TBF, it’s definitely best-guessing. When FF is sure the lines go solid, so if I was relying on that for birth control I would not be convinced. If I had charts like that frequently, I probably wouldn’t rely on that method at all.
2 Likes
AGAIN I am wondering about the significance of all these cycle changes. Maybe it’s just as well that my new nurse coordinator wants me to do a fully medicated cycle this time…things may not be as reliable in there as they used to be.
@BiblioFeroz and anyone else in the Denver area - do you have any advice about fertility clinics to go to or avoid in the area? We’ve been going to Denver Fertility Albrecht Women’s Care, and it’s now been 3 months of me trying to figure out from them, what sperm analysis testing do you need from our known donor? It should be straightforward, and yet.
I’d like to find somewhere that will do IUI with fresh sperm, is LGBTQ competent, won’t horrifically mess up our billing, and can respond to questions with straightforward answers. A high rate of babies made would be nice too.
So far, I’ve emailed CCRM, Shady Grove, and another place whose name I’m forgetting to set up consults. We’ll see if I can get in anywhere quickly.
5 Likes
I had a good experience with CCRM in general. I saw Dr Earhart and really liked her. I haven’t worked with any of the Denver people at SGF but in general they’ve been responsive. I also hear good things about Conceptions. Of course, all my experience is with IVF. I did do 2 IUIs with fresh (partner) sperm at a different clinic with a solo provider, but I had enough issues there that I don’t really recommend her.
4 Likes
Thanks, good to know!
2 Likes
Alright, making progress. I sent a bunch of request for consult emails over the weekend. So far, just Shady Grove has called me back, and I had a bad experience on the initial call alone, so that’s data. I learned that my OB/GYN does IUIs, so I have an appointment with him on Friday to talk next steps. Fingers crossed I can finally make some dang progress.
3 Likes
My understanding is that the major disadvantage of doing treatment with an OB/GYN is that their monitoring is often lacking and not as useful to an RE if you need one. BUT, if I understand correctly, you have no reason to think that you are infertile… in that position I would be pretty tempted to do a few IUIs with my regular doc if only to save time!
Sorry you had a bad experience with Shady Grove 
. I must have drawn a nicer intake person.
2 Likes
All true - my AMH is not awesome but also not in the “start with IVF” zone. I also am hopeful that a doctor who doesn’t monitor everything but is able to give me a checklist of what I need to be doing and when will be helpful, especially in a situation like this one, where I don’t know what I don’t know.
It was a weird call, their opening question was “How long have you been trying?” which obviously didn’t apply to me and plenty of other people (eg single people trying to have a kid on their own). I ended up on a call with a supervisor to ask about known donor policies, and when I nicely gave feedback about the question, she wanted to argue with me about it. It was very weird! At least tell me “sorry I’ll make a note of that,” even if you’re not going to do anything with it.
6 Likes
Ugh, I’m so sorry. That’s so weird! See, that’s the kind of thing me with my straight privilege probably wouldn’t even notice (and if I had already told them I was a straight woman in a relationship, it’s a reasonable question anyway). I don’t remember if they asked me that or not.
Well, and they could have asked you a different question too! The supervisor told me that they are supposed to open with “what brings you to Shady Grove, or how long have you been trying?” which seems like a totally reasonable way to approach it to me.
What was surprising is that the supervisor wanted to tell me that she’s never heard of anyone having an issue with being asked “how long have you been trying?” and wanted to have a back and forth with me about it. We talked about it for a minute or so but after that, I told her it sounded like it wasn’t a mutual fit, wished her well and got off the phone quickly. Super weird!
8 Likes
Thank you for complaining about it. A lot of lgbtq and non traditional potential parents let all of that wash over them. Not because it doesn’t bother them, but because they don’t feel like they have a right to speak up. I’m so glad you exercised that right for everyone.
Re me … How do you get pregnant a second time? It’s almost impossible to chart, let alone inseminate.
8 Likes
I don’t chart really. I don’t temp anymore. I have a predictable cycle though, so I just try to time taking OPKs. And Latte sleeps in her own room and goes down pretty well, so that’s the only way sex happens. I definitely know of my friends the parents with good sleepers tend to try for another sooner than the parents of shitty sleepers. 
I know for people with less predictable cycles who need to temp, the wearable or insertable thermometers are the only possible way. Even then, super interrupted sleep can give you a shitty chart.
All of this with the caveat that my reproductive function is shit, lol.
3 Likes
Yeah, ours sleeps 10 min to 3hin his crib, unpredictably and we have one room. We’re really banking on August when he has a room
3 Likes
Yep, you’re running a different footrace than some people on this! I hope you’re giving yourself lots of grace about it. Shits hard.
3 Likes
I do not remember how I charted with a baby. I know I did, and I did it with a mouth thermometer on a paper chart. I must have had a consistent wake time baby? Or reasonably so? I know he was still waking up to nurse. Or perhaps I just have an internal thermostat that is not too sensitive to changes. A wearable takes the pressure off wake times but I don’t quite trust mine.
Your circumstances seem decidedly sub-optimal. One does not have to, ahem, inseminate in the bedroom necessarily but if I understand correctly, the rest of your house is also occupied. More space will be useful. Fingers crossed for more reliable sleep by then, too!
When we were doing IUIs the Boy and I had to tag-team. He drove to the clinic for his part and then drove home, then I drove right back. Because someone had to stay with the kids and it was pandemic time, so no school or baby sitters.
4 Likes
We survived our psych consult! I thought it went OK. I probably did too much of the talking. She said she would send a report to SGF within a day or two. Then we should get access to the donor database.
8 Likes
I have suggested the bathroom, or taking succesive trips to the bathroom, but apparently the semen will not come out in a room shared with cat litter. The new house has 7 rooms with doors that aren’t bathrooms!
7 Likes
When you have a baby (and your own home), you can use any room but the bedroom. When you have older kids, one is confined to the bedroom.
1 Like