#4: Second Try = No News

Well, my awesome idea to pull out a positive pregnancy test to Joe at the Chicago Bears game yesterday was a no-go. As I said I was pretty certain, I did not get pregnant on October 4th. (I took a pregnancy test when I woke up on Sunday, October 17 and then ironically ten minutes later started my period. I've decided from now on I'm not taking pregnancy tests until I'm definitely late because, aside from Logan, every test I've ever taken in my life has been within hours of when I started my period!) The positive news is that my results were good from the test taken at the dermatologist's office so I just have two more weeks on the antibiotics he gave me.

Aside from the fact that we hardly tried this month (I know they say all it takes is once, but when someone says "try" I think that means putting forth a little effort, LOL - doing it more than normal, not less), it could have been the antibiotics that I'm on or the fact that both September and October I came down with a virus the week before my period. I am currently coughing up a lung over here on our Chicago trip :( Some say that if you get sick at the same time that you get pregnant, your body may put your virus as a first priority and work on fighting it off -- and fight off the embryo (a foreign substance) as well.

Or, it could be the progesterone cream that I've been on since August 29, 2009. Without it I felt like I was going into labor when I had my period, as well as my mood dropped and I had migraines. My container started to run out this past July so I thought maybe I could wean myself off by just using it once a day instead of two.

But, this past August I had super bad cramps (as in, making-me-dizzy-and-sweating pain). During the year that I had used it twice a day, I didn't even have to take an ibuprofen for my cramps, didn't experience any headaches, and my mood was stable. After my August period ended, my mood dropped (usually my best mood-energy time of the month) and I had a migraine.

I told Joe, "That's it, I'm on that stuff for life!" I bought a new tube which you're supposed to start using on day 14 of your cycle and so I usually do. But since September is when we started trying for baby #2, I looked up online to read whether those of us who don't typically have 28 day cycles should still put it on day 14. (While most women have 28 day cycles with their ovulation happening 14 days before their period, my cycles are all over the place -- it might be 28 days or it might be 38.)

I didn't want to put it on too early in case it prevented me from ovulating, since if you use it every day you won't ovulate or have a period. However, at the same time, progesterone is the hormone that makes you ovulate and stay pregnant, so women who have really low levels either won't ovulate or they will have a miscarriage.

Since my most common day for starting my period is Day 33 (ovulating 16 days prior -- on Day 17), I decided to put it on Day 18. The odd thing is that in July, August, September and October I started my period on Day 28 or Day 29. For most women that is great, but for me that is early so I am a bit concerned as to why I am suddenly so regular and early. However, it is healthy for women to start anywhere from 12-16 day after ovulation (I've been at 12 these past few months.)

Needless to say, as of yesterday (day 29 when I started my period), I have gone off the progesterone cream cold turkey because I am convinced it is the cause of my acne. Not only did it start two months after I went on the cream last year, but in my research I have found that for some women progesterone does cause acne. I passed the end of my rope and can't deal with it anymore.

Yes, this is going to mean awful cramps again, but I'm hoping that there won't be too many months if I get pregnant soon! Plus, it will just remind me of what labor is like so that I can try to do it natural again :p

Since I didn't need the progesterone cream to get pregnant with Logan, I think I should be able to get pregnant with baby #2 without it, but I'm going to give my body three months to get my hormones used to not being on the cream before I use the ovulation predictor test again. So we're taking Nov, Dec, and Jan off from trying but will again in February and then try consistently until whenever it happens.

The only thing is, my next possible ovulation day is technically still this month: Halloween! (A July 24, 2011 due date -- day before my stepmom & best friend's birthdays -- and if I go three weeks early again that is July 3 -- Joe's birthday!) I do have four ovulation tests left from the box I bought in September and at that time my body won't know that I've gone off the cream so I guess we could try one more time (July isn't as hot as August -- that's the month that I DEFINITELY want to avoid being 7, 8, or 9 months pregnant). . .. . .afterall third time was a charm with Logan. . . hmmmmmm. . .