Any other DISers trying to concieve? Reread OP for the QOTD!

[skuttle]

Wow...y'all have been busy today!

Chelle... I think I would rather find out that something was wrong so that we could maybe try to fix it, or know for sure that it can't happen. I think nothing being wrong would make me feel worse so I understand.

cybrktn...Yay for AF! LOL! At least now y'all can move right along TTC. Good luck!

Denae...Did the guy on Dr. Phil actually say sperm container?? That's what my DH told me last month when I had a break down and was quite the witch to him.

Michelle...I'm SO glad someone else has heard of Sadie Hawkins! I was starting to think Gurgi wasn't believing my story!

AF seems to have left the building, so I'm looking forward to having fun this month and not worrying about TTC. I haven't taken my temp yet...I want to really really badly, but I'm trying to not do any of that this month. DH starts teaching band camps later this month, so I think our TTC times will be limited. But who knows, maybe we'll get lucky! Either way, it's nice to know that this is hopefully my last cycle before we can start the next step with figuring out why this is taking so long!

I know I haven't responded to everyone, but y'all were really busy today and DS keeps bugging me to get off the computer!

 

[Tasha+Scott]

cybrktn~ Funny you should ask. I just bought my OTC prenatals this afternoon (and will begin taking those tomorrow). I just bought the cheapest that Wal-Mart had. I think they are called Spring Valley or something like that. The other that they had was One Source prenatals. I checked out the back label and they appear basically the same but you have to take 2 daily with the One Source and you only need 1 daily for the Spring Valley. The Spring Valley is also cheaper. They also both contain 800 mcg of Folic acid and I believe Elaine said you are supposed to get 400 so 800 is more than enough. I honestly think any brand would be fine and I don't think an Rx would be necessary before you are pregnant and probably not even necessary while pregnant unless you become anemic or something while pregnant (like I did with my dd). I think OTC is fine.

And like someone else mentioned you could also always just take a folic acid supplement instead. I prefer the prenatals simply because I am replacing my multi-vitamin with it for the extra folic acid and I still get the other nutritional benefits as well. Glad AF finally appeared for you!

 

[cybrkitn]

cybrktn~ Funny you should ask. I just bought my OTC prenatals this afternoon (and will begin taking those tomorrow). I just bought the cheapest that Wal-Mart had. I think they are called Spring Valley or something like that. The other that they had was One Source prenatals. I checked out the back label and they appear basically the same but you have to take 2 daily with the One Source and you only need 1 daily for the Spring Valley. The Spring Valley is also cheaper. They also both contain 800 mcg of Folic acid and I believe Elaine said you are supposed to get 400 so 800 is more than enough. I honestly think any brand would be fine and I don't think an Rx would be necessary before you are pregnant and probably not even necessary while pregnant unless you become anemic or something while pregnant (like I did with my dd). I think OTC is fine.

And like someone else mentioned you could also always just take a folic acid supplement instead. I prefer the prenatals simply because I am replacing my multi-vitamin with it for the extra folic acid and I still get the other nutritional benefits as well. Glad AF finally appeared for you!

Thanks! I'll see what I can find at either Kmart or my local Eckerd

As far as AF is going, I'm still pretty much . I had what looked like AF this afternoon. But I haven't seen anything since . I've never had anything like this before and am so confused now more than ever as to what is going on with my body.

 

[helenabear]

Allison, toss your thermometer on the trash can... it will help you from wanting you to use it. From personal experience it is nice to have that time off now and then from TTC. So try to enjoy it and your DH just for who he is

Tasha, that was me who said the Folic Acid. I started out on my one a day which was "approved" as good by my doc. I no longer can take them w/o my stomach hurting so those and pre-natals are out. In the end, it truly doesnt' matter what you take as long as you get some folic acid in you. I can stomach kids vitamins and I admit I much prefer the taste... easier on teh stomach too

Cybrktn, I do hope your body straightens itself out. Maybe it just needed to rev up and now you'll see AF show again tomorrow. That's happened with me. It starts for a half a day, and then come into full force the next day. If not after 24 hours, I might call the doc just to see what they say... couldn't hurt. You might need a real "jump start"

 

[cybrkitn]

[Cybrktn, I do hope your body straightens itself out. Maybe it just needed to rev up and now you'll see AF show again tomorrow. That's happened with me. It starts for a half a day, and then come into full force the next day. If not after 24 hours, I might call the doc just to see what they say... couldn't hurt. You might need a real "jump start"

Looks like you're right. I saw AF again this morning, so it looks like I finally got it and skipped a month.

Thanks everyone for all listening and advice you have been giving me over these last few weeks. I really appreciate it!

 

[mickeyboat]

Elaine and Allison -

I am not a huge fan of Dr. Phil. I think he makes some good points, and sometimes a little tough advice is what his clients need. But I think he is starting to get a little Jerry Springer-Like, and he makes fun of his guests more than I think is necessary.

Be didn't call the guy a sperm container, but I remember when your DH said that. I think this guy was feeling the same way. The only time she wanted to BD was when she was ovulating, and there was no passion, or love in the act. I felt pretty bad for him, too.

I had a fun night out with the girls last night. It is an absolutely beautiful morning here, today, and the last place I want to be is at work.

Denae

 

[2bemarried]

morning all....

I had another checkup this morning. I had the same person from Monday that couldn't really find the follicles...so I logged a complaint to my nurse that I want to be able to have one specific doctor do all of my ultrasounds. She actually tries to find them.
I have to go back Monday for another checkup but judging from today I'll have 5 eggs to retrieve. Of course she had to give me a reality dose that out of those 5 there's only a 50% rate of fertilization and then a 50% rate of success at transfer.
Ya know...I know those stats already. I really didn't need to be reminded of them AGAIN.

Needless to say my hormones are raging and I cried to my nurse that it's all just not fair! Thankfully she's been through ivf too and knows exactly what we're all dealing with.

 

[helenabear]

Cybrktn, I am glad that AF has finally really shown her face! Sorry it has been such a roller coaster for you though And hey, that's what we're here for... to listen!

Denae, sorry to hear that Dr. Phil is getting to be more Jerry Springer like. I think he has always had a tendency to make quick judgments and generalize actions far too quickly. That's what I don't like about him. The giving tough advice is good IMO, but not quick judgements. I could say more about him, but that would be boring I know many people like him though and enjoy his show a lot! Then again i don't watch TV much at all anymore so I dont' even know half of what is out there now

Kristy ignore her... easier said than done, but sounds like she might need a talking too about her work in general (ethic as well as bed side manner). Remember you only need one little egg

 

[Gurgi]

Good afternoon ladies.

I think I'm coming down with something. My throat has been bothering me all day, and I've had this constant pain in my lower left abdomen for some reason. Ugh. Why is it that I have to be sick on a weekend?!

 

[mickeyboat]

Gurgi - I hope you are feeling better soon.

I am having a difficult afternoon - DH made me mad, someone at work made me mad, and it is raining again.

Hey - I am expecting AF on tuesday - anyone want me to have AF for them?

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Denae

 

[exwdwcm]

Michelle when you were getting to the point of retrieval did your stomach feel extremely bloated?
I swear I can feel these follicles and it's almost like a pre-flo bloated feeling.

Elaine yah...I can see Kate Winslet hairstyles looking really good on you. I've also been told to keep my chair at least chin length. Anything short is a disaster.

the bloating is so totally normal. i felt like i was a balloon before the ER. it was so terrible. but totally normal too, given how much your body is working overtime down there. I felt like i was carrying a rock around or something, it was such a heavy and uncomfortable feeling. It actually went away a day or two after the ER, but then it came back in full force after the ET (I had a 5 day transfer, so i have 5 days between ER and ET). after the ET, i once again was so so bloated and remained so and eventually just got bigger since i was in fact pregnant.

when is your ER? are you doing a 3 or 5 day transfer? I couldn't remember. good luck!!!!!!

 

[DznyLvr2005]

Geesh I dont know what's going on with my body.. I had that wierd AF last month, now I barely O'd and my BBs are absoultely killing me.. I mean, they hurt really bad.. Again, no chance what-so-ever to be preg. but I wonder if my hormones are just really messed up. I think I have that Corpus luteum cyst still, so maybe that's what's scrweing me up.
I'm so sick of going to doctor after doctor.. and paying all the copays!!!!
I'm kinda scared at the moment, cause, well it's just TMI but i'm just gonna say it! I've been having really bad stomach pains and if I'm not constapated, I'm having diarrea!! ugh... my md's don't seem too concerned even after I told them I noticed some *blood* in there ughhhhhh I feel like I'm losing control!!
I have the worst case scenerio in my head that I eaither have stomach cancer or worms or something.. I'm a total hypochondriac!!!! my doc said I'm going to need a colonoscopy ughhh

I've been reading everyone's posts and I hope you all find some good luck soon!

 

[exwdwcm]

Thanks! I'll see what I can find at either Kmart or my local Eckerd

As far as AF is going, I'm still pretty much . I had what looked like AF this afternoon. But I haven't seen anything since . I've never had anything like this before and am so confused now more than ever as to what is going on with my body.

yes, i don't think the brand matters. the 400-800 of folic acid is the most important. i haven't been on prenatnal prescription even once pregnant. in fact, i stopped taking prenatals over 3 months ago. they were making me so sick. i switched to children's flinestone's gummies instead. and even that is fine with my doc. so really the brand doesn't matter. as long as you are taking something. once pregnant, if your doc finds you lack something- like i was low on iron, then they might give you a prescription (i had one for iron pills and they were horrible!!).

Allison- yes, throw the BBT away this month and just enjoy your summer!

Kristy- hang in there- 5 is still good. keep thinking- quality, not quantity. and my doc actually told me that the stats were the 75% of the mature ones usually fertilize. i had 8 retrieved, so i was hoping that at least 6 fertilized, but i lucked out and all 8 fertilized! 100%! so don't lose hope. like i said, it really is about the quality of the egg!!

 

[cybrkitn]

I called my doctor's office and asked about the pre-natal vitamins. She said not to get the OTC brands and that she would call in a prescription for me. And after thinking about it, that is better anyway. At least cost wise it is. I can get a few months worth and only pay either a $5 or $15 co-pay through DH's med insurance.

So, I'll have the pre-natal vitamins soon and after AF is over, DH and I can start trying again.

 

[momsully]

Can't help much because it was 8 1/2 years ago, but the side effects I remember were gastrointestinal in nature, and I lost 13 lbs in 3 weeks. Oh, and incidentally, I got a BFP in 3 weeks, too.

I would hate the side effects but 13 pounds would be awesome! The BFP after 3+ years would be great too!

Skuttle - enjoy your month off! DH and I had a great vacation and did not even worry about TTC the whole trip. It was nice to take a break for a change.

Gurgi - It is never fun to be sick on the weekend.

2bemarried - Good luck with the ER. All you need is one!

Cybrkitn - Good luck this month.

helenabear - Enjoy the ultrasound on Monday. Hopefully the little (guy/girl) is cooperative so you can find out the sex if you want.

DznyLvr2005 - I would call a different doctor if your doctor is shrugging off the blood. It is probably nothing but I am like you and somewhat of a worrier. Feel better!

We have a busy weekend, swim meet tomorrow and tennis on Sunday. Baby Dust to everyone!

 

[AllyandJack]

DznyLvr, I have colonoscopies every few years. They're not that bad. The prep is worse than the actual test. Get yourself some Tucks pads. It could just be a hemmorhoid. That's where my blood was coming from. I have colitis, so I'm checked often and it's always a hemmorhoid that bleeds. But, hey, they're common in pregnancy anyway, so why not just start with them?

Kristy, I'm sorry the nurse felt the need to be all doom and gloom. Nobody knows and stats don't mean anything. Nobody knows until you try.

How is everyone? I haven't been able to check in much. My DD is a freakin' handful. I do get my nightly bath though. Dr. ordered. Good for the stitches. Just between us, I'm totally healed, but DH doesn't need to know that! As far as he's concerned, I still need to soak....for an hour....every night....for medical reasons.

I had to stop breastfeeding and that's been tough. I feel like a failure, even though I know it's best for both of us. I'm anemic, so she's not getting much of a nutrient benefit from me. I also can't stop losing weight. I feel sick all the time - achy and the chills. I had to start taking my colitis medication and it's not compatible with breastfeeding. Plus, she has reflux and, for some reason nobody can identify, my breast milk makes her sicker than formula. Ya, that's an ego boost.

So, my advice....don't buy an expensive breast pump for a month or so! Don't do it until you know it's going to work out. I'm glad I didn't waste the money.

I hope I'll be able to check in more since it seems there are lots of people gearing up for some big events!

 

[DznyLvr2005]

DznyLvr, I have colonoscopies every few years. They're not that bad. The prep is worse than the actual test. Get yourself some Tucks pads. It could just be a hemmorhoid. That's where my blood was coming from. I have colitis, so I'm checked often and it's always a hemmorhoid that bleeds. But, hey, they're common in pregnancy anyway, so why not just start with them?

Well without trying to explain too much, it's no like in the surface, it's like, in it.. ughhh...I so scared thinking I have cancer or something. I always have stomach pain, actually it's more like intestine pain.. I've had this for as long as I can remember... So what I'm really trying to say is there's not blood on the TP, just in the bm!

 

[skuttle]

I really am trying to relax this month. Like I said, DH will be busy with band camps during my prime time this month, so I don't want to push the issue since he'll be out in the hot sun from morning to night with a bunch of high school kids!

Today was tough, though. Well, I guess it started last night. We were watching the pop culture trivia thing on VH1 and two of the four teams we saw had a pregnant woman! I was like, Are you kidding me?? What are the odds? Then, today, I had to go to a continuing education class...a room of 25 with 3 pregnant ladies. Ugh! I cried on the way home...it was just too much.

But, I'm trying to stay positive. I'm going to finally use the spa gift card DH gave me for Valentine's day tomorrow. The whole thing should last 1.5 hours so I'm looking forward to it! This is my first spa treatment like this...how much am I supposed to tip? I'm getting a massage, a foot thing, a hand thing, and a little facial (Can you tell I don't do this often?? LOL!). I've also been letting my hair grow...told DH I wasn't cutting it until I got pregnant. Well, I'm aggravated with it and it's just a constant reminder that I'm not pregnant, so I think I may try to cut it off next week, too! I need a jump start out of all of this sadness so I'm hoping tomorrow will help with that!


Carla...don't worry about the breast feeding. I tried for a few days and it just didn't work out...we tried all kinds of things, but, without going into TMI, my ****s just had issues so DS wasn't getting enough. I felt guilty about it for a while, but realized it's not the end of the world. I wasn't happy because I was so worried about it and I think a happy mom is more important than a miserable breast-feeding mom!

 

[LisaB]

I had the ultrasound done today. Supposedly it is a fatty tumor/tissue. A friend of mine suggested that I get it biopsied just to be sure. Sometimes I hate going to the OB/GYN when you see these pregnant woman who aren't even married on medicaid. It just drives me nuts

 

[helenabear]

Lisa, glad it looks like nothing to worry about! Will they remove it all the same?

Dznylvr, good luck with the colonoscopy. I know there reasons that could cause that, which aren't all that bad to deal with. My grandmother had something at one point (can't recall what, but it was no big deal) and once they figured it out, it was easy to treat.

Gurgi, I hope you are feeling better soon!

Denae, so sorry about your bad day. I hope your weekend is a good one.

Michelle, I am still on gummy vitamins as well! I just can't stomach a lot of it. Plus I do think they taste good

Thanks momsully, truthfully I don't care one way or the other. We aren't theming the bedroom or anything, but I just hope to see a healthy and beautiful baby

Carla, I am so sorry you can't breastfeed. I do know that my grandmother never could and I know my mom didn't either. So you aren't a failure! Good thing to know about the pump! I heard many hospitals can also rent them, so you can try them out and not lose so much $$

Allison, try not to even look at a calendar this month. Don't think of anything about it... just enjoy your life. I know it gets hard, but it really sounds like you need a break from this. You will have your appt soon and get your answers soon