Trigger Testing - Ovulation Induction with Ovidrel

Luteal Phase

Initially, the wait was long. Not much happened. Nothing really does in that two week wait of dread. I kept testing out my cheapie LH tests, and even started testing out the hCG tests to see what happened. It's hard to tell, as these cheapie tests don't show very strong at the best of times.

On the 5th of June, a Saturday, I triggered again. This time, instead of rolling the pen all the way out to 25 clicks (or until the little 250 is visible in the viewing window), I only did 6 clicks (and only a little dot is visible, so you really have to count). This ends up being about 60ug of hCG in 0.5ml of Ovidrel. A smaller dose, meant to help keep your progesterone up and ready to accept a healthy pregnancy. Something like 20% of people struggling to conceive due to ovulation issues have insufficient progesterone to sustain a pregnancy, which is why this progesterone supplementation comes in.

Then on the 9th, first thing in the morning, I was meant to get my bloods checked. This was to check my progesterone, ensuring I'd ovulated and that the progesterone levels were okay in my blood. Unfortunately, I forgot! So I only just made the 3:30pm deadline for the day, and got my bloods drawn literally as the delivery driver was coming to collect them.

The results were: E2 (Estrogen): 318, LH: 3, P4 (Progesterone): 70.4

Next bloods were scheduled for Friday, the 18th of June. That's when I'd find out for sure if I was pregnant or not. I gave myself a booster of 6 clicks again that night. Then on the 11th I gave myself my last booster.

Waiting, you always feel every symptom and think 'what if?'. On the 12th, I had recorded some crazy cravings over the recent days. Broken freckles, which isn't abnormal (I work in a Chocolatier, and they are incredibly yummy). The weird one was Hokkein noodles. Then the strongest one was liquid Nesquik (the drink, not the cereal).

That day (the Saturday 12th, 12dpo) I had some mild period cramps on and off, my right ovary was pinching, and I was incredibly emotional over tiny little things. I was hopeful, but not too hopeful... these are all PMS symptoms as well as pregnancy symptoms! But then the crazy thing happened.

I had an erruption of breast hair. Yep. Around my nipples, on the outside of my areola's, I get the odd tiny little black hair, thicker than the rest of the hair around it. Usually I pluck them once every 2-4 weeks, and there's only ever maybe 4 a side. This time, I went to get rid of the pesky little things (I never used to pluck them until I started breastfeeding my last child and had to look at them way too often for too long they grew frustrating), and there was 19 EACH SIDE. Hormones galore, I had only had this once before... when I was pregnant!

Instantly, my hopes soared. I kept testing out my trigger shot, and kept getting positives, of course. But there was really no way to tell what was trigger and what wasn't.

Monday, my hopes were shattered. I had such bad period cramps, I thought for sure my period would show. I took my First Response tests, but they were still fading. They were MAYBE the same darkness as the day before, but definitely not darker. I had such bad lower back period pain I needed a heat pack and a nap, I was exhausted for no real reason. That had me mildly hopeful again.

I finally was overdue for my period, and rang the fertility clinic to ask about it. They confirmed my suspicions; the increased progesterone in my system due to the trigger boosts would possibly delay my period and extend my luteal phase out a bit. So, there really was no way to tell if I was late for my period; if it hadn't arrived due to pregnancy or due to progesterone supplementation.

The wait seemed to go forever, and honestly, I'd kept saying in the months and months before this that the two week wait would be nothing, because I'd not ovulated for so long that the wait to ovulate, never knowing if you would or not, is far worse. At least this time I had a date, I knew I'd ovulated and I just had to wait. But I still really, really struggled.

What happened after trigger, tests, trigger boosts, ect. How I started to feel.

Ends today (14th of June) when I THINK my period is officially due (mention it could show up as late as the 16th).