TTC for 10 months and the rest. Ten plussers welcome. Thread 2.

Sorry Star, realised it was a temp drop and not AF. It is awful when you have that thermometer in your mouth and you are just willing it to go high. I have thrown my thermometer across the room a few times in frustration.

Lucie the Dr offered to prescribe the 5mg but the clinic charge more for a prescription than NHS so since I am going to try to get the glucose blood test on the NHS I will ask for an NHS prescription. I have plenty of 400mcg so will use them up for now. When I mentioned it to my GP before he asked for a letter from the clinic as he'd not come across it before. Yes, I hadn't thought about banking until you mentioned it and it just seems like a really sensible option. For both previous cycles I had 20mg of prednisolone a day for the first 5 days from collection and then 10mg until negative test. With that in mind I'm not sure that 5mg a day will do much but I have some left over so no harm in taking it.

MPP, I think deciding to decide after Christmas is a good plan. I think having a really nice long chat about things is good and then you have time to mull it over a bit before actually making a decision. We've sometimes just had a rough plan, or a plan in progress but it is still a plan. I think one of my ovaries is only boarderline polycystic and the other is polycystic. It's amazing how much we learn whilst ttc.

Star, I don't think the NHS will do NK treatment as the HFEA are not on board. I will have to go to my clinic for the treatment which will be a bit of a pain but hopefully worth it! I used to take tests most months as I had quite a few long cycles last year - I think I was stressing myself out and was also taking loads of supplements and think I delayed AF. I had a faint positive after second IVF but then blood test was really low so either false positive or very very early chemical. There have been so many stories on here of ladies not having a whiff of a BFP for months and months and then BFP! I used to fantasise about posting one of those success threads.

I imagine, if I had missed a train this morning I would have cried too! I borrowed a dress from a friend who asked me to drop it in on my way out this morning and when I realised I had left the house without it and had to go back for it, my eyes filled up for no apparent reason. Completely random and disproportionate to the actual thing!

Yeah, the fertilaid was expensive, but we're spending a lot on the different supplements anyway, so thought why not give it a try. Our thoughts are, depending on what decisions we make of course, that he'll try it for 3 months, then we'll book another SA. If there is a decent improvement he'll keep taking it, if not we'll go back to something cheaper. I'm on seven seas, which is much easier on the pocket.

Yes! We can wallow and scream and cry at nothing - like this morning when I cried when I missed my train

Just googled Fertilaid - it's expensive! Maybe I'll go one more month on pregnacare as it's already shipped and then switch.

Thanks both!

Blue buddies! I love it star! Can we wallow and scream a bit? I feel like a good scream! I've been trying to lose weight lately and since out appointment all I've done is stuff my face with chocolate. Great. Still, I'm telling myself it's Christmas, so I'm allowed. Major dieting afterwards, so I fit in my wedding dress though hoping I won't anyway because of a lovely bump
Actually, I think Lucie mentioned fertilaid to me, and I Googled it. Combined with count boost, it has pretty much everything DP was taking separately, plus a whole extra bunch of stuff, so we thought it would be worth a try. The reviews are incredible, but then I guess it would mainly be people it worked for who would leave reviews in the first place maybe?

Thanks Lucie. You are an absolute wealth of information, and thank you for sharing it. I will definitely take a look and say hi over the weekend.

Sorry mpp, crossed posts.

Sorry you're feeling down in the dumps today. We can be blue buddies for a day and wallow, but then hopefully pick up, make a plan and enjoy Christmas! After 17 months trying and an 18 month nhs wait, I would get going. From what Lucie has said, Eastern Europe sounds a good, cost-effective option. Obviously a hard decision though and some of that will be giving up on it happening naturally. Still, from what I've read, you're a good prospect for ivf as your cause is male factor.

Good luck with making a plan. Once that's done things will look a lot more positive.

Did your Dr suggest fertilaid? I've never heard of it - been taking pregnacare conception his n hers for 4 months, obviously not working so maybe time to switch.

I have a 12 year old, Star. Bit of a surprise at 22. Didn't consider having any more until I met my DP at 31. He doesn't have any. We decided I would come off the pill and we would 'see what happens' but after 2 months that turned into peeing on things and charts and temps and the rest. It was kind of exciting. I was very naive and honestly believed it would happen straight away. Now, I hate everything about ttc, and I can't even begin to imagine how much worse it is for everyone ttc #1.

That sounds a sensible plan Trixie, saving the embryos for later. Will the nhs do anything about the nk cells issue? I guess you won't know until your appointment but I hope so. No point wasting public funds by not taking your test results into account. Fingers crossed for a short wait for ivf.

Yes, feeling really blue today. There's just no predicting how each month will go.

I can't remember now, have any of you ladies been pregnant? I've never even taken a test. Obviously a miscarriage would be awful but I feel very abnormal having not conceived in 13 months - let alone whether my body can carry a baby.

Sorry for temp drop Star. Every time mine drops, I drive myself insane by looking at 'charts like mine' on ff to look for pregnancy charts that have drops too. I'm silly like that.

Lucie, thanks for the info. After discussions yesterday we think having ivf here would eat away our money too quickly, so we're definitely looking at Czech. We're going to have a think over Christmas and formulate a plan and get the ball rolling in January.

Trixie, like Lucie said, it's great you have some new things to try. I can understand why you are holding off on an FET and I really hope the NHS wait is a short one.

AFM, appointment went pretty much as expected yesterday. Doc said never say never, but generally DP'S count is too low for natural conception and they recommend icsi. In my scan, he said I appear to have one polycystic ovary (I had no idea you could have just one!) and that my lining was too thin (5.7) though I told him I was CD10 and don't usually ovulate till CD16 so he said maybe there was time for it to thicken. So, after a long and exhausting chat last night, we decided to decide after Christmas. As I said above, this country is pretty much out so we'll be looking at abroad. In the meantime, we've ordered fertilaid and countboost, just to try and help. Feeling a bit down today in general but I think that's because we don't have an actual, solid plan in place atm.

Went through all my recent test results with the Dr. at my clinic yesterday. The biopsy result is fine, he said it doesn't matter when it is done, as long as it is within the normal range for that point in the cycle. I'd still quite like to have it done later in my cycle but it's expensive and painful to go through again!

One of my blood tests (MTHFR which I'd never heard of) came back showing that I need to increase my folic acid intake and will need to continue taking folic acid in the future - I've been googling and it all seems pretty complicated but apparently it is quite common.

Mainly we were talking about my NK result and next steps. I asked about having intralipids whilst trying naturally and he said he'd not heard of that before. In the book I have (Is my body baby friendly) the Dr. says that he suggests two natural cycles with immune suppressant and around 30% of couples conceive. My Dr. said to start taking a low dose of prednisolone (a steroid) which could help reduce my NK cell level and apparently it is good to do in the lead up to a cycle so plan to start that in the New Year.

Oh and my glucose levels are just above the normal range so he has suggested another blood test where they take a fasting blood test and then make you drink something sugary to see how your body processes glucose. With my PCO he said it is worth doing so going to see if my GP will do it.

I think we are going to wait for our appointment in January and see what the NHS waiting list is. If it is short we will wait and go ahead with a fresh IVF cycle. Whilst it is tempting to do a FET and avoid another fresh cycle we are thinking long term and if we use our frozen embryos on more FETs ttc #1 and then have problems in the future we won't qualify for a fresh cycle on the NHS, my eggs will be older and it would be harder going through IVF with a little one already. Also, I worry that we've used our best embryos already. If the NHS waiting list is really long then we may well change our minds. At the moment though a fresh NHS cycle seems a better option than a FET we have to pay for.

Sorry for AF Star. It's so hard isn't it. I've had months where I've had my hopes up and then they've been dashed but I've been ok. Other months I've not really had my hopes up but have been absolutely devastated. It's emotionally draining.

Thanks MPP, was a really awful AF this month but over now at least. How did your appointment go?

Hi ladies, meant to update last night but my laptop is pretty slow and hate doing long posts on my phone so do most of my posting at work. Went as expected but Dr. suggested a few things. Will write more a bit later.

Yes Trixie, I too was wondering how you got on?

Star, so sorry for the temp drop. Be kind to yourself. Xx

Hi everyone,
How were the appointments this week?
Trixie, did they advise FET with immune treatment as you thought? Are you going to do it? I guess it wouldn't be possible to squeeze that in before your nhs appt in Jan and cancel that one if it works?
I'm sorry for af too. My temp has plummeted this morning and I'm devastated-total contrast to last month but I think as much as I tell myself it's just going to be the same, I did get my hopes up.
Mpp, how was your appt? Will you get going on treatment as soon as you can in the new year?

Evening all!

Thanks for the info Lucie. It all seems a lot cheaper than I thought. Although we're waiting for further discussions on Thursday, we are tentatively looking into Czech now, so any recommendations would be great! I obviously haven't had much insight to the NHS yet, but I did contact them today to see what they said about waiting lists and they said it was just over a year now. From obsessive research I think i can see why you feel you have less hope there compared to abroad, but another go is another go!

Star, I've read that about the definition of madness too, but the one I tend to cling to is a ridiculous work catchphrase - if you always do what you always did, then you'll always get what you always got. I try and change at least one thing a cycle in the vain hope that that one thing will be what makes a difference deluded but it seems more likely that I wasn't giving anything a proper try, if that makes sense! Of course, now it seems likely that anything we tried wasn't going to have a whole lot of effect anyway.

Sorry for af, Trixie. The worst months are when she's bloody late. I'll pass on the info about your DP to mine. Maybe he'll be encouraged to realise he's not alone.

Good news about your appointment today Sammy! Fingers crossed they'll manage to fit you in.

All sounds good Sammy. Hopefully they can fit you in at the beginning of Jan. Even if it's the end of Jan though it's not far away.

Well I'd like to start after next af (due 28th dec) so baseline around the 2nd, but consultant wasn't sure they'd be able to fit us in so it could be more likely the end of January. Xx

Hey all, will catch up shortly, but just wanted to update on my appointment.

The short version is that we are going to do another FET but partly medicated to try and increase my lining further. I will take the estrogen (at a higher dose) but not suppress my natural cycle so I'll have natural estrogen and build up too.

He did point out pregnancies are achieved at much less than 6.5mm (Ectopics there's no endometrium at all), and that there isn't much research to say how to increase it. However he took my concerns seriously, which I was grateful for. Xx

Hi ladies, AF arrived here on Sunday so onto cycle 25 - seems a bit pointless counting now with my NK diagnosis. Was a day late though and must admit I did still get my hopes up a tiny bit. Visited my niece at the weekend, was so lovely to have cuddles with her.

Star, my appointment on Thursday is at my private clinic to discuss my results. I know they will try to encourage us to do a FET with immune treatment. It would be the easy option and is tempting but we have our consultation at Kings on the 22nd Jan and hopefully we'll find out how long the waiting list is for IVF there.

Great that you're getting started on your next cycle Lucie. I really hope the NHS waiting list here is nice and short and we can cycle together. Definitely stay positive!

MPP, my DH said it took him over half an hour when he did his first SA. When he had to do the sample for our IVF though he said it was much easier.

Thanks mpp, I'm no better than anyone, I think I'm resigned to the fact it isn't going to happen so my emotions are a bit deadened. It comes out in weird ways though like ruining a brunch w my sisters at the weekend by incessantly moaning about everything. Great company! They don't know I'm ttc btw.

I read on another thread that the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. Hmm.

So sorry to hear the sa results weren't good mpp but at least you'll start doing something different now.

Oh yes, I remember you're just doing embryo freezing this time Lucie. Will you have your nhs ivf next then? Feb? And then back to Czech for a sibling next year? (because it WILL work)