LE Standard or PCOS?

[onelittlewish]

Ok thank you! I'll have that ready as plan B in case we couldn't continue e4d post O.

Actually, I feel more relaxed this month since I am not on Clomid anymore I don't have the pressure that I MUST conceive this month. I think I should add attempt too but still hesitant because 1) I am not on Clomid anymore, sadly and 2) I was off diet & exercise for a week and I did gain some weight and my body is still holding onto those weight even after a week back to my previous diet. I ate a lot of sugar and white carbs too during the holiday so I thought I need more time to get back on track? I am willing to try e4d for another month or two if the result is more promising than 2 attempts but I am also worried that I'd be wasting time if I simply can't conceive with 1 attempt and that the longer I am on the diet the less "shock" effect it will have on my body, if that's a thing?

[atomic sagebrush]

e4d isn't the one attempt really though. It has much better chances of conception

Please don't worry about time on diet having a negative effect. After all, pink mamas eat lightly their entire lives and still conceive girls. We once wondered if there could possibly be a "on diet too long" and that really hasn't panned out.

[onelittlewish]

But e4d is technically still one attempt in the fertile window? When you advised me to add attempt, you were asking me to move from e4d to e4d+1 attempt at pos OPK, and e4d+1 attempt = 2 attempts in fertile window, correct?

So far I did
Month 1: 1 attempt +clomid
Month 2: e4d + clomid
Month 3: e4d+1attempt at pos OPK + clomid
Month 4: e4d + clomid

My gut feeling says sticking to e4d this month because all my sway tactics have loosened up in the last weeks. Maybe the loosening and my weight gain will help me to conceive and if not, will move to e4d+1 attempt at pos opk thereafter.

What is your advise on using clomid/femara after a break? Should I use it again if I can get it? If so, how long should the break be and should I get clomid or femara?

[atomic sagebrush]

Yes, it's one attempt in the fertile window but it is NOT one attempt because e4d, since it continues on before and after when a person THINKS they ovulated, protects against early and late ovulation. Additionally, because it randomizes the day in the fertile window that the attempt falls, it eliminates the mistake that people make when for months on end, they continue having an attempt on a certain day (say, o-2 or at positive OPK), when they might have a better chance the day before that or the day after. Thus it has better odds of conception than the sway tactic called "one attempt".

I'm not trying to be confusing, e4d is really not one attempt in the way we use the term (even tho it IS one attempt in the fertile window) and it has better odds of conception. I have to be a stickler on terminology because otherwise I would not be able to understand what you guys are telling me.

I'm fine with you doing just straight e4d this month.

You would restart the Clomid or Femara after a one or two month break. The pink effects for sure last one month, possibly two. One month is ~probably~ enough time off but we just honestly don't know for sure and it may be that two is better. Just don't have the data to say. Most people take only one month off though.

[atomic sagebrush]

I had posted a better and more thorough explanation of why e4d is better chances of conception than one attempt earlier, I'll quote it since I had to be brief today.

There are two main reasons why e4d is better than one attempt for conception. First of all, in these unpredictable months, you will ALWAYS be in with one attempt in the fertile window regardless of when you O. Even in the "worst case" scenario of O-3 and O Day attempt, that is still one attempt because if there was anything left from the O-3 attempt, it would already have fertilized the egg before the O Day shot could capacitate and make it to the egg, and if there isn't, then the O Day shot will have a chance at it. you are guarded against both early and late ovulation, you're guarded against false positive OPK and false negative ones, plus it also helps keep your husband happier.

And the second reason is a little more hard to understand so please feel free to ask for clarity if you need it. But we don't KNOW that first positive OPK is going to be the best day to conceive with one attempt for you, or at least for you in any given month. Maybe the day before first pos is better. Maybe the day after. Maybe 2 days after. If we carry on forever always having the same day of attempt, if a different day is better for you (or would be better in any given month, this absolutely can vary) then you may go on and on having sex on a day that was never particularly ideal. So both in terms of ensuring you have an attempt even with early or late O, and adding this element of randomness so we don't get locked into just one day forever and ever in case that day wasn't ideal for you, it's much better for chances of conception. Even O-3 and O Day is not worse chances of conception than just one attempt, because there's so much unpredictability with OPK and sooo many people end up having one attempt only to O several days or a week later, just having regular attempts is going to boost your chances of conceiving.

[onelittlewish]

Thank you I understand where you are coming from now. So in my situation at the moment I'd like to stick to e4d which is 1 attempt in fertile window. If it doesn't work out this month I'll go back on Clomid next month with e4d+1 attempt at pos OPK. Thanks again for all the info! CD6 today and gonna start the attempts soon, FX this is the month! Will keep you updated

[onelittlewish]

Hi Atomic, hope you are all well! Just want to give you a little update here..

We did e4d last cycle without clomid but unfortunately did not conceive. We had our last attempt at O-2 or even O-3 if I ovulated a day later and we couldnt continue with turkey baster because my cyst flared up and was so swollen and painful that I was on antibiotics again. This month I am back on clomid, we had 1 bd cd9 and I got a + very early on the night of cd11. We didn’t attempt that day because my hubby’s coworkers confirmed covid. He then took PCR and came back positive the next day but very high CT 38 and he was asymptomatic all along. I was so sure that I’d be positive too and thought I’d need to skip this month. My PCR result back today on CD12 and was neg so we had our attempt but it might be too late since my last attempt was cd9 and I got my pos opk night of cd11. I think the chances are slim but who knows, it usually come when least expected right? I’ll keep you posted and in the meanwhile please stay safe! Covid is going crazy again here..

[atomic sagebrush]

oh gosh so sorry to hear that!

Hey, you can still get pregnant that way. Not sky high chance, but some chance. Good luck and I hope for good news soon!!

[onelittlewish]

Thank you! I think I am ok either way, still abit nervous that my neg is a false one and it becomes positive later. It’s not something unheard of so still possible but since we don’t have any symptom at all I didn’t want to waste a month on clomid. We had BD on cd 9 and 13, first pos OpK cd11 night. I think I ovulated on cd13 because I had cramps on CD 12&13 and temp raised today on cd14 so most likely the attempt fell on O day. Not absolutely out I hope! Will let you know either way!

[onelittlewish]

Hi Atomic, sorry for vanishing for a while...I thought I'd just keep trying until I have some good news to share but unfortunately there is none and now I am at cycle 8 of ttc. We have not add an addition attempt yet (so far 1x one attempt, 1x ed4+1 and 5xed4) because the due dates in the past two months are right around my sons birthdays so we didn’t want to be “too actively trying” and thought if we did then it is meant but nope.

In the past 8 months my LP have been always been spot on 13 days so timing wise I think we covered ovulation and the relevant attempts were usually O-2/O+1 or O-3/O. I did gain some weight since new year because my diet has been half hearted and I have been slacking off from my exercise too. I am ok with my loose diet/exercise because I think this is the best I can do after being on LE/exercise for 10 months and I thought the weight gain will help me to conceive but still na-da. I guess my question is, is it possible that I can only get preg with multiple BDs in the fertile window even if I have no fertility issue? Or should a healthy couple be able to conceive with e4d within a period of time and if not, something is probably off? Out of the 8 months trying there was only 1 month we did e4d+1 attempt at pos OPK but apparently my doctor doesn't know and she wants to do further testing if we do not conceive this month. At first I thought it's taking so long because I've been swaying and now I worry that there is something wrong with me/hubby.

I’m not sure what I am trying to say, probably just at a lost at what to do next. Add attempts? Some part of me is not ready to do that but I think the longer this drags the more of my sway will fall apart. At the moment I am still trying to eat late breakfast, cutting back meat/white carbs/ sugar, try not to snack but i am not counting anything now and I eat everything even the no no food but in small amount. I try to keep up my walking 4x a week but somehow i feel so tired everyday even with adequate sleep. I am dropping wine this cycle and just taking folate. I think I have read somewhere that small amount of alcohol wont harm the chances but I just had to do some changes to make me feel better.

Oh and my youngest threw my thermometer behind my bed so no more charting for me