Assisted Conception (and all the bits that go with it) volume 9

[Scrummybumb]

A new snug for us AC ladies

Brilliant Lucy I think this is the bit I need. The reason the link did not work for you is that you need two at the beginning and two at the end

guide.hfea.gov.uk/guide/AdvancedSearch.aspx

Or this one

guide.hfea.gov.uk/guide/AllClinics.aspx?x=A

Pocket More good news for people having babies at older age!

Gary Barlow's wife, Dawn, is expecting a baby (aged 42).

www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/4139733/Gary-Barlow-news-Take-That-singer-and-X-Factor-judge-expecting-fourth-baby-with-wife-Dawn.html

In case anyone is interested, I have just posted this on another thread so here is our treatment for anyone who would like to know.

The process for I am about to undergo, is a FET (frozen embryo transfer but with immune treatment) We have three lower grade embryos from a donated egg cycle. I am very keen to let the little ones out and have two put in to me. It is very unlikely that all three will survive the thaw, it is possible two will, or just one and it is possible none will.

In order to prepare my body for the treatment I must have a drug to down regulate my body so that it is not acting in a normal hormonal cycle. I have not had a proper period for almost a year so I feel this stage is unnecessary BUT if my body did suddenly spring to life then there would be a risk that the whole cycle would be ruined! So I need to be down regulated.

Then they will build up my womb lining with hormonal tablet called Progynova (not sure how to spell that). As well as this I will take three forms of medication to try and stop my body rejecting the embryo due to a rather zealous immune system.

I have done all this before but the two factors that are different are, one that I will also have an Intralipid infusion of oils as I prepare for embryo transfer, and two that this is a frozen cycle.

I should say that if all three did make it we would have the two small ones (who I've named Jenever and May) put in first and then at another time we would try for another cycle with the larger one. It is only allowed to put a maximum of two in for donated egg cycles. So I will have the two least likely to survive thawed first, if both make it both they will go in, if not then if one makes it that one will go in. If one or neither makes it then the largest eight-celled embryo (who I have grandly named Serentis) will also be thawed. That means there is a tiny chance we would have another cycle but only if the two smaller ones both survived the thaw and went in. I can't really contemplate another cycle but I also can't quite contemplate none of them surviving! So basically the most likely scenario is that just one or two will survive and we will have our final cycle with one or two next month.

Thanks for reading.

I really hope and pray I can give them a good home and that at least one of them will make it but after 6 and a half years I am sadly losing hope in the process. So all prayers appreciated.

Thanks italian for your update - especially useful for me as I will have FET sometime soon myself. I was on progynova - plus evorel. Is that what you had before? I will pray for you often during your treatment - you are so deserving of success. Have you got any idea of dates yet? I hope it is soon for you

My lovely consultant called me today to see how I am after my op - isn't that nice. I will go and see her when I've got the all clear in telwo weeks from the operation gynie. And we've agreed to talk about immunes so I am pleased about that.

Josie how are you doing with the injections? Hope it's going okay for you.

Dear Scrummy and Bugsy how are you?

Hi to everyone - sorry not mention everyone. Am on mobile so it's v fiddly.

Had to share this. Am on the train home from work and young handsome guy that I know but don't know from home just smiled at me in that fellow commuter sort of way. I'm so embarassed as I look such a mess today - tired, bad (aka comfy) shoes and a seriously bad hair day. Can't wait to tell DP!!!

Wow Pocket well done to you - you old flirt, a handsome dishy bloke and being able to type on a mobile, I can barely send VERY brief texts! Every time I see your name I think of those Kingsmill Pocket bread sandwiches, why did no one think of them before, what a great idea but not sure I like the look of them! Most of the things I find in my pocket are not things I want to eat!!

Rowing, do you still look in on us?

Lissy, how is feeding going?

Hugs to Mojangles, Keziah, Teds, Josie, Beginings, monkeybumsmum, SlightlyBabyCrazed Weller, Lexie, Minih, Chutneyandcheese and Beginnings.

We have decided to get started a.s.a.p. so off we go on our final flight, will we crash and burn or will we get somewhere!???!! It will be fine finding out, no shorts and vest tops or slankets for me (the ladies on the forty thread had a joke about what they wear, this is a slanket!
www.firebox.com/product/2249/The-Slanket?aff=1721&gclid=CMnnrOipra4CFQcRfAodQkexRw
So none of that, just lots and lots of injections and pills, it?s not glamorous but oddly it is now very familiar!

hi all

Sorry for radio silence - half term met no access to laptop!!!

Well AF finally arrived on Sunday - about CD 58 - I ended up doing HPT just to make sure on Saturday and obviously it was negative......

Had bloods done today so this will give my the optimum FSH reading which I can take to clinic in March. Upped my excercise to 3 times a week and it is at last seeming to have some effect. I had space in a blouse yesterday that previously was way too tight. I really hope I achieve my 1 stone loss my appointment time.

pocket at least the killer commute has made you smile this week - life isn't so bad after all!!! :)

Job interview tomorrow so wish me luck!!

lexie good luck for tomorrow. You go girl!

lexie good luck tomorrow. Knock em dead as they say

lexie hope today gone well.

italian your plan sounds good and hope all 3 can defrost well to give you maximum opportunity.

Well am being induced tomorrow evening, so think this will be a Feb baby not a March baby but am 38 weeks this Thursday so am ok with that. Hospital very busy, NICU closed and post-natal ward absolutely full so guessing labour ward pretty busy!!

Keziah how exciting. Good luck and can't wait to hear your news!

Lexie how did your interview go?

keziah so pleased that you have reached this milestone. It's been a long journey for you and I admire your perseverance. I hope it all goes well tomorrow and look forward to hearing your news.

lexie hope your interview went ok?

italian your plan sounds logical. I wish you all the very best

Wow Keziah how exciting. You'll have that little one in your arms and be back home for the weekend! Hope all goes well and can't wait for your update

Lexie hope interview went well only just caught up.
Kezia good luck you will be fine your body has been preparing for this for 9 months and knows what to do. So very exciting. My b day tomorrow maybe lo will join in.

Hi, just a quick update from me

Had the first injection on Sunday, I cried, got a bit panicked, then didn't feel it so that was a positive experience. Monday night's I felt, then on Tuesday morning I passed out at work and kept slipping in and out of consciousness (on the tea room floor ) and ended up being put into an ambulance to the hosp and I had really bad abdominal pain. Then the symptoms stopped on their own and I was fine! I was terrified it was a reaction to the buserelin cos it started with what I thought was a hot flush, but the hosp didn't think so, and when we spoke to the fertility clinic they didn't think so, and I took my next jab last night (which really hurt and left a bruise) and I'm ok so far today. Hosp said it's just one of those things! I'm terrified it's gonna happen again. I thought I was going to die, I just couldn't stay conscious!

So far my IVF journey has not been easy and I don't suppose it's gonna get any easier, maybe yesterday was a warning that I'm knackered. I feel physically and emotionally like I've been hit by a bus but I'm determined to carry on

Hope you are all managing ok x

Hi lovely ladies

Firstly I"m going to apologise right up front for this very 'me, me, me' post. But I'm feeling just really crap today and would gladly welcome any support, knowledge or just a kick up at the backside to get a grip!

Have been waiting and waiting (always this waiting seems an eternity doesn't it?!) patiently for my results from clinic to be egg-sharer. Finally got the blood tests today and found out that my AMH result is 'borderline' at 11.9. My good friend google has told me that indeed this isn't great, but I guess all the more concerning as being an egg-sharer. I know many of you have dealt with far worse situations, but I guess I was just shocked. All of my other results along the way have always shown everything to be looking pretty good on my side. Had millions of FSH tests done and always been below 9. Also had a baseline scan done in Sept last year which revealed an antral follicle count of 18, which my consultant at the time said was 'a good ovarian reserve'.

It's really knocked the wind out of me, and until know I've found quite positive, almost all the way. But in the space of the 2 minute phone call I felt quite divested that my egg sharing plans could all go to pot. So next step is for a baseline scan (again) on Monday to see if that may prove ok. I did ask the nurse if that was good if we could still proceed and I got a very reserved 'potentially'.

I absolutely know that they have to be sure that I will produce enough eggs for both myself and the recipient, but with time against me, I just feel a bit down.

Sorry again for the me post, but sending all big hugs oxo

Josie wow, what a dramatic start to your cycle. Hopefully it was nothing to do with the actual drugs, but could be down to the fact that you are feeling anxious/stressed at the moment. Can you make some time to do something you find relaxing? A facial, a massage or some retail therapy? Hope the rest of your cycle is less eventful.

Sunny I really don't know anything about the requirements for egg sharing, sorry, but 2 things strike me:

• 11.9 isn't bad. Many people would be delighted with that, and it's only just out of the 'satisfactory' fertility band.

• AMH tests are only an indicator and shouldn't be looked at in isolation. Your antral follicle last year in September (i.e. very recently) was 18. That's brilliant, and is based on something that the consultant was able to count as being present on screen. Those follicles were there, no misinterpreting that!

So, try not to worry. You don't have long to wait to baseline scan, and I'm sure that will show lots more lovely follies

sunnyg so sorry to hear about the situation but chin up, it may work out better than you expect. I know it is very disheartening but even if you only have enough eggs for your own treatment, at least you do have those eggs. Try and stay positive, eat as well as you can and take each day at a time.

Josie So sorry that things are not going well. I am sure it will get better. No idea why you fainted, hope you will be better soon. Big hugs to you cycle buddy - I just started injecting too! Sorry it's been a bad few days, hope the rest is totally uneventful.

Keziah all the best for the birth.

Bugsylugs hope all is well with you.

Lexie how was interview?

Lucy hugs to you.

Hugs to pocket, Rowing, Lissy, Mojangles, Scrummy, Teds, Beginings, monkeybumsmum, SlightlyBabyCrazed Weller, Lexie, Minih, Chutneyandcheese and Beginnings.

Hi Sunny, sorry you feel bad. It's awful not knowing what's good and what's not, and what's not good but maybe not too bad iykwim Hopefully you'll get some proper answers on Monday

How are your injections going Italian I've found some I hardly felt where some really hurt . I'm determined to carry on regardless

Lucy I do think it could be too much stress, maybe my body was trying to tell me I need a rest. I'm going out with DH at the weekend to try and relax and enjoy ourselves, and I'm planning a spa day with some friends

I'm back at work today and so far so good, although everyone has asked if I'm ok, and commented on how ill I looked (someone also told me how he'd held my hair out of my vomit ) but I think most of it is out of the way now

Thanks for all of your support ladies. As you can imagine (and I'm sure you've all been here before) had a pretty sleepless night, think of all the what-ifs and trying to figure out how we'd be able to afford IVF/ICSI ourselves. But have decided not to panic and as you've said Italian at least I know we'd be able to have enough eggs for myself, although I'd still like to be able to help someone else as well.
So we'll see what Monday brings and go from there. We've find a way. Also thanks Lucy, your words are really encouraging and just what I had been thinking. Let's hope that they do take into account my good follicle count and good FSH tests and I'm still good to go

Hope you are feeling better Josie, you poor thing, You've had quite the start to your IVF journey. I hope it's on the up.

Hugs ladies.

Josie I am mega emotional, cried at dinner! Never had this before!

Oh Josie, sweetie, I'm so sorry to hear about your episode, but glad you're feeling a bit better. It sounds like stress and exhaustion played a good part in what happened to you. I know it sounds hard, but you have to try and relax as much as possible. Glad you're going out with DH, and superglad that you've planned a spa day. What a good idea! It'll be just the ticket! May I suggest arnica cream for your injection sites...it's really great for the bruising, if you have any.

sunny- Hope you're a little less stressed as well. It's so easy for doctors to make judgments based on test results, but nothing is certain in this conception game. Keep the faith, sweetie, and don't give up!

Italian- How are you doing with your injections?

Keziah- Am anxiously awaiting news of your arrival!

Lexie- Any news on your interview?

Teds and lucy- How are you feeling?

scrummy- Hope you're feeling better about all the immunes stuff. It can only help you, not harm you...

pocket and bugsy- Hope you're hanging in there.

AFM, had a pretty good night with Rosie last night. She actually slept! As opposed to Monday and Tuesday nights where every time I put her in the cradle she fussed and cried. Had a little outing in the glorious sunshine today. It was nice to be out, but I'm still quite uncomfortable in my lady bits, so it was not as long as I wanted it to be. She is feeding quite well, which is a nice change from being in the hospital and not latching on. I think it was Italian who mentioned something about not letting her sleep in the bed. Don't worry, that's not happening! She has a little snooze on DH in the morning and at night, but mostly I'm trying to establish the eating, changing, and being put into her crib routine.

Hi to any of the lovely ladies I've missed...

Hi, all fine here still. Had a blood test for diabetes this morning but I'm not expecting any great shocks (I said that 2 years ago when we started TTCing though) Agin last night I hardly felt the injection, it's a big relief when that happens!

Lissy I have been meaning to get some arnica gel, I have a couple of bruises so far. I've said all along I've got to look after myself but I don't think I realised that means physically as well as emotionally. But, my horse has gone out on part loan so that's a weight off my mind to know she's being well looked after (I already know the person loaning her) and I can have a lie in tomorrow! I fully intend to stay in bed as long as possible, and I'm trying to convinve DH to do a big breakfast in bed

josie glad the last few days' injections have been better. I guess you and DH are both getting the hang of it. And have a lovely weekend, sounds perfect!

lissy hurray for some sleep. A little bit goes a long way. I hope you're really enjoying these very early days.

I went to get some arnica this morning as my tummy looks dreadful, but ended up not buying any because the pharmacist couldn't confirm if it was definitely safe in pregnancy. I'll probably call my dr to get her opinion, but did your research tell you it was safe? I'm such a nervous minny about it all!

italian thinking of you and hope you're doing ok.

keziah looking forward to your news and hi to everyone else!