Since my last attempt at conception, where I tried in what I thought was an awful cycle, got pregnant, and lost it to a chromosomal abnormality, I've decided that the next time I conceive I was I want it to be in a *very* good looking cycle.
The cycle before this was like.....Chris Pine. Crazy pretty-looking, in the pre-ovulatory phase. This cycle is kind of like... Ewan Mcgregor. Its solid, its kind of nice-looking, but cannot compare to the few Godzilla-like fertile cycles I've had, wherein, even in the days I was blissfully unaware of anything fertility-related, I would have noticed that something was brewing below. Unfortunately, those cycles have shitty timing.
I've been having just the creamy CM for days, just enough to let me know that the estrogen rise is happening, but not hitting me on the head with it, like in the last cycle. EWCM is not here yet, and I'm atleast 72 hours (hopefully) away from ovulation. Today, I used my Clearblue fertility monitor for the first time this cycle- I was so expecting to see the 'Low fertility' (= low estrogen), instead I got 'High Fertility' (= high estrogen). A happy dance happened :)
The reason I had utterly hated the last cycle I conceived in was that I went directly from 'Low fertility' to 'Peak fertility'(= high estrogen + LH surge) --- there were no days of high fertility, where your uterus and ovaries bathe in estrogen before the surge begins. This cycle, I have that, hopefully for 2 full days of that before my surge begins. If my OPK gets positive later today or even tomorrow, I'll have to bench myself, though I'd be on the fence about tomorrow.
Onto bloodwork results: I had gone to see an endocrinologist 1 week ago, who is awesome and definitely gets a review written up in the 'good doctors section'. He ordered every test I wanted, and a few extras, and we got the results back.
The salient points:
Things look good. Right now, its a go for early next week.
I had my first acupuncture session- thank you everybody who came up with recommendations- I went to the first name suggested, and so far, so good. Liz Carlson (of Clarity point Healthcare) was very nice. Its too soon to say if it has worked, but hey, I did wake up to high estrogen today. I have another appointment on Monday, just to play it safe.
She also suggested that I take wheatgrass. I've been reading up on this and so far it seems like a good idea- I really like the fact that its supposed to help detoxify heavy metals from your body. I need advice- pills or juice shots? How disgusting do the shots taste? I kind of like pills because you don't have to go looking for a juice bar or a farmers market on a regular basis. For any of you who took wheatgrass, what form did you take it in, and how regularly did you take it? Plus, did any of you continue to take it into pregnancy?
I'd also promised a writeup on Thyroid and fertility/pregnancy, I'll add that directly to the 'Science of Infertility section'.
I noticed commenting is a little wonky today, it takes a while for comments posted to become listed- are people also having issues using Disqus?
The cycle before this was like.....Chris Pine. Crazy pretty-looking, in the pre-ovulatory phase. This cycle is kind of like... Ewan Mcgregor. Its solid, its kind of nice-looking, but cannot compare to the few Godzilla-like fertile cycles I've had, wherein, even in the days I was blissfully unaware of anything fertility-related, I would have noticed that something was brewing below. Unfortunately, those cycles have shitty timing.
I've been having just the creamy CM for days, just enough to let me know that the estrogen rise is happening, but not hitting me on the head with it, like in the last cycle. EWCM is not here yet, and I'm atleast 72 hours (hopefully) away from ovulation. Today, I used my Clearblue fertility monitor for the first time this cycle- I was so expecting to see the 'Low fertility' (= low estrogen), instead I got 'High Fertility' (= high estrogen). A happy dance happened :)
The reason I had utterly hated the last cycle I conceived in was that I went directly from 'Low fertility' to 'Peak fertility'(= high estrogen + LH surge) --- there were no days of high fertility, where your uterus and ovaries bathe in estrogen before the surge begins. This cycle, I have that, hopefully for 2 full days of that before my surge begins. If my OPK gets positive later today or even tomorrow, I'll have to bench myself, though I'd be on the fence about tomorrow.
Onto bloodwork results: I had gone to see an endocrinologist 1 week ago, who is awesome and definitely gets a review written up in the 'good doctors section'. He ordered every test I wanted, and a few extras, and we got the results back.
The salient points:
- I should have been taking my own advice of getting Vitamin D levels regularly tested when you supplement. To be fair, I had tested twice and it looked like 4000 IU/day was kept my levels at around 35-40 ng/ml,which was just about prefect IMO. Maybe there is an accumulatory effect over time, and quite likely, the 8 days I mostly spend bikini-clad on a ship (slathered in sunblock, but still managing to tan meaning UV rays WERE getting through) had an effect too- my D3 (1,25 hydroxy version) was 86. Ack!!!! WAY too high. I'm going to cut down now and start retaking the same dose once pregnancy establishes.
- TSH is nice and super-duper low at 0.65 mIU/DL, and my T4 levels were just over the high end of the normal range. Perfect for conception.
- Anti-TPO antibody titer is slightly down, from 107 around 16 months ago to 90 now. I've been taking selenium (80 mcg/day), plus a nearly equivalent amount in my prenatal. Many studies show that which is supposed to lower Anti-TPO levels. This is an excellent link for anybody who has thyroid issues, I urge you to visit it.
- AMH is down a bit, from 5.6 to 4.3. I had expected this, because my AFC has gone down in half, from 30 + to around 16 ish, so its logical that AMH (that is made by the follicles) would go down too. I'm happy with just this slight drop.
- DHEAS is still high, and has gone up to 331 from around 250 in the last tests. This is the only part I cannot understand.
Things look good. Right now, its a go for early next week.
I had my first acupuncture session- thank you everybody who came up with recommendations- I went to the first name suggested, and so far, so good. Liz Carlson (of Clarity point Healthcare) was very nice. Its too soon to say if it has worked, but hey, I did wake up to high estrogen today. I have another appointment on Monday, just to play it safe.
She also suggested that I take wheatgrass. I've been reading up on this and so far it seems like a good idea- I really like the fact that its supposed to help detoxify heavy metals from your body. I need advice- pills or juice shots? How disgusting do the shots taste? I kind of like pills because you don't have to go looking for a juice bar or a farmers market on a regular basis. For any of you who took wheatgrass, what form did you take it in, and how regularly did you take it? Plus, did any of you continue to take it into pregnancy?
I'd also promised a writeup on Thyroid and fertility/pregnancy, I'll add that directly to the 'Science of Infertility section'.
I noticed commenting is a little wonky today, it takes a while for comments posted to become listed- are people also having issues using Disqus?
LOVE how you compare them to leading men....you may see a similar post from me. Good luck on this solid good lookin cycle.
ReplyDeleteI had much better quality eggs with wheatgrass. I took the pills, but it required 10 pills a day. I bought a powder previously but gagged and almost puked every time I tried it. Good luck with this cycle!
ReplyDeleteWhole foods sells frozen shots of wheat grass. It is pricey but I did notice that my FSH behaved better while I was on it...
ReplyDeleteI took this http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Grass-Servings-8-5-Ounce-Container/dp/B00112IM56/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330816736&sr=8-1 before conceiving until the end of first trimester. I just mixed it with juice.
ReplyDeleteI took a scoop of wheat grass in powder form every morning and mixed it via blender with fruit, flax seeds, yogurt and fruit juice as a smoothie which helped hide the taste. It was a great breakfast. Every once in a while I tried the shots at Jamba Juice, and it tasted stronger than the powder formula. I continued taking it until ovulation (i.e.egg retrieval for IVF).
ReplyDeleteyou don't need perfection to make a baby Jay. Babies are made is much less than ideal conditions all the time. Things look like they are ramping up nicely for you. I'm very excited about your IUI next week.
ReplyDeleteI can weigh in about the wheat grass taste. Bring yourself back to a warm and slightly dewy summer morning, walking around a manicured lawn that is in the process of being cut. Can you smell it? Well, wheat grass juice tastes like that. It's pretty awful, but certainly something you should try at least once in your life.
You're awesome, Jay! I'm hoping, praying sending out good positive vibes...covering all the bases that this cycle will be The One for you!
ReplyDelete