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!

beginnings am 13+4 today.

lucy - I was told the omega 3 and olive oils was good for my immune issues - but I can't remember if it was my NK or cytokines that was for. A healthy diet is a good diet, I think that is the important thing.

Some really positive news here again, which is great to see.
level that is such fab news about your follicles.
Lucy interesting about the polyps....having spotted for 10 days this month before AF, it will be on forefront of my questions. If I hadn't had all the scans recently I would be worrying sick about the cause of it. Fab news about the FSH and that you've had the additional assurance from Lister.
Italian and frustrated hope you're getting on ok on meds.
lissy, beginnings and keziah glad all is going ok for our pregnant ladies. I too wondered how many of you had bumps on show yet?

Hope you all have a great evening.

I suffered from horrible PMS this month for about 3 days leading up to AF. She showed up this morning as predicted. And funnily enough I'm ok today. Hormones are a funny old thing, aren't they? Does make me wonder how I'll respond to all the drugs, but shan't worry about it now. Feeling quite upbeat that we are only a month away from our appt. Two more chances of a natural BFP and of those the second cycle will already be under their watchful eye!

level wanted to say on a separate note....it's funny isn't it how the baby thing is such a 'common' ownership thing. Maybe it has all to do with our genetic make-up that as soon as couples get together, other people see it as their right to start asking the baby question. Maybe its kind of insurance of the continuation of human race?

I wonder whether they've had some chats in the past and your DH has pushed their questions aside with a mumbling excuse? I had people ask me whether I now wanted kids when we got married after our VERY long engagement. I guess its kind of, why are they getting married now query too?

But, on a much happier note - CONGRATULATIONS on your marriage. I hope you have a long and happy life together.

Lucy and Rowing still hoping we will be cycle buddies!

Hope you are all OK.

My injections are hurting at the moment and to add to it at the moment I've just got an upset stomach and a lot on at work so feeling a bit crap but DD's behaviour has improved 10-fold and going back to school has all worked out well for her so I am very happy.

I am having a scan next week to see if I am down regulated and can move onto phase two or not. In the past our treatment has taken long than the usual 4 to 6 weeks, and has always been 9 weeks, so I will be really surprised if we are ready to go on to phase 2 already!

Italian - you poor thing re the injections and everything else on top. Are the injections part of the reason for the upset stomach? Have you tried ginger tea or ginger ale? Good luck with your scan next week ? what is ?down-regulated??

Beginnings - huge congrats on seeing the heartbeat. Seven weeks already ? wow, doesn?t time fly :). Are you keeping your appointment with George Ndwuke to see if they monitor your cytoxicity levels?

Womanly - How are you? Any news? You remain my main inspiration (not that everyone else is not inspiring ? YOU ALL ARE!!!!, but Womanly, I think you are the only other one who was IUI rather than IVF :o)

Frustrated - How?s the nasal spray going for you? I?ve never used one ? is it anything like the things you snort if you have a cold?

Scrummy - one month to go before your appointment, which must be exciting. I?m sorry that AF showed up. I guess hormones affect all people differently, and often differently for a single person each time. I hope all goes well.

Lissy - how did your appointment with ARGC go?

MoJangles and Pocket - waves hello. Good luck for the cycle

Rowing - Happy belated Birthday :) Hope you have sorted out the ?not-ringworm?

Lucy - great that you had a nice Dr. It makes all the difference. Fab news on the FSH. It must be so good to feel that it is you making the changes and helping the process along. I stopped drinking alcohol back in June and it was one thing that kept me feeling that I was proactively helping all the assistance I was getting. Sorry I can?t give you any advice on reducing cytokines naturally (not actually sure what they are !)

Level - Congrats on the scan results. When is your next one? Congrats on the wedding ? easier said than done, but ?ignore ignoramuses?. People really don?t think about the impact of their words do they? (OK ? I am sure I am guilty of this myself on many occasions, so I really should not get on my soap box)

Hi to everyone else :)

I did take a test with me on my business trip, but didn?t use it. Got back on Friday night, and as Saturday was 14 days after the trigger (12 days after the IUI) I tested with a CB Digital. It came up as ?Pregnant 1-2 weeks?!! I tested again this morning. CB Digital again says Pregnant 1-2 weeks and a CB first response test has a faint (seems very faint though) blue vertical line.

I am a bit worried about false positives, as I did not do a control to check that the Ovitrelle had left my system. The half-life of Ovitrelle is 29 hours, so if the trigger shot was 250 mgr, after 14 ½ days there should only be 0.06 mcg left in my system ? surely that means it is clear?? The Dr told me to test 14 days post transfer (tomorrow morning). I think I might try and pick up a different brand today to double check. I don?t really feel any difference physically though. Nipples still a bit sore, but that has been the case throughout, and I am still taking progesterone pessaries. Anyway, I will keep you all posted :o.

fretfree net doctor claims ovitrelle may give a false positive up to 10 days after injection, so I would think you are safe to assume that you are pregnant. I'm causious though and will come back tomorrow to see how you got on.

italian sorry to hear you are having a difficult time with the meds. But it sounds you're in a happy place with your daughter, which is the main thing. Keeping my fingers crossed for your scan.

Fretfree it sounds very hopeful to me. I'll whisper a quiet congratulations and keep my fingers crossed for tomorrow!
What a charmed thread this is turning out to be. I hope the good luck lasts a bit longer!
Italian, sorry to hear the drugs are making you feel rubbish. I wouldn't be surprised if they're the cause of your upset tummy. The Humira has made my tummy a bit dodgy. Glad things are better with DD. The difficult phases seem like a lifetime when you're in them, but retrospectively, they never last too long (until they hit their teens, then I guess it will be 6 years of a 'difficult phase'!)
Scrummy how are you? All ok I hope.
to everyone else

Ooh fretfree how exciting! Sounds very much like a bfp to me ... I am afraid after my first faint line on an internet cheapy I used the rest of the pack of tests (over 10!) and 3 CB digitals and one First Response just to check and see it was still there.

Italian - hope injections are getting better.... I find slightly to my side is better.

fretfree that really sounds like a positive to me. My first few were really faint. I've everything crossed for you.

Haven't decided on my appt with George Nduwke yet.... We'll see how I feel next week. I'm finding it really hard to make decisions more than a few days out at the moment. Stupidly it feels like I'm tempting fate. I'm 7+3 today and that was the day that I had my first miscarriage. Freaks me out a bit.

You're getting there scrummy and Lucy! It's exciting for you to be close to the start. How's the spray frustrated?

Good luck with the scan italian

Fretfree huge congrats.

I think the upset tummy was a dodgy meal but the injections are turning me into a mad woman. Asked DH if I was impossible to live with, he said no, and paused, I thought 'Challenging' and he said........ "Challenging".

Hugs to all the rest of us challenging ladies!

Italian- Hope you're feeling better. I hear you about the down-regging drugs...made me absolutely nuts! Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde nuts. I think my poor DH was on valium for the last bit of it....

fret- Totally sounds like a positive! Congrats! Keep thinking positive thoughts!

Hi to everyone...will name check more on my next post.

I'm in that weird limbo period of my second trimester, where I won't have another scan until 20 weeks, and won't really feel the baby move for another three or four weeks. Although I am supposed to get a scan to have my cervix measured. Hmm, will have to phone them tomorrow...

Hi there everyone.

thanks everyone for your kind words and encouragement.

Just a quick update. I did another two more tests this morning. The CB early response has a much stronger line (meaning I can see it without squinting) and the CB digital says 2-3 weeks, which sounds completely correct considering the IUI was two weeks ago today. I'll phone the Dr surgery this morning and find out what happens next.

beginnings - sending a few hugs your way. I hope you managed to get through the day ok. You must be in quite a turmoil of emotions.

and - can't believe this might have worked!!!!

fretfree huge congratulations!

beginnings thinking of you. ((((())))))

Lucy thanks for asking. I'm feeling exhausted so just taking it one day at the time and waiting for my hols. You're right about the good luck on this thread. Long may it last. Hope you are ok?

Italian whenever DH says I'm being difficult or I get on his nerves, I tell him that life would be boring without me - gently reminding that you get the good with the bad

lissy are you showing yet?

fret congrats on your bfp :)

Congratulations fret!

Scrummy I'm ok. It's a weird feeling that I could be cycling in just a couple of weeks (and because I'll be on short protocol I'll start as soon as I find out, on day 1 or 2 of cycle), so have been organising time and childcare etc, but then again know that I might be turned away again and have to wait another couple of months. It's like some form of torture not knowing and being able to plan properly! You off somewhere nice on your hols?

Yay, congratulations fret... if your Gp practice is anything like mine, it will be a "oh you need a booking appointment at 8 weeks with community midwife" (which is admin, paperwork and not much else I found!!)... so welcome to the next 2 week wait!! Then the wait for the 12 week dating NHS scan etc....

Hi there,

I'm not actually in the UK (Switzerland) so the timings for appointments are even more of a mystery. On top of that, everyone has to have private medical insurance here (which costs a bloody fortune) and I am not sure what is fully covered and what is not (although did know that 3 x IUI attempts were covered, but no IVF whatsoever).

Just spoken to the Dr's surgery and I have an appointment on the 29th September, so yes you are right Keziah, there is another 2WW!

I also have to find out when I need to find a 'normal' obs/gyn, rather than using my very-much-under-demand reproduction specialist.

Lucy - keep in there. The uncertainty must be quite unsettling. Fingers crossed on the cycling.

scrummy- Yup, starting to show. Just popped out in the last couple of weeks!

Called today to check on the status of cervical measurement. No appointment had been made! Shocker! So I did it myself...September 23, I'll have a scan to measure the length of my cervix.

Ah, not in the UK complicates things. In the UK you get a dating scan at 12 weeks and the 20 week scan to check all is ok. If you are healthy that is the only time you are scanned and you NEVER see an obs/gynae!! So in theory if you were in the UK and all was well you would only see a midwife. However, I am sure it is different in Switzerland. My IVF clinic signed me off at 8 weeks to the care of the NHS, which is fairly standard practise here - if that is any use at all. I see the midwife at 8 weeks, 16 weeks, 24 weeks - with the 2 scans. Not sure past that.

beginnings thinking of you, sending arrow prayers for all to be well.

Fretfree hope all goes well. So pleased for you.

Keziah glad to hear all is going well. So pleased for you.

Lissy very pleased that all is Ok with you honey. Was the last weekend hard for you, do you have connections in New York? It was a very sobering weekend.

Lucy and Rowing are we to be cycle buddies? Is it all happening or are you waiting for a bit.

It is so hard when it is all dependent on so many things!

woomany, scrummy hugs to you.

Any news of Woowa and the others?

Hugs to all

Hi Italian, thanks for asking. Sunday was a really rough day. It's always rough, even ten years later. While I don't know anyone who was personally involved, I was there the day before, not two blocks from the WTC. When I woke up the following morning, and saw the news, it was like waking up to a nightmare. I watched the second plane go in, I watched the towers fall, I watched the Pentagon on fire, and I watched the destruction in the field in Pennsylvania. I listened to the eerie silence of no planes flying in the sky. And ten years later, I'm still so angry that those animals took all those lives, but thankful that they never broke our spirit or our determination to live in freedom.

On a happier note, how's everyone doing?

I was fifteen weeks yesterday, and baby bump is certainly evident. Clinic called and said immunes results were good. I have to repeat in another three weeks, and if those results are good, then I'm totally discharged from them, except for a full blood count every month. Still continuing on Cyclogest, aspirin, and Clexane. Nausea is easing off, thank goodness, but supplement and being pregnant makes every poop a precious, precious gift. (Sorry, TMI??)

I sprinkle baby dust on all, and wishing everyone positive thoughts!

Hi all,
sorry I'm not really in AC (Assisted Conception for those of you doing this ) so not really thinking about it.
Italian I have to wait for my next cycle before I email the doc at the clinic, but it still seems a bit irregular, must sit down with a pen and paper and try to work out the dates. I hope your tummy is feeling better, I recommend high strength probiotic tablets, on sale at Holland and B they have a 3000 alive beastie one, which must be good.

Lucy sorry for not getting back to you, here is a hug {{{}}} you sounded very upbeat about the Lister, glad you have a plan B you are more than happy with, but fingers crossed for plan A.
The cytokines question I would have to do a bit of research about. The only thing I know at the moment is that cyctokines of some sort are essential for fertilisation and implantation, but there are probably lots of different kinds (can you tell I am a bit confused ). It's not those nk helper cells is it: the tnf cells? I can tell you a bit about them...

Fret fab news, what a lovely sight that line must have been. I smiling at your obvious attention to detail with the calculations of the half life of Ovitrelle, that's the kind of thing I would do.

Lissy good to hear the nausea is easing off. One word Fybogel!
It must have been so awful to be in NY that day in September, I can't begin to imagine how that felt.

Keziah how many scans does your local health care provider give you? If you act in a slightly hysterical manner and go in with 'bleeding' you can quite often wangle extra scans, but there is always the, slightly strange, but fascinating 3 and 4d scan if you need reassurance between now and 40weeks, or is it 39? I only made it to 37.5 so can't remember.

I hope I haven't missed anyone out, but if I have here's a kiss [mwah]
As I said, I will sit down with a pen and paper and calculate when my next cycle could start - which is, in theory, when I could start the next round of treatment for the FET - gulp!
Oh dear, I think I need a sit-down, oh I am sitting down, oh dear!

Good to hear from you rowing. Do check in with us from time to time.

fretfree it sounds as if you're in a great place. Best of luck.

lucylookout I can't believe I missed your report about the lister! I'm glad you got on well there. She's lovely isn't she? To be honest they all are. In nine months (has it really been that long!) I've only had one encounter with which I wasn't entirely happy and when I questioned it, another solution was found very quickly.

scrummy good luck with your chances of a natural BFP. So much more fun that way.

Thanks for the prayers Italian, much appreciated.

Well, I had a very nasty cramp like a period on Monday that lasted for about half an hour so took myself off for a scan today. Everything is as it should be. It's grown from 6.5mm last Tuesday to 14.5mm today and I got to hear the heartbeat! I recorded it on my iPad so I can show it to DH later :)

Am really really going to try and calm down now. Have cancelled my appt with George Ndukwe and am just going to try and get some more information out of the Lister as to why they think it's ok to wean me off the prednisolone at 12 weeks. I presume it's because after that steroids are more of a risk than a help but I just need to understand it a bit better.

Beginniiiiiiiiings! Of course, sorry I knew I would forget lovely people. Fantastic news of the teeny little perisher?! Do you have a 'working title' for the baby/foetus?