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

Rowing - yes, the consultant at my clinic who signed us off today, agrees with you, he said "I am so happy you got pregnant naturally, even if the finance people here don't agree!" This was the Director too!! Though it would not have been without the immune tests. One more intralipid at 11 weeks (last one at 7) only, which is scaring me - they have a light touch approach at Care.... think with Dr Gorgy it would be every 2 weeks so hoping it is enough. Steroids and utrogestran stop at 12 weeks.

Had a scan at ivf clinic today... measuring 20.6mm at 8+5 so very happy with that. It waved at us, awww.... Still a long way to go though, so mixed emotions.

Hi all,

Keziah I have been checking in to see how your scan went and am very pleased for you. What lovely news, It's funny (in the ironic way) to go through all you have been through and then have a natural bfp. Totally deserved if you know what I mean.

Lissy wah about the sleep. You must be on all fours. I have nothing to suggest, but am a complete night owl and I find chamomile mixed with lemon balm helps me relax enough to drop off, and exercise, sometimes breathing exercises (kind of meditation) knock me out. I know it's probably not up to the standards of medication, but you sound as if you are out of medical options. How are you managing the nausea.
You probably don't want to know this, but I'm telling you anyway. The one thing I didn't do for the birth of my son which I regret is going to a yoga-type pre-natal class, I think it would have helped me relax a bit more.
Also breastfeeding, wish I had known more about that. Obviously, that's just me, but I wish to share my wisdom.

Womanly good luck!

Hi to beginnings, lucy, italian,fret, scrummy and tortie

beginnings good luck for tomorrow!

keziah great news about the scan. sending you loads of calming thoughts for next four weeks...

lissy glad to hear your nausea is easing off. That must be adding to your tiredness. I can only symphatise on the insomnia in that I'm a total cow if I haven't had enough sleep. I'm probably not going to be the nicest person to be around if we do fall pregnant and I have a baby at the end of it

Welcome fretfree and glad to hear you're getting support from DH. Mine cut down significantly as soon as we started ttc, can't see himmstopping completely - ever!

Lucy fingers crossed yours is strong too. Exciting about the protocol...

Keziahopes well done. That's fab news.

Thanks for the good wishes Lucy we're all systems go for the morning.....am weirdly wanting pasta for dinner. Should I resist the urge??

That is good Lissy, great you have those appointments sorted. I have found out today I get to see an obstetrician the same day as 12 week scan to look at my medication etc. Discharge expected tomorrow, 8 weeks - so a scary 4 weeks with no one to contact.

Had a scan at EPU today - measuring 19mm with a heartbeat, so very relieved.

keziah- I get handed over at twelve weeks. Until then it's a scan a week, and I continue to take all the medications that they've given me. I'm curious about my immunes, though. Will have to ask about that on Friday. But I'm booked in for two appointments on the NHS, a midwife one on the 20th of August, and an obstetrician one on the 31st of August.

AFM, scan and bloods on Friday. Nausea starting to ease a little, but still very present every day. Super tired, and DH snoring last night did NOT help! I have all of next week off, so that's going to be some major couch potato time...

Hi Lissysilver

I sympathise about insomnia - I have problems sleeping for longer than about 5 hours at a time, but nothing like you. Occasionally I take a Zanax/Stilnox combination, but have not done so for a few months as I don't know if it affects conception. You must be going through a real dilemma. There are quite a few threads on the Internet about people worrying about taking sleeping pills / anti-anxiety pills whilst trying to conceive or pregnant etc and the only thing I have drawn from them is that (as you say) you really need to talk to your doctor, as every case is different. I really feel for you.

On holiday at the moment, so managing to relax. Husband is being very good about not drinking too much local wine - although I have to admit it is very tempting! I have been off alcohol since June now.

womanly - fingers crossed for you - when is the 2ww up? You are the first person I have come across who is on the same drugs that I will be using, so I am hoping it will be successful for both of us.

Hi ladies, sorry I've not been on for a while, it's been pretty busy in RL.
lissy glad the bean's doing well. I'm sorry to hear of your insomnia, but if the medical professionals are telling you it's safe to take the drug then take it and try not to beat yourself up about it. It's tiring growing a baby and you need all the energy you can get.
keziah hello, hope your scan goes very well. It must be agony waiting, but it is a really good indicator that you saw a hb at six weeks.
beginnings lots of luck for your ec tomorrow. Really hope this is your turn for a bfp and womanly so hope it works for you.
No news for me, had progesterone test yesterday so will let you know what they say scrummy and day 1 or 2 test next week to decide protocol. Given results so far suspect it will be short.
Hello to everyone else x

Lissy - totally feel for you, as I also used to use zopiclone for insomnia and haven't had it now since before I had my bfp! Hope you get good advice about it. When will the clinic hand you over to NHS? I go to Care this week and expect to be handed over then, at 8wks - though hopefully with more private prescriptions for the meds I need until 12 weeks (steroids, intralipids - 2 more maybe? and utrogestran pessaries).

Trying to keep calm is the worst when you have high expectations. I like the phrase cautiously optimistic. It's hard to not think optimistically, especially whenever someone tells you that you have to think positive for all of this to work...

Anyway, womanly and beginnings, I'm really rooting for you, and I hope that you're able to find loads of things to distract you.

Welcome to fretfree. Anything goes on here, so don't hold back. I don't really know about anything other than AMH...mine was on the very low side of normal. DH and I needed IVF because he is paraplegic and we can't conceive naturally.

Keziah- I know how you feel about the heartbeat. I'm terrified each week I go in for a scan that there won't be one there. But then I reassure myself with the fact that the little bean is the right size, I'm still nauseous, and my boobs are still sore. I'll be getting a scan a week until I'm turned over to the NHS. I have appts. with them on the 20th and 30th of August.

scrummy- Yay for good results! Now you have something concrete to sent to ARGC.

lucy- I bet you just can't wait for AF to arrive!!

Hi rowing!

Italian- In case you check in from holiday, hope you're having a fabulous, restful, and relaxing time.

AFM, having a bit of a crisis. I have been a hard-core insomniac for about 11 years now, and after extensive tests in America, they concluded that it's non-specific. In a nutshell, they can't figure out why I can't sleep. I've been taking Zolpidem for 10 years, and it basically works for me. But now that I'm pregnant, there are obviously some concerns. I ran out over the weekend, and I slept a total of seven hours over the three days. I've googled to death the medicine, and how the benefits of taking it must outweigh the risks. I don't know...I'm exhausted, and the thought of many more nights like the last three are too much to bear. Guess I'll talk to one of the doctors at the clinic....

Argh.

Well done womanly. looks like I'll be doing collection for ivf on Thursday so hope to join the two week wait after that. It's horrible. You can't hope but pin your hopes on this and the feeling of lack of control is just horrid and doesn't work for people like me so well either. Calm thoughts coming your way....

Thanks Keziah. I am just terrified. I know that is not good but I have built so much hopes into this cycle.. well every cycle. Just so badly want a good break. I can't wait for work at least I will be busy.

Ooh - congrats on being in 2ww *womanly". Calm is good idea, but I can tell you that I am not so good at that!

Hi fretfree - hope all goes well for you. I made my dh eat brazil nuts every day, for selenium and banned him totally from caffeinated drinks before our ivf - which really helped his numbers and morphology improve, as well as supplements.

Hi, thank u for all the good wishes.. insemination completed on Fri so am in my 2ww. I want to remain calm but that's easier said than done :) fret I am on puragon and ovitrelle... this is my third cycle of iui.

Keziahopes I really feel for you. You sound like you're really anxious and I have every sympathy with that. Fingers crossed for you for next week. Even if you're not checking in, know that we're all thinking of you.

[wipes face] hi rowing boat!

fretfree places like this are good but the Internet in general is dreadful IMHO!! I looked at fertility friends last year and, while i know other people think it's fab, there were so many bad stories on it, I couldn't take looking at it too much. Regarding the morphology, while I do think the initial results were as the result of not great testing, there were other things we did that definitely helped. DH is on three supplements. They're all by biocare and you'll find them easily online. They are maleforte, nutriguard plus and pine bark extract (specifically for morphology). Also, I would suggest cutting right back on the booze, and if he's a bike rider, then stop it other than no more than two hours a week over a couple of gos. The cutting back of booze goes to no booze for either of us during a treatment cycle. Also, making sure he keeps cool, doesn't sit for too long at work, drinks plenty of water and ejaculates at least once every three days.

As for me, no Lucy I don't think I've done anything majorly different this time (although remember,I did get pregnant from my last fresh cycle, so technically, it was a success) but I am definitely having more sleep, am trying to work better hours etc. Also, I think I'm doing more of eating little and often which seems to be working better. Another scan in the morning, we'll know more then!

Hi Beginnings, hi lucylookout, and everyone else

Thanks for the kind words - really encouraged about the morphology info. I am a dreadful google freak an avid researcher, so of course unearthed loads of horror stories. Sorry to hear your first attempts were not successful and fingers crossed for you both. I am still trying to get my head round a few of the references and people's stories - it will take a while. But so glad to have found a support base.

Can you remember what the fatty acid was? Husband is on men's vitamins, and zinc level is good, but they sound really interesting.

Hello... sorry not been around much, just read last few pages to catch up! Finding everything a bit stressful, with what has felt like a massive gap till scan at 8wks (so glad had private one at 6!) next week. Bizarrely got 2 scans next week - one NHS one, one at Care (latter one will sort out my ongoing meds and probable discharge from the clinic). I fluctuate from thinking I measured so small at 6 weeks that there will be nothing there next Thu to trying to keep positive that we saw a heartbeat. To be honest, finding out 6 immune issues when pregnant and being told all the medications needed to help has stressed me out, especially with my consultant leaving the clinic in weeks.

Hope cycles go well womanly and beginnings.

Italian - sounds a long wait for DE. Is it worth phoning clinic and asking fro a rough date to expect?

Lissy - so glad your little one doing so well. Great stats to encourage you!! Do you have anymore scans or tests or wait until 12 weeks now?

Hi all,
sorry I haven't been on, but just wanted to wave to you all and blow a couple of kisses! mwah! [everyone wipes face and grimaces]

Hi fretfree and welcome to the thread. Your blood results are really very good. My DH had low morphology, and apart from it varying naturally anyway, one fertility specialist I saw told DH to take Fertility Plus for Men supplements and a fatty acid supplement. In about 2 months he went from 2% morphology to 14%. Might be worth a try for your DH too. I did try IUI in May, but it wasn't successful. I think it didn't work because I have low AMH (around 4). At the time my FSH was around 5 but it's since shot up to 12, so that might have been a factor too. I had letrozole tablets and Gonal F, and then also had ovitrelle to trigger ovulation. The drugs were fine, I was worried about the injections but the needles are so fine you really can't feel them going in, and the drugs didn't seem to affect my moods too adversely either. I'm now going through a monitored cycle with a new clinic and hope to have IVF soon.

Beginnings your follicles sound like they're doing great! How does this compare to your last time? Have you done anything differently? So hope it all works for you this time.

Hi to everyone else!

fretfree you're very welcome. The etiquette for this thread appears to be dive on in. I think I joined about a month ago and everyone has made me feel very welcome.

I didn't got the iui route as my situation is different to yours. I have low amh and high FSH. The one thing that I would say is that testing for morphology is a bit hit and miss. My DH had an awful morphology test done last year but everyone since has been fine. The only difference we can make out is that the first was done at our local hospital where the rest were done by our fertility clinic. My point is, with a bit of luck, it might be better than you think.

Had my scan this morning. I now have one follicle at 17mm, one at 16, one at 13 and two at 12. Another scan on Monday aiming for collection on Wednesday. Things still moving in the right direction.

Happy Friday to all!

Hi there everyone - not quite sure of the etiquette of joining such a long thread: seems like I am pushing my way into quite a tight-nit group!

Anyway - to introduce myself: 39 years old and TTC number 1 (didn't meet husband until relatively recently and definitely didn't want children before that. I can beat myself up about why I didn't do anything earlier, but why bother - I didn't want them then. Such is life).

We've been TTC for about 18 months now. Both been tested. My results seem ok, although obviously could be younger :)
FSH is 5.8 (acceptable range for day 2/3 was given as 3.9-8.8),
Estradiol is 178 (acceptable range for day 2/3 was given as 78-226),
TSH is 1.45 (range 0.3-4.3),
LH is 4.1 (range 2.0-7.8)
AMH is 12.2 (acceptable range is given as 7.4-42.2 pmol/l).

I don't seem to have any problem ovulating - although I have given up with the sticks that you pee on (the ones I had were for use mid morning and for pee that was at room temperature - not ideal for the office!) and I don't sleep very well, so temperature monitoring is just not an option.

Husband has good quantity and mobility, but at the bottom of the acceptable range for morphology.

I went for the Day 1 dildocam this week before starting IUI and I have a small residual ovarian cyst (was not there when I had a HSG during the previous month) so my Dr has put me on birth control pills for about 8 days for it to disappear, then we start the IUI process. I will be on Puregon injections, followed by Ovitrelle to trigger ovulation.

Does anyone have any experience of these particular combinations? (apologies - reading back through 24 pages is a little daunting!)

Anyway - went on for a little longer than I expected! Hello to everyone - I hope to learn from your wisdom and experience and have somewhere I can share what will probably be very silly thoughts throughout this process...

Fretfree

Lissy there is almost nothing worse than that. I used to live below someone who liked the minimalist look. She painted her Walls White, had no curtains, put down laminate flooring and moved in before she'd put down skirting boards and had a party. I was not impressed. She also used to have REALLY loud sex with her girlfriend. Was really annoying. Sounds like all is growing really well for you! Fingers crossed that it all keeps going well.

Lucy I'm on my way in to check progress now. Have the usual nerves that nothing will have changed....but this is par for the course. I leave there really pleased and that lasts for 24 hours and then I get scared again. I can't think that the odd bit of sugar does us too much harm, especially for those of us that live in London and breathe the air and drink the water. I say eat cake!!

Morning to everyone else!

Hi all. Listening to the stampede as I type! I knew DH was going to write a letter, but I didn't know that he was going to put the blame on my shoulders. He still doesn't understand that what he wrote was totally humiliating. MEN!

Anyway, sorry don't have time to namecheck, but wanted to let everyone know the little bean is 17.2 mm, and my progesterone is 457, so things are looking very excellent. Back next Friday for next scan, and provisional appt. booked at local hospital for August 20.

Night, will check in tomorrow...

Beginnings 5 follicles is brilliant, I'd be delighted with that. And you sound so positive too which is great. I'll keep everything crossed that this is the one that works.

Lissy noisy neighbours are hell. There was a single Mum with teenage children in the flat above me in my last place. She thought they were responsible enough for her to leave them alone for the w/e while she went off and stayed with her new boyfriend. I would get woken up by Dizzee Rascal being played full volume at 4 in the morning, and noisy sex at any time of day and in varying rooms. Nightmare. I completely sympathise with you and agree that DH really should not have done that. Then again, you'll have a newborn in a few months so hold him/her up towards the ceiling when he/she is bawling at some ungodly hour . That'll learn'em.

Scrummy what great results you got! You must be relieved. Roll on your appointment. I did get my positive OPK on Tuesday (day 10), so think I probably ovulated yesterday? Not too sure, as I don't temp but I have a 24 - 25 day cycle so that's probably about right.

Beginnings I'm struggling with sugar today too. It was my birthday yesterday though (I'm officially 40 now and thought I'd be feeling extremely depressed, but as DS kept telling complete strangers yesterday that I am 41, I'm actually feeling pleasingly youthful) and I have chocolate birthday cake in the fridge. I'm figuring an exception should be made for that. In fact, would anyone else like a slice of chocolate cake? There's loads to go round Cheers!

Hi to everyone else, Keziah, hope you're OK, Italian, Rowing, Womanly and Law!

lissy at your DH! Did you know he was going to do that? I think serious amends need making. Let us know how today goes.

Scrummy that's great news. Fingers crossed that you have success really soon. And well done for getting the results!

Thanks for the good wishes. I found myself practically skipping to the station at 6.45am this morning saying, "this is going to work, this is going to work" Positive mental attitude and all that!!