https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 23 May 2026 02:11:10 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-a-few-questions#post-2069452 Fri, 13 Feb 2015 22:28:18 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2069452@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you all for your helpful advice. I looked into it, and the closest RE is over 3 hours away. So definitely not an easy option. I had my initial doctor's visit on Wednesday. She did a pap smear (my first in too many years) and ran basic bloodwork, including a thyroid panel. I haven't heard the results yet. I loved this doc. She's a GP and OB. She delivered my friend's daughter, and came highly recommended, so I'm hoping to stick with her. I meant to ask her if she would be able to perform an IUI if we get to that point, but it slipped my mind. Hopefully she'll call about the bloodwork results and I can ask then. If everything checks out normally, I'll ask her what our next step should be. I'd really like to know that my hormone levels are normal, so maybe we should check that next. And I assume I can get ultrasounds at the hospital her clinic is connected to, so we will look into that too. Anyway, I'm having a nice relaxing cycle this month, because I ditched the fertility monitor, am only taking OPKs when I think of it, and trying to monitor primarily based on CM. I'm still temping so I can confirm ovulation. I have friends in town this weekend who know we are TTC and have been my biggest cheerleaders, but the focus of the visit will be more on their baby than anything else, so I'm hoping all of the baby energy around brings us good luck! I should be ovulating Tuesday or Wednesday, and I have my first insemination tomorrow afternoon. Wish me luck! </p> <p>p.s. I'm also taking a bit of a break from HB, trying to appreciate my life now and focus on being present rather than always thinking about TTC. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-a-few-questions#post-2061398 Mon, 09 Feb 2015 16:39:17 +0000 BSB 2061398@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@2farmmoms: Question for you... do you get annual exams (pap smears) through your OB/Gyn? You said you don't go to the Dr's often. </p> <p> I guess you could get them done at your GP but I always felt a little better go to a OB/Gyn for that.</p> <p>ETA: I just read your intro post. Very interesting. I hope you and your partner get pregnant soon. We have a blogger here on HB (with her partner) who now has two kids with the use of donor sperm. Lots of luck to you. It might be worth it to call a fertility clinic. Unless you have IF coverage, you won't need a referral. Fertility clinic know that not many people have IF coverage. Unless you want to stay with your GP to get things coded and try to get it covered under regular tests, but I would be afraid that 1) they wouldn't exactly know which tests to look for and 2) that your fertility clinic would want to do their own tests and not use the ones you have or did. I would call a local fertility clinic and ask. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-a-few-questions#post-2061388 Mon, 09 Feb 2015 16:32:52 +0000 BSB 2061388@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My steps were to talk to my OB at my annual exam. I mentioned to her that we have been TTC for 6 months and no luck. (She knew we were fairly young at 28 &amp; 29 at the time) I, also, mentioned about DH's chronic health issue and the use of steroids to maintain his asthma. I wasn't sure what she would do so I just let her tell me my next steps. She recommended that the DH go to a fertility clinic to get a SA done. I always had normal test and regular cycles so I always thought it was a male factor. </p> <p>He got the SA done, numbers were low, so we transferred to the fertility clinic to have medicated IUIs. But before the IUIs, I had to get lots blood work, ultrasounds and HSG. I have insurance (rather good insurance) but no IF coverage so it definitely was pricey. I think the HSG was $500 for me. IUIs cost me about $800. Later on, we had to freeze my DH's sperm so that was $400 each time we froze. </p> <p>I could tell you the rest of my journey but it's pretty depressing, but I'll have end with that I'm finally pregnant for the first time after 3 years of TTC because IVF worked for me. Oh, turns out there was an female issue that wasn't caught until I switched clinics.</p> <p>At the 6 months mark, I was prepared for my OB to tell me to continue trying to closer to 12 months mark. I would have listened to her.</p> <p>I think if we were both healthy, she probably would to told us to keep TTC. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-a-few-questions#post-2059345 Sun, 08 Feb 2015 08:16:38 +0000 Shutterbug 2059345@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@2farmmoms: the general insurance rule is trying for 12 months if you're under 35 or trying for 6 months if you're 35+. That was supposed to be documented in your medical records I think, but I don't know how they'd know. However, my insurance only applied that rule to ART (IUI/IVF) and the diagnostic tests were all covered regardless of how long we'd been trying. If I had gotten a diagnosis (I didn't - I'm unexplained IF) then insurance would have covered treatment right away. We ended up waiting until the 1 year mark to start treatment.</p> <p>As for finding an RE (which I highly recommend, if there's one nearby), try this website: <a href="http://www.sart.org/find_frm.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.sart.org/find_frm.html</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-a-few-questions#post-2059237 Sun, 08 Feb 2015 00:07:58 +0000 travellingbee 2059237@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My order of procedures for diagnosis was: bloodwork for me, ultrasounds, bloodwork and SA for DH, HSG and hysteroscopy</p> <p>Eta: my insurance covered everything after deductible, but won't cover any treatment.<br /> Good luck with everything and hope you get answers! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-a-few-questions#post-2059228 Sat, 07 Feb 2015 23:48:03 +0000 Hoots 2059228@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It did. My insurance covers only covers diagnosis. They didn't ask any questions, but I know mine was coded as amenorrhea. I'm not sure if that makes a difference. I would call the number on the back of your insurance card and just ask. They were really straight forward about what they would cover and if I would need a referral when I asked about getting a second opinion.</p> <p>ETA: My OB did order most of the panels my RE ordered later. I think it really depends on your OB. Mine was in a large city and her practice is connected to a fertility center, so that might have made a difference. My OB definitely wasn't as helpful at explaining the numbers as my RE was though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-a-few-questions#post-2059227 Sat, 07 Feb 2015 23:46:17 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2059227@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@marionberry: Thanks! I figured if anything is questionable I will ask for a referral, but given that I haven't been to a GP in too long (this one is also an OB, and ideally the one who I will see when I do get pregnant) I thought I should start there. I live in a remote area and I'm assuming there aren't any REs within about an hour of me, so I thought I'd start simple!</p> <p>Oh, also, a sperm count could be applicable. We are using a known donor who doesn't have any children, so he could very well have an issue that we don't know about. It's just a little more delicate of a situation asking him to get tested!! I figure if I haven't seen a doc yet, I definitely can't ask him to, so I'm going first. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-a-few-questions#post-2059222 Sat, 07 Feb 2015 23:42:47 +0000 marionberry 2059222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For me the first steps with an OB were blood tests to confirm ovulation and a sperm analysis for DH (which of course wouldn't apply in your situation). It wasn't until I met with an RE that they ran a panel of blood tests that looked at hormones like FSH, AMH, thyroid check, Vit D check, etc. An RE can diagnose you pretty easily, but in my experience a GP or OB can be much less helpful. Hoping yours is better than mine! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-a-few-questions#post-2059220 Sat, 07 Feb 2015 23:41:55 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2059220@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Hoots: Thanks! Did your insurance cover it even though it was early? I need to look into it all more carefully. I'm a little concerned my insurance won't cover it unless we lie and tell them we've been trying for a year (I suppose they'd never know the difference...) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-a-few-questions#post-2059211 Sat, 07 Feb 2015 23:31:29 +0000 Hoots 2059211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The first steps for me were lots of bloodwork, abdominal and transvaginal ultrasound, and pelvic exam. They did a workup really early on me because of amenorrhea. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-a-few-questions#post-2059203 Sat, 07 Feb 2015 23:24:54 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2059203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know it's early, and I'm reluctant to even post this here, but I figure the people on this board would have the best answers for me. I'm on cycle 5 TTC with no luck so far. Like I said, I know it's early. But as you might know I'm doing at home AI using a sperm donor, so due to difficult logistics, I'm feeling like I'd like to know sooner rather than later if things aren't right, or if there's something I can do to help things along. </p> <p>I have an appointment with a GP on Wednesday. I'm not expecting to get much done immediately, but I was wondering what the typical starting point is for any diagnostics regarding IF. I have pretty regular cycles, as far as I can tell I'm ovulating every month right around day 14-17. I've been temping and charting, using OPKs and I started using the CB Fertility Monitor a couple months ago, although I haven't gotten very consistent results from that (month 1 and 3 of using it I never got a "peak" reading, just a bunch of "high" readings, despite positive OPKs and a definite temp shift). Would the first step be bloodwork? A general physical exam? Both? I don't really go to the doctor often, so I'm very much due for an exam, but beyond that I'd like to know where we might be starting. Thanks! </p>