Clearblue Fertility Monitor Support Group Buddies Vol 4!!

[boba82]

Time for us to move home again ladies!

Hi AnnaMarie I think that can happen. You get the high when the monitor detects the oestrogen surge, which in turn triggers the LH surge. If your oestrogen surge occurs immediately before your LH surge then it might have missed it and gone straight to peak. What day are you on and is this your first month using the CBFM

Storm Can I join in with your rant about men. They really don't get it. My DH thinks I'm obsessed too and has been equally insensitive by telling me so. I'm not a violent person but I really felt like whacking him He's got a good career. I gave mine up to alleviate stress to find something more compatible with family life as he can't relocate at the moment (the head office where I worked was 225 miles away from where we live so I used to travel and stay away from home three nights a week). But having given up my career I haven't found anything suitable where we live in the North, or have got to final interview to be turned down - making me feel even more useless. I am so frustrated it's unbelievable. Told him it's bloody difficult not to obsess with getting pg when you've given up everything to make it happen, hate being a housewife, have lost self-esteem and feel really lonely. Is it just me that feels this way ladies or is it really harder on the woman than the man?

Storm - thinks your dh needs to do some reading!! My dh insisted I wasn't getting a BFP as my BMI was 31!! He read too much! Mm, well BMI is now 27 and we now know it is male factors - guess what, not hearing him mention weight anymore!!

KC - sorry you not got a good job yet, could you get a similar one but perhaps at a lower level so you not so bored? I went down from full-time to 2 days a week to try and reduce stress etc, but found I had nothing to do as everyone works or has children and I don't fit either gap(now do 4 days!!)

Keziah Difficult as the sector I work in has very few bases in the North so really not much available. Also, I think I'd really struggle with the loss of autonomy atepping down a level, but certainly something I should think about.

That said, I am feeling a bit perkier as I have managed to get an interview for a similar role at local charity - found out late this afternoon. Let's hope I can persuade them to take a risk on someone with a commercial background...

I really need to go back to work. Know EXACTLY what you mean by not fitting in the gap if you are off work but don't have kids. There just isn't much for women in that situation. 4 days sounds really perfect though as you do get a day to yourself to do nice things but still have the structure and benefits of work. Really sounds like you have got the balance right.

Hi All...just got back from getting DP's results...not good!.... these results might be in the wrong order, just trying to write down as GP was talking.

Motility = 46%
Sperm count = 7?
Morphology = 17

Anyone any ideas?? read up on the usual but do the numbers mean anything to anyone??

As you know we have been getting pregnant but HCG levels have never risen and have had MC's
is there hope????.....

Sorry to hear that the results weren't good AnytimeNOW. What did your GP advise? Does your DP need to have another SA done?

What did the GP say about the fact that you are getting pg? I'd have thought that this means that you DP's swimmers are at least making it to the egg and fertilizing it?

Hi KC...that's the thing! I have a different GP, and we both chatted to him and he suggested that my DP went to his GP and asked for a sperm test, and to say we had been trying for 2 years!...which he did and now this??? honestly think my GP thought DP would be fine?..

So my DP's GP has referred him, and I'm headed to MC clinic...but my delemma is...

If we both start on the investigation route, we will need to tell the truth! and we haven't been totally honest ( on my gp's advice) otherwise we wouldn't be tested??? OMG head battered!...poor DP, got really important interview on Thursday, not ideal.

All very crap!

Sorry me is all DOOM![hblush]

I don't think it's lying. It's more the belt and braces approach to investigation. I don't think there is anything to worry about. It will speed things up. If they do another SA with your DP and it's OK (which may well happen) then you know that the MC clinic is the best route. If the MC clinic can't find anything wrong then you'll be at the front of the queue for fertility with your DP already having been referred. Maybe your GP is thinking along the lines of the swimmers that are fertilizing your eggs might not be the best quality?

Thanks KC...His GP seems to think the result is so low referral is the only option.

Maybe it's a combination of both of us? getting pregnant, but only just, and then early mc.

GP was sure DP and I wouldn't get fertility treatment as I have two DC...granted they are a blessing, but surely it's sexist to deny DP a child of his own?...sorry mad as box of frogs!...

Thanks for your advice XXX

AnytimeNOW This may be a daft question, but if your DP's SA is so bad then surely that would make you very unlikley to conceive in the first place? I thought the standard protocol was to repeat if the result is poor?

Are your MCs recurrent?

I think we have conceived as I chart, cbfm, use opk sticks. So I basically get the timing near on perfect to catch the egg! But have had two miscarriages so far this year, both around the 6 week Mark. DP is devastated and unsure about trying again as hated to see me a hormonal mess. I'm willing to risk it, as it only takes one good swimmer ?? X

From what you've said it's likely that your DP's sperm count is usually OK...

It's so difficult. 50% of conceptions miscarry and 1/5 established pregnancies. Do you think you could refrain from doing a pg test until AF a week late in future? I'm thining along the lines of ignorance is bliss. If you don't know that you've conceived.....

Obviously, that's not very helpful if you are MC at around the 6 week mark. Thining about it, do you think that perhaps your GP might be suspecting chromosomal abnormality in your DP's swimmers? Wondering if that's why he suggested he went to his own GP to request SA?

HTH but have just looked up recurrent MC in DH's handbook of general practice. On the up side it says no cause for recurrent MC is found in 50% of women. Where no cause is found 70% go on to have a successful pregnancy

Maybe you've just been very unlucky?

Pants.

Just got DH's appointment through with the Andrology LAb for his SA to be done.

It's 12th November and there are instructions for him not to BD or ahem self relieve (sorry TMI ) for four days prior!!!! This coincides bang on with my fertile period

Not sure whether to delay the appointment or just have a month off TTC and use it as an opportunity to de-stress. WWYD?

Also, is anybody else's DP / DH completely immature about going for SA? My DH refers to it as "making a seminal deposit at the wank bank"

Thanks kc , very helpful.
As for your dp appointment, worth having it done, and refrain from jiggy if you can? We only left it 20 ish hours and now dp is wondering/ hoping that's why it's so bad? Wishful thinking maybe?. I'm my phone so will post again later. X

AnnaMarie, I have gone straight to peak from lows on three occasions. The good thing is that you have peaked. The bad is that you don't have time to get some bd'ing in before the peak. Once you have used CBFM for a while [hopefully you won't have to much longer], you can kind of guess when your peak will be an strt bd'ing on the lows before it appears in case of a sneaky peak.

KC do you know how difficlut it would be to get another appointment ... would it be worth giving Andrology a ring in case to check this?

Anytime, see if you can get a print out of your DH's results so you can make sure you have them right. DH just had to talk to reception at my surgery and sign a consent form.

Hello everyone else.

anytime I deferred an SA appointment for my DH this month for exactly the same reason. They were very understanding. As for your two MCs - I hate to say this because it hurts to hear (I know!) - but your age is a factor ... so don't assume there's something drastically wrong with either of you.

I have also had two MCs, at the same age you were, and I was told that the one thing everyone tells 'older' women is that they might not get PG; what they don't say, is they will get PG but have a higher rate of MCs. Your eggs are not what they were.

Also MC at 6-8 weeks is the most common time to MC. And very early MCs (5 weeks) are very common for all women regardless of age - most women don't even know they've had one. A lot of foundation baby-making development happens very quickly in these early weeks. So baby will reach for the 'material' it needs from your egg, and if a small detail is missing or corrupt in the egg (more likely as you get older), the PG will fail.

This does NOT mean all your eggs are faulty: it means you've had bad luck twice in a row. Nothing more, nothing less.

I am not sure it is automatically on your DH's side. I've been told that usually only the fittest and best sperm make it to the egg in the first place (it's a marathon so they NEED to swim fast and well to get there). So if I were you I'd take huge heart from the fact you've managed to get PG twice already, and I wouldn't give up.

On the up side, statistically, (at least by the stats at the hospital I am at) you are at no hugely greater risk of another MC in your third PG than you were when you first got PG. This is why you usually don't get tested for 'reasons behind repeated MCs' until you've had three.

My consultant thinks if it happens for us a third time, that the next PG we'll be fine.

Hi All Thanks for advice re appointment at Andrology Lab for SA.

Phoned DH, told him when appointment was and that it was mid-cycle. Gave him number of clinic and told him to ring them.

He's just called me. Lab was really understanding and appointment is deferred by just 1 week until 18th November.

Thank you for the advice everyone. Was most helpful.

Thanks for the advice.
I've used Clearblue OV monitor for 3 cycles and it went to peak without high 2 out of the 3.
So a question to those of you who are experienced users.
after the first peak day it asks you to test and then gives you another day of peak
is there any point testing on this second day as from the information book it seems that it will always give you another peak day once it detected the first one

and then we also get another high day on the other end
is that realistic that it's possible to get pregnant on that day (after having 1 high and 2 peak days)?
(sorry if im not being very clear)

No there's no point of testing on the second peak day. The monitor doesn't read the result. To save money, this cycle I reused the test stick from the day I first get the peak and keep on using it until it asks me to stop testing

Unless you ovulate at the back end of 36 hours after the first peak it's very unlikely that you'll get pg on the high the day after the 2nd peak day.

Sorry for bad grammar

KC - great news about the charity post, hope that proves a good avenue for you. Yes 4 days is great, as time to have appointments etc that don't have to be fitted into work nights etc, a lie-in and so on but work also! Great you got a 1 week delay.

Anytime - the standard protocol if a SA isn't producing average or good results is to repeat the SA. This is because it could be an abnormal result -- men prodcuce a fresh supply of sperm every 3 months (my poor dh has had 4 SA's so far!!), and if dh ill for eg during that time it can affect results etc. Did the Gp give you a copy of what average results are for you to compare with? If not remind me on here and I will dig out my dh's from the folder!! But 46% motility sounds quite good I think.

Hi all,

Just popped in to say congrats to Emmylou and to send hugs to Keziah xxxx

Well, I'm 17 weeks now - another big baby so my due date has been moved from April to March

Don't want any of you to think that I've forgotten about you - I do keep up to speed with the thread regularly.

Good luck to you all xxx

Hello Harry - glad all going well for you! Thanks for hugs, much appreciated today! x

Well I've just discovered that familiar red streak when I went to the loo so looks like AF will be on its way soon. How crap. Was stupidly quite hopeful this month as we really did everything we could. Am beginning to wonder if it's ever going to happen for us

I had plannned to keep trying til the New Year before persuading DH to get a SA done but think I need to crank up the pressure to get him there sooner as it's just not happening and if we do need tests etc why wait?

Soory for me me me post, just on the usual crash down after the tense days waiting to see if AF will appear or not.

Hi all...

Thanks Lychees we are going to Dr's on Monday, so will ask for print out of results, and hoping to arrange another test soon. DP was full of cold when he did sample, and was taking flu meds, so we are hoping for a better result next time.

Choccie thanks for your advice, and yes I understand that my age probably is a major factor in the mc's...but they are recurrent (May, chemical in July and another mc in September) so I appear t be able to conceive, but just not hold onto it...maybe DP and I both have fertility issues?.
Did they investigate you and your DH?.
My GP has agreed to send me to recurrent mc clinic in Liverpool.

KC glad you managed to change DH appointment! and yes my DP made a huge fuss over doing the "Wank bank thing"[hsmile], and then I asked if he would like to swop and give tubes, and tubes of blood? (he has a really bad fear of needles)!!!!.

Keziah Hope your ok? and thanks for advice, we will ask for copy of results on Monday.
I think his GP was quite shocked at the result? and didn't mention doing another, but on a plus side agreed to refer him.
Not sure what that will involve, but hope will a better managed diet his swimmers may improve on their own?...I have stocked up on Bananas, and conception Man!.

Hello to everybody else! seems a few of us have had the dreaded red tide of doom arrive in the last few days...Oh well onwards and upwards girls[hwink]

Anytime - printout of all results is helpful. Am sure at referral clinic they will test Dh again, and if he was ill last time you may find results much better. My dh has fruit, veg, protein,brazil nuts and seeds and takes multivits!! However he has an antibody so ICSI it needs to be, but diet has helped his numbers noticeably!!!!

PinkCustard - would definitely get an apt for dh's SA.