Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

IUI & IVF success! Graduates from "TTC through Donor IUI or Donor IVF or just undecided - all welcome!" thread #itcanwork #weareproof

59 replies

taydex · 30/12/2016 11:58

Hi all,
Thought it was about time we had a thread for all those graduating from the IUI/IVF with pregnancies/babies.
Little introduction for those who don't know me:
Age: 37
Method: IUI due to being in same sex relationship
Clinic: Bourn Hall near Cambridge
Success: Baby girl born 20 October 2016 following 5 rounds of IUI (plus 2 more where I ovulated early so abandoned cycle). 4 medicated rounds then 1 unmedicated which is the one that worked.
TayDex x

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Chasing · 10/08/2017 16:20

Hi ladies, just thought I'd do a quick check in. I love the other thread but it's moves a bit too fast for me to keep up. My partner and I are all ready and set just waiting for the day now which should be literally any day. Time suddenly seems to have frozen though!

How's everyone else doing?

Original poster
taydex · 04/04/2017 12:55

Hoping - I am sure there will be more meet ups, and not just London cos a lot of us don't live there.

Shoes - you've just made it too comfy in there. Mya was exactly the same. I would totally opt for a planned c section over squeezing a melon through something more like the size of a lemon any day! Just think of the benefits, no damage to the downstairs for a start, that's gotta be a good thing 😀

OP posts:
HopingForALittleOne · 04/04/2017 10:51

Hey taydex I've just caught up on other thread. I would have loved to join in the meet up but unfortunately I have sciatica at the moment so staying up North with family so I can get some help / support. It would have been lovely to meet everyone in person - hopefully there might be another one x

INeedNewShoes · 04/04/2017 01:19

Hi Taydex Smile

Nope! I think I have a stubborn baby! Although he has moved a bit this evening (I fell asleep in an armchair) and now I'm not sure if it's a head or a bottom that's digging into my left side. If it's the head it could be a good sign but I bet you anything that when I wake up in the morning the head is back in its usual place in the centre of my ribs!

Original poster
taydex · 03/04/2017 22:13

Shoes - any sign of bub turning round yet?

OP posts:
Original poster
taydex · 03/04/2017 22:11

Hi ladies,

Have you seen details of the meet up on the other thread?

TD x

OP posts:
INeedNewShoes · 29/03/2017 11:23

Don't apologise! Here's a link to the other thread in case it is the one you were thinking of:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/donor_conception/2886793--makeithappen-TTC-through-Donor-IUI-or-Donor-IVF-or-just-undecided-All-welcome-Thread-7?

Isthismummy · 29/03/2017 10:51

Ah sorry. I thought this was the donor thread. My apologies.

INeedNewShoes · 29/03/2017 10:17

Isthis - sorry to hear things aren't proving to be straightforward. You've hopped onto the wrong thread and I'm not sure any of us have any experience of Serum.

The other thread I'm on is the 'TTC using IUI/IVF thread but I'm pretty sure no one there has used Serum either...

Perhaps worth doing a search for the clinic name on MN and you're bound to find some useful threads.

Isthismummy · 29/03/2017 09:34

Hi all, I posted here a while ago, but this is first time since.

I was due to start an NHS cycle two weeks ago that was cancelled at the last minute due to them discovering through final blood test that I'm actually peri menopausal at 38. We've been told our only real serious chance now is through DE.

I have a call with Penny from Serum Athens this evening. Wondering if there are any Serum ladies on this thread who can advise please?

Original poster
taydex · 29/03/2017 00:37

P.S. 9 weeks already? Where does the time go?! Crazy.

OP posts:
Original poster
taydex · 29/03/2017 00:36

hoping - eep! Exciting stuff! Totally normal to be a little scared. Fingers and toes...

Other hoping - I totally agree with the batch cook idea. We filled our freezer up with spag bol, chilli, curry, etc. Just made a vat and froze a load, much easier to do before. Also a load of pizzas and bread. Get in loads of tins of soup etc. Maybe some freezer veggies or tins again. I also got in loads of nappies (various brands in case a particular brand didn't work for us. BTW so far Aldi ones are the best and super cheap) and wipes for the little one.

x

OP posts:
hopingandwaiting · 27/03/2017 03:31

Oh hoping, normal to be scared. When do you have a scan?

shoes, having your parents there will help enormously - even if they can just watch the baby while you nap/shower/make a cuppa. I can't comment on the c-section vs turning aspect unfortunately as I had a well behaved baby who was in the right position & ready to go. I do agree though; a planned c-section does sound like recovery would be easier. Do you have any more scans? That would tell you if there's a reason for your LO to be the way round s/he is wouldn't it? They're probably just comfy and stubborn - some babies take till the last few weeks to turn.

With regards to food, get bulk cooking now and get it portioned out into tupperware (I recommend wilko 6 for £1 takeaway style) or good quality food bags, and frozen. It'll be a life saver when it comes to eating in the first couple of weeks as you just need to grab something out and chuck it in the microwave, and if you've packed it full of veggies you don't need to worry about the enormous amount of cake/chocolate you'll also want to consume! Get bread and milk in the freezer too so you don't need to go to the shop and get easily prepared lunches (soup, pasta in sauce etc) and easy accompaniments eg microwave rice, so that you've always got something that only takes 5 minutes. That's definitely helped here and there's 2 of us!

Taydex 5 months?! Bet that has flown by! Hope you're all well. I can't believe my boy is 9 weeks already!

Right - he's popped off the boob, time for winding :)

HopingForALittleOne · 26/03/2017 23:27

Silently creeping back on the thread... 5 weeks and 6 days now but still slightly scared because of last month.

Xx

INeedNewShoes · 26/03/2017 23:10

I was planning on getting a Close Caboo anyway so I'll order one of these now so that I know its available as soon as I need it.

Original poster
taydex · 26/03/2017 23:10

Feel free to ask me any questions about the c section/recovery. I know all cases are different but mine's probably not that dissimilar to yours x

OP posts:
Original poster
taydex · 26/03/2017 23:06

Hi shoes,

I totally understand. Planned c sections tend to be less problematic as they have time to do a good/neat job of the cut/sewing up rather than when it's a crash/emergency and they might be working against a clock with a distressed little. No harm in thinking about what might happen though. I would recommend buyinh a Close Caboo carrier. You can carry the little one hands free from birth in this. It may well help.

OP posts:
INeedNewShoes · 26/03/2017 22:42

Aha, found the thread again Smile

Happy Mother's Day to you both Smile

Taydex - thanks for your thoughts on the breech/CS/ECV thing on the other thread. Until this issue with my mum breaking her arm I'd firmly made the decision that if baby is still breech at my 36-week check that I'll have a CS.

My concern is that I've heard that some women are unable to carry their baby up and down stairs if their CS wound is bad, so I'm worried about there being three adults in my house, none of whom can lift the baby easily: my mum with her broken shoulder, my dad who has Parkinson's and me recovering from a CS if my wound is problematic.

I'm pretty stressed out about the situation now. I'm imagining it being a nightmare Sad when I had been really looking forward to meeting my baby and enjoying having my parents around in those early days/weeks. Now I'm thinking that although I'll definitely appreciate my mum's moral support, aside from that having them there might create more work in some respects (for example, more people to cook for whereas the plan had been for my mum to do the cooking really).

hopingandwaiting · 26/03/2017 22:01

Ah thank you. All is well here. Hope you guys enjoyed your first Mothers' Day :)

Original poster
taydex · 26/03/2017 08:35

Happy mother's day ladies. Hope you are all well x

OP posts:
INeedNewShoes · 23/02/2017 18:27

Thank you both for your BF advice!

I've bought some Lansinoh and have put nipple shields on the shopping list for my next Boots trip.

And I've made a mental note not to leave it too late to start expressing and trying to bottle feed.

I hope you're both having a good week and that your little ones are on good form Smile

hopingandwaiting · 18/02/2017 09:37

I haven't used Nipple Shields so can't comment on those but I started expressing when he was a week old as I needed to top up his feeds and he took bottles immediately with no issues and now can go from boob to bottle and back again without a problem. Get variflow teats though as they are much easier for a little one to handle. I think the expressing helped my nips toughen up as I was doing it 8 times a day for a few days plus feeding so they didn't hurt much after the first week. Taydex is right though, regardless of what people say it really does hurt that first week but it gets better. And yes, I could get my own socks on! Getting my boots off was tricky after a long day but I could manage it x

Original poster
taydex · 16/02/2017 11:06

Oh and nipple shields are a bit of a marmite subject. People either love them or hate them. For me I'm not sure how much longer I'd have managed without them so it was nipple shields or formula. We used them for a few weeks, gradually weaning her off them.

OP posts:
Original poster
taydex · 16/02/2017 11:05

Okey kokey. Well I'd recommend you get a few things in as prep. I would recommend Lansinoh (or any other make) lanolin nipple cream. This will help your nipples recover from their new job. Also I'd recommend you buy some nipple shields (I preferred the ones from Boots as they're quite thin). I was teetering on the edge of giving up 1 week in as it hurt (in theory it's not supposed to if you're doing it right but speaking to other mums it's actually quite common for the first few weeks), my sister came to visit and brought some nipple shields with her. They were a lifesaver. OK, so maybe not lifesaver but they certainly helped me to carry on. 17 weeks on my little one is still exclusively breast fed. Also get support wherever you can (midwives, facebook groups, friends who have breastfed...). I won't lie, I found those first 2-3 weeks challenging but totally worth it now we're a dab hand at this.

Expressing wise they recommend not doing before 6-8 weeks when your supply has stabilised. We started at 6 weeks and were really lucky our little one took to it straight away. Other mummy friends of mine have waited longer and their little ones have refused bottles. Guess it's part luck. My daughter has 1 or 2 bottles of expressed milk per week to keep her used to it.

OP posts:
INeedNewShoes · 16/02/2017 09:42

Thank goodness re the socks! I love my socks. I don't like the feeling of my bare feet in shoes apart from wearing sandals on hot summer days!

I'm hoping to breastfeed. At 4 months, baby will need to go to a childminder for two short evenings (4pm-7pm) a week while I teach so I'm hoping I'll be able to express and baby will take a bottle of expressed milk by that point. The best laid plans...

Swipe left for the next trending thread