Hey Ladies! Just Checking In & Housekeeping

Hello!  First off, I think I'm on CD 2000.  Seriously.  My last period was Christmas day.  I took two weeks of Prometrium, and finished over two weeks ago... and still no AF!  PCOS, you suck.  I really don't want to take another round, it makes me so miserable.

So how are you all doing?  I'm still playing catch up from my time out of town last week.  Did I miss any big announcements?

One bit of housekeeping:  Is there anyone who would be interested in being moderator for the Wednesday night TTC Happy Hour chat?  I'm trying to "unplug" a little bit during the week.  I'm still going to try and attend, but it would be nice to have another admin.  You'd be responsible for sending out the reminders on Twitter, and obviously attending the happy hour.  And booting any trouble makers!  And thats about it.  It'd be nice to have at least 2 additional moderators, 1 Wednesday regular and 1 "sub" if me or Wednesday moderator can't attend that night. 

So please let me know if you are interested!  Thanks!

2dpiui and I'm feeling stabby

Friday we had our IUI with 4 good follies and only 4 million (WBC) white blood cells in P's sample :) This is GREAT because that is the lowest that it's been in months. I thought he only had 4 mil last month but that apparently was sperm count after trying to clean away "too many to count" WBC. We are cautiously optimistic this time :)

I started Prometrium 200mg last night. I have taken this med orally to bring on AF and I had terrible side effects. This time I am taking it vaginally and today I am feeling stabby and exhausted. I've only been up an hour and a half and already I want to go back to sleep. It's better than the dizziness, migraines and nausea that I had when I took it the last time. I have to stay on it during the 2ww and then I get to POAS and hopefully see the word "pregnant" on the test.


Becca M (TTC_Queen)

Understanding the jargon !

I've had a couple people ask me before about all the jargon on Twitter and blogs like,TTC,AF,POAS that sort of thing so I thought I'd write a post translating it :)
Most of the people who read my blog already know what all this means but for new readers for someone new to the trying to conceive community this could be handy for you.

TTC- trying to conceive
AF- aunt flo (basically your period)
POAS- pee on a stick (another word for taking a pregnancy test)
HPT- home pregnancy test
IUI- intrauterine insemination (a fertility treatment)
IVF- another fertility treatment
HCG- Human chorionic gonadotropin (the hormone detected in pregnancy to confirm pregnancy)
Wandy- wandy is the vaginal ultrasound, lots of people call it wandy because it's more interesting :)
EWCM- this one is less common but still handy to know (egg white cervical mucus.

These are the basic jargon terms that you see on Twitter and blogs, hopefully this helped somebody :)



Cara x

formspring.me

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/MattsCherub

IUI #4 is happening

I had my CD12 date with Wandy today :) I have 4 good follicles-21, 15 and two 16s. After doing labs the RE decided that I will be getting inseminated on Friday at 11:45am. I am feeling good about this cycle and once again I have not been obssessing as much this time. Hopefully that "not obsessing" continues through the 2ww :)

We are hoping and praying that this IUI works because it will probably be our last shot before we move and before he deploys for a year. I could potentially require LOTS of adult beverages if this IUI is followed by a BFN.

Becca, aka TTC_Queen

Cycle Update

Today is CD2. AF came a few days early this time around, which I guess is better than the alternative. So this marks the comeback of my charting. Honestly, I'm not looking forward to it. It already seems like my thoughts are constantl revolving around TTC, but when I am charting, it feels like its running my life. Its really just a problem with me and my inability to find balance. I've always been that way, I'll focus so hard on one or two things, that everything else just fades into the background. ,

I think that my body keeps on playing a life long practical joke on me. "Ha ha Sharon, I so got you!". My husband and I had a romantic evening planned last night, because I still had a few days before we had to worry about AF, and bam. There she is. What a citag. Screeching halt on romantic plans. Not that it was a bad night by any means, we hung out, goofed around, like we always do.

This is my first cycle since I started the Metformin, I'm hoping it does its job..

The bitch is back

Yup, AF made her exuberant entrance yesterday morning.  Apparently, Mother Nature and my uterus aren't on speaking terms because one of them isn't getting the message from my heart!  So we begin again.

Oh well...just another month to add to the 30 before!  That is insane...30 months!  Oy!

Cycle Update

Today is CD 18 and I think I am only just now ovulating. Or at least, it would sure appear so as I am having the very wet slimy cervical mucus (just what you wanted to know!). Of course I realize I'm hitting fertile just at the point where we can't have sex. My husband is doing a diabetes resistance drug test for some extra money (since he no longer has a job). They are doing the screening on Friday and he has to go without caffine, drugs, alcohol, and ejaculation 48 hours before the screening. I'm hoping this means they'll be doing a seman analysis (for free!) since he hasn't gotten it done yet and needs to. But still makes it difficult. If my body had just done what it was supposed to and ovulated on CD 14! Hope all is going well for everybody else!

Brittany

formspring.me

What the heck is this?

IDK something where you ask people random ?'s. I was bored.... IDK. Is this Courtney? HAHA

Ask me anything

New Member!

Hello yalls! I'm Kate Austen. Not only am I new to TTC Happy Hour, but I'm also new to the TTC world in general. Please read my recent blog posts at:   http://planningtobepreggo.blogspot.com/ and you'll see I'm in a unique position. I am the poster child for "my biological clock is ticking and I need to get knocked up!" I'm trying very hard to get my affairs in order so that I can be married and start TTC.  That's an actual picture of me my BFF took while we were at the mall.  I don't know whose baby that is though.  My BFF said she had to snap the picture because one moment we were strolling along and the next she looked around and saw me holding some poor unsuspecting mother's baby.  (ha ha)

My DHTBH ("dear husband to be hopefully") and I have TTC naturally over the course of our 4-year relationship, but since I have PCOS, well....its highly unlikely to achieve a BFP that way. Early in our relationship, I expressed to him how serious I am about having a baby.  James (aka Sawyer) was not opposed to this and we agreed that we needed to get a few things in order (i.e. he needs to get a stable job and that we get married). Years have passed and we are still in the same predicament. Sawyer is almost adamant now about not having a baby until his finances are stable.  I agree but time is just not on my side anymore.

I just turned 36 and my biological clock feels more like a time bomb. So in addition to having infertility dilemmas due to PCOS, my issues are: (1) Trying to lose weight so I can conceive at a healthy weight; (2) Getting financially prepared for a child; (3) How much longer can I wait for ideal conditions before I TTC?; (4) Why hasn't Sawyer married me yet?; (5) Do I twist Sawyer's arm and demand that he impregnate me? (6) Is Sawyer really my DHTBH or is all this drama we're going through a sign?

My blog is a TTC blog mixed with a soap opera.  My middle name Anxiety. Actually I have two middle names - Anxiety and Ridden. And two last names - Buthopeful and Austen.

Kate Anxiety Ridden But Hopeful Austen.

Question....

Hi everyone,
I haven't done a cycle update in forever, but it's just not as exciting right now while not actively ttc.
Having said that however, there is something strange happening and I'm wondering if anyone has any insight.
AF was a week late, finally showing after 3 days of spotting. That was on the 9th. So I'm on cd8 now and still haven't had a full flow. It seems to come out bright red when I pee but never onto a pad! I have never experienced anything like it. I feel like I didn't even have a real period.
Has anyone had this happen to them? I poas on the 5th and it was bfn. Would love any advice y'all have to give.

Thanks!
Nat (NaVe)
-- Post From My iPhone

Hi, sorry!

Hi Ladies,
Sorry it has been a while.  Things have been crazy and I am due for bed right now.  But wanted to touch base real quick.  Had an interesting dream last night, but if you want details you'll have to visit my blog because I don't want to recount it again!

AF is due Thursday and no symptoms like last time...aka boobs hurting like someone was trying to use me as a punching bag each night!  Don't know if that is good or bad...keep you posted!

Hope you and yours had a nice Valentine's Day! 

Talk soon and much love,
Niki

Long time no chat!

Hey there ladies, so its been a long time....
Just thought id check in and say hello...
HELLO!
I always read all of your posts, i have them on a feed to my email so i never miss one ;)

And i am always, always thinking and praying for you all, my heart breaks all the time, and tears flow freely when i am reading some of you blogs. I sometimes i feel when i am commenting that you may see me as hypocritical, but i do understand, i was there... And yeah, it is different for me now, my pain has subsided, but i still understand, and i still remember that you are going through what i have been through, and i wish sometimes that there was more i could do then whisper some words. I often wish i could take away your pain and i wish that things could just have been simpler, or could just be simpler for everyone. But i cant, so i try with words, and hopefully somehow in some small way they help.

I just wanted to say that i am thankful for each and everyone of you out there who helped me get to this point, and who still give me amazing amounts of encouragement when i need it most...

I am 11 weeks tomorrow, and hoping that the next week bring me nothing but more excitement and joy. I have a blood test screening on Thursday this week, a doctors appointment on the 24th for my lupus check up, and a 12 week scan on the 25th...

Thank you once again for all your amazing support, i just hope that i can be as supportive to you guys as you have been to me...

Chasing A Miracle

PCOS,what to look for and ways to diagnose

I'm a pcos sufferer and quite a few times I've asked what the symptoms are or how do I know if I got it. Well I wanted to do this post so that for those people there is proper information from a real sufferer. It could be quite long so if you don't need to read this I won't take offense if you go somewhere else :)

Right let's start with the symptoms, there are many symptoms on PCOS but people don't neccasarily have all of them so don't think just because you don't have a symptom, you don't have pcos.

**TMI alert **
Symptoms:
1. Irregular or absent menstrual cycles. Not everyone has irregular or absent cycles, some women have perfect cycles. But for me my menstrual cycles are extremely heavy, and very irregular, sometimes every 2-3 months sometime 6-8 months.

2. Hirsutism is another common symptom with pcos, hirsutism is excess hair growth, most women get it on the face, I get it on my face, back and stomach. Hirsutism can be treated.

3. Sometimes women with pcos get the exact opposite of hirsutism which is hair loss, such alopecia.

4. Acne is also a very common symptom of pcos, I get really bad acne, which I treat with normal acne/spot treatment but you can also get medication from your doctor to treat the acne.

5.weight gain/ struggling to lose weight. This is one of the most unhelpful symptoms of pcos, you put on weight or struggle to lose it because of the hormonal imbalances or insulin resistance but insulin resistance is not always a symptom for all women.Metformin can be used to help weight loss.

6. Fertility issues. This is one of the most irritating symptoms/problems that comes with pcos. A lot of women don't even know they have pcos until they encounter issues trying to get pregnant, clomid is usually prescribed to help this but if that doesn't work there are other options such as iui or ivf.

7. Skin tags/darkening of the skin. Skin tags normally appear under the arms, on your bra line and also on your neck, skin tags can normally be ignored, but a dermatologist can remove them if there troublesome. Darkening of the skin round the neck, back, chest or even face is a sign of insulin resistance as well as pcos. There isn't treatment for palmers cocoa butter from superdrug in the uk is really good for it as well as stretch marks or scars.

I can't comment on any treatments such as metformin or the birth control pill as my doctor refuses to treat me. If you see any of these symptoms, see your doctor and asked to be tested for pcos. Next we are gonna cover ways to get diagnosis.

Ways to diagnose.
**TMI Alert**

1. Blood tests. Blood test are used to help diagnose pcos by looking for hormone imbalances and also insulin resistance. They test for glucose levels and also for thyroid under/over activity, which can be a problem with pcos.

2. Ultrasound. This can be done either pelvic, or the same ultrasound you have when your pregnant. I had a pelvic ultrasound, which isn't particularly nice, I found it a little bit painful but mainly uncomfortable, if your worried or unhappy having a pelvic ultrasound then ask the sonographer to do the other type. The results are then sent back to your doctor who puts your ultrasound with the blood tests to make a diagnosis of pcos.

I hope that this post has been helpful, and remember that if you have any of the symptoms then please go see your doctor ! If you have any other questions then follow me on Twitter, my user name is iwillbeatpcos and I will be happy to help anyway I can.

Thankyou for seeing this post through to the end ! I'm sure there were better things for you to do !

Cara x

Blah, B-F'ing-N

Today is 16dpiui and I got a BFN. Last dose was Crinone so AF should come this weekend. I'll be starting the guided fertility meditation from Circle+Bloom this coming cycle. I'll continue with my teas and supplements and during the time before the IUI I will be running and doing yoga.

In my personal blog I talked about our plans once we move if our last IUI here doesn't knock me up. I am 100% confident and okay with those plans. I don't want to spend our limited time before deployment stressing about getting a referral to an RE, finding ways to pay for meds and being even more emotional because of fertility medications. I want to enjoy that time with him as much as possible and not worry about anything.

So there's my update. I haven't shed a tear yet today, most because I am at my parents' home and don't want to upset them. Probably good that I am here with them, keeps my mind occupied.

Becca M. 

formspring.me

If your house was on fire and you could only grab three things, what would they be?

Easy. 1) My NSync Autographs. 2) My laptop (so I could blog while it was happening!) and 3) A bunch of clean undies.

Ask me anything

Late Introduction

Hello everyone!  I think I'm friends with most of you on Twitter.  But if not, here's my blog and Twitter.  Anyways, I'm Kaitlin and I'm 21 years young.  My husband, Rob (23), and I have been married for 10 months (together for almost 3 years).  We've only been TTC for six months and it's already discouraging.

We thought last month was THE month, but turns out AF decided to be 2 days late and give me a bunch of mixed signals.  When AF finally showed up I was heartbroken.  My husband hugged me and told me it would be alright; we always have next month.

This month I've decided to start temping (if I can remember).  I've thought about OPKs, but I don't know which are a good brand.  I'm going to enter into this next cycle relaxed, hopefully.  I need to remember to listen to my Circle + Bloom everyday, when I do remember it's so calming.

I feel so lucky to have met all of you and to have you to talk to while going through this.  I know this is a half-assed post, but I thought it was about time I posted something in here.

Thanks for listening!

@ Ah... My Married Life

Short Update On My IUI Cycle.

So today is CD12 and I have IUI tomorrow morning!! I did Injections with this IUI cycle and I have 10 FOLLICLES! Yes you heard right, 10! And we are VERY happy about that! My 1st IUI I had 2 follicles and my 2nd I only had 1, with both of those IUIs I was on Femara (It was HELL) so are the Injections, I have seem to be having way more mood swings on the Injections. I have gone into the Fertility Clinic everyday this week for Ultrasounds and Blood work. Feels like I spend most my time there, haha. But I got my Trigger Shot Today and IUI will be in the morning!! And my blood test will be the 25th!THIS IS IT! I can feel it in my heart, soul and even in my bones. Please keep my Husband and I in your prayers. :)

An Update From MommaRoberts :o)

Hi ya everyone!!!

Sorry I know it's been awhile. :/

I always fall way behind when Hubby is home and other times I just can't think of what to write. Then there's the fact that, well , nothing really exciting has happened. So here we go! Are you ready????? Haha ok, so this is Cycle 20 (according to me, 24 according to my doctor :/ I'll explain later). I am on CD 20 and 6 dpo (I think). Yep that's right!!! According to my OPKs I ovulated on CD 14! That's a first! I am so excited about that. I am not so excited about the fact that I have not been able to chart this month. :( I had to have a tooth pulled two weeks ago and I had a slight fever the whole week. So that threw charting right out the window. I did, however, get a positive OPK on CD 12 & 13! So that leads me to believe (along with some pain) that I ovulated on CD 14!

I also, finally, got to go to the new Doctor!! I freaking LOVE her! Go HERE to read about the whole appointment. It was awesome! She is amazing! She is jumping right on for treatment. Told me all the days I will need to come in and gave hubby his SA kit! So we are looking good! I am still crossing fingers for this cycle, but at least I know if this cycle is a bust I am on the right track!! So I guess that's it for this update!! Fingers are crossed for everyone!!!

Don't Mind That Noise

So today is day 2 of me taking the Metformin. I was hoping that I would be part of the less than 50% of the people who have no bad side effects, but the gurgling noise that my stomach is making is leading me to believe that I'll be one of the many people who get sick.

Gurgle gurgle.

Just hearing the noise is totally making me gag.

You know that scene in Van Wilder where the girl puts "Mega Colon Blow" in her douchey boyfriends protein shake, and his stomach starts yelling when he's in the middle of that test.. Thats what my stomach is doing. And I just know people around me can hear it. Ewwe.

Tummyaches are no fun, where's my Ginger Ale when I need it?!

To all you ladies who have taken the Metformin, did you have the yucky tummy side effects? How long did they last?

Rant & quick CD update...

I had to wait until today to say thank you to y'all for the comments on my last post. I was so touched that I had the support from you. I'm so glad for finding this blog if only for the support and knowing I'm not a horrible person when my Father-in-law posts pics of my nephew on facebook and I want to throw the computer out the window or break down and cry- both are viable options.

Anyways, I promised Roxanne I'd post on here more crap that's happening (namely b/c I don't want to put it on my own blog due to in-laws reading it and I don't want them to feeling bad for me when they're rejoicing in everything else). So we went on vacation last month, we knew that we would be going up to Utah for the baby blessing of my nephew in April. I've been telling myself "it's okay, it'll only be for a couple of days- you can make it." Yeah, that was until I realized my brother-in-law will also be getting married in April, so I'll be around the baby even more. I honestly don't know how I'll handle it. I love my in-laws so very much! I love the people the are and would never want to hurt them in any ANY way. But to see how happy they are about baby Jack feels like a knife going through my heart. Namely because I want it to be our child. I want them to be excited for us. I may be an attention hog, I realize that. But when I dream about finding out I'm pregnant- I dream about telling them first (after my dh of course) and the excitement they'll show. It just continues to feel as if my dream is being ripped away from me. Anyways, to add on top of that, while in Utah I'll of course have to see one of my best friends. (I honestly forgot that she was in Utah and told her we'd be up there, otherwise I probably wouldn't go see her b/c of all this. Some friend I am.) She is pregnant with #2 and I am not in agreement with this pregnancy. She's only been married for 2 years and neither of them is really working. But that's for another rant. Oh, and yeah, she's due for the weekend we're there.

So yeah, in short- I don't know how to handle April and want to hide away through everything. I wouldn't mind going and crying right now, but I don't want to worry my sweetheart. I'm really feeling low today. And I'm not even taking any hormones! Okay, enough of my rant.

Just an update- CD 10 and hoping I ovulate on my own again this month. Good luck to all this month!

Blah. Definitely Got the Ho-Hums. I Hate You, Progesterone.

Hey ladies.  I missed ya'll last night, but I hope you all enjoyed the Superbowl.

I'm so blaaaaahhhhhh right now.  I'm just a hair under CD 50.  Didn't ovulate this past month, even though I took Femara this cycle.  Now I haven't had a period, so I'm back on progesterone to force a period.  This time we're doing Prometrium.  Last time, Provera made me really "irritable"... but Prometrium just makes me really really sad.

Not only sad, but it also makes me feel self-conscious, and lonely.  I feel like the uncool kid at school.  On top of having a hard time emotionally, work has been really rough lately... my company is facing either massive budget cuts or possibly being shut down completely.  I've been working long hours just to try and keep my fingers in the dam.  I'm the primary breadwinner for our family, and not working isn't an option.  We'd be decimated. 

I've been trying to make time to do the blog, but not much more.  I feel I am so behind on everything!  Reading all your blogs, catching up on Twitter.  I'm so sorry if I'm behind on anything going on in your lives right now.  I feel like I'm juggling so many balls right now, and many things are slipping right through my fingers.

I just wish AF would come already, the sadness is just really suffocating. Blah.

Sorry to be so bah humbug.

Fish oil and diet pills

I've been a real slacker on my blog lately so I thought I'd post an update for you all.

Well first off I've started taking omega 3 fish oils, I've heard they're good for pcos symptoms and general heart and brain health. I've also bought some Adios, which are diet pills. They're supposed to help speed up your metabolism so your burn more calories/fat. I only started them today so I will update on my weight loss and whether they've helped in a couple of weeks.

On a final note, I'm CD31 with no signs of AF, PMS or anything. AF was due on the 4th so she's already late anyway. Chances are this will be another EXTREMELY long cycle as usual.


Cara x

Maybe, maybe not.

I'm on day 27 in my cycle. I calculated that this cycle will be approximately 35 days, give or take (and that's a reallllly rough estimate).

So technically, according to what I think, I should be in the 2ww. I did just start taking Fertility Blend this cycle, so I'm hoping (crossing fingers and toes and anything else that can be crossed) that I'll have a "normal" length of a cycle.

I didn't really track anything this month besides the length of my cycle because I wanted to give myself a good month of taking these vitamins before I started my regime. You know the drill: basal temps, opk's, the whole nine yards.

I want to be so hopeful, but really when it comes down to it, I'm not so much. I don't think this is going to happen naturally for us.

My hubby is taking the male version of Fertility Blend. He seems to think that this is going to work. He also seems to think that if we just BD more it'll happen.

I hate to be so pessimistic, but really? It's been nearly 6 years since I threw away the BC pills and we should have had an "Oops" by now. Not to mention, I tried clomid for a few months and that didn't work either.

I suppose in all reality, I'm doing this for the next five months just to "prove" to him that there is really something wrong. I'm no longer in denial that there's something wrong with one of us. I know something isn't right.

I just wish he would start to see it that way too.

HELP!

Okay, need help. Sister-in-law had baby this morning. First off, baby and mom are doing good, so no worries about that. But I was doing fine until I saw my Father-in-law's facebook status as "officially granparents". That hurts bad. It hurts that it's not us giving him the grandchild, even though we're both the oldest and have been married the longest. Our rejoicing is from me ovulating. (Hon! I just had large clumps of cervical mucus! Wahoo!- taken from actual conversation)

I just want this so badly! I wish my body would just do what it's supposed to.... Help! Somebody tell me something funny that will make me forget all this pain!

-Brittany

Nada my amigas...

Well, for anyone who missed my early morning POAS today...

BIG F**King Negative.

A BOO. :(

So, I wasn't actually thinking that this would be my miracle month... no clomid, no hcg, no progesterone...didn't even cycle monitor. I don't even know if I ovulated or not.  But I was still kind of hoping. No, I was REALLY hoping.  Especially after my one day of spotting 8 DPO (or when my fertility calandar on my iPhone said I ovulated. Had CM, all that jazz, but who really knows).

Oh, one more thing, in case anyone was wondering - went to the gyn on Monday and actually got seen... she did a pap which nearly made me pass out for some wierd reason.  And I told her (very briefly) about how I was not too happy at the fertility clinic she sent me to, so she said she will refer me to another dr. who specializes in Endo, PCOS, but not necesarily with such a focus on IF.  I think that if I have a dr. I can talk to then I'll be able to stomach being rushed through my appointments at the fertility clinic, so we'll probably wind up with a combination of the two. 

anyways... just thought I'd post on here and let you all know.
Can't wait to get back on the bandwagon in the spring and do IUI #1.
I've had enough of this - need my BFP now!

ps.
Don't forget to stop by my blog - and please vote for your favourite song!
Want to know which one to use for my birthday present to myself - a proffessional recording session for one song to make use a single/demo - my birthday just over a month away!