TTC for 10+ months, part 4

[eurochick]

Time for a new thread as the other one is just about full.

Fingers crossed for lots of patiently-awaited BFPs on this one!

It's so nice to be back. I have missed the sanity of this thread. It's the only place I feel normal Note to self, it is probably time to invest in a mobile phone that was made sometime after 1985 so that I have internet access!

I think the move was one of the most traumatic days of my life. If I explain why I run the danger of outing myself because it really was one of those you couldn't make it up things. All in all it was definitely more the Chuckle Brothers with help from the Krankies do a move than Pickfords! At one point I really did think that DP was going to have a heart attack. Then the increased delay moving here was a nice touch! Any ho, we're here & I'm a bit aghast at the general state of things but am slowly cleaning & painting every room. Methinks the chances of being updiffed this month are very slight due to all the Cillit Bang and Dulux fumes!

Am so chuffed to hear Munki's good news. That is brilliant. Sorry that there haven't been more BFPs. I was half expecting nobody to be left on the thread!

EggNog I'm sorry about your wobbliness & hope that you feel better now. I had a major wobble at the family wedding I went to recently. Despite it being a very small thing with a handful of children I ended up being sat at the Waltons table with every child and baby in the party and opposite very updiffed woman with my Grandmother in my ear harping on about my fertility troubles. Forcing down tepid soup while trying not to drop it on my dress and trying not to cry was not easy!

Wine Hows the painting going? I hear you about the woodwork thing. Especially when DP buys cheap crappy gloss that requires 25 coats.
Your friend is a nice story. I must admit that I am beginning to think the same as her that I probably will get pregnant but it will take years and will be one of those utter surprises. Am wantonly painting every room in really light & delicate impractical colours that will look terrible with jammy kiddie handprints on to tempt fate

LovesLemon No ironic BFP for me, somewhat satisfyingly debunking the annoying theory that relaxing about TTC and being generally distracted does the trick. Am now firmly & happily back to obsessing!

Joycep Who has been referred for IVF? I will definitely try and read back through and catch up.

Hello Stasi and good luck with your blood test results. Your nephew sounds adorable. I love them at that age. My nephew is now a teenager who is more interested in watching unspeakable things on our PC (explaining to his mother that no we don't have parental controls was not good) but I still remember how he used to make my heart go gooey.

Ladygee Good luck with your smear.

BTW I love chestnuts too and Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall does an amazing chocolate and chestnut torte!

Sorry for epic post. Will shut up now.

Pouty I think a couple of us have been referred for IVF. I have. I got my official diagnosis of "unexplained infertility" from the NHS a couple of weeks ago. I'm now on the waiting list for IVF at King's. I'm surprised there was no clomid or IUI to try first, but it's good that I get a funded round of IVF. I now just need to get my head in the right place for it. I was expecting there to be more steps leading up to it so the referral came as a bit of a shock, but I am getting used to the idea. In the meantime, I'm off to see a reproductive immunologist this week so it will be interesting to see what he says.

Good to see you again Pout

I've been prescribed 4 months of clomid & then, if it doesn't have the desired effect, it'll be ivf. There's no waiting list where I am, and we'd be entitled to 2 NHS funded cycles, though the prospect is more than a little daunting.

Sorry to hear about the wobbles Nelly & others. I agree with Lemon about toddlers, they're just great & completely pull on my heart strings.

It's my smear as well today Ladygee It's cd14 for me & there's been plenty of swi so far. According to Google quite a few people seem to get bfps in the same month of their smears. Fingers crossed!

Welcome back pout. And good on you to disprove the myths the move sounds dreadful, though. I like the ironic painting of walls, hope it will be a short time of enjoying the pristine house!!

Ugh smears, poor pixie and ladygee. Hope they are okay (which they really mostly are, and frankly, we are getting much more experienced with the whole thing down-there on display!)

I am so interested in the immunologist, euro. Do tell us all about it!!

Btw heart strings are also very pullable by new-borns. A friend abroad had her first on Friday and I accidentally caught them on skype earlier. Brief but very moving chat with a suckling all rolled up little person in view. Cute but mixed-ish feelings. Although I continue to be much better with babies than pg ladies.

Work calling...

PS pout long posts are very much welcome, esp from people we all need to catch up with

Afternoon all
Eurochick - I'm a King's girl too! Am having an HSG there tomorrow which I'm paying for, then if, after March 2012 I'm not updiffed (I have two more cycles of Clomid to go which I obtained through a private GP) I'm going to go back and ask for IVF (I was told I would need to have been trying for 2 yrs and I lied creatively presented the number of months we'd been trying when I first presented as I just suspected something was up and wanted to talk to someone about it).
Can I ask what they've told you about the wait - is it long? Any tips/advice for when it comes to the referral stage?
x

I'm not really sure what the etiquette is on here, but I thought I'd just say it and apologise if it's wrong...

Unfortunately Munkii has had a emc, she's just come back to join us on the brookers thread recently after some time away. Perhaps people can pop over and say Hi.

Mrs H, no tips. It was kind of thrust upon me! I certainly didn't have to push for it.

I am not at King's yet but another hospital in the Trust. I had one appointment in August where they requested a HSG, tv u/s and rubella test for me and then a second SA for my husband. When we went back to get the results in early Nov the gynae said all results are normal, here's a referral for IVF at King's as soon as we walked in the room! He was writing out the IVF referral request as I was asking him about Clomid. He just brushed that off and said IVF is the best way. The appointment took less than 5 mins and he completed the paperwork in that time.... I am quite amused that the referral letter (of which I got a copy a couple of days ago) said that we had had a thorough discussion about my options... I'm not sure where I was when that took place.

Anyway, he mentioned the waiting list at King's is around 4 months, which sounds v short to me.

Did anyone watch the Food Hospital on Channel 4? They've got a couple with 'infertility' on there (I'm watching it on catch up). Could be interesting. There was also one for PCOS the other day, and they appeared to make a massive difference to the woman's symptoms.

4OD

Poutster - so good to have you and your anecdotes back . I am sorry you have had a rotten time with the house move. Perhaps the dulux fumes is just what is needed, afterall inhaling poisonous substances worked for my neighbours. They have 5 kids. And imagine getting a bfp this month...I would like to see that 'what did i do differently' thread ; "I junked the bee pollen and I inhaled toxic fumes every day".

mrshy - good luck with the hsg tomorrow.

Hope everyone's smears go ok.

stasi - sorry you had a wobbly weekend. i hope you're feeling better now. I have been watching the food hospital. I watched teh couple with infertility - it's the man who has a low sperm count doesn't he. They didn't actually finish off the story. I was hoping they were going to come back pregnant. And that poor lady with pcos. She really had it terribly. I eat fairly healthily anyway and they do say the same things over and over.

Has everyone on here been tested for rubella immunity? I think I should probably go and get this done. Is it just a simple blood test at one's GP? I remember having the jab in 1989 but apparently it may not be immunity for life.

I don't think i'm going to ovulate this month. My boobs are still really painful but my gynae told me i would have ovulated and would be in pain by now. However, my temps are really low. She didn't want to give me an injection to release all 5 of my eggs and so I think my body has just been confused. All eggs were ready to go on Friday so I expect they have just expanded so much that they have died. So I get a bill for £900 for the pleasure of my cycle being cocked up. No wonder I was up until 4am this morning worried and stewing. I just want to get this cycle over and done with and not be messed around with until ivf although I'm already in overdrive about what i should be testing next. I've got to stop!

Just listened to the episode, wasn't actually that useful - basically just told the man to eat anti-oxidants. Although, his second SA was normal, so maybe that's why they abandoned it as a story.

Joycep I can't believe they messed up your cycle so much. If I remember correctly your dose last month was right, and they upped it and caused all sorts of problems? I think I'd be pretty annoyed at them if I were you.

My Doc tested me for rubella back when I started ttc. It seemed to be a standard test - my sister also told me to go get tested when I told her we were going to start trying. They may have included it with other tests without telling you?

Stasi - sorry you were upset on Friday, it all gets a bit too much sometimes doesn't it? Sounds like you've got some positive steps planned - that's where I am too, taking back a bit of control. Even if it doesn't make a difference for me and TTC, I'm sure I'll feel more positive for exercising more etc

Oh, I know exactly what you mean about nephews too. Yours looks adorable. My nephew is a little older, 6, and is absolutely the star of our family. He's fab and bursting with energy but the best thing is he always seems to know just when I need a hug. Not sure how long that will last though!

Did you get your results this afternoon? If so, hope they were ok.

Pout - I'm another one who's been referred for IVF. The waiting list where we are is 13 months plus so we're going to pay early next year but I'm not quite ready to take the plunge yet.

Euro - I was a bit at the speed with which IVF was mentioned and all other options dismissed. The appt we had last Friday was basically to ask all the questions we didn't ask first time round as I was just in a state of shock that that was where we were. Don't know if you might get the opportunity to do the same?

Pixie - hope your smear went ok? I'm loving your google stats - fingers crossed!

Can't believe I was so laid back about it. I used to hate going for my smear and be so tense that they had to help me relax with deep breathing and stuff. But today I was like smear, schmear - not surprising I guess after TV ultrasounds and a HSG. But even when the nurse called my cervix a little tinker because it was hiding and she had to use a different shaped speculum (didn't know they came in different shapes and sizes) and start all over again, I was just laid there calm as you anything. That's one positive from all of this business, I guess?!?

MrsHY - hope the HSG goes ok tomorrow.

Joycep - Rubella was one of the many blood tests I had early on the process at the GP. Like stasi says, they might have already done this? But, if not, worth getting it done definitely.

Hello all!

I'm feeling much more upbeat today than yesterday, glad the hangover has gone now anyway.

lemon I'm on CD 17 today and only had my first glimpse of ewcm- will be jumping on DH when he walks through the door!

stasi the lady who cleans my classroom watched that programme I think, she caught me upset one day as yet another work colleague had announced their pregnancy. Anyway she keeps giving me advice, the latest being to go vegetarian to give my body a shock. I know she only means well - she said she reckons I will be pregnant by the new year so here's hoping.

Evening all. Well, I got stuck in a meeting and totally forgot about my nurse appointment. I did however phone and ask about my blood test results.

Unfortunately, the doctor hadn't really put any details down, the lady on the phone just said they'd been "noted for filing". If I want more information, I'll have to book a doctors appointment to ask. She did say there were no notes about anything bad, and "results point to ovulation".

I have an oncology check up on Wed, might be cheeky and ask the doctor then if she can at least give me the numbers. Also going to do DH's SA the same day, and "work from home". :)

Loving the reference to your little tinker of a cervix Ladygee!

Hi all, just for the avoidance of confusion it's munkiii who has sadly had a mc, I am just about hanging on in there despite a couple of scares, and am thinking of you all x

munki So sorry! I think my brain must have filled in the extra i. I feel very silly now. Sorry again!

Thanks for the good wishes, my smear was fine too Ladygee. I've never been too concerned about them but this was definitely the most laid back I've been. After my hsg (where I was asked to jiggle from side to side so that they could check that both tubes were ok it was all very straightforward! Hope yours is ok tomorrow MrsHY1, I didn't find it painful, it just felt like period cramps for about a minute while she was doing it, though I did get more of these a couple of hours later, a couple of paracetamol was all it took to get me back on track though.

Glad all's well Munki, though sorry to hear about your namesake.

My GP missed the rubella test Joycep, though it was picked up at my first hospital appointment.

Hope your DH survived his ambush The Cake

Thanks pixiepops - you've made me feel better about today's HSG now. Am also taking a cocktail of painkillers one hour before that were prescribed to my husband after he had surgery - including one that knocks me right out - so fingers crossed I'll get through it.
Munki glad to hear from you and that everything's OK although my heart goes out to your namesake.
Ladies - am doing an interesting trial this month. I am starting to suspect that my unmedicated cycles at the beginning of this year when I was O-ing really late (cd25) with the world's shortest LP (7-9 days) may have been an anomaly, or I actually may have been making them worse with the arsenal of supplements and Chinese herbs I was taking (not doing TCM down - just wondering if it was for me). The month before last I was on an unmedicated cycle and bracing myself for a similar pattern, was amazed when I ovulated on cd17! Then last cycle on the Clomid it was back to cd19/20. I haven't taken Clomid this month just in case I don't feel up to the BD-ing after the HSG - so it will be interesting to see what happens.
x

Morning!

We had our first appointment at the ARGC yesterday and we saw Dr. Shrieve/Shrief (sp?). The appointment was fine and he explained everything to us, and said that I should have 3 iui a HSG and would start monitoring as soon as I got my period which is due around tHursday, DH had a SA.
DH and I went off to lunch happy we had a plan.
Then Dr. S called to say that DA S results were back and that they weren't anywhere nera good enough for IUI so we would need to start IVF straight away, no need for HSG.

So the new plan is DH has 6/8 weeks to improve his sperm, Dr S said to take Selenium. The as soon as I get my first period after Christmas I should call then and we start the IVF journey.

I'm in shock, yes we've been trying for a year but everyone said it was just stress, getting married, moving house (living with inlaws for 4 months etc), DH was really sceptical about going initially, and I'd just assumed I had a small blockage in a tube and when that was fixed we'd get pregnant straight away.... and now we are having IVF.

So does anyone have any top tips for getting us both in shape for IVF?

Thanks x

Hello ladies, may I join in? I recognise some of the names on here from the many buses and other threads I have been on over the last (long) 10 months I apologise in advance for the essay I am about to write!

CD 4 right now, after getting a BFP last Thursday, AF decided to arrive anyway on Saturday so the wind was really knocked out of my sails this cycle. This means we have now been ttc for 10 month which for me means 7 cycles (late ovulation due to PCOS) and one early miscarriage back in May

I already have a DS who is 20 months, he was conceived naturally on my first cycle after stopping the pill. Naively thought that it would be that easy this time round too

Anyway, I am feeling thoroughly fed up and finding it hard to muster any positivity so I am hoping that chatting to you lovely ladies who know how I feel will help

I have been temping using Fertility Friend for 8 months so I know I have late ovulation problems. Until this cycle I also had a fairly short LP (10/11 days) so last cycle I started taking agnus castus and 100mg of a VitB complex which brought forward my O date by about a week and LP is anyone's guess because of the shortlived BFP but I think it did make a difference (my hair is very shiny and my nails are very long anyway )

I have spoken to my GP about my concerns regarding PCOS and difficulty conceiving several times over the past few months but I have basically been fobbed off and told to wait it out. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2006 by a lovely private consultant (I had medical insurance which covered it as I wasn't ttc at the time) but I have since moved, and my local GP has refused to refer me to anyone because (a) we haven't been ttc for 18 months yet (b) there aren't any resources on the NHS for me to have any fertility investigations/treatment as I "already have one healthy child".

I find this a bit ridiculous really as we already know that there is an issue, but I guess they have tight budgets (gutting for me though...)

So, taking the first properly positive step in what feels like forever yesterday I made an appointment with my local private fertility clinic for an hour's consultation with a consultant there who specialises in PCOS. I think that this will result in lots of bloodtests and some lovely internal scans but at least I will finally feel like someone is there looking after me, it has been such a lonely few months. I have really felt like I have been groping around in the dark trying to guess at what is going on!

Anyway, long an rambling me me me post over, hope you all forgive me I just had to get that out!

Thanks ladies

mrshy - good luck today. A lot of us have had it done on here and I think we found it more uncomfortable rather than painful. It will be interesting to see what happens with your LP and ovulation days this month on an unmedicated cycle. Perhaps it was the chinese herbs after all! I must say clomid gave me an 8 day LP instead of my usual 10/11 day one.

Karbea - goodness me so that has happened quickly. What exactly were your DH's results out of interest? Did they say this was the reason why you weren't conceiving? Was this the first SA he had done? So what is ARGC like...and what was Shreeve like & how long were in there? I'm not suer what is recommended exercise for IVF but i guess before you do it, you should perhaps get some cardio work in...? Jogging, cycling, zumba! I have no idea if this is correct. I know a lot of people do acupuncture, give up caffeine and alcohol totally.

Poppy - sorry you have been having a rough time. It sounds like things have happened since you have been ttc though. If you were to have another m/c, wouldnt your GP take you seriously then? It's infruriating when GPs don't take people seriously. Intresting that you got a bfp when you were popping VitB . Hoping your private clinic can shed more light on things for you.

I haven't ovulated so this is definitely a dudd cycle now. I am scared that all those eggs i had, have just turned in to a giant cyst and so am feeling very nervous really. Oh the joys of having an overreactive imagination but someone on an IUI thread had this happen last month after she produced a load of eggs.

hello to eveyone else.

Joycep I don't know the actual results really as I was in a cab trying hard to listen but 7 million sperm per millilitre and this would need to be over 14million for IUI. There were 93% something which should be no more than 85%... not sure what that was really... He said it wasn't impossible, but it was very highly unlikely we would never conceive.
It was the 2nd SA he'd done the last was in the summer, and his GP had said it was average. DH is really upset about all of this, but when we read the reasons for low sperm count he ticks lots of the boxes, alcohol, stress, cycles, deodorant etc etc.
ARGC is umm hard to describe haha! They have no computers so there are papers everywhere, it hasn't be decorated in a long time, and it seems chaotic, people (ladies everywhere). Shreeve was lovely as were all of the other staff, and DH results were back within an hr I reckon.
I'm going to talk to my acupuncturist tonight, I think DH is going to have some as well now.

Just a quick one to say cor blimey Karbea - they don't hang about at that clinic do they! I've forgotten the name now - I'm thinking ARGH probably isn't right . Good though that they can move things on so fast! And SA results back in an hour is great. It's like an episode of CSI! Although it makes total sense as they have to have done the analysis within an hour so there results must be know in an hour. It's just then the NHS procedure that takes a week!

It must be a lot to take in all thrown at you at once but are you glad to have a sort of route mapped out?

There will be a few of you IVFing in the new year now?

I've forgotten what else I've read while lurking (apologies) but I hope everyone is well. Welcome back Pout if I haven't said so already

Still hoping for a rush of bfps - it's what I'm asking Santa for anyway

Oooh and good luck today MrsHY - I'd agree with the others. My HSG was uncomfortable rather than painful (and I got a BFP the cycle after it )

And hello Poppy - sorry you've had such a rough time ttc. You've certainly been through the mill. And early mc / chem pgs are pretty tough on you so you have my sympathy for that. I hope the private clinic can help though. It will be interesting to hear their thoughts on the m/c thing as well though?

Re help from the NHS we also have a DS and they basically gaven us day 3 and day 21 blood tests after ttc for 12 mths and a SA for DH. Then they referred us to the NHS clinic who did a hsg on me and another SA for DH. Then they prescribed us Clomid (even though I was ovulating). That would have been the end of the NHS line for us (because of having DS). But actually we never started the Clomid because we got the BFP the cycle before we were due to start it.

biscuits i feel numb and in shock!

Yes I guess there will be a few of us IVF'ing in the new year... Is it just me, or is anyone else not 100% it's what they want to do. I've never had an abortion, but I think when you are considering it, you have counselling and they discuss what is your best option, I wish there was something like taht for me, I really am thinking about adoption. I dunno if I want all those drugs, when someone up there is saying we shouldn't have a baby, should you really put your body in early menopause etc etc...