Assisted Conception (and all the bits in between) volume 7

[Italiangreyhound]

Hi ladies Pumplinjoy, Shirley, Lissy, Keziah, Womanly,Val, Late, monkeybumsmum, tametortie and Rowing* - hugs to you all.

woowa of course you can join us.

Choco and Horton and londonlottie do you still look in on us?

Can you all find us?

Scrummybumb which book have you got?

Hugs to all.

Sorry I meant scrummy not lissy!

Hi everyone! Hope you had a restful and relaxing holiday weekend. Just a quick update...

I had my scan today, and was told that I'm follicle free and my lining looked good. Tonight I have officially started stimming! Yay!

rowing- How's it going, sweets?

Scrummy- It is super super intense treatment at ARGC, but I've already got the feeling that I'm getting what I pay for. EXTREMELY thorough, phone calls every night telling you what your instructions are, blood tests every day, etc. etc. They don't pull any punches, that's for sure!

Love and chocolate boobs to everyone else...

Lissy go girl. HUG

Lucy well done to your DH! That sounds really encouraging. Our gynea said to take selenium, zinc and vitamins A,C and E. No mention of fatty acids. Will get DH to take those too.

Italian I bough the 'guide to getting pregnant'. Would you recommend another one? Happy to increase my amazon spending

lissy really glad to hear you are happy with your treatment. Sounds as you are progressing to plan (is it obvious I'm a bit of a closet medic?)

lissy yay, that's great. How long does this next part take, is it around 2 weeks or could it be much longer? Here's hoping that it all goes to plan. I finding your argc reports very encouraging, and it sounds completely opposite to the treatment I got at the last clinic.
scrummy I also have a zita west book, I think it's the guide to assisted conception one, but I think the dietary advice is similar in them all. In that she talks about the importance of fatty acids, specifically omega 3 for both men and women.
rowing thinking of you and hope you're ok.
Hi to Italian and everyone else x

Scrummy have not read a specific Zita West book but I have met her and I think she came accross very wise, think I heard her speak at The Fertility Show in London. All the best for you in your reading .

Yesterday, I said on another thread (after someone asked me if I was excited)...." ...sadly not getting excited. wracked with confusion about if this is the right thing or not. I am just so tired of it all now. I do want a baby but I am just tired by it all now. Can't wait to be on the 2WW and at least have this chapter drawing to a close. I do, of course, hope it is a baby at the end but even if not, I will at least be able to stop and turn my attention elsewhere! Sorry if that sounds negative but I just feel increasingly worn out by it all. My healthy eating thing is taking more of my thoughts now! But thanks for asking, and all you ladies have been a big help."

Can now report that I am a bit more on message!

Last night I could not sleep and lay awake for ages. I ended up praying and just asked God to give me his peace about the whole process. At work today we had a meeting with lots of feedback etc, which was lovely. We started with worship (I work for a Christian charity so that is why) and one of the prayers was all about the seed of hope and there was lots of talk about things beginning and being embryonic! I can only say that I am feeling a sense of pace about it all. Thanks for commenting and giving me your kind thoughts.

Good luck to all, Lissy all the very best. BB hugs. woowa how's it going. ? Keziah, rowing, Pumpkin, Londonlottie hugs to you all.

Sorry that should be a sense of peace, not pace!

Hi lucy. Stimming can be anywhere from 9-16 days. I'm currently using a medicine called Merional, and it's making me feel super crappy. I guess with all the drugs I'm taking on top of having my AF, it was bound to happen. Hopefully it'll pass in a few days. In the meantime, I have to drag myself out of bed every morning to get to the clinic for blood tests and scans. While I'm exhausted at this point, I don't feel put upon, as ARGC are SO thorough. I feel good about my decision to go there. Also, yesterday I did my repeat immunes to test my NK cells. Will get the results in a few days...

Italian-I hope you continue to find peace in your decisions. It must feel like a gigantic weight has been lifted from your shoulders.

Oh BB, I'm so terribly sorry. I wish you the best of luck with everything.

woowa- You still around? How are you?

scrummy- I did the same thing as you when I first started, googling all the terms and abbreviations. You'll get the hang of all the lingo soon enough!

AFM, plan on resting the whole weekend, although it's hard when you have to be at the clinic at 8 AM every morning!

Kisses and hugs to all...

YES Lissy it is. I feel so much better. I know it is a terribly silly way of listening to God but I sometimes just read a random bit of the Bible for inspiration. I read my kids 'Baby Bible' as I was upstairs and could not find my own one (which was downstairs). I know it is not a great way to do it, to just turn to a bit and read (don?t try this at home kids!) but I did. This is what I got on pages 10 and 11 for the story of creation accompanied by stunning pictures of a tiger and bear, a fox and giraffe etc (remember it is a baby Bible so very few words!).

"Then God made everything in it. Wow! God was pleased."

here

OK I know that sounds so cruddy but I just needed to feel a sense of peace about trying again. I realised that all of creation is God's anyway, and God was pleased with creation. My tiny part in this is just trying to bring a new life. It did help the other day when a lady was talking on a Radio 4 programme about doing an altruistic kidney donation. I kind of realised that so many of us are trying to bring life, share life, it was very positive.

Hi ladies, I've updated the roll call and made our names bold, my update is it is now looking like September for final treatment!

Hope you can update/change/add yourselves if wish to

BB 42, 1 DS aged 4, unexplained fertility - problems with embryos sticking, 2 failed IVFs, this is last cycle
Italiangreyhound 46, DD aged 6 (from IUI), MC 2006, IUI/failed IVF, awaiting IVF donor eggs September 2011
KeziahHopes 36, no children, male factors and testing for immue issues, failed Ist ICSI March 2011, no frosties.Waiting to see consultant in July.
Lateatwork 40, DD aged 2.5 3 MC, frozen eggs 2006, IVF at ARGC twins due October (using fresh ingredients...)
LissySilver 36 (almost 37) DH is T4 paraplegic, so IVF a must. 1st cycle May 2010 successful, miscarried at 8 weeks. Cone biopsy following an ERPC. Second cycle Oct. 2010 unsuccessful. Starting at ARGC next week!
LucyLookout 39, DS aged 3.5, low ovarian reserve, DH all OK, 20 week termination Feb 10, 8 week mc June 2010, failed IUI cycle May 2011. ARGC appt in July.
Monkeybumsmum 35, DS aged 4, 2 MC's 2008, 2nd trim. loss 2010, failed cycle IUI 4/11, 2nd cycle about to start.
Nooknook 32, low ovarian reserve and thyroid issues, on 1st IVF cycle.
Tametortie 30, 1 dd with previous partner, unexplained fertility, TTC 4 years- 1 mmc in may 2008, currently egg sharing at crm in Coventry.
WomanlyTales 35, PCOS, Clomid resistant, 1st cycle IUI failed, Waiting for next steps
Woowa, 32, DH is C5/6 incomplete tetraplegic, IVF with ICSI only possibility. DD 14 months from 1st cycle, now onto second cycle

Hugs to you all.

Hi all

Sorry for radio silence, been away for most of last two weeks - good timing to coincide with the 2ww. Anyway, got a BFP yesterday :) Can't quite believe it, and in fact, am putting all excitement out of mind until i've had a scan (IVF patients get one at about 8-9 weeks here), because we all know that things don't always go smoothly.

Trying to catch up on the thread...can someone summarise the big news?!

woowa wonderful news! So pleased for you.

Would not feel confident to summerise anyone's news except my own! My own is that I went through a wobble, wondered if it was all worth it, then decided it was and am now all excited again for treatment due in September. A much longer wait than I had hoped, we expected 10 months but it will be more like 13 but there we go!

Love to all.

Woowa I was wondering where you got to. That's fantastic news! Congratulations. How many embies were put in? Very excited for you x

My summary is that the May IUI didn't work. I'm (hopefully) moving to ARGC late Summer so for now I'm having a couple of months off of living like a pregnant woman when I'm not, IYSWIM.

BB I'm so sorry to hear your news and I hope you're dealing as well as can be expected with it. What a roller coaster this all is. I know your DH felt strongly about adoption, but what about egg donation? Is that something you have ever thought about?

Italian I sensed you were having a wobble, but am glad that you are once more resolved and happy with your decision. It's tough waiting 10 months, let alone 13. Hoping things work out for you very, very soon.

Rowing are you still out there? How are you my dear?

babyB - so sorry for your negative test. Life can be so cruel and seemingly unfair at times.

Lucy - hope you like ARGC and find it helpful.

am beginning to wish I was nearer London for more options for treatment - waiting is hard, so Italian enjoy your summer and holiday and then it will be you next!

BB I am so sorry, I missed your post, I saw lissy's post and replied to that and I totally missed yours. I am so very sorry.

BB I am so very sorry, posting the list of us all must have looked totally crass and crap, it was a mistake as I had not read your post.

I know you already have one DS. I know how important this attempt was. There is not much I can say, except that I really hope you and DH will find peace amid all this. It is total crap, there is no other word for it. But your little son is a blessing and maybe after all this you can at least feel you have made your best attempt at a sib for him. He has you and DH and so much love directed at him, and you are (I feel sure) an excellent mum. So even though it is heartbreaking and terrible, I do hope you will find some peace.

All best wishes for the future.

Hello. I feel very sheepish coming along (again) and posting but have been keeping up with the thread but not posting-don't know why really-Well yes, I do-have felt so horrid about everything on this HORRID infertility journey and don't think I wanted to face anything. So many nights crying madly and feeling like it will never be our time-listening to friends announcing pregnancies while I'm nodding happily quietly going AAAAARRRGH!!!!

It's good to read so many of you have positive things to say and I feel gutless now saying all this when so many people have had a rough/rougher time. Am very sorry BB to hear your news-there is little to say to make you feel better but you know you have the support of people on here. Also to Italian I think you are super kind and lovely and I wish you the very best of luck. xxxxx

Thanks, pumpkinjoy no worries about not posting for a while, we are here when needed. There is usually someone about. I am off to bed now. I am sorry it has been tough for you; I don't remember your story. Are you trying for number 1 or do you have a DC already? It is really tough. Whether it is the first or a later one. Whatever your situation, if it will help to share it, do. I can?t remember your whole situation. I think in the past I mentioned Zita West books to you, and you talked about IUI and IVF and so I am not sure if you have had IUI or IVF yet or not. Sorry to be dim but there are lots of names on here to keep track of.

Off to bed now. Night all.

Hi Italian thank you for your message. Yes, TTC first DC since feb 2008. BFP with 2nd IUI september 2010 (found to have short luteal phase so prescrbed progesterone injections) but sadly MMC at 6w5d and ERPC on 31/10. Since then decided on x2 further IUI with unfortunately no luck, but had already reached top of IVF waiting list. Now due for EC on 13th of this month-hope that unlucky number is not telling us something! Having first scan this tuesday after starting my stims on tuesday last wk.

So, Italian have read that you're embarking on IVF for september? I get the impression you would have thought cycle might start earlier but you have now come to terms with this? I guess alot of people on here wish things wd 'start' earlier so to speak-but as we all know on here life has a habit of generally not working out like that.... BTW, I very much enjoyed reading your earlier post about the more spiritual side of this TTC journey-about creating life but in a different, more challenging way (assisted) to the more 'natural' method. It was very nicely put and made me feel calm (have had a bit of a tense time since starting the stims, down regs were fine)

Well, hope all have a fantastic relaxing sunday-Where's the sunshine gone??! Sending everyone best and hoping for some positive vibes very soon for all of us xxx

Hi all,
sorry not to have been on, it's been very full-on this week and I'm having some time to rest.

Woowa congratulations, hope it all goes smoothly and is competely uneventful until bubs arrives.

BB sorry to hear this cycle didn't work out , it is so hard to go through this stuff, but, from what I remember, there are other things in life which are actually quite nice and enjoyable, which, kind of, get forgotten in the ivf grind.
Take time to grieve and don't forget to go shopping and eat ice-cream. Big Hug!

Sorry for not replying to everyone, but waves and kisses to you all.

My news is, well the good news is, I was/am pregnant, the bad news, it was/is in the wrong place and I'm having to take methotrexate to prevent an ectopic pregnancy from growing and causing me a lot of trouble.
The embryo kept growing slowly, because it wasn't in the uterus, they think it may have attached itself to an ovary? ?. Got lost? Not been in the UK before? Don't know? I can vouch for those Czech embryos being incredibly tough and growing in the most adverse of circumstances.
So that's it for me until the final cycle, which will probably be in SEPTEMBER - ITALIAN!!
This is sad, but I actually feel heartened by the fact that an embryo stuck around, albeit in the wrong place. I hope, hope, hope the next one sticks and doesn't go wandering off again.

congrats on bfp Woowa - how many did you have in? Looking forward to hearing your scan results x

Rowing my darling I can't quite believe it. What a terrible thing to happen. I just wish I could give you a real hug; you have certainly been through the mill. I guess we may well end up as cycle buddies after all. I am sincerely hoping my embie transfer will be early September.

Yes Pumpkin when we joined the list in July last year we were told 10 months. In the past the donor co-ordinator was completely correct to the month with her estimation and embie transfer happened after 14 months or whatever was said but she did caution when she said 10 that it might be 12. And had we not had a holiday booked for July and been able to start treatment this month as she had suggested then it would have been July, which would have been 12 months. BUT having chatted to DD about hols and we are going to meet up with others and it all being arranged I did not feel right about changing/losing our dream holiday. So the treatment is being postponed by just a few weeks but that will put us into September I think.

BB I hope you will pop on to say hi, we are thinking of you. I still feel bad for missing your post!

Keziah are you better now?

woowa was it one or two and have you named it/them???

HUGS to all.

So sorry, rowingboat about your news, completely heartbreaking. And bb too.