September IUI's!

[raelynn]

Fossie - I'm with you, the wait is terrible! Hoping you get some surprise good news!

This is my 2nd IUI this round so the first try doesn't always work. I got pregnant on my first IUI last time but BFN on the first try this round. Sometimes it just takes a little while for everything to go perfectly in a cycle. I was also getting worried because we only have 1 more vial of donor sperm too and since we used the same donor for my daughter I was in a bit of a panic. So, hopefully this BFP sticks!

 

[lusterleaf]

Yeay Rae!! So happy for you!! Fingers crossed to those still in the 2ww and sorry about those who had BFN's. I have def been there multiple times and it just plain stinks.

I have to admit it is really nice not having to worry about making it to monitoring appointments and what day my IUI will fall on.

I bought some clearblue OPK's so I am going to start testing beginning tomorrow with a combo of IC OPK's. I also stocked up on IC pregnancy tests since I ran out last month. Hoping there is a miraculous way that I can get pregnant on my own!

 

[fossie]

Rae - your words are definitely encouraging to me. The doc called, BFN. I mean, I suspected that, but then started having hopeful thoughts since AF didn't show up. So on to #2 I go. This is my first ever BFN experience. I thought that I would be sad but really I'm just feeling angry right now! And it's easy for the thoughts about only having one vial of the donor I want left, or how expensive each IUI cycle is, etc... to just run rampant. So I probably just need to take some deep breaths and a warm bath and calm down.

They asked me about letrozole for my next cycle, like if I want to use it. I feel really torn. All of my testing came back so good, that I feel a little funny about taking meds that mess with hormone levels if my body is working fine, ya know? Do any of you have experience with letrozole and any feedback if so? The doc recommended half of the normal dosage for this 2nd cycle.

 

[raelynn]

Fossie - So sorry it was a BFN. I understand getting mad. Our first cycle was cancelled because they missed my ovulation and I was furious. Then mad the second cycle since everything was so perfect. I don't have experience with those meds but changing things can help. My last cycle was picture perfect, almost an exact copy of the cycle I got pregnant on last time around. I ovulated on my own, follicle measured the same and everything but still BFN. This time we changed it up completely. My lead follicle was on the left side this time which all my other cycles were on the right and I did the trigger shot which I never did before. So, I guess what I'm trying to get at is sometimes a change is all your body needs. I hope this next cycle is the one for you!

 

[mzhwd]

Raelynn I hope this is a sticky for you too

Sorry to hear about the BFN Fossie

Lusterleaf I wish that we could get a miraculous BFP on our own too, but I strongly doubt that's going to happen for me.

 

[mzhwd]

Raelynn, are you planning on testing again?

 

[raelynn]

Yes! LOL I can't stop POAS now. Still a line there this afternoon and it looks darker but who can know for sure on these ICs? I took a FRER this morning so I'll have something a bit clearer to compare with. I have one more FRER that I'll either take tomorrow morning or Wednesday then I'll need to buy some more.

 

[raelynn]

How exciting, rae! Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

I'm sorry to hear of all the BFNs. The worst part about this stuff is the constant waiting. Waiting for o, waiting to trigger, waiting for appointments, waiting to test, waiting for AF....I'm not a patient lady!

AFM, I also haven't tested yet. I'm waiting for Wednesday, which is my "official" test date. I'm not feeling very hopeful, though. My bbs have been having twingy pain, which is one of my indicators that AF is on her way.

I can't believe I missed your post. Sorry! You have got some will pwer waiting until Wednesday. I always cave early. Do you have a beta Wednesday or just testing at home? Twingy pain bbs can be good! Mine aren't sore to the touch, just a bit achy all day. Keeping my fingers crossed for good news for you on Wednesday!

 

[mzhwd]

It would be awesome if you could hold out to Wednesday LOL You're line would definitely be darker then. At least you have some IC's to help with the POAS lol

 

[Mhankins]

Hello everyone!

I am new to this whole process and I have been reading all your post and decided to hopefully join in. My husband and I have been TTC for about 2 years but always new there was a chance we would not have biological children due to him having leukemia twice as a child. He did not save any sperm and he regrets it but that is another story.

We have taken the first step and had our first Dr visit. We will be trying IUI with donor sperm but I was told I have a high prolactin level and was prescribed meds. Dr also wants me to use clomid when time comes.

I feel like we are kind of at a stand still due to money and what not but it is nice to read about others in a similar situation as us. No one I know has been through this before.

Any advice is welcomed! Best wishes to you all!

 

[raelynn]

Mhankins - So sorry you're going through this to. Infertility is such a hard thing! We're using donor sperm too since my husband has azoospermia (cause unknown). We already have a daughter with donor sperm and now it looks like we're having another. It is tough but science can do amazing things to help us get our BFPs now. I also did clomid since I have PCOS and have trouble ovulating on my own. Have you already started a cycle or not yet? Good luck!

 

[jaan613]

Hi ladies, I did my IUI back to back October 3/4. Hope this is it! Doctor wants to move me to IVF after and I'm so nervous about the whole thing.
We really need to see lots of BFPs here soon! Best of luck for all those still trying

 

[Savasanna]

Hello MHankins and Jaan!

Jaan - just out of curiosity, when you do back to back IUIs how do you time them with your +opk (if you use them). My doctor had me do one on the day of the + and one the next day.. but I'm thinking if I have to do this again I might want to do one the day after the + and one two days after it. The reason is I often don't have a temp spike until 4 days after my +opk. My doctor is telling me to rely on the opk and not the temp spike, and that it could be several days after ovulation that you actually see a temp spike.. but due to a few other events I'm starting to think my doctor might be viewing me as a "traditional" patient instead of looking at me from a "case to case" patient angle. If that makes sense.

Anyway.. both my wife and I were bumming pretty hard yesterday. We had a long talk and made a plan for next month, but then decided the time is coming where we're going to have to take a break to pay down some of the debt we've accrued. It's just getting to be too much. But - cross that bridge when we get to it.

But then this morning I had a pretty decent temp spike. So now my hopes are way up in the clouds. It would be a damn miracle to get pregnant this cycle. whew.. 5 days till testing. Finger's crossed I make it till then!

 

[fossie]

Savasanna - ooohhh, that's promising!! Fingers crossed!! I totally understand the stress of the financial part. I'm in the same boat, it makes it hard not to play the "what if" game in your head and get panicked.

jaan - fingers crossed for you as well!

raelynn - really excited to see your beta results!!

mhankins - welcome! Are you going through an RE that will be doing full testing/monitoring? I just had my first ever IUI on 9/20 and got my confirmed BFN yesterday. So the few things I took away from this experience were:

- expected to be bloated and crampy the day of your IUI
- I used frozen donor sperm (.5mL) and the count was 15 million, my doc said you want to see at least 5 million (others have said 10 million)
- since you will be taking Clomid, I've heard it will create side effects that could be mistaken for pregnancy symptoms. But for what it's worth, either way, try not to symptom spot. I made myself so crazy with every little twinge and pinch and pull. It's probably impossible not to do it, but it will make you feel crazy if you google every single thing you're feeling
- if they give you a trigger shot, some women will test it out of their system so they know when they'll get a valid BFP. I did not trigger so there was no reason for me to, but I started testing way early and I wouldn't recommend that either. I ended up getting a faint positive 14dpiui, only to start spotting and having a BFN 15dpiui, which was quite the emotional roller coaster. So in my opinion, I would say try not to test until the day your period is due

Hope that is helpful. Keep us posted on your journey!

 

[Savasanna]

YES to the symptom spotting advice. If this is your first month on clomid beware! Clomid can give you SEVERAL pregnancy symptoms! I was SO excited last month because I was convinced I was pregnant from all the symptoms. Clomid is cruel like that.

 

[madtowngirl]

I can't believe I missed your post. Sorry! You have got some will pwer waiting until Wednesday. I always cave early. Do you have a beta Wednesday or just testing at home? Twingy pain bbs can be good! Mine aren't sore to the touch, just a bit achy all day. Keeping my fingers crossed for good news for you on Wednesday!

Haha, my willpower is mainly in the form of not wanting to see the BFN. I'll do a test at home tomorrow morning, assuming I don't start spotting.

 

[Mhankins]

Thank you for all of the responses! I appreciate them a lot. I will definitely keep all of your advice in mind when the time comes. It has been a long hard...emotional roller coaster but I can imagine the wait after the procedure is one of the hardest parts.

There is more blood work required and a visit to a counselor ( any once else have to do this? I believe it is because we have to go the donor route) before we can proceed with the procedure. We are going to a fertility specialist. There is a lot of calling and tracking involved and it seems a little over whelming now. Do you guys use ovulation kits? The office sells them for $55 and that seems like a lot but looks like that might be about average? Any advice there?

I am a little worried how I will react to the clomid. I have heard many have had bad side effects from it, although some had none. I am not sure how things will play out but we are hoping to be able to try soon. Unfortunately, money plays a large part.

Thanks again!

 

[Mhankins]

I also wanted to ask those who used donor sperm how you are dealing with it.

Are you open about it to family and friends or planning to keep it a secret? If you do not want to answer I understand. I would just like some opinions and thoughts from those in the same situation. Are parents and siblings know but we think that is as far as it will go.

 

[raelynn]

We had to see a counselor to use donor sperm as well. It was a pretty easy visit. They just help you talk through some of the issues and feelings that may be involved with using a donor like whether you will tell anyone, do you have any support, etc.

I had no side effects with clomid so it isn't always bad. Good luck!

 

[fossie]

mhankins - I did have to go to a counselor as well, however, my situation is a little different because I am taking the "single mom by choice" route so most of the session centered around how to explain to my child that they don't have a dad. And obviously for me, my friends, family and co-workers know that I don't have a man in my life so I've been very open with the fact that I'm using a donor. I would just go with what you're comfortable sharing. Outside of that, it's not really anyone's business.

I have been using an OPK, Clearblue Digital to be exact (the one that shows you 2 days of high fertility and then your 2 peak days), I think it was $39.99 at Target. The instructions tell you to test your first pee of the morning, but then I read a lot in these forums that you should test in the afternoon as well, which I recommend. For whatever reason, I almost missed my "peak" this last month because my first morning pee kept giving me low and then when I went in for my cd10 u/s and b/w, they realized I was going to surge the next morning. Ironically, when I tested midday after hearing that, it came up peak. So I will definitely be using it 2 times a day this go 'round.

I completely understand the money thing, but to me I feel better paying the price for the specialist because I feel like they are pretty spot on with all the testing/monitoring, etc. and that I have the best chance of conception with them. So hopefully, big picture, it will turn out to be cost effective and beneficial for you!