TTC for 10+ months, part 5

[MuddyWellyNelly]

Filled up our old one, I'll put our updated list on a separate post so that it's not a huge chunk of text at the top of every page.

Old thread here. Newbies always welcome, much as we'd like to hope nobody ever gets to this stage of TTC!

Hello lovely ladies, can I join you? My situation is:

ttc 27 months, blighted ovum identified at 8 weeks in May 2011, early MC/CP in August 2011, OPKs say I am ovulating, appointment to see a fertility consultant privately on 5 March as I need to try and get some answers now.

lady that sound like a good result if you have 4 fertilised egglets.

euro i hope that this 3rd superov cycle is a success. We are not sure what we will do if clomid doesnt work as we are not entitled to any extra help on NHS. The consultant said they would wash their hands of us!

Welcome tiago sorry you have to be here tho. Have you not had any investigations on the NHS?

tiago Welcome to the group I hope this is your month :)

ladygee really pleased for you that it all went well. Fingers crossed the little embies are dividing nicely in their dish as we speak :)

euro glad to hear that your ivf is progressing nicely, really excited for you. Who knows, you may still get your bfp before then, it seems to happen to lots of ladies.

Waves to everyone else and welcome to tiago

Sadly my doctor is not interested izzy - apparently I "do not fall within the NHS gateways" and need to either ttc for 24 months straight with nothing happening at all (so I'd have to keep ttc until August 2013 at the earliest), or have three MCs (but only ones that he counts as MCs - my 4+5 CP/early MC does not, apparently, count) before he will refer me to have investigations.

So I took myself off to the local IVF clinic and managed to convince their consultant to see me and DH privately instead [devious emoticon] .

tiago I think its disgusting that they don't count CP's as miscarriages, I'm on Shehatas treatment, it does seem to have good outcomes

We've just done all the usual stuff, stasi - cut down on booze (and cut it out since Jan), no hot baths/showers, loose boxers, no heavy weights and a multi-vit with zinc. Nothing out of the ordinary - we were both shocked and pleasantly surprised, as was the embryologist. His count has gone from 12 to 51 million and motility from less than 10% to 47%. It gives me hope that, if all else fails, we might get there naturally one day - it might just take a bloody long time with one tube and unpredictable sperm!

euro fingers crossed for this cycle for you. Hubby and I kept joking yesterday, imagining we were going on a hot date to help get us through the reality of microscopes and petri dishes.

Thanks izzy I hope that clomid does the trick for you.

Thanks kitty hope all is ok with you?

Hi tiago and welcome, sorry to hear you've been trying so long. Your doctor sounds utterly rubbish. Have you looked at the guidelines for your PCT for fertility referrals? GPs are often clueless when it comes to fertility - might be worth trying another doctor too? Sorry for jumping in with things you've probably already thought of, it's good that you've already taken things into your own hands too.

ladygee I'm so glad that everything went well for you and that you are home now. Make sure that you suitably milk the not being able to use anything electrical
I didn't know that pink was a good fertility colour can now indulge my hitherto suppressed urges to pinkify the house

fatima I'm glad that your injecting is proving to be okay. You ladies are so much braver than I would be!

gin Your reconnaissance mission seemed to go well and v. pleased to hear that us barrens do appear to be normal looking
I'm sorry that funding issues are causing you and your DH more stress. We are in a similar boat and I would desperately like to have a private consultation but we don't have the money. I don't think that DH would be too keen on putting our wedding gift money towards it since he has his heart set on a new TV.

lemons I think that the night time is always worse for pain, not sure why. Really hope that you are on the mend soon and boo for AF especially of the one handed variety!

euro It's good that your appointment went well and that things are progressing. I can understand why it must be emotional but please don't think of it as failure, it's just a means to an end.

Stasi We have been a bit sloppy on the regular SWI front too for the last few cycles. I have got to the point where I really can't face forced and rubbish SWI just in case I might ovulate super early or super late.

minnie It amazes me how results can get lost so regularly. It must be very frustrating. Also sorry that your GP seemed to be talking out of his bottom. How many SA's has your DH had?

Hello Tiago and sorry that you have found yourself here. I'm sorry that you are not having much joy with investigations. It is such a slog isn't it to be listened to.

Waves also to freedom & FX for law of sod to strike!

Well I am waiting for AF to arrive any day between now and Sunday and am feeling really apprehensive about it. I am at the point where I really can't face the thought of going to the loo and seeing another fecking period. I am driving myself mad willing it not to come and madly "symptom" spotting and googling even though there is nothing spectacularly out of the ordinary going on. I think that even DH is frustrated by lack of baby and is being surprisingly weird about this cycle. He keeps asking whether certain things like my fingers swelling up and not being spotty (?) are normal and part of my usual PMS - bless him!

Hello!!!

How are you all?

I started DR this morning!!!!

The guidelines I found seem to say I have to wait 3 years or to have had a fertility problem/reason diagnosed (lovely catch22 there since they won't test me to diagnose...) ladybee. Fortunately I was not too disappointed by the docs approach - I suspected in advance that there would be some sort of immense barrier.

But I have hope. I will get to have a family.

pout - I know what you mean about the SWI. DH and I have gone for targeted action with the assistance of opks for timing as otherwise I think it would have become unbearable by now.

Hi ladies just a quick hello from the slopes (well bed really). Haven't read back but just to say ERTD arrived yesterday. On the plus side I have consumed my body weight in red wine and been skiing hard, and having a lot of fun .

Hope everyone is well, will try to catch up when I get home

euro fingers crossed for this cycle
ladygee 4 fertilised eggs - sounds great! I have been trying naturally for almost 3 years although after 1 year discovered polyp growths were blocking the way, so post op - 2 years of trying. 1 pregnancy & 1 MC so far.

and I think I have identified another factor - I am on fertile week - DH has to literally be jumped when he gets in the door otherwise once dinner and whatever needs to be done paperwork/household wise is out ot the way in the evening he is too tired. I think I am becoming a bit unreasonable because although I said 'Too tired? Ok, maybe tomorrow then, you know there is just a short window every month' in my head I was screaming - 'are you f**ing kidding me? time is running out you numpty - arggggggg! just get on with it'

obviously that is just my inner voice - I would never actually speak to DH like that

Glad that you are having a good time nelly. I was wondering whether you were still on hols. It's crap about AF but it's good that you have plenty to distract yourself with.

Karbea Do you mean Down Reg?? Sorry am a bit clueless. Good luck.

I agree that mid week SWI is difficult. It's the same situation in this house Freedom. By the time DH gets home, we have dinner and he unwinds a bit it is really quite late to be thinking about any swi and it's the last thing we feel like doing. I think that I must be a terrible harridan because I have more or less said would probably say out loud what you are screaming in your head In my defence I am horribly aware of my age and the fact that my egg supply and fertile (pah!) years are on the wane and all I hear is TICK TOCK each month!

Still going insane this end and hate my body and it's devious tricks to make me hope I am in with a shot. Probably waaaaay too much information but discovered last night that I have a "new" Montgomery Tuber-thingamy. I KNOW the reality is it is probably a just pimple seeing as it is red and looks just like a spot and nothing like a Montgomery wotsit but it is enough to set me off on one big style including a return to thrusting my boobs in the freezer at regular intervals to see if they start whizzing round firing out rockets spelling out BFP or give an impromptu rendition of of Kings of Leon She's Gonna Have a Baby. Please stop me from this insanity because I am setting myself up for a huge fall again .

Hello everyone,
Been a bit quiet recently. Life has been somewhat busy with dd sick with flu last week and then vomiting and diarrhoea this week [sigh]. Of course now DH and I also have the diarrhoea bug, so I'm home today and probably tomorrow in what is my busiest time at work and my chance to shine for upcoming promotions. Oh well, c'est la vie.
Only read back a couple of posts, and just wanted to agree with you Freedom, DH and I have agreed to start SWI after my ovarian drilling in March. At the moment we are a once a week if we're lucky kind of couple, so I am really concerned about how we will manage every other day. I am also secretly hoping that doing the dirty so often will be a turning point for us and we will both want it more afterwards. I'm not sure how we got ourselves into this pattern, and often get very jealous when I hear of couples who are at it all the time. At one time not so long ago, even my mum was having more sex than me --can't believe I've just confessed to that.
Wave to everyone.

Hi everyone

pout DH has just had the one SA - and he was ill at the time - so I'm hoping the crap normal forms and borderline motility are down to that. (Or possibly the fact we'd not DTD for 5 days prior, so the sperm must have been a bit elderly). If and when we get to see a fertility specialist I am definitely going to ask for another SA though. In the meantime I am force feeding DH zinc! Since reading ladyg's post I might try to persuade him to cut out booze as well fat chance though

Ladyg, do heavy weights affect sperm then? I'd never heard that before.

freedom and pout and whatmess I'm glad I'm not the only one whose DH can be somewhat, er, reluctant about SWI. Stereotypes would have us believe that men are all slathering sex beasts who will gladly dtd as often as possible. Not in this household . But like pout I am pretty darn demanding these days and if it's the right time then DH has no choice!

whatmess sorry to hear about your diarrhoea epidemic, how miserable for you. Hope it clears up soon.

nelly hope you are having fun on the slopes!

We nearly booked our ski holiday and in the end we have decided to go to the maldives instead! I am sooo excited, am dreaming of sun and snorkelling and time to really relax. The downside is it's going to cost £££ (even though we are going to one of the cheapest resorts) but hopefully will be worth it. I am telling myself we have more £ to spend because I am not pg as soon as we had expected apart from if we have to pay for ivf of course.

tiago welcome! sorry you have had a rocky road here. I'm a bit by your GP saying 24 months of ttcing is needed, we have been referred to a fertility clinic after about 9 months. do check what your PCT policy is.

pout my body is also playing devious tricks. I had a spot of bright red blood yesterday (8dpo) and nothing since. Obviously my mind is leaping immediately to implantation bleeding, even though the fact is I've had lots of pre-AF spotting the last couple of months, so that's probably all it is I'm not sure whether it's worse to have a few days of optimism, and then be disappointed, or never have any optimism in the first place... By the way, what is putting boobs in freezer supposed to do as I might try that?

karbea what is DR? Sounds exciting!!

waves to lisa kitty euro stasi izzy fatima and anyone else I have missed.

Anyway I get my repeated 7dpo blood test results today - here's hoping they do show ovulation.

Hi ladies! Almost half way through the week now - bring on the weekend I say!

Ladyg That's soooo exciting about your eggs fertilising. I have everything crossed for you. Do you know if you're going to have one or two put back?

I can't believe how many of us are now starting or heading towards IVF. Euro hope you are now feeling ok about your referral. Next cycle is soon, which is exciting. I take it the NHS won't investigate the immune issues?

Nelly Super jealous of your holiday. I find being holiday consuming lots of cheese and wine really does help with ttc stress.

Mini Sorry to hear your body too is playing tricks on you. Did you say your DH's normal forms were 3%? At Create they told us 4% is now considered normal, so 3% isn't too much lower than that. Have just seen a print out of one of DH's results, which stated that there were too few to find any "normal forms". I think there were some in his previous specimen, but I'm now wondering if a sperm donor might be necessary...although this hasn't been mentioned to us.

Pout I'm with you on the not talking to DH nicely about the necessity of swi! I'm pretty sure I make it very clear to him that he has to get on with the task. Freedom You're obviously a much nicer person than me! Pout not wanting to add to the mentalling, but your symptoms do sound positive...

Hello to everyone I've missed and sorry for not including anyone on previous pages.

We're just back from the urologists. They've discharged DH as they can't do anything more. Thankfully all his genetic tests and blood tests were fine. They suggested a referral for me to their gynae dept, but I'm not sure I really see the point, as the dr confirmed that although we could be added to the waiting list, no one on the list is receiving any funding for IVF and it is at least 2 years long! They offer self-funded IVF there (St Heliers), which is a bit cheaper than the other clinics. I do like the idea of giving money to the NHS rather than some private place, but DH would have to take my eggs in an incubator from St Heliers up to a private clinic in town!! Can you imagine what I would do to him if he dropped them . I also can't find out anything about success rates, or see any reviews of them.

Anway, sorry for MAMMOUTH post. Good luck to you all started with the injections.

Update: just got my 7dpo blood test results. Progesterone was 73! I guess that's a pretty good indication of ovulation .

Of course, I am now wondering if such a high level means I am pregnant

That is a very good Progesterone result minnie I too would be mentalling/Googling about whether it indicates pregnancy!!

I don't think that an isolated SA result is a very good indicator of the true picture so try not to worry.

Your holiday sounds amazing.

I had a tiny, tiny, TINY spot of what looked like rust coloured CM at around 8DPO which obviously fuelled the mentalling fire somewhat Trouble is it was so miniscule that I'm not even 100% sure it was what I hoped thought it was. Keep telling myself that the dogs are always in the bathroom trying to wrestle the loo roll off the holder aka the Andrex puppies though not as cute when you find acres of shredded toilet roll all over the lounge floor that DP insists has to be used and it could well have been some kind of icky doggy gozzle incident. It really is luuurvelly living in this house

at the thought that we are all sex pests!

BTW the freezer thing is a way of checking just how much your boobs hurt. Apparently very cold temperatures when pregnant are supposed to make them hurt It's all very scientific as you can tell. In my mind I also secretly hope boobs will shoot out tiny lasers and spell out pregnant in my Walls Soft scoop....never have to date unfortunately.

gin It is a catch22 situation isn't it. So they suggested putting you on a waiting list when IVF funding has been suspended anyway?

Am giggling a at the notion that your eggs would be like hens eggs and might break if your DH dropped them!

Sorry that you are living in a lurgee zone at the mo mess and hope that you all feel better soon.

Reality has bitten at this end. Boobs have massively stopped hurting this afternoon which is a sign that AF is wending her way and will arrive in the next couple of days. What a dipstick I am for allowing myself to get a little bit excited. I do this every sodding month.

you're not a dipstick pout. Believe it will happen and get excited and be happy/proud/glad that you're doing something towards reaching your goal. Why not? Life's too short to go around with a muffler on your feelings.

Hi ladies. This will have to be just a quick check in as I am having a v busy day.

gin I've had most of the available immune tests privately and am on my 3rd cycle with immune treatment. I told the NHS I have had the tests (but wasn't planning to mention that I was going to continue treatment alongside the IVF) when the dr volunteered that they were happy for people to have immune treatment alongside their IVF. I guess it boosts their numbers without costing them anything, but I have heard other people having threats of funding withdrawal when they mentioned it, which is why I wasn't going to say anything.

pout our freezer is underneath our fridge, so I thnk i would have to stand on my head to try to boob thing! I wouldn't put it past me frankly

mess I hope you feel better soon.

minni that is a great result!

I'm just back from a monitoring scan with my private gynae. I have one 22mm follicle ready to pop.

at boobs in the freezer at lasers spelling out pregnant in the ice cream. This ttc thing really does send otherwise sane women a bit bonkers doesn't it.

sorry to hear your boobs have stopped hurting (yet another sentence I never thought I would write ). As freedom says, don't stop getting excited. I do think it is better to have optimism, even if it does mean you feel dipstick-ish sometimes. Mind you I might change my tune when my own AF arrives in a few days.

euro Glad that your appointment went well and that your doctor is on board with continuing the immune treatment.

We used to have a big American fridge freezer in the old house which was of ideal proportions for the boob test. Now with the Beko crap we currently have I have to kind of simultaneously scooch and precariously thrust. Hardly suitable laboratory conditions for such a conclusive test of ones upduffness.

You are right about the hope and optimism minnie and freedom though in my imminent AF arrival haze of doom I do just feel like I wish I could trip the wanting a baby switch back to off.

Hello. I think that has been my longest spell off Mumsnet. But I have been feeling a bit meh about ttc. But time for a catch up methinks. Here goes! Apologies in advance for anyone I miss, it's tricky when you miss days, I've and to make notes!

pout I'm still periodically smiling at your suggestion of the negative peestick motif. Perhaps I'll make people badges for when we finally have a meet up . My boobs are too small to pop in the freezer! I would have to sit by the freezer Snowman style and let the cold air wave over them. I too scrutinise my boobs for any blemish or change no matter how cellularly tiny during the tww. I hope your period doesn't come. I wish I could given us all an anti period pregnancy magic cure.

Ladygee it's so exciting hearing all about your treatment and the good sperm news and lovely 4 eggs. Grow egglets grow!

euro good luck as you start the ivf process, I totally empathise with the emotions that it must bring. I'm still not ready. But I can see that I will be as the year pans out. It's good y can have the immunes alongside it. But, there is always this cycle...

minipie great prog result. It would have me mentalling too... And exciting holiday plans.

what mess get better soon.

gin are you going to self fund? Speeding eggs along from centre to centre sounds like something from a film!

nelly ah boo for ertd on your hols. But yay to red wine and alpine indulging. Envy envy.

stasi I wish someone could clear up the timing issue, it causes me w real headache. We've gone for the every day approach this month! Except one day when I just kept getting the giggles because it felt a bit much...oops. I bet it was ov day! My chart is a disastrous mess this month, not sure if vitex or cold. But i don't imagine a lot of people give a thought to timing...so it can't be too much of an exact science? I just keep thinking if we did it at EXACTLY the right time, it might help?

lemons how's the bone?

tiago hello. Sorry about your gp frustration. Could you see someone else?

Karbea Good luck!

fatima hows it going?

Well, I had my MRI today. I felt claustrophobic to the extreme. I tried to look at the images and I think I saw a black circle in the base of my womb and have been googling images manically since and now I need to wait to hear from the consultant about the results. I'm not sure even what I want him to tell me. I hope it isn't cancer. I hope it isn't nowhere to be seen. Unless it really has gone? But who knows what happens after that. I feel lonely and frustrated today and rather freakish for having something that doesn't appear on the boards and that is baffling the hospital but hey ho, one step at a time and I'm glad they have seen me so quickly.

Waves to joycep and kitty

wine big hugs, sorry you feel that way today x