Faith, trust & baby dust! ✨💕✨ TTC 12 months + 🤞🏼 On this rollercoaster together with a little love, support and giggles to get us by! 💕

@xoJellyBean Still here!

I’ve had a consultation and scan at IVF clinic. Need to wait until my thyroid is under control and below 2.5 before I can start so more waiting around. I have a blood test next month to check my levels, I really hope that they are good then. If not, need to up my medication then wait for another set of blood tests to check.

I really wish they’d have given me thyroid meds before to be honest!

how is everyone?

Anyone still on here? How we doing? 🥰

@Tinkerbell098 If they’d start me on down reg two weeks after scan, that’d be amazing!

@Lauralozzle I'd say they may start downregulation about 2 weeks after your scan so you won't need to wait that long. Fingers crossed X

@Tinkerbell098 I think I’ll be cycle day 8. They’ve not said it’s a baseline scan but paperwork said it’s to assess womb, follicle count, thickness of womb but they didn’t say it had to be certain cycle day. Just the first they could fit me in before the consultation appointment the day after. I’m guessing after the consultation there will be another appointment where I find out about protocol and stuff. I’m hoping that maybe might start August/September.

Good luck for Thursday!

@Lauralozzle great news it's moving fast for you. Which CD would you be on the day of the scan? Is it for a baseline scan? I've got my first appointment with the IVF clinic this Thursday so hoping to be starting next cycle if timings work out.

Quick update from me:

CARE called today, all set up on the portal and scan and consultant appointment is in the diary. Scan is 22nd of this month and consultation is 23rd via video link. It all feels like it’s moving quickly now.

Need to keep on top of my diet mind, I’ve gained a few lbs since my appointment on the 16th last month so need to get my bmi back down to below 30 by then. It’s doable if I’m good!

@HopefulGlow I have a laparoscopy scheduled in for the end of the month now. I'm not eligible for IVF on the NHS as I paid in 2021 after the appointment mess up and had my daughter. I'm hoping a cause is found and treated so I can continue with IVF. I feel like I have no energy to try naturally anymore. I have bought clomid so I might try that in between IVF cycles, depending on what they find during the laparoscopy. Have you managed to get any further with your referral? I've missed quite a bit of the thread so sorry if you've already updated

@Lkdjul im glad it wasn’t too bad. Sorry to hear about the polyp but at least they can remove that. Good that your tubes are fine! That’s a relief.

how Is everyone?

@Lauralozzle It was actually ok which was a relief as I was dreading it. I’ve had a few friends tell me it’s one of the most painful things you can have but aside from a couple of quite wincey cramps it was actually bearable.

They did find a polyp so looks like my poor uterus has another round to go through but good news that they have something they can act on. Right tube was perfect, left a bit sluggish to fill but he’s pretty sure that is due to where the polyp is sitting. I hope I don’t have to have another!
Glad you’ve got a clinic sorted, good luck with the tests!

@Lkdjul
I Hope your hycosy went well. Sorry to hear about your OH SA. I totally get how things can feel crazy with speed things are moving at! It seems forever when ttc and then at once it seems to move pretty fast!

@LA9610have a wonderful holiday!

Nurse from hospital called today. We’ve decided to go with CARE as they seem pretty good, lots of clinics and they seem to do extra tests and stuff which we might need if we end up having to go private after this round.

Plus, they’re about 5 miles away so super close to home and pretty close to work too.

Paperwork from hospital will be sent to CARE end of this week. Should expect to hear from them in about 2-3 weeks. I imagine that’ll be to arrange appointments for more scans, another SA and more bloods. Will see consultant after that’s all sorted. Nurse reckoned that’ll all take about 3 months! Super quick if you think about it.

@Amy259 Thank you, hope you are keeping well! Can't be too much longer left to go for you now! xx

@Lauralozzle That's great you managed to get your BMI within the limit just in time, that's exciting that things are starting to move quickly for you, didn't realise you actually get to pick the clinic. I assumed they would choose!

@Lkdjul Thank you very much, yes I think I will do the wine swap and take a bottle of gin with me but not actually use it. Congrats on making the decision to go private, sounds like a lot happening for everyone now :) Haha I can relate on the wine, I was still drinking up until the night before I got my positive so I definitely don't think one glass would hurt but of course it's personal preference. I'm sure on the BFP podcast they asked the director of Oxford Fertility if a glass of wine would make any impact on IVF and he definitely said it wouldn't.

We are off on holiday on Sunday, looking forward to going away and not being at home for 2 weeks of the long wait until our NHS scan.

Hi All,

Sorry I’ve been totally useless. Life definitely took us over!

@LA9610 massive congrats! I bet you’re a bag of nerve and excitement all rolled into one! Highly recommend non alcoholic wine in a normal wine bottle or if you can get someone in the know to mix your g and t without G that’s always easy!

We got the results of my husbands SA and it wasn’t good. There are some but all in all quite bad OAT so we are heading down the ICSI route. We have been referred on the NHS but having had a friend have her cycle cancelled 4 weeks before starting my the Homerton and me being 35 we’ve gone straight to private.

I’ve had an ultrasound + bloods (including the dreaded AMH) and have a HyCosy tomorrow, husband has had a repeat SA and we make a plan next week.

Im feeling overwhelmed, excited things are moving but also terrified about how quickly they’re going now and also really bloody missing wine! We are on a strict abstinence plan of almost everything fun before we start and it’s definitely not helping my stress 😂

Hi everyone. Had my second fertility appointment today, so I thought I’d just update on here.

Good news is my tubes are fine, apart from my borderline thyroid and prolactin everything with me looks good. OH SA is also all good. I’m having to have a third repeat of prolactin and thyroid which I’ve booked for the end of the month.

Bad news is that we are unexplained at the moment, so no idea what is wrong!

Saw the consultant today, he advised can either do IUI out of our own pocket for 3 cycles, or referral for IVF on NHS. Picked the IVF referral as explained would rather save that money for a second cycle if required. He said IUI would be about 30% success rate over the 3 cycles so really not worth it we thought. I have no idea if an egg can implant or fertilise and at least IVF with solve the fertilisation issue!

Then got weighed, my BMI is below 30!!! I practically starved myself over the weekend (slim fast twice a day and 1 biggish meal) as I was definitely over on the start of the weekend. It was hell but it’s done the trick! I know it’s mostly water weight but it got me over the line! Just (was 29.9).

We’re now at the pick a fertility clinic for IVF phase. It’s a bit of a nightmare finding the right one to be honest! It’s between care Nottingham and nurture Nottingham.

I’m so pleased we’re getting somewhere now! Once we’ve picked the clinic, then we need to tell the nurse who will sort out the paperwork and send it off.

Hi ladies, just swinging by to check how you all are and delighted to see your news @LA9610! sorry to hear you’re feeling rotten and going off food, crisp sandwiches were my best friend in the early days… super healthy 🙃

Lots of love to you all, still always keeping my fingers crossed for all of you xxx

@HopefulGlow don’t apologise for the rant! You’re right and the CCG rules are stupid and massively unfair. Hopefully some investigations will help, and because every CCG is different it’s difficult to know the exact criteria.

of course I’ll let you all know how Monday comes. I’m trying to get some weight off me for the appointment to be honest, my bmi is just marginally over 30 at the moment, I’m trying to shift it but it’s a bit ridiculous. Might very well tell me I’m too fat on Monday and be left in limbo. I’m a size 12/14 so it’s not like I’m massive! BMI is such an outdated measurement!

I’m expecting an unexplained diagnosis given the fact that the person said on the sly it looked okay and to get busy lol at the H.S.G. I honestly expected a blocked Fallopian tube on the right given cramps I always have on that side.

@LA9610 I Hope the sickness eases soon for you! Plain dinners for me are like, chicken and veg, sausage and mash, pie and chips, cottage pie or something. Basic English stuff haha! Meat and 2 veg basically!

so, I’m pretty sure I ovulated- peak opk and everything, my resting heart rate has risen but I have no pms yet. Usually tell ovulation by the painful boobies afterwards for 2 weeks until AF. It’s disconcerting, I’m only 4dpo I think but they usually start feeling a little sore by now.

@HopefulGlow Strange isn't it! Such an odd feeling as well.

All was fine for the first 2 weeks but i'm starting to find it really difficult finding things I can eat this week. The thought of most things is starting to make me feel really ill. I made a few portions of chicken and chorizo rice at the weekend for quick dinners this week and its one of my faves but honestly even just thinking about it sitting in my fridge right now is making me feel sick 😐

Going to have to have a think about dinner ideas for things I can actually stomach, i'm thinking like mince and potatoes or something which i've not eaten for absolute years! If anyone has any ideas of sort of plain and boring dinners let me know 😂

Yeah DH is over the moon, he's been offshore since like the day after we found out so we've not had much time to talk about it or get excited together, looking forward to him getting home next Wednesday.

Literally haven't told anyone else yet... Not sure what to do as we have a family BBQ on the 4th June and I don't know whether to tell people then (9 weeks 5 days) or try and fake drinking by putting non-alcoholic wine in wine bottles or something. If I don't drink everyone will know because I never not drink (LOL) and they know we have been trying for a long time and I can't even use driving as an excuse because they live literally a 5 minute walk from us. I will have had the early scan 2 weeks before but still not like I will know 2 weeks later that everything is still fine.

@Lauralozzle exactly! I was like oh right and she just said your not eligible because of my regular periods. So here's hoping something happens naturally or else I'll just be stuck!

@HopefulGlow I was a bit of a party girl loved a gin and lemonade maybe a jagerbomb here and there! So going from nights out every weekend to be the settled down alcohol free girl is hopefully going to help (I weren't trying when I was a party girl though! I was single and loving life 😂). Oh really I won't be telling my boyfriend they said it's better because he will never stop 😅. It seems so strict but I'm speaking to her on Thursday following a blood test for my liver and she will discuss it with me more. I might push for some other tests or tablets or something

@HopefulGlow that sounds infuriating! Especially having to do your blood work again and everything. In our area, to my understanding, they’ll refer and do tests (ultrasound etc) but if one partner has a child already then ineligible for NHS IVF but I thought it was just an IVF thing but I also think it varies depending on CCG. It means though that if we need IVF, and luckily get pregnant on the first free round, any sibling would cost an absolute fortune!

I had my H.S.G the other week, it’s messed up my cycle though, only got a positive opk the other day (about 5 days out). Appointment is on Monday at the fertility clinic, so we’ll find out what the plan is then. All my tests are fine, no real idea if things look ok though. Lady from the H.S.G said things look okay, but it was on the sly like, officially I know nothing until Monday.

@Bubbles1995 nice new name 😊 Doctor refused to send anything off until we had been trying for 2 years. I’d query it and push it though, you don’t want to be nearly at the 2 year mark, miscarry, then have to start all over again because it’ll never end!

@HopefulGlow Haha I know, the only symptom I had at the point of doing the test was bloating. The bit that was weird was that I felt like I couldn't suck my tummy in at all so it didnt feel like normal bloating and I usually have a pretty flat stomach (I'm a typical pear shape!). I went shopping for holiday clothes on the Saturday and ended up getting nothing because I just felt so huge but thought it was because period was due that day and it was early hours of Monday I did the test 😂
Even the bloating has pretty much gone now but I have been eating really healthily since I found out and tbh I'm probably saving a lot of calories on wine because my wine consumption was getting quite high in recent months 😳. So yeah having some symptoms would be welcome but hopefully not really nasty sickness at least until after our holiday, we go away a week on Sunday!

That's so frustrating them saying there's always private 😠 not everyone can afford that! And you don't really want to be decimating your savings right before you need to spend so much money on baby things and take a cut in pay etc!

@xoJellyBean really sorry to hear that 😔, fingers crossed for next month.

@HopefulGlow yeah I'm the same having to wait till next April😢 I don't know how to feel I really hope it comes naturally but not sure. Why boyfriend is the same trying to quit or cut down on vaping. I've stopped drinking which I was a big drinker about two years ago and stopped now. I think I pay my taxes etc so why would I want to go private. I want the NHS as I don't have a couple grand sat around. If I could go private just for the speed of stuff I definitely would do it but it's not doable at the min. What are you feeling about it x

@LA9610 just such a let down with it all. Just a long time to wait I guess so hopefully it happens soon!

Af arrived for me so I’m back on clomid again :)