I have been giving our trying to get pregnant journey more thought this week. Mostly because I think I am nearing ovulation. And with ovulation comes the stress of trying to time intercourse to optimize our conception chances. All the while NOT discussing it with Tim as nothing is a bigger turn off to him than "planning" intercourse! LOL!
This cycle is just like all the ones before it. Normal normal normal. And I am having pain around my right ovary so I am assuming I will be ovulating on the right again. Which will result in me getting my period in 2 weeks instead of a positive pregnancy test. All of this makes me wonder if something is wrong with my left ovary.
We have been trying to get pregnant for months now. We are actually approaching the year mark for "trying". Now I realize the first 4-5 months my cycles were all screwed up. SO really even though we were trying to get pregnant it was not gonna happen because my cycles were not right. Then 7 cycles ago I started taking Metformin. And since I started taking Metformin my cycles have been perfect. Normal length, normal everything. And like clockwork over the past 6 and now 7 cycles I have had pain on my right side when ovulation approaches. Granted I get crampy on both sides, but the pronounced and significant pain comes from the right. I can also honestly say that during the past 7 cycles that Tim & I have made a very good effort to time intercourse to optimize our chances at conception. We have done very well in that department actually. And in past years when we tried to get pregnant before we have had similar timed intercourse and have gotten pregnant quickly. Dare I say... easily.
So what is different this time? The only thing I can figure is the blocked right tube. And possibly that the left ovary is not functioning correctly? Why else would I have gone 7 cycles and not ovulated on the left side. Why else am I not pregnant?
So what can I do now? Keep trying. Well yes. But what else? Clomid keeps entering my mind. But I am not sure that is even the best option for us. I know I probably just need to go back to the Dr. and have another consult with him. I have questions about the HSG results and how that fits into this puzzle. Before when I asked Dr. M about Clomid he said no because he felt I was ovulating and that Clomid would simply increase my chances of twins or triplets. But that was before Tim's workup came back normal. And that was also before my HSG came back with a blocked left tube. So would Dr. M have a different answer now that he has more information?
I have seen in my online research that Drs do give patients Clomid to make them produce eggs out of both ovaries in a given cycle. And that certainly would increase our chances of getting pregnant. But considering I only have one functioning tube, would the risk of twins really be increased? Or does clomid cause twins because an egg is released on both sides? If that is the case then with my situation it would not apply, right?
I guess I wrote all of this to basically figure out in my own head that I need more information from the Dr. I mean I can't even have an intelligent conversation with Tim about the Clomid without the answers on what our increased risk of twins is. We can't decide until we know what our options are and what risks we would be taking.
So if you read all of this... it is really just my way of getting to the bottom of the next step in my own mind! Thanks for letting me sit on your couch!
Showing posts with label TTC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TTC. Show all posts
January 10, 2009
August 28, 2008
TTC Update 8/28/08
I had an appointment with Dr. M this morning. He is my OB/Gyn. He is a mild mannered, soft spoken, practical and easy to talk to Dr. Despite the fact that he is male (which normally means I won't even see a male Dr.) he is very compassionate and understanding. I really like him and I really like his approach to prenatal care as well as other gyno issues.
When I received my diagnosis of PCOS with Insulin resistance (IR) I was actually diagnosed by my Endocrinologist, Dr.L. Now Dr. L does not normally deal with women of child bearing age. He primarily deals with thyroid issues and diabetes in older adults. So I am not his normal clientele nor am I his area of expertise. But he was covered on our Ins and he is a good thyroid Dr which is my main reason for seeing him. But when I was diagnosed with PCOS, I was somewhat hesitant to believe whole heartily in that diagnosis. I honestly thought the reason I was not accepting of the diagnosis was because I was in DENIAL! LOL! But now that I have seen Dr. M I am thinking that maybe I wasn't so far off the mark.
Dr. M reviewed the lab results that Dr. L had made his PCOS diagnosis from and came to a different conclusion. Dr. M's basic feeling on "pcos" (every time he said PCOS he held his hands up and made quotation marks. LOL!) was that Drs use that as a label for women with unexplained infertility. Basically he thinks of PCOS as a dumping ground diagnosis. He thinks that IR can cause infertility. He thinks that cyst on your Ovaries can cause infertility but you can have one or both of those conditions and not have the "typical PCOS". About 1/2 way through the conversation he just stopped calling my infertility PCOS and just said to deal with the symptoms and see where we are at.
He explained it to me like this: Due to diet or actual IR the cells in your body can become resistance to insulin. Your body needs insulin to convert glucose into energy. So if your cells are resisting the insulin then your pancreas has to produce extra insulin to force the cells to covert glucose into energy. With the excess glucose not converted to energy it gets stored as fat in your body. Which is why IR folks are typically overweight. IR effects fertility because with the extra Insulin coming from your pancreas, your pituitary it tells your ovaries to produce more androgens and then your body turns androgens into testosterone which suppresses the estrogen and without estrogen your ovaries do not produce follicle to ovulate. Without Ovulation, no pregnancy.
So even without the whole cysts on your ovaries thing which is the primary symptom of PCOS you can still be infertile due to the IR and that can be called PCOS. What I DON'T have that is typical with PCOS is annovulatory cycles, male pattern hair growth, or excess androgens. I do have mild case of IR which the Metformin is treating.
I also asked Dr. M about my cycles and if he thought I was actually Ovulating. He asked me some questions about my cycle. I told him I have the normal thermal shifts, normal cervical mucous patterns, typical cervical positions, normal luteal phase length, normal cycle length, Periods that arrive on time, the bloating, breast tenderness etc of typical PMS symptoms. He said that given the obvious hormonal changes (evident by my symptoms per cycle) that there is a 95-98% chance that I AM ovulating. He felt that giving us some more time to try to conceive will most likely result in a pregnancy.
I asked about Clomid. He said that he feels strongly that I AM ovulating. He felt that using Clomid would NOT improve my chance of actually conceiving but WOULD improve my chances of conceiving a LITTER of children. He said in women that are ovulating, (which is where he feels I fall) that using clomid increases your chances of twins or triplets to 30%. That is NOT a risk Tim and I are willing to take.
Now if I fall into the 3-5% that have hormonal changes but still don't ovulate then there are 2 tests that he would like to do. The first being an Ultrasound study that looks at my ovaries before Ovulation to measure the follicles and determine which is the dominate follicle and then again an ultrasound after ovulation to see if the dominate follicle was actually released. If my ovaries are releasing the egg and I am STILL not pregnant then they would have to look at a few things. They might do a semen analysis on Tim's swimmers and also check my fallopian tubes. They would like to do a procedure (i can't think of the name right now) that involves them injecting dye into my uterus and tubes and then taking pictures to make sure the tubes are clear and no blockages are present. If that test comes back clear then they would probably want to take the next step in fertility drugs, which we would decline. In actuality we would probably not do the semen analysis or the dye test either. The Dye test is WAY to invasive for my taste. And if there is a problem with sperm mobility or my tubes the only answer/treatment is high tech (read $$$$) Intrauterine insemination or straight IVF. We would not spend the money on either of these procedures, so we would most likely decline the test as well.
Now the U/S might be something we would consider. The treatment for ovulation failure would be a low tech medication like progesterone trigger or clomid. In the case that I am NOT ovulating then the risk of twins or more when taking Clomid is only 10-12%. So we would consider that as a possibility.
I also got my questions answered about taking Prozac and Metformin when you are pregnant. He refilled my script for Prozac and we talked about the risks and benefits for Metformin during pregnancy. He also gave me a script for progesterone suppositories that are less expensive (albeit more messy) than the progesterone pill I was on. The suppositories are less expensive and covered by most Insurance. We will see how that goes. I have to use them twice a day. So that means MESSY all day. I could handle it if it was just at night cause I could shower in the morning. But twice a day means Messy all day! So we shall see.
Anyway, Bless you if you actually read this whole thing. I wrote all the details out for you to read but also for me to have a record of my appointment. I sometimes forget things and so I wanted to write this out while it was fresh in my mind so that I could re-read it when I forget what Dr. M said in a week!
So for now Tim & I will just be trying and trying.... and lets face it, that is the funnest part of the whole journey!
When I received my diagnosis of PCOS with Insulin resistance (IR) I was actually diagnosed by my Endocrinologist, Dr.L. Now Dr. L does not normally deal with women of child bearing age. He primarily deals with thyroid issues and diabetes in older adults. So I am not his normal clientele nor am I his area of expertise. But he was covered on our Ins and he is a good thyroid Dr which is my main reason for seeing him. But when I was diagnosed with PCOS, I was somewhat hesitant to believe whole heartily in that diagnosis. I honestly thought the reason I was not accepting of the diagnosis was because I was in DENIAL! LOL! But now that I have seen Dr. M I am thinking that maybe I wasn't so far off the mark.
Dr. M reviewed the lab results that Dr. L had made his PCOS diagnosis from and came to a different conclusion. Dr. M's basic feeling on "pcos" (every time he said PCOS he held his hands up and made quotation marks. LOL!) was that Drs use that as a label for women with unexplained infertility. Basically he thinks of PCOS as a dumping ground diagnosis. He thinks that IR can cause infertility. He thinks that cyst on your Ovaries can cause infertility but you can have one or both of those conditions and not have the "typical PCOS". About 1/2 way through the conversation he just stopped calling my infertility PCOS and just said to deal with the symptoms and see where we are at.
He explained it to me like this: Due to diet or actual IR the cells in your body can become resistance to insulin. Your body needs insulin to convert glucose into energy. So if your cells are resisting the insulin then your pancreas has to produce extra insulin to force the cells to covert glucose into energy. With the excess glucose not converted to energy it gets stored as fat in your body. Which is why IR folks are typically overweight. IR effects fertility because with the extra Insulin coming from your pancreas, your pituitary it tells your ovaries to produce more androgens and then your body turns androgens into testosterone which suppresses the estrogen and without estrogen your ovaries do not produce follicle to ovulate. Without Ovulation, no pregnancy.
So even without the whole cysts on your ovaries thing which is the primary symptom of PCOS you can still be infertile due to the IR and that can be called PCOS. What I DON'T have that is typical with PCOS is annovulatory cycles, male pattern hair growth, or excess androgens. I do have mild case of IR which the Metformin is treating.
I also asked Dr. M about my cycles and if he thought I was actually Ovulating. He asked me some questions about my cycle. I told him I have the normal thermal shifts, normal cervical mucous patterns, typical cervical positions, normal luteal phase length, normal cycle length, Periods that arrive on time, the bloating, breast tenderness etc of typical PMS symptoms. He said that given the obvious hormonal changes (evident by my symptoms per cycle) that there is a 95-98% chance that I AM ovulating. He felt that giving us some more time to try to conceive will most likely result in a pregnancy.
I asked about Clomid. He said that he feels strongly that I AM ovulating. He felt that using Clomid would NOT improve my chance of actually conceiving but WOULD improve my chances of conceiving a LITTER of children. He said in women that are ovulating, (which is where he feels I fall) that using clomid increases your chances of twins or triplets to 30%. That is NOT a risk Tim and I are willing to take.
Now if I fall into the 3-5% that have hormonal changes but still don't ovulate then there are 2 tests that he would like to do. The first being an Ultrasound study that looks at my ovaries before Ovulation to measure the follicles and determine which is the dominate follicle and then again an ultrasound after ovulation to see if the dominate follicle was actually released. If my ovaries are releasing the egg and I am STILL not pregnant then they would have to look at a few things. They might do a semen analysis on Tim's swimmers and also check my fallopian tubes. They would like to do a procedure (i can't think of the name right now) that involves them injecting dye into my uterus and tubes and then taking pictures to make sure the tubes are clear and no blockages are present. If that test comes back clear then they would probably want to take the next step in fertility drugs, which we would decline. In actuality we would probably not do the semen analysis or the dye test either. The Dye test is WAY to invasive for my taste. And if there is a problem with sperm mobility or my tubes the only answer/treatment is high tech (read $$$$) Intrauterine insemination or straight IVF. We would not spend the money on either of these procedures, so we would most likely decline the test as well.
Now the U/S might be something we would consider. The treatment for ovulation failure would be a low tech medication like progesterone trigger or clomid. In the case that I am NOT ovulating then the risk of twins or more when taking Clomid is only 10-12%. So we would consider that as a possibility.
I also got my questions answered about taking Prozac and Metformin when you are pregnant. He refilled my script for Prozac and we talked about the risks and benefits for Metformin during pregnancy. He also gave me a script for progesterone suppositories that are less expensive (albeit more messy) than the progesterone pill I was on. The suppositories are less expensive and covered by most Insurance. We will see how that goes. I have to use them twice a day. So that means MESSY all day. I could handle it if it was just at night cause I could shower in the morning. But twice a day means Messy all day! So we shall see.
Anyway, Bless you if you actually read this whole thing. I wrote all the details out for you to read but also for me to have a record of my appointment. I sometimes forget things and so I wanted to write this out while it was fresh in my mind so that I could re-read it when I forget what Dr. M said in a week!
So for now Tim & I will just be trying and trying.... and lets face it, that is the funnest part of the whole journey!
July 7, 2008
Update on PCOS and TTC
You have been warned by the title. LOL! If you don't want to read about my cycle.... Skip this post!
So a positive OPK indicates that my LH hormone is surging and I should Ovulate within the next 12-48 hours! I am also temping to see if I actually do release an egg. Time will tell but I am very hopeful! Only 3 weeks of Metformin, Diet, Exercise and a jump start from the Provera and I think I *** might*** have a chance to actually conceive this cycle! Keep me/us in your prayers!
So the IR diet is more challenging than what I originally thought. it is very easy to get to 30grams of carbs in a snack/meal. The other day I was eating typical picnic type foods. Hotdogs, Watermelon, Corn on Cob, Baked Beans, Veggies. It occurred to me that I could only eat 2 of the side dishes and no bun on my hot dog in order to stay within 30 grams of carbs. So needless to say I did not stay within 30 grams. I do OK with Breakfast which is usually eggs and some sort of grain either toast, bagel or cereal. I can handle snacks. Lunch is OK too with a sandwich and veggies. But Dinner which typically involves a few starches of fruit is where I become challenged. This is also where we would most often eat out, either sit down place, fast food or even just pizza. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
The Metformin is going well. My Dr and I decided to bump up my dose to 1500 mg of the extended release Metformin. I am going slow getting up to 1500. I started with 500mg for a few weeks and now I am up to 1000mg and have been for a week. I have actually adjusted quite well to the meds. No real bad side effects really. I feel blessed with that. I will probably go up to 1500mg within the next week or so.
My exercise routine is going well. I have been very consistent to get exercise 3-5 times a week. I have been swimming mostly. But I also have a route that I walk when I can't get to the pool or the weather is cool enough to walk but not hot enough to swim. I really do feel better now that I am getting more active.
I have lost about 7 pounds since I started this new treatment plan of diet, exercise and meds in the middle of June. But the coolest part of all of this is that I think I am gonna actually ovulate! In the past few days I have seen changes in my cervical fluid indicating fertility. My breasts have been tender and I am kinda crampy in my ovary area. Then today I peed on an Ovulation prediction strip (OPK), and for the first time ever since I started using the OPKs it was POSITIVE. I am so proud of it I took a picture:
So a positive OPK indicates that my LH hormone is surging and I should Ovulate within the next 12-48 hours! I am also temping to see if I actually do release an egg. Time will tell but I am very hopeful! Only 3 weeks of Metformin, Diet, Exercise and a jump start from the Provera and I think I *** might*** have a chance to actually conceive this cycle! Keep me/us in your prayers!
June 20, 2008
Update & The White House Grill
Hi all my readers out in blog land. I hope that you are all doing well. And I hope that I don't bore you to tears with all my updates! LOL!
So my period arrived and the first day I was encouraged that it might be a nice and easy one. By day 2 my dreams were crushed! I feel like tampons at this point are a little like spitting into a hurricane, or in other words: useless! Last night Tim and I were celebrating Father Day by going to a Movie and to dinner. We saw "Don't mess with the Zohan", which was very funny, but way too long for a girl in my condition! hahahaha
We also went to a restaurant in Post Falls called The White House Grill. They serve Mediterranean food. We ate Lamb and Chicken in the best sauces and with the best pasta. It was heavenly. When we left we both felt like we were seeping garlic from every pore. Good thing I LOVE Garlic. It was so good and I would recommend it to anyone, but especially those that love garlic and trying something new. Also they have a belly dancer for entertainment on Thursday nights. She was very good and extremely friendly. I really would love to have our next girls night out there on a Thursday night. We could all try belly dancing with her. It looked like loads of fun.
On my way home after dropping the babysitter off (and running to wal-mart for more period supplies) I was blessed to see the beautiful Moon. She was low to the ground and oh so full. More yellow than white, and simply the most beautiful Moon I have seen in a long time. Seems fitting that the Moon was low and full considering the state of my uterus at the same moment. It made me smile.
This morning I had to cancel our plans to drive to Seattle to see my friend Stephanie and her family. Her children Duncan and Sophie are turning 6 and 1. Their party is this weekend and I really wanted to go, but between the period from hell and the Metformin still doing a number on my stomach and intestines, I figured I should not be locked in a car for 4 hrs. Stephanie was understanding, but we are both very disappointed. When Sophie was born last year I drove over to help Stephanie and Mark while she was in labor and got to witness Sophie's birth! It was really awesome, so I was so looking forward to celebrating Sophie's 1st birthday with Stephanie and her family. Ugh. I am disappointed that it didn't work out. Dear little Sophie.... I am with you in spirit and wishing you and your big brother Duncan a very special Happy Birthday!
So my period arrived and the first day I was encouraged that it might be a nice and easy one. By day 2 my dreams were crushed! I feel like tampons at this point are a little like spitting into a hurricane, or in other words: useless! Last night Tim and I were celebrating Father Day by going to a Movie and to dinner. We saw "Don't mess with the Zohan", which was very funny, but way too long for a girl in my condition! hahahaha
We also went to a restaurant in Post Falls called The White House Grill. They serve Mediterranean food. We ate Lamb and Chicken in the best sauces and with the best pasta. It was heavenly. When we left we both felt like we were seeping garlic from every pore. Good thing I LOVE Garlic. It was so good and I would recommend it to anyone, but especially those that love garlic and trying something new. Also they have a belly dancer for entertainment on Thursday nights. She was very good and extremely friendly. I really would love to have our next girls night out there on a Thursday night. We could all try belly dancing with her. It looked like loads of fun.
On my way home after dropping the babysitter off (and running to wal-mart for more period supplies) I was blessed to see the beautiful Moon. She was low to the ground and oh so full. More yellow than white, and simply the most beautiful Moon I have seen in a long time. Seems fitting that the Moon was low and full considering the state of my uterus at the same moment. It made me smile.
This morning I had to cancel our plans to drive to Seattle to see my friend Stephanie and her family. Her children Duncan and Sophie are turning 6 and 1. Their party is this weekend and I really wanted to go, but between the period from hell and the Metformin still doing a number on my stomach and intestines, I figured I should not be locked in a car for 4 hrs. Stephanie was understanding, but we are both very disappointed. When Sophie was born last year I drove over to help Stephanie and Mark while she was in labor and got to witness Sophie's birth! It was really awesome, so I was so looking forward to celebrating Sophie's 1st birthday with Stephanie and her family. Ugh. I am disappointed that it didn't work out. Dear little Sophie.... I am with you in spirit and wishing you and your big brother Duncan a very special Happy Birthday!
June 17, 2008
Doing the Happy Dance!!!!!
Wow..... My cycle from Hell finally ended! The Provera worked! I started my period this morning! I am so freakin happy! I never thought I would be thrilled with getting my period as much as I am today! So much so that I called Tim into the bathroom and showed him my toilet paper! (He was not as thrilled as I am! Disgusted describes his reaction!) I did a happy dance in the hall as I was dusting off my box of tampons!
I also started the Metformin today. I am supposed to take it the same time every day. I choose to take it after breakfast since I have to take it with food. We will see how my body reacts. I may need to move my dose time around a bit if things don't go well. I am really just hoping that I won't have side effects at all. I am also hoping for a light period. But after 99 days of no bleeding, I doubt I will get that lucky!
I will keep you all posted!
I also started the Metformin today. I am supposed to take it the same time every day. I choose to take it after breakfast since I have to take it with food. We will see how my body reacts. I may need to move my dose time around a bit if things don't go well. I am really just hoping that I won't have side effects at all. I am also hoping for a light period. But after 99 days of no bleeding, I doubt I will get that lucky!
I will keep you all posted!
May 18, 2008
My Cycle **Update**
Yes my cycle is still ongoing..... Cycle day 70 was today. It is strange because I feel like I did when I was Breastfeeding an not cycling. I have periods of time that my body ramps up for Ovulation by way of cramping in my ovary, increased cervical mucous, changes in my Cervix, but then no temp shift to indicate that the Egg was actually released. Then the ramp up period happens again a few weeks later. Basically that is what is happening to me now.
In an effort to be prepared and know what questions to ask at my Dr.appt next week I was doing some reading online at the PCOS websites. Once you start reading about infertility and PCOS you also come across articles explaining other hormonal reasons that a women might not be Ovulating, and therefore infertile. One of those reasons is an increase in the hormone prolactin. Prolactin's main purpose in a women's body is to help her produce Breast milk and also suppress ovulation while a women is breastfeeding. We were made that way so that during the early nursing period a women could not get pregnant and therefore help the survival of the nursling. Makes sense, No? Anyway, a women can have elevated levels of prolactin while NOT lactating and it can cause infertility due to suppression of Ovulation.
There are several reason for an unhealthy increase in prolactin levels, but the ones that "fit" with me are stress and an increase in prolactin due to a problem with Thyroid. Since we all know I have a thyroid problem it isn't that far of a stretch to think that my thyroid could be causing an increase in my prolactin levels.
This is leading me to believe that I should actually cancel my appt with my OB/Gyn (who would probably try BCP first, which I would object to) and just get in to see my endocrinologist. I would think that he would have a better grasp of the way my thyroid problem may play a part in my infertility. He may also be able to determine if my thyroid problem in and of itself is the cause for my infertility.
So I am still trying to figure it all out. But at least I have a path to follow now. It may not lead to answers, but at least we can eliminate some of the possibilities if nothing else. If anyone has any information that might be useful to me in this quest, I would appreciate you sending it along my way.
In an effort to be prepared and know what questions to ask at my Dr.appt next week I was doing some reading online at the PCOS websites. Once you start reading about infertility and PCOS you also come across articles explaining other hormonal reasons that a women might not be Ovulating, and therefore infertile. One of those reasons is an increase in the hormone prolactin. Prolactin's main purpose in a women's body is to help her produce Breast milk and also suppress ovulation while a women is breastfeeding. We were made that way so that during the early nursing period a women could not get pregnant and therefore help the survival of the nursling. Makes sense, No? Anyway, a women can have elevated levels of prolactin while NOT lactating and it can cause infertility due to suppression of Ovulation.
There are several reason for an unhealthy increase in prolactin levels, but the ones that "fit" with me are stress and an increase in prolactin due to a problem with Thyroid. Since we all know I have a thyroid problem it isn't that far of a stretch to think that my thyroid could be causing an increase in my prolactin levels.
This is leading me to believe that I should actually cancel my appt with my OB/Gyn (who would probably try BCP first, which I would object to) and just get in to see my endocrinologist. I would think that he would have a better grasp of the way my thyroid problem may play a part in my infertility. He may also be able to determine if my thyroid problem in and of itself is the cause for my infertility.
So I am still trying to figure it all out. But at least I have a path to follow now. It may not lead to answers, but at least we can eliminate some of the possibilities if nothing else. If anyone has any information that might be useful to me in this quest, I would appreciate you sending it along my way.
April 28, 2008
Calling my Girls!
Hi ladies. I am having a WACKY cycle. I know that some of you have personal experience with weird cycles and I just thought that perhaps someone could give me some insight. I thought that if I gave you some information on what was happening with me, that you could play "Mystery Diagnosis" and help me out! LOL!
Here is my story: After I had Mason I had the normal amount of post partum bleeding. I nursed him for 18 months with an abundant milk supply. These two things seem to indicate that all was well with me hormonally. At least at that point. At the end of January to the beginning of February I weaned Mason. As I started the weaning process I started to pay more attention to my cervical mucous (CM) as my nursing were fewer and fewer. CM is the first indication of returning fertility. As my CM became more and more fertile, I started to take my temperature in the morning. I still had not had a Post Partum Period yet, so I just started my chart from when I started to see returning fertility in my CM. Tim & I were still undecided on whether to try to conceive (TTC) at that point or wait a few more months. Well during that week of returning fertility Tim had a momentary lapse of reason and "failed" at our method of Birth control. LOL! I was not really worried since I thought it was too soon for me to Ovulate since I had just begun spacing Mason's nursing out. But Low and behold my temp shifted a day or so after our birth control mishap. ECK! We figured that I should start taking the prometrium (progesterone supplements I usually take when TTC to help maintain a pregnancy and avoid a miscarriage). I called my DR and got a prescription filled and started taking it. Here is my chart from that cycle:
So Tim & I had our "mishap" on Cycle day (CD) 14 and I ovulated on CD16. I started taking the prometrium on CD 18. Not surprisingly, I started to spot on CD24 and my period started full force on CD 27. That gave me a 11 day Luteal Phase (LP = the time from Ovulation to period starting). Considering this was my first cycle since weaning it was not alarming that it happened this way. But once the baby bug hit me I could not get it out of my head. So we decided to actively TTC the next cycle. My pre-ovulatory temps were kinda all over the place and the day that I actually ovulated is still kinda debatable. Because I did not have a clear thermal shift and Tim was working out of town we again were unsure if we catch the egg or not. And I had a delay in Ovulation which I am not sure of the cause. I probably started taking the prometrium too soon and it delayed or even prevented a viable egg from being released. So again our timing was off. This time thanks to the prometrium and a decrease in my Breastfeeding hormones my LP was 12 days long. During my LP I thought for sure that I was pregnant so I had a blood test drawn when I went in for my routine thyroid blood draw. The pregnancy test came back negative, but my thyroid test was within normal range. So again at this point my hormones seemed to be in somewhat of a balance. Once I received the 2nd negative blood pregnancy test I stopped taking the prometrium and my period started within a few days. See chart below:
When we did not conceive on the last cycle we decided to sit the next cycle out and let my body kinda reset and also avoid conceiving a baby that would be due in December. We thought that the next cycle would be easy peasy, just wait it out and then get back to TTC in April. Well I am still currently ON that cycle! Today is CD50. Yes you read that correctly... 5-0, 50, fifty. Yup. Long cycle. It seems that my body has "geared - up" to ovulate a few times without actually releasing the egg. We thought I Ovulated on CD27, but 12 days later and no period. All the pregnancy tests are negative. Then I thought perhaps I ovulated on CD 40. But my temps took a nose dive to a pre-ovulation range of temps. So then today I thought perhaps I have ovulated since my temp is higher today (97.6*) than it has been the previous 31 days. But I won't know for sure for another 2-3 days. I need a few more temps to confirm ovulation. The sad thing is that since I have "thought" I ovulated like 3 times now, and I "thought" Tim and I were safe to go without birth control, we have done so on a few occasions. While the potential for pregnancy is a LOOONNNGGG shot, there is still some potential. This is only a problem because pregnancy is one of those things I really LIKE TO PLAN! Ugh. Here is my current (and somewhat never-ending) cycle:
You can go to: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/35660 there you can see my charting homepage for a clearer and more detailed view of my chart.
The other portion of this is some new symptoms that have cropped up in conjunction with old symptoms. I am mostly concerned that all of these are indicative of a hormone imbalance, be it PCOS, Thyroid, or some other hormonal dysfunction. My "old" symptoms are:
- Low Thyroid function - but has been well controlled on meds
- skin tags
- thin/thinning hair
- dark pigmentation of skin folds and groin area
- low waking temps
- Long patches of fertile quality CM (more than 4-5 days)
- Ovarian cyst on right ovary that causes constant dull pain for most of cycle.
New symptoms are:
- dark hair growth on upper lip
- long cycles
- delayed ovulation/possible annovulatory cycles
- No clear thermal shifts confirming ovulation
I know that a few of my close friends have had PCOS or still have PCOS. Other close friends have had other non diagnosed hormonal imbalances. So I am hoping to hone in on the minds of my girls and the collective research we have all done to find some answers. I am really wanting to avoid things like Birth control pills, clomid or other fertility drugs if possible. Tim & I have been doing some soul searching on what these developments mean in terms of our family planning, but feel we don't have enough information yet. Please if you have information to share, do so!
Thanks so much!!!
April 8, 2008
Stupid Stupid Stupid OPKs!
I hate them I hate them I hate them! OPKs are the silliest invention on earth next to Banana Hammocks ( the ACTUAL banana hammocks, not just boys in tight underwear... eeewww Yuck). So I have been faithfully charting my cycle, Temps, Cervical fluid and position, moods, cramps, heck even diarrhea. I have also been peeing on ovulation prediction strips (aka. OPKs) on a daily basis. So the stars aligned, oceans washed up on whatever shore, Moon shone bright, my CP and CM all indicated I ovulated. Yippie, right? Nope the stupid OPKs are STILL negative. Negative negative negative. What a TOTAL waste of time, energy, and (dare I say it) PEE!
Here is my chart for this month indicating that I ovulated on Saturday:
So there it is. CP, CM, Temps, everything all indicate Ovulation! The only thing that is NOT aligned is the stupid Opks. So guess what....I faked it! I put a + on the chart where I thought my OPKs were "the most positive" even though by the directions it was still a negative. Grrrrr. Here is the picture of my whole OPK series:
They look negative right? The rule is 2nd line must be "as dark or darker" than the control line. Yeah.... none of mine fit that description. In fact the ONLY one that even has a 2nd line was Number 19 (3rd from bottom). Here is a closer picture of that OPK (at the very bottom):
Yeah I put a RED arrow up there to point to the line so you might be able to catch a glimpse of the faint faint faint line. Grrrrrrrrrrr
I asked around on some message boards about other women's experiences with OPKs and they say that I am doing it correctly. Oh did I forget to mention there are RULES when you take OPKs? Ah yes.... the "rules": You CANNOT use First Mornings Urine. But the urine you do use must be concentrated urine. So they suggest you deprive yourself of fluids and the toilet for 3-4 hrs to let the urine get good and concentrated before testing. Then you must pee into a clean cup and dip the strip for 5 second but not more than 7 seconds! LOL! So if I am doing it correctly and I am not over saturating my strips but still not getting a Positive OPK then 1 of 3 things is happening.... 1) My LH surge is very short and happens overnight when I am not testing because I can't use first mornings urine. or 2) I am a freak that does not metabolism LH into my urine in measurable amounts or 3) I am so afraid of daily dehydration and I won't allow myself to damage a kidney just to test for a stupid LH surge that May or May Not be occurring! I vote for the latter! LOL!
Now I have about 75 (yes you read that correctly...75 seventy - five) OPKs test strips. And as far as I am concerned they are USELESS! I did only pay like 30 cents a strip plus shipping,but still I am out some $22.50! I think I will try to sell the OPKs on a message board! LOL!
All this crap and I am not even TRYING to get pregnant this cycle! LOL!
Anyone have a comment? Please oh please comment! I need someone to share my misery with!
April 4, 2008
The evils of Charting and Stupid OPKs
Some of you may or may not be aware that Tim and I are considering trying to conceive a 4th child. (Oh and to save some of you from wasting your breath.... Yes we know what causes babies. Yes we know how to prevent them. . And lastly NO we don't care if we have a boy or a girl and we aren't "trying" for any particular gender. Yup I think that covers all of the potential 1 liners from the peanut gallery! ;op ). Anyway I recently weaned Mason from breastfeeding 2 months ago. Once I weaned him it only took a week or so for me to start cycling again. My first 2 cycles were somewhat dysfunctional and very difficult to understand. I had a hard time pinpointing ovulation and my period seemed liked it was "late" but who really knows since I never did nail down my Ovulation date. But my period did finally arrive. This month for SURE we are trying to NOT get pregnant since our potential due date would have been December 20th-ish. Yeah, we would NOT want to plan another Christmas time baby. So we have had a few things to consider in the whole scheme of trying to conceive. The number 1 issue is timing. When Tim works out of town 5-7 days at a time it would be easy to "miss the window" of ovulation. So to combat the timing issue I have been trying to "predict" when I would ovulate so that when the time comes for us to conceive that I could tell Tim either, yes you can go to work out of town or No you best stay around town. I chart my cycles. I monitor cervical fluid, basal body temperature and even my cervical position on a daily basis. This is all in an effort to "predict" when the big Ovulation or Egg day will arrive. But herein lies the problem....
Charting is a RETROSPECTIVE activity. You chart your temps on a graph and you watch to see when your temp shifts from a low pre-ovulatory range to a high post ovulatory range. And after 3 high temps that are higher than the previous 6 days you know you Ovulated.... three days ago! Charting is NOT a predictive method of determining when you are going to ovulate. Now your Cervical fluid and Cervical position can give you some hint and information on your body's process of gearing up to ovulate but alas even they can not be the fortune teller in your egg's exit from the ovary.
So last cycle I used the OPKs 2 or sometimes 3 times in a day. Lets just say it did NOT help me pinpoint Ovulation any better than my temps, Cervical Fluid or Position. Here is a picture of my chart:
So now I am in a holding pattern. I can't try to conceive this cycle because it would put my due date at Christmas. And I swear I am in the cycle that WILL NOT END! As of today I am on day 24 of my cycle with still negative OPKs and no temp shift. Which translates to No ovulation as of yet.
I am still using the OPKs in hopes that if I am trying to avoid getting pregnant that perhaps I could use the OPKs with less pressure and perhaps learn something more about my body. So far it has been a HUGE PITA (pain in the ass), and I have thus far not learned anything except that I hate OPKs! LOL!
The only shinning star in this whole mess is that I did find an online resource that sells the OPKs and the HPTs (home pregnancy tests) for very cheap, so at least I won't go broke peeing on sticks! If you are interested visit: http://www.saveontests.com/ . The tests seem to be more sensitive and more reliable than the OTC tests.
So If anyone wants to take a look at my this months chart you can visit it at: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/35660 And I will probably be posting more about stupid OPKs as my journey continues.
Has anyone out there in cyber-land had good luck with OPKs in the past? Or am I really just wasting Money, energy and brain cells trying to "predict" a God-Thing! LOL!
Charting is a RETROSPECTIVE activity. You chart your temps on a graph and you watch to see when your temp shifts from a low pre-ovulatory range to a high post ovulatory range. And after 3 high temps that are higher than the previous 6 days you know you Ovulated.... three days ago! Charting is NOT a predictive method of determining when you are going to ovulate. Now your Cervical fluid and Cervical position can give you some hint and information on your body's process of gearing up to ovulate but alas even they can not be the fortune teller in your egg's exit from the ovary.
Anyway, I started to look into how to predict ovulation and it didn't take long to discover Ovulation Prediction kits (OPKs). A little strip for women to pee on that measures the LH hormone in our systems. Your LH hormone surges 24-36 hours prior to Ovulation. It signals the Ovary to leggo of my eggo! The OPK tests the level of hormone in my pee and once it reaches a certain threshold the stick will show 2 lines.
Since"timing"is our biggest issue I thought what the heck....I will try the OPKs to "predict" my ovulation. And that is when I LOST MY FREAKIN' MIND!!!! LOL! So last cycle I go to Walgreen's and buy the "Answer" brand OPKs. Then I go online and do some research on OPKs and LH. I find out that LH can surge for less than 12 hrs, meaning that if you only test once a day you could miss the LH surge. Good Grief.... like I don't have enough to do, now I have to pee on a stick (POAS) twice a day! So then I read online that you should start to POAS OPK based on your average cycle length so that you don't miss your LH surge. I calculated my average as 31 days which would mean that I should start POAS OPK on day 13. But then I looked at my cycle history and I have Ovulated on day13 before so I decided I should give myself a few extra days in the beginning to see if I ovulate early. Which means that I wold need to start using the OPKs around day 10. And the latest day I have Ovulated was day 25. That is quite a range of time from day 10 to 25 to be using OPKs especially if I need to use them twice daily.So last cycle I used the OPKs 2 or sometimes 3 times in a day. Lets just say it did NOT help me pinpoint Ovulation any better than my temps, Cervical Fluid or Position. Here is a picture of my chart:
I think that those 2 high temps on day 20 and 22 kinda threw me and I started taking the prometrium too soon. But those high temps coincided with my positive OPK on day 20. Here is a picture of the OPKs: http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/kalico24/oB40.jpg
They looked positive to me on the 20th day, but apparently the test line has to be as dark or darker than the control line. So I guess those were negative. But compared to the rest of my strips those were the most possible positive ones that I had. After the fact or RETROSPECTIVELY I looked at my chart when I kept getting Negative pregnancy tests and saw that I probably did not Ovulate until day 25. We timing our "trying" poorly and I started taking progesterone supplements too early which delayed my period and caused me all sorts of stress. So I am NOT pregnant and am still slightly upset about it! LOL!
So now I am in a holding pattern. I can't try to conceive this cycle because it would put my due date at Christmas. And I swear I am in the cycle that WILL NOT END! As of today I am on day 24 of my cycle with still negative OPKs and no temp shift. Which translates to No ovulation as of yet.
I am still using the OPKs in hopes that if I am trying to avoid getting pregnant that perhaps I could use the OPKs with less pressure and perhaps learn something more about my body. So far it has been a HUGE PITA (pain in the ass), and I have thus far not learned anything except that I hate OPKs! LOL!
The only shinning star in this whole mess is that I did find an online resource that sells the OPKs and the HPTs (home pregnancy tests) for very cheap, so at least I won't go broke peeing on sticks! If you are interested visit: http://www.saveontests.com/ . The tests seem to be more sensitive and more reliable than the OTC tests.
So If anyone wants to take a look at my this months chart you can visit it at: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/35660 And I will probably be posting more about stupid OPKs as my journey continues.
Has anyone out there in cyber-land had good luck with OPKs in the past? Or am I really just wasting Money, energy and brain cells trying to "predict" a God-Thing! LOL!
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