Cruising along in the two-week wait at 6 dpo...
Question for those of you who have taken progesterone supplements: What did the abdominal cramping feel like? I'm assuming the cramping feelings I'm having are due to the progesterone, but the sensations vary. Yesterday evening and another time or two I had pre-menstrual type cramps - not intense but somewhat uncomfortable. Also, some backache. This morning, I had more of the twinge type cramping - based in a specific spot and would come and go in shorter bursts. It was mainly on the right side, but a couple on the left, as well. I'm hoping to compare my feelings to what others felt.
Overall, I'm pretty much chalking any and all "symptoms" up to the progesterone. My boobs have definitely been quite sore, actually a little less today than yesterday. On that note, I wonder if your body "adapts" to the progesterone somewhat? I've also been feeling nauseated in the morning, as well as in short waves during the day. Bloated and constipated, check.
Oh, and honey, the mood swings! ha! A friend mentioned she was a "weepy mess" on progesterone, and I definitely flashed back to that comment yesterday! I've been Sky.ping for a couple weeks with a guy from Great Britain (I met him on the dating site Spir.itual Sin.gles), and yesterday I broke down in the middle of our call. Everything. just. seemed. so. awful. It was like there was this pool of sadness just under the surface, ready to come out, whether I wanted it to or not! After sobbing for a bit, I took a few deep breaths and felt relatively fine. Luckily, he knows - and surprisingly accepts - what's going on with me, so I didn't have to try and cover it up.
I do wonder if there is any symptom, beyond a positive HPT, that could be trusted to mean something when on progesterone. Probably not!
Good news on the additional work search front: I got the "International Coordinator" position! I'm not sure I mentioned it here... basically there's a company that facilitates international students coming to the U.S. to attend High School, and many of them hope to go on to American colleges. I would help the students and their families move through the application process, recruit host families, support the students with monthly meetings and/or phone calls, and put out any fires such as needing to change host families, etc.
The potential downside is that it's on a commission basis, according to how many students you place and have on your roster, but it seems that they help quite a bit with host family recruitment. There is a regional coordinator who I interviewed with, and she is very positive and supportive. So, fingers crossed!
I'm also waiting to hear back on a part-time counseling position at a different community college quite close to where I live. I called the career center contact a week or two ago, and, after talking to me for a while, she suggested there might be an opportunity and that I email the woman who oversees counseling. I did this at the end of last week. Not sure why I haven't heard back yet, but I'm still hoping.
I only took progesterone during the IUI that was successful, so it is hard to say what caused the symptoms for me. That being said, I felt twinges/slight cramps (also on my right side), and slightly enlarged boobs. I didn't feel nausea until a while later, and fortunately it didn't really influence my emotions much. Will you be taking a HPT, or waiting for a beta?
ReplyDeleteHi Ali, Thanks for the feedback on what you felt. Very interesting. I'm not sure on the HPT - maybe if I'm feeling pretty hopeful I'll take one in a few days. I do have some available.
DeleteI have taken prog suppositories on several cycles. The cramping is more period like. The sharp pains you describe I felt once around 6DPO and that was the cycle I did get a postive beta. So this is sounding very promising. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info, Sunflower, that does make me feel a bit of hope. Appreciate the good wishes! :-)
DeleteWishing you well- I do not do well with progesterone- spend a lot of time as a "weepy mess," sore boobs, nausea, etc. Of course I am like you and keep trying to "see a symptom" right now. Then I try to remind myself that it could be the progesterone. :-(
ReplyDeleteI know, it's tough! We're in the same boat...
DeleteI think the cramping (especially AF-like) anywhere between 4-10 DPO is a really good sign, independent of progesterone. In my IUIs I never take extra progesterone, but I have high progesterone, so I get a lot of the 'symptoms' (super sore boobs, occasional nausea, even round ligament pain that I first felt during my first pregnancy, but now seems to be triggered somewhat by progesterone in my system) but they do not mean much. The cramping is telling. As is any sign of high estrogen IMO.
ReplyDeleteAll of this means jack squat without a positive HPT. One could theorize that we did have embies floating around which caused the initial burst of 'symptoms' but one can never tell. I read somewhere that, if you consider from the second of fertilization, around 80 % of pregnancies end in miscarriage, so its possible for our pregnancies to start up, but stop. Implanatation is actually a bigass step, it seems.
Don't wanna freak you out, sorry, all of this information dump probably wont help. Best of luck! I'm utterly convinced nothing has worked today, while I was positive yesterday that things were going somewhere. Its a freaking rollercoaster, for sure.
Thanks, Jay... I've recently read some comments on various sites in which people say they felt AF-like cramping with progesterone so I'm not overly optimistic about that one at this point.
DeleteIt's funny, I'm really tuned in for the first part of the 2ww then I burn out and don't pay as much attention and that's the time I'd be more likely to feel anything "real" - 7-10 dpo... I guess some people don't feel anything at all or at least not until later.
Yes, I've come to believe implantation is a hugeass step, for sure. Hope you're doing okay with your wait over there...
Like Ali, I had a BFP with the two times I took progesterone. I think I had some cramping around 6-7dpo with EVERY cycle though, even without the progesterone. LOL But it was only the two successful cycles that I had cramping right before I got my BFP.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the coordinator job!
Thanks, Shannon! I just found out I'll be making at least a set minimum amount a month, carrying a roster of 7 or 8 students. So I'm psyched! This makes it more likely I can try another cycle in not too long (which hopefully I won't need!).
DeleteProgesterone did cause the breast soreness & but I don't think my mood was that affected (it was just the stress of the 2ww itself!). But IMO I feel that depending when the cramping occurs may be an optimistic sign! It's so hard being on progesterone in the 2ww because we don't want to get caught up in 'symptoms' when they're side effects. But the cramping... I'm praying for your BFP!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gigi, I appreciate it! You're lucky about the mood thing...
DeleteCongrats on the new job!
ReplyDeleteI had AF-like cramps with progesterone, usually in my lower back (maybe because I have a retroverted uterus?). If I recall correctly, they were infrequent and didn't last long. I hope what you're feeling is more than just progesterone!
I mailed off the rest of my Prometrium to you. Unfortunately I didn't have much left, but it's enough for a few days at least. :)
Thanks, Jenny! I'm not putting too much stock in the AF cramps at this point...
DeleteCongrats on the job front! Yay!
ReplyDeleteHmm, I think those "symptoms" sound promising - progesterone or not! ;-) Hoping for your BFP!!