Something New

So DH and I had our second consultation with our new RE yesterday afternoon. We had had a new semen analysis done and my AMH level tested, and finally got all the records from our old fertility clinic over to him, so we wanted to review all that and get his opinion.

First of all, he pointed out some errors the old clinic made in our records, basically details in the notes that were inaccurate. We already knew they tend to ignore details, and that's one of the main reasons we left there. So it just solidified our reasoning behind going to a new clinic.

Second, he has diagnosed me with a mild/moderate form of PCOS - one that makes my  O dates a little wonky, but still allows me to O about once a month, and more importantly, that he is convinced is hurting my egg quality and thereby could be causing my miscarriages. So, I've started taking metformin. I'm totally excited about this just because it's something NEW I can do!

Third, he suggested DH get his thyroid levels checked, because hypothyroid can contribute to poor sperm morphology (DH's main fertility challenge). Did you know this? DH has a BMI that rides the fence between overweight and obese, and just now we're finding this out? All he has to do is take a simple blood test, for crying out loud! Anyway, it might turn out that his thyroid is normal, but there you have it.

Finally, DH and I have yet to decide whether or not we are going to do IVF for sure, but now, having seen a Doc who makes some sense, bothers to explain everything and answer questions willingly, even excitedly(!), we are finally having the serious discussions we need to have to reach a decision. These have not been easy convos. There have been tears and arguments, but we are becoming closer through it all. If we do IVF, we will probably plan for the February 28, 2011 monitoring cycle.

Although, I'm still hoping for a spontaneous pregnancy before then, thanks to Metformin. ;-)

~ Jamie,

Testing After Recurrent Miscarriage

OK, ladies. I'm posting this for 2 reasons. 1) I know there are several of you that have experience with this testing and may be able to either decipher some of it for me and/or have opinions on what's on it and what's missing, from your experience, and 2) Some of you who haven't had this experience might be curious about it.

I received my lab order today for all the testing the RE wants me to do in an effort to find the cause of my two early miscarriages. The weirdest part to me is that it includes an HSG (hysterosalpingogram), but I have a good one on file from a year and a half ago. Why they want another one is going on my list of questions to ask when I call them next week. (I can't take the tests for 6 weeks from the miscarriage, so I have time.)

Here are the others:

Blood Tests

CBC with differential (automated)
Comprehensive metabolic panel (aka Chem 20 panel)
Prolactin (fasting)
TSH
Antithrombin III Activity
Cardiolipin AB Wireflex to ID titer (aka Anticardiolipin Ab (IgG/IgM)
Factor II activity (prothrombin 20210A mutation)
Factor V (Leiden) Mutation
Fasting Homocysteine level, Plasma
Lupus Anticoagulant Evaluation
Phosphatidylserine antibodies (aka AntiPhosphoSerine Ab (IgG/IgM))
Plasminogen Activator Inhib (PAI-1)
Protein C-Activity
Protein S-Activity

Cervical Cultures
Routine aerobic (I am wondering what this is, because it's so vague-sounding)
Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma

That pretty much covers it. Please, share any thoughts. And thanks. =)

Second Miscarriage

This is going to be a little long...

So, obviously I've been tweeting about what's been going on with me a ton, but I know not everyone can keep up with everything on there, and since I haven't really posted about it on my own blog yet, I figured I should give an update on here. Two and a half weeks ago, we found out that our baby hadn't grown in the two weeks before, and her heartbeat was gone. So, this was another loss. She was only at about 6.5 weeks of growth in size, and was really not formed properly. I was on progesterone just like last time, even though this was a natural pregnancy. So I stopped the prog. and waited.

Two weeks later, after a litle spotting and some light cramps, nothing was moving along, so I took the misoprostol Rx my doc gave me. That was Friday afternoon. By Sat morning I had passed a lot of tissue, and an ultrasound on Sunday morning confirmed she was gone. The misoprostol was quite a bit more painful than I remember my un-medicated miscarriage in January being. I am still having painful cramps from it here and there, but they go away with 2 advil now, and everything is basically like having my period now. So, the worst of the physical part is over.

We just got the results back from blood testing for chromosomal abnormalities in DH and I, and we're both normal.  I have an order from the RE coming in the mail for about 6 weeks from now to do all the numerous other tests to try and find a cause for my miscarriages. However, based on what she sees as a lack of symptoms, history, or signs at age 34 that I have any of the possible problems, the RE is not confident that we're going to find anything. Basically, I'm too healthy. lol. When the order gets here, I'll tell all y'all what's on it (if I can read it-lol).

So my approach now will be to attack what potential Lifestyle and Environmental Factors I can. (Including losing 15-20 lbs.) I plan on posting all about these in my personal blog, but we'll see if I can get through the wall that has been preventing me from posting there.

Thanks for reading, and for all the support, you guys.

An Introduction and a Little Optimism

Hello, sister and brother TTCers.  This is my first post on TTC Happy Hour, so I feel a little awkward....and I thought a little introduction would be in order.  My name is Jamie, and I go by The Womb Warrior.  I'm a home manager, part-time solo business attorney, Sacramento budget events Examiner, volunteer, Greek Orthodox Christian, liberal Californian, and many other things.  I'm turning 34 in three weeks, and every once in awhile, I'm a little baffled as to how I got here.  I always thought I'd have at least two kids before I was 35.  DH and I got married at 30 and started TTC at 31.  We have moderate male factor infertility.  Of the six or so SA's DH has had, they all have low morphology, and the overall count and motility vascillate between normal and abnormal - but more often abnormal.  I started charting at the very beginning, but after almost two years of charting and having consistent ovulatory cycles, I stopped charting temps to relieve the stress. We had two IUIs last August and October, and actually got pregnant on the October IUI.  I miscarried on January 4th - it was a missed miscarriage diagnosed on December 28, but delayed because of the prog/est supp. I was on from the IUI cycle.

So, AF just showed up today, for the second time since the miscarriage.  After the m/c, we prevented for the five weeks before AF showed up.  We pretty much "relaxed" and ignored everything this last cycle.  This March cycle, we're just making sure we time BD during the fertile window.  If we still need to, we are planning on an IUI in April.

So now for some optimism: I started reading "The Secret," and watched the documentary movie with my mom today.  It talked about reframing your thoughts and feelings about what is going on in your life to the positive, so I'm working on this.  I'm imaging having the children I want in my life and in my home, instead of being afraid that they'll never come.  One of the things I'm going to do is to go ahead and complete the transformation of our guest room into a nursery!  I know, it seems (and feels) like such a big emotional risk.  But you know, I've been low. I've been knocked down. So what!  I know God, or the universe, or whatever you want to call It, isn't going to give me more than I can handle, so I'm going to imagine, and live for, the best that can be!  DH got a $75 gift card to Pottery Barn for being at his company for 10 years, and we're taking it and buying the diaper changing topper that we want to go on the dresser, and Mom and I are going to go pick out a crib! 

You might think I'm nuts, but the decision to think of my situation this way feels SO GOOD!  And my happiness is rubbing off on DH - I don't remember the last time we were enjoying each other's company and our lives so much.  As Dr. Wayne Dyer says, there is no path to happiness. Happiness is the path!