Sticking together until we all get prego!

[ArtsyLady]

I'm sorry Newbie. I hope that you get that soon!

 

[melewen]

Alligator I want to see! I can never figure out how to get to the journals on mobile!

JWC I'm so so sorry for your loss. I'm glad you're focusing on the positives though. How long have you been TTC?

Newbie how many DPO are you? Any more spotting?

Afm I'm about 4-5 dpo along although Ava say 8. I had some intense back pain on my left side most of the day yesterday and it felt like my only real symptom with my son but I'm sure it's nothing, way too early according to FF. and have had slightly sore nipples today and yesterday which never happens for me. I'm worried my estrogen is getting even higher (I assume I'm estrogen dominant!). I'm not taking progesterone cream this month since I'm going in to test my progesterone levels Monday. At the doc they were like well we know you're ovulating so you don't really need to and I was like I NEED NUMBERS PEOPLE hahaha. Crazy TTC lady. I'm just trying to focus on nutrition and stress now so I can optimize my prepregnancy health and egg quality. Trying to rush it less I guess although I won't feel this way cd1 I am sure!

 

[Alligator]

AF got me Melewen. Not sure if it was residual (I suspect this) or a chemical, and all the symptoms are just still my body recovering from the MC. And this is by far my worst period ever. I had to take codeine for the pain of the cramps. Pure misery!!

Those sound like potentially good signs for you!!! Fx!

 

[JWC13]

Jwc- How are you doing?

I'm doing well, just finally finished AF thank god. I've been bleeding for a week and a half- I had the spotting/bleeding while getting the BFPs and then after the chemical AF came, so I'm happy the bleeding is finally done. Today marks cd4 so just the beginning of cycle #4. Here we go!

 

[Sorsha]

Good luck with the new cycle, JWC!

I'm pretty sure I'm out. Tested today with FMU on an IC, tricked myself into thinking I saw something super faint, tested with a FRER mid-day with very concentrated urine and totally blank white. 11 dpo, by which time I had a clear positive on a FRER with my son. Onward to the next cycle!

 

[Alligator]

You never know, Sorsha! You aren't until until AF shows, and it is still early and each pregnancy is totally different.

 

[Stargirl121]

We are ttc baby #2! 2 years and 10 months since we ditched the birth control. No two lines yet..

 

[ArtsyLady]

Jwc- I'm so sorry. It sounded like the start of a chemical from your earlier posts. But it's a fresh start to a new cycle and now you can start supplementing with the progesterone after O. I bet that will help in your situation a lot!

Mel- Did you get your numbers back for your progesterone levels? What kind of test did you use (blood or saliva)? Can't wait to hear your next update! Maybe a bfp this upcoming week

Sorsha- 11 dpo is definitely too early to count yourself out! It's all about when the eggy was fertilized and implanted, and that can vary from baby to baby Are you going to wait to miss AF before testing again?

Alli- That stinks! I hope that this will be your month!

Star- Welcome! Have you met with a fertlity specialist? That's an awfully long time ttc'ing #2.

So, almost 9 weeks and so far I think everything looks good! Not too much morning sickness but I'm definitely working on a little bump. I'm still trying to conceal it until after my US in 2 weeks. I can't wait for you ladies to join me expecting your little ones!

 

[Alligator]

Fingers crossed I'll be right behind you! I really do feel good about this cycle.

 

[Sorsha]

Sorsha- 11 dpo is definitely too early to count yourself out! It's all about when the eggy was fertilized and implanted, and that can vary from baby to baby Are you going to wait to miss AF before testing again?

I know that's technically right, but hard to hope when all signs seem to point to no. (I haven't felt particularly pregnant. I had a lot stronger symptoms last cycle, and I wasn't then either!) I appreciate the optimism, though!

I was going to wait for AF and not test, but then I wanted to eat something today that technically I wouldn't be supposed to if I was preggo, so I took another IC just to confirm. Still 100% white.

Saw some tan when I wiped in the early afternoon and assumed AF was on the way. But now it's several hours later and nothing else, not even more spotting. I'm *cramping* like AF has already started. I wish it would just get on with it. If I have a 12 day LP like last cycle it's due tomorrow.

I don't plan to test again unless I haven't seen any other sign of AF by Tuesday.

Glad to hear pregnancy is treating you well so far!

 

[Sorsha]

Update: AF showed up overnight. I'm not too bummed because I already figured she would. Showing up earlier gives us a better chance for good BD timing, since I'm going to be out of town on my predicted O date.

 

[JWC13]

Update: AF showed up overnight. I'm not too bummed because I already figured she would. Showing up earlier gives us a better chance for good BD timing, since I'm going to be out of town on my predicted O date.

Sorry Sorsha! As you said, at least now you can time BD out well this time. I'm kind of in that same boat, if O comes on the same day it's come the previous few cycles, I'll be out of town without DH the two days before O. I really hope that O comes earlier. What are the chances that I'm out of town the 2 most critical days for BD?! Of course that is how it happens

 

[Alligator]

That is crappy she showed but I'm glad it was early so you have a better shot this cycle! My tracking is all over the place post MC as my apps now all think I will have a crazy long cycle since I started tracking the last one the day of my D&C, so it was like a 36 day cycle, but I usually have 28-29 day ones. So I'm not going to rely too much on those but OPKs and temping

 

[Sarahtonyn]

That is crappy she showed but I'm glad it was early so you have a better shot this cycle! My tracking is all over the place post MC as my apps now all think I will have a crazy long cycle since I started tracking the last one the day of my D&C, so it was like a 36 day cycle, but I usually have 28-29 day ones. So I'm not going to rely too much on those but OPKs and temping

Alligator, that happened to my apps too... I ended up taking out that month (but making sure to keep track of that cycle somewhere) so that my predictions in the app would get back on track. However, oddly enough, the app was still right in its predictions of AF because my cycles were slightly lengthened after my MC (from 27/28 to 30 days). Good luck to you this cycle!

 

[Alligator]

Thanks, Sarahtonyn. Same to you! I'm going to keep it in for now and track based on OPKs and temping, and then maybe manually adjust it once I O. AF showed up about 13 days after FF said I O'd this last cycle (the one right after MC, and O was confirmed with OPKs and a temp rise), so knowing that I might have an idea of when AF will arrive this time...but I am aware that my cycles may be different permanently (or at least for a good while) since the MC. Only time will tell!

 

[JWC13]

So I had my annual exam/pap smear appt yesterday and had to see a different doctor than usual due to my Dr. being on maternity leave. I asked her about my short luteal phase and my concerns over the fact that I start spotting each cycle at 9 or 10dpo. I mentioned being concerned about my progesterone levels and whether that had anything to do with my CP or if it would affect me being able to get and stay pregnant in the future.

What she told me was not what I was expecting. She said that there is actually a debate in the medical community as to whether there actually is such a thing as a luteal phase defect and whether a short luteal phase negatively impacted a woman's chances of becoming pregnant. She said that she wasn't concerned at all about my early spotting and that I should not be using progesterone cream (due to not knowing what is in it- which I do understand). She said that even if we tested my progesterone levels and they were low, that she would caution taking supplements or getting shots as they could increase the risk of birth defects. Basically she felt like everything was totally normal and that I had nothing to worry about.

Has anyone else heard anything like this before? I know I'm no doctor but everything she said seems to contradict everything I've heard and read. I basically just nodded along but decided I'm still going to use progesterone cream during the TWW. I don't believe it can hurt. What do you all think?

 

[Toadly]

Jwc, haven't got anything to add but really intriguing and interested to hear what others have to say!

 

[Pinkee]

Room in here for a WTT?

 

[melewen]

Yes pinkee welcome!

Sorry af got you sorsha I'm so glad you're positive about it though! I'm always major doom and gloom each cd1

JWC that's very weird! That does to contradict everything ever but maybe... I've just known so many women who had Mc after Mc until they used progesterone soooo. I had mine tested recently and I'm waiting for a call back today to see if they want to do supplements. They said it was fine but it was only 9.6 around 5-7 dpo (most likely 7) and I feel like that's too low. I started taking prog cream last night after a teeny tiny bit of spotting and hoping it staves off AF for a bit

 

[ArtsyLady]

Jwc- Hmm. Ok. So this doctor thinks that it is possible that there is no such thing as a luteal phase defect? Why don't we use what my luteal phase was before I started supplementing with progesterone. I averaged 7-8 days, but it wasn't unusual for my lp to be as short as 5 days. Now we know that after fertilization it takes the egg somewhere between 7 and 12 days to implant. So if I had conceived but my luteal phase was only 5 or 6 days... How would my eggie have had a chance to implant before my uterine lining was shed? Ovulation wasn't my problem. It was the length of my luteal phase. And unfortunately I am not an isolated case. Short luteal phases contribute significantly to infertility issues and is one of the easiest infertility problems to treat. So I think we can all agree (except for this doctor) that there is such a thing as a luteal phase defect. This doctor claiming that there may not be would immediately cause me to wonder what else she is misinformed about.

But let's follow this trail a little longer. So there is such a thing as a luteal phase that is too short. But WHY? What would cause the uterine lining to shed prematurely? Well, any study on the phases of and basic hormones during the menstrual cycle tell us that the drop in progesterone causes the uterine lining to shed. Your body is more estrogen dominant leading up to ovulation, at which point FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) spikes (+OPK) and your ovary releases an egg shortly afterwards. Once the egg is released the corpus luteum (the follicle the egg was released from) starts producing progesterone. In a normal cycle the corpus luteum continues to produce progesterone for somewhere between 11-14 days and then suddenly declines in its progesterone production signifying that it is time for the uterine lining to shed. If pregnancy occurs then the corpus luteum continues producing progesterone until the placenta takes over (about 12 weeks). But if you are producing very small amounts of progesterone either the uterine lining will shed early, or there will not be enough progesterone to sustain the pregnancy. Hence why so many women who have low progesterone can conceive, but have repeated early miscarriages. It really is basic physiology...

As far as progesterone supplementation goes. Most doctors will prescribe progesterone for a woman who has had multiple losses in a row. Progesterone is NOT going to hurt the baby in relatively normal or even somewhat higher than normal doses. You would have to really overdo it to cause a problem. As far as what type of progesterone supplement to use goes... There are several forms of progesterone that work. I think I mentioned those in a previous post. As far as the cream goes, you do have to check the ingredients and you can know what is in it. For example, some progesterone creams are enhanced with fertility aiding ingredients that have not been proven to be safe during pregnancy. In that case you would want to order a cream without any additives. The cream I suggested and use is a bio-identical progesterone cream without any additives. It basically mimicks the progesterone your body produces. A great book that discusses progesterone supplementation and bio-identical progesterone vs hormone replacement progesterone that is patented is 'Hormonal Balance made Simple by Dr.John Lee'. Very informative. Basically, to patent a product there has to be something added to it to make that product unique. You probably wouldn't be getting a bio-identical progesterone from your doctor unless you insisted on it (maybe having a cream made through a compounding pharmacist) because there is much less money to be made from a bio-identical progesterone. They can charge more for patented medications as opposed to something identical as to what your body produces.

At any rate, I hope that cleared things up some ☺