I’m not pregnant (yet/still.) This cycle I was traveling when AF came, and I had my Femera prescription with me, so I took it, hoping that I wouldn’t ovulate before I got back to the west coast and, you know, near the other person I need in order to get pregnant (my husband, not my doctor.)

I also ordered a too-expensive bluetooth-enabled thermometer and started charting with the Kindara app, despite knowing that with PCOS charting is pretty much a hopeless cause. I guess, in my delusion, I’m hoping with the eating healthy and weight loss (plus the Femera) my body will just WORK for once, and then charting might make some sense.

My chart so far this month actually looks fairly healthy, although I only had EWCM for one day vs the 4-5 days that the internet says is normal. I did have a temperature spike, but it’s hard to say if that’s because on the east coast my temp was lower and then on the west coast it was higher… I flew to west coast on CD 15 sooooo… it could just be due to that.

I really wasn’t supposed to take the Femera this cycle, as my RE prescribed it with the expectation I would come in for two ultrasounds ($700) and then get my trigger shot (~$100) but I wasn’t here in time for any of that, and I didn’t want to waste the cycle since AF came early (on time) due to having taken the Femera with Trigger shot the cycle before. I never have 28-day cycles (I think my ‘normal’ is 35 but sometimes it can be 3-5 months before a period comes, though it’s been getting more regular lately.) It’s hard to know if I’m actually ovulating — with the Femera and Trigger shot last month I supposedly did, but I don’t trust my doctor yet.

I’m on a waiting list for a well-regarded IVF clinic, and I should be off that waiting list early next year. My HOPE is to be pregnant by then, but that’s going to be tough given I’m traveling too much. That’s my fault. But my husband and I are going on a trip *together* for our very belated honeymoon. I’ll be charting during the trip and maybe I can ovulate on my own – TBD if my RE will prescribe me Femera if I tell them I won’t be around for those ultrasounds.

And… there is the chance I could be pregnant right now. Super slim chance, since I didn’t actually see my husband until late CD15 and based on the chart I think I ovulated on CD14 – since the egg lasts 12-24 hours and sperm takes 6 hours to get to the egg, if my observations are accurate about CD14 then it’s impossible I’m pregnant right now. However, I’ve read mixed things about the EWCM – if it’s supposed to happen WHILE you ovulate, or in the days leading up to ovulation when you’re most fertile. Given I only had EWCM one day, I have no idea what it means, if anything.

The picture below is my current chart. Sorry it’s so blurry, but basically what it is showing is that based on my past cycles they expect me to ovulate between CD23-CD26, but that isn’t accurate since I took Femera this cycle so all bets are off. The noticeable change is the temperature, but as noted above up to CD 15 I was on the east coast, and then CD16 started temping on west coast, so that could explain the change. I’m also getting used to the temping in the am so the first few days I did get up before taking my temp, which should make my temp recording higher than it actually is — so that makes me think the temp increase on CD16 might be significant.

The other notable element of my charting is that my cheapo ovulation strips had a medium-shaded line on CD13 & CD14. The more expensive OPK did not give me any positive results on either of those days, using the same sample at the same time. Women with PCOS supposedly have high levels of LH to begin with so these tests are also not very accurate, but I’m hopeful with the Femera this could mean something. Then again, if it does, I likely ovulated on CD13 or CD14, which was too early given I was still a country away from my husband! But it’s definitely good news if I was able to ovulate with the Femera alone. It has me thinking maybe I should have went to a OB/GYN before RE and possibly tried that, since OB/GYN are not making all their $$ from infertility treatments they’re less likely to suggest expensive treatment until it’s necessary. I’m turning 34 in 2 months, so all of this may very well be necessary… but maybe I don’t need $700 ultrasounds and $100 trigger shots every month. Maybe the cheapo Femera and charting and eating healthy will work.

On CD13 and CD14 I definitely felt cramping in left ovary (I felt that last month too on the Femera, but that could be eggs growing, not necessarily releasing.) So maybe I did ovulate on the 13/14. Maybe I ovulated on the 15 because LH rises before you ovulate, and maybe I’m pregnant right now. Wishful thinking.

OR maybe I haven’t ovulated yet. The early temps could all be wrong, and I could see another spike in temp later in this cycle. My hope, if I’m not pregnant, is that I get my period on Wednesday, which would mean that I probably ovulated without the trigger shot “on time” with the Femera alone, which I could report to my RE and request for another Femera cycle without the expensive ultrasounds.

I wish some/any of this were covered by insurance. I know what I’m doing right now is so much cheaper than IVF will be, if we have to go that route, but it still is so much money. $800 a month for ultrasounds and trigger shot. It will be about $1500 if we do IUI. And I probably should get an HSG test which is – I don’t know yet – but I think another $1000. It adds up fast. Yes, I want kids and yes, I’m at the point in my life when I’m running out of options (especially if I want to have two.) I’m trying to remain optimistic but once my husband and I return from our honeymoon, we really have to get serious about this and that means seriously ready to pay whatever it takes to have a child.

In the meantime, I’m really focused on weight loss. I can’t say I’m super healthy as I haven’t been exercising (but our honeymoon will be composed mostly of hikes and lots of walking and healthy-ish eating every day) — BUT after going to a health resort in August I’ve lost 10 pounds, and I’m down 20 from my highest last year. I’m still ~30 pounds over a healthy BMI at 135, and I feel like if I can get there in a healthy, keep by blood sugars stable and eat 3 balanced meals a day sort of way, I can do this all naturally. I just have to heal my body. I’m not into holistic health BS but I know my body, and eating healthy and getting the right nutrition is legit.

At this point, I’m aiming for 5 pounds loss per month (hoping honeymoon really is going to be a loss month!) — 165 now, 160 by October, 155 by November and 150 by Jan 1. I can lose more than that (at the health resort I lost 5 pounds in one week!) but I’m trying to be realistic and take this slow. I’ll deal with figuring out the exercise routine when I’m back. I’m going to heal my body through treating it right, eating real foods, and getting the right nutrients through eating a lot of vegetables, lean meats and complex carbs. Simple. Maybe that will save me $50k of IVF/baby-making costs. I hope so.