I have to admit, we didn't try very hard
(had never heard of OPKs, temping, TCOYF, etc.),
and nothing happened. About 5 months ago I bought TCOYF and
learned SOOOO much. I started charting my temps right away.
However, this might have hindered more than helped,
because I was lousy at temping and at
reading my confusing chart.
We probably mistimed things a lot.
Sigh. Anyway, I finally hit on a way in the last month
or two to get somewhat more accurate readings:
a good digital oral thermometer,
taking waking temp *immediately* on waking,
even if the first time is 4:30 am instead of my
usual 7am, and adjusting temp up/down .1 degree
for each 1/2 hour of early/late waking.

Well, I think we were on track OK last month,
but nothing happened. Meanwhile, my 41st birthday
loomed in mid-August. AF started on July 30,
and I told my DH, "We have to get aggressive about this."
He wanted to just keep trying,
but I was pretty freaked out about my age by that time.
So I called an RE for an appointment
(he wouldn't be able to see me for 2 months),
so forgot about him and called a nationally known IVF clinic in
Colorado called CCRM. Had a phone interview with them on my birthday
(8/10). Seems they needed a lot of tests done upfront to determine my
suitability to treatment, and that the earliest any actual IVF would
happen would be about November.
Boy, I could really hear the old biological clock ticking!

Then, the original RE called with a cancellation and I was able to see him on 8/20. He did a baseline ultrasound and tried to convince me to do Clomid for 4 months instead of IVF. I was pretty skeptical of this. Everything I've read says clomid doesn't usually help us older women, and causes cysts. So anyway, after these two RE consultations, I was pretty depressed. It is so hard to think of conception being out of your hands and in the hands of doctors. (Should I mention I loathe doctors and hospitals?)

But meanwhile, starting when AF came on July 30th, I had been researching herbs and whatnot through this site and others. I knew I had one last natural cycle left before it was out of my hands, so I decided to go for broke (and I do mean broke)! I must have bought $60 worth of stuff: Dong quai, vitex, evening primrose oil, licorice root, baby aspirin, Robitussin, wild yam and a syringe. For this cycle, I used them all.
The syringe was my idea for a little extra fertilization insurance. I had DH store little packets of his semen in the freezer every other day for the first week or so of my cycle. (By the way, I have no idea if sperm even survive freezing, it just seemed like something to try.)

Well, I seemed to have lots more EWCM this cycle than others, possibly due to the, Vitex, EPO, and licorice. Started on the Robi when I noticed EWCM. Problem was, I got EWCM on day 8 and 9 of my cycle!! That was way early, but we BD'd every morning until the day after O (turned out to be 6 or 7 days, I think, day 15 was O, normally it's day 14). I also got EWCM on cd 13-14. After BD, I'd stay in bed elevated for an hour. During the evenings, DH would help me inject our "bonus" semen (carefully thawed in 70 degree water) with the syringe, and I'd stay in bed with that all night. Oh, I forgot. I would also try to have an orgasm right after the semen got in, but didn't always manage that :-(.

I had 4 days of really strong AF-like cramps around cd 18-21. Beginning on CD26 I started having signs of pregnancy similar to my first: weak cramps in the front of my pelvis (my AF cramps are usually farther back), slight nausea, better sense of smell, slight queasiness, slight dizziness, slight constipation. Everything is so subtle that if I didn't know what to look for, I would not have noticed it. (And in fact if AF had come, I'd have convinced myself they were imagined.)

I took the HPT on cd 33, 18dpo. I am so happy it came out positive. I hope my pregnancy lasts, because the joy I feel at this has made me realize how much, deep down, I hated the idea of seeing doctors and taking drugs for this. Well, that is my long, gory story, and for anyone who got this far, thanks for reading it and good luck with your own efforts.

Below are my temps for anyone who cares about that stuff.

- Elizabeth

My story�

It really all started when I was a kid. I LOVED babysitting and was quite sought after by many who lived around us. I knew that someday I wanted to be a parent�

About 3 years ago, my (now husband) and I went to my friend�s Christmas party and her little girl (who was 2) was walking around. She was SO cute and SO adorable and it really made me think, Man�I want to be a MOM BAD!!!

About 4 months before my wedding in August, 2000 AF showed up and didn�t go away�In fact, she hung around for over 2 months until I finally went to the doctor who put me on the pill which seemed to �fix� it.

After I got married, my DH wanted to wait a little while so that we could get financially ready (can you ever REALLY do that?) Who knew that once we DID start trying last December that I�d have problems. Well�the months came and went and no pregnancy. Then, the unimaginable happened. AF showed up like the year before and wouldn�t go away! One night I woke up and felt funny. I went to the bathroom and was shocked to see huge clots (sorry) being passed. It scared me to death, but it did prompt me to go to my OB/GYN. I explained to her what they had done the year prior, but also explained that I didn�t want to go on the pill because it is counterproductive to having a baby. So, she suggested that I try losing some weight (I am full-figured, but I did lose 25 pounds. I�m still full-figured, but my clothes fit MUCH better!) She also did some blood tests at strategic times in the month and she came to the conclusion that I wasn�t ovulating. When I heard that and she mentioned me going to an RE, I got REALLY depress ed. What was wrong with me? My OB/GYN told me it would take some �torture�, but they�d get me pregnant and she�d see me when I was at 12 weeks. That weekend was tough. I had my niece & nephew and we went to the zoo and Sesame Place (water park)�No chance of seeing kids there! Dear Lord I was bummed�but I did manage to have a nice time with my munchkins!

Anywho, a few weeks later (when we could get the first appointment), we embarked on our RE journey. MY DH was tested and was fine (THANK GOD). I on the other hand wasn�t ovulating because my hormones were screwed up. So�after a bout with Provera to get my period started, they tried me on Clomid (100mg, Days 5-9). On day 15 I got an HCG shot and on day 17 I had an IUI. The ultrasound showed that I had in fact ovulated. I was fearful that I actually ovulated on Sunday instead of Monday because my follicle was pretty ripe. Well�No go. AF showed up. I was bummed, but I had only let myself get cautiously optimistic so I didn�t fall as hard as I have in previous months.

Month 2 � Same deal�Clomid at 100mg, Days 5-9. It seemed that I had more follicles, but my estradiol level wasn't cooperating and actually went down at one point. The nurse told me not to worry and we�ll wait and see what happens. Well what happened was that my several follicles decided to give up and only one grew decently. That was the cause of the decline in Estradiol�It did end up going back up again. This month I ovulated on Day 18 and had my IUI done then. I felt much more confident, but dreaded the 2ww and having to remember to take my Progesterone pills 4x per day. Would I be disappointed again? I wanted so badly to be able to announce at Thanksgiving/Christmas that my DH and I were going to have a baby! Well, a couple days ago, my breasts (around the nip area) started to get tender and I had a lot more discharge (sorry) so that started to get me a bit antsy because I have had these feelings before only to have AF was show up. Every time I went to the bathroom, I held my breath to see if anything was there. Nothing�Monday night I couldn�t take it any longer. Even though I had a doctor�s appointment scheduled, I wanted to know! I was afraid to take a HPT because I was sick of seeing a BFN each and every time. Well, I took a pregnancy test in the middle of the day and it was positive. NO WAY! I was concerned because of the HCG shot, but that had been two weeks ago and still couldn�t be in my system, right? I retested early in the morning with a different brand and got a positive, but it was lighter. I wasn�t sure what was up, but I definitely saw two lines. So the next morning I went to the doctor�s and had blood drawn to �really verify� whether or not I was pregnant. The waiting was terrible! I was the 2nd person to be seen so I figured I�d be called by NOON�.Well, the next hour dragged�They finally called at 1pm and said that my Beta HCG is 184 and progesterone is 36.7�I�M PREGNANT!!!!! I have to go back every couple days to have blood drawn and then for an ultrasound in 2 � weeks, but I got a positive!!! ! PRAYING that my hormones FINALLY (for once) do what they�re supposed to! EDD 7/23/01

Note: Ladies � Always remember that it CAN happen! I am not exactly the poster child for TTC based on some of the things recommended on this site. I am overweight (but otherwise healthy), I NEVER temp (because unless you get up at the same exact time every morning, it isn�t 100% accurate and can make you MAD worrying about what the temps mean), I don�t do herbs, green tea or Robitussin, and I have virtually NO CM (the Clomid didn�t help either which is why I had the IUI). I DO pray a whole lot and thanks to my RE and her way of constant monitoring, allowing me to ask questions, etc.

I was able to get through it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*to all of you!
Praying for a H&H9 months!
DawnMcG

Just want to drop you a note and thank you for such a great site.
Reading others stories encouraged me a lot.
I am now 9 weeks along with our second child using Clomid.
It did the trick both times in the first month.
I know we have been very blest. So Ladies keep you chin up.
I know its very hard to be patient, but it will happen.
Find a great, supporative Dr. and hold on for the ride.
Good-luck and may God bless you all.

Christy

It is still very early for us- only 2 months along but we saw a heartbeat and I've decided that even if things go wrong I should share my experience in the hopes of helping others. Sorry, this is a little long.

After trying for 2 years there were a couple of things that we did differently just within the last couple of months.

We both took an antibiotic (AZITHROMYCIN) after I read an article about how the couple can have a hidden infection. Our doctor agreed to put us on it for 2 weeks. It never hurts to ask right?

I also backed off on my vitamins. I know how important it is to be taking folate before you conceive but the other things in the vitamins may have been too much for me. I've always been sensitive to them and they can be toxic to some people and you can still take folate supplements. Of course as soon as I found out I was pg I started up with the prenatals which has been tough. Ask your doctor about prescription kinds that can be a little easier on you.

I had also made up my mind that we probably were going to have to do the in- vitro and that was that. We had done 4 iui's with meds. They say as soon as you stop thinking about it it will happen. There were many times when we had taken a break from actually "trying" but I had really resigned to the fact that we couldn't do this on our own so until next year that was that as far as the procedures and medications went. BUT --- I also knew when I was ovulating and made sure we "did the dance" anyway! So good thing I hadn't completely given up.

Which leads me to the ovulation thing. I had read "Taking Charge of Your Fertility". It's a great book if you haven't read it and it explains how to take your temperature if you aren't already doing that. Well I did that A LOT. But it wasn't until I bought a Clear Plan Fertility Monitor that I found out I wasn't ovulating until day 20/21. The monitor and test sticks aren't cheap. If you look in parenting and baby magazines you might find a coupon- and there might be a rebate on their web site www.clearplan.com.

We had also started praying- they say it makes a difference and I feel that God decided it was time.

Good luck to everyone and don't give up hope.

LJ