TTC #1 Hopeful and Obsessed! lol

[greenarcher]

So I learned something today: there's another semen parameter that can cause infertility -- viscosity. Apparently, after liquefaction, semen should pretty much be water-like and form droplets out of a pipette. Well, my OH's semen is like EWCM after 20 minutes! It's stretches for daaaaaaays like 6+ inches. This can apparently hinder motility.

Yet another thing to try to talk OH into -- drinking more water/juice and taking mucinex!

 

[mnelson815]

Just start grinding up the mucinex and slipping it in his juice.
Two birds, one stone, DH none the wiser

 

[greenarcher]

Huh, also, he has very high pH, which is indicative of infection. So is high viscosity. Soooo I think my husband might have a prostate infection...

 

[BelleNuit]

That's entirely possible Green! I read vitamin C can help prevent the sperm from clumping together which might help with that viscosity thing!

 

[greenarcher]

Well, under the scope, the cells didn't seem to be clumping together. I wonder if Vitamin C is good for both problems.

 

[greenarcher]

Yeah he's not going to the doctor until he gets a job, he says. Eh it's whatever. Im very apathetic at this point

 

[mnelson815]

Is he covered underneath your work at all? Or is it just his way of saying he doesn't really want to go?

As for me, still spotting, was heaviest a couple days ago, so my acupuncturist talked me into testing today at 12dpo.... blazing BFN. Shocker. She said she has so many ladies that have lots of luteal phase spotting and as long as your progesterone is good (which mine definitely is), it usually doesn't affect the ability to get pregnant. She said she has even had some ladies who were pregnant with Twins, and both of them had quite heavy spotting. Like passing clots. And the doctors would test their betas and do ultrasounds and all was well, so they just left it. So I am hoping this isn't a problem for me... but with never seeing a fricking line on a pregnancy test, I am starting to lose my marbles.

Ugggggggggggggh.

 

[BelleNuit]

haha mnelson my marbles seem to be lost too! Sorry about your blazing BFN. I hate pregnancy testing so much these days!

I do find that encouraging that your acupuncturist said that spotting doesn't really affect your ability to get pregnant as long as progesterone is good (which it is for me too!). I just finished up my second cycle with acupuncture and can say that my AF seems to have a better flow (no clots, no cramping) and its a better color. So maybe its doing something. I'll commit to a 3rd cycle with acupuncture, but after that I don't know what I'll do. Its so expensive to continue and I've used up my benefits. $95 a pop and she wants me to go weekly. I could probably commit to twice a month for the long term and feel okay about it.

Green, sorry DH is not being cooperative. I think its hard for them too, but they can distance themselves from it.

 

[greenarcher]

He's got his own insurance (cheaper than adding him to my work insurance), but he's so sure there's going to be something majorly wrong that he wants to have a job first.

It's good to hear spotting got lighter, mnelson! Sorry for the BFN :/ Also happy to hear spotting isn't a big deal.

Holy crap acupuncture is expensive! It's awesome to hear that it's having a noticeable effect though!

9 dpo, just realized I only have 1 cheapie test left. Leaving it for tomorrow, though I brought it with me today in case I go stir crazy.

 

[mnelson815]

Yes green, definitely try to hold out until tomorrow so you have a better shot of seeing something!

I definitely know what you mean about acu costs. I maxed my benefits out in the summer, So I just started seeing her once a month but am going to try every 2 weeks for this cycle. Then when they restart in January I will go weekly again.

 

[greenarcher]

I remember that, and I actually didn't participate. I probably won't again, sorry :/

This is my favorite paper to read during the TWW:

https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM199906103402304

Basically it says 80% of women implant by 10 DPO, and base implantation off a hcg level of 15 (which can be picked up by lots of tests).

I'm still going to try not to test.

 

[OhHappyZ]

Hi ladies, hope everyone is doing well. Tested yesterday and today, BFN. I'm at 10 DPO right now, and usually would start spotting today. Still no blood, so we will see. I am hopeful and sleepy. My boobs hurt and I have been gassy for a week now. Hoping this is my month, but trying not to get excited as it's still early for me. Hope you are all doing well. xoxo

 

[Illa]

Hi ladies, hope everyone is doing well. Tested yesterday and today, BFN. I'm at 10 DPO right now, and usually would start spotting today. Still no blood, so we will see. I am hopeful and sleepy. My boobs hurt and I have been gassy for a week now. Hoping this is my month, but trying not to get excited as it's still early for me. Hope you are all doing well. xoxo

10 DPO is still early. FXed for BFP this month.

 

[Illa]

Green,
I have been meaning to ask, how is your friend doing? has she reached out to you?
Hope she found a way to cope with her loss.

 

[greenarcher]

Ah dammit! Sorry to hear Happy, but you're still early! No spotting sounds promising!

Illa, friend is okay, she's been venting to me about how her husband is hinting at wanting to try again after they both discussed and agreed that this was their last one. It's so hard on her, I wish there was a way to put everything on the guy

 

[BelleNuit]

HappyZ I will keep my fingers crossed for you this month!

I'm CD 3 today and had a strong urge to go fill my femara prescription this morning, especially after dreaming all night about being pregnant and then later having 2 teenage boys. But ultimately I'm going to stick with my plan. Its too early to add drugs to the mix.

I think I know where my bad feelings around needing fertility intervention are coming from. When I was a kid we went to visit relatives in Saskatchewan and my grandmother's cousin was showing us pictures of her triplet grandchildren. I thought this was pretty amazing and said so to my parents, my mother responded that they needed fertility treatments for that and the way she said it made it sound like it was a bad thing. Like she was somehow better for getting knocked up at 16 the natural way. UGH.

I can't even stand my own parents sometimes HAHA. I have a 3 year old brother after my 42 year old father accidentally got a 38 year old woman with PCOS and an IUD pregnant! And he had a freaken vasectomy! How the hell does that even happen when here DH and I are healthy, young, active, nothing going wrong reproductively and we still can't freaking make it work after a whole friggen YEAR. UGH

My grandma on the other hand gets it. They tried for 2 years, got pregnant he was stillborn, got pregnant again right away, another stillborn. Tried for another 3 years and got my mother, and then my uncle right away again. She thinks she had untreated PCOS but they didn't do proper screening for it back then. I can't even imagine what that must of felt like for her.

Thank GOD its the weekend and I'll have enough going on to keep me busy so that I won't have to think about how horrible this all is

 

[greenarcher]

I'm so glad your grandmother is right there with you, and I don't think your parents meant any negative implication (or at least, its better to assume they didn't). Whats the quote?

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by ignorance."

I'm betting your mom just wanted you to realize that it wasn't a normal or common thing, but there was a reason behind it. Just figuratively pat them on the head, nod and smile, and go on knowing they don't know better.

10 DPO, resisted the urge to test this morning (it's a lot easier when your boss calls you in the morning and asks where you are). Going to continue not testing probably, unless alcohol is on the agenda. No symptoms. No reason to believe this month is any different.

So I don't know if any of yall have heard of 23andMe, genetic testing? I had it done a while back, when they still provided health reports, and I just went back and looked at it recently. Looks like I have a slightly higher than average risk of PCOS and endo, and a lower than average risk of fibroids.

I'll probably bring that up to my gyno next time I see her, but I'm not worried about it because I've never had any symptoms. My sister has had some bad cysts, but not me.

 

[Illa]

Ah dammit! Sorry to hear Happy, but you're still early! No spotting sounds promising!

Illa, friend is okay, she's been venting to me about how her husband is hinting at wanting to try again after they both discussed and agreed that this was their last one. It's so hard on her, I wish there was a way to put everything on the guy

Sorry to to hear that her husband is not being supportive. Hopefully he comes around soon. It's great that she has you for support. I hope something positive happens in her life soon, after the loss.

 

[greenarcher]

He just really wants kids and doesn't fully understand how hard the process is on her.

Happy - looks like still no spotting! That's a really positive sign!

 

[puma1986]

Hey ladies! I've missed you all but have been taking some much needed time!

Belle: Honestly, I can totally see the connection with the negativity and your mother's words. It's going to happen. Definitely! You both are healthy!

Green: You had actually mentioned 23 and me a couple months back! I want to get this done but I think I'm going to wait about 6 more months! I know for a fact that my diseases make it difficult to get pregnant. There's no denying that! I think I've come to terms with the difficulty of getting pregnant. So long as when I do get pregnant I don't continue to have miscarriages. Those are the worst

Illa: Hello! Welcome to our group! I apoologize for my absence otherwise I would have welcomed you much sooner Thanks for joining us. I look forward to getting to know you better.

Mnelson: I know you only pop in occasionally, but I wanted to thank you for your positivity and words of encouragement a couple weeks back. It truly did mean the world to me.

My fertile period is quickly approaching! I am looking forward to trying again.