Assisted Conception (and the bits in between) Volume 6

[rowingboat]

Hi all,
I just went to post on the old thread and noticed it had been locked, so here is a new one!
Come on in!

Hi all,

No Lissy Dachshund has dog fleas, not nits!

Sorry Dachs.

LAW I have just remembered your 'list' and am chortling. I do sympathise about the worry with medical stuff though.

Ooo better go, somebody wants me....

LAW, I cam understand the confusion. If you call them they'll usually talk through any tests with you. My (dunce-like) understanding of karyotyping is that if there IS a genetic issue, is doesn't always show itself to be present in every embryo you and your husband produce. So a healthy one got through to produce your child whereas ones with problems may be being rejected. I saw a friend only this week who has a balanced translocation - she has had 3 losses and a gorgeous healthy son, and her family only discovered there was a genetic issue when a nephew was born with a disability. I know that all sounds rather grim and I don't want to scare you. My experience of ARGC is they'd rather rule as much out as possible early on for the sake of a few hundred quid than face failure later. I never saw any unnecessary diagnostic testing but I can totally see why you might be concerned. (and in the unlikely event of a genetic issue they do PGD IVF to select the healthiest embryos.) Hope that's of use! X

Evening all. Popping on very quickly to say that Kiwikat (at the advanced age of 44) has been safely delivered of our IVF baby at 37 weeks (due to Obstetric Cholestasis) on 5th November - she's the most delightful little thing. Hope everyone else is doing well.

Kiwi FABBO, congratulations, well done. An inspiration for us all. How is DH? Have you picked a name?

Lissy Glad you are feeling better. I totally agree about being able to be around babies and pregnant women. I know I have a child so I can?t really say exactly how it feels but I do feel that it is better to be able to be around families etc even if it is hard at times.

Not sure if these comments are helpful! Look at this for some info [http://www.ehow.com/how_2214250_cope-babies-during-infertility.html here] well not so much info as more opinions!

Late sorry no idea why they have asked you to have a hysteroscopy or why they did not ask you to have one before. Ask and get some answers from the clinic. You sound a bit stressed ? which is totally understandable. Do you have anyone in RL you can talk to about all this? I think whatever you decide to do, get yourself some nice herbal tea and sit down and have a chat to DH and a think through it all. That sounded a bit patronising and I don?t mean that. I guess I mean just take a moment and take some time out. What exactly are you worried about? That they will find something wrong, that they won?t find anything wrong? The bottom line is that if they find something that is a problem they may be able to find a solution and if they do not then you may get the green light to go ahead. All this time you can continue trying naturally and if it happens naturally, great. I am not sure how old you are or how long you have been trying. I think that these things do have a bearing. Obviously, the older you are and the longer you have been trying the more included I would be to bite the bullet and go for the IVF but it is your treatment and you need to feel at peace about it. I can honestly say that after all the treatment I have had, nothing has been anywhere near as bad as toothache and most of it has been absolutely fine. By this I mean it was painless, not dreadfully unpleasant, not embarrassing, the staff were nice and the clinic was lovely. Anyway, good luck. Thinking of you.

BB Yes, sad, hugs to you, . DD is 6 next week. I feel sad. I saw her wellie boots on the side today, found in a pile of old shoes - they are size 4, she had them when she was about 2. They made me smile. How lovely. I could not take them to the NCT sale. I put them on a big dolly instead!

DD said today, can we adopt a baby! She said her auntie had told her about adoption.

I got the tiniest amount of blood the other day. But no AF what is going on!

Sorry for all the people I?ve missed out, it?s late and I?m tired but I love you all (said in a slurred voice!)
Love to all.
chocolate boobs to all.

Hi all,

Kiwi fantastic, that is such lovely news!!! You take it easy now.

Italian, what is going on with your hormones? Have all your tests come back as normal? There must be some kind of hormonal reason for the huge delay in AF's arrival. [scratches head]

So better get my bum into gear and sort out the documentation for my flight on the 29th. Am priming DS for my absence, luckily he will be at school all day and has activities at night so should whizz by.

ohh babynews! lovely. congratulations kiwikat

thanks italian not super duper stressed about things. will be doing all the tests and going with the flow.

rowing do you just get to go for one day? cause i think that would be dead tiring..

BOH we will be doing the test... part of me doesnt want to know if its a bad answer.. oh and did you use acupuncture? looking for a good one near the clinic. decided i dont like my lady....

boiler has packed up. no hot water or heating. yawn....

I did have acupuncture BUT I couldn't find any compelling evidence whatsoever that it's actually effective apart from maybe a meta analysis which you could pull to pieces if you wanted. I had it because I was desperate for it to work and had reached a level of mentalism where I was avoiding stepping on the cracks in the pavement! Quite a few of the ladies I knew were having it and I knew that if the treatment had failed I would have beaten myself up terribly. There's a clinic on Harley St just around the corner or there's Zita Snakeoil West's clinic.
I had acu before and after ET with my first cycle but only before ET with my second cycle, which is when I conceived the twins!

Lovely news Kiwi - all the best !!

Congrats Kiwi

Re: acupuncture. I have been having it for the past 5 weeks. Again, wanting to try and do everything possible. It is expensive but my lady is LOVELY and to be honest it is a nice relaxing hour, although last week it was VERY painful - build up of toxins from the drugs apparently...

Hi all. Just wanted to share with you a little something that cheers me up when I'm feeling like I can't handle it anymore...

Gotta love Sesame Street...

Hi all,

BOH laughing at Zita Snakeoil!
I have her CD, but find her very difficult to listen to.

LAW when are you having the tests?
I'm staying for a few days, don't want to be tired and fed-up, been there done that! Direct flights are days apart. I can't fly home directly until next Thursday morning.
I have managed to get a lovely padded coat on Ebay, it is so lightweight and warm, just love it. It has quite dodgy fur, which may be real, or do they make incredibly realistic fake fur these days!

thanks all for advice on acupuncture... my lady i have been going to (3 times now...) charges £50 per visit... but on sat she left me three times to answer her front door AND she seems to read her notes for the first 15 mins of the appt. I have been to one other, but he charges £100 per visit which is a little over the odds for me. i could buy lots of lovely wine for £50 that i am sure would relax me just as much...

bb saw you were the last to post and thought we were getting good news. i dont know how you can hold out til friday.. you are far stronger than me!

we went natural this cycle and i have already tested twice and am only 9dpo- both negative of course....

still no hot water or heat. boiler totally stuffed. glad i am not paying for the repairs (we rent...)

Many congratulations, Kiwi! Lovely news.

[delurks briefly]

hello

I'm a graduate of a former assisted conception thread (maybe volume 2 or 3?) - I used to be Caitni and my son, product of our first ICSI round at the Lister last year, was born in March 10 [waves to Lottie and anyone else who may remember me].

Just wanted to second the recommendation for Ian at Balance Acupuncture - he's great. A lovely guy, with a personal interest in, and experience of, overcoming infertility. I had some sessions with him during treatment, then the pre- and post-ET sessions. I got a lot from his calmness, good humour and understanding of what I was going through. He's also pretty reasonable (compared to the other two acupuncturists I went to during our years of ttc) and very flexible (I had my ET sessions at his house as it was a Sunday and my clinic wouldn't let us do them there).

Anyway enough of a ramble. I'm thinking of doing another round of ICSI in the new year, before heading back to work from maternity leave. So I may well re-join you lovely ladies if we do go down that route!

In the meantime, I'm hoping for many BFPs and positive experiences for Rowing Italian BB Lissy LAW and everyone else who's on here

[relurks]

FlipFantasia hi I remember you as Caitni, congratulations on your son.

Rowing thinking of you.

I'm OK but just feeling a bit fed up with work etc and just feeling like I am a bit in limbo!

Love to all.

Hi all,

Waves to Lottie.

Flip congratulations, I remember you as Caitni as well.

I did acupuncture for my second IVF and hated the actual process, but it did help deal with some of the symptoms of the fertility drugs, particularly nausea and back ache. My endometrium was 13 that time as opposed to 11 the previous IVF, but it didn't affect the outcome - BFN!

Italian not long for you now sweetie. What are you up to?

I'm still hyper-ventilating about going, but need to approach this a bit more calmly. Hate, hate packing!!
Have emailed the clinic and lied about having a scan (hope they don't need to see proof). I am probably being wildy over-confident, but my lining was always fine, that's not my prob - what is, I don't know!?

Horton what are you up to?

Caitni/Flip, many congratulations! I remember you, too.

Hi rowing, sorry to hear you are a bit panicky. If your lining is always fine (mine is too), chances are it is absolutely fine now as well.

I'm planning to have the Chicago tests in the new year and talk to ARGC and also Create Health and then do one more cycle at one of those places. Then that's it, it really is. The two times I've been pregnant before (one DD, one miscarriage) both happened naturally so there is no reason why it shouldn't happen again, apart from my age. But my mum had a baby by accident when she was 46 and that turned out okay (said baby now at university). DH really wants to do another cycle so I'm prepared to give it one more try.

Other than that, DD has tonsillitis, I have a stinking cold and I want to go to bed!

Hi all,

Horton, poor you and your poor DD! Tonsillitis (that's awful to spell ) is so painful!
Hope a good sleep and some paracetamol sort you out.
Interesting about your mum having her last child at 46. How do you think she coped?

Plans are up in the air at the moment because I have some light bleeding. Not full-on but still there. I wish I had just had a natural cycle, this wouldn't have happened.
Grr!
So now waiting to hear from the doctor and see what I am supposed to do next.

Kiwi and Flip--Mazel Tov on your wonderful additions. Wishing you health and happiness...

Rowing--Are you not supposed to be bleeding because of the hormones? Maybe it's breakthrough?

Italian--That's totally how I've been feeling. In limbo. It's a crap feeling, because there's nothing you can do but distract yourself.

Horton--I hope you and DD feel better soon. Tonsilitis totally sucks.

BB--From a ten year insomniac...no sleeping really bites! I've been relying on warm milk with manuka honey the last few nights. Good luck for Friday. Sending loads of sticky baby dust your way!

I did acupuncture before and after ET as it was included in my cycles. It definitely relaxes you, and that's a good thing. I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't included.

Appointment on Thursday set up by my boss. She tells me he's pretty blunt and no-nonsense, and she told me that she told him my age, and he seems very confident. CRGH open evening next Wednesday, and ARGC appt. the Wednesday after that. So things are rolling!

FINALLY going to Curves for tour and assessment tomorrow...

Rowing all the best, please don't panic, not long now. I hope, please God, one day you and I can meet up and compare bumps or babes!

Lissy limbo will end, it will work out, I do so hope for you too.

Indeed for all of us.

Isream where are you up to?

Keziah still thinking of you.

Well, me, irony! I got offered the second job, which I did not want as much as the first BUT amazingly in the minutes after I got the offer and heard the news I felt this amazing sense of peace and I realised I was totally happy to get the second job and at peace not to get the first. The money was more with the first job but it would have meant more pressure! With fertility treatment looming in march (I hope) which is just 4 months away! Yay, almost 4! I certainly don't want to be job hunting then. So staying in the place I work in a new role which is also temporary is fine, I will get my redundancy money if I eventually go and so I am not having to learn a new place and new people but just a new job within that place, which is fine. Does that make sense! Nothing to do with babies!

Horton hugs to you too.

Late and Val how's it going?

thanks everyone for the acupunture recommendations and feedback. much appreciated.flip and lottie thank you.

congratulations too on your little one flip!

rowing i have no idea what the bleeding means but typical that it arrives at the 'wrong' time! argh. deeep breaths about the packing. i normally over over over pack and then strip out everything at the last minute. on recent trip to aus with DD, i ended up bringing 3 pairs of knickers for 3 weeks... and 2 tshirts... i know my folks have a washing machine but....!!

congrats on the job italian...thats great news!

best of luck for tomorrow lissy

afm still no heating or hot water (out since sat) DD has horible cough but she is better off at daycare cause way too cold here. i have to be in all day to wait for plumber.. deep joy.

Congrats Italian - like buses eh?!

Hope tomorrow goes well Lissy

LAW I do not know how you are coping. My Mum lost all heat at hot water when the snow arrived last year, she wanteed to hole up in a hotel but my borther wouldn't move as he didn't want to leave the cats!! (he's 26 BTW)

Jabbing away here, 9 days in. Scan and more bloods this morning.