FEB / MARCH 2011 Cycle Buddies!! can't wait!

[to_have_fun08]

blair - doing the AF dance for you. I know how stressful that can be not knowing what your body is doing. After 2 ivfs cycles i didn't get AF for 2 to 3 months. Another IVF cycle I got AF and it didn't go away for 8 weeks and I am not talking light stuff, it was pretty heavy most of the time. Really sucked. Hopefully she comes soon so you can get the ball rolling. oh and can't believe they made you go through the education class again. that was just a waste of time.

Jamie - welcome to the board. Don't stress, ask whatever questions you want. Most of us has been through this at least once. On my first cycle I was also overwhelmed with the meds. When i got all the drugs in I started researching them on the internet and looking through info i got from my clinic to figure out what was what and what it did. So don't think you are alone. If you are starting lupron soon, you should have egg retrival either in Feb or March so you are in the right spot.

[MamaBoo]

Blair: sorry it is taking so long. It drives me nuts when I have no control over my own body. Unfortunately, this is one of the things that you cannot control. Maybe your RE can do an blood test to see if your HCG levels are back to zero.

AFM: Had HSG done today. It hurt worse than I remember!!!! However, all clear. I got my calendar. I start Lupron in about 2 weeks. They are ordering my baby in a box for me this week. RE is new to me, but has been with practice awhile. My RE moved to Houston. He is putting me on Lovenox - a blood thinner. He wants to up my chances and with a history of loss, he thinks it may help. I do have a son that is 14 mos old, but RE says it won't hurt anything if I don't need it. I'm glad to get the ball rolling.

[JenMink55]

Hi Everybody--

I have been lurking and following everybody's progress. I am waiting for AF (UGH!) and she should be here anyday. Could I get an AF dance too please!!!! LOL

Still looking to transfer 2nd week in March, just in IVF limbo.

Just wanted to check in and say I am alive and waiting for IVF #3

Love you all,
Jennifer

[to_have_fun08]

So who is up first, is there anyone on stims yet? Gosh Im bad at following the board.

im not till late feb.

[mrs.o.gomez]

hello everyone,

Im new to this i just wanna know what to expect, i got my meds in the mail this week and in the morning i will be going for my ultrasound to see if i have any cyst bcuz they had me taking bc pills. im supposed to start my injections around the 3rd of feb. The situation with me is that i had a tubal ligation after my last child in 2000 and now my current husband wants a child so we decided to do IVF. im really scared especially now since ive seen my meds. any advice?????

[BlissfulCS]

Jen Mink- I too am looking at a transfer the second week in March and it will also be my third. Guess we have a lot in common!

Jamie and Gomez- welcome to the board. Things are picking up around here and these ladies are a treasure trove of knowledge and positive mental attitude. Everyone's experience and reactions are a little different, but for me receiving the meds was a little like Christmas. Sure, it was intimidating, but it is also exciting to get started and to feel like you are bringing out the big guns to tackle this infertility thing. Enjoy and ask away, we are here to help.

Blair- I don't know how to use the dancing emoticons, but I am doing an actual dance for you RIGHT NOW in my kitchen. Just picture a 34 year old brunette doing the cabbage patch while singing, "Go Blair, its AF Day...we're gonna party like its AF day."

AFM- I put down my deposit to get on the calendar and am ordering my meds soon. One more crucial step toward motherhood. I celebrate them all

[mrs.o.gomez]

Thank you Bliss, I actually had a panic when i saw all of the meds. im curious will i get sick from all the meds?

[blairwh58]

Hey guys- thanks for all the AF dances and good thoughts...but still nothing. I've even been wearing the whitest underwear I have just hoping that they get ruined but still nothing. I did start cramping today which I'm hoping is a good sign that ill start in the next day or two, but if not the MD called me in some Prometrium to take for a few days to get things going. I am really hoping to be on the same schedule as some of you and having a retreival/transfer the second week of march. Hopefully we will all end up with nov/dec babies!!! Just to start out the cycle on a good note I am starting acupunture next week. The lady I'm going to is very into "optimizing" my treatment plan, and said she is all about me taking a baby home, not just a pregnancy. she was the replacement that my last acupuncturist sent me to on transfer day because she was getting married...but I ended up liking the new one better- she's much more scientific and even measured the points on my body for ideal needle placement. She said she understands how expensive ivf is and wants me to come as often as possible even if we have to work out a payment plan. Hopefully it helps with the positive and relaxed attitude I'm trying hard to have this time. But seriously.. Come on AF!!!

[BlissfulCS]

Gomez- I didn't get sick at all, but I think everyone is different. I assume you are probably on a long lupron protocol (there are different protocols and even different options of drugs within the same protocols)? I personally had no side effects at all from lupron, menopur or from the HCG trigger shot. The drugs for stimulating the ovaries cause me to be bloated and only very mildly crampy. Beginning prior to your transfer you will take progesterone and estrogen in some form. Both of those made me a little moody, but no sickness. The really tough part is that when you are in your two week wait (2ww) you will continue to take the progesterone and estrogen and the side effects are the same as pregnancy. As much as you know that logically you will have those symptoms, you still question every one and wonder if your swollen breasts, cramps, and moodiness mean you are preggo. It's a crazy experience indeed! But fortunately you should be able to function in life and work pretty much as normal.

Blair- That's cool on the acupuncturist. Maybe she can do some points to help induce AF! I know you are excited and anxious, but our bodies probably know best (despite the fact that it is easy for us to be angry with bodies that we feel are betraying us in important ways). Stay positive and use this time to focus on healing physically and mentally. You have been through a lot lady, a few extra days could be good for preparing yourself for success in this next round. Lifting you up in my thoughts tonight!

AFM- chatting with Gomez has me wondering... This is my first antagonist protocol. Is anyone else on an antagonist protocol? Have you been? Any advice/major differences? I know it is a shorter protocol with no supression (which I really, really like). But outside of that I am in the dark on this one.

[mrs.o.gomez]

Bliss- thanks so much. im not sure if im on a long lupron or not, im not familiar with the ivf terms and lingo, lol. all i know is i start feb 4th on lupron in the am thenon the 6th i will take lupron & bravelle in the am and then menopur in the pm then they saif most likely egg retrieval will be around the 15th and fives after that the transfer and some time in between i will start the progesterone and have to keep doing those injesctions til im atleast 12 wks pregnant. they gave me a patch too. the meds came up to $2200, i thought they wouldve been more.

[Shaymama]

Hello Everyone!

I am new to the site. I am 27 and just started my first (Hopefully only)IVF cycle. I am so excited but very nervous. My DH and I have been TTC for 18 months and recently found out I have PCOS and he has low morphology. I did 7 months of clomid with no results because my OB some how missed that I had PCOS in a blood test. I decided to go to a fertility specialist because I was not happy with the results. He is amazing! He used the blood tests from my OB and right away pointed out the abnormal showing the PCOS. I had a ultrasound that day and my ovaries were covered in cysts. He started me on metformin and the next month I started my period on my own! Two weeks later we found out my DH had low morphology. My fertility specialist gave us a less then 2% chance of conceiving on our own. We were going to try IUI but found out that our insurance covers IVF!! A week and a half ago had a hysteroscopy with D&C because during my trial transfer and SHG my uterus did not look right. So now with a fresh uterus I started the lupron injections on 1/24, 1/28 was the last day of BCP and estrace. They are considering my day 1 to be 1/31!! ER is 2/12.

[BlissfulCS]

Welcome Shaymama. We too hope this is the only IVF you'll need!

[Shaymama]

Thank you!

[trying4second]

Hi everyone. I am glad to be joining the group.

I am in the middle of my IVF cyle - started on Menopur and Follistim yesterday. Retrieval should be Feb. 7, 8 or 9.

This will be my third IVF cycle.

I feel very blessed to have an amazing daughter who is 15 months old and arrived after a long process (2 miscarriages, 6 IUIS, 2 IVFs, and a twin pregnancy where we lost her twin at 12 weeks). I was on this board the last round, and it was really helpful. I was always a little annoyed with the women on the board who were already moms...I wanted it so desperately and felt jealous and angry that they were "complaining" when they already had a baby.

I hope my joining is not too painful for others...rather, I hope it is a sign that this all really can work and bring the most joy to your life you could ever imagine (and the most sleep depriviation!)

Looking forward to getting to you know all!

[deftonesmo]

Hey all . . .
so much is happening with everyone!

I had my hysteroscopy last week . . . everything went smoothly . . . but at my baseline ultrasound, we discovered a corpus luteum hanging around . . . looks like it's on its way out, but my cycle got postponed 10 days . . . going in for an ultrasound tomorrow and I hope it's gone for good =)

fingers crossed =)