MAY we all be blessed with baby! May 2013 and beyond (BFFs Seeking BFPs)

[ClandestineTX]

I wish they would let us defend later in the semester. It's like they expect people to be 100% done before the semester they plan to finish. I couldn't defend in Dec if I wanted to, which is crazy to me. Especially considering my campus is small - like a dozen or so PhDs a year (but yes to the fancy robes!!!) - so we only have one ceremony in May, regardless of semester of graduation.

I have a similar situation where most of my global introduction was in my project proposal. I work with DNA (versus RNA), but I would wager our methods aren't terribly different from each other! I HATE it when something doesn't work without an obvious explanation, though I've worked with students for so long I feel like I minored in "troubleshooting"

 

[melann13]

Haha Clande- Yeah, I've definitely done my share of troubleshooting. I literally wrote the protocols for all the stuff I'm doing. I just don't feel like I have time to troubleshoot right now! I'm doing primarily qPCR right now, but am still taking tissue punches. I hope to start extracting the RNA yet this week, then convert to cDNA, then the qPCR for 2 ref. genes and 3 genes of interest. Then, you know, just a little data analysis, states and writing the paper

 

[ClandestineTX]

My work is a lot of PCR-based stuff, including qPCR (but we do it for quantification of DNA), and CE platforms for analysis. I am almost pissed off at myself for letting my committee gradually convince me to complete FIVE separate studies during the course of my research. It all seemed like such a good idea until I started writing. I have ONE qPCR plate left to run - taking care of it this weekend - and it was 'requested' by a reviewer for our second paper... and I'm pretty sure it's all we need to get it accepted on revision. I am hoping that my desire to be DONE drives my motivation until this paper is submitted to committee!


And my apologies to the rest of you while we GEEK out over here.

 

[melann13]

Oh come on, I'm sure everyone loves a little gene expression chatter
Good luck with it. I'll be rooting for great efficiencies and Rsquared for you! Our RNA extraction worked today so I get to start the real stuff on Thursday. I need to extract 96 samples, and we can only do 6 at a time in a two hour protocol. So that's.... math I don't want to do.

 

[Hopeful2014]

@Lazydaisys I felt the same way when I watched the Great Sperm Race video. Although it is quite interesting, it definitely shows how hard conception can actually be sometimes. I'm sorry your husband and you are feeling less than positive about it right now. I feel confident for you and really hope that the next time is THE time.

@ClandestineTX I'll support you whenever you decide is the right time. My hope is that you are rocking a big baby bump at those opportunities next summer! I'm finally starting to come out of this sickness. I'm getting my steps back to 12K a day. I do not want to get this sick again!! It's amazing you are doing all the things you are doing right now. You can do it!

@melann13 Good luck on completing your lab work and your dissertation. I imagine it's a lot of work.


AFM Nerves are starting to hit me a little about ttc in October's cycle. I just try to remind myself that I'll have lots more tests and monitoring. Also it may not happen again. The baby aspirin may really help. Okay, that's sounding more like me trying to reassure myself more than actually posting.

I hope everyone is doing well.

 

[ClandestineTX]

@Hopeful: you can talk up your confidence to us whenever you want! We all do it, we have to - it's part of how we keep going. I hope you make the trip back into TTC in whatever way feels right to you. FX for a speedy BFP and as much reassurance as you can get with your next pregnancy.

@melann: I am almost my own brand of lab robot - our protocol requires an R2 of > 0.99 (I can achieve this without excluding any samples, because I am pretty steady-handed like that). I could actually do lab work all day every day. It's the convincing myself that I have everything I need to knock it out in one shot that delays me getting in there, but once I'm there - it's a big ole party! 96 in 2-hour batches of 6 sounds like something I would do. I know you will get it done, because the prospect of DONE is so amazing.

In TTC-related news, today's HPT is extremely close to completely negative. There is still a line, but it looks like it was made with a hard-leaded pencil. I will be testing daily until it's negative, because I want to know the day it reaches an undetectable level to tell Doc to see if she needs a follow-up beta.

 

[pathos]

Hopeful, i think once you start, and things begin to unfold you wont even need to remind yourself about reassurances. I truly hope you get your BFP soon.

 

[melann13]

I begin applying for faculty positions around the country tomorrow. Those of you who are prayerful- please say a prayer that the right job finds me.
I'll continue to pray that God finds the perfect baby for all of you.

 

[ClandestineTX]

FX for you melann! I hope you find an excellent fit!

 

[Hopeful2014]

@ClandestineTX Thank you. I greatly appreciate being able to talk to you all. It helps.

@pathos Thanks. I hope to have the most uneventful, normal pregnancy. I'll worry throughout it, but I hope it is easier once it gets going and once I have scans and more monitoring.

@melann13 Good luck. I'm sure you will find the best position.

 

[Lazydaisys]

Cd 27 month 36!!!! The 2 week wait has got no better. Has it got easier or worse for everybody else? It should be easier as surely nothing with happen, but there's always that tiny chance. X

 

[ClandestineTX]

Month 23, cycle 21 continues... I stopped worrying about the TWW ages ago. I do what I can leading up to ovulation and then I try to get on with my life in the meantime, as I clearly cannot control STC, but can control just about everything else.

 

[Hopeful2014]

@Lazydaisys I imagine the tww will be crazy once I'm back to ttc. Each cycle brings a new hope and new opportunity. Naturally it brings symptom spotting and anticipation as well. I'm holding out for the chance. I hope it happens soon for you!


I hope everyone is well. I'm holding onto hope for all of us.

https://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/4c/f5/9c/4cf59c0b5cf1e92a70ecdff876357de6.jpg https://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/1c/8f/59/1c8f594000ba913c2b1d52e5728574df.jpg https://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/e0/dd/5b/e0dd5b5c45f624daa726a9ead1e029ce.jpg

 

[ProfWife]

I'm usually okay in the TWW until about 10-11 dpo...then I start to get really antsy.

At this point, it seems I daily go between hope and tears...I'm chalking it up to the steroid I'm on. ;-)

 

[nikkilucky77]

I am hopeful for all of you. I know it will happen! I was just giving up hope when it happened for me. Actually I just stopped caring as much (which is hard to do I know).

I look forward to seeing the next group of bfp's coming in

 

[Lazydaisys]

The two week wait is over. Back to cd1- I can't see me caring less but definitely expecting less.

This will feel like a long cycle for me as i am growing my lining to have 5 day blastocyst transferred around day 18-20. Here we go again. Obviously I'm hoping for a bfp but if it's a bfn I'm hoping I can accept it better than last time as I was sick with upset and it will be difficult going to work feeling like that again.

Hope everybody is doing ok? X

 

[ClandestineTX]

I don't care anymore. It's not a good place. I just want to finish my dissertation and move on with all areas of my life.

In 12 days, I will be starting my 3rd year TTC. I'm not really impressed with it.

 

[ProfWife]

Clandestine, I just noticed the change in the charts. So, you think you actually had back to back? Did the doc say anything about that?

Like you, October's cycle will close year 2 and start year 3 for us. Hard to believe I've gone through 24 cycles...no pregnancies, no miscarriages, one potential cp. Praying that it happens soon. I have 2-3 days left on this cycle. So far, tests are negative. I have 2 more tests for 13 and 14 dpo. I'm pretty convinced this wasn't our time again; I already bought the opks for next cycle.

 

[ClandestineTX]

I didn't have back-to-back anything. I had to put in a MC date to get it to stop telling me I was pregnant, so I picked the date with the progesterone withdrawal bleed that I passed a marble-sized clot (because day after that was spotting and no bleeding since). It was a good enough date. I had positive HPTs until this past Saturday, left over from the original.


I had a brief trip through the emotional hell that is STC limbo yesterday, and Hubster and I have decided that we are willing to give this six more months of our lives. Finishing my PhD means it's time to make decisions about my professional life and how Hubster and I want to spend our out of school years. We are willing to give this six more months of our lives, which would give us a 2015 baby if we were successful. The last conception date for a 2015 EDD is 04/08/15 and that's as far as we are willing to go. I know it's different for many of you who cannot imagine your lives without children, but we can. And it's amazing in different ways than parenting would be. I cannot make decisions about my career with this giant uncertainty looming over me, so we will give this a reasonable amount of time, with all the right meds, and if it doesn't work - we will start focusing on a new dream, and it will still be good.

 

[melann13]

I admire your resolve Clandestine. You seem to have really thought about what is the best decision for you and your husband. While I certainly hope you get your BFP, I am thrilled that you are looking forward to the future regardless.