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essemkay- What is E2? Also they didn't check my progesterone levels. What does that level need to be? What are some signs that it may be off? Sorry I should know this by now.

Another question/experiences:

So as I said before my ovaries have been aching since a few hours after the IUI. Well my left Ovary quit aching. But my right ovary has not. Its pretty constant but on and off during the day it gets a bit more noticeable.

I never have pains like this during O or during the TWW. I usually get them a few days before AF nut never any other time.

Sometimes it feels like a ball stuck in there. Sometimes it feels like a lump inside there. Occasionally it will send out twinges. Sometimes it also feels like pins and needles in and around the right ovary area.

Any one know what this means? Good or bad. Have any of you experienced these things this early on in a cycle and it ended up being the precursor to your BFP????

Jessph, E2 is estrogen. During the follicular phase (the time between day 1 of your period and ovulation when the follicles mature), each maturing follicle throws off a certain amount of estrogen. By monitoring those levels, in conjunction with ultrasounds, doctors can estimate how close to maturation each follicle is (and presumably, the egg they hopefully contain). When mature, a follicle will produce about 200-300 E2. The E2 helps build up your lining and get it all nice and fluffy in preparation for implantation. When E2 levels get to a certain point, they cause your LH to surge (usually it fluctuates a bit, but hovers around 5ish until surge), which causes the egg to cleave its chromosomes in half, release from the follicle wall, and burst from the ruptured follicle ... ovulation.

After ovulation, the ruptured follicle becomes the "corpus luteum" and thus begins the luteal phase which is from ovulation until your period starts. The corpus luteum produces progesterone, which tells your body to hang on to that lining, because a new boarder might be on the way. Progesterone is also the fun stuff that can cause the cramps, nausea, constipation, sore breasts, veiny breasts, fatigue, dizziness, etc., etc. After ovulation, you want your progesterone to be at least 5-10 to indicate that you did in fact ovulate. To support a pregnancy, a number over 20 is a better bet going forward.

Side note, the corpus luteum can only support itself for up to 16 days before it gives up the ghost (usually, it's closer to 12-14 days, which is why you generally get AF about 14 days after ovulation), unless you are doing supplemental progesterone or you have a little passenger throwing hcg into the mix.

SumerianMaiden, call your doctor and ask. Doesn't sound worrisome to me, but I've never had that experience.

Well ladies i am out. my dr missed the window. all my follicles had shrunk. He came in and was very sorry. ( like that helped) He said maybe he should have used the trigger when i had the three follicles at 18, and 17....
He gave me two options.

1. next month clomid again and try, we will fill out the insurance forms so that in September we can switch to gonal-f. He said it takes a month for insurance to cover it. This time use the hgc shot when i am at like 18 again, and force it to happen early.

2. Sit out a month get the paperwork ready and start gonal-f in september.

I still have one sperm sample at his office. i dont want to switch dr untill i usd my last sprem up... its 800$ just sitting there...

i just dont know what to do

Thank you essemkay! I ovulate like I should on my own so I guess my E2 is ok. Dh has a borderline sperm count although his last sample was great. So with the progesterone... if it's low and the egg is fertilized it probably won't implant because the lining is sub par?? If I've got that all wrong let me know. What is the test that checks that? I've had day three blood work, several ultrasounds, an HSG and I've had my AMH levels checked. Also, if it was endometriosis or fibroids they would have found that by now right? I'm sorry for all the questions and you have been a great help already! I just want to know why we're not conceiving and do everything in my power to make it happen. If we conceive with this iui my children will be 13 yrs and one month apart.

If your doctor does a "day 21" blood test, that is a test where they're looking at your progesterone levels to confirm ovulation and to make sure your levels are high enough to sustain pregnancy. If they show you've ovulated, but are on the low side, you can do progesterone supplements. My RE skips the day 21 blood test because they use trigger shots, so they know everybody ovulated -- and they just put everyone on supplemental progesterone, just to be sure all is good.

You can have an SIS or hysteroscopy to check for uterine fibroids, but I think for endo or non-uterine fibroids, you have to have a lap.

Texasgirl13, your doctor kind of sucks. On the plus side, it's very common to trigger when your follicles reach 18, as long as your E2 levels look good as well.

He never tested my e2 levels.....
Yep I think so too

My doc does not check my hormone levels every month. We checked them in the beginning before starting letrozole, triggers, etc. But not have them checked since.
They were all normal and he says as long as I am producing follies, having normal periods, etc...then there is no sense checking them every month. I do go on progesterone supplements after O, but its more precautionary than anything since I have had several early miscarriages.
I think every doc is different in how they handle this stuff. Granted I think most of it is pretty standard, but I do think there is variation. I don't think that's bad.
But if you are not comfortable in how he is handling your treatment or you are unhappy with him in any way....then its time to find a new doc...regardless of how much or how little you feel he is doing for you. Its no good for hour TTC journey to be stressed and worried about your doc doing the right things. Most ppl have enough stress and crap with life itself and difficulties TTC only adds to that.
Look around, talk to friends, family, etc and see who they go to for this stuff.....

I mean he has never...