Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

The ongoing search for BFPs now leads the BESH to the barren polar wastes, in the footsteps of Scott, Shackleton and Franklin.

999 replies

ArielThePiraticalMermaid · 19/02/2013 22:35

Pack those reindeer sleeping bags, huskies and skis - we're off to the Antarctic to look for our BFPs. Unlike Scott, we'll eat the poniez if necessary (topical joke). Let's huddle together through the Antarctic night and we'll try not to kidnap one of the emperor penguin toddlers for our very own. Bring on blizzards, pack ice, shipwreck, attacking leopard seals, voyages across the Southern Ocean in rowing boats and hazardous traverses of South Georgia in search of rescue - just like the Shackleton expedition, NO BESH WILL BE LEFT BEHIND.

(do I win the prize for most random fred ever?)

OP posts:
Northey · 22/02/2013 20:34

I did find the trial transfer (that they do right at the beginning to make sure they won't have any nasty surprises when doing it for real with an embryo in a syringe) quite achey though. I was waiting nervously for the real thing to ache in the same way, when they told me they'd finished!

JethroTull · 22/02/2013 20:46

The consultant had real trouble ahem getting it in. The nurse kept looking at him like 'what's the matter'? They were running late and I felt like he was rushing. But hey if there's a little heartbeat on Monday, all of that will have made a baybee!

FriendofDorothy · 22/02/2013 20:48

I had an HSG and found it ok, just a little twingy when they injected the dye.

Original poster
ArielThePiraticalMermaid · 22/02/2013 20:58

Is that what hurt then? Is the tube bigger than with the HSG?

OP posts:
Northey · 22/02/2013 21:00

I can't remember the thickness of the harsh tube, but the embryo transfer one was incredibly thin.

Northey · 22/02/2013 21:00

HSG, not harsh.

EuroShaggleton · 22/02/2013 21:18

I also say enjoy France.

My timetable (after GP tests on blood and jizz) was:
referral made June 2011
referral lost twice Confused
first fertility clinic appointment August 2011 (after GP receptionist got stroppy with them for losing it)
fanny cam, HSG and repeat jizz Sept 2011
second fertility clinic appointment - get results and diagnosis of "unexplained" and referral to a different hospital for IVF Nov 2011
get HFEA and other paperwork from new hospital Dec 2011
baseline scan at new hos Jan 2012
HIV etc bloods for both of us and main pre-IVF consultation Feb 2012
drug delivery and ready to go March 2012 (although I asked to put it off for a couple of months as the drugs made me whig out)

Also, it's very much a personal decision how much clean living you do, but I was drinking coffee (not much but some strong stuff) up to the day we started and then dropped down to green tea/decaff (and that was mainly because I know I get awful caffeine withdrawal headaches so I preferred to go through it when deffo not pg so I could take drugs), drinking a reasonable amount at Xmas and drinking lightly up to a few days after ET. It helped keep me relaxed. I went into my full IVF cycle last summer having had 6 months off the booze, no caffeine, etc and was incredibly tense about the whole thing. It's a very personal thing but the relaxed approach doesn't seem to have been detrimental.

I found smear/HSG/ET all much of a muchness save for length TBH (HSG and ET have you fiddled with for much longer). I guess ET and HSG were marginally more uncomfortable because they actually put something through the cervix but nothing major. I did cramp after the ET but not the HSG. I didn't have a trial ET but before the actual ET the gynae did ask about my IUIs (problem-free, luckily).

I am willing the days away to my scan, Jeff. I know it doesn't mean we will be home and dry but it's another hurdle crossed,

Original poster
ArielThePiraticalMermaid · 22/02/2013 21:20

I have been having a conversation on FB about wheat. I'm thinking of cutting down on wheat. I eat quite a lot though. I'm not sure what to have instead of bread (don't eat cereal)

OP posts:
EuroShaggleton · 22/02/2013 21:34

I've gone wheat free but not entirely gluten free (still have oats, etc). Instead of bread I have spelt crackers or Genuis bread - it's the best wheat free kind I have found. Not cheap, but a pretty good substitute. Instead of sandwiches for lunch I have been having soups, salads and hot meals. I haven't found it all that difficult, but I do miss a nice crunchy loaf. And I missed pancakes last week.

Northey · 22/02/2013 21:36

Faith is gluten-free, I think.

maamalady · 22/02/2013 21:39

Ooo, this is encouraging. I have no idea what waiting times are like in Cambridge, but sounds like I can get a little bit hopeful that we might be doing something sooner rather than later.

I too am boggled by how little they give a shit about sperm. HOTB has had one SA, but I've had a million blood tests, scans and whatnot. Why do they trust that one spaff is representative of the mean?

I barely felt my HSG. But then the guy doing it was clearly being shown how, so he was very very slow and careful. I felt quite sick afterwards, but that may have been as much to do with the idea of being investigated as the actual procedure.

TWinklyLittleStar · 22/02/2013 21:41

I have no desire whatsoever to go wheat-free. Life would literally not be worth living without bacon sandwiches, pizza and cake.

TWinklyLittleStar · 22/02/2013 21:43

The intro to Zita West's book which I downloaded today has touched on how crappy it is that they don't look at male factor properly draf. She more or less says what you've said. Apparently her private spaff tests look at it in way more detail.

RaspberrySnowCone · 22/02/2013 21:43

As a principal we've ditched pasta, rice, bread, potatoes. If we do have it we don't feel bad but I''ve had bread and potatoes once or twice since Christmas, it's 6 months I reckon since I last had pasta but we did have pancakes. We've tried to really re-think our approach to food, rather than think 'ohh I've got to cut this that and the other out' to ohhhh look at all this amazing food we can have but never tried before'. Makes it much easier.

Oh and water - drink GALLONS of the stuff.seems to stop me craving things.

Northey · 22/02/2013 21:45

I need to get my diet back under some sort of control. I have eaten so much during ivf. I know it's partly the bloating from the drugs, but I've gone up two dress sizes in 3 weeks. I remember euro did the same, which is sort of comforting and sort of not.

HavingALittleFaithBaby · 22/02/2013 21:49

I am indeed gluten free and have been for about 4 years. After having doctors tests that found nothing but doing an exclusion diet, I established it was gluten that aggravated my IBS (as well as excess sugar). I am not totally meticulous about contamination and will take my chances with the May contain traces of gluten. I have genius bread too, I like the multi-seeded best. I also eat GF pasta (got quite used to that) and potato and rice based stuff. Most cereals have gluten in and most GF cereal is not great Confused. euro try doves gluten free flour for baking - we made GF pancakes with that and honestly, you couldn't tell the difference! :) Their self raising flour is good for cakes too.
I am definitely better for it. Less bloated, bowels more regular, skin has improved. Eczema is better too. Now if I accidentally eat wheat, I or should I say my bowels can tell within a couple of hours!

I have had an awful day (ok week) at work and was over an hour late leaving so haven't read the thread yet so I will pop back now.

Northey · 22/02/2013 21:50

Referring to that thread... What on earth can X do that makes her as highly paid as she says she is? Presumably something that doesn't require much actual intelligence.

TWinklyLittleStar · 22/02/2013 21:50

I have lost a fair amount of weight since the peak of my Fat Bastardness at Christmas, thank fuck, but still have a fair bit to go. I'm more interested in why my once oily skin is now dry as a bone, and I have to carry a bottle of Simple around all day so my face doesn't just flake right off my skull.

maamalady · 22/02/2013 21:54

I have a friend who keeps urging me to go and see Zita West, Twinks. I sort of think it would be a good idea, and sort of think it would be an incredible waste of £££ seeing as we wouldn't do anything with her other than an initial looksee anyway. Maybe once the NHS IVF cycles have failed we'll go see her.

Original poster
ArielThePiraticalMermaid · 22/02/2013 21:55

I can't fucking stand her. She seems to have an awful lot of respect on here for what she does, yet is so OBNOXIOUS.

OP posts:
maamalady · 22/02/2013 21:56

Oh, and my skin is dry too. I've been assuming it's because of the dehumidifier drying the air in my house, but who knows

Northey · 22/02/2013 21:56

What does she do?

maamalady · 22/02/2013 21:58

Has a moment of pure lurve, probably Hmm

TWinklyLittleStar · 22/02/2013 21:59

I would like a moment of pure lurve. I have to work bloody hard to get moments of vague interest.

FrankellyMyDearIDontGiveADamn · 22/02/2013 22:00

evil Cambridge have been very good with me, once I was in the system. The nurses are lovely and keep telling me to call them at any time if I want to chat about things.

I haven't got round to calling the counsellor yet but I will in the next few days. A friend as also given me the number of a reflexologist. I figure it might help me chill out a bit and deal with the stress a bit better - lets be honest, I couldn't actually be dealing with it any worse!