TTC 10 plus months, part 6

[mrsden]

A friendly, supportive thread for those of us who are taking a bloody long little longer time than average to conceive.

Morning lovely ladies!

Fingers crossed for your blood test today gin, really hope it goes well. Also good luck with the iui scan, frannie but if you're a late O-er I would not expect anything exciting. I am going in for our outsourcing today (in fact DH is doing his part as we speak).

I had a PCT becks and it does not hurt at all, it involved a quick fanny cam to check the follie was big enough (and thus the mucus would be fertile) and then a little bit was taken out and put under the microscope. The very nice lady let me look at the swimming swimmers in there, so that was exciting. But since then we've changed hospitals and the one we're at now says the test has been discredited (no real correlation between results and pgs) so they don't offer it longer.

Quick waves to the others while I finish off my assignment before following DH to the hospital.

hey loveslemon, it's interesting the different views on PCT. There is a good article in Wmagazine called Pregnant Pause (March 2008) which touches on the views regarding PCT is a wider commentary on conception and fertility clinics. I'll dig it out if anyone is interested/google doesn't led to it. Good luck becks, hope it provides useful info.

Waves to all.

Hey purple they do a new smiley just for you:

And re: the PCT I liked the confirmation, even if it has limited predictive value. And if you get to have a look, that is quite fun. (I kind of enjoy fanny camming as well, it is interesting to see what is going on).

nice smiley. Yes, I can see why the confirmation of swimmers swimming around is useful to know. The pro-PCT doc that I read about basically said "is a woman more likely to get pregnant with live sperm inside her or with dead"! I've not had it done myself but have an unnatural interest in CM issues in general given that mine is, well, let's say "well hidden"...

Morning all :)

Sorry to hear of all the AFs turning up. Hot water bottles and AF treats all round.

Gin good luck with your testing. Hope the BFN was very wrong. Lots of hugs

Beryl congrats on your new house. That must be v. exciting even if you are not moving in yet.

Critter well done on your no dairy! It's a total killer! Although, I have some tips. Oat milk is great in tea, hemp milk is nice in porridge and almond milk worked well in buck wheat pancakes (although they were a bit rubbery)

Lisa no idea what they will do yet. GPs on Friday and I reckon they'll refer me based on hormone levels and cysts. I don't think they'll go for removal to start with. I've been reading a lot and it seems that its the killer diet and poss drugs to start with and surgery in more stubborn cases.

My weekend was blissfully uneventful. Went to a lovely fish restaurant for my bestie's birthday (bit of a nightmare eating around the brown diet) and had a big rest on Saturday. Yesterday morning we moved more rubble and in the afternoon MIL and I dug out a border and a tree stump. I ache today, although I do seem to be losing a few pounds by a slightly looser waist band. There have to be some perks to the diet and restoration project.... More supportive phone call from my mum yesterday afternoon, seems to have been a miraculous 180 on the attitude. She very confusing lady. And then to bed for a massive sleep.

Waves to everyone I've missed. Onwards with another week in the land of TTC! x

Interesting, becks. I'd heard of the PCT but not heard of anyone having it. I can't see that it would hurt if they are just taking a sample of CM.

Frannie I wish MN would let you copy and paste formatting. It's such a faff to add it in every time.

lemons I hope the outsourcing goes well!

Princess I've never heard of anyone have PCO cysts removed as they tend to come and go. They tend to just treat with diet and drugs in my experience (and move to ovarian drilling if there is no ovulation).

I'm thinking of you gin, I really hope that the blood test gives you a positive result.

Good luck today lemons. Enjoy the stirrups!

How is your 2ww going euro? Some people have to be in the 10% so why not you?

Did your DH get off ok joycep? Do you have nice things planned for while he's away?

pout have you had the dogs checked for mites? My mum's dog had mites that caused some sort of infection, it can get pretty nasty if left untreated. I hope there is less scratching going on today.

I'm having a crazy cycle again. I'm on CD18 and temp still only 36.3 this morning so it doesn't look like I'm going to ovulate. That will be 3 months in a row. Also, I had brown stringy, sludgy stuff Sat night and yesterday. It was like the stuff I normally get at the end of AF, I've no idea what it means but I'm guessing it's not a good thing. It is so frustrating that I seem to have problems as well as DH, I feel like we must be a super infertile couple. What are the odds of us both being duff in the upduff stakes? I've also had to spend the last hour at work listening to a pregnant colleague blather on about how she hopes she's having a girl because all the other babies born in her family this year have been boys, blah di blah di blah. If she carries on my coffee might accidentally spill over the expenses form she's spent most of the morning trying to complete. Grrrr, I'm in a bad mood, can you tell? Waves to everyone, hope you're having a better Monday than I am.

MrsD ah crap. Sorry to hear it's a hard morning for you. Don't you just lurve those colleagues. I used to hate the morons colleagues at my old work. Go on, spill the cover...do it! [naughty face] And sorry to hear of brown, stringy sludge. Hopefully will clear up soon. Are you seeing your doctor soon? Or are you able to? I'm prepping myself for a midcycle bleed at the end of this week. My body too is very confusing

Lemons forget to say in my other post, good luck for the stirrups and all. Hope the outsourcing goes well.

Euro good luck on your 2ww. Lisa asked if they were removing the cysts. I've only read about ovarian drilling and another method used in the US and Scandinavia called Ovarian Diathermy, where they effectively take out the inside of the ovary with a special needle [faints]. You can read about this and the different treatments of PCOS required in thin and overweight ladies in this document - www.jarrettfertility.com/pcds.html. Hopefully, you will not need to know anything more about PCOS or the like as your IUI will have worked a treat and you will fall into the lucky 10. As MrsD says, someone has to make up the 10%

MrsD - not the 'cover' that would be like some strange unveiling of your virtual self. I meant go on, spill the coffee!!!

Thanks for the kind wishes ladies. I'm at 7dpo now, so I only have a few more days to wait.

Princess ovarian drilling is just another name for ovarian diathermy. You'll be relived to know that they don't take out the inside of the ovary, just puncture it (hence the "drilling" nickname). I see the article you linked talks about them as two different things but I have never heard of that before. Maybe it is an American thing!

Ah, I see. Thanks Euro. I've just had a look at the BUPA website for info. Yes, it would appear to be an Americanism. Lots to learn! I'll keep up my reading :) If I get some NHS consultant time, I want to go in prepared and ask about private options too. It seems that they only offer Clomid as a solution on the NHS, which seems to have lots of nasty side effects and although has a high success rate of helping people get preggers increases the chance of miscarriage. The FSH and superov stuff sounds more effective? Thoughts on a postcard anyone? I'm not sure I've got it in me to go through many more miscarriages. Well, I shall continue with the diet etc and see what the docs have to say. Think I'm getting ahead of myself with all of this.

that's interesting princess about the drilling being the most effective treatment for pcos women with normal BMI. I've never heard that before. I fall into the non-obese but pcos category, I think my BMI is only 20. There seems to be so much stuff about obese women and pcos that it's easy to think that slim women don't get it. I had an insulin resistance test done and my results were fine so I'm not sure that I have a problem with that.

I do know of one person who had the drilling done and actually she did fall pregnant fairly soon afterwards. This was a few years ago though, before I'd started ttc so I didn't ask her much about it and we've lost contact now. She was living in the States at the time. We have an appointment with the ivf clinic in a couple of weeks so hopefully I'll get some answers then. I am worried about the risk of OHSS with pcos women, and also the thought of going through it and then miscarrying because of poor egg quality is heartbreaking.

Clomid and superov could be overlapping - superovulation just means giving ovulation drugs to women who are already ovulating. Those drugs could include Clomid. Clomid has a really good success rate for women who are not ovulating. The rate is less good for women who are. I tried 3 cycles of superov (with Letrozole rather than clomid as that is what my consultant preferred) to no avail.

You probably are getting ahead of yourself a bit. If tests show you are ovuating despite the polycycstic ovary, you should be able to get pregnant so perhaps no treatment will be necessary. My PCOS was diagnosed almost 20 yrs ago and I have never been offered any drugs or drilling because I ovulate despite the cysts.

BTW, the forums on verity are a good way to learn more about PCOS if you want to read around a bit.

Thanks Euro I've had a quick look at Verity last week but didn't realise they have forums on there too. I meant Letrozole by superov. Thank you for the clarification! You seem very up on all this stuff and I feel super embarrassed by your superior knowledge . This is all so new to me. One last thing are your hormone levels normal? I have v. high LH (tested on day 15 although during midcycle bleed - my level was 15 and therefore outside the upper normal bracket by 2)
MrsD I'm finding this whole PCOS thing v.confusing. Although there seems to be lots of us on here who are normal BMIs and still have it. I guess it just is that common. I never in a million years considered that I had PCOS and no signs of it either. Periods = regular; skin = clear; facial hair = a very fine peach fuzz like other ladies; weight = normal (between 21 - 24 depending on diet / drinking / exercise). I'm feeling v.frustrated that this cannot be sorted out immediately. I need answers NOW! Hence mega google and book reading activity...

princess My LH was measured on Day 3 and it was 11, my FSH was 7. I think the ratio should be 1:1. The Dr explained that my results were indicative of pcos and then the scan confirmed it. Have you had your testosterone level checked, and prolactin? I think these can be high for pcos women. My testosterone was normal but prolactin a little bit high but the gynae said this was probably due to stress of the blood test as the body produces it when stressed. I had a fasting insulin test too. Insulin was 5.5, C-Peptide II was 586 and Glucose C Peptide 5.8. All of these were within the normal range so I think that means I'm ok on that front. I find pcos very confusing, so much of what's written talks about excess hair, weight, bad skin, thinning hair, absent periods etc. The gynae I saw seemed to think that pcos was one of the easier things to treat for fertility because the answer is to get ovulation sorted. It adds an extra complexity to ivf though because of OHSS. Hopefully I'll find out more after my appointment at the clinic.

Has anyone recently had a whooping cough vaccination? I had the one you get as a baby/child but the clinic has said that if you haven't had one in the last 10 years you should get it again before getting pregnant, or if not have it within 24 hrs of giving birth, I think because you can't have it while pregnant. I'm just wondering why? Is whooping cough on the rise? Does the vaccination not last for life? Has anyone else had this mentioned?

princess I've lived with it for 20 years, so I have a bit of a head start! (And I am more than happy to bore people with the bits and pieces I have picked up along the way!) And tbh, after I was diagnosed, the drs didn't see me any more, so I have learned about the condition through my own reading. When I was diagnosed it was considered as a purely gynae issue. Now it is viewed as linked to "syndrome X", i.e. an insulin related condition. I wouldn't never have found out about that if a more-recently diagnosed friend hadn't pointed me towards it. That is why they think a low GI diet helps. That friend recommended me the PCOS Handbook, which is where a lot of what I know about the condition comes from.
www.amazon.co.uk/The-Ultimate-PCOS-Handbook-self-esteem/dp/0007213255/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335181542&sr=1-1

I don't have a lot of symptoms - my BMI is stable at 21-22, my periods are reasonably regular (they differ a bit in length but I have one every month), I get a few spots but nothing that out of the ordinary. I do have a bit of unwanted hair though - it was my mum noticing a few dark hairs on the side of my face at 17 that led me to go the dr in the first place. But I am far from a typical pcoser. Two of my friends have the condition too - one is also slim but only has one or two periods a year. She is now PG after IVF. The other embraced the low GI diet and got pg first time of trying with her first and second month with her second!

I don't know what to say about the LH level. Mid-cycle would be when your LH is expected to surge, so I'm not sure what level would be normal then. For fertility investigations, it is more usual to test your LH and FSH together on days 2-5 of the cycle.

Some drs use clomid for superov. Others use injectibles or Letrozole, depending on their preference and the woman. I think a fair bit of trial and error is involved to see what people respond to.

gin - i am thinking of you today. Sorry about the home test on Sat, I really hope they have more positive news for you today. Massive hug.

nelly - i think they say that you can expect the odd freak period. I hope it has disappeared for you now.

lisa - am sorry about AF starting for you.

Beryl - congrats on the new home but I am sorry about AF. I hope the new home takes your mind off it.

lemon - good luck with iui today. 2nd time lucky.

euro - am crossing fingers for you.

frannie - it?s very time consuming trying to update things on the iphone. I haven?t mastered it very well. Good you?re busy though as it can help with diverting attention away from everything else.

mrsd - oh i am sorry you are having another strange cycle. When do you normally ovulate by? I hate the weird curve balls our cycles seem to throw at us and i?m sure they have only started since ttc. Grr at your annoying colleague. I get so cross when i hear people getting choosy about what sex they want (she says whilst hoping for a girl). Surely as long as they are healthy? Anyway much sympathy to you ? i have a male colleague whose wife is expecting and it is tedious listening to him especially as he is the most boring individual in the world. Yes Dh has gone ? I hate it when he is away and get very miserable about it. However, there is a chance he will be back in a week now so I am just crossing fingers that will happen. He has been good in the last few years and has turned down jobs abroad but sometimes he can?t get out of them. Never heard of the whooping cough jab?? You have to have HIV, Hep B&C and antibodies tests before you can undertake ivf in my clinic.

Thanks ladies for the all the great tips for hols. I know the Cote D?Azur quite well as MiL has a house down there although it?s rented for a year now. I?ev been looking in to the Il de Re (thanks mrsd) and Carcasson. I didn?t realise it is half term week and so it is going to be really pricey. I think I will have to stick to a good old fashioned UK holiday with its dodgy weather system. So am looking in to Cornwall (love the sound of catching our own fish critter), the Lakes and Scotland. Nelly ? what places are good in West Scotland? Would love to stay in a castle hotel where they run activities but again sooo pricey so perhaps need to rent a cottage.

Had a big pregnancy announcement dropped on us this weekend...luckily by text. It?s amazing how you can feel fine but as soon as you hear someone?s lovely but ghastly news , you just end up feeling like crap for the rest of the day.
Had dinner with my pregnant friend as well. It never is bad as I imagine actually even though I had AF. . I think one on one is the key. Not sure why I asked (too much wine) but they conceived first go. It is just so frustrating that i am 29 cycles in and they did it first go. [stamps feet].
Just been in to ivf clinic to see if they actually got my registration form 2 weeks ago. All i want is an appointment, not sure why it is taking so long. And i always thought i was a patient person.

I've never been a patient person joycep, which is one of the major reasons why I find this whole ttc thing so frustrating. Had the clinic received your form then? Did they say how long you'd have to wait? I was quite impressed we have got an appointment so quickly, but I fully expect to have to wait ages to get all the tests done. And if my cycle is still playing up then trying to fit in a day 3 and day 21 test is going to be interesting. We also have our trip to the UK so that will disrupt things.

I hate pregnancy announcements because I thought by now I'd have come to terms with them. But it still hurts so much, and I know that if you ever tried to explain to a non long term ttcer how it felt they'd think we were being irrational. So, I totally understand how you felt, even if it was by text message. I hope your DH does manage to get back in a week, I also hate it when DH goes away. He is out tonight and I'm going to be twiddling my thumbs. I'm sure I never used to be this reliant on him for company.

Mrsd - the clinic has received it but there is someone who is solely employed to book appointments who has been away. I am very lucky the clinic is so close to work as they ignore the phones there. I saw paperwork was dropping all over the place as well which doesnt fill me with confidence.
I am very impressed you have an appt so quickly. I reckon you will be on to ivf pretty quickly. You dont have to ovulate on your monitoring cycle do you?
Pregnancy announcements are awful and they never get easier. My friend is lovely but I was explaining what was going on with us but she does t understand the stress. Not sure what I was expecting but 'I'm sure it will be fine' tells me she didn't undrstand or particularly care!
I am kind of wary how I talk about it now after a comment from my BF - I seem to be getting a reputation for being a depressive bore who is talking endlessly about her fertility issues .

When we meet up, we can be depressive bores together joycep. Do we know who is going to meet up yet?

"i'm sure it will be fine" is the comment from someone who can't really think what to say, but I'm sure she does care. They only have one person who can do the booking in? That's not a very flexible workforce then. Dh and I went in to the clinic as soon as it opened two days after the open evening. To be fair, it was pretty chaotic in there too. They've long since outgrown the space and it feels very cramped. I was surprised how many women were there already at 8am in the morning. It made me realise that I'm not alone and there are plenty of people in the city going through this, it's just I don't know them.

I've eaten my weight in chocolate today. I've figured if I'm not ovulating anyway this month then I can sugar overload without guilt. That'll teach my hormones and ovaries. I normally ovulate days 14-16 so it would be late for it to happen now. I've no idea what the brown blood, stringy stuff was all about. I'm guessing it's not a good sign.

I wouldnt worry Mrsd about the odd stuff. I sometimes get weird stuff a couple of weeks after AF and I just assume it's stuff that hasn't made it's way through the system. It is just old blood and I bet if you were to talk to your gynae about it she would say it was nothing to worry about.
It is comforting to see That you are not the only one going through it isn't it. Hopefully you will meet some people out there who are going through it too.
I had a massive pig out at the weekend and for the first time fell off the sugar wagon. I think we deserve it.
I have had responses from everyone - there could be 8 of us meeting .

Gin Sorry about the HPT but maybe it was too early. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Big Dog is older and slightly bigger and much fluffier. He is also the old man in his personality. More sensible and grumpy unlike Little Dog who bounces off the walls and thinks EVERYTHING is exciting!

nelly I hope that your AF has finally buggered off. I am praying for mine to come not done that in a while & it feels sooooo good! so I don't have to take the period blockers. I read that they aren't particularly compatible with my medical history but time is running out and there's no sign of the bitch. Unfortunately I only know the steps for the stay away AF dance .

lisa I'm sorry that your AF has shown up for you. That letter was unbelievable, like being "desperate" for a baby is a bad thing. I wonder whether I give the impression of being too laid back in these appointments which may be to my detriment but obviously it seems you can't win either way.

lemons Massive good luck for your next round.

Euro hope that your 2ww flies by for you. So hoping this is your time

critter I like your plan of getting "ripped for Summer". The only ripping I am likely to be doing is ripping my jeans. I had a bit of a shock over the weekend when I realised that I can't fit comfortably into most of my jeans. How the dickens did that happen overnight???!!!! I decided, whilst sobbing into my peanut butter cake, that action must be taken tomorrow or the next day and I might whispers have to exercise more. More sobbing.......

beryl How exciting about your new house! Congratulations Have you convinced your DH to invest in some overpriced furniture yet??!! Sorry that your AF decided to make herself at home in your new abode. She always seems to turn up when she is least wanted!
How is your cold?
BTW I did chuckle at your idea of getting your mum to run over your DMs What you need is a dog to chew them and toss them around the garden along with your grundies that they have stolen off the clothes airer BTW I totally endorse collies. They are fab dogs, really not the easiest breed but so full of personality and eccenticities. Mine never cease to amaze me with the words they learn, their quirks and loyalty.

mrsd Crikey, poor you, a third non-ovulatory cycle. That is crap. It isn't fair that you seem to have so many issues to contend with.
I'm not a patient person either and when I set my mind on doing something I am the kind of person that wants it done yesterday. I agree that this makes long term TTC particularly unbearable!
I had a realisation today that I have separated the TTC & all it's associated bollocks from the actually getting pregnant part if that makes sense. I really don't think I see the SWI or the hospital appointments as likely to get me pregnant anymore, it has turned into just some ordeal, separate to all that that DH and I just "do". I really think that if we get a BFP it would knock us both for six because I think DH is of the same frame of mind lately. None of the above is explained very well so probably makes no sense!
Thanks for the heads up over mites. Am scratching just thinking of that one, at least you can see fleas!

joycep Sorry that your DH is away (sorry mrsd too). I absolutely loathe being alone these days too. I don't know about you but I feel a shadow of myself and my self confidence has plummeted since all this baby stuff. As a result I think I am relying on DH a little too much.
Oh Gawd, that clinic sounds a little disorganised..paperwork falling out It isn't very confidence inspiring for you I'm sure.
Sorry about preggo announcements. Guaranteed to mess up your week day.
BTW my leeks are still here. The roofer finally came and his professional opinion was "the extension is f*ed"! Still the leaks that run down the walls appear to be better than the water pressure in the shower so perhaps some reconfiguration of the rooms is all that is needed here. Every cloud...

I'll be so happy to meet you all, I honestly mean it when I say that this thread has stopped me feeling so alone in all this and it makes an awful experience so much more bearable.

Ohh, I love the but I don't really have an appropriate way to weave it in.

pout the AF come dance is just the AF stay away dance but with the steps reversed. Simples.

I know exactly what you were saying about ttc being divorced from pregnancy. I forget why we're doing all this.

Ahhhh, makes sense to reverse the steps. trips over own feet because I'm thinking too hard

Didn't realise that the red squiggle is a dragon. Looks like a round worm to me but maybe I have been spending too much time Googling itching inducing doggy parasites