Becky

[Sharon B.]

How are you, lady?

Still actively preventing? occasional not trying/not preventing?

Are you going to get a fertility "annual" again this year, or are you transitioning to a new stage of life?

Thinking of you,
Hugs,
~S

[Becky]

Hi Sharon,

I'm doing just fine. Totally transitioned into life beyond ttc and heading into the end zone, and thankfully, the baby urges have long since diminished. In all honesty, I would have to admit to the foolishness of believing that I'm beyond needing to actively prevent and praying that I'm not one of those ladies who gets a surprise BFP in her old age. I do keep track of my cycle so I know when we're "safe", and I have a diaphram for before...but I hate it and don't always use it when I should. I don't want to screw with my hormones anymore than they are doing on their own by using BCP, but the idea of having something like the Mirena doesn't appeal to me either. And with the big M just around the corner it seems like overkill to do a tubal or for dh to have a vasectomy. Now normally I'd like to think that I'm smarter than this...but it is what it is. Hmmm, maybe I'm hitting my second childhood, thinking like a teenager...it won't happen to me.

I'm definitely dealing with peri-menopause issues, and am a bit confused about it all. Not much of the typical issues...just occasional night sweats (they suck)...but no hot flashes. CM has been reduced quite a bit (hence one of the reasons the diaphram isn't working out so well...take a limited supply of cm and then block it with plastic...really sets the mood.) I'm assuming because the estrogen levels are decreasing. Usually my cycles are fairly regular, but with a definite lower post-O temp range. However, my current cycle is hitting 85 or so days with maybe a recent O...right after a week+ of spotting. So I don't think the spotting was AF because I wouldn't see a temp rise that quickly after. I'm wondering if I was having a cyst issue that delayed O and caused the spotting (always bright red blood, not old stuff). And despite the confusion, for the first time, I was actually thinking that it would be ok to never see AF again....bring on the wrinkles, paper-thin skin and such. And now with the spotting...and no real AF, I don't know if I'm starting over with the one year no AF count down or not. Guess I'll know more later if my temps continue to stay up and AF arrives 13 days or os post O.

Not sure if I'll go in for a hormonal check up or not. The lady that I was going to before has retired, and the doc's office split into two separate practices...one with the OB and one with the ARNP. So at this point, I don't know who I'd even go see for this. I'm thinking que sera, sera....it will be whatever it will be.

[Sharon B.]

LOL - We know we are "transitioning" when our OBs retire. I've had two retire! LOL

Believe it or not --putting aside all the negative aspects of the "change"-- I have a happy sigh when I think of menopause - just to be done with this all!

I'm glad you are doing well, albeit a touch befuddled and sweaty.

Thanks for the support on the TTC board; I think of you (and yours) often.
~S

[Becky]

Thanks for checking in on me.