There's no doubt left. Today is decidedly CD4 and I'm picking up the clomid on my way home from work tonight. This cycle will be a tad different though, if I have my way. For one thing, I am going to twist as many arms as necessary to have some monitoring done by the RE's office. I want to know exactly what is going on through the whole cycle. Just how many follies are there, and are they mature enough to expect fertilization when I ovulate?
We're switching donors, too. Not so much by choice, although we agreed to a 3-and-you're-out plan back when this started. I was willing to give lucky #18 one more shot, but he's retired and is now in limited supply. I'll leave what's left for the folks who are trying for a full sibling for babies #18 helped them conceive already. We're back to the catalogs now, and once again feeling like this process is so random and wierd. I need to find out from the RE if matching my Rh-factor increases our chance of success. It does limit the options available, but if it raises the odds I'll do it. Lucky #18 was the same Rh-factor as me... but Im sure we'll find someone else we like.
On Saturday, C told me he didn't care if our baby was Asian, African, Caucasian or any other race. I can't let go of the early images I dreamed of a baby with C's beautiful blue eyes. But I am much more concerned with a healthy family history, so if the "best" donor happens to have brown or green, or even orange eyes (haha... ), that's who we'll go with. Unfortunately, sticking with C's traits narrows our choices considerably. Also unfortunately, removing those preferences makes narrowing the immense pool of donors very difficult.
There are worse problems to be had, for sure, than too many donors to choose from.
So, my questions for the RE this week-
1. Nurse TMI told me that my heart rate should never exceed 130 BPM while I'm TTC. Is this true? If so, how do you explain all the women who got pregnant while living their normally active lifestyle?
2. What explanations can be offered to explain why our attempts haven't worked yet? What can we do this cycle to make sure we learn something from it, just in case IUI #6 meets with the same result?
3. What is our next step, if this cycle doesn't work?
4. Would our chances of conceiving be increased if we select a donor with the same Rh-factor as me?
5. Do you recommend any supplements or complimentary, alternative treatments that might increase our chances of conceiving?
6. Are there any foods I should try to avoid (aside from the obvious "bad for you" foods), or any that I should make more prominent in my diet to help things along?
11 years ago
2 comments:
Boo...that is didn't work this time but YAY...to having a cycle buddy again!
me again. My RE usually makes me come in about CD11 or CD12 for a follicle scan to make sure follicles are progressing as they should. She'll also measure my uterine lining to make sure it isn't too thin. I then go back on CD13 or CD14 for another scan too see follicle size again. Based on the size during this visit she tells me when to take my trigger shot and we inseminate 36 hours after.
I love having the trigger shot over "natural ovulation". It takes the stress out of timing. I still use OPKs though just in case.
Monitored cycles are much less stressful for me and also more cost effective. I've had some cycles canceled because of what they were seeing on my scans. Although it was heartbreaking it saved me in the long run.
Hope that helps. Fingers crossed that this is our last cycle!!
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