Gonal Girls

[alicatt]

cupcake - you can tell if the follicle has ovulated and become a corpus luteum. A follicle is nice and round and a corpus luteum is "squished". There's also something to do with fluid that I can't be sure of right now... either fluid is in the corpus luteum or in your uterus...??? Sorry, I can't think of what it is right now. But yes, if they know what they're doing, they should be able to tell if you ovulated.

Yep! I could tell the difference between a recent corpus luteum and a follicle. A follicle looks like a grape and a corpus luteum looks like a raisin! But really that is what they look like. Or maybe a popped balloon? The corpus luteum is just that, the popped follicle.

It is possible that you ovulated 1 and that one is a cyst, or that you will ovulate it at a later date. I have heard of women ovulating on different days, and having 2 surges.

I worried the same things with my IUIs infact I even did 2 back to back to help improve my odds. It didn't help, but it should have had the been better quality, and my NK cells not been elevated (that is another story). When do you test?

 

[Cridge]

A follicle looks like a grape and a corpus luteum looks like a raisin! But really that is what they look like. Or maybe a popped balloon? The corpus luteum is just that, the popped follicle.

Much better way of putting it!

 

[mizuno]

wow, so much activity here in the last little while!

dbluett - Congrats on the BFP !!! that's awesome!
amber - I hope everything works out and you don't end up ovulating all 10 follies
cridge - nice of you to stop by and check in on us. we need to be reminded of the positive stories
ali - hope your wait is not much longer. hang in there!

I have been stimming for 12 days (225 GF and 75 Luveris) and I'm triggering today. I have 9 follicles, which is lower than I hoped for, but I'll take it I'm really anxious about how much ER is going to hurt, anxious that I will ovulate before they get a chance to take the eggs out or that there will be no eggs, anxious about a million other things. But, it's out of my hands at this point and all I can do is wait and see.

 

[alicatt]

wow, so much activity here in the last little while!

dbluett - Congrats on the BFP !!! that's awesome!
amber - I hope everything works out and you don't end up ovulating all 10 follies
cridge - nice of you to stop by and check in on us. we need to be reminded of the positive stories
ali - hope your wait is not much longer. hang in there!

I have been stimming for 12 days (225 GF and 75 Luveris) and I'm triggering today. I have 9 follicles, which is lower than I hoped for, but I'll take it I'm really anxious about how much ER is going to hurt, anxious that I will ovulate before they get a chance to take the eggs out or that there will be no eggs, anxious about a million other things. But, it's out of my hands at this point and all I can do is wait and see.

Mizuno - Congrats on making it to trigger with ER just around the corner. Having been there 2x now, I can understand your fears. I was convinced I would ovulated early and they wouldn't get the eggs too! I swear it is just one stress after the other. I can tell you that in both of my ER's my eggs were still there! They usually time it in such a way that you won't ovulate. Plus you are probably on lupron or maybe ganirelix? Those meds will stop you from ovulating. The trigger in an ER is more for maturity of the eggs. So don't worry! They'll get them all
The ER itself is painless as you are under sedation Then the next few days you'll have some tenderness and discomfort. It depends on how difficult it was for them to retrieve the eggs as to whether you have more severe pain. My first ER I was in a lot of pain for days (plus moderate OHSS) but after my second one it was not nearly as bad. Then it is time to think about your eggs, how many were mature, how many fertilized, and how are they doing! Told you, one stress after another. I tried to keep calm, and kept telling myself, what will be will be. You can't change the outcome, so just roll with it. Easier said then done though. Still.. try to stay calm if you can! Best of luck and FX'd for lots of eggs and a great fertilization report!!

 

[dbluett]

Hi ladies. Thanks for all the support. It is so hard knowing your pregnant and not telling anybody. I go for another beta on sat when I get back from vacation. Our plan is to tell my mom and mom inlaw on mothers day.

 

[mizuno]

Mizuno - Congrats on making it to trigger with ER just around the corner. Having been there 2x now, I can understand your fears. I was convinced I would ovulated early and they wouldn't get the eggs too! I swear it is just one stress after the other. I can tell you that in both of my ER's my eggs were still there! They usually time it in such a way that you won't ovulate. Plus you are probably on lupron or maybe ganirelix? Those meds will stop you from ovulating. The trigger in an ER is more for maturity of the eggs. So don't worry! They'll get them all
The ER itself is painless as you are under sedation Then the next few days you'll have some tenderness and discomfort. It depends on how difficult it was for them to retrieve the eggs as to whether you have more severe pain. My first ER I was in a lot of pain for days (plus moderate OHSS) but after my second one it was not nearly as bad. Then it is time to think about your eggs, how many were mature, how many fertilized, and how are they doing! Told you, one stress after another. I tried to keep calm, and kept telling myself, what will be will be. You can't change the outcome, so just roll with it. Easier said then done though. Still.. try to stay calm if you can! Best of luck and FX'd for lots of eggs and a great fertilization report!!

thanks Ali!

Trust me, I will worry about every single little thing. I'm just trying to dissect it into smaller bits that I can handle - at first I was like, all i want is to have more than 4 follicles; now I'm worrying about not ovulating before ER; right after the ER I'll worry about the number of eggs they retrieve; then the quality and so on. It's the only way to keep myself from going completely apesh#t The good thing is, in a week all the tough parts will be done, and then there's just the dreaded wait. Which might be the hardest part of all.

Anyway, thanks for your support ladies, I don't know how I would have gotten through this without having all your wisdom and experiences at my disposal

 

[Kristin92212]

Hi everyone,
I had an HSG done yesterday and it was normal. I talked to my doctor briefly this morning and she thinks she is going to start me at a very low dose either 25 or 50 because I have such a high amh level and everything else is clear. Has anyone started on such a low dose? I know she can up the dose if I am not responding well, but I also hope she isnt too conservative.

 

[alicatt]

Hi everyone,
I had an HSG done yesterday and it was normal. I talked to my doctor briefly this morning and she thinks she is going to start me at a very low dose either 25 or 50 because I have such a high amh level and everything else is clear. Has anyone started on such a low dose? I know she can up the dose if I am not responding well, but I also hope she isnt too conservative.

What was your AMH? They often do that with women that are younger, or women with PCOS as they are more apt to get too many follicles and then have their cycle cancelled. 25 sounds pretty low, but I think I was on 75, when I was doing IUIs and produced 2-4 follicles each try. I'm now 40 with an AMH of 3.8, but was 39 and had an AMH of 5.6 at the time. However they thought that my AMH was unnaturally elevated due to PCOS at that time. Since then I worked at my diet and helped reduce my PCOS issues.

 

[ambernov20]

Mizuno FX that everything goes well!!! I'm sure your Dr has it planned perfectly but I know you must worry anyway! Try to relax it will be ok!

Kristin I'm in a TTC group on FB and yes some women in there have been started on quite low doses of Gonal and yet still produced a good amount of follies! Good luck!


AFMWell at 5DPT (yesterday) my estrogen was 2407 and my progesterone was >60. So even though I did half the trigger my estrogen is still the highest it has been lol! I'm not stressing this one. I'm trying a new approach and hope I can hold on to it......don't stress things will work out one way or another. I have seen that happen with some financial things this week and it has amazed me lol!

 

[alicatt]

Mizuno FX that everything goes well!!! I'm sure your Dr has it planned perfectly but I know you must worry anyway! Try to relax it will be ok!

Kristin I'm in a TTC group on FB and yes some women in there have been started on quite low doses of Gonal and yet still produced a good amount of follies! Good luck!


AFMWell at 5DPT (yesterday) my estrogen was 2407 and my progesterone was >60. So even though I did half the trigger my estrogen is still the highest it has been lol! I'm not stressing this one. I'm trying a new approach and hope I can hold on to it......don't stress things will work out one way or another. I have seen that happen with some financial things this week and it has amazed me lol!

Amber - I'm rooting for you this month! Things look really good Yes your estrogen is high, but not too high. I had estrogen levels like that when I was doing IUIs, around 2000 BEFORE trigger. So I'm sure it will be fine. A progesterone level above 60 is also really good! Means you are producing some on your own from all the follicles that burst! So now we wait. Were your ovulation pains difficult? Do they know how many follicles burst? FX'd I think this is your best cycle yet!

AFM - Still no news I'm waiting for a call from the FS office to tell me that they have the results and that I can start my cycle or if the news is bad what we do from here. Needless to say I'm on pins and needles and going a little I just want to get the ball rolling whatever we need to do. This waiting SUCKS

 

[Kristin92212]

My hsg was clear, husbands sperm count is very good and my amh was 7.3. I do have pcos. We are going to do 37.5iu and go from there.

 

[alicatt]

My hsg was clear, husbands sperm count is very good and my amh was 7.3. I do have pcos. We are going to do 37.5iu and go from there.

Yep.. sounds like they want to go slowly due to the PCOS, it artificially elevates AMH and also throws your FSH and LH out of whack. They can see how you are responding and if necessary bump you up after a few days. Good luck!!

 

[cupcake]

cupcake - you can tell if the follicle has ovulated and become a corpus luteum. A follicle is nice and round and a corpus luteum is "squished". There's also something to do with fluid that I can't be sure of right now... either fluid is in the corpus luteum or in your uterus...??? Sorry, I can't think of what it is right now. But yes, if they know what they're doing, they should be able to tell if you ovulated.

my doctor never said that to me

 

[cupcake]

oh gosh now I am really beginning to think he timed it wrong, I felt a lot of pain the day after and the follicle looked round not flat like you guys said, and it was 28 which is about 4 bigger than what it was before the hcg

 

[ambernov20]

The pains weren't that bad I took some tylenol before bed and that helped. I don't know how many follies went they only do bloodwork after the trigger no u/s. My first progesterone is usually really good we'll see what it is on the 29th. I was feeling pretty achy after I should have ovulated. And have been extremely tired lol!!

 

[alicatt]

oh gosh now I am really beginning to think he timed it wrong, I felt a lot of pain the day after and the follicle looked round not flat like you guys said, and it was 28 which is about 4 bigger than what it was before the hcg

Cupcake, normally you trigger and they do the IUI about 36 hours later, when they do their last US, before trigger you should have the lead follicle above 20 and hopefully a few that are between 16-20. Then you trigger, the follicles mature and you do the IUI 24-40 hours after (36 is optimum) and you should ovulate in or around the 36-48 hour range. So the are up there waiting for the egg! I am sure that everything was fine!

 

[alicatt]

The pains weren't that bad I took some tylenol before bed and that helped. I don't know how many follies went they only do bloodwork after the trigger no u/s. My first progesterone is usually really good we'll see what it is on the 29th. I was feeling pretty achy after I should have ovulated. And have been extremely tired lol!!

FX'd and GL!!! I know the higher my estrogen the more tired I was. When mine was almost 5000 (before trigger) I was so sleepy, I could just sleep for hours. So I'm sure you are feeling a lot of that!! I think that progesterone supplementation also makes you sleepy. Can't wait to hear how it goes!!!

 

[ambernov20]

Thanks ali! I'm anxious too! A week to go tomorrow lol! I'm not counting down at all lol!! But I'm going to be good this time and not go out and but any tests! My ovaries still feel a little pinchy sometimes so I think I may have some cysts she said I could with only doing half the trigger. But mostly I'm just tired.

cupcake I'm sure it will be ok. Did you guys bd at all? I have noticed with mine I usually ovulate around 38 hours past trigger. Try not to worry and stress.

 

[mizuno]

amber - I hope your cycle work this time! with multiple follicles, you have a a good chance!

kristin - my first IUI I was on 25 U GF. I did get 1 follicle out of it (my doc is very conservative and didn't want me to have more than 2 follies, so wouldn't increase my dose, but you doc still might)

So, I had my ER today. I was so paranoid that I ovulated that I asked them to check as soon as I got there. Luckily, I did not ovulate, but they really wanted to get moving right away (maybe they thought I would O soon?). Long story short, the retrieval hurt like a motherf#^er. I dont know if they didn't give me enough drugs or if I'm a wimp, but I was nearly crying by the end of it. The good thing was that it only lasted like 5 min and as soon as she stopped poking around my ovaries, the pain was gone. I ended up with 10 eggs , which I think is great, since at my last US they told me I had max 9 and I worried how many of them would be empty. Now, of course, I have to worry about how many survive and fertilise (we are doing 7 with ICSI and 3 with just IVF). But at least I know I can grow follicles! Yay! Feeling cautiously optimistic at this point, which is very rare for me!

Lots of love and luck at all!

 

[ambernov20]

Best of luck mizuno!!!