Assisted Conception (and all the bits in between) volume 8

[lucylookout]

Looks like we need a new thread for Italian, Scrummy, Beginnings, womanly, lissy, rowing, fretfree, Teds77, keziah, frustrated and anyone else who wants to chat about assisted conception!

Italian following on from the last thread, I guess I responded quite poorly to Gonal F during IUI as I only produced one follie (and I do that every month without having to inject myself ) I didn't know there was an alternative though so maybe I'll be put on Menopur for IVF.

Hi. Just marking my place so I can use the "threads I'm on button". Big day tomorrow - insemination around 10am. Then into what will probably be the longest 2 weeks of my life!!

italian - I am on puregon. Seems to have had an effect on my E2 levels, although follicles grew slowly (hoping this means they are of better quality!!).

Aah, good! Hi Fretfree, I was getting lonely by myself.
Lots of luck for tomorrow (and with staying sane during the 2ww )

Italian I was on gonal f and for a 'poor responder' I actually responded well. I only have about 4 follicles and 3 grew nicely with a whopping 450ml dose over 11 days of stims. Ended up with 3 eggs - 1 from each follicle.

Good luck to all.

Fretfree Good luck for tomorrow, so excited for you.

Treatment begins tomorrow. EXCITED.

Teds77 welcome.

Rowing any news?

lissy hi honey, how you doing?

Pocket how?s it going?

Keziah thinking of you.

Womanly* are you still around?

Pumpkinjoy any news?

Hugs to Beginnings, Flip, Lucy, woowa, level, fretfree, marmite and frustrated - Baby dust to all.

Hi! I havent been online for a few days. All well everyone? happy bank holiday monday

fret hope the insemination goes well today. crossing fingers and toes for you!

italian only one day left before you start - yay! You must be v excited (and nervous i should think)

lucy thanks for restarting the thread. Hope alls well.

beginnings how are you today?

Greetings to everyone else marmite, lissy, womanly, flip,woowa, teds, pumpinjoy, level, zekiah, pocket!

Not much new from me. I am just waiting now. Planning to pick up my sprays on Friday and start sniffing next week. V nervous now but cant wait. I am ovulating today or tomorrow (my clear blue digital monitor says 'high fertility, no peak, and the clear blue sticks with the smiley face have already 'smiled' yesterday. Not sure whats going on!) so still having a go au naturel just in case by some miracle it happens before Ivf. Fat chance but worth the try, eh? I am also keen to work out how long this cycle may be so that I can plan when to start the spray. They say 7 days before your period, but hard to work out when that may be!

Pocket have you found us, I saw you had posted on the old thread, I will pop on there and tell you where we are!

Hi Teds77, Rowing, lissy, Pocket, Keziah, Beginnings, Flip, Lucy, Womanly, woowa, fretfree, marmite, frustrated, level and Pumpkinjoy*.

Last night I watched a great documentary. It was

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b013y232/Im_Pregnant_with_Their_Baby/

It was very interesting and also (I felt) kind of gave some more of the story of why people wanted to be helped by surrogates and why others wanted to be surrogates. It showed how these young women (one who was only just turning 20) felt, what they thought about it all, but it did not quite paint the full picture of infertility. One couple were quite dead pan and although they said all the things about emotion they were rather quiet and laid back! I felt in some ways that people who were very expressive and 'gushing' about the whole experience would be more ?interesting?/likely to secure help from a person wanting to be a surrogate. I mean that the surrogate might really appreciate someone who kept in touch, said a lot, did a lot, etc. But any couple who has had years of infertility and failed treatment may find it harder to be that expressive and to actually acknowledge that this might really work for them. I just felt quite emotional watching it. I felt sympathy and care for all the people, it was a really good documentary in that rather than just feeling that I was watching someone else life as a kind of ?voyeur?, I was actually interested and concerned and learning something ? if you see what I mean! I would love to hear from anyone else who has watched it and has any views on it.

Best wishes to all.

Baby dust to all.

We've started our treatment. We are injecting Buseralin.

I didn't realised you'd all moved!! Glad I've found you.

Italian that's great news!! Best of luck to you! How does this work? It's like a frozen cycle I presume?

fretfree good luck!! Hope yesterday went well and that you can stay calm over the next couple of weeks. Everything crossed for you.

Still waiting to hear from rowing. hope she's doing ok.

frustratedchick here's hoping for a natural BFP this month. So much more fun that way :)

Hello to everyone else and thank you Lucy for setting up the thread.

A for me, still terrified but doing much better. Have managed to stay away from the hospital HCG tests since last Wednesday. My last two clear blues have had the lovely 3+ on them so seem to be doing well enough with that. Scan is this day week so that's the next milestone.....

Hi all

italian - best of luck for today and onwards. It's great when treatment starts - you feel that you are taking control of things and being proactive! Interesting about the programme - I actually did my thesis on the legality/enforceability of surrogacy contracts for the medical law part of my law degree, but that was a million years ago and I am sure a lot has changed. Did they mention anything about what happens if the surrogate decides towards the end that she wants to keep the baby? It must be so difficult to know how you will feel with such hormonal changes, even if you start out adamant that you will behave in a particular way.

beginnings - fingers crossed for the upcoming scan. Just take deep breaths and try to relax (like it is easy to do .....). Hugs to keep you calm.

So, I had my IUI. Trigger shot was at 2030 on Saturday and the IUI took place just before 1100 on Monday. Sample had 8 million a+b motile sperm, which I think is good. Managed to resist turning round to my Dr after the event and saying "so, was that good for you?" (she is very efficient, but sometimes lacks a sense of humour - don't think it would have gone down well!). Started on the progesterone pessaries last night, plus had sex for good measure (and so if it is successful, it may still have been natural ). So, one day down.... I am going intend to wait for 14 days before testing. I have a business trip next week for the whole week, so will need to decide before I go if any test sticks will 'accidentally' end up in my luggage....

Good luck all

fretfree how exciting. You seem to have a wicked sense of humour. Shame you didn't feel your joke would have gone down so well here's hoping no sticks magically appear in your suitcase next week

italian whoop, whoop. Let's hope you respond well and without any side effects.

There's another thread on MN as a bit of a follow-up from that programme, with a couple of ladies having been surrogates for several times. It was interesting to see people's different view points. Cant recall what it was called. I'lll look it up

beginnings glad to hear you are calming down. One day at the time....

Lucy thanks for setting up the new thread. How are you doing on Humira? Any side effects yet?

teds77 welcome.

frustrated it's annoying isn't it when its not clear cut. I'm having one of those months too, but only luckily wth one day difference on fertility friend view vs mine.

I started spotting again. That's 7/8DPO, so it seems to start earlier and earlier each month. Unless of course it is implantation. Going to try and stay positive this month.

Had a good chat with friend yesterday and all is good again on that front.

Hope everybody is doing great and had a good bank holiday!

Here's the link to that surrogacy discussion if anybody's interested.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/1286107-Im-pregnant-with-their-baby

Hi all,
Sorry if I started a new thread prematurely. I tried to post three or four messages on the old one and couldn't, so assumed it was full. Also, no one else had posted since Thursday and I thought that was a bit fishy, so assumed you'd all had the same problem. But I see pocket managed to post, so maybe I got it wrong. Anyway, hope everyone finds their way here.
Frustrated do you normally get a 'peak'? That way I suppose 7 days from your period will be approx 7 days after peak. You must be so excited!
Italian and Scrummy I didn't see the surrogacy programme, but did anyone watch that programme about how important the 9 months in the womb are in determining future health and length of life? It's pretty much as important as genes, and for anyone thinking of donor eggs, it also talked about how the hormones present in the womb affect the personality of the child. Quite interesting. In fact, here it is www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b013ywz4/Horizon_20112012_The_Nine_Months_That_Made_You/
Italian you've started treatment. Hurray! How long does it take until egg transfer normally?
Beginnings I'm glad you're feeling a bit calmer and lots of luck for your scan this week.
Fretfree glad the IUI went well. Hope your 2ww not too bad, and wait to hear if any test sticks 'accidentally' end up in suitcase!
Scrummy hello cycle buddy. We're still quite in synch I think. Sorry to hear about your spotting and yes, fingers crossed it's implanatation bleeding. How much longer 'til your appt? Oddly enough I'm not spotting again this month (AF will prob arrive on Saturday). I have no idea why it's stopped, although I am pleased. The only thing I can think of is that I had some cervical polyps removed (yes, lovely I know) last month just before ov, and I'm wondering whether they had been causing it? Seems unlikely but I'll check with my Dr next time I see her.
Pocket so sorry you posted on the thread after we moved. What is your AMH (don't answer if I'm being too nosey)? I hope you feel OK with your decision. I know it's a big decision and not to be taken lightly, but I plan to go down the donor egg route if it doesn't work with my own too and feel happy with that being an option for us (my AMH is between 2.8 and 4.8). Have you gone for a clinic in the UK or abroad?

Frustrated I mean 7 days before your period will be 7 days after your peak, approximately.

Hi, glad I found this new thread too. Wave to everyone.

Hi girls, I found you! I was wondering why it was so quiet...

fretfree- I'm glad everything went well for you with the IUI. I'm keeping my fingers and toes and anything else I can keep crossed crossed for you!

frustrated- You're going to ARGC, right? No need to be nervous, and don't worry, they'll tell you everything you need to know and when to do it...

beginnings- I'm still wishing you zen-like calm and sending loads of hugs your way! Can't wait to hear about your scan...

Italian- I'm so excited for you! It seems surreal when something that you've been waiting for for so long is finally here.

scrummy- When do you go for your appoinment?

rowing and keziah- Where ya been? Are you ok?

teds77- Welcome! Anything and everything goes on here, so don't hold back!

Hi to anyone else I've missed...

AFM, 13 weeks today! Big scan tomorrow, will keep everyone posted. Feeling like crap the last few days, but have been braving it out.

Had a barbecue at the in-laws yesterday. Lovely, but absolutely FREEZING! We stuck it out outside until dessert, because we figured if we went inside, then we were beaten! But I was a fleece AND a cardigan, and I still couldn't get warm!

Have a good day all!

Fretfree well done, good luck. Be careful on your trip, pack light and try and have a case on wheels you can drag rather than carry. I know that it probably doesn?t make a huge difference but don?t take any silly risks with heavy objects. We are having IVF and I was told not to lift anything in the 2 ww wait! Maybe the dear doc would have heard that one before! Perhaps good you kept it zipped! Could have been worse, you could have lit a cigarette!

Beginnings hope the scan goes well, good luck. So glad you found us.

Lucy no worries about starting the new thread, at least because it was not full I was able to put a message on the old one ? normally when it is full you can?t so no worries at all. The programme where they ?...talked about how the hormones present in the womb affect the personality of the child.? Sounds great, I will watch it. I know that there is a theory that the woman?s body can turn on certain genes in the embryo which would mean (if true) that the baby born to a egg recipient would be different from the baby born to the egg donor (of course different dads so different anyway but maybe you see what I mean).

So we are looking at IVF in October, who will be my cycle buddy!

Yes, will read that thread about the programme, checked it on the first few posts but everyone talking about the surrogates and not the prospective parents. I guess it is perspectives. Of course I am interested in the surrogates but I also wonder what is going on in the minds of the couples who are looking to get help from a surrogate.

Italian if my immunes and if my FSH behave, we could be cycle buddies in Oct (a few too many ifs there though for my liking).

13 weeks, that's fab lissy! It seems to have shot by (maybe not for you actually).
AFM, no symptoms from Humira yet (apart from being a bit coldie perhaps), but you must all know by now how I like to keep all my bases covered, so for that reason I've made an appt to see someone at the Lister next week (probably the same woman as you saw Beginnings, she specialises in high FSH and low AMH). I just want to have a back up that I can move over to quickly if I can't be treated at ARGC. I'm also quite interested to hear a second opinion on my situation.
Gluten free is going fine. I'm even baking a gluten free cake as we speak for a neighbour's birthday (although said cake is made almost entirely of chocolate and sugar, with a few almonds thrown in, so won't score too high on a health barometer!) I always have to psych myself up to see neighbour. She's lovely but is pregnant with her third (two pregnancies since I started trying). All I think when I see her is 'you're fertile, I'm not'. Stupid I know. I need to get myself together a bit before I go round.

Hello hello...Still on holiday (lucky me) so not online so often! Hope alls well with you.

fret best of luck with your trip and the iui. Take it easy when away.
lissy 13 weeks! wow. congratulations on another important milestone
beginnings glad to hear you are doing well. I bet you cant wait for the scan next week.

lucy, lissy - yes i am at the argc but I havent yet gone there to discuss dates. I am back in London on Friday and will go straight there to discuss dates and everything. I am still waiting for the peak on my monitor which should come...I am having sex every day (just around ovulation) now to maximise natural chances but its SO tiring. Either way I will pick up my sprays on Friday and I AM SO EXCITED AND READY TO START!!!

italian - hello. Good luck with the injections. When are you actually due to start ivf?

greetings to all!

italian I am still here - though lurking as each day crawls by :D - Great news on the start of your treatment :)
fret glad the IUI went smoothly and hope you keep very busy in the 2ww
beginings glad you're settling down - my scan is tomorrow (yikes!) and just yesterday and today I have had a bit of spotting - very little and I do feel I am obsessively checking every other hour... so need to relax and just take one day at a time.
lissy congrats on 13 weeks :)

btw - any advice on what I need to ask the doc in the early scan? Part of me is terrified..and I did another of those clearblue tests today - said 3+ but still...

lucy big hug - I know what you mean by the 'you are fertile, I am not..' - - When I joined mumsnet a couple of years back most of the folks I knew are now mothers - the ease of it for some truly astounds me -- it's tough to always have it together for a friend...because it's natural to reflect on one's own journey even if we know that each of our journeys are truly unique...

Did any of you listen to the discussion on radio2 today re how some women, who have difficulty conceiving, respond t friends wh are either pregnant or have kids? They had Kate (can't recall surname - journalist) on and another lady, who at 45 had decided to start IVF. It was quite painful at times, as I could so easily relate to what was said. It was on Jeremy Vine show. There's another programme on tonight on BBC1 which is about egg donors. I hope it's won't be too sensationalist.

Lucy wasn't Humira supposed to 'fix' the spotting as it might have been one of the side effects? Interesting about the polyps. I have one, but my NHS gyne wasn't really that 'interested'. Glad to hear you're doing ok on the meds. Good luck with your Lister appt.

My appt isn't until mid-October. Seems like a long time away, but I try and think that's two more cycles to try for a natural BFP and frankly I'm too stressed to start that process right now. Need to go and have my holiday first.

womanly nice to hear from you and to hear that you are doing well. Can't give you any advise on the scan, but maybe someone on the pregnancy threads can.

lissy 13 weeks. Wow. Time does go so quick

Didn't hear that discussion, no scrummy but might see if I can 'listen again'. I would probably have put the lack of spotting down to Humira, except, last month I wasn't on it (took it first not quite 2 weeks ago). So it's something else. Unless my hormones have readjusted themselves finally after mc, the only thing that has been different is polyp removal so who knows.
Mid Oct will come around quickly enough and yes, enjoy your holiday and give it a big last 'natural' go!

Lucy good luck seeing neighbour. Yay could be cycle buddies, so cool. Hope it will all go well for you.

Frustrated well it all depends how it goes, but hopefully October for egg donation and embryo transfer.

Hi all,
sorry, hiding! Avoiding!
Italian what!? You are not !! Started treatment! Fantastic!
Lucy lots of ifs and buts, but I hope to be your cycle buddy too.
Huge hugs to everyone doing this, it's soo hard!
Back later.....

Fretfree - all the best for your 2ww!

Sorry - been away with no intenet access on and off the last few weeks, so just caught up. Had my 12 week nhs dating scan on friday (I was 11 weeks, but that was what they gave me) and they moved my dates forward by 3 days as measured 56.7mm. Lovely scan. See consultant in 3 weeks and only 8 more weeks till the next scan.

Italian - hope your immunes behave!! - I am just stopping the utrogestran pessaries, hurrah!!