Vitamin B6 - Lengthen luteal phase or increase progesterone

[sotiredmama]

There's a shadow of something on the FRER, but I can't see that there's any color to it. It could turn positive, but it's not yet IMO.

As a side note, you have a 7 month old and are TTC?! Are you crazy?! (teasing) Mine was over 18 months before I decided. I remember looking at my husband when she was 15 mos old and saying to my husband, "Can you believe the Smiths had a newborn and one this age?!" I would not at all have wanted to find myself in that position, so strict BC until she was 18 mos (for me, it was really important that the older one would be truly verbal and able to express her needs before putting another non-verbal one into the mix. The whole switch from non-verbal-to-verbal child is a difficult one for us. She is very frustrated all the time because she cannot communicate what is in her brain). Now of course, I hope it doesn't take too long to conceive this one! I remember thinking I wanted them 2 years apart, until I had her. Then I decided maybe 3 years! But I found having a newborn to be incredibly difficult and for some people it's a breeze.

 

[LLPM]

sotiredmama...it's funny how everyone is different. we wanted as close a gap as possible but as i had a c-section with DD1 the dr recommended waiting to get pregnant til she was 12 months at least (especially as i was hopeful for a natural delivery with DD2). it ended up that we couldn't conceive while breastfeeding anyway, so this time we risked it and haven't used contraception since DD2 was born. i couldn't imagine having 3 years between our kids. eldest isn't even 3 year and youngest just turned 1. but i have a lot of friends who couldn't believe we would have our girls so close, and now be planning #3 already.
i have a friend who's eldest is 3 in september and she's due with #3 in august and she had a m/c between each pregnancy! everyone has their own preferences don't they?!

 

[sotiredmama]

It's true! Different things work for different people. I'm sure my feeling is influenced some by a couple of friends I have whose kids are each less than 2 years apart and started pulling their hair out by the time they had their third. So I got to hear all about how rough it is on them having 3 close in age, which I'm sure is in my subconscious somewhere! Another friend is due with her third (her others will be almost 2 and almost 4 when the last one is born) any day. They have a "more the merrier" philosophy ... she's a little nervous, but I think it'll be fine. They have super mellow kids. I, on the other hand, do not.

 

[LLPM]

It's true! Different things work for different people. I'm sure my feeling is influenced some by a couple of friends I have whose kids are each less than 2 years apart and started pulling their hair out by the time they had their third. So I got to hear all about how rough it is on them having 3 close in age, which I'm sure is in my subconscious somewhere! Another friend is due with her third (her others will be almost 2 and almost 4 when the last one is born) any day. They have a "more the merrier" philosophy ... she's a little nervous, but I think it'll be fine. They have super mellow kids. I, on the other hand, do not.

haha yeah it really depends on your own kids personalities too. my girls are fairly placid and both have been amazing sleepers (we did babywise and swear by it!) i also am able to stay at home with them. i realise not everyone can do this and i'm sure that would make things a lot more stressful if i had to work. we would like 3 kids and i don't want to have my girls 21months apart then have a 3year gap (even though i'm sure that would be easier on me!!) i don't want to have a 'black sheep' and feel having #3 asap will help 'blend' their ages a bit and avoid the littlest getting left behind too much! got to get a BFP first though...
i think that's why people struggle so much when TTC, it's so out of our control. even with treatment, IUI's, clomid, IVF etc there's no guarantee each cycle! i think as society advances over the years it will only get worse as people become more in control of things but getting pregnant will still be up to chance and those percentages given each month.
i watched 60 minutes tonight and there was a couple who went to the US (from AUS) to gender select a baby girl after having 7 boys! made me so angry, 7 healthy children and they still weren't satisfied, they've gone on to have another baby girl embryo implanted too! as much as it would be nice to have a boy after 2 girls we would be so thankful for another healthy child. just bought it all into perspective again!

 

[sotiredmama]

Yep, I stayed home for a while, but still don't have a good sleeper, and she's pretty willful. Makes a big difference, I'm sure. But then, who knows. I might have a super easy one next or you might have a wild one! We can't predict!

For what it's worth, I have a close sibling, and then one 9 years younger. I have an awesome relationship with both them, as does my 2 years younger brother. Our relationships are just different at different times, as I'm sure they'd be with any age gap. My baby sibling called me "mama" when he was little! We were super close (obviously!), but more parental that I was with my other brother. Anyway, that's just to say that your kids' relationships are going to depend on their personalities, where they are in life, etc. regardless of their age gap. I'm actually closer to my 9 years younger brother now than my 2 years younger one! So don't worry if the age differences end up varying! Personally, I think my mom wanted us to be old enough to actually help with the little one, and we did ... I changed diapers, cooked dinner (granted, it might have been putting fish sticks in the toaster oven and peas in the microwave, but it was food!), and that stuff when the baby was born. And he was only a few years old when I started babysitting, which I'm sure they loved. I think everything has its pros and cons.

 

[DaisyQ]

Ddas, in looking in my phone, so can't see anything. I'm bad at seeing lines though. I'll try again lateron the computer

LLPM, I've been trying since August 1. So this is my ninth cycle. Not time to despair yet, but it's a tad worrisome. And my fertility benefit of 10k, is a lifetime max; it doesn't renew each year. So if I exceed it with several failed iuis and one failed IVF, I'm out if luck and must pay out of pocket for any additional treatment. IVF here costs 10 k without the monitoring, anesthesia or the meds. All told, it can cost up to 20k if the neither the meds or monitoring are covered by your prescription plan. So I have everything crossed that it will work before we reach the 10k max.

 

[sotiredmama]

Daisy, I think you'll conceive soon! Just curious, how did you manage to get in the process after less than a year of trying? I thought they wouldn't dx infertility (at least without an obvious cause) until >12 mos of trying before 35. I'm happy for you that you can get these services, though!

 

[DaisyQ]

Thanks sotired - I hope you're right.

In general, fertility doctors advise seeking help after ttc for one year if you are under 35, but after only 6 months if you are over 35, as you don't have time to waste and fertility starts to decline precipitously after 35. I had read this, and figured 34 is close enough to 35 (and my doctor agreed - there is nothing magical about the number 35, fertility starts to decline in the thirties, and more rapidly in the mid-late thirties). I also knew that we weren't like some other couples who had been ttc, but without any aides to ensure it was well timed. The first cycle, we had sex nearly every day from cd 9-20. The second and third cycles I used opks. Then I started with temping and the CBFM for cycle 4. I could see I was ovulating, and sex was well timed, so after 6 months of trying I thought it was worthwhile to get checked out and make sure there wasn't an obvious problem. I was also concerned that my luteal phase might have been the problem, so I really wanted my progesterone checked. The work up didn't find a problem. My husbands sperm morphology (normal shapes) is on the low end, 6% strict Kruger's, but his other numbers (count, motility) are above average, so it shouldn't prevent us from conceiving. My progesterone at 7dpo was 17, which is considered normal. My doc agreed to put me on progesterone support though since I was still worried about it.

Anyway, after all the testing came back ok, the doctor told us we are "unexplained," and since it had been only 7 months we could keep trying on our own a few more cycles, or we could step it up a notch by trying iui. We decided to step it up as we are both beyond ready and want this now, especially as my husband is getting older too, and we may also want to try for a second child, so... That's where we are.

 

[sotiredmama]

It makes perfect sense to me! I've always thought that the 12 or 6 mo rules seemed pretty arbitrary anyway, and that doctors adhere too strictly to them. I'm glad you could start the process sooner rather than later!

 

[254]

I'm another who'd've loved a close age gap - we started ttc when L was 6 months old, after my periods returned. If we'd conceived straight away that would have meant about a 15 month age gap.

But hey, the universe had other plans... and if all goes to plan with Moonbaby there will be just under 33 months between our first two children. But I have to say, now I've been through the last 2 years as mummy to L, and now we're finally pregnant again... I'm actually happy it's happened when it has. Yes, I'd rather not have had to go through the 18 months of heartache... but I am actually glad my daughter has had the time she has as an only child... I think in 8ish months she will be much more ready to be a big sister than she would have been now, or even 6-9 months ago.

Things work out... and I reckon they will do for you guys too.

 

[ddas]

so looks like I’m not totally mad as thought can’t be doing with this can I see a line or not malarkey and went straight for the digital and pregnant 1-2 wks!!!!! Over the moon but don’t want to count my chickens just yet as very early days still. Think even though lines were so faint felt so similar to when I was pregnant with DS that just had a feeling. With him I remember the moment I knew- was in a consultation with a patient and suddenly felt a strange type of queasy that I’d never felt before. This time was presenting the new patients after a night shift and suddenly felt the same feeling again and thought ummm that seems familiar fx!

Know we are going to get the oh god that is such a small age gap (ds 8 months in a few days) comments in real life which will probably wind me up but think whatever the age gap people always make judgements about pregnancy ie too short, too long or you’re too young or too old etc… You have to have whatever the perfect age gap is for you and at the right time for you and your partner/family. We always wanted only 2 kids but with a small age gap-it’ll be 16 months if this is a sticky bean (fx, touch wood and all that lol!). Reasons we decided to start ttc when ds was so young were:

- wanted an aprox 2 year school age gap but didn’t want another late summer baby due to all the things you hear about them struggling at school etc. this meant starting ttc earlier than we might have had he been born in sept etc..
- you never know how long it’ll take. I’ve known couples who have conceived the first very quickly but struggled with the 2nd and the other way round ie needed ivf with the first but 2nd came amazingly quickly with no help. So we decided to risk a smaller age gap but have a bigger chance of having an early in the school year baby with the 2 school yr age gap.

Oddly with ds I was well prepared for this might take a year or more due to several factors/other people’s experiences but ttc this time I’ve been so much more impatient and anxious even though this is only our 3rd true cycle of trying with normalish periods as having ds made me realise how much of a miracle children are and made me long for the 2nd even more. Sorry if that seems strange.

Think the vit b50 really made a difference to my cycle as my post ovulation temps were more stable suggesting maybe better progesterone production and a higher chance of implantation etc.

Hope to see you all soon on the other side!!!

 

[LLPM]

Huge congratulations ddas! See i'm no good at reading tests lol. Hope this is a sticky bean for you! You'll love having them close! It'll be hard but lots of fun- I love having 2 toddlers!

 

[lizc123]

Awwwww ddas that's wonderful news :0) big congrats to u and ur family and all the best for the next 9 months xxx

 

[Bean66]

Massive congrats ddas! I'm just jealous. Hoping it's 8th cycle lucky for me.

We've decided we want smallish gaps too. Esp as its taking us so long. Husband wants 3. I'm 31 in June. Aiming for 3 before I'm 36. Ideally 35. We'll see.

So happy for you. H&H 9mths!

 

[lindblum]

congratulations ddas!

I also started trying for another baby when my LO was 7months (August) as I wanted a small age gap too.

bean looks like you are close to ovulating, good luck x

 

[joeys3453]

ddas congrats! how exciting!

how is everyone feeling? so my temps are all over the place these last few days. but my temp this morning is lower because i got woken up about an hour before i needed to get up thanks to the lovely 40 mile an hour winds outside. then finally fell back asleep.

 

[ddas]

bean66 I hope this is your cycle too. it's been proven that you are more fertile straight after a mc so hopefully that holds true for a cp too.

We're lucky in that we've got a big support network and my mum will be living close to us so will be able to lend a hand if i'm really struggling. And even luckier that in the uk we get up to a year mat leave (although I'll probably only take 6 months like I did last time) and I can practice medicine part time both of which if we lived in the states where my dad is would be very unlikely to be possible. so fingers crossed for a healthy pregnancy and a happy family with 2 under 2!!!

 

[Bean66]

Thanks lindblum. How are you feeling?

Ddas - I'm in the uk too but self employed. We've been trying to save but keep having stupid house stuff to spend money on. I know we'll manage.

Has the news sunk in yet? Very exciting. Great your mum is near by.

 

[254]

Congratulations ddas!

Goodness me, you are SO lucky conceiving so quickly... I started trying about when you did (in terms of age of #1), but it took us 15 cycles longer! In the end found out I was pregnant 3 days before my daughter turned 2.

Hope everything goes smoothly for you.

 

[DaisyQ]

Congrats ddas!