TTC thread take 2

[andapanda]

Anyone w/ PCOS....did Clomid work for you? If not what was the next step after that?

Clomid did not work for me; however, I was close to 100 lbs overweight. My next steps after consisted of working with a personal trainer to get closer to a healthier weight. Weight issues aside, my reproductive endocrinologist recommended going straight to IVF if we were to pursue further intervention. I'm probably going to give Clomid another try or two after I lose a little more weight before deciding to attempt IVF.

 

[mrsklamc]

Clomid did not work for me; however, I was close to 100 lbs overweight. My next steps after consisted of working with a personal trainer to get closer to a healthier weight. Weight issues aside, my reproductive endocrinologist recommended going straight to IVF if we were to pursue further intervention. I'm probably going to give Clomid another try or two after I lose a little more weight before deciding to attempt IVF.

Thanks...I'm only 12 pounds over where my endo would like me to be but every pound is a huge fight. I'm on my last cycle before clomid. (Assuming everything is OK with DH, we have an appt for him.) We aren't sure if we want to pursue IVF or adoption and I was wondering how far we are from having that talk.

 

[Rienchen]

I went to see a fertility specialist for a consultation last week and apart from a slightly tilted womb he couldn't see anything wrong with me. Just waiting to hear back about my AMH levels, should hear on Monday.

He suggested a medicated and monitored cycle of IUI, ultrasound on day 2, 4, 10 and 14 I think.
Clomid day 2-7
Trigger shot 24 hours before and Progesterone suppositories for 14 days after IUI

We're a same sex couple and would need some help in the form of donor sperm, I'd like to start today, my other half isn't quite ready yet

 

[Kennywife]

Hey guys...

I'm gonna be off the DIS for a while. Personal issues. If you want to chat, I can give you my fb addy. PM me.

Anna

 

[Kennywife]

Well, I couldn't stay away from you guys!



I got bashed on a thread and it really hurt my feelings. But at this point, I could care less.

I am excited for Wednesday! We are going back to the RE and starting forward!!!!! Baby dust!!!!

How is everyone?

Anna

 

[Rienchen]

I'm glad you're back and ready to start TTC

Me and my partner aren't on the same page on when to start TTC so for now we're waiting.
I had a call from the fertility clinic yesterday with the results of my AMH test and it was 14.8, some websites say it's normal and some say it is below average so not sure what to make of it.

 

[ead79]

Anyone w/ PCOS....did Clomid work for you? If not what was the next step after that?

I just wanted to pop back in on this thread to answer your question. Also, I'm rooting for y'all!

We conceived on our third month of Clomid, and I have PCOS. We tried for 15 months with no drugs, then we had DH's sperm count tested, and it came back normal. The first month of Clomid I was on a really low dose, and I didn't ovulate. The second month they increased the dose and I did ovulate, but I didn't get pregnant. The third month we kept the dose the same as month 2, and we got pregnant. I know it doesn't work for everyone (if only it did!), but just wanted to let you know it works sometimes.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Well, I couldn't stay away from you guys!



I got bashed on a thread and it really hurt my feelings. But at this point, I could care less.

I am excited for Wednesday! We are going back to the RE and starting forward!!!!! Baby dust!!!!

How is everyone?

Anna

Glad to see you back!!!!

 

[Kennywife]

Eeeeekkkkk!!!!!! I'm ovulating!!!!!!

And hubs has to work tonite! Dang!!!!

Tomorrow tho.....



Let this be it....please....please....

 

[Kennywife]

Ok. I'm back with news.

I am going to have an MRI to check my uterine structure.They have to check the septid and see how it dips,if that makes sense. If it is not too deep, it can be worked around and we maybe able to just start clomid and see what happens. If not, I may just have to have the surgery.

We have to wait on the insurance now. Oh that's fun.

I get my thyroid checked friday and then we wait.

She said that I am trying to ovulate every month and my body just needs help.

So, we are moving slowly in the right direction!

Oh...and we are candidates for IUI!!!!!!!!

One thing, I may have to get off Topamax (seizures) just to protect the baby. I'd rather do that anyway. Lamictal works better in my opinion. Or at least be on a smaller dose of Topamax. It's not a dangerous medicine, just questionable.

 

[andapanda]

Ok. I'm back with news.

I am going to have an MRI to check my uterine structure.They have to check the septid and see how it dips,if that makes sense. If it is not too deep, it can be worked around and we maybe able to just start clomid and see what happens. If not, I may just have to have the surgery.

We have to wait on the insurance now. Oh that's fun.

I get my thyroid checked friday and then we wait.

She said that I am trying to ovulate every month and my body just needs help.

So, we are moving slowly in the right direction!

Oh...and we are candidates for IUI!!!!!!!!

One thing, I may have to get off Topamax (seizures) just to protect the baby. I'd rather do that anyway. Lamictal works better in my opinion. Or at least be on a smaller dose of Topamax. It's not a dangerous medicine, just questionable.

Glad you are making progress

My weekend consisted of my husband screaming at some family members for some very inappropriate comments (it's a shame you'll never have kids, his younger cousins are our only hope for another baby in the family, etc.) I'm only 28 years old. Jeez. Not to mention, if I feel like EVERYONE ELSE has given up, how does that make ME feel as far as staying positive and keeping hope? I know that I'm making the right choice by trying to lose some more weight, and yes, the wait IS killing me, but in the long run, that's the healthiest choice I can make for myself and any potential future children. I blurted out that we weren't even really trying very hard right now, because me losing weight would mean a healthier body for a baby - not that it was their business, but it was the only way I could think to defend myself. Then I came home and bawled my eyes out for a bit.

Sorry for the "me, me, me" rant. It was just very frustrating, and I'm sick of people saying they understand with the sympathetic looks, when no, they really don't understand. "My period was late once so I think I could have possibly had an early miscarriage when weren't trying" is NOT the same situation.

 

[Kennywife]

No probs andapanda....

They're giving you these problems and you're 28? Seriously? I'm 35 and hubs is 36. There are no other babies in our family. My sil who just found out she's pregnant is older than you. So, I don't think they should give up just yet. jeez.

 

[WDWBride04/19/2010]

it's a shame you'll never have kids, his younger cousins are our only hope for another baby in the family, etc.) I'm only 28 years old. Jeez. Not to mention, if I feel like EVERYONE ELSE has given up, how does that make ME feel as far as staying positive and keeping hope? I know that I'm making the right choice by trying to lose some more weight, and yes, the wait IS killing me, but in the long run, that's the healthiest choice I can make for myself and any potential future children. I blurted out that we weren't even really trying very hard right now, because me losing weight would mean a healthier body for a baby - not that it was their business, but it was the only way I could think to defend myself. Then I came home and bawled my eyes out for a bit.

Sorry for the "me, me, me" rant. It was just very frustrating, and I'm sick of people saying they understand with the sympathetic looks, when no, they really don't understand. "My period was late once so I think I could have possibly had an early miscarriage when weren't trying" is NOT the same situation.

Wow. I'm so sorry you had to hear those things. I have kind of the opposite problem. Nobody really says anything except for my mom who says to wait. The closest I have to your experience is that my father-in-law for some reason basically said he'd have to wait for my brother-in-law for grandchildren...and he has no idea what we're going through, just that we've been married for 2ish years now...and I've never seen my brother-in-law with a girlfriend in the almost seven years I've known him, he doesn't have the money, etc.etc. He's only the oldest. I'm 28 as well. and I wouldn't call this a rant at all
This was well-deserved venting. I would've done the same. I totally know what you mean with the understanding thing. I hear that and the "it will happen soon/eventually"blahblahblah, and it's like...you have no idea how I feel. Totally not the same situation. ::hugs::

 

[WDWBride04/19/2010]

So I had another appointment yesterday. This time it was for the H.S.G. test. Luckily all went well with that. She also had half our blood tests back (did I mention I passed out from that? Never passed out from that before, but never had THIRTEEN vials of blood taken before. She finished, I held the gauze, and then felt faint.), and all looks good with me. However, D.H.'s count was low. It was also low in the home test we did. She wants him to test again, so hopefully this changes, but if not she's talking about IVF. I read up on it yesterday, and more today. If I'm fertile, would I still need the shots? :\ Like couldn't they just let my body do what it's been doing and go from there? I'm thinkin the answer is no, but one can hope. It would also be even better if the low count was just a fluke. He's going to test again probably next Wednesday, and then we'll probably have our appointment to discuss all the results the 9th, 10th, or 11th? (probably the 11th as I don't think she'd be in on the weekends)

Hope all is going better with you guys.

 

[cherbear]

So I had another appointment yesterday. This time it was for the H.S.G. test. Luckily all went well with that. She also had half our blood tests back (did I mention I passed out from that? Never passed out from that before, but never had THIRTEEN vials of blood taken before. She finished, I held the gauze, and then felt faint.), and all looks good with me. However, D.H.'s count was low. It was also low in the home test we did. She wants him to test again, so hopefully this changes, but if not she's talking about IVF. I read up on it yesterday, and more today. If I'm fertile, would I still need the shots? :\ Like couldn't they just let my body do what it's been doing and go from there? I'm thinkin the answer is no, but one can hope. It would also be even better if the low count was just a fluke. He's going to test again probably next Wednesday, and then we'll probably have our appointment to discuss all the results the 9th, 10th, or 11th? (probably the 11th as I don't think she'd be in on the weekends)

Hope all is going better with you guys.

just popping in from my lurkdom to answer your question.

I'm sorry the results weren't ideal. Did she not recommend any medicine for him? You don't necessarily need to jump straight to IVF with a male factor issue. Pardon if I'm being too forward but I feel like your doctor might just be a little money hungry. Does she think the first s/a could have been a lab error? I'm surprised she is retesting again so soon without any med changes, so it makes me think she might be worried about a lab error. Hopefully that's all it is and this next one will provide better results. Otherwise, maybe IUI would be a good next step.

That said, IF you were to move to IVF, it requires you to be on lots of meds and lots of appointments because they need you to produce several eggs. Not all eggs will fertilize (especially if there's a MFI issue), and even from the ones that do fertilize, not all will make it to the transfer. So they really want you to produce as many eggs as possible (without hyperstimulation and without compromising egg quality, which is most important) so they can retrieve them and see what fertilizes. I have, however, heard of some clinics doing "mini IVF" cycles, where they charge a lot less than a full IVF cycle, and don't do as much medication. I'm not sure how those clinics determine who is a candidate for mini-IVF. In my opinion, if you're gonna go under anesthesia and have such a process/ordeal, it makes sense to get as many eggs as possible, so you (hopefully) don't have to go through it again. I hope this information is valuable for you. BUT I hope you won't need IVF.

 

[WDWBride04/19/2010]

just popping in from my lurkdom to answer your question.

I'm sorry the results weren't ideal. Did she not recommend any medicine for him? You don't necessarily need to jump straight to IVF with a male factor issue. Pardon if I'm being too forward but I feel like your doctor might just be a little money hungry. Does she think the first s/a could have been a lab error? I'm surprised she is retesting again so soon without any med changes, so it makes me think she might be worried about a lab error. Hopefully that's all it is and this next one will provide better results. Otherwise, maybe IUI would be a good next step.

That said, IF you were to move to IVF, it requires you to be on lots of meds and lots of appointments because they need you to produce several eggs. Not all eggs will fertilize (especially if there's a MFI issue), and even from the ones that do fertilize, not all will make it to the transfer. So they really want you to produce as many eggs as possible (without hyperstimulation and without compromising egg quality, which is most important) so they can retrieve them and see what fertilizes. I have, however, heard of some clinics doing "mini IVF" cycles, where they charge a lot less than a full IVF cycle, and don't do as much medication. I'm not sure how those clinics determine who is a candidate for mini-IVF. In my opinion, if you're gonna go under anesthesia and have such a process/ordeal, it makes sense to get as many eggs as possible, so you (hopefully) don't have to go through it again. I hope this information is valuable for you. BUT I hope you won't need IVF.

Thanks. No medicine was recommended yet. I think if that comes up, it will after they get the next s/a results. I was thinking the money thing too...because the place we're going has IVF in its name...we just didn't really think we'd possibly end up having to do it. She didn't mention lab error, but the one she saw with the low count was the first she saw, so she seemed to just want to be certain that low count was correct. The one she didn't see was the at-home one we did, which also showed that. She wants him to come in 2weeks after the first s/a for the next one. I hope she's thinking lab error, and that's what it is! I was thinking IUI too. I finally read up to where we are in What to Expect Before You're Expecting, and it seemed like that would be an option too IF the count is in fact low, and the less invasive/drugs, the better. Thanks for all the info. I also agree that pretty much whatever they need to do to up my odds of not having to do it again would be great, especially since we are only planning on one biological child right now (I was adopted, so I want to adopt our second, and possibly third). Thanks again.

 

[andapanda]

Ok, I have a few choices to make and I need some advice. My OB/GYN has given me a few choices, since I have a history of very debilitating periods (nothing was ever found, just very heavy and sometimes painful periods).

Choice #1 - Take Provera to induce a period that would be finishing just as we are leaving. No Clomid, and see where it goes.

Choice #2 - Take Provera, same as choice 1. Have an unmonitored Clomid cycle (which we have done before).

Choice #3 - Let nature take it's course, and pray I don't have a period while we're on vacation.

Here are my concerns, and the reasons why I need some advice. If we would go with Choice #2, I would hypothetically ovulate mid-vacation. I'm not sure how I would feel about wild rides and such from that point on, and our days at Universal would be after that point. I'm also worried about having a mini-breakdown when we leave home, over leaving our cats (yes, I am that person).

Choice #1, I almost hate to take the Provera without the Clomid. To me, it feels like a waste. If I'm going to take one medication, why not take the other?

Course #3...if I get my period while we're at Disney, I may not want to leave the room, let alone go to the parks, walk around, ride rides, and eat.

Some things that the OB/GYN has me considering...I'm probably about 40 lbs lighter than the last time I tried Clomid, and while my periods are still VERY irregular, I've had a few non-induced ones relatively recently, which is a sign that my body might be responding differently than it was the last time we tried Clomid. Mentally, the monitored cycles were worse for me than the un-monitored, and she also thinks that being on vacation would reduce my stress levels and make it even more possible that the Clomid would work. In my mind, my chances are still probably slim though, with the PCOS.

I've talked at great lengths with my husband, and all I can get out of him is he wants me to do what I feel is best. I'm very conflicted, so I thought it might be a good idea to get some input from people outside of the situation.

 

[Kennywife]

Well, Saturday....I'm married 6 years.

I figured I'd have kids by now. But next year is lucky number 7.

We plan to go out to eat Thursday night and see a movie or something.

Still waiting on the mRI news.

That's about it.

Anna

 

[Falltime]

Hi Girls

Sorry I have been MIA I have had a lot going on. To recap I did a fresh IVF cycle in Jan and March both BFN. We had 5 frosties so on April 17th we thawed them and 3 survived and we transferred all 3. 8 days later I found out I was pregnant. At 6 weeks I had some light bleeding and I went in for an ultrasound and found out I was expecting twins with one showing a heartbeat and the other measuring a day behind. A few days later the bleeding was heavier so I went in for another ultrasound and the one baby had not progressed but the other one was measuring right on schedule. My next appointment was at 7 weeks.

I went into my 7 week u/s appt on 5/18 during my lunch hour and prior to that I was having some chest pain and shortness of breath. My husband and I saw the heartbeat and everything was measuring right on schedule. The other baby had already been reabsorbed. I told the nurse about my issues and she said that was normal. So I went back to work but when I left for the day and was walking to my car I started getting shivers and my teeth started chattering uncontrollably. I sat in my car for about 10 minutes before I was able to drive myself home. Once I got home I told my husband something was wrong that I was having a hard time breathing. We called the RE's office and the RE was just reviewing my case and she was just about to call me as what I was experiencing was not normal for 7 weeks. So they told me to go the ER.

In the ER they put me on oxygen and did an EKG, Cat Scan and X-rays. Turns out I had an A-typical pneumonia but they couldn't figure out what was causing it. As I hadn't traveled, don't have any pets etc. This was a Friday night and they wanted to keep me overnight. However my breathing condition just kept getting worse. In the meantime I am still taking my PIO shots, pre-natals, estradiol and metformin. By Sunday I still wasn't improving so they moved me to ICU. I had to be put under while they inserted a breathing tube.

Then on Monday the Dr's finally figured out what was causing the pneumonia and my breathing issues. I was allergic to the PIO. I had been taking the shots since mid-April but it took a month for it to build up and cause my reaction to it. Having this type of an allergic reaction to PIO is extremely rare that the Dr's could only find 6 other medically published reports on it. My RE immediately brought crinone to the hospital for me to use instead. However later that day my RE performed an U/S and there was no longer a heartbeat. I was of course devastated but with the breathing tube still in I had to hold it emotionally together. The Dr's were then able to give me more stronger meds to so that I could begin the road to recovery. On Wed they removed the breathing tube and by Thurs I was breathing on my own. I was released from the hospital on Friday 5/25 a week after I was admitted.

The following week I had the miscarriage and was able to take the tissue into the RE for her to send off for analysis. That was very difficult seeing what was my baby. I have of course cried many times over what I went through and questioned why me? Of all the luck, it's so difficult to get pregnant and then I have to have this rare allergic reaction??? However I have had great support of family and friends. No one knew we were even going through fertility treatments as my husband and I are very private people except for you girls here. My husband has been my rock through all of this. He took the week off work and was beside me in the hospital every day from 6am to 10pm. When I returned back to work he came to work with me and we sat down with all of my co-workers and my boss and explained why I was in the hospital for a week. Everyone has been very understanding and so supportive, it makes me very grateful for the family and friends I have in my life.

The good news is that I am expected to make a full-recovery and there will be no damage to my lungs. Unfortunately we no longer have any frozen embryos. However, my RE says we should be able to start IVF in September once all the steroids are cleared from my system. So I am taking the summer off and am going to enjoy it and I'll start the IVF process this fall. I still have days where I just need to cry over everything that happened, but I still have faith that someday I will be a mom.

Praying for all of you on this thread!

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Oh Falltime, I am so, so sorry. Thank goodness they figured out what was causing you to be so sick. It is terribly unfair that happened and you had to go through all of that. Yes, you will be a mom, your turn is right around the corner.