SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

I noticed that there are a few people on here who have mentioned that they are trying to conceive. I would love to hear what you all have been going through in your efforts for a baby, as we are in the same situation as well. Past experiences would be nice, too. :)

My story:

I went in for my yearly/pre-conception doctor's appt after having a very disappointing month of believing I was pregnant only to find out Aunt Flo was taking her sweet time to visit. The very next day my period started, and it went absolutely mental. Why is it my cycle is like clockwork when I am preventing conception, but when I want a baby it starts acting wacky?

I was on my period for 10 days!! My last cycle was 56 days!!! Before that it was 30-34 day cycle. So I met with the doctor who gave me two scripts: one for progesterone, one for clomid.

During my 10 day run I had gone in for the Day 3 and 21 lab work, and everything came back normal, except (of course!) for progesterone. I was a sad 0.3. My doctor and I talked, and since all of my other numbers were in the most normalest of ranges we decided to skip more lab work for now and went straight to the Provera and Clomid.

She told me to start on July 1st if no period... which there was none, so I am on Day 2 of the progesterone. Talked to my nurse today who said it can take my period ANOTHER 2 weeks to start after the provera, and if it goes longer to call her back. I am also suppose to start on the Clomid Day 3 of my cycle, and then start looking for the ovulation surge on Day 11.

By Day 21 I have to go back for more lab work. My doctor is wanting to see me pregnant within six months. I am 35 years old, and time is of the essence for me. So, that is where we are at now.

Please tell me of your own journey! I would like to feel so not alone in this. :)

I'm going to try and be as vague as possible since so much of my story is not for off topic. Before my 2nd miscarriage and I thought things were good, we had tried from September to December. I used an ovulation kit and as always, my period was like clockwork. Every single month, nothing. I found out I was pregnant Christmas Eve. And obviously I lost that baby, too. I know that this time my progesterone was too low. I really wish DD#3's infanthood wasn't mired in not for OT things. Because it makes the losses that much more painful. And now the possibility is just lost. Another thing to grieve. And it's why I hate my body now and I'm having problems accepting the weight loss and how it looks. Anyway, I'm sorry I just totally made it about me and totally sad.

I just wanted to wish all of you TTC all the baby making luck in the world. I know how hard it is to wait and believe and be disappointed so I hope it's as fast a process that it can be.

[This message edited by TattoodChinaDoll at 7:57 PM, July 2nd (Wednesday)]

We tried for 8 years. Knew there must be something off, as we didn't use any kind of birth control at all in that time. We had a child already and wanted another. We tried the clomid and progesterone as well, but unfortunately that didn't work for us. Finally, we realized that we were going to actually have to do something about this. Went to a fertility clinic and found out that we'd have to do IVF if we wanted another child. It was somewhat of a surprise, since we had the first naturally (and unplanned!), but after 8 years we had known something was going on. We did the IVF and have an amazing daughter. I hope that it doesn't have to go that far for you, but if it does, it isn't as scary a process as you might think. If you ever want support or have questions, feel free to pm me! I know what the endless waits are like, and the ache of wanting to hold your child.

I can't speak too much about cycle/conceiving trouble as that's the part I don't have problems with (for me getting pregnant is easy, but staying that way is a bitch) but it sounds like with the long cycles and low progesterone that you are maybe not always ovulating? I'm not sure what exactly Clomid does.

Have you read the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility? It is amazing how much I learned about my cycle from that book. You might want to consider charting or using ovulation predictor kits to get a better idea of if/when you ovulate. There have been a couple of months that I would have missed O if I hadn't been using OPKs.

As far as timing you want to make sure you have intercourse close beforehand and on the day of ovulation. The egg doesn't live long after it's released so you want the sperm waiting. I get horrible ovulation pains so we usually don't do it the day of, but we've had good success doing it the day before (although it didn't work this month).

Sorry for rambling, I hope some of this helped!

You had asked about our journeys - I've whined about it here enough LOL but I got pregnant after three months off the pill in 2008, missed miscarriage at 12 weeks, D&C. Fetus was tested & found to have Trisomy 22. Pregnant again a month later, low progesterone & spotting through week 20 with smooth sailing after that and a beautiful daughter born October 2009.

Fast forward to August 2013, go off the pill but TTC is delayed due to hubby's back issues, get a positive test Christmas Day, go to the doctor, blood draw, progesterone & HCG look awesome, they schedule my first ultrasound. Everything looks great until I go in for the scan and there's no heartbeat. They wait a week to make sure my dates aren't off, another D&C, this baby has Trisomy 7 or 8 (I can't remember but it really doesn't matter).

Pregnant again 2 months later, end up with low progesterone, then an issue with HCG not rising fast enough. They move my first ultrasound up a week & we see a tiny fetus with a beautiful heartbeat. We go on vacation, I end up bleeding, think I'm miscarrying. Go in for my scheduled scan, and we are surprised to see a heartbeat. Unfortunately there's also a huge subchorionic hematoma, which is a blood clot in the uterus. I was instructed to take it easy. 5 days later I had a heavy bleed at work, went to the ER and after 7 hours of bullshit finally got a scan & found out the baby had died. Went back to my OBGYN two days later and I had passed the baby at some point. As there was no fetus to test I opted not to have a D&C, so I have no idea if my last baby was normal.

So. Sorry to write a novel! But that's my reproductive history.

[This message edited by JanaGreen at 10:12 PM, July 2nd (Wednesday)]

Are y ou seeing a reproductive specialist or your regular Gyn?

If you are not seeing a specialist, start there. Taking clomid if you do not have issues ovulating is not a good idea.

BTDT

I definitely do not expect everyone's stories of trying to have a baby to be roses and baby dust. If anything, it can be the most heartbreaking experience, and I appreciate your efforts, Jana and TCD

My husband's mother carried her second child full term, and then delivered a stillborn. Needless to say she became incredibly depressed, and the doctor told her to get pregnant asap. Three months later she was pregnant with my husband.

Hubby's sister also carried to full term and delivered a stillborn two weeks before her due date, at the same hospital as her mother's own experience. This was two years ago, on Christmas Eve. What struck me was when my husband's aunt came to the hospital and she said: "This is like dejavu... I remember walking down this hall and hearing C (hubby's mom) screaming..."

My mother in law ended up having my husband and his sister following her traumatic incident, and my sister-in-law is getting ready to give birth this weekend. But to say that she has been on pins and needles this entire pregnancy is an understatement!

In the meantime, we keep trying and planning.

I have explored some things... the idea of needing IVF, I hope it does not come to that but I would totally be willing in the end. As for taking clomid while ovulating... sadly, if I was ovulating there would definitely be no need for the clomid. All my tests came back within normal ranges. The doctor did say my thyroid is in the higher end of normal, but she seemed ok with that. The progesterone was a weak .3, though... I should have been at least in the teens.

Still taking progesterone, still eagerly awaiting Aunt Flo... onward and upward...

[This message edited by Dark Inertia at 2:34 PM, July 3rd (Thursday)]

What heartbreaking stories - your MIL and SIL. That is so terribly sad.

It sounds like your doctor is taking your issues seriously and being proactive, which is great! I do hope the clomid works and you don't have to do IVF. I'm really glad that option exists but I know it's not so easy or cheap.

Good luck to you DI! I hope AF arrives soon and you can get into a regular cycle.

Dark Inertia- I had the same ovulation issues as you- I was 25 the year we were trying to conceive I had strep thoat (hadn't had one since 8th grade), threw out my back for the 1st time and had an ear infection (again not had one since childhood) it made my cycle even more screwed up. Ended up on Clomid for a couple of months then my regular gyn upped the dose and when a couple of months went by she ordered a hysterosalpingogram (HSP) they injected dye into uterus and fallopian tubes to check for scar tissue. They upside to this painful test(but so worth it) is that there is a high percentage of patients that conceive during the month that this test is performed with clomid.

We found out we were pregnant that month right before Christmas 19 years ago .. we also had 3 more children the 2nd one 18 months later bc we were afraid we would have to go through TTC - again. My cycle settled into 28 days after I finished nursing my 1st and its been normal ever since.. weird...

Good luck on your journey I wish you the best.

I have no advice, and no story to share, but will rub some of my fertility goodness off on you all that are trying.

My H and I just had to be in the same room for it to happen. So I am sending you warm wishes of functional ovulation, and easy implantation of seeds. No go forth and prosper!!!!

Welp, I finished my round of progesterone, also finished my first round of 50 mg clomid. I used the OPK and did not see a surge (I was doing the test wrong for a few days) but I strongly suspected I ovulated based on (sorry, guys, tmi) cervical mucus. I went in for my CD 21 test and my progesterone level came back 10.2. I have mixed feelings on this, but for the most part feel pretty good.

Unmedicated, when I did my CD 21 test my progesterone level was a dismal 0.3; so it has shot up considerably. The nurse said I am borderline, they are happy that I responded to the clomid, but want it to be higher, so they are upping the clomid to 100 mg.

In the meantime we have to have protected sex for the next 2 weeks!! WTF!!! I don't understand the logic behind it, but she was adamant, protected sex for 2 weeks. Then, pregnancy test. If negative and if my period has not started in the meantime, another round of progesterone and then 100 mg of clomid.

I wish it was as easy as just having sex.

I'm sorry about the protected sex - seems so counterintuitive! But a big WOOHOO for your body responding to the progesterone! I hope you get your + soon.

I know what you mean about wishing it were as easy as having sex! Seems like half my friends are pregnant & none of them struggled to get that way. Just know you're not alone! I hope your happy news comes soon!

[This message edited by JanaGreen at 9:44 PM, August 5th (Tuesday)]

Just know you're not alone! I hope your happy news comes soon!

You know what gets me Jana... and I am sure you can relate to this... is how some people who really shouldn't be having kids can so EASILY have them. It frustrates me! I know this one woman who is two years old than me who has 7 kids. She has custody of 1 of them, all of the others were adopted out by her ex's relatives.

The one that she does have she exposed to her felon-ass boyfriend who molested him when he was 8 years old. Now she has a new felon-ass boyfriend who is still in prison that she is pushing her kid on, saying that is his daddy, blahblah. She quit her job her job when she got her taxes (she got 9k back) and then 2 months later was posting on FB how broke she is, and they came and disconnected her cable.

So when I think of her, or those awful parents in Georgia who left their son in their car I get so frustrated! I think why them?? Why can they have children? Why not me?

But I have to keep positive thoughts. I am glad something happened with the clomid. I read of women who had their levels as low as what I was unmedicated, and when they did 50 mg of clomid they went up to 1. I am glad something significant happened, I probably would have felt beaten down otherwise.

Any news for yourself?

It is VERY frustrating to see people like that have baby after baby that aren't going to be taken care of.

I feel kind of bad - I just found out last night that one of the girls I was thinking of specifically when I said that half my friends are pregnant has a blood clotting disorder and has to do shots every day, and she's also very sick. So I just tend to assume that everyone has it easy when that's really not always the case. But unlike the lady you referenced, she's going to be a great mom. So I'm choking down my jealousy . . . as much as I can.

I'm kind of frustrated with the whole TTC thing right now - I feel like it's absolutely controlled my life for the past year with nothing to show for it (other than the weight gain and mental issues, LOL). I feel like we can't plan anything without my worrying about whether I'll be pregnant and how that will affect our plans. I'm a little worried right now because DH is going out of town today and will be gone until Friday, which is chart day 12. Actually it'll probably work out fine, but I still am stressing about it! After a frustrating visit with my primary care doctor last week (he told me that if he were me he'd quit trying to get pregnant and just adopt), I went ahead and made an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist for August 21. So I'm hoping that I'll be pregnant by then (it'll probably be 10-11 days past ovulation for me) but if not, we can get a plan in place. I also want him to check my thyroid - my TSH numbers were a little high but my PCP wasn't worried about it - despite my 25-pound weight gain in the last year that three straight months of eating better and exercising five days per week hasn't touched.

Are you taking the progesterone orally? What dosage do they have you on? How does it make you feel? I was on 200 mg of prometrium orally. If I stayed up for a while after I took it, it made me pretty goofy. The blood draw lady at my OB's office said that they had a patient once who was on a high dose of prometrium - she didn't drive herself to her appointments because she said the prometrium messed her up. The blood draw lady said the first time she met her, she was horrified - "Why is this lady drunk? She's pregnant!"

Yes, I totally understand about this TTC running my life! I feel like everything is on a cycle now. Start temping on this day, start progesterone on this day, when your period starts start clomid on this day, then start having sex every other day on this day, then on CD 11 start your OPK EVERYDAY, call nurse when I see a surge if not blahblahblah... it is enough to make your head spin!!! Who knew that trying to have a baby has to be so organized?! And that is not taking into account calling the nurse on certain days, her calling me, me spending HOURS going through forums and trying to diagnose even the littlest of symptoms.

I think you seeing the RE is a step in the right direction. I am curious, will your insurance cover it? I currently have a high deductible plan, but I am going to switch to PPO come November. I don't think my current plan will cover an RE, but I don't know.

My TSH levels were normal, but my doctor said in the "high normal" range. She didn't seem too overly concerned with the numbers. Have you taken the CD21 test at all recently? That was what started this whole ball for me.

And yes, I am taking progesterone orally, it is 10 mg of Provera. Funny enough, from what I have read it is used to stop and start your period. I took it for 10 days, and overall I felt great, up until the 9th day when my face exploded like a high school kid stuck in a pizza factory. A day after I finished my period started. I was told it would be the mother of all periods, but it was a 4 day visit... it was what I would call a "crime scene" period, but it wasn't overkill, at least, lol.

Do let us know how the RE visit goes! Hopefully you won't have to utilize it, but I have heard that they take stronger measures in getting women pregnant.