5 dpo

and I learned how to give myself my hcg injections. I successfully administered 1 cc into my belly and I didn't even flinch. I'm beyond thrilled! Thrilled to be injecting myself and have an answer.

I'm 5 dpo and I'm convinced I'm pregnant.

My boobs hurt, like that feeling you get that you just have to take your bra off. When you get it off your boobs hurt worse for 10 seconds. Know what I'm talking about? Yea, I've had that sensation in most of my pregnancies.

I've also noticed some left ovary twinges. C'mon corpus luteum (CL)!!! Do your job!!!

Also I've noticed more saliva production.

BUT this is all insane at 5dpo!!!!!

I'm trying to tell myself I won't be disappointed if we don't get a  BFP this cycle. I can just look back and say, "hey this was a practice cycle, to get the swing of these shots."

Yesterday, Mike said to me, "I don't think you are pg this cycle." His words stung and still echo in my head.

So if AF doesn't show by 16 dpo, I'm to go in for blood work.

Let's talk....LPD

So as you can imagine, I'm still thrilled that I have a diagnosis, that we have a plan and you can bet that I've spent a lot of time reading about Type III LPD.

There are 5 types of LPD, which I only knew that there was at least 3 types. So let's talk about each of these.

- Type I LPD - In this particular woman, progesterone increases (as it should) after ovulation & within a short amount of time decrease. So instead of progesterone levels peaking around 7dpo, it peaks at 3 dpo and decreases from there.

This abnormality can be associated with RPL and sometimes women with infertility.

- Type II LPD - In this woman, the length of the luteal phase is normal but a low amount of progesterone is produced.

This abnormality is most common and seen in women with regular cycles and women experiencing infertility.

- Type III LPD - aka late luteal defect. In this woman, progesterone rises after ovulation and sometimes even higher than average levels and around 7dpo progesterone falls significantly. Anything more then a 50% drop is consider Type III.

This abnormality is seen in women with infertility, miscarriages & PMS.

- Type IV LPD - In this woman, progesterone levels are much lower on 3 dpo & return to normal on 5 & 7 dpo.

This type is very rare.

- Type V LPD - In this woman, estrogen & progesterone levels are normal before ovulation but after ovulation there is a decrease in estrogen production.

Out of the five types, this is the only one that involves estrogen & it appears this may be a precursor to osteoporosis according to "The NaProTECHNOLOGY Revolution" book, by Dr. Hilgers.

Type IV & V are the least understood.

A lot of modern doctors, in my journey have dismissed LPD and told me that it does not exist and here is why....
"Modern medicine" recognizes the following to test to see if a woman is ovulating: 1) shift in basal body temp 2) endometrial biopsy (which is rarely done now) 3) an elevated progesterone level (which most doctors do on CD 21 4) a positive OPK.  However, none of these 4 options determine if ovulation is normal, defective or if it even occurred.

"Over 56% of women with both infertility and regular cycles the ovulation is either ABSENT OR DEFECTIVE!"

Yet modern medicine has turned their head in the other direction of NaProTECHNOLOGY and its discoveries. Modern medicine is suppose to be evidence based but here NaPro is 30+ years ahead of these guys.

Angry? Frustrated? Yea, I was too and still am for those who don't know better!!! I feel modern medicine is injustice to their patients and thats a darn shame!

Just to prove to you that NaPro is way ahead of the game, I found an article on LPD on Global Library of Women's Medicine. It states:

"The most problematic aspect of a review of LPD is the persistent lack of universal standards for definition and diagnosis. Jones¹ claimed that the most accurate means of diagnosis was performing daily assays of serum progesterone throughout the luteal phase but noted that this is impractical except in a research setting. (Impractical or just not willing or fearful insurance companies won't pay???) Divergent opinions persist regarding the clinical gold standard for measurement of LPD; this has led to tremendous variability in the estimated prevalence and cure rates in infertile populations. This chapter reviews seminal points regarding LPD that have been reported in a wide variety of investigations."

Feel free to share your thoughts with me!

OMG OMG OMG!!! Jumping up and down!!!!

No...again, I'm NOT pregnant! But I am getting answers!!!!! Despite my awful feeling about my blood work not showing anything... I was so wrong!!!

My ob/gyn's nurse just called. Discussed some of the numbers with me and told me I have Type III Luteal Phase Defect!

OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!

So what I do know right now is that my estradiol was low even though the peak was 103 on 7dpo. Dr. Daggs wants to see it at 110-150 (units?! I have no idea). The bigger problem was my progesterone was 17 on 7dpo but drastically dropped to 5.8 in 2 days. Anything over a 50% drop is consider Type III Luteal Phase Defect!!!!

Holy shit people! I could cry but I'm cheesin at the same time from ear to ear!!!

What does this mean and where do I go from here?

Type III LPD is treated with HCG shots (I believe Kathy said at 5dpo & 7dpo). We are starting this cycle!!!! I will learn how to give these injections to myself...and I don't even care that I have to inject myself.

I'm beyond thrilled that I am finally getting somewhere. Landon qualified for early intervention this afternoon after I got the news and I don't even care....it won't ruin this day that I finally feel like I'm on top of this stupid RPL mountain and finally on my way to overcoming it!!!!

Off to see if I can google LPD types!!!

OMG OMG OMG!