TTC Girl Month 8... this time with Femara

[stellabella]

Long-time reader, first time poster!

I have spoken with Atomic and she has been incredibly gracious to give me her opinion, which I plan on following. I have one toddler son (shettles opposite, but he is my everything), and am trying to conceive for our second and potentially last baby. Praying that I might get that daughter I've dreamt of and longed for for so many years!

It took 4 cycles to conceive my son, although 2 of those Shettles attempts were so far out I don't think I had a chance. To conceive him, we BD daily until 0-1.

To summarize:

We did 4 months of one attempt followed by 3 months of e4d (72 hours) with one additional attempt at pos OPK.

I'm currently in my 8th cycle of TTC (I am almost 34), this time with Femara. My blood work came back mostly normal (low blood sugar and thyroid of 2.5 which is slightly high) and did say I was ovulating, so my doctor says Femara will trigger "super ovulation." Husband's sperm sample came back a normal sperm count and quantity but had some clumps, so she advised him to take Mucinex during my fertile week. I'm on cycle day 10 and the headache side effects are not my friend, but trying to remain positive!

I plan on ttc e4d (72 hours) with one attempt at pos OPK. My goal is to have one attempt at pos OPK (O-1) and no other attempt in O-3, O-2 or O day.

For those of you who took many months trying to get your girl... at what point did you loosen up? Of course everything you read says to ttc every other day to get pregnant, and I think after trying for 6+ months we all start to lose some hope (even if we give ourselves pep talks, which I certainly do!). But even if I get another precious boy, I want to know that I did everything I could so I don't have to wonder "what if" if this is in fact our last baby.

I guess all of this to say, looking for some encouragement or positive Femara stories. Thank you to those who read this!

19 Months
praying for to complete our family

[atomic sagebrush]

Ok the first thing that jumps out to me is this: If you're doing e4d plus one, then your goal should not be "no other attempt on O-3, O-2, O day." What you're describing is one attempt! That's not going to be any better chances THAN one attempt, and at this point you need to drop one attempt and go at least to e4d.

Now, is it ok to try a month using one attempt, your first month on Femara, sure, but I want you to understand that's going to have the same chances as one attempt and is not e4d plus one!

If you aren't wanting one attempt, then rather than go right to EOD (which no one swaying pink should do) please do either e4d in the 72 hour pattern starting after your last dose Femara and rolling on through till well after you think you've ovulated (even if it means going all the way thru til your next cycle begins). OR do that PLUS add in another attempt at positive OPK.

[stellabella]

I am doing e4 day (72), I'm just wishfully hoping that my pos OPK will land on 0-1 and e4d (72) if I know my cycle enough to have timed it right. But I hear you. If we are on month 8, it's time to add in an extra attempt to hopefully get 2 attempts in the most fertile window.

Random: but if my e4d (72) DOES end up falling on pos OPK, should I just have sex again on O day to add in that extra attempt?

Took letrozole/femara CD 3-7 and currently CD12, waiting to get that + OPK! And because I think this medicine is definitely affecting my usual cycle, I agree - I think we should continue to have sex until I'm expecting my next cycle.

I'm on day 8 of headaches due to the side effects, so I am hoping to be on this medicine for 3 months or less.

By month 3 of this medicine, I'll likely resort to e4d (72) leading up to ovulation week and then sex daily the week of ovulation. And will be sure not to miss a day! I just don't want to have headaches like this for 6 months.

The things we do to plan our families. Worth it though - you never know if you don't try.

Thank you for all of your expertise and wisdom!

[atomic sagebrush]

Yes, have sex again if you're doing e4d plus one. Whether you do it twice in one day or the next day, totally up to you, just be sure to add in the attempt if you're going for e4d plus one.

No matter what, please don't have sex daily the week of ovulation. The thing of it is, not only would that potentially sway blue, but it's not even a great chance of conception in many cases. The reason for this is because you can't predict week of O very accurately on letrozole, and so it's entirely possible to start that daily sex too soon. People having daily sex often (very often indeed!) end up getting their hubbies completely burned out and/or depleted before the egg ever shows up, and so their husbands are unwilling/unable to perform when it really counts (O-2, O-1, early on O day) OR are shooting dust and so those attempts that we need to be our best ones, are basically wasted. Instead, I'd do e4d in the 72 hour pattern plus one more attempt at positive OPK and then go to SMEP (Sperm Meets Egg Plan - you can find that here: https://thespermmeetseggplan.com/)

[stellabella]

Thank you for that info. Husband has a high sex drive, so daily performance isn't an issue, but I hear you.

I'm partnering this letrozole with the Clearblue Ovulation Monitor that has my peak day listed as today (CD 13). So if that's correct, that means this attempt would be:

O-3
O-1 (today)
O day (tomorrow)

It feels like a lot of attempt for a girl but otherwise we kind of fall into an every other day pattern... so I guess we go for it?

[atomic sagebrush]

It can still matter though because daily release can lower sperm numbers enough to prohibit conception. Even if he can go easily (and many guys can) every day the sperm count may be reduced to such extent it can reduce your chances of conception.

So when you say the Clearblue has your peak day listed, are you saying that you've gotten a peak reading? Or is this something they're predicting based on previous months (possibly on an app linked to the monitor)? They change these monitors so frequently I just want to be sure we're speaking the same language here.

It can't ever be more than two attempts though. Here's why: If there is anything left from the O-3 attempt, it plus the O-1 will already have fertilized the egg before the O Day shot (two attempts.) If there ISN'T, the O-1 will have a shot, and if for some reason that falls through the O Day will come through in the end. So it's two at most, and in many cases still one attempt even with the 3 BD.

The other option would be to just do the O-3 and O Day, but in that case I strongly suggest EARLY on O Day to be sure the sperm has time to capacitate and make it to the egg.

[stellabella]

That's a really good point and great reminder. Thank you for that!

Clearblue Monitor had my first peak day listed as CD13. It will display a few "high fertility" days leading up to your two "peak days." The two peak days are O-1 and O. It will then list one "high" day after ovulation. So it listed CD13 (yesterday) as Peak 1 and CD14 (today) and Peak 2. I think the first peak day is most important, which we did utilize.

The past 7 cycles I've used the cheapie ovulation sticks from Amazon, and they are about 1 day off from this monitor. But I haven't been getting pregnant with them. However I used them in conjunction with this monitor for this cycle and I think they're pretty much aligned.

I did end up using rephresh at around 3:30PM on O-1 and then we had sex around 11PM that evening (missionary, no orgasm, hips elevated for 20 minutes after). Husband said he noticed more white clumps afterwards than when we've used rephresh in our first few cycle attempts. I looked it up and it said the white clumps were "epithelial cells that get trapped in the gel." After reading more about it, I THINK it's ok... but it's not ideal.

I may have messed things up by using the rephresh. But I just had this gut instinct to try it again in conjunction with the letrozole for at least one attempt.

I don't feel like my O-3 attempt was a "real attempt" considering it's pretty far out, but hopefully even with the rephresh the O-1 attempt will have a shot. I don't feel like I've had as much EWCM this letrozole cycle as I usually have, but that's as to be expected with the medicine. I didn't use any lubricants -

I'm really glad I read your message today and think perhaps this cycle I just play it safe with the O-3 and 0-1 with rephresh. Even though O day would be 72 hours from O-3, I can skip it. This is our 8th month TTC but first with Letrozole, so it's probably best to be conservative. Husband also previously had clumps in his specimen sample and is now on mucinex to help thin that out, so maybe a miracle will happen!

If it doesn't work this cycle, I will ditch the rephesh next cycle. Hopeful it will work out so I can avoid another month of headache side effects. I also was SO much more crampy today (supposed ovulation day) than I've been in the past. But some say it's because of the multiple follicle releases on the medicine?

Thank you for the advice. I was planning on adding another attempt today on O day but I think you've convinced me to hold out.

[stellabella]

Ok now I'm reading your response for the third time and seeing you are calling the 3 attempts really two attempts - so I might throw in another try this evening of O day. It will either be too late and not be an issue or it will catch the egg if 0-3 and 0-1 fell through.

THANK YOU Atomic!

[atomic sagebrush]

Ok, perfect, that's how the Clearblue is supposed to work. When you said "listed" I thought you meant you were using an app and it was predicting your first peak would be that day.

I would have you drop RepHresh moving forward now as it doesn't work anyway and cuts odds of conception. But yeah that was just the epithelial cells. It's off putting though.

Normal to feel drier on the Letrozole, let me know if you need a remedy for comfortable intercourse as I have a method that won't hurt your sway or odds of conception.

Yes that's what I want you to do - O-3, O-1, and then the O Day attempt. This is still just two attempts for the reasons I spelled out in my prev. post.

Everything else is looking great! I would have you continue with the e4d (so 72 hours after the O Day attempt, or thereabouts) for a couple cycles in case of delayed O.

[stellabella]

Thank you so much for this and for the encouragement. Will absolutely come back and update if there is a BFP!