Midcycle U/S . . .part one.

Wednesday, I had the mid cycle u/s for FET #2.

I was hoping to see the RE I had last time, tell him I was a bit thrown by his obvious disregard of my individual needs a a patient and then have a vag-cam reading.  I was wanting to hear that everything looked fine and the endometrium lining was nice and "plush";  8mm+ to be exact.   However, that wasn't exactly what happened.

First, the RE I've had several times before (who has given me some doubt in the past) wasn't there that day, which was fine.  It was the new RE that I liked quite a bit that I met the day I decided to come back to this clinic.  It was almost reassuring to hear his take on things.

Here's the deal:

1. My lining fell short of the goal.  More like 7 1/3mm than 8.
2. We can reassess in 2 days.  Making the next u/s this Friday (tomorrow).
3. If I don't get the lining up to par within two days then I have to start all over again next month.

SO what did I do?

I went nutty looking over everything to find ways to increase my endometrial lining.
Some things I've tried are:

1. POM juice like it's going out of style.  I had already been drinking it at nauseoum this month since I remember it from the previous IF cycles.   Last night though I purchased 96 ounces for the local grocery store.  I don't want to drink that for quite a while again.  EAch 48 ounce bottle contains "6 servings".  Each serving has 32g of sugar. . . yep.
I've ingested approximately:

• Wednesday: 24-36 oz
• Thursday 48-56 oz
• Friday: 48 oz.

2. Ground Flax seed.  I've used ground flax along with liquid B-12, Chia seeds and flax seed oil in smoothies for the last couple days.

3. My regular pre-natal vitamins-- added a few extra chewable ones every day, plus IRON supplements-- I took three today alone.

4. Bromelain supplements. (Pineapple core) I remember reading quite a bit about how they can help with implantation so I've already been taking it for several weeks.  Last night I also read that it could possibly help with lining thickness.  Why not?

5. Raspberry Leaf tea.  I drank 2 cups tonight and will have another in the morning.  It's NOT recommended pregnant women drink Raspberry leaf tea despite it being included in various pregnancy teas.  It can cause the uterus to contract in some cases, but before pregnancy I want as much blood flow there as possible. That my two cents.

6. Rx estradiol pills up my "who-ha" twice a day.  I lay down for at least 30 minutes following . . . I often try and stretch it closer to 45 min.  The nurse recommended I do this after the underwhelming lining u/s.  I later talked to a friend of mine that said she had great success with it as well.  Right before her beautiful ID twin girls were born!


Hopefully the result of all of this is a HUGE jump in the thickness of my endometrial lining tomorrow at the u/s.  If I do, then they will schedule the FET for next week-- albeit pushed off one or two days. I'm trying to stay as positive as I can but it was very jarring to hear that I may need to put it off another month. . .

It's strange to think that despite how much I do remember about my IF journey thus far, there is so much I have already forgotten or push from my memory.  I'm glad at times like these to have my blog.  It may be much more difficult to find time to write now that I have had my two beautiful boys.  I become tired at nap time for them and pretty much mentally check-out until I awake the next morning.  My wish is that I will continue to use this, however frequent, as a place to record this crazy road we are on with the boys and with the hope of another blessing on the horizon.

Baseline #1 and Frostie 'relocation' photos.

Today was my first "Baseline" for FET #2.

I've gone back to the first RE I ever had back home in the Milwaukee area.  There were just too many things pissing me off at the clinic in Waukegan.  The billing department is run by a crazy lady that lies to me face. on voicemails and the phone.  I was done.  Too many charges and too many screw-ups.  (Remember them putting in the wrong embryo in 2011???)

I'm back now to the same doctor I saw to have my last two IUI's, the second which led to my first of two ectopic pregnancies.  Now no one is perfect.  While this clinic is hours closer (i.e: 20 minutes from my new house) and more than 1,000 bucks cheaper, it seems to have a couple nurses with heads up their butts.  For the last month or two one nurse has been telling me my FET transfer date would be 3-5 days later then it actually should be.  I may not have a nursing degree but I have done this a few times-- apparently they have not???  I had the dates I assumed confirmed today by the RE.

Anyways, today was my baseline.  The new clinic does things a bit differently then my old clinic.  It makes me nervous because last time worked.

These things include:

• Hardly any meds.  I take BCP, estrogen pills and Progesterone in Oil (PIO).   The last clinic was that with the addition of medrol, tetracycline, progesterone suppository, lupron, low-dose aspirin and probably something else. . . 
• This clinic does not do blood tests during the baseline u/s. 
• There is no hand written specific plan made out for me with individualized dates.  Just a generic form I could have printed off their website.  
• We have yet to have training for the PIO.  Not that we haven't done that shot a billion times, but it was 2 1/2 years ago and we could use a refresher. 
• No OTC Ovulation Predictor kits (OPK).

Between all those things and my RE almost canceling my FET this cycle, I'm a little concerned and stressed. Yep, all because he clearly never even looked at my file to see that I have a HUGE hydrosalphinx in my right fallopian tube.  He thought it was a giant cyst and declared that I'd be going back onto BCP for another month.  I asked him if he was perhaps looking at my hydro.  Yep, the u/s tech was.  DUH!!!!  He then said it could still be a problem with pregnancy.  I asked how that could be so since I had my tubes disconnected back in 2010?  

Yep, didn't see that either.  

How exactly is this supposed to make me feel more comfortable?  

It's not that I'm expecting a lot from any clinic.  I just want to feel as though I am an individual patient.  That you took TWO SECONDS to look at my file and see some SIGNIFICANT areas that should be addressed.  Especially since I just laid down $3,000 upon entering your clinic and hauled both of my embryos over 100 miles from my previous clinic to yours.  (See below). 

The boys wishing the safe journey to their fraternal "twin" embryo siblings.  Well, the container anyways.  I was on the way to pick up the frosties.  Sorry--they never sit still.

The fro sties in their mobile storage device.  Cruising with Mom along I-94N and the scenic side streets to their new home in Milwaukee.  Welcome to WI embies!

One last smooch before they leave me again to go into the deep-freeze in their new (temporary) home.

Back to the baseline Results.

Well the FET is still on for the approx. date of Oct 8th.  I will have another baseline u/s on Oct 2nd to make sure everything is a "go".  My lining looked good--and I had no cysts ;)

Perhaps he will remember me next time--or at least glance at my file before he walks in.  One can only hope. 

Birthday Boys.

Without any intro I'm going to post just a couple of images along with Mason and Christopher's "2nd Birthday questionnaires".

It's been far too long, I'll do a proper re-introduction to the world in a few days.

Till then, Happy 2nd Birthday, Mason and Christopher.

I love you to no end.

xoxo,
Mama.

I return with much in the way of news. I miss you all.

Our Family, August 2013.

Updates coming soon.

Sweet potatoes

The first day eating solids!

Mmmm.... Moms organic sweet potatoes! Fresh baked today!

They really have seemed to r joy them over the past few days. Mason was a bit fussy at first but did even better the next day.

They are also eating gala apple bits through a silicone "mesh" feeder and drinking unsweetened apple juice and water mix on occasion to help with rice cereal constipation.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Since everyone's talking about it...

Listen.

Do what you think is best for your own family-- but don't guilt out other Moms for doing the same. And further more, Time... You should be ashamed to be pitting Moms against one another to make a buck.

Oh and by the way, YES.
I am "Mom enough" whatever that means. Try raising two boys (or more) at once.

I am Mom enough because I think about my sons over my own personal agenda. I'm sure your Son will be thanking you for all the swirlies and ass-kickings he recieves in junior high over the photo of him you plastered across the country.

There. I'm done. Soapbox retired for now.

Location:Home

My goodness!

Look at these boys!




Could you believe just 8 months ago they were born at 28 weeks and weighed 2 pounds!!!!???
Yesterday at the pediatrician, Mason and Christopher were weighed, measured and tickled silly.

Mason's 8 month (5 1/2 months adjusted) stats.
Weight: 19.3 lbs! (50%, 98% adj)
Length: 27.5 inches (50%, 90% adj)
Head: 44.2 cm (50%, 90% adj)

Christopher's 8 month (5 1/2 months adjusted) stats.
Weight: 17.3 lbs! (25%, 75% adj)
Length: 27.5 inches (50%, 90% adj)
Head: 44.2 cm (50%, 90%

Other than their weight they are pretty much identical... Well that and the fact Christopher is so happy all the time and Mason is either Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde.

Location:Doctors office.