Santa Baby, Leave a BFP under the Tree for me <brook the Rat Smacketeers>

[SantasLittleControlGeek]

Old Fred here

Here we go Brookers, it's been a long year with lots of BFPs and newborn snuggles for the Brookers. We're just a sleigh-ride away from 2013, when the rest of us will get our get our 12 week scans (because of course we will all have BFPs under the christmas tree this year!)

So come all ye brookers, it's tinsel and baubels all the way!

You guys!! I'm only 5 days after iui!! Face, was told to test next Friday, but I don't usually test, just wait for AF. No symptoms yet. Am sat here eating pumpkin seeds, for protein. What a hassle, and I keep eating bits of wood.

solars scarlett sweetie were you told to drink lots of milk during ivf?

face your bottom makes me

keep was told to drink loads of water and eat protein. But have read up on it and loads of suggestions on milk & eggs being good. I hate milk so there is no way I can drink it. But as hot chocolate or ice cream now you are talking my language

Solars enjoy your acupuncture later and share all you news with the lady, it so helps to offload. I have really missed going for reflexology for that reason.

Still no sign of af here, think it should be tomorrow or Fri. I will have a word with reflexology lady. Last time I saw her was Oct so a lot to catch up on.

Scarlett that is awesome! So glad the appointment went the way you where hoping. Not long now until your BFP

Geek hope the g & t helped, I can't believe I missed the party I was busy catching up with DH as he got back from his work trip last night.

Sweetie my doggy has good recall most of the time (it can be difficult around other dogs but I can still get her back most of the time). She was terrible as a pup, we used chase recall with her which really worked. DH and I would go to other sides of the park if it was quiet and get her to run to one person while the other one hid and she would then have to find us. She loved finding us & it worked a treat as she never lets us get out of her sight now. I've also taught her "leave it" as a command in relation to food and it now works if we are out and I don't want her to approach people. Btw it only took us 2 years to get the recall sorted

By the way I've booked my first acupuncture for next week. I'm starting to get worried about the needles. What will I need to wear? I'm worried about having to strip off!

Keep how are you feeling about your sister visiting?

Ahhh cupcakes we tried the either sides of field and hiding etc, ours is a proper hound though, she just thinks 'ohh hang on a minute mum, I'm just following this smell'....little rat bag lol. We do have the 'leave it' command sorted though, not tried it with dogs though...that's an idea.

Quick question, so I just did another OPK and it's positive again, is it usual to have a positive OPK two days running?

Luckily even though my girl loves playing with other dogs she still loves treats more, so she is very easy to train. She has only just got interested in a ball after years of trying to get her to fetch. It does get easier as they get older and tire easier

What OPKs are you using Cleo? If its the cheap ones from amazon/ebay I sometimes got a positive for a few days and kept testing until the line went feint again.

cup mine just pulled up my top for my back, then legs, feet, head. Come on, you can't be embarrassed you've had so many people look up your bits this'll be nothing...

Am not sure how I feel. Am looking forward to seeing her, but dreading the inevitable horrid feelings. As well as how to cope with conversations about her pg, and my lack of...

Cups my acupuncture has mainly been on the lower legs and belly but if you wear a top and trousers or skirt then you should be ok, although many at time I've worn dresses and if she needs to get to the belly she'll pull the dress up but she normally covers me up with blankets too. Hope that makes sense. I'm all zenned out now after my session.

Cleo I've had positive opks 2/3 days running could be the body just surging the lh trying to pop that egg out. Sounds like a big juicy one this month!

Keep I was never advised milk during the AF but I have been reading recently that argc seem to want you to drink a lot of it. I ate lots of eggs though and protein too. I'm not a big milk fan either so looks like its going to have to be milkshakes for me.

Hope your reflexology goes well too Sweetie It was nice to offload on the acu lady too today.

Face isn't your DH a star!

I meant milk during ivf Keep

I I think I'll wear a skirt to be on the safe side Solars believe it or not after all these investigations I still find it difficult getting undressed in front of strangers!

Keep hopefully you and your sister can have a good talk when she first arrives to get all over and done with and then you can just enjoy your time together.

Right I need some advice, I've got a job interview at the end of jan. I'm worried that if I get the job by the time I go through crb checks, occupational health etc that a start date might coincide with IVF. I'm reluctant to be upfront about IVF at the interview as I feel if I do that I might as well not even bother going but I feel like I can't put my life on hold when I'm so unhappy with my job. Then when I have to tell them they will think I've been dishonest. I honestly don't know what to do.

If it were me Cups I wouldn't tell them at the interview stage, you're not being dishonest because you haven't yet been given definite ivf dates (right?) so you can't be accused of lying. I would go for the job, you can't put things on hold, deal with things as and when they happen, you'd ideally want to be in a better frame of mind going through ivf too.

keep great news on your running machine, it must be ever such hard work going running in the humid temps you've been talking about out there. I second cup's suggestion - maybe have a specific conversation with your sister, congratulating her but saying you are finding it too difficult to talk about your own situation, would she mind if the rest of the holiday was spent talking about other things? No idea about the milk thing, I've not heard that one yet and don't particularly want to!

cups congrats on your job interview! Definitely go ahead with it, try not to worry too much about what will happen when, just concentrate on the interview itself. I certainly wouldn't mention anything in the interview about IVF. Perhaps, if you get the job and the dates do clash, explain to them that you have a medical procedure booked in but not go into details?

AF's arrived here full force and almost a day late this afternoon so I'm hitting the town tonight. Hope she doesn't get snowed in with me, the only happy thing about that would be if it kept her away from all the other brookers!

I still haven't had my appointment to see the consultant for a treatment plan. For all I know he might not want to go straight to IVF, he might want to try something else first. Right ill go for it & if I get it ill deal with the issue then. Thanks for reassuring me that I'm not really doing anything wrong

aww cups of course you're not doing anything wrong! My work still don't know, and I've been there over 7 years. It's hard enough, without putting our entire lives on hold.

cups i have amazon ones but also asda ones, i used both each day, as I didnt 100% trust the cheapies as im obsessive both gave the same positive result. Hope its a nice juicy egg this month!

Also you are doing nothing wrong! Concentrate firstly on getting the job then worry about the whats ifs re IVF. With my first job after uni I got the job then had to tell them I had an operation booked and would be off for 6 weeks. They have to honour it as they would holiday, I felt so guilty though, but honestly they were fine.

cups I agree that you should go for the job. we had a similar worry, dh recently had an interview for a job that wouldn't start for a few months yet although they've never actually said what the start date is. but its a new company around here which is opening around Oct. so we guessed start Sept so like a month for training which of course is when mini face would be due. we decided not to mention it and keep both things completely seperate just incase.
I spent the whole day at mums today my stomach feels so sore like completely battered inside. not sure what will happen if I start spotting again but I can't stomach the extra cyclogest. I'm scared of how disheartened ill be if this doesn't work with all these meds. obviously I'd have at least one more go......
I've turned a bit ranty here haven't I. I feel bad cos I've achieved the first bit that so many of you are struggling with. but its just the beginning of a very stressful ride that still can't guarantee me a baby ( can u tell nearly all the postitivity has gone?)

Evening everyone.

Cups I am in the exact same boat at the moment. Am going for interviews and not mentioning it. It's hard. But I totally agree, we can't put everything on hold. It may take a while for things to be finalised and up and running, and I think being happy at work is so important for stress levels.

Can't remember who asked (my brain is frazzled from thesis writing and writing tests for jobs) but my friend was recommended to eat a portion of edamame beans every day during IVF. Good source of protein and all that.

Face sorry you a having a tough time of it. I'm sure a good sleep will bring more positivity

Hurrah for a juicy egg Cleo

Geek you make sure you hit that town hard. I'll be there to dig out AF if the snow hits. Or maybe she will just freeze and wither away. Bit like a wart.

maybe Or maybe she will just freeze and wither away. Bit like a wart.

^should say off to have a drink for everyone

Talking, drinking and typing don't mix, ladies!

I've heard snorting gin is as good as drinking it Geek. Have a few for me

bigs hugs to cartoon
also at the witch freezing like a wart!!!

cups yes, do the interview and deal with it later. You may not need to take much time off anyway. You don't NEC need to tell them, you could just say you're having a minor op and will need some time off. In the same way you tell new employers about Pre booked leave. That should be the last thing on your mind.

I also think you're right and I should get The Conversation out of the way soon with my sis. She's probably not looking forward to it either.

face the drugs suck, but eyes on the prize. I think you'll only be on the drugs till 12 weeks, is that right? Your lack of positivity is just you protecting yourself, but we are brooking for you. Don't feel guilty on our behalf. Your TTC story is different to ours, but it's still a bloody tough one. Are you working at the moment? Good luck to your dh (are you used to that yet?) in his job interview, as and I think you've done the right thing. No one tells their employer before 12 weeks, unless there's a health risk.

Still no symptoms. Last night dh worried we'd jolt any ball of cells out while DTD, so we did it gently... Is there any truth to this, is DTD in the 2ww risky, or is he mental..?

shit shit shit the bloods back and now pink.
keep I think ur dh is mad but I won't have sex for the same reason at the moment (im mad too).
some of my drugs stop at 12wks some 16wks. so really its not so bad.
I still find myself about to say my unmarried name if anyone asks etc its really weird saying husband!

(((hugs))) cartoon I don't know anything much about these things, but spotting seems to be quite common in pregnancy. Brooking that you've got a little sticky in there, and that he/she is just getting themselves nice and comfy. You're still really early in your pregnancy, I think implantation continues until about week 6?

maybe MrG once snorted vodka. Ended up with a three-day nosebleed. Oddly enough he's never done it since!

keep I'm pretty sure the little ball of cells gets disturbed by pretty much nothing while it's travelling. In my brief stint on another thread, one woman was incredibly active (hardcore theatre dancing iirc) following IVF and went on to get her BFP. That said, the issue of DTD afterwards has never really come up for me - MrG is just so relieved when I tell him O-Day has happened that he takes the next fortnight off!

AF has moved in with a punching bag this month, so I've called in sick to work - first time in over 6 years By the time I've had my op and IVF I'll probably have a warning about my Bradford Factor score. Working for a charity is great!

cartoon [hugs] try not to panic, from what I've heard tbh I know fuck all pink can be a sign of implantation and the little egg may just be nestling itself in a bit further. Also as geek said bleeding in early pregnancy does seem to be fairly common. FX for you and your little bean.