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I have been researching different things & wanted to share with all of you a couple of really great web sites: www.inciid.org and www.fertilityplus.org. I have read & learned what is going on in the world of infertility beyond me. I hope it does the same for you.

As I have previously posted I have no trouble conceiving, but I am then unable to retain the pregnancy. I have learned on these sites that my progesterone level, which my doctor has explained to me is in a gray area, not really as high as they'd like to see, but not low enough to do anything about. Well, through reading I have realized it was well below the 15 on a medicated cycle & the 10 on a natural cycle. My levels were 11.8 on a medicated cycle & 7 on a natural cycle with positive HCG levels!?

I am now going to pursue with her Clomid cd 5-9 & insist on progesterone suppositories after ovulation & ask her to see what my levels are then. She's probably thinking, that little bit may not make the difference, but as we all know everyone is different & my middle of the road may be low for me. I mean, I never had this problem before so, there are no baseline levels for me. I feel wonderfully encouraged after 4 miscarriages & 2yrs of trying.

I hope these sites help you along your journey as they have mine.

Love, Luck & Sticky thoughts



Karen

Tryst with Secondary Infertility

“I need to call your insurance to do a pre-authorization for infertility” – those words struck like a bolt of lighting the first time I heard it. I had never, even remotely, imagined myself to fall in that category.

Our first child was a planned event, but she was conceived almost the first month we tried. We felt lucky and blessed, but not for a moment understanding any of the technicality around conceiving a child and carrying it full-term and delivering a healthy baby. It was something we had always taken for granted. We were young, healthy, with no known problems, genetic or otherwise of either side of our families. Millions of women conceive daily and carry and deliver full-term babies. There is nothing unique about each of us or the fact that we can have children. Or so we thought at that time.

We decided to take a few years before trying for our second child. When our daughter turned 5, we had completed several other family obligations to our parents, his brother’s children etc and moved in to a much bigger home, had no other liabilities. We figured it was time to try for our second child. We always wanted to have at least 2 children and we felt our daughter was at that perfect age (well, we would have preferred a 3 year difference, but we were busy with other things in life!). We even planned on the month because we wanted a spring/summer baby. Our first born was a winter baby and it was always a big event planning her birthday parties around the trials and tribulations of winter. Also school age cut-off was in August – I think I focused so much on all these factors, that I was missing the important factor, destiny or fate as us easterners would like to call it.

Our expectation was that this time would be just like the first one, we would conceive immediately. The first month was disappointing, but both of us were at least 6 years older, I was now 32 and knew sometimes, over 30, thinks took time. The second month was disappointing still, but we just blamed it on stress, other little things called life.
Then the 3rd month happened as well. We were planning for the baby, but were not too serious about it. We decided it was time for ovulation predictor kits, the next step. Later that month, my father passed away. It was a devastating moment; I traveled to India, spent some time with my family around my dad’s funeral. I went into depression after that, we were still trying to have a child, but in retrospect, I am glad it did not happen then.

Later that year in May, after about 6 months of trying, we decided to see my OB/GYN about it. That is when I heard those fateful words from their billing department in the first paragraph.

That started my long journey with the fact that we were considered to have “secondary infertility” – another new term I have learned in the last year. The OB/GYN wanted to do a serum progesterone test first and said if that turned out to be normal we will take if from there. Well, it was not. Meanwhile my husband had a workup done and everything was normal. We started Clomid 50 mg for 3 months, no success. Then we did Clomid 50mg + IUI for 3 cycles – no success. I had had enough of the ordeal at that point and decided to take a break for another 3 cycles. Then again the desire to have the second child took pre-dominance and we were referred to a reproduction endocrinologist. We had a wonderful meeting with Dr.Williams for our first counseling. We decided to try Metformin – after 2 cycles, I started panicking.

Another visit with Dr.Williams, we decided to try gonadtrophins + IUI. This Monday was our first cycle. I am feeling so hopeful – I really do. Somewhere along the line, my stress levels were so high and combined with the grief over my father’s loss and over our secondary infertility made me go in to severe depression. Luckily a good talk with my physician healed the depression to some extent – I would have hated to take medication for that as well. I pride myself in being a strong woman and resorting to chemical aid to something I could control would have further devastated me.

I think this cycle I have just let go! People tell me, well meaning of-course, that when that happens, everything clicks in to place. I tell them, had I known that, I would have long since given up; It may seem funny, but sometimes I feel like that. I go to my Dr appointments and see so many hopeful parents, waiting and undergoing all kinds of physical discomfort to have that elusive off-spring. It tears my heart to hear their stories, but strangely it also is very healing. Suddenly you are not alone in your fight and in achieving your dreams.

These sisters in armour share your pain, agony, help you stay encouraged and focused.

V

TTC for almost 4 years

I am 36 years old and I'm trying to conceive. We have been trying for 4 years now.

The doctors don't see anything wrong with me or my husband. It is just not happening. I just starting taking Geritol.

Pray for us.

Tia

Staying Strong...

This afternoon I spoke to my RE. She was understanding, empathetic, & equally as frustrated with the situation. There is no medical reason that I continue to miscarry.

Between my OB & RE they have ruled out everything with the exception of scar tissue... which I plan to undergo testing for that next month. So, we wait...HOPING that eventually God will grant us a little miracle we can call our own!!!

I feel better that we spoke. She answered all my questions & explained everything. I guess I just needed to hear it from her. We just put the past behind us & try to stay positive about the future.


Karen

Trying to Conceive

My husband and I have been trying to conceive for 2 years & 9 months. I am 28 years old and my husband is 30. After 6 months of trying, I started to feel a little nervous, but figured that was normal.

Once a year had passed by and we still hadn't conceived I decided to see my family practice doctor. He assured me this was normal and some couples take longer to conceive. He wanted me to start keeping a chart for my temperature and cervical mucous, try ovulation sticks and have my husband come in for a sperm count. I have to say I never really benefited much from the charting, I never really understood what to look for. The only thing I relied on was the ovulation sticks, which usually seemed to test positive. After my husband had his first sperm count done, we were told that the numbers were low. He went in a second time, and the numbers once again were low.

SO, my doctor referred him to the urologist. After an exam the doctor thought it would be wise to undergo surgery for a varicocelectomy to increase the sperm count. My husband went through that last summer. After several months, he went in for another sperm count only to find out that the surgery really didn't help much!!! Now we were getting pretty frustrated, but we were still hopeful at getting pregnant. We kept trying but after another visit with my doctor, he decided to refer us to reproductive endocrinology.

We are now at the point where we basically have to decide between IVF and IUI. The specialist we are seeing has not said one way or the other which one he recommends for us. He said the percentage rate for conceiving and having a live birth is higher with IVF, however the cost is significantly higher. I really feel helpless at this point and just don't know which way to go. My husband and I are leaning toward in vitro, but the cost is of course a HUGE factor.

We haven't told any of our family about what we've been going through because we are pretty private when it comes to personal matters. But it's getting to the point where I really need to talk to somebody who has gone or who is going through this too. We are really trying to hold it together, but some days are pretty tough.



Katie