Yeah. Sure. Right.

Why is it that doctors don't want to hear about it if they hurt you. I'm still spotting today from that HSG the other day so I called and left a message at the nurse's station. I mentioned that it was more painful than last time. The nurse called back and said it was all normal and to be expected and that the bleeding might continue for a week, it's all individual she told me. And that the doctor said that it was totally normal and nothing out of the ordinary. I don't know, if I was going around hurting people with my technique I think I would want some feedback.

Nope, it's all just to be expected. I didn't expect any of it. Nothing except the infertility part.

Give me land lots of land under starry skies above (Don't fence me in)

My partner and I talked last night and we're going to take another break to focus on other parts of our lives. This is a continuation of the same feelings that caused me to take a break in November. When I took the time to reapply myself to work and my other interests I feel stronger and more accomplished. My entire being is screaming at me right now that I'm more than an infertile person.

Yes maybe we will conceive on our own again. Who the heck knows. I just can't do this anymore -- you know what I'm talking about. The little compromises, the hopeful thinking, the little things that you do and don't do when you think that somewhere in your near future there might be a pregnancy.

I think just quitting this game is the best answer for me right now. No one has any answers or reason and throwing medication at that won't fix the fact that we mostly don't get pregnant but when we do we lose them and each time it happens it sucks the life out of me.

I'd rather just be an artist and travel the world and not be directing so much energy to this really painful, damaging and unsatisfying process. I have more to give the world than to be a mother.

I'm going to work on my kitchen remodel and probably my artwork as well, it's been a long while since I had a show.

I'll continue to post here about how I'm feeling and what's going on with me.

Thank you for your continued support.

I'm feeling depressed tonight, I don't feel like I can keep doing this. I feel like I don't really want to try anymore, that I don't want to get pregnant, that I don't want to have a baby, that I don't want to deal with any of it.

How do you handle that?

I feel like crying but I can't get it out.

Dang that hurts like a b*tch! (HSG Report)

I'm just back home from my HSG and what is there to report... I found it really painful again but thankfully I'm not having deep seated cramps right now (they made my knees weak last time three years ago). I had some bleeding/spotting right away afterwards which hopefully will stop before the end of the day.

The test showed that both tubes were open. Imagine the likelihood of that with all the mucking about in my woomba that's gone on in the past couple of years. The uterine shape looked pretty normal otherwise, no funny distortions from adhesions or fibroids this time.

I think they would have let my partner in to watch but since recents reports have said that it is best to limit your lifetime exposure to radiation, including x-rays, it's all for the best. And, as I said to my RE, I have found the HSG to be way more physically painful than a d&c since they sedate you for the d&c. It's over quick but DANG! OUCH! OW! OH! EEEEE! and THAT HURTS! I don't know who the people are who say it is no big deal, I hate it.

Also, a word to the wise, even if you can drive afterwards and go back to work doesn't mean that you should a) go by yourself or b) plan on going back to work. If your scan shows something is wrong, or if you have a strange reaction to the dye (such as weak knees or low blood pressure) then you will most certainly want someone there to take care of you. I'm staying at home the rest of the day and soon I will be taking a nap.

About Femara/Letrozole Safety for Ovulation Induction

I'm just starting to research the safety of Femara/Letrozole but I'll continue to update this post as I find out more. This summary from the ASRM 2005 Conference was interesting:


Biljan (Montreal, Canada) and colleagues[7] reported the results of a study of the births of 150 babies following treatment with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole. In this study, 5 mg of letrozole was given in all cycles analyzed. Perinatal outcome information over 36,000 deliveries from the same hospital was used to provide the control population. Maternal age and the proportion of multifetal deliveries (110 singleton and 20 twins) were higher in the letrozole group. Malformations were detected in 4.7% of the newborns in the letrozole group and in only 1.8% of the newborns in the control population. When the type of malformation was considered, locomotor, bone and cardiac malformations were more common following letrozole treatment.

The findings of this study are surprising, as until now no adverse perinatal effects had been reported with aromatase inhibitors. They were considered to be safe because they are used in only the early follicular phase and their half-life is short. Some points about this report need to be raised, however. The rate of malformations in the control group is lower than that usually observed. Several factors influence the rate of malformations, such as maternal age, the order of the pregnancy, gestational age at delivery, medication use during pregnancy, and maternal medical complications. One must make an effort to control for these factors during the analysis. Maternal age was higher in the study group and there were more multiple gestations. It is also known that the incidence of congenital malformations is higher following infertility treatment, so it would be better to compare the letrozole group to groups undergoing other types of infertility treatment. Still, the findings of this study should lead to more careful use of aromatase inhibitors for infertility management. Further studies need to evaluate the association between aromatase inhibitors (various doses) and congenital malformations.

More about the Highlights of the ASRM 2005 Conference

The half-life of Letrozole is about 2 days. This means that it takes about 2 days for the concentration of the drug to drop in one-half in the serum. In general, a drug will be completely eliminated in 5 half-lives. In the case of Letrozole, this is about 10 days. The pharmacokinetic studies which determined the half-life of the drug may not have been done in women of reproductive age as the drug was to be used in post-menopausal women. Thus it may be metabolized differently in younger women. In fact, two unknown metabolites are mentioned in the PDR which may have untoward biological activity. Most studies used Letrozole until about day 7 of the cycle. Thus, it is possible that the drug could still be in the system at the time of conception around day 14 or so if we assume it takes 5 half-lives to be completely excreted and potential metabolites exist that could have biological activity. Also, the half-life of a drug may be increased by increasing the dose of the drug. Some use Letrozole at 5.0 mg or 7.5 mg doses, potentially increasing the half-life of the drug. The dose in breast cancer patients is 2.5 mg per day. There is more to drug disposition than simply the half-life. The clearance of the drug is slow and the volume of distribution is approximately 2 L/kg, indicating that it is widely distributed in the body (2). This raises the possibility that the drug or its metabolites could be distributed to the ovary or uterus, organs vital for reproduction. Letrozole is mainly bound to albumin as a carrier protein in the blood. The PDR warns of fetal toxicity in rodent studies at doses of 0.003 mg/kg (about 1/100th the human dose) where increased intrauterine mortality, increased fetal resorption, increased post-implantation loss, decreased numbers of live fetuses, fetal anomalies fetal anomalies including shortening of the renal papilla and ureter dilation and incomplete ossification of the frontal skull and metatarsal. In rabbits, Letrozole was embryotoxic at doses of 1/100,000th and fetotoxic at doses 1/10,000th of the maximal recommended human dose. Thus, standard experimental models showed that Letrozole is toxic to the fetus. The PDR considers Letrozole to be a Category D drug in pregnancy (Positive evidence of fetal risk). Anytime a drug is Category D, the benefits must clearly outweigh the risks. Data on the health on the babies would certainly help to determine this. While the patients are not technically pregnant at the time they are taking the drug, can we be absolutely certain that it or one of its metabolites is no longer in the body especially given the low doses that are toxic in experimental animals?
From: Femara (Letrozole) as a Fertility Treatment: Potential Risks

AIs may be a viable option to replace CC in the
future as the new primary treatment for ovulation induction and in combination with FSH for assisted reproduction procedures. However, larger randomized controlled studies are required to determine the best treatment regimen. If such large studies confirm effectiveness and safety, the use of AIs for ovulation induction would be the first improvement in oral ovulation induction in decades.
Aromatase Inhibitors for ovulation induction
Casper and Mitwally, Sunday, August 21, 2005

Acupunture Update

Just a quick post to let you know that acupunture treatment went well and I had lots of points of pain in my abdomen that she treated. Overall the diagnosis is: spleen qi deficiency, damp accumulations, phlegm obstruction and blood deficiency. Nice eh?

She worked a lot on points to help dry things up, and being that she asked how I was doing, of course I cried. It was weird to have my sinuses drying even as I had just been crying.

I'm going to take this month off to work on the fibroid with herbs. I'll feel much better about things if I do (and chances are that if I don't I won't conceive anyway since my body is disrupted enough to start growing another fibroid). Keep your fingers crossed for me that it helps.

Empty Arms

An online acquaintance (Zuzu) created this beautiful and sad movie about infertility that you should experience. It is deeply moving and perhaps it helps to express how you are feeling, or if you are someone who hasn't experienced infertility, maybe it can help you understand a little more.

Empty Arms

Spleen Qi Deficiency and Liver Qi Stagnation

I came across this the other day and it sounded like me:

Stagnation of Qi and Blood

Poor Liver function can lead to stagnation of Qi and eventually Blood. Stagnation of Qi is experienced in the body as a feeling of fullness, discomfort, or pain in the chest, belly, or head, and in the mind as agitation, nervous tension, suppressed emotion, and frustration. Stagnation of Blood is experienced as a localized stabbing or cutting pain. If this stasis of Blood persists for too long, it gives rise to hard lumps, masses, tumors, or chronic inflammation in the chest, abdominal and pelvic region. A mass or lump may come and go unpredictably, like an intestinal spasm when Qi is obstructed, or may become a benign or malignant tumor in the final stages when Blood becomes "congealed". This situation is often the case in women who develop uterine fibroids, uterine hemorrhage with large clots, irregular, scanty, or suppressed menstruation, cervical dysplasia, ovarian cysts, or tumors.

Stagnant Qi can also obstruct the Spleen, affecting its ability to generate and distribute moisture and nutritive essence in the body. This impairment of Spleen function results in the accumulation of Dampness and an attrition of vitality. The fluid excess itself then may become a secondary source of stagnation since it impedes the flow of Qi. The body often generates Heat to counteract this fluid excess by drying it. This Heat then accumulates and intermingles with the Dampness. Damp Heat can settle in the pelvis, where it damages and obstructs the Blood. Over time this will lead to coagulation and deficiency of Blood. Damp Heat in the Liver also sets the stage for problems such as genital and perianal herpes, jaundice, and hepatitis.

and this:

Although a blood stasis condition is slow to develop initially, once it is entrenched it can recur easily when it is triggered and aggravated by factors leading to Liver Chi Stagnation.
From: Ovarian Cysts and Chinese Medicine

As for my new fibroid, I'm thinking of talking to my acu about it, perhaps it is related to an ongoing issue of spleen qi deficiency that I have symptoms of -- anemia, excess phlegm, get sick all the time, poor digestion, fatigue, allergies, copious EWCM, fibroids and even my bad PMS/breast pain. These symptoms are all related in chinese medicine to the same pattern, blood deficiency, dampness, blood stasis, spleen qi deficiency and liver qi stagnation. Since the symptoms have continued and I've got a new fibroid I think that its even more likely that I have an underlying issue that continues, yes that and a genetic predisposition to fibroids.

The other day I coincidently decided to search out more about digestive disturbances related to Spleen Qi deficiency and suddenly a lot more became clear (and I'm so not surprised to hear that there is a new fibroid in there). Here are some links with info about herbs and dietary changes to help deal with Spleen Qi deficiency:

UNDERSTANDING CFIDS FROM A CHINESE PERSPECTIVE

Digestive Issues

Applying Dietary Therapy

Help for Holiday Digestive Woes

How Do You Treat Intestinal Gas?

Common things I'm seeing on these pages are:

ginger, oatmeal, cooked foods
stay away from sugar, salt, fried foods, stress, fermented foods, citrus (but I like oranges!)

Kinda like my acus told me. I started my search with this string if you are interested to see more: "spleen qi deficiency acidophilus"

Here's a link to a q&a about miscarriage with Randine Lewis where she mentions spleen qi deficiency.

Introducing my new fibroid

I just had my RE appointment this afternoon and it was an interesting experience. My partner basically laid it out there for her, that we were feeling that it was worse to get pregnant than to not get pregnant -- since losing the pregnancies was far worse than not having them. She suggested that we try using Femara to induce ovulation for a few cycles, in the hopes of promoting a stronger ovulation. After a few cycles we could then move on to trying IUI. She said that really, in spite of my partner's poor morphology, that getting pregnant on our own really was the ultimate test of his fertility.

We also discussed and scheduled a HSG for next week, to check for adhesions, any damage to the lining from the two d&cs and make sure the tubes are open. Sounds reasonable, and its what I wanted.

I brought up again that I had read that low ferritin had been linked by some doctors in Britain to lower fertility and increased miscarriage rates and she dismissed me and said that she had never heard that and it wasn't something that she would check for on her own. If I pressed she would do the bloodwork but whatever.

Then she suggested that we do an ultrasound right then and there to see about any new fibroids. Sure I thought, but there weren't any when I had my ultrasounds around the last miscarriage. Low and behold, there was a brand new 2.5 x 3.5 cm intramural fibroid, but away from the uterine lining and towards the outer wall of my uterus. I was in total disbelief. I just went through major abdominal surgery just 14 months before, and there wasn't anything on the scan last June. How could this happen so fast, and in the same are of my uterus?

She said it seemed to be pushing the right ovary out of the way a bit, distorting it on the scan. How nice eh? She said she doesn't think it is causing me any problems right now. She also checked my lining via ultrasound and said that it didn't appear inconsistent which can sometimes be an indicator of adhesions. I'm going to have an HSG on Tuesday next week to check my tubes. If that all looks okay then we'll try for a few cycles using Femara/Letrozole to see if maybe there is an ovulation dysfunction that we can override.

As my doctor was leaving the operatory I said dryly, "well at least I've been growing something in there," and she totally didn't know what to say but then she laughed (my twisted sense of humor overwhelms them you see).

So what should we name this new little interloper?


Some of the lovely things you find in the RE's office.

A few raindrops turn into a downpour

I went to my niece's first birthday party last night. I've written about how uncomfortable I've been around her, starting during her mother's pregnancy as I lost mine.

The baby was being a pill last night, she was really clingy with her parents and didn't want to hang out really with anyone else. It didn't help that my period showed up yesterday (and wasn't it a full moon or just about as well?) After dinner we gave our presents, a dress I bought at the Lavender Festival last summer, plus a box to store baby keepsakes in and then a photo album in which I placed a bunch of our photos that they didn't have. Then my partner and his brother started playing the piano and guitar together doing old covers and my mother-in-law and I law on the couch. I was soooo tired with the cramps and drop in hormones and all, plus too much socializing all week long.

Then it started, just a couple tears at first which I subtly wiped away pretending my eyes were tired or itching. It's okay, I thought to myself, maybe just letting a little bit out will help me feel better. But as I continued to sit there, the feeling of not being acknowledged for my losses began to swell and gradually I couldn't contain it any more.

I walked over behind my partner who was facing the wall near the piano and whispered in his ear that we needed to go because I was crying. He nodded and then turned his face as he played and kissed my cheek through my hair that I was using to cover my face. At the end of the song he got up and said that it was time for us to go, I was already by the door with my things, and he quickly said goodbye. His brother came over to open the door and saw I was crying and asked if I was okay to which all I could say was its the anniversary of my dead babies not being born, how could I be okay? Which he didn't understand at all as he called after me as I walked into the darkness outside, "what? what?"

I totally lost it then as we drove back home, coughing and crying. My partner understood though, I was grateful for that. I told him that I couldn't keep holding it back, especially around his family since I don't really get any acknowledgement from them because I don't know how to talk to them about it. I told him that I thought that in some ways it was healthier for me to not be around babies and small children because then I could just focus on the me I am and not the me that I'm not, the losses that I've had in that area.

When we came home I continued to cry and it came to me that this time of year, with my two due dates going by without my even being pregnant, it's like having to keep driving past the finish line that you never get to cross.

Now that the family has seen me cry though, the first time I think, I don't know what to do. My instincts are to avoid them now because they couldn't possibly understand having never experienced this type of loss themselves. My other thought is to send them an email, my family and friends as well, and point out to them that January 23rd and February 13th are a time of mourning for me and that I just need a little acknowledgement of that. But I just don't know how that would go over.

Sperm Chromatin Damage from SSRIs

There's a study underway right now, I just read about it but it totally underscores what I suspected based on our experience with my partner's sperm count and subsequent improvement when we got him off of Paxil and onto vitamins to deal with some nutritional deficiences -- from 2% morphology to 5% morphology in just four months. We've not ever had his sperm chromatin checked but take heed -- those SSRIs aren't necessarily helpful for all of what ails you.

Federal Grant Awarded to Study Effects of Antidepressants on Male Reproductive Health

Study on Antidepressants and Male Fertility Generates International Interest

WSU Spokane Scientists Launch Clinical Research

Soy Might Impair Your Fertility and Hormone Balance

A lot of hype has gotten Americans consuming soy products in large quantities, in addition to the hidden additives of soy to many processed foods. But soy has hormonal affects and can be disruptive to your endocrine system, primarily interfering with thyroid function but it also may impair your ferility. Check out these links to learn more.

"Processed soy (actually, ANYTHING processed) is indeed bad. But, why soy? Three reasons: (a) contains chemicals that 'pull down' the thyroid (leads to hypothyroidism); (b) contains phyto-estrogens that block important minerals like Zinc and Magnesium from being absorbed into the body (2 VERY important minerals especially for women since having a deficiency in either one can cause numerous problems due to an estrogen/progesterone imbalance); and (c) does not contain essential amino acids. Soy products are commonly linked to weight gain and other hormone imbalances for these very reasons. It's also among the top allergens in this country, (the other top allergens include wheat, corn, dairy, chocolate, eggs, shellfish, and citrus). Many people have food allergies to soy and don't even know it. "
From: http://www.allergydir.com/Article692.php

"Soy foods couldn't possibly have a downside because Asians eat large quantities of soy every day and consequently remain free of most western diseases. In fact, the people of China, Japan, and other countries in Asia eat very little soy. The soy industry's own figures show that soy consumption in China, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan ranges from 9.3 to 36 grams per day.1 That's grams of soy food, not grams of soy protein alone. Compare this with a cup of tofu (252 grams) or soy milk (240 grams).2 Many Americans today think nothing of consuming a cup of tofu, a couple glasses of soy milk, handfuls of soy nuts, soy "energy bars," and veggie burgers. Infants on soy formula receive the most of all, both in quantity and in proportion to body weight."
Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food

Chemical Found in Soy Products, Legumes Could Damage Sperm, Impair Fertility, Study Says

"The estrogen receptor beta is also known to respond to environmental and dietary chemicals that can mimic the effects of estrogen and stimulate the body's natural hormones. One example is genistein, a common component of soy products. These new studies by Korach and colleagues suggest that such environmental exposures could interact with estrogen receptor beta and possibly alter ovarian function in women."
from: New Discovery May Help Doctors Treat Infertility

Uterine adenocarcinoma in mice treated neonatally with genistein

It's not just that but most soy beans are genetically modified nowadays:

"Genetically modified soy has been on the market just five years. Yet it already accounts for two-thirds of the U.S. soybean harvest. Soy products are used in hundreds of processed foods, often to add texture and protein. So the biotech beans end up in pancake mix and baby formula, chicken soup and margarine, crackers and salad dressing, ice cream and granola bars."
From: Long Article on Roundup Ready Soybean Controversy

Some people say what choice do we have, but really there is a choice but we've not been given the chance to give our opinion. I remember listening to some FDA guy on the radio a few years ago as they debated GMO/GE crops and he said that the American public didn't care about the controversy and that they were fine with it. But, they didn't tell us that they were putting these products into the market, they just snuck them in. But other countries around the world weren't asleep and their press and public took action and blocked the use of these crops/products pending further scientific evaluation.

Corn is another crop that's largly GE these days in the States. It's hard to find any manufactured food items that don't contain corn or some corn-derivative. You have to look for products made overseas.

If you are interested in more info sign up for the Organic Consumers Association email newsletter -- http://www.organicconsumers.org

Too much information

I saw this site linked from another blog so I decided to try it out. You can get t-shirts printed up with a "word cloud", a dynamically generated image based on content from your blog.



I have to say that seeing it all laid out like that, and even thinking about the possibility of seeing it on a t-shirt, it makes me feel a bit glum. Not really fun stuff at all, and is it really worthwhile?

And It All Comes Rushing Back

Sick and twisted girl that I am, dropped by the records department for the hospital/clinic to see what I was missing so I wouldn't have to pay $20 for getting a whole lot of chicken scratch. I've got most of the information already and just wanted the bits that I was missing. Instead what happened was that I got to sit around with my file and relive the first miscarriage and my surgery. How I was able to stand w/o dizziness after the first d&c (they check this stuff for patient release post procedure); how I was "pleasant", walking around, or having "tea colored" urine after my surgery. All these details came into sharp focus in my mind again: the color of the tile floor, calling for help with the PCA pump, sitting on the toilet trying to pee and having nothing come out after they first took out the catheter and the anxious voices behind the door. All the little notes they made, the nurses and doctors and patholgist too, and I felt like I was swimming in memories that my mind had put away for safe keeping, or rather to protect me from them. While I walked quickly and confidently to the office building after work, after picking through the file I left in a daze. And even more frustrating is that there isn't really any good information to be had from my second m/c. There was no pathology done, just blood work and some scans. I felt partly like there might be answers in that thick file and partly that it was sad that there weren't.

On the way home I dropped by to visit my friend, the one who was close to divorce a few months ago (and had a miscarriage a year ago). She's been diagnosed as bi-polar and is on lithium now. She's having a bit of a hard time adjusting to the meds and finally some of the mania she was experiencing is starting to dissolve and so she can remember things a little clearer. We talked a bit about how crazy it was that it was four years later and I was still talking about TTC. For now babymaking plans are totally on hold until they figure out which end is up.

Baby Steps

I bit the bullet today and scheduled an initial consult with my RE (the RE who did my surgery and helped me through 1-1/2 miscarriages). We're going to see if we can stick with her, recognizing her limitations but also the leverage we have with her and her staff.

I set up an initial consult with her since we never had one with her. I just ended up in her care after my previous RE left the clinic and trusted her with my surgery and that's where it was left off. I sort of feel like let's start over with all this and see where that gets us. Yes, I have lots of information and opinions but we also want to know her take.

I think I mentioned before, but the plan that was laid out for us by more then one RE was:

1. Have surgery to remove fibroid
2. After healing (3 months), try on our own for three cycles or so
3. If not pg then move onto Clomid/IUI for three cycles
4. If not pg then consider moving onto IVF (possibly with ICSI -- though with the SPA test his sperm performed really well so this shouldn't be an issue)

We were going to do a trial of Clomid/IUI in July '04 but then got pg and had the firsst m/c. Then we started TTC again after my surgery and retained tissue experience in Feb '05 only to get pg the third cycle and then lose that one as well. It's like we never get to go to the next step. Sharing it with you guys just reminds me of the feeling I had with each loss that maybe God was trying to tell me something -- it's so hard to know that though.

My appointment is scheduled for February 14th - Valentine's Day. I know that's a bit of a downer but at the same time it fits in really perfectly with my cycle -- so if we don't get pg this cycle (and chances are we won't based on our past lack of success) then AF is due right about then and there will be time to either get right into a Clomid cycle or do the HCG or both. There's a chance we might change the appt so to not ruin v-day but for now that's where it stands.

I also just set up a time to review my medical records so I can pick out the sections that I need for my files, which can supplements the ones I already have so I can transfer the files to my RE's new clinic.

One step at a time, right?

Sometimes a pregnancy goes by like a vapor

Today was my EDD for my second pregnancy. I know two other online gals who had that due date -- one is in labor today (how perfectly on time!) and I've not caught up on the details of the other gal.

What helped me last year with the EDD of my first loss was to consider the week before to be a time to help come to closure about it. I was sort of forced to do it by the birth of my niece that same week -- based on advice from women online I bit the bullet and went to see her on the day she was born at the hospital. Yeah I cried a little too but I feel like I was able to change my perspective a little.

Since my surgery would have required me to deliver by c-section early, the second baby would have already arrived so in that sense there is no date for it really, it just would be here already. I don't have time to take off from work right now so I'm just trying to find some resolution about it.

Now, my niece's first birthday in a couple weeks might be more difficult (I still have some tension when I'm around her) but whatcha gonna do.

For all my stocism thought I'm still feeling a bit mucky about it. But it's been a long time since I was pregnant though so how could I really feel it, it's not like I was physically about to have a baby today. And from visiting with my niece yesterday, it's not like I know anything about the minutes/hours/days/weeks/months of attention that it has taken to get her to this point where she is taking her first steps. My past year (and then some) have been about a different journey.

Behold the Wonders of the Cervix

The Behaviour of the Cervix over the Phases of the Ovulatory Cycle

The Discovery of Different Types of Cervical Mucus and the Billings Ovulation Method

There are several methods of tracking your fertility that exist, the newer methods are actually more sophisticated than just counting days as in the Rhythm Method. Now we have charts, and even software to help us track our cycles and fertility patterns.

The ones I know of include:

Billings Method -- pioneered by Dr Evelyn Billings and promoted in the US by Billings Ovulation Method Association - USA

Fertility Awareness Method -- as described in Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler and incorporated into the Ovusoft/TCOYF ovulation calendar software

Creighton Model Fertility Care System -- promoted by Fertility Care Centers and the Pope Paul VI Institute and referenced in this article "Infertility Care and the Role of the Compounding Pharmacist" (PDF)

Easing Into It

I've been trying to ease my brain into the idea that it might be time to go that route, the possible IUI/Clomid route (and who knows what else). Even though we did it on our own twice there are reasons for us to see about other options as the clock keeps ticking.

I've been trying to slowly give my partner more info about it, he sometimes acts like he knows everything so I try not to jump on him with too much info. The other night he told me to hand him something to read so I reached in my nighstand and a copy of Conceive magazine was there and I gave them to him while I brushed my teeth. He read the ad for Preseed and saw how bad Astroglide is for sperm and he was like "I didn't know that!" To which I replied that I had told him over and over and even suggested that we try Preseed a year ago and he said no. He then said "Yeah but I didn't know you meant that bad"

Yesterday I sent him links to the three main fertility clinics in our area -- I've seen docs at all three. My partner and I talked about it briefly last night and he said that our greatest issue was with the profession and not the doctor per se, so he thought we should stick with Dr. Marshall who did my surgery and just coax her into trying things our way for the progesterone. I'm friends with one of the nurses in the office so that's a help too. Still, I loathe having to go back in. I had that consult last April where they told me to hang tight for a while and then got pg right after that and then lost it. My last appointment with the RE was in July, and then the ob/gyn appt but that was just for a pap.

I'll just have to ease myself back in slowly.

TTC After 35

Here are links to some articles I found when looking for info about my advanced maternal age.

Female Fertility After 35

36 and Over

How Aging Affects Fertility

Pregnancy After 35 - March of Dimes

Age Related Miscarriage


You might also appreciate:

How to increase your chances of conceiving and preventing miscarriages

Vitamin C: Too Much of a Good Thing

Commonly in fertility diets vitamin C is mentioned, it's really good for you and aids in iron absorption and tissue repair. There is a point when too much vitamin C might actually interfere in female fertility. Men can take twice as much and it will help with semen factors but here are a few points about what too much does to impact female fertility.

Other things which can cause infertility include taking more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C a day. If a woman is doing this and trying to get pregnant, she should decrease it to 500 mg a day. Infertility caused by a higher dose should resolve within a few weeks.
From: Effective Holistic Treatment for Infertility

Vitamin C and bioflavinoids help strengthen the blood vessels lining the uterine wall. When C is too high, however, it can decrease the absorption of copper, a mineral necessary for ovulation, and increase the risk of both infertility and miscarriage.
From: Alternative Health Care Methods of Improving Fertility

Women should avoid megadoses of vitamin C because it can dry up cervical fluid, preventing sperm from reaching the egg. Limit the amount you take to the dose included in your prenatal vitamin.
From: Natural Ways to Boost Your Fertility