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@bluestripedbee: The first few cycles I used the expensive ones but then I got tired of the cost. I went to wondfo only until I ever saw something positive (which I didn't). It was nice to have a few ready though once I got pregnant. I tested a lot that first week.

@spaniellove: Oh, yeah. That's fine. I did realize that when I posted my comment.

@bluestriped bee: I'm so sorry hon...hugs. At least now you have some closure on that cycle.

I know it's weird to keep posting on both this thread and the IVF thread, but this feels like my "home" and all my friends are here. The transfer today went surprisingly easy compared to the two trial transfers I had - the difference must have been the valium they gave me (not normal, but I'd had so much pain before) and how painfully full my bladder was, which is supposed to straighten out your cervix. (My cervix is shaped like, think of when you're about to cook a turkey and you find the neck. Long and crooked.) They kept offering me a bedpan after the procedure but I was too afraid to pee in front of DH and refused. So after about 20 minutes I had to tell him to go and get the nurse because I was about to just pee on the table. When I finally got the pan, it was like Austin Powers! She came back to check on me and I was still peeing!

I'm just hoping really hard that the two embryos make it to tomorrow (and in good shape) because blastocyst stage is crucial and they transferred today because they were afraid we'd lose one or both if we kept waiting, especially since there are only 2 left at this point.

@bluestriped bee: So sorry

@spaniellove: We love that you post here at home! I am glad to hear the actual transfer was easier than the trials! Hope you can relax today and let those blastocysts nestle into their new home!

@spaniellove: fingers crossed!!!!!

Our cyst induced month off, will hopefully be over by the end of this week. I am so very ready to start trying again! But it was nice not to POAS and worry about timing for a month. It was good for our sex life too. I will talk to my RE but I think we are going to try one more IUI this next cycle (March). I hope it works but if not, then we will start IVF, either immediately (April) or in May if we have to take a month off.

@spaniellove: Well I'm just so happy 2 were doing well. Stick babies stick!

@kentuckygirl: I'm so glad you get to start again soon. That month really seems to have flown by (although probably not for you). I hate cysts and that really sucks that yours stopped you from trying. Best of luck on your upcoming IUI and IVF cycles!

@marionberry: Thanks! The month has drug by so slowly for me, but I can see how it seems fast since I have short cycles. I expect AF around Friday (unless we have a miracle, no meds baby).

@spaniellove: Thanks! We haven't really talked with my RE about IVF except in very general terms. I thought about calling this month to schedule an appointment. Instead I decided to wait until I am there for my CD 3 visit to see what we need to do to get started.

@kentuckygirl: They might want you to have a month between your IUI and stims (either in the form of just time off or suppression) to give your body a break and avoid another cyst. It gets scary but exciting once you get the ball rolling for IVF!

@kentuckygirl: Yes, they doubled my dosage (for IUI it was 2 Menopur 1 Bravelle, for IVF it was 3 of each) but it wasn't any more effective. I've heard that with DOR high-dose stims aren't necessarily better. Part of the problem this cycle I think was that my lead follicle ended up being a cyst and it suppressed everything on that side, so I only really got eggs from one ovary. If we end up doing this again, I want to make sure I'm on a protocol more specific to DOR like estrogen priming protocol or microdose flare protocol.

@kentuckygirl: You've mentioned before that you have an antral follicle count around 5 or less, right? (Mine has consistently been 5) It's usually a sign that you have DOR, along with low AMH and high FSH, although my FSH isn't above 10 yet. So one protocol for poor responders (that I used) is the antagonist protocol, where you add in Ganirelix, but for more severe cases they can do estrogen priming (where instead of BCP or Lupron you take estrogen before stims) or microdose flare (which I don't know much about). Google is probably your best bet? Looking back, I regret not being brave enough to say I wanted to cancel the cycle and convert it to IUI when it was clear there wouldn't be many follicles. We were so lucky to have 2 embryos to transfer, but I know that very often doesn't happen with 5 eggs retrieved.

@Mrs.VW: How did your CD3 bloodwork turn out? Did you get your results?

@bluestriped bee: I'm sorry that your second medicated cycle wasn't successful. I hope you take some time to deal with the disappointment. Do something nice for yourself. Do you have a clear plan for round 3?

@kentuckygirl: YAY! I'm sure that month felt like forever to you. Glad to hear it was a good break though. I hope this next cycle is the magic cycle for you. I'm with you on the break before IVF. We've been talking about what our plan is if this 3rd cycle doesn't work. We're thinking one more injectables cycle and then a break and then IVF. I think it's smart to think through it all.

Ok - so last consecutive post for a bit

Everything turned out good for my CD3 visit. It's my highest follicle start count - so I'm going to focus on that as a positive. I started the injectables last night. It wasn't pretty. We released the majority of the Bravelle vial all over the kitchen counter. It was actually really tricky - damn Q-cap. I wish I was on Gonal-F so it was the pen instead of all of this mixing vials. I was really frustrated with all of this last night, feeling like it's only getting harder as we continue on. Trying to stay positive, but it's really hard. Wishing we could just stop all of this and get pregnant without medication.

Ok - I have numbers! Let me know what you think! She's sending me a Rx. So we have to decide if we want to order overseas (some of the patients there do it, it saves about $10-12 a vial) or get it from here in town. The nice thing about overseas is it's a little cheaper. But if we do it here in town we can just get it as we need it and don't have to worry about having too little or too much. She said it will be Bravelle. 1-2 vials a day probaby. Thoughts?

FSH 7.4

E2 46

Prolactin 19

TSH 1.78

T4 1.3

@Mrs.VW: I think I've paid $570 for 10 vials from one of the major fertility pharmacies. The benefit of going with a place like that is you can order by the vial (or the 5-pack) and it's easy to have them overnight more to you for no charge. It's much more convenient when your doctor suddenly changes your dosage or you get AF and realize you need meds right away.

@spaniellove: Hold on to that hope - hold on tight We're all holding on with you!

I think I just missed a step with turning the vial up or down. So when we removed the q-cap from the saline we had it upside down and I think it didn't leak because it was empty. But since the Bravelle was full, and we removed the cap upside down, cahblooey! I actually wanted to just give up. But luckily my RE is starting me with just half vials. And half still remained. I have more on the way, so if I screw up again tonight then I will get more in the mail tomorrow. But I don't exactly want to blow $$ by fertilizing my countertop I'm thinking I might try to do it without the q-cap. And watch the video in between each step. My husband was convinced he had it. We were both having trouble with it. The plunger on the syringe kept sinking back in, it was hard to hold it, pull it, and deal with the vial.

@sweetooth: Hmm...I have so many extra saline bottles and syringes that I wish I could show you how I do it. Once you have saline in the syringe it has that pressure so as soon as you sink it into the Bravelle vial it does start to go down. My rule of thumb is always to keep the vial flat on the counter when squirting saline into it or removing the q-cap, and only flip upside down when removing liquid from it.

So:
-Start with empty syringe, pull out plunger to whatever measurement of saline, then flip over (saline should be right side up) and inject air into saline
-Flip over saline and draw up (I could never do it the first time without a giant air bubble so I pushed it back and did it one more time)
-Put saline bottle right side up on counter and pull out q-cap + syringe (keep plunger stable from here on out)
-Poke q-cap into (right side up) Bravelle, let go of plunger as it goes in and push plunger to make sure saline is all in
-Swirl slowly a few times on counter
-Flip vial over to draw up
-Flip back over, should be right side up on counter, remove q-cap
-Swap q-cap for needle

Hi ladies... I know I haven't been posting, but I promise I've been reading every day and rooting for each of you!

Today is CD1 of cycle 10 million for me. (obviously not, but it feels like it). So on Wednesday I'll start my 3rd cycle of Clomid - boo. I kind of feel like it's pointless to try Clomid on it's own again, but oh well. I have an appt with my RE on the 7th to talk about what our next steps will be, which I'm 99% sure will be IUI. A little nervous what those costs might be like since I'm still paying for 100% of everything out of pocket. But I'm trying to force myself to not think about any of it so I can enjoy my birthday this week!

Anyway... that's just my little update I hope everyone had a fun weekend!