3 weeks along!

Today I am happily announcing the end of our trying to conceive journey!  I took a pregnancy test this morning, and another this afternoon, and they were both positive!  James and I couldn't be happier and are so excited to become parents.  We're not announcing anything yet to anyone that doesn't have access to this blog, but as soon as we get a blood test and an ultrasound we will share the big news with everyone.

Right now (according to TheBump.com) our baby is the size of a poppyseed.

1 DPO

I'm 99% positive that I ovulated yesterday!  I had 2 peak days on the monitor (CD13 & CD14), full ferning, a positive OPK on CD13, and a HUGE temperature spike (8 tenths of a degree) this morning on CD15.  All of this points to ovulation occurring on CD14.  If I'm right, we timed things very well and have a very good chance of conceiving this month.  The only thing I'm a little concerned about is I didn't have a ton of EWCM on day 13 or 14, some, but not as much as I had before I was on clomid.  So, if this round doesn't work, I don't think I want to try clomid again without doing IUI.

Today is day 14 of my cycle and yesterday my fertility monitor showed a "peak" day!  I confirmed my LH surge with another OPK and I got another peak day today!  So, hopefully this is a good sign that I'm ovulating and things will work this month!

Guaifenesin: Day 1

One of the most notable side effects of Clomid, is that it can dry up your cervical mucus, or at least make it a more hostile environment for sperm and prevent you from ever getting that EWCM.  Fortunately, I didn't notice it dry up the first cycle, but I never rarely get EWCM to begin with.  Anyway, doctors recommend that if that happens while on the medication, you should take an expectorant to thin your cervical mucus to keep it a friendly environment for the sperm.

So today I start Guaifenesin (a.k.a. Mucinex).  

Also, James and I have made the decision that if this cycle does not work, we are going to ask to see a reproductive endocrinologist.  I love my OB, but OB's are not in the business of getting people pregnant, they are meant to take care of YOUR health during pregnancy.  An RE's sole purpose is to get you pregnant and keep you pregnant.  

**If you don't know what EWCM is and want to know (warning: gross), click here.

Clomid: Day 2

Today was a great day!  I had the day off and got to spend it with James, so I was a happy camper.  Then it got even better!  I have been hawking Craigslist.com for MONTHS, trying to find someone selling a fertility monitor.  I mean, come on!  It has to have worked for someone and that someone must not need it anymore!  Right?  Those things are SUPER hard to come by!  Finally, yesterday I found one!  She was selling it for $40!  Cheaper than I'd ever seen one sold.  I thought for sure someone would have contacted her already so I was hesitant to even email her.  SO GLAD I did!  I picked it up today and bought the sticks to go with it and it's all re-set and ready to go!  I'm so excited that I didn't spend a boatload on it.

Clomid: Day 1

Today I start my second round of Clomid.  If this round doesn't work, I think I'm going to ask to be referred out to a Reproductive Endocrinologist.  It's not that I don't like my OB, but I just have this feeling that if the Clomid doesn't work for us when they know it made me ovulate, and timing was good, and there are no other problems...then something else is wrong.  And I would like further testing to know what that something is, rather than continue a treatment that you're technically only supposed to do 6 cycles of in your whole life.  So wish us luck, I really hope this round is it and we don't have to do anything else.  But if not, it's going to be a long road ahead with lots of blood work in my future!

Clomid: Round One, Summary

First cycle was unsuccessful.  I didn't have too many side effects.  The most unpleasant one was definitely the VERY sore boobs before my period started!  I still haven't heard from my doctor whether I ovulated or not...hopefully tomorrow.  Then she should let me know if we're going to continue this dose or up it to 100mg.  Cross your fingers for the next round!

Another round of blood work

I went in this morning to have my Progesterone level checked to find out if I ovulated this cycle or not.  I'm feeling like if I did, it probably happened early, because I started OPKs on day 8, tested all the way to day 21, and never got a positive.  But my temperature rose around day 15.  So, I'm really confused.  Hopefully I'll get the results from the blood work tomorrow and that will shed some light on what happened this cycle.

Clomid: Day 5

Sorry I missed a day 4 update, but I had a very busy day yesterday.  So far, I still haven't had any other side effects, other than being a bit extra tired.  I was warned though, by a friend, that some women don't start experiencing the side effects until they're finished taking the Clomid.  So, I supposed I'll still have to be on the lookout for the next 5-10 days after.  Today was my last pill (day 10 of my cycle), so we'll start trying in the next couple of days!

Clomid: Day 3

I'm still feeling great.  I have been a little more tired than usual, but to me that could be just a fluke and not a side effect because I really haven't been getting as much sleep as I should be.  (Because I got to go to UFC last night!  ahhhhh!)  Halfway done with my meds, then it will be time to start ovulation tests.  I see a lot of peeing on sticks in my future...

Clomid: Day 2

I'm definitely feeling a but more tired today.  But nothing that can't be fixed with a cup of coffee.  I did have a slight headache when I woke up this morning, but it went away without needing to take anything for it.

Clomid: Day 1

As far as I can tell, I haven't had any side effects yet.  Pretty awesome considering some of the more common side effects are:

• Mood Swings
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Hot Flashes 
• Bloating
• Headaches

I'm hoping tomorrow will be more of the same.  I'm thinking that I'm combating the dizziness and nausea and such with taking the medication at night, but who knows.

Moving to the next step

I went in for my Dr. appt this morning and she did decide to go ahead and start me on the Clomid.  I start taking it tomorrow and will take it for 5 days.  She said that it should make me ovulate somewhere between  the 9th and 13th.  Then I go in on the 24th for blood testing to see if it worked.  If it doesn't work the first time, I'll take the same dosage (50mg) again, but I'll come in for blood testing at several points in my cycle.  If that still doesn't work, then she'll up the dosage.  I'm really hoping we won't have to go that far, but we'll see where it goes.

HSG

So I had my HSG today!  and........everything's clear!  No blockages I'm my tubes, uterus looks great.  I made my appointment to go back to my OBGYN for august 4.  So that's when we'll probably start clomid.  Probably won't be able to start til the next cycle though because I'll probably be on about day 7 by then.

HSG today

I'm leaving right now for my HSG appointment.  I'll post afterwards to let you know how it goes.

Results are finally in!

I talked to my OB today and she told me that my blood work shows that I did not ovulate this month and she thinks that I've probably been having anovulatory cycles off and on throughout us TTC.  That's why we're not getting pregnant and my cycles are not normal lengths.  I suppose this is good news since that's something that can be corrected with medication.

My period did start today, weird, because I didn't have ANY PMS symptoms this month.  Usually I have really sore boobs, cramps for like 4-5 days before, I feel like a whale, etc.  But nothing this time.  I still don't even have cramps.  Odd.

Next step:  The HSG.  I have to call and make my appointment tomorrow.  Hopefully they will be able to squeeze me in before I leave for Emma's wedding!  Otherwise, I'll have to wait til next cycle.  After the HSG is done and they know my tubes aren't blocked, I will go back to my OB to be put on Clomid to see if they can get me ovulating.  If after a few cycles of just that I'm not pregnant, she will refer me out to a fertility clinic for further evaluation.

No testing today because I couldn't wait and ended up testing last night.  It was of course negative, like I knew it would be, but I couldn't help getting excited that I was 13DPO and no sign of my period in sight.  My temperature dropped this morning, so I'll be waiting all day for my period to come, I'm sure it will, it never fails.  I'm just really hoping that if I really am not preggo, it will start today so that I can go ahead and schedule my HSG and move forward with this process.  Oh, and I'm supposed to be calling my OBGYN today about my test results from the blood work.  Don't know if I'll get them today, but I called yesterday and left a message asking when I would be hearing the results and they left a message saying "call back tomorrow".  So cross your fingers for me!

Waiting

I got my last blood draw done yesterday...I'm going to be a pro at this needle thing after this is all done!  They said they would call me when they get all the results back from all three draws.

If this cycle didn't work, I'm still going to go in for the HSG, but we probably won't get to try next cycle because James will be in DC.  So keep your fingers crossed!!!

Even though Fertility Friend is telling me to test on the 6th (which is 14DPO and day 27 of my cycle) I think I'm going to try to hold out this time until the 7th.  And I'm only going to test if my temps are still up, because the last 2 times I tested, I got my period either the next day or later that day.

Last Blood Draw Tomorrow!

Cross your fingers for me that I'll have some left when it's all over!  I'm hoping that they'll just go ahead and add pregnancy to the list of things they're testing for.  It'd be nice to know a little early!