TTC Check-in Feb 1

[JustJudy]

Happy February all! Where has this year gone to already?

Let us know where you are in the process, if you have a BFP to share please make a thread on the main board so everyone can celebrate.

QOTW: Its Valentines month, do you and you SO celebrate? 

[rikkiandjulie]

I am just waiting for CD1 to come, so I start Femera again, and inseminate. I found a local known donor on the KDR. He seems pretty amazing, so we are hopefully going to try using him this upcoming cycle, as we all know fresh is best. I'm a little anxious about the akwardness of the process, but all in all it should be okay. We will try a few fresh cycles with him, and if they fail we will go back to donor sperm at the RE.

We do celebrate but its low key just flowers and a card. We will be Colorado this time, so hopefully we can find a nice restaurant.

[keba]

Still riding the IVF hiatus wagon over here. Last day of BC pills is 2/13, so we had a nice 3-day weekend involving beer and food and friends. Our events calendar is packed now and then totally empty in a couple weeks in prep for stim meds later this month. Eeeek, it's finally February!

Okay rikkiandjulie , I didn't even know the KDR route was an option. Yeesh, it seems like I learn something new about this whole process every day! The stories I've heard from others who have been through it are incredible. What makes this guy the amazing one??

K's birthday is in Feb too, so we usually lay kinda low for V-day, neither of us are big fans of the whole to-do. I'll make something special for dinner, menu TBD. Red meat and wine I'm sure, a feast of things a pregnant K will be missing soon enough if all goes as planned.

[JustJudy]

I'm stuck waiting too. A few more weeks and then we'll start the injectables.

rikkiandjulie, I'd love to hear more about your process this cycle using a KD. Please share if you're comfortable!

[keba]

@justjudy waiting to start #13? I hear 13 is a lucky number in Italy! Viva tredici! Did you have a nice birthday? 

[rikkiandjulie]

I'll share more as week as it happens.

I decided to use the Known Donor Registry as I have no know. Fertiltiy issues and always wanted to use a donor that my child had the idea of knowing. Julie had some fertility issues and was using the RE, to use a KD at the RE, it would have been about $5000 after all the extra testing, quarantine, freeze/thaw, etc. At the time it was better and faster to use a sperm bank.

However, I always wanted to try at home, and the only reason I didn't the first two times was simply because we had two donor viles left. Now that those have been used, I will simply try at home, at least a few times. We were going to use a family friend originally, but that fell through. On another board that I frequent there was a lot of talk of the Known Donor Registry, so I decided to check it out. It is very heavily monitored, and you immediately can tell its legitimate. I created a profile and then began searching for some donors that interested us. So far I have found three that I really like. One is a donor in CA-|•Sacramento to be exact, which is where my family lives, he's an honest down to earth kid, just wanting to help people. He looked into a sperm bank prior but didn't like the idea of profiting from it all, so he looked into other donation options, he is willing to ship to us to use. This method has been successful for many as well but it takes a little longer to be successful because chilled sperm aren't as fast.
Then I found two in Iowa that I really like, one is about two hours away and has a similar occupation to Julie, but driving two hours 3 days in a row during my fertile period seemed like a pain in the ass, so I kept searching, and finally found a donor here in the same town as me, who has donated to several other couples before, all of which were successful.

Also, last Monday I visited the best family law lawyer in town to have her review my contracts, and to talk about the steps of termination of parental rights, and a second parent adoption. The initial visit cost me $100, and the adoption will run about $800-$1000. He will sign away rights immediately following birth, hopefully before I leave the hospital. While meeting with my lawyer she said there was no harm in using a donor from another state, just that it was "safer" to use one in the same state, and county if possible.

We are meeting up with the very local donor sometime this week for coffee, to sign the contract, and to just get to know him a little better, but it all seems promising. We are also getting copies of all his STI/HIV testing, I require it be up to date, and there is a clause for it in our agreement.

[dannigirl]

I'm still waiting for my blood results from my RE before I stop the Progesterone. Since I had an extra req at the house I had more blood taken today. lol
Why not...?
I know it's negative, but I would like to hear it from my RE.

Once we get notice that it's a BFN, then we will be waiting will Jo gets home in April and then try one more IUI. However, I am going to ask to be placed on the IVF wait list for Aug. Just in case...

We will use the last vial from the new donor, and if we get a BFN, then we will use the old donor sperm for the IVF. Might as well since we still have it... As long as they can use washed sperm for IVF... Either way, we will see what happens.

[JustJudy]

Feb 1, 2016 13:55:22 GMT -5 keba said:

@justjudy waiting to start #13? I hear 13 is a lucky number in Italy! Viva tredici! Did you have a nice birthday? 

My maternal grandmother was full Italian so I identify as mostly Italian. Maybe 13 really is our lucky number!

[JustJudy]

dannigirl, I'm 99% sure they can use washed sperm for the IVF. Thinking good thoughts for you.

[keba]

rikkiandjulie, how interesting, sounds like a pretty good fit as long as his testing is all squared away. Looking forward to hearing more about meeting the local guy

dannigirl, something about that official answer from the RE, it's like it resets the clock or something, hope news comes soon. Also, our clinic prefers washed for the IVF, so I imagine other places permit that as well.

[lv2016]

I mentioned in my introduction late last week that my wife, V, and I are in our very first TWW. She had an unmedicated IUI on Jan. 21, and we'll do a home test this Thursday (unless her period comes early).

I thought we were waiting it out well, but I suspect you more experienced ladies know what it's like to see the test in your bathroom a few times a day. So, V broke down and took the test yesterday morning. As expected, it was negative. Of course, it broke my spirit a bit, but logically, I know it's still early.

As for Valentine's Day, we've got it pretty easy this year. We always get season tickets to our city's Symphony Orchestra Pops Series - this year, there is a concert with love-themed music on the 14th. So, we'll likely make a dinner reservation for that evening and enjoy the show!

Best of luck and many good wishes for all of you in whatever stage of TTC you're currently in!

[dannigirl]

"Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through Hell with you..." This makes me think of our TTC journey at times. Makes me want to cry when I hear it on the radio.

Got the call and it's for sure a negative. And surprise, surprise, AF is spotting her way back.. I haven't technically missed a dose yet.. Ah well...

Now to figure out if we want to try one more IUI, or literally put all our eggs in one basket and go for IVF. It's scary to think of dropping $10,000 on something that isn't 100%. I'm not a gambler and this whole process has been stressful, now to put so much money into a hand like that, it makes me want to throw up.

[JustJudy]

Sending you so many hugs dannigirl, I'm so sorry. Take it easy and whatever decision you make will be the right one for you, that's most important.

Sorry for the BFN lv2016, FX it's just too early for you both. J tried two IUIs before we switched over to me trying and I know exactly how hard it is the be the "other" partner!

[lv2016]

I'm really sorry, dannigirl. I'm sorry for the news you received and now having to think about your next decision and all that money.

Thanks, @justjudy! I hope you enjoyed your birthday.

[kekaellypula]

Tomorrow is CD6. Going in the morning for U/S and B/W. The doc has me on 450 Follistim. This is the max dosage she wants to give me and if I don't pop out a bunch of follicles then I'm out of the game. If I do and the IUI is unsuccessful then we move onto IVF. During CD3 U/S they recorded a 24mm follicle which if it was recorded correctly and someone didn't screw up makes sense with what the doc told us 8 months ago.

We usually do something for V-Day. The wife is the emotional and sentimental one. She already mailed me my present. I got her a card so far. I'll have to think of something else to send to her.

[JustJudy]

FX for you this cycle kekaellypula!

[keba]

dannigirl,I'm so sorry you got the bad news. We're just starting the IVF track after our RE suggested we go ahead in that direction. We had so many mixed feelings about it, and (now that the money part is officially in place) I'm feeling much more positive about it. It's a tough decision either way. Well wishes while you guys sort it out.

lv2016, that early test is the devil! I can't ever resist it either. So hard not to let it hit you in the gut, I'm sorry. Sounds like you have great VDay plans ahead!

[bmorecharming]

Hi ladies! 

I became a member of this board last summer, but we got busy with wedding planning and family, and birthdays, etc, etc... but now we're focused on beautiful baby #1!

We asked my best friend's brother (their family is my extended family) to be our donor and we are so lucky that he accepted and is happy to help us start our family together. At the moment we are tempting and tracking and next month - our first insemination! Holy crap!

QOTW: We're impartial about VDay; not pro or against, but we welcome any reason to celebrate our love.

[lv2016]

How exciting, bmorecharming! I hope it just takes once to work for you!

[rikkiandjulie]

I am having a melt down, I was browsing the donor website, just to review all my options, and I realized that the motility numbers were per 1ml, but that the straws are sold in .5ml. So if it said MOT5, it was actual 2.5, and then once it was washed who knows what was actually left. So then I reviewed the POST wash counts at home, and they were also given to you in 1ml, so if it said 6mil post wash you really only had 3mil.

I have NO idea how I missed this on the website, as it says it under the "choosing your vile page" but I feel sooooooooo dumb. We basically had no chance with those viles, and DW took all those meds for nearly no reason. She's spent all this time thinking it was her, but it wasn't.

I spoke with the nurse today, and she confirmed what I just said. She said that there wasn't really an issue with sperm quality, but that it was never ideal.

This is also partly my fault as I asked my RE about motility, but she didn't understand what I was asking, and I didn't understand what she was answering, no that I look back.

I am moving forward though, you live and learn right? Hindsight is always 20/20x At least our insurance covered the procedures, meds, etc and we are only out $700 for 7 tries.

If we proceed with a sperm bank donor again, we now know what to purchase and will not buy anything with less than MOT10, which is standard in the field.

[kona]

rikkiandjulie It's really unfortunately that a sperm bank would sell anything that was less that the highest quality product. Also that your RE wouldn't have said something since they knew you had purchased it. You are right though, you can only move forward. Fingers crossed for you with the KD!

[lv2016]

Sorry to hear that, rikkiandjulie! That must have been so disheartening when you realized it. Sounds like you're in the right frame of mind to put it past you and move on with the right information! Good luck!