**Initially written 1/06/11**
I guess the best place to start this blog is at the beginning of it all.
Spring 2010- We start discussing trying for a baby. Previously, these conversations were all one sided- The Boy saying he's ready to go and wants to start our family, and me saying I'm not ready yet. That's how it had been for the past 2 years. The 1st 2yrs, babies were completely off both our radars. Then in April, my brain apparently activated its baby trigger switch. I had been spending a decent amount of time with my year old niece, who is just adorable, found out a few friends of mine were pregnant, and started to see little babies and kids in whole new light. So I started to track my cycles. I still had my Mirena IUD in place, but it didn't prevent my body from ovulating and menstruating. I had great 27/28 day cycles!
At my yearly check up in at the end of June, I discussed trying to conceive (TTC) with my Ob/Gyn. She offered to remove the IUD that appt and told us to wait a full cycle before actively trying and start taking prenatals. I started temping and tracking my fertility signs as well so I could see exactly what my body was doing and where I was in my cycle. Well, I started getting obvious signs of impending ovulation mid-July, and we decided not to "try" but not prevent that month. Nothing.
By the end of our 1st actively TTC cycle in Late July/August, I had noticed my luteal phase (LP, the time after ovulation/before period) was only 7d, and I was ovulating later than the normal 14days, around cycle day19-21. Spoke with my Ob/Gyn again. Blood work. Thyroid normal at 3, but Prolactin was 29. She eventually referred me to a Reproductive Endocrinology specialist (RE), who luckily was just across the street from their office.
So another cycle bites the dust before my appt with the RE. Late ovulation, short LP. We meet and discuss my cycles. I was probably experiencing poor ovulation as it took longer to get my dominant follicle big enough to ovulate and formed a weak corpus luteum that produced little progesterone. He wrote me a prescription for Femara/Letrozole that should help boost my egg development and had more blood work done to double check my hormone levels. Well when my period came a few days later, I agonized over whether or not to fill the script. We had wanted to do this as naturally as possible and just see what was in store for us. Do we deviate from that plan and just do whatever it takes to get pregnant?
We decided baby steps, and I started taking the meds on cd3-7 each morning. Only side effect I experienced was night sweats, but they weren't horrible. The RE wanted a semen analysis done on Boy to go ahead and make sure things were ok with him and we only had to focus on fixing my issues. Unfortunately, his results were not so good. Low count and very low motility, "bare minimum that would result in conception" according to the clinic. Add in new vitamins for him.
That cycle, I still only had a 7d LP, which I mentioned to the clinic. His nurse gave me my levels from my previous blood work- Prolactin was down to 19 (good) but thyroid was still above 3, and they prefer levels to be below 2.5 in women that are TTC. Add in Synthroid for me as I was classified as sub-clinical Hypothyroid.
The next cycle was 28d, O on cd18, 10d LP (2 days longer than I've had since TTC). I went in to have a CD21 work up (on cd25, but 7d post ovulation). Ovulated on the right side, progesterone draw. Only 8.9 when medicated cycles should be over 12. Add in Progesterone supplements for me for the next 4 nights until my period came. The following cycle was also 28d. Letrozole cd3-7, O was the earliest at cd16. Oh and a 12d LP! 3rd cycle on Letrozole, and my script was out. Scheduled a follow up with the RE.
I guess the best place to start this blog is at the beginning of it all.
Spring 2010- We start discussing trying for a baby. Previously, these conversations were all one sided- The Boy saying he's ready to go and wants to start our family, and me saying I'm not ready yet. That's how it had been for the past 2 years. The 1st 2yrs, babies were completely off both our radars. Then in April, my brain apparently activated its baby trigger switch. I had been spending a decent amount of time with my year old niece, who is just adorable, found out a few friends of mine were pregnant, and started to see little babies and kids in whole new light. So I started to track my cycles. I still had my Mirena IUD in place, but it didn't prevent my body from ovulating and menstruating. I had great 27/28 day cycles!
At my yearly check up in at the end of June, I discussed trying to conceive (TTC) with my Ob/Gyn. She offered to remove the IUD that appt and told us to wait a full cycle before actively trying and start taking prenatals. I started temping and tracking my fertility signs as well so I could see exactly what my body was doing and where I was in my cycle. Well, I started getting obvious signs of impending ovulation mid-July, and we decided not to "try" but not prevent that month. Nothing.
By the end of our 1st actively TTC cycle in Late July/August, I had noticed my luteal phase (LP, the time after ovulation/before period) was only 7d, and I was ovulating later than the normal 14days, around cycle day19-21. Spoke with my Ob/Gyn again. Blood work. Thyroid normal at 3, but Prolactin was 29. She eventually referred me to a Reproductive Endocrinology specialist (RE), who luckily was just across the street from their office.
So another cycle bites the dust before my appt with the RE. Late ovulation, short LP. We meet and discuss my cycles. I was probably experiencing poor ovulation as it took longer to get my dominant follicle big enough to ovulate and formed a weak corpus luteum that produced little progesterone. He wrote me a prescription for Femara/Letrozole that should help boost my egg development and had more blood work done to double check my hormone levels. Well when my period came a few days later, I agonized over whether or not to fill the script. We had wanted to do this as naturally as possible and just see what was in store for us. Do we deviate from that plan and just do whatever it takes to get pregnant?
We decided baby steps, and I started taking the meds on cd3-7 each morning. Only side effect I experienced was night sweats, but they weren't horrible. The RE wanted a semen analysis done on Boy to go ahead and make sure things were ok with him and we only had to focus on fixing my issues. Unfortunately, his results were not so good. Low count and very low motility, "bare minimum that would result in conception" according to the clinic. Add in new vitamins for him.
That cycle, I still only had a 7d LP, which I mentioned to the clinic. His nurse gave me my levels from my previous blood work- Prolactin was down to 19 (good) but thyroid was still above 3, and they prefer levels to be below 2.5 in women that are TTC. Add in Synthroid for me as I was classified as sub-clinical Hypothyroid.
The next cycle was 28d, O on cd18, 10d LP (2 days longer than I've had since TTC). I went in to have a CD21 work up (on cd25, but 7d post ovulation). Ovulated on the right side, progesterone draw. Only 8.9 when medicated cycles should be over 12. Add in Progesterone supplements for me for the next 4 nights until my period came. The following cycle was also 28d. Letrozole cd3-7, O was the earliest at cd16. Oh and a 12d LP! 3rd cycle on Letrozole, and my script was out. Scheduled a follow up with the RE.
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