So, you've been fighting the good fight for a year. At last you can reach out to your OB or maybe even the Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE). RE's have some hefty fees and are not covered by most insurance plans, so for me I wanted to arm myself with a Clear Blue Fertility Monitor (CBFM) and some professional advice from my OB.
Lets start with this little device...The Clear Blue Fertility Monitor...
POAS addicts rejoice! More stuff to pee on! This handy-dandy little monitor is much like an OPK, but it does all the reading for you. Instead of squinting at lines on a test, you insert the special stick into the machine and it scans for multiple hormones ( not just the LH that OPKs test). The results range from infertile (as pictured above) to Ovulation. In the middle it will show your rising LH levels. At the very top is the box that shows highest fertility. Ovulation is marked by a little egg in the highest box. When your little egg appears, you should ovulate in the next 12-24 hours. ( If you are like me, you will run around the house screaming and canceling all your plans.
Side story: One night I got my "little egg" notice very unexpectedly. Hubby was at a bar so I texted him to come home. In the excitement he announced to everyone that he had to leave because I was ovulating....bad husband. Don't do that!
Ok, so the CBFM may cause "ovulation hysteria". You've been warned! The super nice thing about the monitor is that it stores your information from month to month. Because of this it becomes more accurate the more that you use it. The down side is that just because it's your "peak" doesn't mean you ovulated. (which I did not know when I went to the OB....whomp whomp)
So why the heck would you buy this if it doesn't prove you ovulated? .... because it's been a year of craziness and you are just tired of waiting, DUH. No really, the CBFM is worth it! Especially if you are just going to buy OPKs. They add up quickly! It will save you lots of trouble and time. If you have some irregular cycles it's extra difficult to narrow down the fertile window. CBFM can help you pick out your most fertile days and plan accordingly. It's way more accurate than simply counting days (read: Rhythm Method). I bought my monitor on amazon and it came with two packs of testing sticks. I will admit to you, this is not a cheap method. The monitor is over $100 and the sticks are pricey. There are also very specific instructions about when to use the monitor (day and time of day) so make sure you open that box ASAP and get reading!
Ok so armed with my monitor and my logs from PeriodTracker, I scheduled a meeting with my brand new OB. (Sidebar: Ladies, if you have mixed feelings about your OBGYN, don't waste another second and find a new one. Now that I switched, I can't believe I didn't do it sooner!) I met my super amazing new OBGYN and she immediately began running test. She didn't question me or insult my intelligence. She didn't play into any silly wives tales (personal favorite: "if you just relax, it will happen") No really, my primary care physician actually said that to me...and then to my mother. HIPPA be damned!
It is super important to make sure your OB is a good fit for you. I actually really liked my OBGYN but the group she worked for was horrible. So if you dread making that yearly appointment for any reason other than...you know... the obvious reasons.... look for a new place. It's not worth the stress. Infertility is stressful enough, dealing with horrible care won't make it any easier.
One big challenge that I've dealt with is "ageist thinking". A very tricky thing about infertility under 30 is that everyone says, "oh, you have time", "what's your rush", "you only just got married". I've heard these little nuggets of ageism from friends, family, strangers, and even doctors. Here is a great blog post about "What not to say to people who are going through fertility treatment". If you have a friend or family member struggling with fertility I would highly recommend checking this out!
https://makingbabybrown.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/what-not-to-say-to-people-who-are-going-through-fertility-treatment/
Wow- I got really sidetracked. I believe we left off with my first infertility appointment. Yes!
My doctor wanted to gather some data right away. I had a 3 day progesterone, a 21 day progesterone, a thyroid test, and an ultra-sound. So what the heck are these for? Oh, I'll feed you baby birds....fear not!
Next Entry will be called "Progesterone, Motility, and Wands...Oh MY!" (January - February: Part 2)
Thanks for Reading!
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