The rest of my week

I've been taking a break from the fertility message boards this week. Lurking some as I'm still in transition form daily postings, but holding back. I have to say that it's been a good exercise and a very healthy change for me to make right now. I used to only check in on the weekends for a couple years, but after my first miscarriage I needed more support so I started posting and participating more. I've met lots of great women from all over the world and some that I've even met in person, and hopefully someday I'll meet even more.

So, since my post earlier in the week, the feeling of needing to cry continued building until Thursday afternoon after a particularly stressful situation with a client, I ended up bawling at my weekly acupuncture appointment. Sometimes a girl just has to have a good cry. I was worried about going back to work and looking like a mess but I had a meeting scheduled that I needed to get back for. I stopped by Sephora and checked myself out in the store mirrors to make sure I didn't look like hell -- not to bad actually, mostly just stuffed up and emotionally exhausted. After a slightly better day on Friday and dinner with my sister, I'm feeling less of a mess. Still I'm looking forward to a TTC break. That might mean that we don't avoid but heck if I'm going to try for anything -- well we'll see about that. But at least I'm able to shift gears, for that alone I'm pleased.

Your Birthdate: July 10

Independent and dominant, you tend to be the alpha dog in most situations. You're very confident, and hardly anything ever shakes you. Mundane tasks tend to drain you - you prefer to be making great plans. You are quite original. When people don't "get" you, it bothers you a lot. Your strength: Your ability to gain respect Your weakness: Caring too much what others think Your power color: Orange-red Your power symbol: Letter X Your power month: October

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Interesting...

Oh boy.

I walked to the Pike Place Market at lunch today, browsing among the vendors, buying my pineapple finally and some hazelnuts. At one booth I saw a table full of etched stones. When I stepped closer to see there was one stone that just grabbed my eye, it said "Everything happens for a reason". I almost lost it right then and there. Adjacent to it was a stone with a baby's footprint etched into it. I thought they might go well under my memorial forsythia in my backyard, but the longer I hovered the more I wanted to cry. Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

IUI and Clomid

I researched about IUI and Clomid a couple years ago, when we were thinking we might pursue that route. I'm sharing my best bookmarks on the subject, hopefully this will be helpful for you as well.

Intra-Uterine Insemination Links

A Beginner's Guide to IUI

Effectiveness of IUI Timing and Single versus Double IUI - INCIID

Frequently Asked Questions about Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) - FertilityPlus

Getting pregnant with IUI (Intrauterine Insemination)

Superovulation/IUI Statistical Success Rates

Patient Instructions for INTRAUTERINE INSEMINATION (IUI)

IUI Procedure

Artificial insemination for infertility - Intrauterine insemination - IUI

Clomid

Clomiphene - Infertility Physician

Fertility Drugs I: Clomiphene citrate - ivillage

Overview of Fertility Medications


Clomid Use and Abuse - INCIID

Human chorionic gonadotropin administration is associated with high pregnancy rates during ovarian stimulation and timed intercourse or intrauterine insemination

Folliculogenesis and ovulation

I learned from my reproductive endocrinology text that eggs are constantly moving from stasis into a maturation process. The lucky ones synch up correctly with the hormonal cycle and have a chance at ovulation. The other eggs are just reabsorbed.

Oocytes (unmatured eggs) are held in stasis by hormones, and the micro-environment of the follicle needs to move from testoterone-dominant to an estrogen-dominent in order to be considered for ovulation. Often women with PCOS or thyroid problems have issues with their hormones that might impair this process such as high levels of androgens.

It might be possible that prolonged development of the follicle might cause the egg not to mature as well as a tighter hormonal cycle but I haven't read anything to that effect -- mind you I haven't researched that specifically though.

So anyway, your ovaries are constantly maturing eggs regardless of your hormonal cycle. This might also explain why women can sometimes get pg at odd times in their cycle -- such as WWII wives who supposedly got pregnant when their husbands were on leave.

Here are some links to reference maturation of the oocyte:

FOLLICULOGENESIS AND OVULATION

Section 13: Female Reproductive System

During a woman's reproductive years, several follicles in the growing pool are recruited each cycle, and only one is usually selected for ovulation (see Fig. 234-4). It develops into a graafian (preovulatory) follicle, which can respond to the midcycle LH surge. The mechanism of selection is unknown.

The graafian follicle contains an antrum (fluid-filled cavity), created by proliferating granulosa cells, which secrete fluid and mucopolysaccharides. The increase in the follicle's size is due primarily to accumulation of follicular fluid under the control of FSH, which also induces the development of specific LH receptors on granulosa cells. LH receptors are responsible for the stimulation of progesterone secretion before ovulation and for continued production of progesterone in the luteal phase. The granulosa cells in the follicle also develop specific membrane receptors for prolactin, which decrease in number as the follicle matures; their physiologic role is unclear.
Merck Manual Chapter 234. Reproductive Endocrinology

Diagram of folliculogenesis