Hormone blood tests after m/c - questions & need advice!

[ABC.2606]

Oh shoot- Atomic another thing I forgot to mention is that during my appt yesterday, my OBGYN recommended that I take a baby aspirin every day. Reason for this is that I have a mild underlying autoimmune "thing" related to my connective tissues - it's very, very mild at this point. I have been tested for the antibodies that are connected to blood clotting problems and all have been negative. But he recommended baby aspirin anyways. I didn't take it when conceiving my two boys - had the same AI issues then - so I don't know, it feels unnecessary to me. But I guess it wont necessarily hurt my sway if I do, since baby aspirin is thought to be a "girl sway" technique? I know it hasn't been real effective ttc girl but what do you think? Aren't you worried about risk factors associated w/ it though?

[atomic sagebrush]

Yes, I'm extremely worried about the risks and side effects. The rules are different if he/she thinks you really need it. But I would just go really easy both going into it and coming off of it - start only with like 2 days a week and see what happens. If you notice bleeding, bruising (and usually this is glaringly obvious but what a lot of us have noticed is that we'll just press against something or barely hit our finger or leg and have severe pain before we actually start bruising) then either dial it back or else hold there until your body has time to adjust before increasing it.

Then, when i'ts time to come off it (and usually this will be at the end of the second tri for people taking it during pregnancy) then again, just go very slow and gradual, spacing doses further and further out till down to one per week, then drop. Since they usually want you off at 36 weeks make sure and give yourself 3-4 weeks in advance to wean off.

[ABC.2606]

Update:

I got a +OPK (Clear Blue smiley) on CD10 (9/29) but don't think I ovulated until CD 14 based on temperature rise on CD15 & EWCM on CD14.

My doctor - b/c I had the +OPK on CD10 - ran a progesterone test on CD17 - which I believe was 3dpo, he thinks it was 1 week dpo based solely on the +opk. He called me this morning and said the test came back at 10 ng/ml, which he said is normal. He now just wants me to call him on the day I start my period, I guess so we can try to figure out how long my LP was this cycle.

Again - he thinks I ovulated sooner than I think I did, but if I did ovulate on CD14, is 10 pretty good for only 3dpo? I've always believed that I have low progesterone but maybe I was wrong?

I'm feeling like I don't have a chance at getting Clomid now since all the tests have come back normal, we've confirmed I ovulated, etc. He doesn't seem eager to give it to me. I feel discouraged b/c obviously I really want it for my sway, but I also feel like something is still not quite right despite what the tests are showing. Like, why did I get a +OPK on CD10 but not ovulate until CD14? And why I do always ovulate around CD14 when my cycle is only 24 days? Just seems like something is still off.

[ABC.2606]

Shoot - another thing I just thought of: I'm likely going to start AF on Saturday, if my LP is again 10 days. That means I can't call doc until Monday which would already be CD3 and isn't Clomid often started on CD3? So IF, IF he'll give it to me, he would have to be convinced by Monday to write the script. Gah. Should I call him later this week and reiterate my concerns and see if he'll at least bring up the prospect of Clomid again? I do not want to wait another whole cycle before we start trying again esp if it looks like he has no interest in prescribing Clomid anyways.

[atomic sagebrush]

It's not that unusual to O on CD 14 after pos OPK on CD 10.

Yes it's low normal. Actually better for CD 3 than 7

What I think may be happening is that you're not low in progesterone, but estrogen. So (and I think we were already doing this) drop fiber, do the eggs/dairy/salmon and this provides the raw materials for both progesterone and estrogen.

You can start Clomid as late as CD 5. I would probably give him/her a call on Thurs. to see if they want you to do anything, let them know you're expecting AF on Saturday.

[ABC.2606]

It's not that unusual to O on CD 14 after pos OPK on CD 10.

Yes it's low normal. Actually better for CD 3 than 7

What I think may be happening is that you're not low in progesterone, but estrogen. So (and I think we were already doing this) drop fiber, do the eggs/dairy/salmon and this provides the raw materials for both progesterone and estrogen.

You can start Clomid as late as CD 5. I would probably give him/her a call on Thurs. to see if they want you to do anything, let them know you're expecting AF on Saturday.

Do you still think Clomid is medically indicated for me though? If estrogen is low, does Clomid help that?

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[atomic sagebrush]

Yes, I still think Clomid is medically indicated. Clomid "tricks" your body into making a lot of estrogen very fast.

[ABC.2606]

I got Clomid!!!!!!!!

Doctor was not particularly eager to give it to me. Basically he felt like everything from the tests during my last cycle looked normal. He thinks I ovulated a few days earlier than I think I did - he's going off of my first +opk while I'm going off of my very clear temp spike and O symptoms. So he thinks I had a 14 day LP while I think I had a 10 day LP w/2 days of spotting before AF. So whatever. But he still floated the option of medication and I took it Only stipulation is that DH has to get a SA to make sure he's not the source of our "fertility problems". Which even that I'm not so upset about as I've been really curious about what DH's sperm count is as I suspect it's really good. I don't have to wait until that SA though to start Clomid - I'm starting it tonight on CD3. Eeeek!!!!!!!

Atomic in terms of girl sway is Clomid effective in swaying from month 1 or is it more effective when you've had it in your system for a few months? I know no matter what it's not a magic bullet and that it's important to get pregnant quickly while on it - but I was just curious about whether the length of time on it matters.

Yaaay!!!!

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[atomic sagebrush]

Oh that's great news ABC.

I honestly do not know if Clomid is as effective the first month out as in subsequent months. I kind of suspect it isn't, which is why I allow people to do what they'd like to do to sway that first month and thne have them dropping stuff. But I do want everyone to try every month on the Clomid anyway because we still see plenty of girls conceived even in the first month. It's the best of the best sway tactic there is and no one should ever try to skip months thinking to have a better sway. If you have Clomid, u already have the BEST sway.

[ABC.2606]

Ok, Atomic, good to know. Here's my dilemma then: I have NO idea what will come from DH's SA. He's 34. He has a low-moderate libido - he has a libido, but really is fine with a couple times a week (even less really) and daily DTD's would be WAY too much for him on a normal basis. He seems to not have a real high level of testosterone - no chest hair, very non-aggressive personality (very laid back), etc. He also has hypothyroidism, which he is on Synthroid for, but supposedly hypothyroidism in males = lower sperm count. He exercises - biking and jogging - a few times a week at most. He's super tall and thin. He doesn't eat a ton of red meat and I've asked him to cut back even more since starting our sway.

That all said - in all of our marriage we have "tried" to get pregnant a total of 4 of my cycles and we've gotten pregnant 3 out of those 4 times. The first two were with my 2 sons - we got pregnant w/ both of them on the first try (and when we got pregnant w/ them, he was not on medication for his thyroid, even though he had the condition during those periods of time). W/ my 2nd son - we BD-ed daily 5-6 days in a row through O. The 3rd time we got pregnant was with my miscarriage in August. With that pregnancy, we BD-ed at O-4 and O-2. With each of those two attempts, he released on his own 14 hours before each attempt. With the O-2 attempt, it was a fairly shallow release. So that would indicate a higher sperm count.

So - I don't know!? Does he have a high sperm count? A low sperm count? From what I know about his personality, physical characteristics, and medical conditions - he should have a lower sperm count. From our actual experience in getting pregnant easily and especially getting pregnant recently after a 14 hour pre-BD release, I'm feeling like he has a pretty strong sperm count. I'm a *little* worried about this SA he's doing - if it comes back as low, the doc may take me off of the Clomid as he'll say the issue is w/ DH and that we should just treat DH's issues (since despite putting me on Clomid he doesn't really seem to think I have an issue!). But I just don't think based on our experience that DH has a low sperm count.

SO... Regarding our attempt this cycle: He does the SA in a couple of days from now. We likely will not know the results of the SA before our next attempt, as it takes 7-10 days to get the results. I'm worried that if we attempt before knowing the results and he does in fact have a HIGH sperm count, this will lower our chances of a girl, even with 1 attempt. So, I'm wondering if we should try to do compressed FR or hurry up FR this cycle, since it's cycle #1 of Clomid, before we see what his sperm count is. Since we don't know yet, I'm wondering if we should go on the assumption that it is high and do what we can to lower it before our attempt this cycle. If SA comes back and sperm count is normal-low, I guess we'd drop any kind of FR next cycle and just stick w/ 1 attempt.

I know I sound like I'm obsessing about this and I know that that's bad for a girl sway. Honestly, it's just the one thing I can't seem to get comfortable with. I'm not worried at all about timing and am probably not going to do antihistamines, gels, etc. I just need to figure out when to have DH release before our 1 attempt!!

Thanks!!!