Trying to Conceive Forum

by **molinari0527** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 9:14 am

Hey ladies!

I'm kind of new to this site in some respects. When going through my tww with my first IUI I spent a lot of time reading everyone's symptoms and even posted some of my own. Sadly, that ended in a BFN and I was sure that I would never put myself through it again. But as we all know, the desire to have a baby doesn't just go away that easily and so as time passed I became more and more on board with continuing our journey.
Back story- DH had a vasectomy at a young age after divorcing (against his doctors recommendations). So now that we are married I get to suffer from those choices. Gee, thanks!! I have DD from a previous relationship, she is 7 and wonderful! DD so desperately wants to be a big sister! So DH and I really want to add to our family here and it has been too many years since his vasectomy for the odds to be in our favor. And it is SO expensive to have a reversal. RE said if we wanted to go that route we could retrieve his sperm and my eggs and move to IVF. The costs were just astronomical! It really was much more economical to just use donor sperm and do IUI.
So we did IUI in March and got a BFN. Donor numbers were so amazing and I took Femara with this cycle too, so I was expecting it to work. I know now that it is not abnormal to have several cycles with no luck, even when all of the numbers are good.
Moving on to IUI #2 in September. RE said this time around he will put me on Clomid instead of Femara and will monitor this cycle and we will do a trigger shot. This time around I am taking a bunch of extra vitamins in addition to my prenatal. I am taking Vitamin B6, D3, CoQ10, Calcium, Magnesium, DHA, Folic Acid. I am going to start on Red Raspberry Leaf tea as of today. My RE also suggested I look into acupuncture and prenatal yoga as a way to keep stress levels down.
I'm hoping to find some people waiting to do their IUI as well to ride this time out with, although I realize I'm super early to be looking for a buddy! Thanks for any advice and shared experiences!

by **maria_79** » Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:57 pm

Hello. I'm sorry that your first IUI didnt work

. I glad that you're ready to try again though. I hope that IUI #2 works and you get pregnant with the second baby you want so badly!

I'm also going to be doing an IUI in September. This will be our first IUI trying for baby #2. We have an almost 4 year old daughter that we conceived through IUI and also with donor sperm. My husband had 2 different vasectomy reversal surgeries but neither was successful so my husband suggested we use a donor. We couldn't be happier with our decision as we now have our precious daughter. We're hoping and praying that we're blessed just once more. My aunt flow is due to arrive this weekend or the beginning of next week. I'll be taking 5mgs of Femara as I did when I conceived our daughter. I'm just going to be testing with the clear blue digital ovulation tests(no trigger shot) and I'll go in the day after a positive (smiley face) for my IUI. I have also been taking a prenatal vitamin, vitamin D3, extra folic acid, and have been drinking lots of red raspberry leaf tea, and eating fresh royal jelly and bee pollen in honey. I did all of this when trying for our daughter so I'm hoping it works again. I also plan to eat pineapple core for a week starting the day after my IUI. The only thing I'm doing differently thus time is taking progesterone because my doctor wants me to. Anyways, maybe we can be cycle buddies. When are you expecting your aunt flow?

by **molinari0527** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 5:21 pm

Maria_79 thank you so much for your well wishes!
FX for another successful IUI for you! My AF is due September 6, so unfortunately I'll be a little behind you, but I'd love to keep you company during the awful tww anyway! My cycle is so irregular that it very well could be early or late! How exact are your cycles? Maybe we'll be close in time! I heard so many mixed results with the pineapple core, it has me scared to try it!! TTYS! Baby dust!!!

by **maria_79** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 7:22 pm

I have been pretty regular for the last year(31-36 day cycles) or so but once in a while I get a long cycle. I've been having 31-32 cycles lately and my +OPKs have been coming sooner since drinking the red raspberry leaf tea again. I've been testing and tracking ovulation since spring. The RRLT seems to move up my natural ovulation which is great

. Maybe if you drink a lot of red raspberry leaf tea it will help your AF come sooner too. It would be neat if our cycles ended up being really close but if not we should still be close enough to be in the TWW together. I am not an early tester so it would be until 12/13 days past IUI that I would test. With my daughter I waited until the day my AF was due(14dpIUI). I did the pineapple core with my daughter so I'm going to do it again. Keep me posted too! Baby dust to you as well!

by **molinari0527** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:21 am

I am going to go home and steep some of the RRLT tonight! I am so excited to have someone so similar in circumstances! Make sure you let me know when AF comes and your countdown begins! Oddly enough I have been feeling a little bit of AF symptoms even though it's too early. Maybe one of my supplements is shortening my cycle! That's fine with me! I'll keep you posted!

by **maria_79** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:21 pm

I hope that the RRLT helps bring your AF on! Mine still hasn't shown. I'm really hoping that she doesn't show tomorrow because if she does, there's a good chance that my IUI day will fall on the day we've planned our daughter's birthday party. Every time I've taken ovulation meds I've gotten my +OPK on cycle day 15 and my IUI would be the next day. If I start tomorrow, my cycle day 16 would fall on the day of her party. I'm hoping that she stays away until Sunday or Monday so I'm in the clear. I'll keep you posted. Any signs of your AF coming yet?

by **molinari0527** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:29 pm

Oh man! I really hope it doesn't fall on the day of your daughters birthday party, that would stink! Unfortunately I'm not feeling too much of AF symptoms. I steeped the RRLT yesterday, but I didn't drink it. It's sitting in my fridge still :/ have you ever drank it cold? I'm hoping my AF gets here a little sooner so I can get the process started already. You know how difficult the wait is!

by **maria_79** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 12:32 pm

Well my AF came a couple of hours ago

...ugh! I'm not sure what to do. We really can't change our daughter's party and if I take my Femara like last time I'm 99% sure that I'll get a +OPK on cycle day 15. There are two things that I'm thinking we could possibly do so I wouldn't have to sit another cycle out. One would be to take the Femara on cycle days 5-9 instead of 2-6 or 3-7 and hope that it pushes ovulation out by at least one day and the other would be to just not take the Femara and try a natural cycle. I usually don't get a +OPK naturally until cycle day 17,18, or 19. I just worry that my egg quality isn't good enough without the help of the meds and I'm not sure I want to waste an expensive vial of sperm(retired donor also) on trusting that my body is going to work properly this cycle. My husband and I are going to discuss it tonight when he gets out of work. I really don't want to have to sit out another cycle. We already cancelled last cycle because my ovulation fell smack dab in the middle of our camping trip. Maybe I'll take the gamble and try one natural cycle. We'll see. I'll keep you posted. Did AF happen to show for you today?

by **molinari0527** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 12:46 pm

Oh no! You should talk with you RE I'm sure they can tell you what days taking your meds would work to push it out a few days farther! I am hopeful that they will give you helpful answers and get you ovulating at the best time! I can't remember what the difference in effect the meds have when taking them at different points in your cycle. I believe when you take it earlier in your cycle that it helps you have better quality eggs and when you take it later it helps you have a higher number of mature eggs. That was something I read in someone else's blog, so I'm not sure of the accuracy of the info, but it's worth asking RE.
Stupid AF showing up when we don't want her to! Keep me posted and GL with talking to hubby and RE!

by **maria_79** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 1:15 pm

My clinic has an emergency number which I was told I could call if I got a +OPK on Saturday so they could alert the on call doctor so they could meet me on Sunday for noon IUI but I'm not sure if I'm suppose to call that number for questions. I don't go to an RE. It's just an OB group that has one doctor specializing in fertility. I might just wait and call them on Monday. I could still start my meds on Monday-Wednesday if I want to. This stinks though. If it wasn't for the expense of the donor sperm and shipping, I'd be inclined to risk taking the meds and just canceling if my IUI ended up falling on party day. We wouldn't have $$ to lose if that were the case. I guess this is part of the complications of having to use expensive donor sperm...sigh.

by **molinari0527** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 2:30 pm

I totally understand your dilemma

the costs of donor sperm and shipping and the hassle of transporting and returning nitrogen tanks... ahhhhh! I wouldn't do anything that would potentially make this cycle and the donor sperm go to waste. I think you should call Monday morning first thing and they will tell you what days to take it on. It's not like you'll be out of the window by any means. I'm sorry timings not working out. Hopefully this will all be worth it with a nice BFP this time next month!

by **maria_79** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 3:59 pm

Thanks, I hope that somehow it works to try this cycle. What cycle day did you have your IUI on last time? Did you use a trigger shot last time? I was thinking that that could be an option too...maybe asking for a trigger shot so I could have the IUI the day before her party...if an ultrasound shows that my follicle is mature enough by that Thursday before. I'm not sure that my doctor and nurse will go for that though. I guess we'll see on Monday when I call. I hope that your AF comes soon! BTW, I do drink the RRLT cold sometimes. I also occasionally take it in capsule form. I think the actual tea is more potent though.

by **molinari0527** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 5:49 pm

I had my IUI on cycle day 16 last time. I was Femara 2.5mg cycle day 5-9 and no trigger shot. This time I'll be doing Clomid (not sure what cycle days yet) and then getting my follicles monitored and then trigger shot before IUI (not sure how long from trigger, I'm thinking 36 hours or so after trigger). This cycle will be a new experience for me that's for sure! I'm nervous for the side effects of Clomid, I've heard they are not pleasant

and then the needle! I hate needles! But its all worth it in the end! I had a glass of RRLT today, it was actually really good!
I think it's a great idea to ask your dr about potentially using a trigger and monitoring your follicle growth. Let me know what happens!

by **maria_79** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 12:37 pm

I took Clomid for 3 or 4 cycles and hated it! I like Femara way better! I personally will never take Clomid again because it thinned my lining and made me feel like a crazy person. I only had one emotional day on Femara and a couple of headaches. With Clomid I had hot flashes and night sweats non stop and just felt like I was losing my mind. However, I know that every person is different and some women respond to Clomid better than I did. I hope that it treats you better! Have you thought of trying the Femara again but starting it earlier in your cycle? I've read so many success stories when switching to 3-7(or 2-6) from days 5-9...just a thought in case you don't want to risk the possibility of having the same side effects as I did. I'm glad that you like the RRLT. I like it too. I'm starting to think that I should start my Femara tonight and then see if I can talk my nurse and doctor into letting me do the trigger shot on the night of cycle day 13(if no +OPK by then) if my cycle day 12 ultrasound shows a mature or close to mature follicle. This way I could have my IUI on cycle day 15 and be able to enjoy my daughter's birthday party the next day. They usually want me to ovulate on my own but maybe they'll make an exception this time due to the circumstances. The only bad thing is I'd have to pony up about $150 for the trigger shot but I think I can deal with that...lol. Keep me posted on when your AF shows!

by **molinari0527** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 2:23 pm

I think that sounds completely reasonable! Hopefully they will feel the same! I asked my RE why they wanted me to try Clomid this cycle instead of trying the Femara again and my nurse said that it was because they have more success with Clomid. A friend of mine had to take Clomid and absolutely hated it too! I'm hoping the fact that they are starting me off on the lowest dose will be helpful when it comes to the side effects! I heard about lining issues on Clomid, unfortunately I have no idea what my lining is like because this is my first cycle monitored. I guess we'll find out! Make sure you let me know what happens when you talk to your dr tomorrow, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they have a good plan ready for you!