LT TTC & taking Clomid/Metformin #2

[Keli]

Hi again,

Welcome Tia, to this wonderful, supportive thread. I hope your stay is only a short one.
I have always taken Clomid days 5-9 and at night time, most people will tell you this is the best time to take it as you will sleep through most of the side effects. However hot flushes and severe mood swings seem to be something none of us were ever able to avoid, be make DH aware of them early, he he! I always had a blood test b/w day 21-24 of my cycle to see if I had O’d on Clomid. I never had scans to check on my follicles but plenty of women have.
Hope this small piece of info is helpful to you, and GL with your TTC journey!

Jules, Yeah that sounds about right to wait a few weeks for your results, the only reason I knew mine early was cos I’m impatient and I asked as soon as I woke up, lol. I totally know what you mean about wanting something to be wrong, but just remember that if they cannot seem to find anything wrong sometimes all your body need is a bit of a flush out, they say they a women is extremely fertile for the 6 months following a lap, and we know from past history on this site that it clearly works, I have everything crossed for you though hun, KUP.

[becnxavi]

Welcome Kris! I have always taken clomid CD5-9, and had scans from about CD12 until I o. It will depend on FS as Porsche said. Definately take it at night, and be prepared for some side effects for the first round. For some reason they often lessen with the next cycle (unless you are UTD and only need to take it once! FX hey?!) The hot flushes are probably the most annoying SE and the mood swings, but they only last for the 5 days you take them usually. Also, invest in some 'preseed' becasue taking clomid can have an odd effect on CM and this might help. A few other girls might be able to shed more light on that?

Liz- maybe you could do what Keli did and just don't mention it for a while. Can DH come with you to the appointment? I found DH was more supportive once he was more intune with this being OUR journey NOT JUST MINE! Although it's my medical problem, the TTC thing takes 2. I did the FHS injections this months and it wasn't as much monitoring as I thought. Although my FS is a bit slack I think.

Jules- hope your feeling better, and the wait doesn't feel like forever. Hopefully just the lap itself will help, even if they don't find anything. Hugs

Porsche- how did the meeting go?

AFM: no AF and I still haven't tested. I just can't. Maybe in a day or too. This is very unlike me I know (usually by now I've done at least 3 early pregnancy tests!!!). I still don't feel much one way or another. Actually (sorry TMI) I've had in increase in CM the last few days. Maybe I didn't o at all...
Send huga amounts of POSITIVE VIBES TO ALL and sprinkling you all liberally with
Bec

[Porsche]

Hi Bec

The meeting went well. I knew it would though. It's not up to me to find someone now it's up to them and if they haven't sorted it out b the end of June well that's not my problem.

Has anyone heard of the sperm meets egg plan? I thought I'd give it a go on this last cycle. Dh said that he was just here to "top up my tank" lol Had to laugh at the big dag. God you should hear him waffling on in my ear about being a hunk a hunk of burning love lol God he's gonna make me sick!

[lilminion]

Thanks everyone for the messages.

Keli I will try not to talk bout it to much with him, it's just I want to know where his mind is at before we go to the fs appointment on thurs.

Bec, we are doing this whole thing together, DH has been to all appointments from the gp appointment to get a referral and all of our fs appointments. We both want to know whats going on and it's easier for both of us if we have questions to ask. My fingers are crossed for you to having a BFP when you do take the test.

Porsche I don't think it's the cost as the fs said how much it would cost to do the injections and we are ontop of everything at the moment.

Tia welcome to this thread it is a great one to be on and all the ladies are so supportive. Just a little on my clomid journey to see if it helps you. My fs doesn't get me to have the blood tests as he said that if a don't get AF or aren't PG then obviously the clomid didn't work, Oh I'm also on provera as I don't get AF regulary. I took the clomid day 2-6 and had it in the morning. I only had side effects on the first cycle and none on this one. Hope this helps you out GL with your ttc journey.

The thing I'm a bit anoyed about is he just won't talk to me openly bout how he is feeling (prob just a male thing ) and have a discussion bout it he just says keep trying clomid but won't elaberate. I don't want to seem selfish but it's my body and just have this feeling with whats going on.

Rhi I was thinking about doing another test either on wed or thurs morning before going to the FS just incase, I haven't had any real signs of being Pg other than every so often having sore BB's, but I get that when I'm due for AF to arrive.

[hannahfroodoo]

Chez - thank you! you put my mind at ease as I was so confused about Oing whilst still taking the pills. I was so happy to see you had asked your doctor about the same thing! Have you Od now? How did you go getting your assignment in?

Rhi - good luck with your results next week. It is so hard to wait for them but I think it is better. After my lap/hyst the doctor came in and spoke to me and I had no recollection of what he said - even had to ask the nurses if he was really there since I thought I'd imagined it! So I was a bit annoyed that he came to speak to me whilst I was still so sleepy. At least when you go next week, you will be able to take everything in.

Kris - welcome! I am new to clomid as well. some people have scans but my doctor just has me come in for blood tests. I am taking the clomid days 5-9 and this cycle I had a blood test day 13. As it turned out, this was already too late as I had Od early so next time I will go in sooner. good luck. I hope your appt goes well.

Bec - did AF arrive yet? I am crossing everything for you!

Porsche - I hope you get your egg soon. Does work know your plans to start IVF? I imagine that would be an uncomfortable conversation. What is the sperm meets egg plan?? LOL at your DH.

nelly - fingres crossed for a BFP following a cycle with NO side effects. that's great that you are feeling better on the femara this cycle. And good news that you Od too. good luck!

Claudette - ooooh. I don't envy you your school camp experience! totally understand why you've been sleeping!

Keli - thanks. did you do clomid? how long did you take it for before you got your BFP?

Liz - ((hugs)) sorry your DH is not being so supportive. I think it is a male thing. Not that it makes it any easier, but my DH is not interested in reading any info either. His SA came back normal so he is not really interested in hearing about WHY I am taking the clomid. I think it is a very different experience for them. My DH is usually very understanding and supportive but when it comes to TTC, he doesn't get it. DO you think you will do the injections? I know my fertility clinic opens at 6:30am for blood tests etc (and when I got there at that time, there were heaps of women ahead of me and they looked like they'd been in full swing for a while). So maybe you will be able to fit the BT in before work? good luck. it is really tough when you don't have the support you need from DH!

ASM - just TWWing. 8 dpo and it's killing me - but it always does!! bring on the weekend when I can test!

Have a good day everyone!

[Keli]

Chez - thank you! you put my mind at ease as I was so confused about Oing whilst still taking the pills. I was so happy to see you had asked your doctor about the same thing! Have you Od now? How did you go getting your assignment in?

Rhi - good luck with your results next week. It is so hard to wait for them but I think it is better. After my lap/hyst the doctor came in and spoke to me and I had no recollection of what he said - even had to ask the nurses if he was really there since I thought I'd imagined it! So I was a bit annoyed that he came to speak to me whilst I was still so sleepy. At least when you go next week, you will be able to take everything in.

Kris - welcome! I am new to clomid as well. some people have scans but my doctor just has me come in for blood tests. I am taking the clomid days 5-9 and this cycle I had a blood test day 13. As it turned out, this was already too late as I had Od early so next time I will go in sooner. good luck. I hope your appt goes well.

Bec - did AF arrive yet? I am crossing everything for you!

Porsche - I hope you get your egg soon. Does work know your plans to start IVF? I imagine that would be an uncomfortable conversation. What is the sperm meets egg plan?? LOL at your DH.

nelly - fingres crossed for a BFP following a cycle with NO side effects. that's great that you are feeling better on the femara this cycle. And good news that you Od too. good luck!

Claudette - ooooh. I don't envy you your school camp experience! totally understand why you've been sleeping!

Keli - thanks. did you do clomid? how long did you take it for before you got your BFP?

Liz - ((hugs)) sorry your DH is not being so supportive. I think it is a male thing. Not that it makes it any easier, but my DH is not interested in reading any info either. His SA came back normal so he is not really interested in hearing about WHY I am taking the clomid. I think it is a very different experience for them. My DH is usually very understanding and supportive but when it comes to TTC, he doesn't get it. DO you think you will do the injections? I know my fertility clinic opens at 6:30am for blood tests etc (and when I got there at that time, there were heaps of women ahead of me and they looked like they'd been in full swing for a while). So maybe you will be able to fit the BT in before work? good luck. it is really tough when you don't have the support you need from DH!

ASM - just TWWing. 8 dpo and it's killing me - but it always does!! bring on the weekend when I can test!

Have a good day everyone!

Hey Hannahfroodoo,

So we were TTC for just over 3 years before getting our BFP. DH & I both went to a naturopath for over 12 months, this helped me to get a regular AF (as I only got it twice a year prior) but didn’t help me to O. I then went on Clomid for 6 months with still no BFP. Then in January this year I had a lap and then went back on Clomid and it was my 3rd cycle post lap that we conceived. Sorry for the long explanation but I wanted to give you the full story rather than just saying I conceived after 9 rounds of Clomid cos that’s not quite correct.

GL to you all, I can’t wait to see some more BFP’s on here very very soon.

Bec, when are you going to test? The suspense is killing me!!!!!!

[miss kris]

Hi Again!
So i am following up on this preseed but ... dum dum duuuuuum no where in my town sells it (small country town)
Where do you ladies get yours and did any of you order off the net?

Epayne - just a thought ... my hubby tells me he is "ok" and there is "nothing wrong" but i find that he likes to sort through his head all the thoughts regarding TTC etc and then when he feels he has grasped it better he opens up ... but of course they are not all the same? Maybe you could ask him if he didn't want to vocalise how he is feeling, if he wanted to write a list of his emotions? Then you work through them one by one and talk about each and see if you can figure out why he is feeling that way? I also find when my hubby doesn't want to talk about it, he doesn't understand ... maybe he wants some more questions answered?

Sorry if that doesn't make sense ... i hope you two work it out soon! TTC is stressful on the both of you! But it should only make you stronger when it all gets sorted out!

[Keli]

Hey Miss Kris,

Google pre-seed at lullay conceptions. This is where I have bought mine from before. Or you could check out the preseed website.
Hope this helps

[Porsche]

Hi Ladies

This is the sperm meets egg plan -

Sperm Meets Egg Plan
Little did I know when I developed this plan in 1999 that it would end up being my most Googled page! But here is my pregnancy plan, designed to maximize the effectiveness of your attempts to get pregnant, and to minimize how long it takes for that elusive big fat positive.

Deanna’s Plan

Whether you are trying again after a miscarriage, or frustrated that you can’t seem to get pregnant again after a successful pregnancy, the sperm meets egg plan is for women who have gotten pregnant in the past, and therefore do not have significant infertility problems that need to be tested and treated. It is also a good plan to try for a first pregnancy if you want to do something serious to increase your chances before finally going in for a doctor visit about fertility.

Even if you have had an easy time getting pregnant in the past, pregnancy tends to change your hormonal makeup, so sometimes timing is not the same as it was before. This plan will ensure that sperm gets to your egg. Whether or not a viable pregnancy results (the odds are about 1 in 4 even if you time it right), is up to nature.

Be prepared for a month of serious loving!

The Plan

Short Version:

“Try” every other night starting Day 8
Buy 10 ovulation predictor kit sticks
Begin ovulation testing on Day 10
When test is positive, “try” that night, plus two additional nights in a row
Skip one night, then do one last “try”
Take a home pregnancy test 15 days after your ovulation test was positive, if your period has not begun
If your ovulation test never goes positive, continue “trying” every other night until Day 35, then do a pregnancy test if your period has not begun.
Statistics coming in from women who write me show that about 40% of post-miscarriage women will get pregnant on the first try if they are faithful to the plan, about double the number of the normal population who are not on the plan. This assumes, of course, that you waited for a normal cycle to begin after your loss, and did not begin trying before having a period after a miscarriage. Many women do not ovulate in that first cycle.

Detailed Version:

On day 8 of your cycle, counting from the first day you bled, begin “trying” every other night. Begin taking Ovulation Predictor Kits (or continue with your Ovulation computer) on Day 10. Buy two five-packs so as not to scrimp on taking them and stop too early. To make sure your OPK is working well, take your test in the afternoon or after work and do not drink any liquids or go to the bathroom for at least four hours prior to testing. (Morning is not a good time for OPKs, which look for the LH surge, which usually happens during the day.) Read your OPK instructions carefully, as usually a faint line does not indicate a positive, you need a line that is darker than the test line. LH is produced throughout your cycle and will only predict ovulation when it has a big surge. When your OPK turns positive, begin trying every night for three consecutive nights, skip the fourth night, and then once more. Then you can stop! (It is fine to continue just for fun, though!) The waiting begins.

Take a home pregnancy test 15 or 16 days after your OPK was positive if your period has not begun. Do not buy internet pregnancy tests or tests that claim to work before your period is expected. They are not well manufactured and are not reliable. They will only cause you more anxiety than you already feel in wanting to know. Please resist the urge to do a blood test at your doctor’s office just to find out sooner unless you have a medical reason to know early. Fertilized eggs that do not grow are actually a terrible but normal occurrence as much as 75% of the time, and seeing a very low put positive blood test in the first 14 days can place you on a terrible emotional roller coaster. By the time a home pregnancy test is positive, your baby has safely implanted and your odds of miscarriage are down to a normal 10%.

Should your OPK never become positive, keep the every other day trying going until day 35. I recommend at that point taking a home pregnancy test, but even if it is negative, you might want to take a quantitative hCG blood test at your doctor’s office. Remember that not every women will ovulate every month. I personally did not ovulate for two months following my first miscarriage.

As you are trying, make sure to “release” the sperm in your partner at least once during the gap between ovulation and new cycle Day 8 so that no more than 10 days elapse without new sperm production. Sperm is also a cause of genetic damage, not just eggs, so keep it fresh! If you are not successful the first month, it is not because your sperm did not get to your egg. 75% of eggs are lost within the first 14 days due to normal genetic damage or failure to fertilize. Just keep trying!

Here are a few facts that may surprise you:

Many books tell you that sperm can last for 5 days and the egg for 24 hours. While this is technically true on the very long end (and something to follow if you trying to NOT get pregnant), most sperm will only last about two hours if you do not have fertile-quality cervical mucus for it to swim in. The sperm will struggle to swim up to your uterus, use all its reserves, and not make it. The egg typically lives only about 12 hours, so it cannot wait for long. You can now see how important that cervical mucus is! You will never get pregnant with sperm living two hours and an egg only twelve. This information is really just to make you feel better if you’ve been trying a long time and all your infertility testing came back normal. If the Deanna-plan does not work and you are faithful to it for three months, take a dose of plain Robitussin cough syrup (or any cough medicine that says “expectorant” and NOT “antihistamine”) each day (preferably a few hours prior to “trying”) starting around Day 10 until the day after your ovulation predictor goes off. It should help make all the mucus in your body runnier, including that produced by your cervix. (Oh the gruesome details required in baby-making!) The sperm in the runnier mucus will live about two days, and will be up there and ready for the 12-hour life of the egg. A NOTE ABOUT CLOMID: Clomid causes cervical mucus to dry up in 25% of the women who take it. If you notice your mucus is not plentiful as it was before taking this drug, take the Robitussin and call your doctor to make sure your really need the Clomid. If you are ovulating on your own and do not have a documented luteal phase defect, you most likely do not need it.
“Trying” too often can actually do more harm than good. Do not try every night! You will get exhausted and sore, and your mucus–both for fertility and for lubrication–will dry up, and you will stop trying too early in the month or miss an important day. Every other day is absolutely sufficient, with three nights in a row during peak time sealing the deal.
Don’t worry about stress! Regular old worries about getting pregnant, and if you will ever have children, are perfectly normal and do NOT affect your fertility. Ignore those people who tell you just to relax and stop thinking about it. This is not their problem! The only thing that could actually affect you is serious stress, like moving to a new house, losing your job, family deaths, and other things that make you physically ill or depressed. This can delay your ovulation, or make you not ovulate in a cycle, since you will produce an excess amount of the stress byproduct called prolactin. It will not affect you for long, and the next month you should come back and be normal again.
An early period is not an indication of an early miscarriage, even if you know you timed your trying perfectly. Usually it means that the egg was not fertilizable, and so progesterone was not adequately produced. This shortens your cycle. Sometimes eggs simply don’t develop properly during the ovulation process. It is usually a one-month problem. If you are regularly seeing that fewer than 10 days are passing between ovulation and your period, however, it’s time to be tested for a luteal phase defect. You can read more about that under hormone causes of miscarriage.
Good luck to everyone. Baby dust, baby dust, baby dust!

It can't hurt to try anyway.

[Keli]

Awesome article Porsche, you're right it can’t hurt. In fact this is just about to the tee what DH and I did the month we conceived. Clearly it works. Also how great that you can try it without giving up other things you're also trying, eg Clomid, met, etc. GL to anyone willing to give it a go.

[Porsche]

Lets hope it does the trick!

[lilminion]

Hannahfroodoo - Thanks, DH and I had a big D&M last night when we went to bed and talked about everything. From what he was talking about he just didn't understand what was going on with my body and when he actually listed to what I was saying he seemed to get it. I must say that I slept much better last night. GL with your TWW hopefully it doesn't drag on for you like it seemed to do for my last cycle.

Bec - how are you going, any testing done yet??? fingers crossed

AFM - as said above DH and I finally discussed everything and have decided that that next cycle we are going to try the FSH injections and see how we go. So now it's just the waiting game till thursday when we see the FS.

[becnxavi]

Tested and BFN, not sure what to do. Af still not here and CM is increasing. I'm thinking I best get back to the Dr for a BT!

[Porsche]

Hi Ladies

Oh Bec I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say. I know how you feel. When is AF due?

Liz - I'm glad you and your DH had a big chat. Hopefuly your both on the same page now and can move forward.

[Keli]

Oh Bec, I'm so sorry. You poor love, hugs! BT sounds like a good idea, what day are you up to? And yeah what Porsche said, when's AF due?

Liz, glad you were able to discuss with DH, sometimes they just take a little longer than us to process things. Sounds like you're both on the same page now though which is wonderful. GL on Thursday hun!

[RhiChiChi]

Tested and BFN, not sure what to do. Af still not here and CM is increasing. I'm thinking I best get back to the Dr for a BT!

Hey Bec, is it too early to test? Maybe you O late or are yet to O? I agree with getting a test and getting a definate answer to what is going on. KUP x

[hannahfroodoo]

Bec - sporry about the bfn. you're a couple of days overdue for AF. is that right? I hope a blood test can give you some answers about what's going on.

Liz - yay! sounds like you and DH have agreed on a plan anyway. that's good news. good luck tomorrow. I hope the appt goes well for you.

Porsche - good luck with your sperm meets egg plan! definitely sounds like a good one! Have you tried the robitussin before?

Keli - 3 years! thanks for sharing your story. It is interesting that the naturopathic stuff helped you to cycle but not to O. Do you think the lap is what helped you finally get your BFP?

[Keli]

Keli - 3 years! thanks for sharing your story. It is interesting that the naturopathic stuff helped you to cycle but not to O. Do you think the lap is what helped you finally get your BFP?

Yes I definatly think it was a lot to do with the lap as to why we concieved. Also DTD at the exact right time I'm sure helped (I can feel when I O on Clomid). GL testing on the weekend, I have fx for you!