Excellent Egg Buddies continued! Anyone having IVF/ICSI in Jan, Feb and March 2013 please join us!

[fairypangolin]

We've run out of room on Karbea's Jan IVF thread and it is too much fun to stop! We're all getting into comfy clothes and enjoying the side effects and surprises (and occasionally some hand holding).

Is it possible to have progesterone withdrawal? Dr Google is not giving me an answer. I have been feeling low and unsettled since yesterday, not sure why, and am keen to blame the pessaries.

I went out with DH, in-laws & assortment of Welsh people last night, which was nice, but they all proceeded to get quite drunk. DH started dropping his pints - you know what time it is when that happens. One of the Welsh lads was laughing so hard I thought I may need to assist in a medical emergency. And up the duff with a litter I need to be in bed by 10. So at 10.30 I was well ready to get everyone moving homewards. Fucking Hell. It was like herding cats, elderly cats, because I imagine that's worse. Hailing cabs without a light on, going the wrong way, hailing parked cabs with no driver in it, then deciding to get cash. I was tempted to just jump in a cab on my own and leave them to it. Pff - I think I need to avoid heavy drinking occasions from now on (but both DH and the inlaws are borderline alkies - lovely ones, but still).

Then I am still upset for some reason about this frikkin scan. And why it cannot be done earlier! (They're booked)

I think I need a night curled up on sofa, watching some mindless telly and not interacting with anyone ...

I'd say progesterone withdrawal is possible. I think if your body goes through any kind of change then all kinds of symptoms can follow.

I am going out later with DH and his family. I don't drink anyway, not just while we're trying to do this IVF stuff, and can't think of anything more irritating than watching him get drunk. His drunkenness is signalled by twitch in his pint-holding elbow - when I see the elbow go I just want to go home.

I hope you enjoy your curling up. I think I'd rather be doing that too

tilly don't feel guilty about the bath, I did extensive google-research on this, because I am a big bath fan. Just make sure that the bath is not too hot, ie you can sit down in it almost immediately rather than burning your skin off your tush, turning red faced, sweating etc.

We didn't use to have a bath until we moved to The Palace last year. In the old flat DH could do a Nr 2, I could have a shower AND we could have a meaningful convo at the same time. Fantastic. He always chose to have a nice sitdown moment when I was having a shower, scaring the shit out of me (no pun intended) half of the time. Why? We do not know this. He could have closed the door, but then his knees wouldn't fit in ...

Dildals it's the drop in progesterone that gives you the PMS "low" before AF arrives, so I would say that is entirely possible.

Tilly I agree - baths are fine as long as not absolutely boiling.

Blimey I leave you girls to your own devices for a morning and look what happens, BFPs and 100% (show off!) fertilisation rates all over the place.

I'm so pleased amazing result Choco. Fan-bloody-tastic. I can't remember if this was your first go but I do remember that you had 1 egg and 5% odds so way to go sweetie. It only takes 1!!!!!! I'm smiling as I type this. I'm so happy for you.

And Noks, top notch. Mr and mrs Noks the dream team. I'm really excited for you. It was an important milestone so many many congrats. I popped my head into the lab today and introduced myself to your 4 little ones. Very handsome looking they are too. A credit to you . Do you know about ET yet. What are they thinking? Are you off til after easter?

Euro good luck with the GP. Someone told me that GPs guess most of the time so that's reassuring!

Honty lovely to 'see' you. How are the new boots? Good luck for the next few months honey. I hope our paths cross eventually.

Keep how are you doing? I'm confused about timezones and test dates. When is your OTD in England time? Also did your post imply that you are coming back to the uk for OTD (and therefore can meet up) or is that wishful thinking on my part?

Tilly I love that 1 day into being on this thread you are already emphasising the benefits of shoving the bum bullets up your arse. Brilliant! Re baths. I am not a bath person but I was having Hypno pre treatment to help with my negative and stressful thoughts and she advised me to have some baths with sea salts to help draw out the extra cortisol in my body. TBH she did say for me to check with the clinic re times in the cycle when hot baths were not advised. Anyway the point is that I was very stressed and had lots of stomach cramps during the DR days so thinking that it was a 'safe' time I had a hot bath every day and guess what... I was already preggers. So please don't beat yourself up for having 1 bath. As long as it wasn't scalding hot in which case you wouldn't be able to get in, I'm sure you are fine.

So despite the long post now it's time for me. As usual Guys were amazing today. We had a very positive counselling session that we already had booked in and decided to keep. Then a very nice nurse gave us our results which are well into normal 1842, apparently. Ive no idea what that means but she assured me that it means I'm definitely pg and don't have to waste anymore money on clear blue digital conception indicators! She also over enthused when she found out our circumstances and said that I'm perfectly fine now to relax until the 7wk scan. And she was also wearing a uniform for i have decided to trust her and step away from the POAS. Phew.

I have also seen the nutritionist this morning. Incidentally if anyone wants inspiration whilst Princessing I highly recommend Isabelle at Zita West. She is amazing and so so helpful. Yes it's abit pricy at first but not as expensive as an ivf cycle and look where I find myself. I would pay again 3 times over if she has had anything to do with our result . Anyway she was also super positive and said that my months of Princessing have paid off and improved the quality of my eggs and thus giving this pregnancy a good chance of being successful so I feel a tinsy bit more confident. Obviously a long way to go but it's a good start. So for this weekend at least I'm promising to quit googling and enjoy the fact that shazlett has nestled in nicely and is sticking around for the time being at least.

Girls you are all legends and I am honoured to have 'met' you all.

Love shaz xxx

Dildals we cross posted. I love your reference to carrying a litter. I know it seems overwhelming to you but blimey it is so cute to think that you have 2 in there keeping each other company. They are probably having a right good time together. It's really special. X

Hello all,

Check you all out with the great results!

I go through spells of loving baths and not, but I don't think i'll have one when i'm actually cycling. I'm having a lot at the moment to get them out of my system.

I've been very good today with vitamins and diet (no slip ups yet). I am out tonight with the girlies but will drive, so it'll be a max of one glass of vino.

shazz i'm always interested in all winners feedback, what special princessing tips can you give us?

Thanks all for the bath advice. It wasn't as hot as I'd normally like so am hoping I haven't boiled all my hard work so far.

Am going out at 7pm and my Bum Bullet time is 9pm. Should I pop one in before I got out at 7pm or do I really have to do the deed in a pub toilet? I don't know what it is but it would make me feel like a right slut minger.

shazza I am used to the idea now and really excited, I saw this super cute bunk bed type cot and I am looking at videos on Youtube of multiples in bouncy chairs, checking out which double buggy is best, how to stack 'm such you can breastfeed simultaneously. It's going to be awesome. Still, one mentalling just takes over from the other. At the moment I am doing a PhD on nuchal testing and downs. Makes for 'interesting' reading. Anyway.

tilly Do it in the pub's toilets, you know you want to! Just heed my advice earlier on this thread, don't put it in your jeans pocket, they tend to melt!

euro I hope it doesn't come with a withdrawal bleed though!

I can't describe how uneasy I feel about doing this in a pub. Doing it at work was bad enough but this charts alongside 'dogging' in the 'things I don't want to do outside the comfort of my own home' stakes.

Shazza I know nowt about all that testing stuff. If I am lucky enough to get a BFP next week how early should I be looking at these kinds of tests?

Hello karbea

Well done for having a good day. I hope you enjoy your night out.

Everyone is different and what worked for me might not be right for you but I know what you mean about getting ideas from others when they have been successfully. I scoured the Internet and had a little team of various therapists helping me so as you ask ,here is what I did.

I've had weekly acupuncture since may last year. She recommended me to go to the zita west clinic to have my AMH tested. So I saw the Fertility gatekeeper (!) and got AMH tested. She noticed that I also suffer from (in the words of blackadder) a fascinating skin disease that she thought indicated high levels of irritation and inflammation in my body and recommended I saw the nutritionist. I had omega 6:3 ratio and vit d tested. Both are important in fertility apparently. My omegas were 12.5:1 (should be 2:1) and vit d was 50 (should be 80-100) so I began to take high levels of both as guided by nutritionist. 3 months later vit d was 80 and omegas were 3:1. I continue to take both.

Nutritionist gave me a booklet about food for fertility, protein, anti oxidants etc and I've followed it very carefully.

Since jan 2012 I have drunk hardly any alcohol and not a drop since sept 2012.

In sept 2012 I also gave up caffeine completely inc all chocolate (inc hot choc, cakes, etc) and my much loved daily single espresso . I don't drink tea anyway.

We have an organic veg box delivered weekly (only £13 for 2-3 people much cheaper than supermarket). I would love to eat everything organic but finances don't allow. I'm veggie but eat fish.

Along with the omega 3 and vit d I take pregnacare wellwoman conception. I was taking anti oxidants and royal jelly but I started to get sick from all the supps so I stopped.

DP cut down on tea, doesn't drink alcohol or coffee anyway so that was easy, took wellman conception and pine bark extract (can't remember it's fancy Latin name) and had sporadic acu. He also ate as many nuts and seeds as I could hide in his food!

Finally since Xmas ive been on an elimination diet to try to help my hives with no dairy, eggs or gluten so not only no choc but no cakes or biscuits unless I've made them myself and they are gluten and egg free.

I read somewhere that avocados were good for fertility so I've been eating about 3 a week. And loads and loads of hummous. When my colleagues are tucking into biscuits I have oatcakes and hummous.

That's about it. Ive just read this back and am embarrassed that I sound miss goody two shoes and tres boring. I'm not a saint or a robot. Far from it . But it hasn't been that hard tbh. I love a task and a project. It helped me to feel that I was controlling something in an uncontrollable situation. We also are not made of money. Again quite the opposite. Every spare penny has gone into saving for treatment. The day we went to zita west I spent £500 on appts and tests it took me months to save that.

So that's it. But it is a matter of degree. I also read loads of accounts of people drinking alcohol and caffeine and being successful it just depends on what is going to make you feel better I guess. I felt more relaxed cutting everything out than drinking abit.

Oh I also had 4 Hypno sessions leading up to treatment. My first session was 3 days before ovulation. Maybe that helped also. It certainly helped me to relax and feel more positive about treatment.

I really hope that this helps a little bit. Do whatever feels right for you but I highly recommend seeing a nutritionist who knows about fertility. I've always been very health conscious but she have me great info re fertility foods. it's all in zitas book anyway.

Please don't think I'm dull and preachy
But you asked so there it is.

Now I've got some new supps to support me n shazlett and basically have to carry on with foods (except lower protein abit) unless I get morning sickness and can't eat everything.

This has taken ages to write so I've probably cross posted with someone.

Me and the bairn are having a quiet night tonight. DP is at the studio so we are looking forward to some tv and sofa action.

Shaz xxx

Tilly do it in the pub. Just make sure you sit down for abit to minimise leakage! Having said that the nurse today told me that an hour or 2 either way is ok. So if you really dont want to then do it now.

Don't worry about testing. I didn't even have POASs in the house and I only knew about the hcg blood test through being on here. I didn't get to the 2ww so I can't advise about early testing. I was planning on holding out though.

Dildals it is ridiculously exciting. Im glad that you have managed to relax into it abit and are excited. I've been out all day today walking around doing chores and once I'd had my appts I felt more confident and I allowed myself to feel abit excited that I've got shazlett in there and we were out and about together.
I'll be picking your brains about nuchal etc. until yesterday I didn't even know about it. I thought it was amnio or nothing . By the way do you mind me asking how old you are. You mentioned your advanced age!

Xx

shazza Don't start worrying yet about nuchal tests and stuff like that! You first have your 7 week scan to 'worry' about!

I joke a bit about my 'advanced age', I think it was fairy that said that her clinic kept rubbing it in that she wasn't the youngest. I thought that was quite funny so I kept referring to my 'advanced age'. Anyway, I am 38, 39 in July.

Hello lovely ladies,
Good to be back. I feel like I have a lot to catch up on!

karbea how's the biccie eating going? There must be some nutritional value in them

keep how are the boobs? And the hideous bum bullets?

scarlett sending my love

tilly welcome to the mad house. I couldn't have got through the last few weeks without this fab bunch. Hope the dodgy pub deal went down ok. The 2 weeks chillin' at home sounds fab. Any news on the blastos?

euro hope the docs goes ok and that the thought of starting again is keeping you going.

shazza great news about your blood test results and the nutritionist sounds really good. Having read all that you did healthwise, it would have been an injustice if you hadn't got pregnant with all your efforts.

dildals good news re no more bum bullets. I'm ridiculously excited that we share a scan date! I have lucky pants and socks, imagine how long it takes to get ready for appointments with that combo!

noks ever thought of doing stand up?! You are bloody funny. Brilliant news about your fertilised eggs. I loved the smokin' love juice comment.

hont take care. Hopefully time will fly in the next couple of months.

I loved all the boob prodding in public comments. The meeting up sounds great, are you sure you don't fancy meeting in Wiltshire?!

Well, it's been a pretty exciting day today. POAS at 4.45 and then told DH he had to put the light on. Did 2 tests and then he wanted to get a digital before he'd believe it(men!) so he went to 24 hour tesco. I was convinced it hadn't worked yesterday, especially after I saw a bit of blood, so was really shocked. 7 wk scan booked for the 5th April. Am trying to relax, but a little scared as when I got pregnant naturally I miscarried at 6 weeks. One day at a time. Am chuffed to bits though and feel like I'm dreaming. Thanks for all the congrats.

Choco it really is amazing news. I'm thrilled for you. My scan is 4th April so I'll be nearer to 8 weeks by then but we are due at almost the same time! Hurrah!!!!

Unfortunately we all know too keenly that there isn't much justice when it comes to TTC and efforts are often not rewarded in one way or another. I got lucky. Whether that was cause of all the stuff I did or not I will never know but I did it so I have to assume that it helped. Cause nothing happened for the previous 18 months.

So so happy for you and mr c. Congrats to you both. Yippee!!!!! Tell him i understand the digital thing. I'm going cold turkey on the digital tests today.

Xx

Thanks shazza. Think I will save the 2nd digital for Sunday or Monday and then won't do any more yeah, right it is a game of chance, I know and the roller coaster analogy they use is apt. I obviously haven't googled due dates or anything else for that matter

Choco huge congrats lovely...that's fab news

Noks well done on the 100% fertilisation

Found out today my SIL is pregnant

to everyone else

Xx

Oh Honty I feel for you. My first ever post on here was the day I found out my SIl was pg. I was gutted and you were all amazing and made me realise that the feelings were natural and I wasn't alone. It is hard especially given what you have been through. Are you ok? Xx

Oh I've been there with the SIL 'breaking news'. 10 years younger, on/off boyfriend, said finding out she was pg was the worst day of her life.. Fortunately she warmed to the idea by the time the baby arrived.

I didn't much enjoy my 9 o'clock date with my progesterone torpedo - even though DH suggested I "wouldn't be the only girl getting something up her arse in the pub toilets tonight" I was under enough pressure as it was without having to simultaneously guide DH's Nan on how to use the hand dryer through the cubicle door. I will have to tell my boss about this display of multi tasking at my next appraisal.

How long do we have to take these things for?

ps Choco the clinic didn't ring me back, the bastards!

They're not bastards really, they're lovely. But when it comes to picking up the phone, they are utter bastards

So still no news on whether we have any frosties. I like the idea of having a Plan B lined up if we get a BGN on Tues. Or if we haven't got any, at least discounting that beforehand so we don't have that double blow of BFN AND nowt in the freezer on Tuesday. Ho hum.

Tilly I'd def want to know before Tuesday, I agree. Ring again this morning...

I tried them up the bum last night, and think I prefer it. Less leakage. Is it def as good? Also (cringe) how far up does it need to go?

honty so sorry about your sil, it's so hard. My sister's due her second in July.

dildals glad you're feeling better about the litter, and getting excited! Piling them up while bf? Omg, you'll be a milk machine...

shaz yay!! On the hcg results and all.

nok aka ms100% here's your pad Thai, sticky rice, som tum and pork. Now stop yelling. I have read nowhere reputable that raw papaya causes womb cramps though, so I'm off the som tum, after minor freak out after five mouthfuls the other day. But you're OK as you're pre-ET. :)

Also dreamt last the whole ivf was a con, they just gave me drugs, knocked me out, gave me a fake photo of an emby, injected some water into me. What proof do I have. Oh god, I'm mad. But if it's a bfn I could be right. The proof is in the pudding baby.

Oh shaz, no, I'm not home for OTD. Not till August in fact. So will miss any meet up. And by august some people (dildals...) will be a bit large... :)

Morning girlies

Classy multi tasking Tilly. Re DHs comment what pub where you in????

Strange dream keep. I hope it's not true!

How is everyone else on this rainy morn? Noks what is the plan re ET? If all is well will they go to blast?

Choco how are you this morning? Has it sunk in yet? I'm still so thrilled for you.

The next OTDs are Tilly and keep I think. Fingers crossed.

Hello to anyone lurking quietly. I hope you are all ok.

I've just chickened out of colouring my hair at the last minute. I know that sounds abit silly but this is a big deal for me I'm usually all about the hair and often some crazy colours. My hairdresser is brill and I've known him for ages. He said that there is no evidence to suggest that it affects the baby and it is personal choice. When I asked he said about 50% of clients decide to do it and 50% don't. I thought that at this point it wasn't worth even the tiniest risk so I find myself with a clever cut disguising my horrific roots and an appt booked for immediately after the 12 weeks are up! It's weird cause I don't really feel like me coming out of the salon with relatively 'normal' hair but it's in a good cause. He gave me a groovy cut instead.

What is everyone up to today? DP is in the studio this weekend and I find myself at a loose end. I hadn't booked anything in cause I was expecting to be in the depths of DRing now. Oh well I guess I could clean the flat.

Have a good day.
Love shazzamattazza. Xx

Oh and re bum bullets. I keep asking Guys where I should put them and they say front door. (well not quite like that but you know what I mean). It's a shame cause ( and I never thought these words would ever leave my lips) I'd quite like to try the back door. xx

I am 99% sure I saw DH get a semi when I popped a bum bullet in at the clinic whilst clad in nothing but my hospital gown.

Clinic didn't specify a preference over front door/back door, so I just opted for back door because from experience (painkillers following surgery, suppositories for piles - not anything else) I am more comfortable doing it and feel like it's a bit more secure. I hate putting anything in my 'flower' (some might say this is where my babymaking problem might lie!) and when I've used canesten (sp?) pessaries in the past it's been really gunky.

Keep I pop them in when I've finished on the loo, but still sitting down. It's easier if you lean forward ever so slightly and reach round behind, rather than between your legs. I can't believe that I just paused from typing to look at my index finger by way of measurement - but I'd say I only push it in to the depth of my fingertip. Basically, if you can still feel it then you need to push it in a bit further. I often can't remember whether I've put one in or not because I just can't feel them.

Shazza I know what you mean about colouring your hair. You just don't want to do that one thing that you could regret in future, or attribute bad news to. We are doing a house up at the moment but my Dad won't let me go round because he's worried if I breathe in plaster dust my body will try and reject the harmful stuff and might reject something we want to keep! DH thinks we're fuss pots but he came round to the idea when he realised if anything does go wrong then we don't want to kick ourselves just because I did a spot of DIY one Saturday afternoon.