2006
- Summer 2006 - research BC options. Don't like all the long term side effects of different kinds of contraception, so decide on Natural Family Planning. No BCPs for me. Cycles have always been very regular. Begin charting to prevent pregnancy....ha
- Dec. 2006 - Married, continue charting. I would like to begin TTC, but DH is not ready. Not trying for baby yet.
2007
- Have fun living with DH, enjoy our new home, and lots of travel. Still charting to prevent pregnancy.
2008
- Lots of weddings = lots of international travel. Dec. 2008 DH says he is ready to start trying. Finally!!!
2009
- Jan - June 2009 - DH and I are not living in same city due to work/career. Hope he joins me soon...because we need to make a baby.
- July 2009 - Still not living in the same place as DH, but timing our visits according to my cycle. Begin using Ovulation Predictor Kits, and continue charting to detect ovulation. Start Prenatal vitamins. CD21 blood work done - shows that ovulation occurred.
- Aug. & Sept. 2009 - Conflicting schedules, timing is off, so not expecting anything to happen.
- Oct. - Nov. 2009 DH is finally home. Lots of BDing, but BFNs
- Dec. 2009 & Jan 2010 - DH gets tested. Semen Analysis results: okay, but a little bit of low motility... not Michael Phelps swimmers, but average. Doctor says nothing to worry about.
2010
- Jan. 2010 - June 2010 - continue charting, OPKs, prenatal vitamins.
- June 2010 - very sad, my beloved dog dies of unknown causes. I'm depressed, but have lots of doctors visits. Blood work: CD9, CD11, CD13
- July 2010 - visit IF clinic. Tests are normal, just a bit of low estrogen. Nurse recommends unmonitored Clomid. I decide I'm not ready to take Clomid quite yet. Again, don't like what I've read about side-effects. Plus, I ovulate so why give me ovulation enhancing drugs?? I'm not okay with that.
- Aug. 2010 - Decide to take FertilAid for Women and DH begins FertilAid for Men. FertilAid makes me feel better (great mood, no cramps during AF, etc), but don't know if it's helping with conception.
- Nov. 2010 - Four bottles of FertilAid later and still all BFNs. Cycles have always been regular (between 26-28 days), now they're not (32 days). Stop taking FertilAid. Decide to research Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, herbs and fertility yoga.
- Dec. 2010 - HSG. Tubes are normal and clear. Begin 6 weeks of acupuncture (1x per week) and herbs.
2011
- Jan. 2011 - Move to big city. New RE appointment. We love our new doctor, Dr. B. Very understanding and encouraging. He recommends Saline -Infused Sonography (shows more detail than a HSG). I'm excited... then find out my little sister is pregnant w/ 1st baby, only been married for 7 months, and not trying; this will be the 1st grandchild for my parents...I'm excited for her, but sad for us. Then find out that one of our bachelor friends gets one of his flings pregnant...I'm very sad...more fb baby announcements...I'm extremely sad. Decide to stop charting, using OPKs, and acupuncture (for now). Trying to 'just relax'...yeah right!
- Feb 2011 - Cycle 17 of TTC (only counting cycles w/ ovulation detection). Begin taking Royal Jelly & Pollen in raw honey - I read it helps with egg quality, so why not? It tastes good too :) Started Circle&Bloom mind-body audio program for infertility...
- Saline-Infused Sonography results show scar tissue, possible Asherman's Syndrome. This could be the cause of our Infertility! A.S. is normally caused by miscarriages, surgeries, or infections - all of which I've never had. Dr. B suggests a Hysteroscopy to remove the tissue. He recommends an OB-GYN that specializes in Hysteroscopies.
- April 2011 - Hysteroscopy scheduled to happen next month. Scared, but hope we get our 'unexplained' infertility finally 'explained'.
- May 2011 - Hysteroscopy done. No scar tissue found! What??? I have no idea how it just disappeared. Maybe the wheatgrass? Maybe the prayers? Probably both. I don't know. We were glad to find out that everything is well with my uterus. However, now we're back to square 'uno.'
- July 2011 - Met with our RE to go over all our results. Conclusion: we are still completely and totally unexplained. He suggests we start with a medicated (Gon.al-F injections) and an IUI. We're excited, but terrified.... Soon after this appointment, my OB-GYN called to tell me my pap smear came back abnormal. Suggests we postpone treatment until after the colposcopy.... I'm mad and sad :(
- August 2011 - Our 2nd sweet dog dies. We're very sad. To top things off, colposcopy results were not good - revealed moderate dysplasia. OB-GYN schedules LEEP surgery to remove the abnormal cells. Surgery scheduled for early September. Fertility treatments postponed until at least one month after LEEP surgery.
- September 2011 - LEEP surgery. Results come back normal and my OB-GYN gives us the OK to start fertility treatments.
- October 2011 - FINALLY starting treatments!!! Didn't know I would be this excited about giving myself shots in the abdomen. Woohoo!!!
- Oct. 10th began Gon.al-F injections (75 iu CD2-7)
- CD 6 blood work/ultra sound: follicles growing well, hormone levels great
- CD 8 blood work/ultra sound: 2 follicles (17mm & 14 mm). Instructed to go ahead and give myself the Ovi.drel shot
- Oct. 18th
- CD 10 - 1st IUI! (65mil sperm after wash)
- 10 & 11dpiui - pink and brownish spotting
- 12dpiui- AF :(
- November 2011
- Decide to start temping again
- Gon.al-F injections (75iu CD 3-8)
- CD7 blood work/ultra sound: follies growing well
- CD9 blood work/ultra sound: 3 follicles (14mm, 14mm on right & 11mm on left). Ovi.drel shot and we decide to BD ;)
- CD11 - 2nd IUI (23mil sperm after wash)
- 9dpiui - brownish spotting
- 10dpiui HPT - BFN and temp dropped
- 12dpiui - AF arrived :(
- Late November
- Gon.al-F injections (112.5iu CD3-8)
- CD7 blood work/ultra sound
- CD9 blood work/ultra sound: 9 follies (16, 15, 15, 15, 13, 11, 11 on right & 13, 10 on left)
- CD11 - 3rd IUI (12mil sperm after wash)
- 11dpiui - AF arrived :(
2012
- January 2012
- Approved for IVF
- February 2012: IVF#1
- Feb. 2, CD21 (of cycle #30 of TTC) - Begin 10 iu of Lup.ron
- Feb. 9 - CD1 (of cycle #31 of TTC), AF arrived
- Feb. 11 - CD3-9, begin 225 iu of Gon.al F, reduce Lup.ron to 5 iu
- Feb. 15 - CD7, b/w & u/s, follicles growing well.
- Feb. 18 - CD9, b/w & u/s, follicles growing
- Feb. 19 - CD10, b/w & u/s, 17 measurable follicles, Ovi.drel trigger shot
- Feb. 21 - CD13, Retrieval - 21 eggs retrieved!
- Feb. 24 - CD16, Day 3 Transfer - 2 embryos (7 cell-3 grade & 4 cell-3 grade)
- Feb. 27 - CD19, out of the 11 embryos left, only 1 embryo made it to freeze :(... hope we'll be able to transfer this snow embie in the near future.
- March 2012
- Mar. 6 - 1st beta...POSITIVE!!! HPT = BFP
- Mar. 26 - One precious little heartbeat :)
- November 2012
- Beautiful baby boy born! 7.9 lbs, 21 inches long. Perfect. Healthy. Wonderful.
2014
- June 2014
- update B/W and Saline Sono
- mid-June, CD1 - started Vive.lle (estrogen patch) and Estra.diol (2mg tab). I'm glad there are not injections involved this time.
- July 2014 - FET#1
- B/W and U/S scheduled for July 10th. Progesterone .3, lining 11/7. Begin Crin.none gel ap (progesterone)
- Flew to Boston. Pre & post transfer acupuncture. Transferred one frozen embryo on July 15th, on CD26. (Seems kind of late for a transfer, but nurse assured me that this is normal). Ate pineapple for 5 days after transfer and didn't drink anything cold.
- HPT & b/w done on July 24 = both BFN.
- Current - no more embryos left. Not sure what our next step will be.
2018
- May 2018 - Road to IVF #2. (Now 36 years old, DH 37 years old. Have 5.5 year old from successful IVF #1.)
- returned to New England area. Got a job with great medical benefits (covers IVF!). On a mission here!
- May-June 2018
- update testing
- August 2018
- begin medication - Lup.ron and Go.nal F
- September 2018 - IVF #2!
- Retrieval! - results = 13 eggs retrieved
- OHSS - Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
- Doc decides to see how many make it to Day 5 for freezing
- Only ONE makes it to freezing
- October 2018
- begin estrogen pills and estrogen patch
- November 2018
- Transfer our only snow embie - FET#2
- Late November 2018 - BFP! So excited. Heartbeat at 127.
2019
- January 2019 - prenatal screening. Results come back as 9/10 chance for Tri.somy 18.
- Devastated doesn't even come close to describing how we feel.
- Decide to do CVS (chorionic villus sampling, where they take a bit of placenta for testing) diagnostic test - results return as confirmed for Tri.somy 18
- Begin to bleed profusely. End up in the ER. Doctors are afraid for my life.
- Emergency D&E performed to save me.
- Very loved and wanted baby joins God in heaven at 12 weeks. Again, utterly and completely devastated.
- February - April 2019
- Nothing but healing emotionally. Physically, already feel back to normal
- Late April 2019 - IVF #3 (now 37 years old, DH 38 years old, 6.5 year old from IVF#1)
- Back to treatments. Begin BCP for two weeks, then Lup.ron for two weeks
- April 26, begin Gon.al F shots
- May 2019
- May 8 - RETRIEVAL! = 13 eggs (same number as IVF#2!).
- May 9 - fertilization report = 9 mature eggs, 6 fertilized, scheduled for 3-day transfer
- May 10 - 3-day transfer moved to 5-day transfer.
- Two 8B cell embryos, one 7B embryo, one 6B embryo and one 5B embryo...all growing
- May 13 - 5-day transfer. Transferred two blastocyst, 3BB and 2BB.
- May 23 - testing - BFN
- June 2019
- decide to switch to another clinic
- August 2019
- update all testing - b/w and HSG and Saline -Infused Sonography, DH also updates analysis
- begin Lup.ron for two weeks, then Gon.al F shots
- Insurance approves ICSI
- On to IVF #4 - now 37 years old (almost 38), DH 38 years old, 6.5 year old (almost 7) from IVF#1)
- August 30, RETRIEVAL! = 14 eggs, 8 fertilized, 2 made it to blastocyst (freeze two 4AB embies)
- October 2019
- meds: Vive.lle patch (2-3 every other day), Endo.metrium suppositories (twice a day)
- Oct. 30 decide to transfer only 1 embie (5-day/4AB) and keep the other frozen.
- meds: nightly progesterone oil injections, Vive.lle patch (2 every other day), Endo.metrium suppositories (twice a day)
- November 2019
- Nov. 9 - BETA - positive! HcG 338.3 (10dpt)
- Nov. 11 - 2nd BETA = HcG 778.2 (12dpt)
- Nov. 26 - u/s heartbeat at 120 and embie measuring 6w4d
- instructed to continue meds until 10 weeks: nightly progesterone oil injections :/, Vive.lle patch (2 every other day), Endo.metrium suppositories (twice a day)
- December 2019
- Dec. 9, 2nd u/s scheduled
Current TTC cocktail/concoction -
Me
Prenatal vitamins
CoQ10 200mg
Vitamin B
DH - Mr. A
Vitamins - Every Man's One Daily
