TTC for 6+ months? *20 bfp's and counting!*

[Moorebetter]

Yea, Ive made a few appointments but he always cancels. . The problem is he thinks we arent enough. Im fed up. I'm O'ing everytime I even tried Clomid. Nothing. Its time he stepped up.

but we are still waiting.

 

[LuluSS]

Aw I am sorry. I hope he ends up going this time. Tell him to step up and do his part! It takes 2 to make a baby!

 

[snowflakes120]

Moore - I agree! He has to do his part! I'd be dragging him in if I were you!!

Lulu - Your gonna get your crosshairs tomorrow! Chart looking good!

AFM, My appt went well. I got all the the bloodwork done. I'll hear from them if anything turns out abnormal. I got the RX for Clomid. I have to go back on 4/16 for a progesterone test. Hubby went to his appt. Got a referral for the Urologist office - so we'll see. I'm still debating on him getting tested. Phew. Been a busy day of Dr. visits for us.

 

[LuluSS]

I know, I hope I get my crosshairs tomorrow!!! My cramps finally ended. I had severe AF like cramps for 4 days now! The only thing I never got this cycle was sharp stabbing ovulation pains hopefully that doesn't matter.

Oh how exciting that you are going to start Clomid! I hope it works! Let us know about the symptoms.

 

[SignoraL]

I'd like to join the group if you don't mind! I'm 30 and DH is 29. We're on our 9th month and 12th cycle (yes, you read that right, I have super short cycles) of TTC. Because my mom, grandmother and great-grandmother all began menopause in their late 30s, my DH and I decided to see an RE in January (we figured since our fertility testing is covered by insurance, why not? Unfortunately, treatment is not covered).

DH went through a SA and I went through all of the unfortunately much more invasive fertility testing for women, and was diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Aging and Diminished Ovarian Reserve. Our RE has me on a number of different supplements that have been known to improve egg quality, as well as DHEA, a hormone that's been known to "turn back the clock" on aging ovaries. I'm also on a low GI diet and doing acupuncture. This is the plan our RE outlined for the next few cycles and if we don't succeed, then we're moving on to IUI or IVF. I'm praying for a BFP before then!

So glad to find a 6+ month page on here! I have a LTTTC journal since we're already seeing an RE, but there's a part of me that feels a bit weird posting in there before we hit the one-year mark and since we're not on to IUI or IVF yet.

and to you all!

 

[LuluSS]

Welcome Signora! I am so sorry about your diagnosis but I am glad that your RE has you on supplements! Wow your cycles must be really short to have 12 in only 9 months! You will find that the girls in here either just started testing, or are waiting a little bit longer to see a doctor. Either way, it is a good group!

 

[SignoraL]

Welcome Signora! I am so sorry about your diagnosis but I am glad that your RE has you on supplements! Wow your cycles must be really short to have 12 in only 9 months! You will find that the girls in here either just started testing, or are waiting a little bit longer to see a doctor. Either way, it is a good group!

Thanks, LuluSS! I'm glad to be on here with you gals!

The diagnosis sucks, but I'm glad we didn't wait any longer to find out. I had an inkling that we shouldn't wait too long to TTC because I've always known that the women in my family went through early menopause. But my doctor said it was probably a non-issue for them since they were all younger than I am when they had children. Hopefully all the hormones, supplements, acupuncture, diet, etc. will come together and work.

Yes, they are too short! When we first started TTC, my cycles were completely normal - I went off of the Nuva Ring in Nov. 2010 and they quickly became regular at between 25-27 days, which wasn't bad. Then I had three 23 day cycles in a row. When I saw my RE, he recommended dropping simple carbs from my diet and it extended my cycle by a day. So I'm now up to 24 days and hopefully we'll get back to 25 or 26 days.

 

[SignoraL]

Welcome Signora! I am so sorry about your diagnosis but I am glad that your RE has you on supplements! Wow your cycles must be really short to have 12 in only 9 months! You will find that the girls in here either just started testing, or are waiting a little bit longer to see a doctor. Either way, it is a good group!

And I see you have your first FS appointment coming up! I'm here to help if you have any testing questions. I went through more than I could count in February. I can say that I felt a lot better after having gone through all the tests and finally figuring out what needed to be fixed. I hope it's a good experience for you and that you get good news!

 

[LuluSS]

Thanks! I too have been through a lot of testing this year. That is how I got my PCOS and elevated testosterone diagnosis And now I get to go get more testing done at the RE! I am just hoping I don't get more bad news....

 

[trgirl308]

Hi Signora! Welcome to the group. I am on CD29 and hoping hoping hoping!!! Will definitely be testing tomorrow... I can't take this not knowing!

 

[Katikins612]

Snowflakes - Sounds like a busy day!! What type of bloodwork did they do today? Is the progesterone a different type of test, or does it need to be done at a certain point in your cycle? Also curious to know why they gave you the Clomid Rx before having your results. Hopefully that does the trick though! You will need to give us all the details on side effects, etc. I have a feeling I will be taking that down the road.

SignoraL - Welcome to the group! I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. It sounds as though you are on good path and hopefully things turn in your favor soon! Could you share some details on the "invasive" testing you had to endure? Also curious to which supplements the have recommended.

Trgirl....I would be peeing on everything if I were you! I'm praying this is your lucky month!

 

[SignoraL]

Thanks LuluSS, trgirl308 and Katikins612!

LuluSS, I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis as well! Are you on Metformin or Clomid? I hope you get good news next month!

trgirl308, excited for you to test! How long are your cycles? FX-ed for you!

Katikins612, I'm Hyperthyroid, but no longer on Methimisol since my TSH has been normal for a long time. However, I go in for bloodwork to my endocrinologist every six months. I realized something may be off with that in December so I went in to get that checked. My doctor said my test looked fine, but with the short cycles, she was concerned. Meanwhile DH got his SA done at the RE and found out his count, motility and morphology were all low (morph was lowest at 1%).

So we had our consultation with the RE. He said that he wanted me to get another thyroid test and also send my results from December, because while the regular endo might say my TSH is normal, the RE needs it to be even more exact.

On day 3 of that cycle I did an u/s and blood test at the RE's office to test my hormone levels. The RE said my ovaries were small and the follicles looked as though they should on day 6, not day 3 (I just saw someone on another diminished ovarian reserve thread said that this can happen.)

On day 9, I had a hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy, which was fairly quick, but painful. They told me to take a double dose of Ibuprofen for this. The hysteroscopy is inserting a camera in the uterus and the endometrial biopsy was removing a tiny portion of the uterine lining. It hurt but only for a few minutes, and then I just felt like I had mild menstrual cramps for the rest of the day. I wore a pad for spotting.

On day 10, I had the HSG, in which they injected dye into my uterus. It is supposed to flow through the fallopian tubes, which it did, so I didn't have any blockages! It felt like bad cramps for two minutes, but I felt fine later. Also took a double dose of Ibuprofen before and wore a pad after for spotting and dye leakage. (BTW, women tend to be super fertile after HSGs, it seems to flush everything out and a lot get BFPs after them. I have a few friends who did).

On day 11 (BTW, you do those three tests on days 6-11, which is why I had to do them in one week), I had the sonohysterogram, which is the easiest. The RE injected a saline solution into my uterus (because it's pretty much like a deflated balloon and the saline
helps them see if there is scarring or anything that may cause issues). RE said it looked
great and I was ovulating that weekend!

I also had one more test, just a u/s and cervical culture on day 21 (?) that showed I had ovulated.

So then DH had his 2nd SA and we got our results of all the testing the next day. He had improved considerably on the morph (up to 3% - he had taken male prenatals prescribed by our doc and got a standing desk for work - also gave up all alcohol). And my hormone tests showed that I had low Anti-Mullerian Hormone and high FSH, good indicator of premature ovarian aging (small and older ovaries are too). Our RE has a very holistic approach and didn't want to rush us into IUI or IVF , so he put me on DHEA ( as I mentioned, it can "turn back the clock" on older ovaries) and CoQ10, Melatonin, Isositol and L.Arginine, which can improve egg quality. Also, he recommended acupuncture, which I started last week and love already ( it even eased my menstrual cramps). I go back on day 3, which is tomorrow, for an u/s and bloodwork so our doc can see how
things are looking.

Sorry for writing a book, but hope that provides a little insight into the process of fertility testing. Some were painful, but overall, it was worth it and I felt better knowing what was wrong and could potentially be fixed! Hopefully you will get a BFP and won't need to be concerned with all this, bjt if you do, please know it is completely manageable!

 

[sandoval_star]

Hi girls, not had internet connection so I've been a bit MIA. Welcome to the new girls! Hope to chat with you all and hear about your bfp's soon

I had a really short cycle this month, went from my usual 30 days to 26 I also started spotting on cd 23 which I know can't be good. I'm going to wait and see what this cycle is like so my doctor can't put it down to being one crazy cycle, so I'll let you know how I get on.

How are you all feeling about your present cycle? x

 

[trgirl308]

Sorry Sandoval. I'm not sure which is worse, af arriving and having to start a new cycle, or the fact that af arrived at a completely different time and just screws with your mind!

I tested this morning and bfn... getting pretty used to those. But no sign of af... not that that seems to mean much.

Signora, my cycles are 28-30 days, with last month being a 33 day just to screw with me... today is CD30. I was thinking about acupuncture, I am a little scared of needles and I would have to find a place near me that does it... I got hubby to take ginseng, and we'll look at getting an sa done this summer if it still hasn't worked. He's down for anything he can do to help, I know he feels bad and a litle helpless in this whole ttc business. I'm sorry to hear about the issues you are having, but it really sounds like you guys are getting the help you need and hopefully you'll get good news very soon!

 

[SignoraL]

It's nice to meet you, sandoval_star! I hope that this cycle is more regular for you.

trgirl308, hope this cycle is regular for you, too!

You should definitely try acupuncture! I was a teeny bit nervous, but you just feel a tiny pinch and then the limb gets kind of warm and tingly. It doesn't hurt at all.

It's good that your DH is onboard with getting the SA done. But it can sometimes be an easy fix if there is something a little off. I think it can be somewhat intimidating for men. However, as you can see, we definitely have it a lot harder when it comes to the testing. My DH tried to joke that he had to do 2 and it was embarrassing and I was like "Don't even joke - you have been doing that same activity that your testing requires since you were in middle school and you do it for fun! I don't remove part of my uterine lining for fun!"

That aside, I think we are on the right track.

 

[trgirl308]

Seriously... men cannot complain compared to what we go through!

 

[LuluSS]

Ok everyone - I got my cross hairs this morning!!! So excited! And they aren't dotted lines either! It is a solid line!

Signora - Wow, that is A LOT of crazy testing in a short amount of time! I am glad it is all over with though and that you have a diagnosis and treatment plan in place! I wish mine could all be over with! I am SCARED of an HSG! I have only had basic testing so far and no treatment yet. That is why I was referred to an RE. The RE will go over treatment options with me.

Sandoval - I am sorry about your cycle! Mine is like that too. Last cycle was only 25 days, the one before that was 35 days, and now this one will be around 27 days!

trgirl - I am sorry about the BFN I am getting pretty tired of seeing them as well I am so glad that your DH is on board with you and willing to do whatever it takes. Sounds like my DH It is nice to have that support from them.

 

[sandoval_star]

SignoraL - "Don't even joke - you have been doing that same activity that your testing requires since you were in middle school and you do it for fun! I don't remove part of my uterine lining for fun!" Love this, very well put!

 

[SignoraL]

trgirl308, I'm sorry I missed it this morning - I'm sorry about your BFN! But if you haven't seen AF and there's no sign of her, don't count yourself out! Test again in a few days if AF does not come. Praying for you!

LuluSS, thanks! I know it sounds like a lot, but please don't be scared. Like I said, it may hurt, but each of those tests only lasts a few minutes (like I said, the Endometrial Biopsy is the worst, but it lasts like a minute max, and the HSG isn't as bad). Just expect to have the feeling of really severe menstrual cramps for a few minutes and pop an Ibuprofen if it starts to hurt throughout the day. It sucks, but it's all worth it to get your sweet little baby! Congrats on your crosshairs!

sandoval_star, LOL! Luckily, my DH was a pretty good sport with the whole thing and I know he was joking. But I think that was the only time I've ever been like, "Wow, you guys have it SO MUCH EASIER!" They are such babies themselves, sometimes. But I love him anyways.

 

[LuluSS]

Oh, I can handle severe menstrual pains because I get them every month! I just don't want to have sharp stabbing needle like pains! lol I know it is all to help get a baby, but it still sucks lol. Hopefully I get my BFP this cycle though and can skip all of that. Now that would be ideal hahaha.