Elderberry Pavlovas And The Eternal Sausage of Wang (Part 4): a frightfully good thread for the over-30s TTC their first baby.

I believe that your overall temps will be higher due to the clomid but otherwise you will get the same trend. It takes a while to get into the habit but def worth it and it makes me feel better to know there are other mad women waking up at stupid o'clock to take their temperature

really? Ive not done the bbt thing yet but think I will next cycle. I just get really hot with the clomid so don't know whether it will work x

Am tempted to test once more because if it stays down tomorrow I will know i'm out (and therefore no more testing this cycle :( I love testing!). Got very very faint cramping (it's not cramping but I cant think of a better word as it's not pain but it's a feeling) behind my belly button, and seriously sore boobs (as in if i lean forward they hurt (and i'm only a B cup so it's not like they're swinging around!). It's all odd. But then again I do this EVERY month!!

Yes, your temp normally drops just before AF but stays high if you are pregnant. To be fair i've had fairly erratic temps all cycle but it was a big drop.

Oh really hope you are! Does your temp drop stay up when your pregnant then? x

Bless you! I'm pretty confused what is happening as still spotting quite a lot which is not 'normal' for me... Like you say it's not over yet!

Oh I was so excited for you, although no AF yet so theres still chance!! I actually woke up thinking of you this morning!!!!

Have followed instructions but nothing I'm afraid. Damnit!!

It's not over until the witch sings.
POAS.

Have you POAS anyway? Stranger things have happened

Bumsy, sorry to hear that 2cats

Ha ha, sorry to keep you waiting, woke at 6 to take my temp and its dropped below cover line so AF will be on its merry way. Hence not leaping out of bed to POAS

Sidney I never had the abdominal scan I had the pelvic scan.

Fx for 2cats

Damn 2Cats I would be up at 6, even on a Saturday if I was you.

Any news 2cats? I can't stand the suspense!!

Pip yes just once the right time this month. We are TTC failures!! Will keep you all posted in the morn, DH said he could see the shadow from yesterday so hoping FF was right and I'm only 10dpo and therefore early testing!!

Evening all, I have nothing to add at the mo, just waiting for AF to come is a right pain in the arse! Another 10 or more days to go!!!

2cats - yeh know the stats aren't great for IUI but I'm so much happier now that we seem to have more of a plan. So excited about you POAS tomorrow lol!!!!

Sydney - oh god I hope you're right! x

Evening ladies
2Cats, what news? Did you really only dtd once this month?

Hello! Just checking in to say I have tightly crossed fingers for 2cats, but also feeling a bit jealous as AF has rolled in right on schedule at 9DPO (after 2 days of spotting). Am I absolutely bloody bonkers to wish I could have a normal, nail-biting 2 week wait like everyone else?

Happy belated birthdays to Happy and Aquarius. My birthday was very recent too, but I was too scared to say when it was as I have 'outing' fear!

Sidney, good news that things are on the move; I do understand how you feel about having mixed feelings though! As Captain has already said, your pelvic scan may well involve the 'dildocam' - it's certainly what mine involved! When my doctor booked me in for the scans she said I might have to have it, depending on how good a 'view' the sonographer got from the abdominal scan. As it turned out, my sonographer said she got a great view from my abdominal scan but that she'd prefer to do the internal scan, just to cover all bases. She gave me the choice and I figured I might as well! It really was absolutely fine - much more dignified than a smear test as she only had to look at (ahem) "me" for a couple of seconds, and then she was concentrating on the screen. Can't remember if you were around at the time, but this was all last month just as my AF spotting was starting, so I had to explain and ask if that was OK before she started!

Does anyone have any idea how long I should wait before my fertility specialist referral comes through? I saw the doctor 3 weeks ago now. I don't mind having to wait for the appointment...I just want to know when it is!

Sidney - it's great your gp is taking you seriously and getting things moving so quick. I've been on the nhs fertility ride for about 6 months now and no ones mentioned ivf to me yet, so I wouldn't worry. She's thinking pretty long term there.
The pelvic scan is what I had when they found the lump. It's initially the ultrasound that you see in movies, on top of your navel, but if they can't see clearly or, like in my case, they find something they need to get a better look at, they do the transvaginal scan - affectionately known as dildocam! This really isn't as bad as it sounds, and they will ask your permission before they do it. The device is very slender and has never caused me any discomfort (though I know some have found their cervix gets a bit of rough treatment if the sonographer is careless). My sonographer was nice and kept asking if I was ok, so feel like you can speak out if they get a bit "jabby"!!
The most uncomfortable thing for me was them pressing on my full bladder during the exterior scan (you have to attend with a full bladder so it doesn't get in the way). That was way worse than the dildocam!
Neither test is anything to worry about though, if you've had smear tests, it's nothing like as uncomfortable as that.

Are you asking what the lap&dye involves? If so, it's keyhole surgery (laparoscopy) where they insert a little camera under your belly button, squirt some dye up yer fanny and see if it comes out of your tubes to check for blockages. It bears no relation, as far as I can tell, to the ultrasounds, except in the sense that it is a standard procedure that comes after the ultrasound if no obvious problems are revealed at that stage. They basically get more invasive as they go along, which is a sensible way to go about it. If no cysts or obvious baddies show up in the scan, the next stage is to check tubes are clear.

Re my lump - they haven't decided if they're going to remove it yet, but I'm getting booked in for a lap&dye anyway, so they'll look at it then.

2cats still very much fx for you!

Happy belated birthday happy and aquarius! hope the birthday fairy delivered lots of cake and pressies

that's great news captain, must be such a relief to know it's harmless. Do they plan to leave it, or are they wanting to remove it?

2Cats all my fingers and toes are crossed, I really hope your one shag this month did the trick!

I had my infertility consult this morning. GP was happy to hear that my cycle is regular, and that I've had no gyn issues in the past apart from a series of abnormal pap smears which have been resolved. She gave me lab slips for bloodwork to check my FSH & LH levels, and a separate one to do on Day 21 for progesterone. Is faxing a request for a pelvic ultrasound, to be done at the hospital. It wound up being a hell of a long day, but I managed to get the FSH/LH done today, since I'm CD4 and it must be done between CD1-5. She said once all the results are in (bloodwork + ultrasound), to make an appt to review the results, and then she'll refer me to a fertility specialist.

Husband's SA consult is next week.

Honestly I have mixed feelings about it all. I'm happy that I've taken steps to find out if there actually is a problem, but I'm a bit taken aback that we're already talking about fertility treatments - I hadn't expected that, at all, even though it's comforting that it's available. Or rather might be - DH having kids already might bar me from qualifying for IVF but we'll worry about that if/when the time comes.

Her parting words were that we ought to continue having plenty of sex, not stress about it at all and not to spend any more money on kits, thermometers, pee sticks, etc - 'just keep having sex and it will happen'. Ok then!

Does anyone know what this 'pelvic ultrasound' is all about? is this the dreaded dildocam that gets mentioned sometimes? Is a lap & dye something that's done based on the ultrasound's findings, or is it just another diagnostic test?

all still sounding promising 2cats - keep us posted....

Captain - I'm glad to hear you finally got your results

Did everyone have a nice valentines day? Not v romantic here - af still in full force and oh had double booked so had non romantic meal with him and his mate

AF due Monday or wed (despite opk and temps still not clear when I Od). I have a frer digi test but I know the ones I'm using at the mo are more sensitive so waiting it out. It's gonna be a looooooong weekend!