TTC for 10+ months, part 3

[joycep]

The other thread was just about to fill up and so here we are again with a slightly different name now as many of us have been trying for well over 12 cycles now. We had a few great successes on Part 2, with a couple of people getting bfp's on their 17th and 19th month of trying. So let's hope for more successes on Part 3. (Moaning, crying, sadness, anxiety & bitterness is certainly allowed on here!)

Yes I saw that, manuka is very healthy, so maybe it's similar to the good diet thing.

I've had a jacket with coronation chicken, I'm still starving! I'm going to have to succumb to crisps :(

My cycle length is on average 26 days, here are my last few lengths in reverse order..

25, 25 (started acu), 27, 21, 30 ( on honeymoon), 25, 24, 22, 25, 23, 26, 24, 24, 24, 24, 25, 24, 23, 25, 24, 28, 21...

So they are pretty inconsistent. The acu man said anything under 25 isn't likely to result in a pregnancy so they are results back to march last year and only 10 out of 22 cycles are really viable..

They are quite changeable aren't they. But whereever you look it says 24 days + is considered normal. And my gynae seems to think it doesn't matter. I will press her on it though. I think you need to go back on another honeymoon holiday - a 30 day cycle was good! But what is your luteal phase lenght, do you know?

Welcome back izzy. Well there is sod's law working his sodding magic. But i'm pleased your cycle has kicked in again. How long did it take you to conceive your first child out of interest?

Hi joycep,

Typical isnt it!? We conceived first in 9 months but even then my cycles ranged from 24-42 days long! Thats why we bought a CBFM which showed my ov date changed dramatically from day 16 to day 30! At least with the monitor we knew when to DTD as it were!

joycep I am also contemplating purchasing manuka honey tonight.

If anyone has some snake oil to sell they can find me in the St Paul's area.

Sigh.

I'm 4dpo and since yesterday I have had a pinching uncomforable feeling in my womb area. I've had it many times before, usually around 7dpo. I am sure it is attempted implantation.

Izzy - how annoying to have such irregular cycles, poor you.

euro - you will find me in the soho backstreets buying snake oil and rhino balm just before i book a trip to Kununurra in deepest Australia. Apparently the waters there got Nicole Kidman and 7 other crew members pregnant. Are you getting this attempted implantation looked at? Is this an immune thing which is preventing it?

The lengths we go to, eh?

I am having general fertility investigations first. Will move on to looking at the immunology/raynaud's stuff after our next appointment with the gynae in November.

Of course I know my mutual phase length :) it was 9/10 days but the last 2 with acu have been 12 days :)

I hear ya on the snake oil purchasing Joycep and euro I have been buying/trying something every cycle so far, they have mostly been sensible stuff like the CB monitor, and I have bought some preseed to try next month but have also included a magic crystal egg(!) , havnt heard of manuka honey, but I'll probably be googling it when AF hits and I'm looking for next months 'cure'! I ov'd at day 20 or 21 this month according to the monitor, so 'short luteal phase' is probably my next thing I will worry about, am CD25 at the moment, so far no pmt symptoms, no preg symptoms either, but at day 4 PO they would only be imaginary anyway. have started my PGCE last week and am enjoying it so far, am already nervous about what my placement will be like thoug! sorry to hear your AF on hols tale Izzy at least it has come though, going so long between cycles must be awfull when TTCing I guess you never know where you are.

Popcorn and wine all in Madchester? Woooo! I did have reflexology in the centre of Manchester once near the 8th day - the place looked scary from the outside but it was lovely inside... will have to check it out again.

jocep the bacteria in the live yoghurt competes with the fungus that causes the thrush. Yucky I know, but there are no bacteria sources that are more pleasant. Yoghurt is not so bad really... not compared to the probe-avec-condom at the gynaecologist...

Regarding the IBS question - this has come up once before and a few of us have IBS, so we wondered about this. In fact (I had totally forgotten about this) my gynae asked me only about 10 questions in my first meeting with him, and one of these was about my bowel movements and he noted down that I have IBS-symptoms. Bearing in mind that there were only about 10 other things on this piece of paper, he must have felt it was relevant!

I'm another IBS sufferer. Mine came on about 12 or so years ago and is now more or less cleared up, as long as I don't eat large amounts of dairy. I wonder if it will be another common feature of the long term ttcers like the Raynaud's. It's something else that gets a mention in Dr Beer's book on Reproductive Immunology although I can't remember what it says about it off the top of my head. I recall that migranes are mentioned too (something else a couple of people on here have).

My gynae asked me nothing about my medical history apart from STIs and whether me or my husband had been/made anyone pregnant before.

I thought I just posted, but the wind is playing havoc with our phone line and therefore Internet. Trying on "rural" 3G now.

I have similar pains euro. I'm 6dpo ish today and had them today. I think I have a normal LP and bloods showed progesterone was 55 so can't be my lining starting to shed surely? And if it is attempted implantation, what next? Cos it ain't sticking .

Will try to catch up properly once normal Internet has resumed. Lost one big branch already tonight, fingers crossed for no damage by morning!

By the way, I meant the period style pains, not the IBS!

Well that's us just back from hospital, handed in the sperm sample. Forgot to ask how long results would take. DH was a bit at how little there was! Hope that doesn't mean bad results, as just now its pretty obvious I'm the problem, would be a bit crappy if he was too!

Nelly, we are close to being cycle twons - I am 5dpo. I'm not sure what next. I am pinning my hopes on the immunology stuff.

Hi all,

Thanks for all the advice out there.

Manuka honey hey? Now that's one I haven't heard of. Anyone tried Agnus Castus - i hear it's a herbal remedy for solving irregular/absent periods.

Been off ill for two days :( Spent the entire day yesterday curled up under a duvet in my pj's watching girlie chick flicks - all of which I have to add just end with a family randomly being produced. Wondering whether this last course of Clomid is finally taking it's toll, haven't had side effects so far but intense migraine and feeling generally poo could be the result I guess.

Does anyone ever worry that fiddling with things will increase the chances of an abnormal birth?

The list of foods to avoid, and incorporate is great, anyone able to actually follow it? I'm ok on the healthy eating bit, but rubbish at the eating regularly bit as I end up having long gaps between meals. Seeing a dietician and I truly think she believes this is the sole cause of may failure to conceive. I keep trying to kick start it into action, but old habits die hard. Another thing to make me feel guilt ridden that it's all my fault!

Off to hosp on Thursday morning to see if I have any eggs growing, fingers crossed, but also strongly considering giving it all up and concentrating on being healthy and hoping that nature eventually gives me a break!

Definitely thinking about what I can do in the future a bit more positively now, I am going to pursue the law of sod!

That should say twins not twons of course. I have no idea what twons are.

I'm trying AC. It is called nature's Clomid, so you shouldn't take it alongside Clomid.

I've been on it for about 2 months. It seems to have brought my ovulation forward by a day (I have gone from alternating between days 15 and 17 to 14 and 16). It is a small change but it's something. I am using it alongside acupuncture (it was my acupuncturist who suggested it).

I hope you feel better soon.

Just popping in to say to Izzy that apparently anywhere from 2.5 ml is OK, though I have read that that may be revised down to 1.5 ml. My H 'did' 1.1 ml, which is among the many, many things that are abnormal about the sample, though he told me it was 'about a teaspoon' - obviously he was being overly optimistic... I don't think it's uncommon for the volume to be affected by the stress of producing it to order - that's why the first sample is usually not very good (I have been told) - so don't worry too much if results are not great.

Hi Euro. So with AC where did you buy it from and how much/how often do you take it?

I thought you had to be really careful taking AC. Off to the gym.
I reckon diet is my issue too, but I can't help eating rubbish! :(

Just bought Manuka honey online. Can I get anymore gullible!

Karbea - yes sorry, stupid question about LP when I realise at ths stage, we probably know everything about our cycle!

skeleton - good luck with the pgce. I hope it keeps your mind off all those snake therapies etc!

Thanks purple - presumably i can get unscented live yoghurt? not sure strawberry yoghurt would be the way forward!

hi to everyone else.

karbea yes, you should be careful with agnus castus. It is pretty powerful stuff and I have read it has messed some posters' cycles up. I am taking under the advice of an acupuncturist and herbalist and it seems to be doing what it should, so far.

I buy mine at the shop under Hale Clinic cos it's near where I go for acupuncture but they seem to sell similar in Holland & Barrett. It's a tincture not a tablet that I take. I have worked up to 0.5ml twice a day over a couple of months.

Morning lovely ladies!

Well done on starting you PGCE skelly, and I am sure you will be fine in your placements!! Exciting stuff to keep your mind off obsessing... My course has also started and it is really fun, but it takes so much time and energy. I have not had a chance to post for ages! I am hoping it will take my mind of TTC so well, that I can be one of those annoying people that go, as soon as I stopped worrying I got my BFP .

How much did you OH produce izzy? Mine did a measly 1ml for his first SA and 1.6 for the second. And our gyn was claiming this was not an issue as the quality was okay (26 and 32 were the numbers of volumexmobilityxwhatistheotherfactor?). It is good to get stuff moving in any case. How annoying about AF's visit in your hols. Bloody typical. munki what is your status now? Waiting on another SA or? I missed your updated stats. Very familiar about the stress making samples less adequate. My DH admitted to missing the pot partially...

Waves at karbea fellow shorty cycler. My gyn was not concerned about my normal range of 24-31. But as I have had the odd 20 day cycle, she wanted to know whether that happens more often. I am sometimes confused about when a cycle has started... On spotting, when do you need to worry about it? I have a LF of 14-ish days and usually spot for a day or so beforehand. This time it started two days ahead of time, and although bloody annoying , it was quite conveniently timed with another wedding. I proceeded to drink too much, ate loads of raw-ish food and then had a panic when AF delayed her arrival by an extra day.

Fingers crossed for growing eggs hillie on the scan tomorrow! I am ignoring the manuka thread, although do let us know if this is the snake oil that leads to a BFP joycep. If so, we'll all get some! How are you now? You sounded miserable a few days ago (and I just read all that). And a house for pout that is excellent news, although the fortnight gap sounds rubbish. What is your plan now? I forgot. But it is in any case good news to have somewhere to go with all the furry children. On furry, nelly respect for your supersecret hobby. I am scared of big animals and of speed, so I could never do what you do. But it sounds great and should keep you happy and then an ironic BFP should naturally come your way! LOL about the thrush and yoghurt tips, my trusty trick is to have AF come, it tends to wash things away. Although I also have amazing prescription pills, but they cannot be taken in combination with TTC. But I came close last week... I think purple, popcorn and wine should have a reflexology meet in M and tell us all about it (and what they are like in RL ).

Quick wave to the rest of you, apologies for missing you out! Has anyone seen mrsd lately?

I'm not sure how many mls he produced, I guess we will find out when we get results.

I've booked myself in for reflexology today, figured it might be relaxing :) and as I'm still off on holiday it might be quite nice.

Hi Lemons - that's great that you are being kept busy. Hopefully that will do the trick. I often wonder whether the way to get up duffed is not to think about it. I'm afraid I find that impossible though!. I have to say I have been so down this month and have found it difficult to snap out of But for the first time in ages, today i feel back to my usual cheerful self. Weird considering AF is about to arrive.

Let us know what reflexology is like izzy

Where is everyone at the moment?? I am assuming mrsd is on holiday.

Well I have just had an appt with my gynae. I had to do a urine sample which gave me a negative pregnancy test...of course. I have been taught how to self inject gonal sth or other which I will start on cycle day 2. She gave me DH's results which apparently showed a slightly raised sth in the prostate area which can affect his swimmers - it's a bug of some sort. So he will have to be on antibiotics for a month to clean up his sperm. Other than that, his results were fine and he has 92% abnormality now as opposed to 93%. His motility has gone up to 75% whereas last year it was 49% which is really pleasing. Those Wellman and zinc tablets I force feed him must have helped after all.
So IUI in 14 days or so.
I'm giving this one big push now. I know i'm setting myself up for disappointment but damn i want to be pregnant by this 2nd christmas of trying!!

Hello ladies,

Hope you are all well - the sunshine is out here today for the first time in ages!

I had an utterly miserable time last week and didn't post as I didn't want to inflict my misery on you lovely ladies. It was just a combination of no progress with TTC, everyone else's bumps, babies and first birthdays and DH being away at the crucial time of the month topped it off.

A few glasses of wine and a good chat with a friend (the first person I've told about TTC part from my Mum) over the weekend and, for the first time in ages, I'm feeling a bit brighter about things.

Joycep - Great news on your gynae appt and the improvement in your DH's results - all great preparation for your IUI, and not long to go!! I'd be rather giddy, I think. Sorry you've been down too, AF is due in a day or so for me too, it usually brings a dip in my mood so strange, but good, that it's brought more positive moods for both of us!

Interesting to read about all the alternative interventions being tried. After reading your experiences, I'm going to dig out the contact details I once had for an acupuncturist (I was going to go to help improve my circulation but never got round to it). I've read it's also good for improving sperm so I might ask DH if he's be interested too It's worth a shot!

On the AC debate, I've been taking it for two months now - I hope it would bring forward OV and stop the spotting I have from three days after OV - but it has made no difference whatsoever, no bad side effects either though. The only advice I had was Dr Google but when this runs out I won't take anymore. Euro - I think taking it on the advice of a professional is definitely only sensible way to take it.

We have our next appt on Monday morning, we get the results of DH's second sample (praying that we'll see an improvement), results of my day 3 bloods and talk about next steps. I know it isn't a long time but the month we've waited since the last appt seems like a lifetime.

Hi to everyone. Sorry for not responding to everything else that's been said.