Assisted Conception (and all the bits in between) volume 7

Hello all,
Just thought I'd pop on to say I've just finished reading a book called 'Inconceivable' by Julia Indichova. It's about the author's journey to pregnancy after being told her FSH was in the 40s (she was in her 40s too). If anyone is feeling down about trying to get pregnant it's a good, uplifting read. She makes big changes to her life (nutrition, supplements, exercise, visualisation) and goes on to conceive naturally. Even if you're not convinced by her methods (I think I might give colonic irrigation a miss ) the book as a whole does make you feel quite empowered about your body and your choices.
Also Rowing where are you? Hope all's well with you.

sorry am so so so rubbish at this!!
i just wanted to send a hug to frustrated sorry you're having a poo day. tomorrow's not far away, and i hope its better for you.
xxx

hi everyone hope you're all okay
thanks italian for the hug - i need that today. any news from you???

Oh womanly I hear you on the thinking at work. I had an admin type day yesterday which I felt I'd achieved a lot after. Today has been a more normal day and has involved sensible thought which I have just about managed to do. I think the document I've just sent makes sense but wouldn't bank on it!

I haven't bought the digital tests yet but I am going for my FOURTH HCG test tomorrow which is probably a little much. I've promised myself it's my last one. Let's see if I can stick to it.

Thanks Keziahopes I hope so too!

I hope so Lucy, I really hope it stays fab. If I get to Thursday, I'll be the furthest I've ever been.

Hi frustrated - so sorry to hear that you are having a down day. It doesn't seem fair does it every now and again - I too feel like I am being left behind and really have to fight against it. I keep having to remind myself that it is not the case that there are only so many to go round and therefore everyone else who gets pregnant reduces my chances (thoughts don't have to be logical to crop up :(). It helps a little bit. As has been said: perseverance will win through.

level - really happy that the surgery went well. Yikes, it sounds like it was quite a major obstacle to get past. Fingers crossed for the future and having moved a significant step forward.

lucylookout welcome back.

womanly, beginnings and lissy - hope it is all going well. Congrats on the 12 weeks lissy

Hi to everyone else :)

I had my cam/blood tests on Monday. From what i could tell I have about 5 follicles, but all still small and no real lead follicle yet according to the Dr (4 around 10mm and 1 around 12mm). The main problem was that my E2 levels had only gone up from 1015 to 1024 (so basically no change really). I was upped to 75 units of puregon. Back in tomorrow morning.

Does anyone know whether you can ovulate before the trigger shot? I presume that it must be possible, as I am not on anything to prevent ovulation (unless puregon does that but I don't think it does). What happens if I ovulate between tests?? Making sure that we have sex as well, although the literature says that it is better for the man to abstain from ejaculations 2-3 days before IUI to give the best concentration.

Beginnings - I think it is improved technique with clexane!!

frustrated - I actually found it easier once I knew there was a problem. Hopefully for you it's just the immune thing and they can cover that off in whatever form of assisted conception you're having. Sometimes it's just a simple solution that does the trick.

I was much more unhappy when I thought it was just years of bad luck. Now I feel like I'm on another path and so whilst I'm still a bit sad when friends get pregnant I don't resent them as much as I used to. We'd all have to be very lucky to get through life without some difficult patches and it just happens that this is our path.

My consultant said a similar thing to what lucy's said - that whether or not you'll get pregnant is about fortitude (in relation to trying lots of cycles) rather than anything else. He said it was a tough process but statistically if you keep going at it the odds are good.

Even though my situation isn't great (endometriomas have played havoc with both ovaries) I'm in the very lucky position that I don't need to worry too much about paying for IVF. Paying off the mortgage will have to take a back seat, but we can probably afford to keep going until we realise it's not worth it (this is in Leeds mind you - not that fancy London clinic!).

Incidentally, I think the laparoscopy went well. I'm still very spaced out and frequently tired but I've not been in any pain (not even on meds for past 2 days) and the cuts look like they're healing well. I was in surgery for 2 hours and the consultant said my endo was extensive. I've since checked out surgery videos on youtube and I'm not surprised I wasn't getting pregnant if that's what my insides looked like! Hopefully it's all clear for now and I've got a good window to try IVF before it grows back.

Hope you're all well.

Hello all, got back last night from my weekend by the seaside feeling relaxed and ready for action.
frustrated I'm sorry you are having one of those days. I have my fair share of them too. It truly isn't fair. It will happen for you though. Just keep moving forward. As much as you can, don't think about or compare yourself with your pregnant friends, this is about you, not them. Surround yourself with friends who make you feel good, not crap. Some of my pregnant friends can do this, but some pregnant friends make me feel rubbish, so I don't see them unless I know I'm feeling ok.
womanly you made my day with what the consultant said about positivity v. perseverance. I struggle with staying positive all the time, but I always want to persevere.
Your symptoms sound good. I bet you can't wait for the first scan.
beginnings hurray for your hcg. It's all looking fab.
lissy 12 weeks! What a milestone. Well done you x
No humira symptoms for me yet. I've decided to cut out gluten as that's meant to help with fsh and reducing cytokines. So, that's no sugar, caffeine, alcohol or gluten. Arrgh! How will I cope!?

beginnings - Great news on the spotting and clexane :)
For me each day seems to drag on forever - I feel like the 12 week milestone is like an eternity away. Music and reading helps - but at work I find it absolutely hard to work on new initiatives or thinking ones -- am much better at transactional tasks though my job is more strategic..so it's a bit wierd. There are times when I doubt I am even pregnant - have tested four times in total now including splurging on that digital clear blue test!!! There are times when I think the progesterone is somehow faking it all. I have soreness in my lower abdomen and wierd dreams every night - so I feel a bit sleep deprived and since yesterday I have felt a bit wierd - as in I feel like I want to eat something but nothing I have helps me feel better / I do have a mild headache and when I go to bed at night - that's it, I am out just as I hit the pillow.

frustrated the night I started this round of treatment I lost it, absolutely lost it. I think I just found starting the treatment again so very daunting and frightening, and above all else, frustrating. All I could think was, "why do I have to go through this when I know three people this year who have become pregnant without even trying." So I know exactly where you're coming from. What I would say is that, once I got into it, as with the other tries, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. On Thursday I will have got further than I've ever been before and we learned something huge this time in that DH's second sample was so much better than his first. womanly is right. This is about persistence, and learning as much as you can from each go.

We have to keep moving forward because we know we have no other option.

lissy that is fab fab news. When's your next scan?

womanly how are you feeling? I'm a little bit queasy sometimes and for the last two days have had a really strong metallic taste. The spotting has stopped completely which is making me happier. And the bruising from the clexane is stopping. Either I'm getting better at this or it's just making my blood "normal"!!

lissy congrats on your 12 week milestone - yeah!
frustrated a friend who's going through IVF told me that the specialist said that it's not positivity but perseverence that yields results - ie, those who stick to it are bound to fall pregnant - not if but a question of when. Big hug to you and hope you're taking extra care of yourself today. This is not easy but as lissy says it will happen.

Wave to everyone else.

frustrated, sweetie, sending you loads of hugs, a shoulder to cry on, and mounds of chocolate. People just don't understand, especially the ones who get pregnant just by thinking about it. There's always hope, for all of us! Don't give in and don't give up...it WILL happen for you.

beginnings- Yay HCG! Up, up, and away!

Hi to everyone else. Short on sleep today, so will get more in depth tomorrow. But....12 weeks today! Twinges and cramps easing, but it's because I've been taking Lactulose, so it seems it was more constipation and gas (I know, I know, TMI!). Still nauseous, but it's supposes to start easing now...we'll see!

...morning...can I weep on the thread?

Nothing happened but I feel really low about this whole baby thing. A close friend called me last night and she told me she is pregnant with her second child, thats the second friend this week (plus the countless ones that are either about to give birth or just have given birth to a lovely summer baby). Some of them know what I m going through and they were nice about it, but I still cant help it - I feel left behind and terribly infertile. I feel so useless. Why is that that lots of people can get pregnant so easily, they dont have to compromise their job by going to lots of tests, they dont have to spend 10k on a treatment that may fail and...arghh. I am feeling low. I suppose I would just like to see what a positive pregnancy test looks like.

So sorry for the rant. I just wish things were a bit easier. Every day I am getting older and I am waiting, waiting, waiting. And I feel so ready for a baby and so unhappy that it isnt happening.

anyway, I will put the smile back on and go back to work. A big hug to all of you.

Thanks Italian! I just ordered some.

frustrated red bush tea is rooibos as far as I know. I drink it too. Green tea does have caffeine, it has about half the caffeine of a cup of tea.

lissy I'm sure the're just settling in jiggles! How far along are you now?

Hi Italian how are you?

Afm HCG is up to 345 today. The lister are happy if it doubles every 48 hours which would have put it at 198 yesterday and on that basis 386 tomorrow so I'm very pleased with 345 today. I'm going back on Wednesday to make sure it truly is doubling and not going in fits and starts. One little step further forward.

thanks Lissy for the details about ARGC.

am really torn about which clinic to go with as I am about 1 hour from waterloo by train and its going to be a real pain juggling work and getting dd to school.

had decided to travel into London as my nearest clinic is still 30mins away and the success rates are only about 25% but its the going in everyday for 2 weeks which worries me. ho hum

Thanks beginnings, lissy, scrummy - thats very helpful. I feel a bit bad about the time off, as its a new job and they dont know me. I dont want them to know about this or to think that I am one of those people that goes off on sick leave for weeks! But I will play it by ear. I will get the GP to sign me off for some time and perhaps I can arrange to go in anyway on days where I actually dont need to be at the clinic. Complicated!

beginnings - great news about your HCG levels! Yay!

Lissy how are you feeling today? Hope less crampy?

scrummy yes I am doing the same as you. I am cutting down the decaff, eating less red meat, drinking more milk and lots of water and going to the gym three times a week. Plus vitamins but i have taken those for 2 years. All for the treatment! Thanks italian about the suggestion of red bush tea. Is that different from rooibos? I drink that and its good. I have also been told to up the dose of green tea, but not sure if that has got caffeine...Anyone knows?

scrummy- I've been taking aspirin since my embryo transfer, in between my shots of Clexane. I don't know if you should start taking it now, or wait until you've had your immunes tested....

Hi lissy thanks for your account. That's really helpful. Really good news about your scan and little bean. Enjoy the break!

fretfree about the 'omen'. Let's hope you have a leading follicle soon

beginnings Sounds really positive. Sending calming vibes your way (((())))

frustrated I'm kind of hoping that I won't need to take the time off. I work not far from ARGC, but don't live in London, so am hoping I can nip in and out (my hours are flexible and no-one is keeping tab on my goings on, so I'm lucky that way)

I've decided to go on complete health kick now that we might be just 3 months from treatment (and to increase our natural chances too). So it's off with alcohol all together (was drinking very little anyway and on rare occasion) going to cut down/off my de-caf coffee, have red meat only once a week, increase my zinc intake (and DH) as well as B6 and will only eat organic (where I can).

What's the general view on aspirin? What does ARGC think of it?

beginnings- HCG levels rising is a good direction! They're supposed to double every 24-48 hours, so you're good. Hopefully they will continue to go up and up and up!

frustrated- I have to be honest, if you have to be in the office at 9 it's going to be tight, even in the first week of stimms. If you get to the clinic at 7:30 AM for your bloods, you should be able to get out by 8, but if you need a scan, it's possible you can wait for at least an hour. You shouldn't need repeats in the first week, but they do warn you that it could be a possibility.

AFM, very annoying crampy twinges going on. Everything stretching? Constipation and gas? Probably, and no bleeding so nothing to worry about, but nonetheless...argh.

frustrated I'm away so I don't have time for a long post but just wanted to let you know that my GP offered to sign me off work for the entirety of a treatment cycle. I was on a very short protocol (was 13 days from the first down reg shot to egg collection) so I didn't. Also the Lister is less intense than ARGC. I work in the City and time out of the working day is also an issue for me. The doctor would have put something like "hospital treatment" on the cert. It might be worth asking about.

Managed to have an HCG on Friday as heavier spotting on Thursday night scared me. Was 96.6 so going the right way. That was up from 36 on Wednesday......fingers crossed.....

lissy fab news on the scan.

Keziahopes being a worrier is tiring isn't it? I hope we can relax at some point.

scrummy sounds like things are going well. Good luck for next week.