State of the Ute 9/17

[rikiteacup]

1. Where are you at on this journey? (TTC#, month/cycle, CD, DPO)

2. Any upcoming tests?

3. How many weddings are you invited to per year?

4. Questions/random?

[rikiteacup]

1. TTC#1, 6/6, CD 5

2. Nothing this week. Waiting for CD 10/12 to start OPK

3. This year, we've been invited to 0 wedding. Which is rare. On average, we are invited to 3 weddings/year. Next year, we already have 5 weddings on our calendar

4. I want to eat all the foods. Especially carbs.

[Susie]

1. TTC #2, cycle 6, CD 20.

2. Nope.

3. I can't think of a wedding I've been to since 2015. I was good for a while after that one, I was an 8-months-pregnant bridesmaid with gestational diabetes (no booze AND no cake!) in a non-maternity bridesmaid dress per the bride. Yikes.

4.  I didn't temp this cycle because I've started getting up early to lift 3 mornings a week.  I have to either get up early the other days too, or pass on temping (which I did this month).  Except it kind of drives me nuts to TTC "blind."  IDK what I'll do next month.  I have never had reason to believe I don't ovulate, it's just a matter of timing.

I'm also starting to think about when to seek a referral to an RE, as in "if I'm not pregnant by X, then..."  We're not there yet, but at cycle 6, when I will be turning 37 soon, I don't want to be too passive.

[megstoo]

1. Where are you at on this journey? (TTC#, month/cycle, CD, DPO)
TTC1, CD3. Beta on Friday was Negative, starting IUI#2

2. Any upcoming tests?
Ultrasound tomorrow, starting letrazole (again) and Ovidrel for trigger
Also ultrasound next week for Gonal F injection which is new this time

3. How many weddings are you invited to per year?
0 for the past 3 years - all of our friends are married. Next year will be 1 for DH's 2nd cousin

4. Questions/random?
My random is I HATE going in for ultrasound while on my period. Hate Hate Hate. I know everyone has to but man it's embarrassing.

[megstoo]

Sept 17, 2018 16:04:47 GMT -5 Susie said:

I'm also starting to think about when to seek a referral to an RE, as in "if I'm not pregnant by X, then..."  We're not there yet, but at cycle 6, when I will be turning 37 soon, I don't want to be too passive.

Don't take the passive approach.  Seriously I was afraid/nervous/scared to seek out an RE but it was the best decision I made.  I actually regret not going sooner.  We've been seeing the RE for 4 months now and have done more in those 4 months than I've done with the OB and trying naturally wasn't working.  Don't take the head in the sand approach.  Figure you're going to have at least 1 month of testing between HSG, ultrasounds and blood work.  Also blood work and and SA for your DH.  We're getting ready to start our 2nd IUI.  It sucks but as we get older our levels go down making it harder to conceive naturally.  (I'm 38)

[rikiteacup]

Susie I am 36 and if this isn't happening this cycle, I am going to see my OB for additional tests.
My H made an appointment for this week to get a referral for a sperm analysis. We'll start with that first. I already have a lot of (good) info about my cycle thanks to charting. I am going to take all the benefits of being a geriatric patient!

[grace]

Sept 17, 2018 16:12:12 GMT -5 megstoo said:

Sept 17, 2018 16:04:47 GMT -5 Susie said:

I'm also starting to think about when to seek a referral to an RE, as in "if I'm not pregnant by X, then..."  We're not there yet, but at cycle 6, when I will be turning 37 soon, I don't want to be too passive.

Don't take the passive approach.  Seriously I was afraid/nervous/scared to seek out an RE but it was the best decision I made.  I actually regret not going sooner.  We've been seeing the RE for 4 months now and have done more in those 4 months than I've done with the OB and trying naturally wasn't working.  Don't take the head in the sand approach.  Figure you're going to have at least 1 month of testing between HSG, ultrasounds and blood work.  Also blood work and and SA for your DH.  We're getting ready to start our 2nd IUI.  It sucks but as we get older our levels go down making it harder to conceive naturally.  (I'm 38)

I know it wasn't for me but thanks for this! We have a few more cycles to try before I consider a specialist as well.

Weird question- everyone has a different journey but we aren't planning to go too far down the fertility road. My husband and I agree that if it doesn't happen for us we ok with one and done. that said, could a specialist do anything for us? Do interventions vary?

[grace]

Sept 17, 2018 16:04:47 GMT -5 Susie said:

I was an 8-months-pregnant bridesmaid with gestational diabetes (no booze AND no cake!) in a non-maternity bridesmaid dress per the bride. Yikes.

WTF (to the bride, not you!). You must love this girl!

[grace]

1. Where are you at on this journey? (TTC#, month/cycle, CD, DPO)
TTC #2, cycle 3, CD16.

2. Any upcoming tests?
OPKs. Haven't ovulated yet.

3. How many weddings are you invited to per year?
Thankfully none! Our friends are married for the most part.

4. Questions/random?
I'm trying to be more chill about this TTC process. Not sure that's working.

[achi]

1. Where are you at on this journey? (TTC#, month/cycle, CD, DPO) TTC#2, cycle 4, CD 16

2. Any upcoming tests? Just finishing up OPKs.

3. How many weddings are you invited to per year? This year, none thankfully. We had 4 last summer which was a lot for us since a couple of were out of town and all were child-free. Most of our friends are married now, and I’m the youngest in my extended family so everyone’s already married. H is the oldest in his extended family so we will have a bunch in the next 5-7 years I’d say.

4. Questions/random? I am really annoyed that sweater weather isn’t here yet. I also ordered a new pair of boots that I’m excitedly waiting on.

[megstoo]

Sept 17, 2018 16:14:19 GMT -5 rikiteacup said:

Susie I am 36 and if this isn't happening this cycle, I am going to see my OB for additional tests.
My H made an appointment for this week to get a referral for a sperm analysis. We'll start with that first. I already have a lot of (good) info about my cycle thanks to charting. I am going to take all the benefits of being a geriatric patient!

You might want to consider going to an RE before your OB.  I have done far more with the RE in terms of testing etc than I did in all the years with my OB.  We're now starting our 2nd IUI and I've only been going to the RE since May of this year.  

[Susie]

Sept 17, 2018 20:45:32 GMT -5 grace said:

Sept 17, 2018 16:04:47 GMT -5 Susie said:

I was an 8-months-pregnant bridesmaid with gestational diabetes (no booze AND no cake!) in a non-maternity bridesmaid dress per the bride. Yikes.

WTF (to the bride, not you!). You must love this girl!

lol, yes, it was my brother and SIL's wedding.  It all came out great in the end, I felt pretty (for where I was in life), but it was so much more stress than if she'd just let me get a maternity dress in the same material as the other BMs.  Standing through the whole outdoor ceremony at that point was also brutal.  I can promise that if they ever have kids, I will not be able to resist, when she's 34-35 weeks and uncomfortable, making a comment about "oh!  you're about as far along now as I was at your wedding!"  I'm guessing she truly had no idea how unnecessarily difficult some of it was.

[elleblue]

1. TTC #2, 1/1, CD1


2. Nope


3. It's been several years since we've been to a wedding, it seems like pretty much everyone is already married or if divorced not in a serious relationship.


4. Our toddler just turned 22 months today and we're finally feeling ready to try for #2, so hi everyone.

[biogirl21]

1 TTC#2 cycle 3 CD 11

2 probably not doing any testing this week, perhaps OPKs at the end of the week. I haven’t “ovulated” until CD 26-28, so earlier than CD 20 seems like a waste. Though I’m not really convinced I’m ovulating. Haven’t gotten a positive OPK but have had a temp rise.
I started using FertilAid this past week. It has things that are supposed to help enhance ovulation. A friend used it years ago when she was having TTTC and a doc recommended clomid. I’m not getting my hopes up or anything g, but I figure it can’t hurt.

3 we hardly go to any weddings. One in 2016, I don’t recall any last year or this year.

4 I’m still chugging along with diet and exercise. This weekend was complete crap since we drove 8 hours for my niece’s birthday party. But I’m back on the wagon. My roommate bought pizza tonight and it was so hard to say no, but it would have pushed me over my carbs so I ate my chicken and cauliflower.

[rikiteacup]

megstoo how did you find a good RE? I have been looking for one in-network and I couldn't find anything. I tried several keywords (fertility, reproductive, endocrinologist...) and all I get are PCP results.
I've been Googling also and I don't know how legit the clinics are. My H's appointment is tonight so we'll see if his PCP has any recommendations.

[rikiteacup]

Some anecdotes about weddings.

H and I got married late compared to his friends. We were 35/36. Most of his friends/family got married 10+ years ago. But there always seems to be a distant cousin getting married or an acquaintance. This is why we average several weddings/year.
We were invited to a wedding a few years ago and were told the groom was so anxious he would never get married that the whole 1st date/dating/engagement lasted 8 months. I thought he was close to 40 but he was just 26. He thought 26 was already too old to get married. In 2016.

[megstoo]

Sept 19, 2018 10:32:08 GMT -5 rikiteacup said:

megstoo how did you find a good RE? I have been looking for one in-network and I couldn't find anything. I tried several keywords (fertility, reproductive, endocrinologist...) and all I get are PCP results.
I've been Googling also and I don't know how legit the clinics are. My H's appointment is tonight so we'll see if his PCP has any recommendations.

I absolutely LOVE my RE and the nurse assigned to us.  I started going to him end of April for our consult where we went over history and got scripts for another HSG and for an SA for DH.  We went back middle of May to go over everything and start.  

The first meeting was all information overload.  When I needed a cyst aspitration he called me prior to go over everything.  Called me the night after (at 8pm from home) to follow up on the procedure.  When we got our negative beta on Friday he called me personally and got me started right away on next cycle.  Literally got my period on Saturday (so CD1), went in on Monday for CD3 ultrasound and already back on letrozole.  
 

I'm not sure where you're located but we are at Shady Grove (Virginia).  I asked around who everyone used and so many people recommended this clinic.  I know Shady Grove has other locations.  Ask around, ask your OB.  My insurance doesn't cover anything infertility related but they do cover the appt with the dr (no monitoring coverage, no treatment coverage and no infertility meds coverage).  

[thoseareradishes]

Sept 19, 2018 10:32:08 GMT -5 rikiteacup said:

megstoo how did you find a good RE? I have been looking for one in-network and I couldn't find anything. I tried several keywords (fertility, reproductive, endocrinologist...) and all I get are PCP results.
I've been Googling also and I don't know how legit the clinics are. My H's appointment is tonight so we'll see if his PCP has any recommendations.

Try SART.org.  You can search by state.  You can also try FertilityIQ.  

[rikiteacup]

Thanks everyone for the recommendations.
My H's PCP gave him all the info for a SA. He got a sterile cup and how to collect his sample. He will do it in 2 weeks as this will be the best time. My fertile window is next week so we will focus on that right now since he has to abstain for at least 2 days.
He only has 30 minutes between collecting the sample and brining it to the hospital and they are only open 4 days/week and morning hours so between his schedule and the limited time, he'll probably have to collect the sample in the parking lot

After we get the results, we'll go from there.

[achi]

Sept 20, 2018 9:21:12 GMT -5 rikiteacup said:

Thanks everyone for the recommendations.
My H's PCP gave him all the info for a SA. He got a sterile cup and how to collect his sample. He will do it in 2 weeks as this will be the best time. My fertile window is next week so we will focus on that right now since he has to abstain for at least 2 days.
He only has 30 minutes between collecting the sample and brining it to the hospital and they are only open 4 days/week and morning hours so between his schedule and the limited time, he'll probably have to collect the sample in the parking lot

After we get the results, we'll go from there.

Oh man, when we did Hs SA when we were TTC #1 there was no lab in our city so and they only had morning hours as well so we needed up having to rent a hotel room for him because he was terrified of being arrested in the parking lot.

[rikiteacup]

Sept 20, 2018 9:27:32 GMT -5 achi said:

Sept 20, 2018 9:21:12 GMT -5 rikiteacup said:

Thanks everyone for the recommendations.
My H's PCP gave him all the info for a SA. He got a sterile cup and how to collect his sample. He will do it in 2 weeks as this will be the best time. My fertile window is next week so we will focus on that right now since he has to abstain for at least 2 days.
He only has 30 minutes between collecting the sample and brining it to the hospital and they are only open 4 days/week and morning hours so between his schedule and the limited time, he'll probably have to collect the sample in the parking lot

After we get the results, we'll go from there.

Oh man, when we did Hs SA when we were TTC #1 there was no lab in our city so and they only had morning hours as well so we needed up having to rent a hotel room for him because he was terrified of being arrested in the parking lot.

That is his fear too but I told him he has tinted windows in the back and it would be before 7am. I think the parking lot will be pretty empty. Park as far as possible and you're good to go.

[cherryvalance]

Just popping in to add to the chorus--I've frequently heard (and feel myself) that people regret not seeking a RE sooner, but literally never hear regret that they did. I would also jump to the RE in lieu of a GYN because their diagnostics are much more comprehensive and they can give you so much more information and tailor treatment options.

grace, there are so many more treatment options than, say, IVF. A RE will be able to come closest to pinpointing an issue, if there is one, and giving you options on what you can do based on your comfort level. For example, I was hesitant to jump to IVF because it seemed so invasive (now I LOL and LOL over that) and my RE was great about giving us information about what treatment options would be realistic for us. A great RE will take your limit into account and give you a good idea on what's possible.