Pumpkin,
I want to welcome you. I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm a bit new myself, what is your diagnosis? I have PCOS, ttc 2yrs+, currently on Clomid and metformin, but for kicks am taking robitussin and baby aspirin.
I am not a doctor but I do have a bit of science background, my BS is in Biology. Here's my logic: Benedryl is safe if you're pregnant, so if you've already ovulated you should theoretically be good to go. However if you are ovulating, or may at any second, I wouldn't recommend it. Benedryl is an antihistimine, which amongst other things reduces the production of mucus. This may dry your head up but it will most likely dry the rest of you too, and you want to have ideal CM for the little guys to have a highly efficient swim. If you are just a big snot head and can't see clearly, it can be worth it, and just drink a boatload of water to try to counteract the drying effects. Let me know what you decide to do, I'm curious.
Baby dust to you,
-Cathy
Wow, thanks for all the wonderful support here! My loss was back in July of last year and I'm feeling better, but the support group I was on then I had to get off of because they all focused on things WAY TOO MUCH and it was just bringing me down.
As for my history....I have unexplained infertility. I think that my stress level might play a part in that. I'm easily stressed out. But...my first marriage, dh had 2 children from a previous marriage. His motility though was only 8% conceivable. I was told that I was ok. (Had ALL the fertility tests, laparoscopy, etc.) We divorced, now I'm remarried and my husband SA came back with flying colors. He's good to go. I was told by a military doctor that I was oligo-ovulatory. SO....we got the Clearplan monitor. I stopped taking Clomid, etc. etc. etc. and started taking herbs. I am not ovulating every month. I've noticed though...I do have cm just prior to ovulation, but then the day OF ovulation, I'm mostly dry. Anyone ever had that problem? I was taking Evening Primrose Oil for it, but then found out that it was VERY BAD for my estrogen dominance, so I dropped that one.
Just recently, I have stopped ALL herbs, etc. I've kind of "thrown in the towel" so to speak. I also stopped using the Clearplan monitor. It wasn't stressful or too much for me, but after doing the ttc thing for so many years now (it's been about 12 LONG years of tests, procedures, IUI's, surgeries, etc.) I gave up. Oh yeah, as mentioned before, I did get pregnant back in May last year, but had a m/c.
SO....I'm not doing nothing, taking nothing and just letting mother nature take her course. I'd like to do IVF, but just don't want to spend that much money on it. So, in the alternative, we're thinking about saving that money and using it for adoption. In the back of my head though, I still want one of my own.
I think that if I could figure out this no cm on the day of O that it would help. I've been to too many RE's though to start that route again. Am I lazy?
Wow, I've never told so much about myself before! LOL y'all still with me? Or did I bore you?
As for the Benadryl..I didn't try it. I've been taking Robitussin, but it didn't really seem to be helping. My major complaint with being sick right now is my ears feel stopped up and it's killing me. I have been taking 1000 mg. of Tylenol which makes a lot of the pain (body aches/pain) more tolerable. I did ovulate just yesteray though (final Clearplan stick!) so I have feeling that IF it was a good one, then with all of the Tylenol, it might not be anymore. :-(
I'm glad that this group is here. I'll definitely start coming back more often.
Thanks for responding!
__________________
Jennifer
1st child - Tyler
c-section 1/12/04
Wow, Good luck pumpkin and what a story. Not boring at all.....You would be amazed at the things you can learn on this board. I hear you about the stress level. I don't think I am stressed but I have a little OCD and never stop moving. Always dusting, vacuuming, mopping, etc. and it still never seems clean enough for me so I think that might be just a little stressed. I am also doing the herb and robitussin thing next month. I did some reading and bought some vitamins for my DH. They say that they should have tons of Vitamin A and also C and Zinc. One book I read said that if DH does not have enough vitamin c the sperm stick together and it makes it harder to get where they need to go. My DH's SA is so bad that I am hoping that is half the problem. I am taking Vitex (a little controversial) but I figure what can I lose. I have absolutely no CM and after I bd with my DH (this part is gross) no excess sperm drips out. I think he works too hard and I am too old!! As you can see though, we are all trying to stay positive on this board and we did have to success stories yesterday! So good luck and please share all you want. Any good herbs that you can suggest for a 40 year old woman who's biological clock is ticking??.........lol- I swear I really feel like Marissa Tomei doing that sometimes!!
As for herbs....I've done a ton of research, so I can help ya there!!!
For him - he can take Zinc will help too. Zinc won't hurt you either. I just never did that routine. Is his motility low or is it his count? Or both?
For you, you can take Royal Jelly for egg quality, Vitex is good from what I hear. I've read a LOT of positive things about it. I've also read wonderful things about Red Clover and False Unicorn Root. It's not as easy to find the FUR though. Those are great combinations for fertility.
Fo-Ti Herb is another good one for both of you.
If you have any specific questions, ask away. I'll tell you what I know, and what I don't know, I'll pull out my books and look up.
LOTS of babydust to you!
__________________
Jennifer
1st child - Tyler
c-section 1/12/04
Just looked at DH's vitamins. Has the E, A and Zinc and also has pumpkin seed, foti,ginger, dandelion,nettle leaf and other stuff. So I guess it is good. Cost $38 at vitamin shoppe. Can I take Royal jelly along with the vitex? I am also taking a prenatal vitamin everyday in addition to drinking tons of water. Starting Pilates tonight and yoga next week. Hoping all this healthy living is going to help. But then again I see preg. women smoking, eating mcdonalds and think-what the heck?? why?? BTW, DH has low volume, and low motility. He took steroids when he was bodybuilding so I think that screwed him up. I have my age that is screwing me up. Ahh, life....aint it grand??
[This message has been edited by tmerone (edited 04-25-2003).]
Benadryl and ovulation??? 
