TTC Timeline

2007:

• Started Trying in February
• Started Worrying in August
• Started Temping in November - Confirmed ovulation and regular cycles

2008:

• RE#1 appointment in January says maybe we just need a better egg, let's try clomid IUIs
• HSG and hormone tests done in Feburary - All looks normal
• IUI #1 w/ clomid in March - BFN
• IUI #2 w/ clomid in April - BFN
• IUI #3 w/ clomid in May - BFN
• RE#1 pushes us towards IVF because I'm getting OLD! We aren't ready. Decide to take a break.
• Try naturally and go to Acupuncturist #1 after reading An Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis during the summer. Just need to cure my 'liver qi stagnation'
• No luck with TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) after 6 months, so decide to go see RE#2 in Nov.  She says, "You guys should be pregnant. On paper you look fantastic." Decide to try a few more IUIs along with TCM.
• IUI #4 w/ letrozole in Dec - BFN

2009:

• IUI #5 w/ letrozole in Jan - BFN. RE#2 suggests in a much nicer way that we move to IVF. We agree.
• IVF #1 in April - agonist protocol, gonal-f - 16 eggs retrieved, transfer 2 grade A blasts on day 5, freeze 2 hatching blasts on day 6, progesterone high on day of trigger (premature lutenization). Feverish during 2ww- Chemical.  Sad, but a slight bit of hope.
• FET #1 in June- 2 grade A day 6 hatching blasts transferred. Feverish during 2ww- BFN
• IVF #2 in Sept- agonist protocol, gonal-f - 12 eggs retrieved, transferred 3 'good but not great' blasts on day 5, none to freeze, progesterone high on day of trigger, more premature lutenization, more feverish feelings in 2ww - BFN
• Spend remainder of the year researching why this isn't working for us
• 2nd opinion consult with RE #3 in Dec. Thinks I may have implantation issues and possible endometriosis because of the patterns in my bbt charts. First time an RE even looked at those.

2010:

• Exploratory Laparoscopy in January after convincing my OB to do this. Found 1 small spot of endometriosis found, 1 small spot of inflamed tissue. All removed. Think that maybe, this could be it!
• Acupuncturist #2 and TCM and try to conceive naturally now that I have a 'fresh start' in February
• Free phone consult with RE#4 at SIRM because nothing is working. Getting frustrated and wonder if maybe there are some immune issues. Orders immunology blood workup.
• Immune test results back in July. Found some mild possible immune issues: MTHFR, borderline APAs, high CD56+ and also Insulin resistance. Started Metformin, extra Vitamin B6 and baby aspiring daily.
• Researched clinical trials in August because we are sick of spending $$ on this. Found one with RE #5 and go through testing to see if I qualify.
• Testing all clear in September and get a confirmed spot in trial for next IVF.
• IVF #3 via clinical trial in October - Antagonist protocol, follistim, 2 4cell day 3 embryos transferred. Insane day or transfer. Read about it here... Chemical. Back to the drawing board.
• WTF apts in November with RE #5 & RE #2 - say my egg quality sucks. I could try again, but would have better success with donor eggs or adoption.
• Decide to try my eggs one last time for closure before moving on to something else.

2011:

• IVF #4 in January- Antagonist protocol, gonal-f & menopur, 14 eggs retrieved, 8 mature, 6 fertilized, high progesterone on day of trigger, decided to freeze most on day 2, but still transferred the 2 lower quality one on day 2 for kicks.... Beta = 1.0. BFN
• RE#6 in April- Phone consult with CCRM. Recommends doing another fresh, doing blastocyst CGH microarray genetic testing to rule out genetic issues and also a beta3 integrin uterine biopsy to rule out implantation issues. May want to do 2 months of depot lupron if biposy comes back iffy or negative. For now, just keeping these things in the back of my mind.
• FET #2 in April with RE #2 - Transferred 3 remaining day2 embryos from IVF#4 and had a follicle growing through the Lupron, so we triggered that with HCG and could potentially have quadruplets! (HIGHLY unlikely, but...)... Beta 16dpo - 25.3, Beta 18dpo - 9.8. Chemical... again.
• Talked about all of our options with RE #2, had a white-board session with my sisters about not really knowing what is wrong and laid all options out there... more fresh cycles with my body, try a surrogate, move straight to donor eggs?  Donor Eggs it is! Read about our decision here.
• DE IVF #1 started in May, first donor was a dud, so found a second donor. Took us a while to get to retrieval, but sometime in late September, our donor kicked some serious ovary butt! 24 eggs retrieved, 20 fertilized, transferred 2 day5 blasts, froze 6 expanded day 6 blasts. BFP!!! Beta 15dpo = 204, Beta 17dpo 966. First u/s at 6w1d showed two beautiful sacs with two beautiful heartbeats.... we are finally pregnant!!!

2012:

• After a blissful easy twin pregnancy, M&M and the Bean Burrito were born on June 12, 2012. They are the answer to our dreams and the children we were most definitely meant to have.