New here, gearing up for 1st Clomid/IUI cycle

[Single_andTTC]

Beau Geste- good luck on your procedure and don't forget to levitate those hips!

 

[Beau Geste]

Ok, so everything you are supposed to avoid to help your fertility I happened to do last night/this morning!!!

We went to a NYE party last night and stayed over at our friends' house in a town next to the one the RE is in. I was up 'til 3:30am and got about 2 hours sleep, drank 2 glasses of champagne at midnight, and a coffee before the IUI.

I had to cut DH off from drinking at 1am because I didn't want him walking into the RE's office at 7am smelling like a brewery. Plus at the rate he was drinking, 6 hrs was enough time to clear his system of alcohol. I almost put my foot down on having us abstain from alcohol altogether, but then I figured it's NYE, what the hell.

DH's SA numbers before the IUI were excellent. 38 million fully motile forward progressing sperm. RE required a minimum of 9 million. So that was great - apparently the alcohol for him was okay LOL.

So at 7am we met the RE's resident doctor and DH gave his sample. They had to take 45 mins to wash it and do a count, so we went for that coffee. Came back at 8am and did the IUI. The doc told me it would feel like a pap, but really, I didn't even feel the catheter going in. The speculum insertion was the worst part.

Once the sample was inside of me I had some very slight cramping, but it felt like O cramps, not AF cramps. After the washed sample was inserted, the doc had me lay back and the table had a pelvic tilt, so I laid for 10-15 minutes with my pelvis tilted up.

He said my cervix was surrounded by clear fertile fluid, which was great. I was worried because around 10pm at the party I had some pains in my side that made me double over for about 15-30 minutes, and I think that *may* have been my O time.

I did an OPK when I got home and my POAS one is just barely negative. Could almost be read positive. My digital OPK showed negative, so I think I'm beginning my downward slide. I did have some EWCM tinged with blood, which the doc said I'd probably have today.

So, hopefully this was timed pretty close. We BD'd last night before we left for the party and we'll BD again tonight too after we've had some sleep.

Oh, FYI - there was a little residue of the washed sample that was on my tp after going pee, but the majority of it did not leak out, and it's 1.5 hours after the IUI now.

Overall, I'd say the worst part of the IUI was the clomid part and its after effects. The procedure itself was cake. And I have a VERY sensitive cervix.

Now begins the 2WW!

 

[Single_andTTC]

Beau Geste, worse things have happened the night prior to conception- and everything turned out okay!!
Congrats on your successful IUI and good, fertile thoughts your way!

 

[Single_andTTC]

-Ha ha... I meant elevate your hips- not levitate!
Also, an update for my first medicated IUI cycle: yesterday evening I began spotting, not much- barely enough to justify wearing a panty liner.. and twice today while wiping (TMI?). I think I'm going to test on my 1 week missed AF date on Monday, then if I get a BFN- I'll wait another week.
It's strange, but if I should be getting my AF- I'm not upset at all! I almost feel a sense of triumph because I tried at least- and also now I know what's involved and I'm already discussing w/my midwife our next try in a few months!
I think trying is the most important part of being successful, don't you?

 

[Beau Geste]

-Ha ha... I meant elevate your hips- not levitate!
Also, an update for my first medicated IUI cycle: yesterday evening I began spotting, not much- barely enough to justify wearing a panty liner.. and twice today while wiping (TMI?). I think I'm going to test on my 1 week missed AF date on Monday, then if I get a BFN- I'll wait another week.
It's strange, but if I should be getting my AF- I'm not upset at all! I almost feel a sense of triumph because I tried at least- and also now I know what's involved and I'm already discussing w/my midwife our next try in a few months!
I think trying is the most important part of being successful, don't you?

How many dpIUI are you?

 

[hollyw79]

Beau Geste~ I am glad it went well!!! I can't wait to do mine!! I am soooo impatient~ tomorrow will be cd12 so I still have a few days to go! Great news that were looking good~ very important! So have you picked a testing date or are you going to wait until AF is due?? I WANT to say I will wait to AF is due but I highly, highly doubt that will happen.

Single_andTTC~ I know what you mean about you having done what you could and that @ least you tried if AF does come.. that is how I feel.. just getting one step closer!!!

 

[1hopefull]

hi all- wow, i didn't log on yesterday and there was a lot of posts!

Beau- so glad your IUI went well! After TTC for so long, I have decided that in moderation, (almost) everything is OK. I too had two drinks, well spaced out, on NYE and a bit of champagne. DH was good because his counts last IUI where not high (i think 8 mil after the wash with only %57 motile!). He had drunken a lot the week before that IUI.... So he cut his drinking two weeks ago and only have 2 last night. Well, his counts were like 15mil with %97 motile. YIPPEE!

IUI really wipes me out. I don't know why. This IUI was like my second, not bad. But the cramps that come later really kick my ass. We couldn't even BD cause I didn't want anything to bump my stomach.... Oh well, we BD on Thursday night when we did the injection (per Dr. orders) and the IUI on Sat. Wish we had a bit better coverage but.... My pregnancy test is scheduled for Jan 14 (it was on Jan 13 but I moved it due to work ). Here's to the start of the 2WW!

Holly- are you getting scans done? how are your okp's looking?

Single- thanks for sharing the info regarding your midwife's reasoning. it is interesting. i didn't know the hcg could be so low like a week or more after implantation.... but it does reinforce my practice of taking a pregnancy test before I start clomid, just to make sure......

 

[Beau Geste]

Beau Geste~ I am glad it went well!!! I can't wait to do mine!! I am soooo impatient~ tomorrow will be cd12 so I still have a few days to go! Great news that were looking good~ very important! So have you picked a testing date or are you going to wait until AF is due?? I WANT to say I will wait to AF is due but I highly, highly doubt that will happen.

Single_andTTC~ I know what you mean about you having done what you could and that @ least you tried if AF does come.. that is how I feel.. just getting one step closer!!!

Ha! I will probably start testing at 5dpIUI because I'm neurotic like that.

Hopefull - maybe I was lucky - I didn't have much cramping. Just a little bit a few minutes after the IUI injection and a little bit for a few hours after.

The doc told us to BD last night, but DH was so tired, we decided to use an instead cup and he just did his business in there and I inserted it. Dunno if that's even going to help, but 3x in less than 24 hours was asking a lot of DH!!!

I did my OPKs last evening and this morning - both negative, so I only had an LH surge for 1 day. Usually it's 2-3 days, so I'm thinking clomid sped things up with that, especially if the ovaries were hyperstimulated.

I have a feeling I O'd just before midnight on NYE. I had some horrible, horrible pains for about 15-30 minutes and felt much better after that. I think a 7am IUI was still in the window, but we did BD a few hours before those cramps too.

Ugh - now the 2WW! I hate this part!

 

[hollyw79]

1hopefull... that is great that your DH's numbers were pretty much twice as good all around!!! FX'd for you! Very interesting that IUI wipes you out... it's amazing how different each of our individual bodies can be.. how we all take different routes and paths to get us there! I know some women have no reactions to Clomid- others can't stand it... Let's just hope all of us end at the same destination with BFP's!!! YAY! What about you~ how soon do you plan on start testing with HPT's? As far as me- no scans or anything which is another one of those interesting points.. a few ladies say if they are scanned- sometimes the chances of multiples is too high and their IUI gets canceled... I am not even being looked at- took Clomid... and IUI and we will see what happens! I am using OPK's twice a day.. good tests in the morning and cheapies at night... the cheapies caught my surge last month and I have a ton of them so I have no problem using them throughout the day to make sure I catch it... which is my biggest concern.

Beau Geste~ that is sooo understandable that your DH was pooped- that will be my husband this month. We're trying to BD daily from cd8 until after I ovulate... we missed last night... but trying to be consistent in conjunction with the IUI. I think you're in the right window for the IUI.. eggs lives inside of you for up to 24 hours... so definitely good... and you BD'd before in that day.. I think you did it as good as you possibly could. Can't wait to hear about your positive BFP's!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[1hopefull]

holly- so true, everyone's experiences and protocols are so varied! BTW- what day do you usually O? For me, I had a trigger shot so I am not sure when I would have naturally Oed but I don't think it is much different then my natural date based on the u/s and blood results. I O on Clomid the same CD that I do without.... Again, everyone is different

Beau- which such wonderful counts (even with BD the night before IUI, WOW!) and your timing this month, you definitely have a good shot. You did all you could! It's nice to have someone with the same timing!!! BRING ON THE 2WW!

As for testing, I am usually pretty good. I have the trigger shot, so any tests I do may be positive due to that. So, I don't want to get my hopes but to have them smashed because it was residue hCG.... I do know that it clears from my system by like 8dpiui so maybe i will test on like 12dpiui or something..... for my first iui, i had a blood test and didn't do any urine tests. getting the negative result from a recorded message was sooooooo rough. the second time, i was out of town and had to do urine tests. it was easier to take the BFN. so i might test the day of or the day before my blood test just so the news is easier to take....... its funny what i do to try and protect myself!

to all!

 

[hollyw79]

Last month, I ovulated on cd15.. today is cd12... grrr I need some patience to get there! I definitely am curious to see Clomid will do to that, if anything. Ideally~ I would love it if it stayed put so that I don't have to page the doctor to go in to do it on a weekend! I didn't get a trigger shot or anything... which knowing that's an option makes me WISH I was just so there would be a little more certainty.. one of those things though!

1hopfull~ I think 12 dpiui is a good time.. or maybe compromise and try @ 10?

Are any of you ladies hoping for twins!?!??

 

[1hopefull]

i would be sooooo thankful for a healthy baby(ies). honestly, i would want 1 at a time, if i had any say in the matter (I love babies and would want to experience them more than once (i think 2 is our 'limit') so it is a selfish reason!). also, i want to go to full term and have the best chance at a healthy baby, so singleton is my choice, although twins are often healthy. but if i am lucky enough to get pregnant, and its with twins, then that would be wonderful!

are you hoping for twins?

 

[Single_andTTC]

Beau Geste, today I am 18-20 DPO. I give my dates alittle slack b'cos from what I understand, ovulation doesn't occur until 12-36 hours post LH-surge.
I've been spotting now for 3 days, only there occasionally when I wipe throughout the day. I'm feeling crampy like its an unusually long AF cycle (about 5 days late), but I'm sticking to my original plan of testing on the respective one and two-week 28 day anniversary dates.
If I had known how unreliable those HPT are and how HCG levels don't normally show until later- I wouldn't have begun testing until 3 days after my first missed day (which I have yet to do- I used them all prior!).

 

[hollyw79]

1hopefull~ I am right there with you on preferring to have one... I know when I had my son 8 years ago ~ it was A LOT of work and A LOT of sleep deprivation~ don't know how I'd manage with two!!! MY DH thinks it would be cool- HA! He says that now! My son was from my previous marriage so he has NO IDEA what it's like yet! I will HAPPILY take a 2 for 1 though if it turns out that way

 

[1hopefull]

holly- your DH is funny! My DH will pass out if we have twins, the word 'cool' would not be in his vocabulary!

Since this thread is going well, i thought it would be nice to keep track of everyone's cycles:

Single- 18-20 DPO/IUI - Waiting to test

Holly- CD12 - waiting to O

Beau- 1 DPIUI- in the 2WW

Hope- 1 DPIUI - in the 2WW. beta Jan 14th.

 

[hollyw79]

oooh cool idea to keep track of cycles!! let's turn them all into bfp's!

Yeah I am when I think of my DH actually managing twins!!!!!!!! I 100% respect women who do that! My son is sooo cute~ each night @ prayer time we pray for us to have a baby and he always shouts out "TRIPLETS!!!!!!!!" after I say it.. lol.. Oh gosh I couldn't imagine! He says he needs some buddies to play with. Ummmmm.. that's great and all- but not all at once!!

How many children do you want to have 1hopefull?

 

[1hopefull]

awww, your DS sounds like a sweetie!

we want to have 2 total. i think that would be the easiest to manage, to be able to provide all the daycare, activities (sports etc), toys, college education etc with our budget. but i keep telling myself, if we do conceive twins, then maybe three is our number. but of course, that second try could be twins too

how about you?

So, i know i read about exercise/running on here and want to see what you guys have been told from your dr.
My dr. office (the nurses that do the IUI) says no strenuous exercise 1 week post IUI (and they don't recommend the 2nd week or during pregnancy). strenuous is defined as heart rate above 140. i have gained some weight during my last three clomid cycles so i want to start either 1. running again or 2. P90X workouts cause they really work for me. walking is just not going to lose the weight......... but i will talk to the dr about it tomorrow during our consult. originally, (in sept) she said it was fine that i was doing P90X so i am confused!

 

[hollyw79]

yeaahhhhhhhhhh my DS is my joy!! LOVE him. I remember when DH and I started dating- when DH took him out alone for the first time my son (who was 5 @ the time) told DH I had a baby in my belly! Mind you- we had JUST starting dating like 3 months before so it left my DH When they came back~ he was soooooo quiet and I was like WHAT HAPPENED!?!? Did it go bad?!?!? Come to find out a few hours later my son (don't know WHERE he got that idea) had told him a little fib! I wish it was true now though lol!

I already have my son from a prev. relationship but I want 2 more.. and if I get 2 boys- I *MIGHT* try for a 4th for a girl we'll see!

1hopefull- I TOTALLY feel your pain on the activity and strenuous exercise bit. I am back and forth on how I need to change what I do. I exercise pretty hard every single day and my heart rate gets up to 150-155 daily so I am biting my teeth trying to figure out if that needs to be modified. I got married Oct. 6th and I've gained 6 1/2 pounds since then! OUCH! I definitely don't feel like I need to REDUCE my exercise right now with that and I feel like the Clomid earlier maybe bumped it up an extra pound or 2 as well. I hate sitting still too. (SIGH) of course- NOTHING matters more than getting and staying preggo, ya know? I feel like I am forced to be super strict on my diet as a result and go for walks.. which I know doesn't help! BUT at the same token~ we really shouldn't be trying to drop too much weight either~ I know for a fact losing weight can make you not ovulate- it happened to me .. I guess I am going to try and just focus on being healthy, ya know?

 

[1hopefull]

holly: omg, you make me laugh! what a funny story!

it must be really hard for you since you are in such as strong routine of working out! i haven't weighed myself for a while (and don't think i will) but i really want to lose 10lbs or so (unless of course i am preggers).... i think that is why i am leaning on taking a break (like maybe 3 months) if this cycle is a bust. then i can do the full P90X program and feel like i am really healthy before i start AC again......

ps. congrats on getting married!

 

[Beau Geste]

holly that's hilarious! My brother just got married 2 months ago to a woman with a 4-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. Adorable little girl, but very precocious - all sorts of things come out of her mouth! They actually conceived on their honeymoon, so I will get a niece or nephew in August

I'm hoping for any kind of pregnancy, but twins would definitely be special

DH wants 2 kids, I kind of want 3 or 4. DH is adopted, and I think I would like to adopt as well as have my own. In a perfect world, of course.

Nice idea for keeping track of all the ladies! I'm looking forward to lots of BFPs!!!