🎵 Anyone for a spot of Sunday Evening Xylophone? 🌈 TTC Bus 52 🚌

@blackcurrantqueen Congratulations!

@lakejupiter I’m not sure about the PCOS, but I’ll echo orders on the crap GP. My BMI certainly is higher than yours, and was worse before I lost weight. But it wouldn’t have been okay to every day that: it’s definitely not professional language at all. So glad you are changing, but maybe a complaint is in order too?

@Franklydear let’s hope for one more cycle?!

So, off topic, but I don’t get much EWCM. Has anyone used Evening Promise Oil? There was some in Tesco with Sunflower Oil that I bought on a whim. I haven’t had any yet, but does anyone know if this will help?

@blackcurrantqueen congratulations and may the plan long continue @Minster2012 obviously I like pictures if they are to be had, cycle shorter, I guess is good and aligns with ewcm, it's definitely more like my normal, @BellatrixK here we go again, at least a couple more times

@lakejupiter oh my God my jaw dropped reading that. What an absolute arsehole! I am glad to hear that you are changing GPs - I hope you can do that sooner rather than later.

Also, it's good that you will be seeing an endocrinologist.

As you know, PCOS is a spectrum, and everyone is different. I was told by a gynaecologist that I would need a lot of help having children due to my PCOS - now it's true that I'm not getting pregnant but I seem to be ovulating so my new gynaecologist reckons there must be something else up. So what I'm trying to say is that I made a huge deal about my PCOS being the problem when maybe it isn't actually that big a deal.

I'm on 2000mg metformin a day, and I take inositol too. Both are for insulin resistance and are supposed to help with weight management a bit too. I've been on both for ages and am ovulating so they seem to be working for me (I was on the pill before so I've no idea if I was ovulating before metformin). My endocrinologist is happy with me taking inositol so it might be an idea for you too while you're waiting for an appointment? PM me or ask questions here if you think I can be of any use to you on this stuff.

Regarding the weight thing - first of all, what a pig that GP is. I can't believe he made you guess. Anyway, I've had 6 months of fertility treatments this year and the only comments made about my weight by my nurse practitioner and endocrinologist were "slim" and "lovely and slim" and my BMI was 26/27 so that GP can fuck right off.

@blackcurrantqueen congratulations on your lovely news!

@lakejupiter mine has never been low either. 🙈 But the GP, hospital fertility unit and private ivf clinic all said absolutely nothing about mine! So I think you ought to complain! And in actual fact- even if it was bad, they shouldn't be saying it like that. 🤣

@paintfairy he's really atrocious and it feels like good self-advocacy/self care to change GP. I don't know why it took me so long but he took over from a really lovely, kind and super smart woman that I loved and I just sort of put up with it for ages until this fertility stuff tipped me over the edge. Glad you had a better experience with your BMI and hoping it won't be as much of an issue going forward. I put on weight in lockdown but I've never had a low BMI, and never been shamed for it before!

@lakejupiter 27.5 is not abysmal. Its under the threshold for nhs ivf. I am now about 26 but I was almost 27 when I had all my fertility investigations and no one mentioned my bmi or commented! What an utter dick.
@blackcurrantqueen omg! Congratulations! 🥳

@Somatronic apologies for the ramble and would love to hear your experience of PCOS and any treatment you have been offered. I'm not entirely sure how much is my notoriously rude GP and how much is me lacking understanding or being in denial 😂

@Somatronic I'm not at the moment. I'm 36, coparent is two decades older. I'm very confused about my PCOS diagnosis as I do have some markers of it in my blood tests (high testosterone and out of whack LH to FSH ratio) but no symptoms apart from I tend to gain wait easily -- I don't have any of the physical symptoms of PCOS such as irregular periods or hirsutism etc. i haven't had an ultrasound to check my ovaries - I was referred for one but then knocked back, as they said it isn't necessary due to my blood tests already effectively diagnosing me.

My GP is an absolute d*ck tbh so I'm in the process of changing GP but I'm also on a waiting list to see an endocrinologist. When I had these blood tests done my GP basically said it would be a miracle if I got pregnant without IVF, but also said I was unlikely to be offered any fertility treatment on the NHS. He also made me guess my own BMI which was the least fun game I've ever played. So I left that appointment feeling absolutely heartbroken but since then have done my own research and my blood tests do indicate PCOS but the markers of it are fairly mild (testosterone only above the normal range by 0.5%, progesterone levels normal for day 21). I also have a regular cycle and seem to ovulate according to OPKs, EWCM, progesterone etc. So I have been left feeling very confused about how much PCOS will affect my fertility, and when I asked my GP he just asked me why I would want to get pregnant at 36 if I've never tried to get pregnant before. I'm also trying to reduce my BMI (it's 27.5 which my GP also described as "abysmal" - trying to get it back to around 23-4) and figuring out a low GI diet to treat insulin resistance. Also waiting on coparent's SA tests.

Hey ladies

Beautiful little girl made her appearance this morning weighing 7lb13oz - the exact same as her sister!

The whole thing went entirely to plan, a totally different experience to last time!
Just got to hope she feeds and plays ball and we can get out of here tomorrow 🤞🏼

If anybody wants pictures and names then minster is my nominated person to send pictures, as we won't put anything onto social media for a bit! Xx

@lakejupiter it's definitely a learning curve with lots of ups and downs. I also have PCOS and used to really fret about my age (and my husband is 10 years older than me!) but as time goes on I find that I'm worrying less. I can't change most of those things and I'm working on the ones I can.

Are you getting any treatment for the PCOS?

I have def been advised by the gay coparenting/home insemination crew to have an orgasm post insemination for the uterine contractions/upsuck. Not the easiest when my coparent is hanging out in the next room and I'm stressing about syringes etc but I managed it. I do wonder if I did it fast enough to make a difference though, took me a good while post insemination!

Decided to start temping in earnest next cycle, been doing my bbt via FF app with a standard digital thermometer but ordered a more precise femometer one. So far my temperature seems to be slowly rising which is normal for luteal phase (7dpo) I guess but will be good to do it for an entire cycle next time.

I felt really positive for a few days post insemination because I had been so nervous about the process itself but the last day or so been feeling quite down about a few things that make conception more difficult - my age, coparent's age, PCOS etc. But excited to be learning more as a result of my obsessive googling.

Sorry to hear about your MIL @Franklydear. And so sorry that AF has arrived. It is lovely to have a cycle twin, but I was hoping for you.

Right I’m getting myself properly in gear. Diet is resuming (I lost 2 stone last year, but I’ve been useless recently). Bought some preseed and actually thinking of starting temping.

@Minster2012 and @Somatronic I also think this orgasm upsuck sounds much better than propping my legs up. That’s going on the list for this month!

Oh and thank you for setting up the new thread @polkadotpixie 😘

Taking my seat.

@Sunbird21 so sorry to see you back here x

Seems to be lots of newbies 😀 welcome all. I'm a long term passenger at the end of my thether 🤪

Will have a proper catch up and join back in at some stage. Can't be bothered with anything ttc right now!

Happy Monday 😀

Hahaha I've been doing it all wrong all this time. No wonder I can't get pregnant

@Somatronic the upsuck, when you orgasm straight after him /sperm entering so it effectively pulls it up you like a hoover. I'm typing this whilst doing a noise with my mouth 👄 kinda going an inward squelch??? I should send you a voice note on Insta of that to explain 😝

Thanks for all the kind messages ladies. You're a great support.

Good news about your MIL @Franklydear but I'm sorry to hear about AF.

I'm thinking about one of those cups too. I lie flat for 15mins afterwards but I feel like that's a bit useless. Sometimes I tilt the hips up though I've read that that is pointless.

@Minster2012 "upsuck"? I'm missing a trick here. Please explain!

@Franklydear damn it for AF 😧but a shorter cycle? Are we thinking is good?

@lakejupiter and having an orgasm straight after will create the illusive "upsuck" of the Sperm too so that's great!

What makes you think you are peri menopausal @polkadotpixie? And it can be very lonely, we are here for you

@MrsBiddy heyyy! Great to have you back

Af here @BellatrixK we're twinning again

Sending you love @polkadotpixie it’s all shit isn’t it.

@polkadotpixie I found it a bit tricky and def felt like the first time I used it post insemination I might have just displaced the sperm with it, despite a few dry runs with it. Second and third time were more successful I think and it def kept the sperm up there. I have a super high cervix esp when ovulating but I found that if I have an orgasm after I insert it then it seems to slot the cup into place 😅

@paintfairy that makes sense! My cervix/os def feels as though it remains open through my fertile period

@pennysays @lakejupiter the egg stops any more sperm entering, once one has got through and fertilised? But the cervix only closes after the FW ends?
@LoveQ apps only work on past data and algorithms, they aren't the oracle. So don't base things on it, just use it as a guide. Your body's signs and the opks (temping too if you do it) will be more correct. So don't stop yet!
@Franklydear great news about MIL.

😅

Haven't checked in on the bus for a while 🚌

Nothing new here, still not pregnant 🙄
Had my booster last week, however I learnt my lesson from last time not wearing my OvuSense when having covid jab as my temperature messed up my chart 😑

Fertile window pending next week 😏

Hope everyone is ok, If I've missed any bfps then congrats!

Xx

@LoveQ the sticks will be more accurate than the app so keep going 🤞🏻

@Somatronic you don't need to chill out darling I just mean don't worry about it 😘

@lakejupiter 😂tbh you are prob just as good as sloshing the sperm around as all the rest of us, that's why it took us years to get pregnant! I still can't stop creating a lake spermo under me each time we have sex 🤪

@Franklydear perhaps we should! And that's excellent on MIL

It's so awful when the men think that @larrythelizard or worst, project it onto thinking it's the woman's fault