[yana]

Hello, everyone on the forum
I will be turning 28 in March and DH is 31. We easily conceived our first child. He is now 4.5 y.o.
We have been TTC#2 for over three years. I went to RE two years ago and did the whole work-up. Everything came back normal. Four months ago I started Chlomid (50mg, cd 5-9). Nothing. This past month it was the first round of 100 mg, and...today I feel the cramps AGAIN. My period is coming. So sad, I feel like weeping. My DH B-day is next Monday. I soooo wanted to surprise him, but....
I would appreciate your thoughts and comments. I just feel drained

Best wishes to all!

Yana

[mom2peanut]

Hello there. I am new to this forum. I've never chatted on the net or been on a discussion board. I really don't know what I'm doing! I am 30, my DH is 36, we conceived 1st child after 15 months. Took one round Clomid (50mg), didn't fill the script the next month, and that's the month we succeeded. We've been TTC 16 months now, 9 rounds Clomid (last 6 @ 150mg) and are about to proceed further. I too cry every month at the first feel of a possible cramp. And if 1 more person says "at least you have one" I'm gonna scream.

I'm supposed to tell my Doc what option we're going with within the week, and I don't know what to do. Either Clomid/ultrasounds/HCG/IUI or Clomid/Gonadotropin/ultrasounds/HCG/IUI/ Problem is, we're not made of money, and I'm wondering if I should assume all risks and use the Gonadotropins on the first IUI try to make our money count. After 9 rounds of Clomid, will the HCG/ultrasounds/IUI make that much difference? I'm just so scared of all the side effects of Gonadotropins and the possibility of having more than twins and all the risk that implies, I can't decide. I was hoping to find some advice on this site.

I know what you mean about wanting to surprise DH with news. I felt the same around every holiday/special occassion last year. Just know that you're in the beginning, and there are still options available to you. Keep on trying. I'm just trying to keep faith that one day the bedroom will be a fun place again, not just a workplace.

Best wishes to you!

[iguana265]

Yana,

I know how you feel. I had my son 2 years ago and have been trying to conceive for the past year. It took 2.5 years to conceive him, however. But we thought we had it figured out with progesterone suppositories as I got pregnant twice (lost the first very early) both times I used them. Now after almost a year on Progesterone, several months of Clomid, 3 months of Letrozole and two IUIs, we're still nowhere. This past round was really hard because I really felt pregnant. After a negative test I still went to the doctor to ask for an HCG titre to know for sure. I was so sure I was pregnant. When I found out it was negative, I had a big cry after that with my son sitting on my lap laughing at me because he thought I was faking it.

So anyway, I can't offer any encouraging words like people who haven't dealt with infertility do like "oh, it will happen when you stop trying" or the like. I know we have no guarantees of children. I can only commiserate with you.

Lindsey

Originally Posted by yana

Hello, everyone on the forum
I will be turning 28 in March and DH is 31. We easily conceived our first child. He is now 4.5 y.o.
We have been TTC#2 for over three years. I went to RE two years ago and did the whole work-up. Everything came back normal. Four months ago I started Chlomid (50mg, cd 5-9). Nothing. This past month it was the first round of 100 mg, and...today I feel the cramps AGAIN. My period is coming. So sad, I feel like weeping. My DH B-day is next Monday. I soooo wanted to surprise him, but....
I would appreciate your thoughts and comments. I just feel drained

Best wishes to all!

Yana

[iguana265]

Hello,

Not that I'm any expert, but I wouldn't mess with Gonadotropins and IUI, since there is a large risk of multiples - 3 and more. My cousin's wife got pregnant with quads after using the IVF drugs and then just having sex but not doing IVF. (She has 4 beautiful children now but wow, I sure wouldn't want that!) Anyway, if you haven't even tried IUI yet, I'd do that route a few months with Clomid before going the Gonadotropin route. You're still young.

Lindsey

Originally Posted by mom2peanut

Hello there. I am new to this forum. I've never chatted on the net or been on a discussion board. I really don't know what I'm doing! I am 30, my DH is 36, we conceived 1st child after 15 months. Took one round Clomid (50mg), didn't fill the script the next month, and that's the month we succeeded. We've been TTC 16 months now, 9 rounds Clomid (last 6 @ 150mg) and are about to proceed further. I too cry every month at the first feel of a possible cramp. And if 1 more person says "at least you have one" I'm gonna scream.

I'm supposed to tell my Doc what option we're going with within the week, and I don't know what to do. Either Clomid/ultrasounds/HCG/IUI or Clomid/Gonadotropin/ultrasounds/HCG/IUI/ Problem is, we're not made of money, and I'm wondering if I should assume all risks and use the Gonadotropins on the first IUI try to make our money count. After 9 rounds of Clomid, will the HCG/ultrasounds/IUI make that much difference? I'm just so scared of all the side effects of Gonadotropins and the possibility of having more than twins and all the risk that implies, I can't decide. I was hoping to find some advice on this site.

I know what you mean about wanting to surprise DH with news. I felt the same around every holiday/special occassion last year. Just know that you're in the beginning, and there are still options available to you. Keep on trying. I'm just trying to keep faith that one day the bedroom will be a fun place again, not just a workplace.

Best wishes to you!

[yana]

Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. I just wanted to mention that after I had my son, I wanted to go on birth control. DH was against pills, so the doctor suggeted IUD. I had it for one year without any complications. Then it was removed. Did anyone hear of secondary infertility due to IUD?

Best of luck to you all!

Yana

[slobin]

Be sure you check your thyroid and that TSH is below 3 or preferably 2, and demand to be checked for thyroid antibodies if TSH is above this range. After 2 years of "unexplained" infertility and 2 miscarriages (and unfortunately no kids), just found out I have thyroid antibodies. I'm trying to deal with this in hopes of finally getting/staying pregnant. But I just wanted to point this out to you because this is a VERY commonly undiagonosed problem and Dr.'s rarely include it (for some mysterious reason) in fertility workup, or they call borderline elevated TSH "normal" which it is not.

[jdl35]

Hi - I think thats a good choice of words - drained...thats how i feel everymonth, drained and sooo sad. we have been ttc for 2 years and I too tried the clomid, it did not work for me b/c it affected my cervical mucous...i am now on the shots but i am afraid to get my hopes up b/c when that period comes - oh boy....I wish you luck..jess

[kobl]

I am 36 and on my second cycle of Clomid and will be moving onto injectables (Follistem) next cycle if we are unsuccessful this cycle. I was told that Clomid is an indirect way of stimumating egg production while injectable hormones like Follistem are a direct way of stimulating egg production. I was also told that Clomid can cause your cervical mucous to dry up but injectables don't have that side effect. My understanding is that if you are doing injectables without in-vitro, you use a much lower dose combined with u/s to minimize the risk of multiples.

Kelly

[MaggieMoo]

I'm with you both on feeling drained and sad! This month has been VERY strange for me! I am expectin AF anytime now. Actually I am late by a few days, which is very unlike me. Normally I have been like clockwork. But for some reason that isn't the case this month. I took a HPT but it was negative.
I am having the breast tenderness, slight cramping but not the typical AF feeling and also am very sleepy. I am sure it is all stress. RE says they can't test until CD 35. It kind of concerns me because I had a ms last September and had very low progesterone levels. I'm just feeling VERY low today!!!

Tricia
__________________
Me: 31
DH: 32
DS: 5 years
TTC #2: 2 years

MS: 9-14-05
***6 rounds of clomid
***HGC Shots
***Unexplained IF
***Just changed RE docs, and this one wants to do different tests that the other doc wounldn't do.

[kobl]

Hey Tricia-

I know exactly how you feel. When I had my son almost 3 years ago, I thought the pain of IF was behind me and I could not have imagined how painful and heartbreaking secondary IF can be. It is extra hard when AF is late and of course you get your hopes up and then the test is negative. Been there, done that. I also had two early miscarriages last year.

Just had a few thoughts based on my experience. Ever since I started seeing my RE last Nov, I have been on oral progesterone each cycle starting one week after trigger shot so that in the event I was pregnant, I wouldn't miscarry due to low progesterone levels. Once AF showed up, I stopped the progesterone until the next cycle. Can you ask your RE about doing that?

I just found out two weeks ago that I am pg from a Follistim with IUI cycle. My RE did my bpt on day 24 of my cycle so I don't understand why you have to wait til day 35. I did have a + hpt so maybe that's why but still, I don't understand why you have to wait. Do you tend to have long cycles? Mine tend to be short, like 25-26 days, so maybe that is a factor.

Good luck and please keep us posted! We all understand how you feel right now.

[MaggieMoo]

Hi Kelly!
I am sad to report that showed up!! I was so mad!! When I called the docs office on Friday they suggested that I wait to see start since I had taken two hpt and they were both negative. She said they were fairly accurate and probably not pg and if for some reason I didn't start over the weekend to give them a call first thing on Tuesday (due to the holiday). My cycles are anywhere from 25-28 but never past that! I am normally like clock work. As far as the progesterone my previous RE put me on progesterone suppositories. However, my new RE doctor that I am currently seeing said that after the 3rd or 4th cycle of clomid, it probably won't work for me and that my body most likely has a resistance to it. I have to go tomorrow for a CD 3 blood level to check my prolactin levels, thyroid and FSH. For some reason my previous doctor didn't check all of that so I am happy that I decided to change RE's to finally get someone who will investigate a little further for me. I has given me a little more hope! I totally need that right now!!! My mom and sister don't understand what I am going through. And my DH really tries to be there but feels really bad that I have to go through all the treatments, surgeries and heartache. When I had my DS five years ago, I never imagined too that I would have to go through all of this. When we were trying to conceive him, it took us a year. We didn't think anything about it because we had a lot of changes going on all at once (ie. dad passed away, got married 3 weeks later, built and moved into a new house). So we just thought it was stress but ended up conceiving without meds or other help. Now it is just overwhelming...sometimes too overwhelming at times. Okay, I've rambled on too much!!
Congrats to you and your !!!!! What a joy!!! I hope all goes well for you!!! I know that one day I will get my day to glow!!
Thanks for listening! Keep me posted on your progress!!

Tricia
_______________________
Me: 31
DH: 32
DS: 5 years
TTC #2: 2 years

MS: 9-14-05
***6 rounds of clomid
***HGC Shots
***Unexplained IF
***Just changed RE docs, and this one wants to do different tests that the other doc wouldn't do

[kobl]

Hi Tricia-

It took us a year of trying the first time around too but we also were able to conceive without meds. A year seemed like a long time to me back then and I remember being really stressed out about it. We figured it would probably take us a year again the second time around but boy, we had no idea what we would have to go through...almost 2 yrs of trying, 2 m/c, all the b/w, hsg, hysteroscopy, all the injections, etc.

I also switched RE's and was glad I did because I feel like my current RE was much more thorough in terms of both the testing and treatment.

Good luck to you and I look forward to seeing your updates!

[MaggieMoo]

Hi Kelly,
I just spoke with my doctor's office and they scheduled my hsg for next Tuesday. I cannot wait. I have never been anxious for a test or procedure before. But I feel like this new RE is heading in the right direction. Finally, I will get some real answers...I hope! I had my blood work done this morning. I should know what my fsh levels (etc.) are by the end of the week.
Thanks for your support, this forum is great! It is so nice to be somewhere and not feel alone.

Talk soon!!!!
Tricia
_____________________
Me: 31
DH: 32
DS: 5 years
TTC #2: 2 years

MS: 9-14-05
***6 rounds of clomid
***HGC Shots
***Unexplained IF
***Just changed RE docs, and this one wants to do different tests that the other doc wouldn't do
***HSG scheduled for Tuesday 9.12.06