TTC FAQ and links. Lots of valuable stuff - check it out!
If you're just joining the boards - or the ttc forum, welcome!
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Just starting your TTC journey? Start here!!
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Hormone levels and fertility bloodwork
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Surely the most FAQ on the board is Robitussin:
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Baby Asprin
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Treating infertility naturally with herbs and vitamins
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Information/Support thread for those using cervical caps/cups:
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The HSG (hysterosalpingogram)
Read the detailed experiences of others, and add you own for your cysters to reference!
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Checking your cervix
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IVF Support:
We've got our own wonderful IVF group on SoulCysters. Visit the link for support and answers to FAQ.
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IUI FAQ
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Fertility Drugs: Side effects, actions, considerations, and common dosages:
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Wonderful PCOS FAQ; general and TTC:
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OPK FAQ
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Basics of charting and fertility friend handbook:
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For reference:
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Worried about a luteal phase defect?
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Beta levels
Week from the Last Menstrual Period (LMP) and Amount of hCG in mIU/ml
3 5 - 50
4 4 - 426
5 19 - 7,340
6 1,080 - 56,500
7 - 8 7,650 - 229,000
9 - 12 25,700 - 288,000
13 - 16 13,300 - 254,000
17 - 24 4,060 - 165,400
25 - 40 3,640 - 117,000
Cervical Mucus:
If you notice little or no cervical mucus around the time of ovulation or notice that what you do have is sticky, crumbly, or creamy, you may have a problem. It is best to speak to your doctor and have him/her perform a post coital test. Remember that often, you don?t see the CM because what really counts is up near the cervix.
Options to increase cervical mucus:
Drink lots of water and dont smoke or drink caffiene.
Robitussin (guaifenesin) (Be sure to get one with guaifenesin as the ONLY active ingredient!!)
Guaifenesin has been promoted as a cervical mucus thinner. The idea is that guaifenesin can thin cervical mucus, and thereby help sperm travel to the egg for fertilization. There is no clinical evidence that guaifenesin can help you get pregnant, or that all women need thinner cervical mucus. If trying this remedy, make sure that the product you purchase does not contain dextromethorphan, as this ingredient may be harmful to a developing fetus.
If trying this remedy, one recommendation is 1-2 teaspoons a day for 5 days prior to ovulation. Personally, I find that I need the dosage listed on the bottle (2 tsp 3X a day).
Keep in mind that Robitussin only thins what you already have so it is very important to drink lots of water to produce mucus so you have something for the Robitussin to thin!
Evening Primrose Oil
EPO is said to help the body to produce more fertile quality cervical fluid also known as "egg white cervical mucus? (EWCM). This type of fluid makes it easier for the sperm to get past the cervix and helps it live for longer. Evening Primrose Oil should only be taken from menstruation to ovulation. This is because Evening Primrose can cause uterine contractions in pregnancy and may prevent implantation from occurring.
The dosage taken should be 1500mg to 3000mg per day.
Estrogen
Available from your doctor. Estrogen is often prescribed to those using clomid which has a tendency to dry up CM.
Grapefruit Juice
It?s rumoured that a glass a day will help increase CM (some say you need 3 glasses. You?ll have to research it).
Green Tea
Not sure how much to be effective. If anyone knows, please post.
Red Raspberry:
1,000 mg daily: Start anytime in cycle. Can be taken during pregnancy until a month prior to labor. Strengthens the uterine lining which in turn lengthens luteal phase
Preseed is a sperm friendly lubricant.
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Royal Jelly Thanks Zena To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
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How high does a P4 have to be to confirm ovulation?
"It peaks about seven days after ovulation, when it reaches 15 Ng/ml or more. But note, if you are above 10 in the luteal phase, your progesterone level is probably fine. Additionally, you may get very high progesterone levels after IVF because so many follicles were created. (Progesterone is made by the corpus luteum, which is the site on the ovary from which the egg is released. The more eggs are produced, the more progesterone is produced.) There is no progesterone level that indicates pregnancy, only an hCG level over 5 determines that. It is also worth nothing that progesterone pulses, so the level varies throughout the day. Some doctors suggest testing first thing in the morning after fasting for the most accurate result. A high progesterone level gives more information than a low reading in that a "good" level indicates sufficient progesterone to carry a pregnancy; a lower level (in the 5-15 range) does not spell doom."
In the/wanting to be in the PPCOS Study? Check this out:
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Still cant find what your looking for? This link has everything you could possibly want to know about ovulation, hormones, the pill, irregular cycles....you name it! Thanks Katiemae!!
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Adding your Fertility Friend ticker to your siggy...
Ok, heres my shot at posting instructions for Fertility Friend tickers.
Go to your homepage on FF and find your chart ID tag. This is found by clicking the sharing tab on the FF website while your logged in, then the Homepage/Ticker set up. If you look at both the Charting Home Page Web Address and the Charting Ticker Web Address, they will share a certain combination of numbers and letters. This is your chart tag.
Below is the code that you need. Replace the **** with your ID number. Replace the { and } with [ and ]. Copy and paste into your signature on here. After that, you should be good to go
{url= To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. href=" To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. target="_blank">http://www.FertilityFriend.com/ticker/*****/ticker.png{/img}{/url}
Red Raspberry Leaf is also used to prevent miscarriage...there was a study done on it with two different women, the first woman had a threated miscarriage and the second had an inevitable miscarriage (no fetal cardiac activity). When both women were given the red raspberry leaf tincture, it halted the contractions and stopped the bleeding in both cases. The woman with the threatened miscarriage continued on the tincture (15-30 drops 3 X a day with water) until she was 36 weeks pregnant, and carried to term a healthy baby boy and the woman with the inevitable miscarriage was kept on the tincture for a week to see if it would continue to prevent the passing of her deceased fetus, she had no contractions and no bleeding in this time, once the tincture was discontinued, she continued to miscarry.
If I can find the website for this, I will post it here.
__________________ Kenya(28) Rece(27)
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JJ(2) - 34.5 pounds and 2 ft 8 in
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Furbaby - Olie the 1 pound mini dobie TTC'd #1 for 5 yrs, TTCing #2 for 33months
TTC history since TTC#2 11 m/c and 1 ectopic 0/18/04 - New cycle - Happy Birthday to me!
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Currently Taking Prenatals Evening Primrose Oil Baby Aspirin Vitamin A Folic Acid 1700mg Metformin Robitussin Instead Cups Pre Seed Vitamin B-6 Saw Palmetto False Unicorn Root Red Raspberry Leaf
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Male Factor Cocktail (given to DH by his urologist) made his post wash count got from 13mil 40%motile to 20mil 55% motile in one month and to 54mil 80% motile in 3 months!
Multivitamin with Minerals (Buy the best you can afford, opt for a “Whole Foods” derived forumula
*Good for all around nutrition
Stress B Complex (with NO Iron)
*Vitamin B12 helps count and motility
Vitamin C (1000 – 2000 mg per day)
*Antioxidant which helps prevent damage to
sperm and their DNA
*Improves mobility
*Prevents agglutination
Vitamin E (400IU per day)
*Balanced Hormone Production
*Inhibits free-radical damage to sperm membrane
*Shown to increase penetration ability
CoEnzyme Q10 (60mg per day)
*Count, motility
Selenium (200mcg per day – maximum)
*Needed for testosterone production
*Essential for sperm production
*Low selenium levels linked with weakened/deformed
tails
Zinc (75mg per day)
*Count and motility
L-Arginine (2000mg per day)
*Helps sperm count and mobility
*Found in the heads of the sperm
*Do not take with liver or kidney disease
L-Carnitine (1000mg per day)
*Sperm maturation and motility
Acetyl L – Carnitine (1000mg per day)
*Motility
L-Glutathione (500 mg per day)
*Morphology
Taurine (1000 mg per day)
*Count and motility
Essential Fatty Acid (Sold as Complete EFA, or “Omega 3-6-9” etc.)
*Glandular activity, cellular formation
Pycnogenol (or Grape Seed Extract) (200mg per day)
*Pygnogenol has been shown to improve
morphology. Pycnogenol is very expensive and
you might want to try Grape Seed Extract which
has similar capabilities
__________________ Kenya(28) Rece(27)
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JJ(2) - 34.5 pounds and 2 ft 8 in
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Furbaby - Olie the 1 pound mini dobie TTC'd #1 for 5 yrs, TTCing #2 for 33months
TTC history since TTC#2 11 m/c and 1 ectopic 0/18/04 - New cycle - Happy Birthday to me!
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Currently Taking Prenatals Evening Primrose Oil Baby Aspirin Vitamin A Folic Acid 1700mg Metformin Robitussin Instead Cups Pre Seed Vitamin B-6 Saw Palmetto False Unicorn Root Red Raspberry Leaf
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RE: Green Tea
I'm a once a day coffee drinker. My RE says that if I need that one cup a day (which I do for otherwise I get headaches), then I should drink a cup of green tea instead. He says there's less caffeine in it. I've also read that it's good for you - high in antioxidants.
__________________ Websissy
Me: 46; DH: 47; DS#1: 6 years old ; DS#2: 2 years old
Angels in Heaven, DD had Trisomy 18
Dx APS, hypothyroid, IR, Endometriosis, Asherman's, tubal factors
Sept 2009
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I can not stand Green tea, I did find some Lipton Green tea that is tolerable, but it's decaf I think, and I worry that it's not "true" green tea because it doesn't taste or look like the rest of them.
I have read and (my doc "okay's it") 1 - 2 cups of coffee/caffeine a day is okay though. I am trying to "wein"myself off though because I just don't like having to have it. I started drinking decaf coffee mixed w/a little regular, and slowly tapering off, that seems to be working. Yesterday and today I have had no caffeine and I am doing okay. Oh that's a lie! I did have a couple sips of dh's pepsi, but other than that, nothing! Good luck!
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It took 7 years but.we FINALLY did it!! BFP - 05/25/05 Lucas Doyle - Born 02/02/06 - 7lbs 3oz 20.5in NOW (as of: 08/28/07) - 23lbs 12oz 33in!
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I don't have a link, but I will share my past experience. DH and I had been TTC for 6 years, I finally started using NPC in April 2005. In July 2005 i got a BFP, I was 6w4d preggo. I had given up hope on getting pregnant...but I thoroughly believe that the NPC helped me to concieve. I could not take any of the other medications like Met, provera, vitex or any of those things, and I was only using the NPC to help with menstrual cycles.
I just wanted to throw that in the pot. If anyone is really interested, just use it for a couple of months...and see what happens. I got a $10 jar from the Vitamin Shoppe, used it 2x a day for 14 days, stopped for a week, AF, then started back.
I am back on the NPC now, hoping it will work for me again.
Oh, here are some link
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I hope this helps someone
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I just ran into a Infertility Doctor's Blog - it's really interesting. I like his honesty and down to earth approach to his writing. Thought I'd share.
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__________________ Websissy
Me: 46; DH: 47; DS#1: 6 years old ; DS#2: 2 years old
Angels in Heaven, DD had Trisomy 18
Dx APS, hypothyroid, IR, Endometriosis, Asherman's, tubal factors
Sept 2009
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I just found an ebay store that sells 25 EPT's for $12.99 with free shipping! I usually pay $15.99 for three of them! Hopefully I will get a BFP and won't need all 25, but I am going to order them anyhow, I just can't pass up such a great deal. Their feedback looks good.
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__________________ ~Suz To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. (31) & Eli To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. (30) TTC since 10/2005 Currently taking 2000mg Metformin/day
Tried Clomid, Femara, had one miscarriage and now taking a break
while we rustle up the funds to pursue treatment with a real fertility doc.
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Hey ladies. I hope you don't mind me joining the string. I have been TTC #2 for over 18 months now. Did 7 rounds of Clomid and just this cycles started on Letrozol. I am on 1000 mg of metformin/synthroid/5 mg Letrozol CD 3-7/Ovidrel DH will not do IUI so we are on our own.
redheadedbanshee, try posting on the main forum as you'll probably find more people see it there To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
TTC FAQ and links. Lots of valuable stuff - check it out! 
Hi 
