Sneaking back in...

[Pleasance]

Belle - I have heard of soft cups before but I haven't tried them. Oh and how I wish I had temps like yours! So stable and normal. I am sorry your not getting to go with your DH on the hiking trip, but maybe you can get in some BD before and/or after - depending on how long that trip is. Also, I'm sorry to hear how long the wait is to get your DH's SA done, but at least its all scheduled and you're on your way to getting more information.

Beany - I am sorry you got a BFN! It's not over till AF shows though, and your only 10 dpo so it's still early.

Doc - I hope your appt goes well today! Even though we are cycle day buddies, I normally don't O till much later - around CD 19. As for our BD plan, I think we are just going to wing it honestly. Today is CD 12 and we will probably just go SMEP again starting tonight or tomorrow, even though its probably a little too early given the whole sperm only living for 5 days thing.

MK- Are you going to NTNP next month because of your surgery? If you feel like you want to go more naturally after your surgery, you should certainly do so. As we all have seen, most of us get burnt out on timing and sticks and temperatures at some point.

I am actually doing really well at taking my temp before i get up and mostly at the same time. This cycle I have taken it at 6 am all but two times, once I had woke up early (4:50) and today I overslept (6:45). It has been really hot and humid here this last week or two, and our bedroom has poor circulation, so my husband adjusted some vents to be closed in some of our unused rooms and set the AC timer to go make it cooler at night. I feel like I have seen a difference the last three days since he's done that.

 

[BelleNuit]

MK, I think it's totally fair to try a more relaxed approach after your surgery. That seems like the perfect opportunity to give that a go!

Beany I'm sorry to hear about the bfn. Those can sure bring a person down to earth in a hurry. It is a little weird that you got another temp spike today, maybe it was a fluke?? I dunno!! I hope its a good sign though!

Pleasance, I think it has to be the maca that I've been taking that has helped my temps stable out. I've had some cycles where they are all over the place! While they are stable, they are still at the upper range for normal FP temps (I guess my LP temps tend to be higher as well too though). I did a chart overlay with mine and yours and all of my temps are above yours! So while yours have been a little rocky they are nicely within the normal range for FP temps

I will likely O in the next 4-5 days. Time to start BDing! But I'm just not feeling it this cycle! lol. I'm glad we have the softcups, we may actually artificially insem if we aren't feeling up to BDing one night. Its nice to have the option.

 

[MrsBeany85]

Thanks ladies, was expecting it to be bfn really. I think af might be on her way though so I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself and just want to eat junk food!

Belle I've heard of soft cups but don't really know anything about them. I'll be interested to see how you get on with them as I'd been wondering about ai to try and cover all bases, so to speak!

Pleasance it amazes me how much temps can vary just by making a few alterations or even temping at a slightly different time. I'm definitely still getting to grips with it all!

 

[MissDoc]

Belle-- I use Softcups for menstruation. Made the shift from tampons about 6 months ago and will never go back. They do take some getting the hang of, though. I use them on the most "important" nights of bd'ing, like right around o time. I love that it makes it less "messy" afterward... no little spermies sneaking out.

Pleasance-- I have been o'ing later than usual, more like day 15-17, when it used to be day 13 or 14. Weird. My opk is always positive a full two days before O, and I haven't gotten a pos yet, so looks like I'll likely be on the later end (for me). Way to go on the temping regularity!

Beany-- Sorry about the BFN. I just hate those. And I always do the sorry for myself junk food stuff too around that time. Starting yesterday I'm trying to behave myself better with food though. Hope your AF stays away and it was just weird cm, not spotting or signs of impending period.

MK-- I feel you. I think it's a great time to just wing it with the bd'ing when you're all done with surgery. I swear that's when I hear of everyone getting their BFPs... when they're like F' it, I'm not tracking crap or having sex on a schedule, it seems like boom, BFP right after that. Maybe that'll happen to you. ;-)


AFM, CD 12 here and have my appt in a couple hours. No pos OPK yet, so ovulation most likely will occur between 15-17. Lots of EWCM today, and BD is on the schedule for sure. I'll let you ladies know how my appt goes.

 

[MrsBeany85]

Gl Doc, hope it goes well (I meant the appointment not the bd'ing, but come to think of it gl with that too!)

 

[BelleNuit]

Tried out the softcups for the first time tonight. LOVE IT! it's so tidy! You can get up right away afterwards! We should have done this sooner lol They're really easy to put in! DH watched though and the look on his face was priceless haha

 

[MissDoc]

Hi ladies. I'm feeling pretty sad right now... my testing wasn't good. While my hormones and thyroid are all fine, my ovarian reserve (AMH) isn't. They are looking for numbers between 1.0 and 12 for my age, and I'm at .6. Essentially my 32 year old ovaries/eggs actually are more like 42 yrs old. It is possible to get pregnant naturally, but not probable. A lower number means a mixture of lower quantity and quality... so less likely to conceive, more likely to miscarry, more likely to have genetic abnormality. Even IUI and IVF are not super great options because the problem is just not enough eggs, so I could be a low or non responder. I'm being referred to an RE. I don't really know what to think right now. I was up all night reading about low AMH and getting pregnant anyway-- there are success stories and lots of unsuccessful. A lot of women end up using donor eggs. Trying to be optimistic, but mostly just feeling sad. I don't want donor eggs. Hell, I have no clue how we'll even afford fertility treatments, especially something like IVF as insurance has zero coverage for it. We could afford like one cycle, and then would have to save again for 6 months. My obgyn encouraged me to keep trying naturally, get as healthy as possible, and proceed with RE referral at this point. I'm waiting to O right now. I would be really grateful if my darn eggs decide to straighten up and just make it happen before I even meet with a fertility clinic. Just feeling so overwhelmed. And shocked. I'm only 32... it's crazy to me that age is my issue. Oh, I also have a small polyp that needs to be checked out, but that's far down on the list in order of importance.

 

[BelleNuit]

Oh my gosh MissDoc, I am so sorry to hear this You must feel so completely overwhelmed right now!!! I feel overwhelmed for you!

You have every right to feel sad and to scream and shout right now if you want to!!

For now just remember it's one step at a time. Right now is a great time to try all of those natural health strategies while you wait for the referral to the RE to go through! I've heard good reviews from the book "Inconceivable."

It's possible something like clomid might help as it can help improve egg quality! I know there are success stories out there for low AMH and clomid!

https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/8582172/low-amh-clomid-cycle-w-o-iui

I've also read that low AMH is more about lower egg quantity... it doesn't necessarily mean that you're eggs are of lower quality! And egg quality is something that can actually be improved upon! Co-q10 is supposed to help with that! Can't hurt to try!

I'm so sorry Doc! We are here for you every step of the way!

 

[MKaykes]

Sorry Doc, that is very disappointing. Hopefully they can come up with a plan and help you improve the quality of the eggs you have. I remember in anatomy when I learned females are born with all their eggs I was shocked and wondered how many I had left!

Sorry you didn't get better news 😦

 

[WishnandHopn]

MissDoc, I'm sorry to hear this news. Sending you hugs. I know it's hard, but try not to panic until you talk to the RE.

If lower AMH and a small polyp are the only things that turn out to be wrong, your tubes are clear and you are ovulating monthly, your chances of natural conception are still good! At 32, time is still on your side in terms of egg quality, even if your reserve is a bit lower. I took ubiquinol (active form of CoQ10), Omega 3 and vitamin D to improve my egg quality.

Belle is right that AMH is more a predictor of egg quantity, not quality. AMH is more relevant for IVF outcomes where they stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs than it is for natural conception, where you ovulate one egg at a time. It's way too early to assume you will have to go the IVF route! There are so many options in between.

I know there's a lot of conflicting info on the internet, but I hope this scientific paper will ease your fears a little: AMH concentration is not related to effective time to pregnancy in women who conceive naturally
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24365018

(This is my go-to source for credible scientific information when I get overwhelmed by Dr. Google.)

 

[MrsBeany85]

Aw Doc I'm sorry that was the outcome. I want to say stay optimistic and try not to worry, but I know at times like this sometimes you just want to freak out and panic a bit. I can completely understand you feeling sad and worrying, but you're already taking the steps to get things moving in the right direction by getting professional medical help. Now I'm certainly no expert but I'd say the advice and info the other ladies have given sounds very positive. And like Belle said, we're all here for you

 

[Pleasance]

I'm so sorry doc. I know like this news is upsetting. Just remember that the internet can be a scary place, and people are more often discussing the negatives instead of all the positives. Even though you may have only glimpsed a few positive stories doesn't mean that they aren't out there, but ladies may have not come back to tell of them. I read the abstract for the article Wishn linked, and it does seem like it would be a good read.
I know it's really soon, but I was curious if you had already called the RE for an appointment?
As all the other ladies have said, we are here for you and are sending hugs your way.

 

[MissDoc]

Good Morning, Ladies, and thanks so, so much for all of your support. I greatly appreciate it. I'm mostly okay right now. Still an equal mix of dread and optimism, but at least the optimism is there. I was feeling sorry for myself for a bit... a child psychologist who may not get to have a child of her own... very dramatic. It's just such a big blow, and no part of me actually expected that kind of news. But, onward and upward, right? The past two days I've devoured everything I can get my hands on online, including reading the article you posted, Wishn, thank you! It seems the sum total of everything reflects how I feel... equal parts hope and dread. Haha. Plenty of good outcomes, plenty of bad. My doc said AMH is starting to be thought of as a measure of both quantity and quality, although quantity is it's more dominant information. But there are plenty of stories of women getting pregnant naturally, and I love hearing that IF it's going to happen naturally, AMH isn't a strong predictor in women who aren't yet dx as infertile. And I'm not. I haven't hit the time limit yet to be out of that range.

My doc mentioned that the RE may consider orals or injectibles to strengthen my ovulation and may do that in conjunction with IUI, or they may go straight to recommending IVF once they look at my picture more closely. She mentioned that a good RE won't go straight to donor eggs unless my AMH drops to about half what it is now (if it goes to .3 or lower), and so at this point I don't want to hear anything about donor eggs.

You know, I haven't even looked up anything on the polyp. It's funny. I was like, I don't care about a stupid polyp, tell me more about my eggs! I don't even know if a polyp in the cervical canal can affect fertility. Not one little google search. Lol. I should probably remedy that.

I have sent my insurance card, drivers license, and basic info the the RE's office and the receptionist will likely get back with me Monday to schedule my appt. I don't know how long it will take but my OBGYN told me if it's more than 6 weeks, we should look at a different office. This fertility clinic is listed as "in-network" with my insurance, but I don't have any fertility coverage (no coverage of fertility meds, IUI, or IVF whatsoever), but hopefully it means at least labs and standard visits can be covered. So I hope they work out for us.

My husband totally shut down when I told him. Which upset me because I needed emotional support and he is a "just the facts ma'am" guy who wants to know when the RE appt is already. The next morning he came around and apologized for his reaction and made it clear we're in this together.

So I was taking a ton of different vitamins and supplements, but I switched to a prenatal and just coq10 because the prenatal has in it everything I was taking separately. So currently just prenatal, coq10, and pregnitude supplement, brazil nuts, and will do pineapple core in 2ww. Do you ladies think it's important to add anything else based on your understanding of what's helpful?

Again, thanks a million! I'm much less sad right now overall and just ready to get this show on the road. We got off track a night of SMEP bd'ing because well, stress. But last night we started back and we'll do every other day until a positive OPK. I'm surprised I don't have a pos OPK yet as the sono revealed a nice dominant follicle ready to o soon from my right ovary, but I suppose stress could've scared my little eggie. We'll see!

 

[BelleNuit]

That polyp could definitely be affecting things, and once it's cleared out you may get pregnant relatively quickly despite what the labs say!

The hardest thing to do when TTC for a long time is to keep hope alive. I think you are showing great courage and strength!

I've heard that vitamin E can be helpful for egg health

I'm glad your husband was able to come around and show a supportive side, it sounds like he needed some time to process everything for himself. Things like this must be hard for our guys because there is only so much they can do!

Well I will keep my fingers crossed for you that you'll have a nice strong O! I think my O will be on its way in the next 2-3 days so I'll be right behind you! We can get through this next TWW together!

 

[MrsBeany85]

Doc, glad you're able to see that there are positives. It sounds like you have a very healthy attitude about it all.

I'm learning so much from all you ladies so I'm very grateful to have found you all!

Gl with o'ing ladies, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you.

 

[MissDoc]

Belle, yay for being ovulation buddies soon. I suspect I'm about 2, maybe 3 days away as well.

Beany, hope your TWW feels like it's going by quickly!

I need to feel some level of control, so I am going to really work toward an egg-health focused diet and good circulation. Starting tomorrow, no more sweets or added sugars, more leafy greens and veggie heavy diet, lean meats, whole fat dairy, etc. Cutting out anything processed. I don't eat poorly as it is in terms of base line eating (no sodas, chips, fast food, packaged stuff, etc.) but I do terribly in terms of too many sweets (ice cream, cookies from trader joe's, lots of dark chocolate) and I need to cut that stuff out except for special occasions. I've been drinking full caff coffee recently too, and need to go back to half caff. Dietary changes, plus a massage here and there, lots of daily water, and exercise 4ish times a week in addition to consistent supplements at least is in my control and can only help.

 

[BelleNuit]

Doc that sounds like a great plan! I can totally understand the way you feel about needing to be able to control what you can!

 

[MissDoc]

Hi there, gals. This cycle is just totally off for me. Still no positive OPK, but fertility friend thinks I o'd on Thursday due to temps (the day of my bad news, so didn't bd that day, nor the day before, arrrgh). If it's true, then while it's theoretically possible that sex a few days before may have gotten sperm in in time to catch the egg, it's very unlikely. So boo to that. I'll keep testing OPKs to see if I get a positive. I hope I haven't ovulated yet, but we'll see.

I'm reading the book "It Starts With the Egg" which is written by a genetic molecular biologist who had diminished ovarian reserve and did a ton of research about TTC and what can be done for maximizing egg health. It's really interesting.

I currently take the prenatal and coq10, but am going to switch out my brand of coq10 for a higher, more bioavailable form/dose. I am also going to supplement with DHEA as the book recommends it specifically for people with age related fertility issues or diminished ovarian reserve. It takes a while to make a difference, but there are some great looking clinical studies that show much higher rates of pregnancy for women with those issues after supplementation, both naturally and through IVF. I ordered those new supplements (should be here in 2-3 days), and will take those in addition to my prenatal and pregnitude. I think that will be it in terms of supplements for me.

Also started my major dietary changes today. No sweets or processed foods, lots of veggies, no dyes or nitrates or artificial sweeteners. Trying to limit exposure to plastics and canned foods to avoid BPA as that apparently can affect fertility and estrogen. Over the next few months I'll be working toward getting toxin exposure (BPA, pthalates, etc.) down. Which I'm sure will be tough because it's every and is something I've never cared about but reading the studies about the impact on egg health is motivating. So... that's about everything I feel I can do on my own to enhance egg health. I mean, stress management and exercise too I suppose.

Looking forward to hearing back from the fertility clinic this week and learning when I'll get an appt.

Hope you all are doing well!

Hopefully you O soon, Belle!

Beany, how's your cycle going?

 

[BelleNuit]

Hey doc, I'm not 100% convinced that you O'd when FF thinks you did! I guess we'll see what your temp tomorrow does Those supplements all sound like they could be really helpful! I still feel like one way or another that it will work out for you!

I'm CD 11 here, and still no positive OPK! I had taken a break from OPKs for a few months, but started up again this month. When I was taking them in the past they would always go positive on CD 10 or 11. I'm thinking this means I might have a later O (CD 13 or 14 this cycle). I got my first real bunch of ewcm tonight so I'm betting the OPK will be positive tomorrow!! My temp is also dropping super speed, so that may mean that O is coming soon!

 

[BelleNuit]

Well CD 12 an no positive OPK yet! i'm thinking I may O around CD 14 this cycle (the latest I have EVER O'd was CD15).

Beany has Af stayed away?

MK, Pleasance where are you ladies at in your cycle?