Trying to conceive/Planned parenthood/Assisted Reproduction Chat thread.

Neyite

CD1 here as well. On the bright side I can have some drinks at Christmas.

TomeeTipee

Lucuma wrote: »

What did your hub score in the rhs of the page HARI test? Over 5? In which case maybe ye could try IUI, be nice not to have to go straight to IVF. I wish we could try IUI but nope, straight to the petri dish for us looks like!

I hear ya on both of ye getting bad test results back, it's a very hard blow. Kind of like being in a collision with a bus, takes time to recover from the impact of double bad news. And it's hard to be positive and try to buoy your husband up when you're feeling like absolute sh!t yourself. They see that you are upset which makes them feel worse and so it goes on.

Take time to asorb the news and cry if you want to, drown your sorrows do whatever you need to. I know I did after I got my hubby's results! Now I don't feel so bad when I think about them, I'm sure we can fight this thing and win, we have to be able to!

My husband's result for the washed sample was 4. On the low side for IUI but good it seems for IVF. This is one of the things I think they want to look at again in the repeat sample. So we will see how that test goes.

I suppose it will also depend on what tests/results I get myself. I know that I'm not ovulating most cycles, but don't know why. To be honest, I'm feeling positive that we are starting to get some tests done and will hopefully get some answers. It feels better than trying and trying on our own and getting nowhere.

angeldelight

That's quite funny that there's so many of us on around the same time! Cramps have eased off thank God, I know I'm so lucky to not get them every month. Hubby started on Wellman Conception yesterday and I started on the Pregnacare Conception. Got the Clearblue Digital Ovulation sticks in Boots as well, there's 15% off at the minute if anyone is interested. My last few cycles have been 30 days so start them on day 10 which is 23rd December. Just back from doing our weekly shop as well, loads of fruit ad veg, both of us need to lose a lot of weight so we're going to get serious about it. I always find it easier when we do something together

Lucuma

TomeeTipee wrote: »

My husband's result for the washed sample was 4. On the low side for IUI but good it seems for IVF.

To be honest, I'm feeling positive that we are starting to get some tests done and will hopefully get some answers.

4 sounds a hell of a lot better than 0.1! Seems my hubby's swimmers do not like being washed!! :-D

TomeeTipee

Lucuma wrote: »

4 sounds a hell of a lot better than 0.1! Seems my hubby's swimmers do not like being washed!! :-D

0.1 is definitely very low. Will that mean ICSI instead of conventional IVF?

Lucuma

TomeeTipee wrote: »

0.1 is definitely very low. Will that mean ICSI instead of conventional IVF?

Yes most definitely.

I've been reading up on what that means and in terms of the invasiveness and the procedures and the injections etc I don't think it'll make any difference, we'll have to go through the same as someone getting normal IVF.

bobskii

I've stopped lookin into the ivf procedure completely,was starting to freak myself out . think I'll go in partially ignorant and deal with it as and when!!I see sims are having their open evenin/mornin thing again.

Penny Dreadful

So I'm in the two week wait again. Using the OPKs again this month I was able to see that I entered my fertile phase on CD 14 and had the peak yesterday morning on CD 19.
We made good use of the window of opportunity this time and it was nice that some of the days, especially the peak day, fell at the weekend. It made things feel not like a chore as sometimes having sex late on a schoolnight can.
If I get my period it should be due anywhere between Dec 27th and Dec 29th. It not it could well be the happiest of New Years for us.
Getting my Day 21 bloods redone tomorrow.

Lucuma

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

Using the OPKs again this month I was able to see that I entered my fertile phase on CD 14 and had the peak yesterday morning on CD 19.

Getting my Day 21 bloods redone tomorrow.

Isn't that very soon after ovulating to be checking your peak progesterone? It will be only just starting to rise post ovulation so it night not be at the peak for another few days?

Penny Dreadful

Lucuma wrote: »

Isn't that very soon after ovulating to be checking your peak progesterone? It will be only just starting to rise post ovulation so it night not be at the peak for another few days?

I'm having the Day 21 bloods done again because the lab forgot to do them the last time. Given the erratic (although that is coming to an end it would appear) nature of my cycle to date I had no idea that when I booked in with my GP for the Day 21 bloods that I'd have started ovulating at Day 14 as I did this month.
I tested my urine last night using the OPKs and it was right back to a big fat O on the test so the LH surge is gone.
So either I am going to get pregnant this month and that will mess up the Day 21 bloods that are being drawn tomorrow or I won't and the Day 21 bloods will be indicitive of what a post ovulation progesterone level should be.

Actually I am a little confused about the progesterone levels if I have /do manage to get pregnant this month. Even if everything goes swimmingly no implantation will have taken place by tomorrow morning (conception could only have taken place on Tuesday evening at the very very earliest and latest yesterday) but will a zygote affect the progesterone levels?

TomeeTipee

Lucuma wrote: »

Isn't that very soon after ovulating to be checking your peak progesterone? It will be only just starting to rise post ovulation so it night not be at the peak for another few days?

Penny, I agree with Lucuma here. If you ovulated around day 19 taking bloods on day 21 is far too early. It should be done 7 days post ovulation. Maybe mention it to your doctor & they may take bloods every day for a few days to try to catch the peak. That's what they did with me as my cycles are irregular. The last thing you want is to get a low progesterone result because the test was done at the wrong time.

Fingers crossed you are already pregnant though & it won't matter

TomeeTipee

Lucuma wrote: »

Yes most definitely.

I've been reading up on what that means and in terms of the invasiveness and the procedures and the injections etc I don't think it'll make any difference, we'll have to go through the same as someone getting normal IVF.

That's actually a very good point. I think the extra stuff that happens with ICSi all happens in the lab anyway, so in a way it makes no real difference to what you have to go through. It costs a bit more, but hopefully all of that is covered where you are.

Penny Dreadful

TomeeTipee wrote: »

Penny, I agree with Lucuma here. If you ovulated around day 19 taking bloods on day 21 is far too early. It should be done 7 days post ovulation. Maybe mention it to your doctor & they may take bloods every day for a few days to try to catch the peak. That's what they did with me as my cycles are irregular. The last thing you want is to get a low progesterone result because the test was done at the wrong time.

Fingers crossed you are already pregnant though & it won't matter

He knows that my cycle is irregular enough. The last time when I was getting the Day 21 bloods taken I had only just started the ovulation phase (that was CD 21 when the initial LH surge kicked in and it reached its peak - according to the OPKs- on CD 25). I mentioned this and they said that they'd go ahead regardless.

If the initial surge that showed up on the OPKs that I was using was on CD 14 won't the progesterone levels be as they should be "text book" style?

TomeeTipee

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

He knows that my cycle is irregular enough. The last time when I was getting the Day 21 bloods taken I had only just started the ovulation phase (that was CD 21 when the initial LH surge kicked in and it reached its peak - according to the OPKs- on CD 25). I mentioned this and they said that they'd go ahead regardless.

If the initial surge that showed up on the OPKs that I was using was on CD 14 won't the progesterone levels be as they should be "text book" style?

I always thought that ovulation happened 12 - 36 hours after the last positive opk. Think there can be a rise in LH levels for a few days leading up to this, but it is the last day that is key. In a "normal" cycle, progesterone should then peak 7 days later.

I'm sure there are more knowledgeable people here than me who can better advise you, but thats the way my GP explained it to me. I suppose all you can do is mention it to your doctor & see what they say - they know best!

P.S. hope it doesn't sound like I'm telling you what to do, just passing on what my GP said to me

Lucuma

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

.

If the initial surge that showed up on the OPKs that I was using was on CD 14 won't the progesterone levels be as they should be "text book" style?

No, text book style would be if you ovulated on day 14, not began your fertile period on day 14.

After ovulating progesterone starts to rise. In a text book cycle it peaks 7days after ovulation. Then 7 days after your peak you should get your period. If you test too soon after ovulating your prog may not have had time to rise up high enuf, it won't be at its peak and you might get a falsely low reading. So to avoid having to repeat test again, it's better to try and catch the peak 1st time around.

Hopefully you're preg and this is all a moot point :-)

Penny Dreadful

TomeeTipee wrote: »

I always thought that ovulation happened 12 - 36 hours after the last positive opk. Think there can be a rise in LH levels for a few days leading up to this, but it is the last day that is key. In a "normal" cycle, progesterone should then peak 7 days later.

I'm sure there are more knowledgeable people here than me who can better advise you, but thats the way my GP explained it to me. I suppose all you can do is mention it to your doctor & see what they say - they know best!

P.S. hope it doesn't sound like I'm telling you what to do, just passing on what my GP said to me[/QUOTE]


:)It doesn't sound like that, not at all.
Sometimes it feels like you need a pHD in your own body to get pregnant doesn't it:).

I have the appointment so I'm going to go ahead with it anyway. I'll mention the tracking I've done this cycle with the OPKs and reiterate the previous cycles data and let him note that again in my chart.
All things seem to be pointing to things being ok in that area anyway given the previous results so I'm not overly bothered by tomorrow. I could find myself eating those words yet:eek::).

I googled the opening credits to Looks Who's Talking........... hoping that thats whats going on inside me now.:o:o:o
can't believe I actually admitted that!

Penny Dreadful

Lucuma wrote: »

No, text book style would be if you ovulated on day 14, not began your fertile period on day 14.

After ovulating progesterone starts to rise. In a text book cycle it peaks 7days after ovulation. Then 7 days after your peak you should get your period. If you test too soon after ovulating your prog may not have had time to rise up high enuf, it won't be at its peak and you might get a falsely low reading. So to avoid having to repeat test again, it's better to try and catch the peak 1st time around.

Hopefully you're preg and this is all a moot point :-)

Thanks:) I'll go ahead with the appointment anyway. Its been made, they're not charging me for it given that the lab messed up last time by forgetting to test for progesterone (still find it hard to credit that), I want to get a print out of the results of the tests already carried out (previous bloods when fasting - glucose, thyroid,kidney, cholesterol, etc) - Semen Analysis, Day 3, Previous Day 21, AND most importantly of all right now, it means I get a little lie on in the morning. I usually start work at 07:30 -08:00 and the earliest I can get the bloods done is 09:00:)

Lucuma

Well I just spoke to my GP in Ireland, result of my AMH is back.

Wooooaah Mama. It's 1.5



With my AMH in my boots and hubby's sperm count in his boots, I'm actually wondering is the world trying to tell us something?

We could be looking at donor egg and donor sperm at this rate. The 21st century version of adoption?!

Penny Dreadful

Lucuma wrote: »

Well I just spoke to my GP in Ireland, result of my AMH is back.

Wooooaah Mama. It's 1.5



With my AMH in my boots and hubby's sperm count in his boots, I'm actually wondering is the world trying to tell us something?

We could be looking at donor egg and donor sperm at this rate. The 21st century version of adoption?!

Isn't it horrible how the very moment you try to look at the postivies life can come along and slap you in the face with a wet fish of bad news/disappointment.

I suppose (for all of us here) the options that are open to us all in the 21st century, while expensive, are at least options that weren't there before hand. Whether thats good or bad I have a different opinion of depending on my mood.

Did you ever discover what (if there is one) gave your husband the result he got with his SA? I remember you saying that he contracted mumps, has your doctor mentioned that any where along the way?
Sometimes I think it there was a hard and fast reason for something other than an "we're not sure why" it can at least be a clear cut answer.

TomeeTipee

Lucuma wrote: »

Well I just spoke to my GP in Ireland, result of my AMH is back.

Wooooaah Mama. It's 1.5



With my AMH in my boots and hubby's sperm count in his boots, I'm actually wondering is the world trying to tell us something?

We could be looking at donor egg and donor sperm at this rate. The 21st century version of adoption?!

Lucuma, so so sorry to hear that. It must be difficult to hear that & to try to stay positive. Feel free to have a rant here if it makes you feel any better. We are all hear to listen.

TomeeTipee

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

TomeeTipee wrote: »

I always thought that ovulation happened 12 - 36 hours after the last positive opk. Think there can be a rise in LH levels for a few days leading up to this, but it is the last day that is key. In a "normal" cycle, progesterone should then peak 7 days later.

I'm sure there are more knowledgeable people here than me who can better advise you, but thats the way my GP explained it to me. I suppose all you can do is mention it to your doctor & see what they say - they know best!

P.S. hope it doesn't sound like I'm telling you what to do, just passing on what my GP said to me[/QUOTE]


:)It doesn't sound like that, not at all.
Sometimes it feels like you need a pHD in your own body to get pregnant doesn't it:).

I have the appointment so I'm going to go ahead with it anyway. I'll mention the tracking I've done this cycle with the OPKs and reiterate the previous cycles data and let him note that again in my chart.
All things seem to be pointing to things being ok in that area anyway given the previous results so I'm not overly bothered by tomorrow. I could find myself eating those words yet:eek::).

I googled the opening credits to Looks Who's Talking........... hoping that thats whats going on inside me now.:o:o:o
can't believe I actually admitted that!

Ah yeah, best to go ahead with the appointment anyway. I watched look who's talking quite recently - first time I've seen it in years. Was fascinated by the opening credits myself!!

Lucuma

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

Isn't it horrible how the very moment you try to look at the postivies life can come along and slap you in the face with a wet fish of bad news/disappointment.

I suppose (for all of us here) the options that are open to us all in the 21st century, while expensive, are at least options that weren't there before hand. Whether thats good or bad I have a different opinion of depending on my mood.

Did you ever discover what (if there is one) gave your husband the result he got with his SA? I remember you saying that he contracted mumps, has your doctor mentioned that any where along the way?
Sometimes I think it there was a hard and fast reason for something other than an "we're not sure why" it can at least be a clear cut answer.

Thanks Penny, I'm fairly inconsolable here tbh. The doc at fertility clinic appeared to lose interest in my hubby's mumps that he got in 2011 once he told her it never spread to his testicles. If it spreads to the testicles it's called 'mumps orchitis'. I found info myself that mumps only leads to infertility if it's mumps orchitis and even then only in some cases. He is having an ultrasound done on his liathróidí next week so we'll see if that shows up anything.

We have come up with our own theory that it's stress has caused his low sperm count + morphology. He has been through extreme stress since his ex took his kids + scarpered w/her bf yrs ago (left a note on d kitchen table while he was at work). I mean he does get to see d kids now but it has been an uphill, traumatic & incredibly stressful battle, and continues to be. I think he just went thru such extreme trauma he internalised d stress & it seems to have had a massive hidden impact on his health .

As for why I have an FSH of 15 and AMH of 1.5 at age 33 even tho my mother had 5 of us, all my aunts had families & my sister conceived within a month of coming off d pill after 10 yrs on it - well you have me there! I'm bloody baffled (looks like I took u up on that rant Tomeetippee!)

Penny Dreadful

Lucuma wrote: »

Thanks Penny, I'm fairly inconsolable here tbh. The doc at fertility clinic appeared to lose interest in my hubby's mumps that he got in 2011 once he told her it never spread to his testicles. If it spreads to the testicles it's called 'mumps orchitis'. I found info myself that mumps only leads to infertility if it's mumps orchitis and even then only in some cases. He is having an ultrasound done on his liathróidí next week so we'll see if that shows up anything.

We have come up with our own theory that it's stress has caused his low sperm count + morphology. He has been through extreme stress since his ex took his kids + scarpered w/her bf yrs ago (left a note on d kitchen table while he was at work). I mean he does get to see d kids now but it has been an uphill, traumatic & incredibly stressful battle, and continues to be. I think he just went thru such extreme trauma he internalised d stress & it seems to have had a massive hidden impact on his health .

As for why I have an FSH of 15 and AMH of 1.5 at age 33 even tho my mother had 5 of us, all my aunts had families & my sister conceived within a month of coming off d pill after 10 yrs on it - well you have me there! I'm bloody baffled (looks like I took u up on that rant Tomeetippee!)

A rant and visit to looney vile does you a lot of good,trust me I visited quite a lot last week. At work today one of the guys whose office is close to mine called in with a cup of tea and just said "here you go, hope you've a better week than last cause you need it". It was really nice of him.
The pondering and wondering and comparing yourself to other women in your family is tough and gets you no where. My mum had 6 of us without thinking, one even arrived when she was 41 and certainly not planning it. Two sisters had 3 each in the blink of an eye. I was wondering why not me why not me. It was hopeless and totally non productive so I had to make a concentrated decision to stop.
Checking your husbands testicles is a good idea as it can be ruled in or out as a physical reason. It sounds as though his ex did quite the number on him and that is certainly bound to have had an effect on him one way or another.
At least (and I say this as someone who wants the same things as you and is obviously not getting them as I'm hiding out here) there are options available for all of us that will hopefully get us all out little one(s) by hook or by crook.
The best of luck and medical science over the next round of tests!

llambert

Hey girlies. Have been off the grid for the last few days so only catching up on the posts now.

Angle, Bobskii & broodykitten sorry to hear you've had visits from the dreaded monthly's. Never nice we're always holding out hope. Bobskii hope your exam went well!!

Tomee bad news on ur hubby's SA. Its hard but if you go down the ICIS route you only need a few good ones.

Lucuma I'm sure your absolutely devastated. Its tough when its just one hurdle to overcome but you probably feel like you have been sucker punched. My heart goes out to you, take this time to be good to yourself and take in all the news. Do whatever you need to do to get though it.

What we all go through is like a grief. The life we wanted is not in our control like we thought it would be. But like a previous out stated we live in a world where there are options open to us and please God one day we'll all the blessed with the children we crave for.

Reading all your posts sometimes scares the life out of me. Even though I've spent the last 3 and a half yrs ttc and been through 2 rounds of ICSI (btw someone was asking about it, very same as normal ivf its just one sperm is injected straight into the egg, a little more expensive) I really am clueless about most of this.

We have decided that if we don't get the result we want on Weds we will use the frozen embryo but then that's it. For us there has to be a cut off and this year in particular has nearly killed us. I definitely will never give up trying to naturally conceive and will look up all these things I don't understand!!

I'm still hopefully for a positive result Weds but feeling very much like I'm getting my period but I'm still in the game so Aunt Flos feelings can just f**k off.

angeldelight

Llambert been thinking of you - what day are you due to test? Have my fingers crossed for you

llambert

angeldelight wrote: »

Llambert been thinking of you - what day are you due to test? Have my fingers crossed for you

Hey thanks! Doing test Weds morning. Last time got my period 3 days after the text which was difficult really though it was happening so bit more realistic this time but hopefully one of those 2 beans stick x x

bobskii

Thanks Llambert I think it went Ok .
Thank god that visit from the witch is over definitely the worst I've had to date . thought I was going to collapse with cramp yesterday and today even my mum said she got afraid today cos I went so white today while out shopping!

Lucuma sorry to hear you've had more crap news just keep in your mind that you will have your baby eventually and you'll appreciate it even more when it does happen for b you . xx

Llambert I have everything crossed for you for Wednesday xx

Lucuma

llambert wrote: »

Lucuma I'm sure your absolutely devastated. Its tough when its just one hurdle to overcome but you probably feel like you have been sucker punched. My heart goes out to you, take this time to be good to yourself and take in all the news. Do whatever you need to do to get though it.

What we all go through is like a grief. The life we wanted is not in our control like we thought it would be. But like a previous out stated we live in a world where there are options open to us and please God one day we'll all the blessed with the children we crave for.

I certainly did last night. Long story but we had wine delivered (Xmas gift from work) and our neighbour stole it, confessed and she turned up at the door last night with replacement wine so I took that as a sign from the gods and I fell off the wagon & pretty much polished off the red :eek: :eek:

Another dark night of the soul last night, i actually scared my poor hubby he was telling me this morning, he thought i wouldn't stop hyperventilating he said but he had to appear like he was calm to get me to calm down! We're both shook this morning but the way I see it is - I had to have that night - of wine, crying, whatever. I got it out of my system now and this morning I'm looking the idea of donor eggs in the face, and actually, don't feel that bad about the idea - is that weird? I mean at least you get to feel what it's like to be pregnant,your blood flows through the baby, you get to give birth and all that stuff. The biggest decision would be who to tell........do you spoof it and brazen your way through zillions of ''She looks really like you!" conversations?

It's alarming how we went from having donor sperm conversations to having donor egg conversations in the space of 1 day. I have to say part of me feels cheated in that if one of us had to have donor anything, it seems unfair it has to be me as hubby has already gotten to feel that feeling of having kids of your own, but after quickly passing through that feeling, of course I'd prefer if the baby was at least related to one of us - so if donor egg it has to be, then so be it. I'd be delighted if we could use his sperm.

lambert thanks for your kind words (And Tommee, Penny, Bobskii) I really appreciate it girls. It's a great support group in here xx

angeldelight

Lucuma you're right - you probably needed that release! You've had such a rotten time of it recently that it was all bound to get on top of you. If you do go that route think long and hard about who you want to tell about it as you can't "un-tell" people. And it's true, you'll still carry your baby and give birth to him/her so they will absolutely be part of you

Penny Dreadful

Lucuma wrote: »

I certainly did last night. Long story but we had wine delivered (Xmas gift from work) and our neighbour stole it, confessed and she turned up at the door last night with replacement wine so I took that as a sign from the gods and I fell off the wagon & pretty much polished off the red :eek: :eek:

Another dark night of the soul last night, i actually scared my poor hubby he was telling me this morning, he thought i wouldn't stop hyperventilating he said but he had to appear like he was calm to get me to calm down! We're both shook this morning but the way I see it is - I had to have that night - of wine, crying, whatever. I got it out of my system now and this morning I'm looking the idea of donor eggs in the face, and actually, don't feel that bad about the idea - is that weird? I mean at least you get to feel what it's like to be pregnant,your blood flows through the baby, you get to give birth and all that stuff. The biggest decision would be who to tell........do you spoof it and brazen your way through zillions of ''She looks really like you!" conversations?

It's alarming how we went from having donor sperm conversations to having donor egg conversations in the space of 1 day. I have to say part of me feels cheated in that if one of us had to have donor anything, it seems unfair it has to be me as hubby has already gotten to feel that feeling of having kids of your own, but after quickly passing through that feeling, of course I'd prefer if the baby was at least related to one of us - so if donor egg it has to be, then so be it. I'd be delighted if we could use his sperm.

lambert thanks for your kind words (And Tommee, Penny, Bobskii) I really appreciate it girls. It's a great support group in here xx

I think any child, however it becomes "your" child will be so loved that ultimately the biology of the child and how it came to be your child fades in the face of the love and joy it brings you and you bring to it.
Donor egg, donor sperm, whatever, you carry that child and give birth to it I don't see how its not "fully" yours. If its adoption, you walk the halls with your baby when it won't sleep, when its cutting its first tooth, has colic, runs home from school after its first day with a painting for the fridge........its your baby, fully, completely, totally and utterly your baby.