTC journey is ending. Good luck in the future

 

[ESwemba84]

So sorry Karen. I know it can be expensive. A couple of the women in the infertility support group I go to locally have set up websites where people can basically donate money to their cause. They are going through adoption and surrogacy. I don't remember the name of the site they use, but I think it's a wonderful idea. You submit your story, and they create a site specifically for you, and random people can just donate whatever amount they want. I really hope your journey to adoption is shorter than you expect.

AFM, I'm in my TWW and currently on day 4 of taking the progesterone suppositories. I'm having some very minor cramping, and worry AF will show in the next couple days (on unmediated cycles I'd be due to start in 2-3 days). I'm staying positive, though, and trusting this might work!

 

[LolaM]

My hubs and I always agreed that we would adopt after we had a few kids of our own, and surprisingly, it was easy to move into the adoption mode and leave behind heartbreak month after month, with adoption you KNOW you will get a child, where as with medical procedures nothing is certain. We are doing the foster to adopt thing too.

 

[karenh]

I got AF this weekend. We are done TTC. It is really hard, but I think we may be moving toward adoption. DH is thinking about talking about it. We don't have the money right now becuase of our two years of medical treatments to try and have a baby, so we are probably going to have to wait two years before we can start that process. I really hope it doesn't take that long, but who knows.

I'm sorry AF got you

My husband and I have already looked into adopting - because I will not be TTC forever, I am giving it this year and maybe into summer of next and then we will be done. I'm not spending too much money and time on this, so we have already looked into a bit. Now here, we can go through the county and if you foster then adopt, it is basically nothing. So, if that's something you're interested in - you could be foster parents and then go from there. It is a more affordable way of adopting. THat is how our friends adopted their twins - they fostered many children, and when the infant twins came into play they set the process into motion to adopt because the mother gave up custody completely to the state.

When it comes to adoption - I'm all about trying to find a way to save a few bucks because it can get expensive QUICK.

Oregon doesn't have a foster to adopt program. We were foster parents before.

 

[karenh]

So sorry Karen. I know it can be expensive. A couple of the women in the infertility support group I go to locally have set up websites where people can basically donate money to their cause. They are going through adoption and surrogacy. I don't remember the name of the site they use, but I think it's a wonderful idea. You submit your story, and they create a site specifically for you, and random people can just donate whatever amount they want. I really hope your journey to adoption is shorter than you expect.

AFM, I'm in my TWW and currently on day 4 of taking the progesterone suppositories. I'm having some very minor cramping, and worry AF will show in the next couple days (on unmediated cycles I'd be due to start in 2-3 days). I'm staying positive, though, and trusting this might work!

If you could get me that website, that would be amazing! Thank you!