Rooting for Follie 14 on CD 12

It's been some time since my last post, mostly because one thing I've learned in the game of infertility is that there is a lot of waiting involved. Wait for period, wait to begin Clomid, wait for follicles to mature, wait for HCG shot, wait for insemination, and then of course the 2WW (two week wait) before we can do the preg test.

I'm on round 2 of Clomid, round 1 at 150 mg, it'sCycle Day 12 and I have 2 medium sized follicles: 1 is 11 mm and the other is 14. Let's hope Follie 14 pulls through and busts out of there!

No AF, but don't get too excited

CD 32, gave up on tracking BBT for now

After getting back a progesterone level reading of .55 and a BFN 2 weeks "post ovulation," I decided to stop the daily BBT thing. What's the point? I'll start Provera back up as soon as my doctor calls it in.....then I'll see AF in about 9 days and will start Clomid 100 mg on CD3.

Can't wait to experience host flashes on 100 mg! I thought side effects on 50 mg were bad....BUT it's ok. I'm feeling optimistic. Hopefully IUI creates a hole in one!

Hey, it could be much worse. I reckon I'm still in the optimistic stages of TTC!

"Waiting for Aunt Flo" or "Did I ovulate?"

CD 29, BBT 97.3

The past two weeks have been a test of my patience. Patience is not something I have been very good at in the past, but from what I gather it is definitely a key component in the baby-making "game," and possiblly a trait that is required in order to "win."

In the last month I have had four ultra sounds, five blood test and countless OPK tests. One day, I tried the OPK test and the "test" line was so dark, I sat there for 10 minutes trying to decipher if it was "as dark or darker than the control line," per the package's instructions. My doctor said to have intercourse when the line started to get darker, which we did. I did feel some cramping and thought maybe I ovulated. However, my BBT has been all over the map, although for the past two days it has been very low, suggesting that I may start my period, if the Clomid worked...

I went in on Friday for another ultra sound, and my doc noticed no more follicles of any significant size, and, being that it was CD26, she said that I may have ovulated. She sent me for a blood test to monitor my progesterone levels and to test for pregnancy. I am waiting for those results now.

I took an at-home preg test and got a BFN (Big Fat Negative) but I'm eager to see if my progesterone levels were high and that the 50 mg Clomid worked. Then I have to wait ANOTHER week to see if I get a period. If I do not get a period by next Monday, I will begin Provera again to induce another period, and start on the next round of Clomid, probably at 100 mg this time.

My husband and I have decided to try IUI next month, because it doubles the chances of conception and if we're already taking medicine to help with ovulation, I'd prefer to give it the best possible shot.

Meanwhile, I just got an instant message from my husband: "When are we getting preg?"

The question of the year.....

Today's Blog: "Failed Attempt at Product Review" or "Not Ovulating Yet"

CD17, BBT 97.9

Day 17 of cycle 1 with 50 mg of Clomid and still no sign of ovulation or LH surge. The original plan this week was to post a product review of the highest-rated OPK and the lowest-rated OPK in hopes that I would have some activity to report. The OPKs I have been using include Answer (lowest rated) and Clear Blue Easy (highest rated) to detect an LH Surge. Well, turns out they both come up negative each day, so I guess they both work!

It's very frustrating - I was so excited to start trying this week, and while the doctor is still optimistic that I will ovulate this cycle, she says that some people ovulate very late on Clomid, so it might still happen.

In the meantime, I wanted to post a list of TTC acronyms for my reference and for all of you. Thanks to the great website SheKnows.com for helping me decipher the many TTC Acronyms.



http://pregnancyandbaby.sheknows.com/pregnancy/baby/TTC-ABCs--Preconception-acronyms-1135.htm



TTC ABCs: Preconception acronyms



You've seen them in email or on message boards... but what do those little acronyms actually mean? Here are some acronyms 'net-savvy hopeful moms-to-be are using. Trying to conceive If you're TTC, you'll probably be looking for a CB while you're on the 2WW... and here's hoping that you don't get a BFN and AF arrives! What are we talking about? Here are some message board abbrevations hopeful moms (and dads) are using!



2WW: Two-week wait (until you can take a pregnancy test)

AF: Aunt Flo(w), your period (menses)

BBT: Basal Body Temperature

BD: Baby dance, sex

BFN: Big Fat Negative (test result)

BFP: Big Fat Positive (test result)

BMS: Baby-making sex

CB: Cycle Buddy (someone who shares the same menstrual cycle/ovulation dates)

CD: Cycle day

CF: Cervical fluid

CL: Corpus luteum

CM: Cervical mucus

CP: Cervical position

CY: Cycle

DI: Donor Insemination

DP: "Dancing" partner; spouse or significant other

DPO: Days past ovulation

DTD: Doing the dance, sex

EW: Eggwhite (re: consistency of cervical mucus)

FTTA: Fertile Thoughts To All

FMU: First morning urine

hCG: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (pregnancy hormone)

HPT: Home Pregnancy Test

IF: Infertility

IUI: Intra-uterine Insemination

IVF: In Vitro Fertilization

LH: luteinizing hormone

LMP: Last Menstrual Period

LP: Luteal phase

O: Ovulation

OPK: Ovulation predictor kit

PCOS (POS): Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

PG: Pregnancy, pregnant

S/A: Sperm/semen analysis

TCOYF: Taking Charge of Your Fertility (book)

TTC: Trying to conceive

5 hotels I'd like to conceive in

CD12, BBT 98.0

I had an ultra sound today. My doctor thought that I would be ovulating right about now so we could start trying for baby tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, my ultra sound showed that I still don't have any mature follicles. I have about 13 "medium-sized" follicles, but none that look like they're about to pop out. She said I won't be ovulating in the next 4 days but to test for LH surge over the next few days and to call her when I start to see the test line in the LH surge test getting darker.

I was so excited all week because I hoped that we'd finally be able to start trying this weekend - and what better time than the weekend to start making babies. Although there will be no baby-making for me this weekend, I got to thinking about ideal places to conceive a child. While the beach, the woods or a grassy knoll sound romantic in theory, I can imagine the amount of sand, salt water, bugs, dirt and ants that might be involved.

Therefore, I can’t think of a better place to conceive than a luxury hotel with the sweetest smelling candles, the highest quality sheets and a shower built for two. Sure, our condo is cozy and warm, but we fight our dog for room to sleep on the bed and the water pressure in the shower is much too low.

The following luxury hotels do not rent by the hour and in this recession are not an option for us……but hey, a girl can dream, right?

The Inn at Palmetto Bluff
The South Carolina Lowcountry

Located in the South Carolina Lowcountry between Hilton Head and Savannah, Georgia, this resort is where I would imagine Scarlet O'Hara would have gone for vacation. It is warm and cozy an breathtakingly beautiful, surrounded by Spanish Moss trees and nigh owls!! Rates start at $475/night.

BONUS FEATURE:
The “Lovers’ Jubilee” Couples Spa Treatment




Calistoga Ranch
Napa Valley, California

Nestled in the hills of Napa Valley, this secluded and private resort merges indoor and outdoor living to feel as close to nature as possible, while still having access to all of the creature comforts of today. Rates start at $550/night.

BONUS FEATURE:
Couples can rent the outdoor spa after 9pm for a private romantic experience under the stars!



The Peninsula, Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, California

It may be located in the heart of Beverly Hills, but the staff at this exceptional hotel treats every person walking through the front doorthrough those front doors with the same excellent hospitality as the celebrity before them. Rates start at $525/night.

BONUS FEATURE:
Enjoy a post coital afternoon tea!



The Plaza Hotel
New York, NY

Located on the corner of 5th Avenue and Central Park South, The Plaza is featured in movies from North By Northwest to Bride Wars and our favorite NYC TV shows like Gossip Girl and Sex & the City. Rooms start at $676/night.

BONUS FEATURE:
Breakfast in bed. At The Plaza. Need I say more?




The Four Seasons, New York
The Ty Warner Penthouse Suite New York, NY

The Ty Warner Penthouse Suite is the most expensive hotel room in the world. What else can I say? Room rents for $34,000/night.

BONUS FEATURE:
For $34,000 per night, we better make a baby in there!





Oh well, I guess our 2 bedroom condo will have to do when the time comes.......

CD 9: "TTC" And Other Baby-Making Acronyms

Googling questions on any subject will undoubtedly lead you to Yahoo! Answers or some other forum-style site where people toss out questions in hopes that someone will answer and know what they're talking about. These posts are full of "Baby-Making Acronyms" (BMA) and a whole new set of word for my baby-making vocabulary.

Following is a short list of some of the questions/sentences I have recently Googled:
"Why don't I ovulate?"
"How to treat anovulation"
"When will I get my period after Provera?"
"How long after Clomid will I ovulate?"
"When is the best time of day to conceive?"

Two weeks ago I started taking Provera to induce a period and begin a new cycle. On day 3 of my cycle (CD3) began taking 50 mg of Clomid. I went for an ultra sound (U/S) but my follicles (Fs) were not yet mature so I'll back in on Friday to find out when I will ovulate. I am very lucky in that my Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) levels and other hormone levels are normal and internally everything looks good. My husband's ego recently exploded following his sperm analysis (SA) which showed a very high sperm count, and despite a few sperm with "neck/midpiece defects" and "detached heads," he's got plenty of strong swimmers.

With all this in mind, all we can do is wait. Wait to try. In the meantime I've become a regular voyeur on all forum sites where women discuss their conception struggles and joys. Some women make it sound so easy, others make it sound hard. But in reading these many postings from women whom I have never met, I have learned more than I ever imagined. I am learning the language of the "Aspiring Mom" (AS).

Here's a baby-making acronym I'm still trying to decipher: BD. By reading this in context, it clearly means the actual act of intercourse. Here's an example. The following is the answer to a question about when to try for the baby during a course of Clomid:

"would say your best bet is to BD starting CD11, then go every other day. That is what my dr. told me. "

But what does "BD" stand for? I took Clomid from CD3-7. Today is CD9. My doctor thinks I will ovulate (O) on Saturday. So, if you don't see me out and about this weekend, I'll be at home with my husband TTC (Trying To Conceive).