The Elderberry Pavlovas: sit on the sofa of hopefulness and make yourself a special omelette while prescribing the vomming cat to those that deserve it and observing the lunching of the tactless.

[barkingtreefrog]

It's time for some more grads!!

The smallprint - Berries have a strict entrance criteria (TTC #1, over 30, TTC for 3+months NO instadiffers, must have a special pot)

Hey foody, afraid you defo need to get you're ass outside, it's lovely! Funnily enough I've just finished some pâté and about to have my second .

tally the weather was sh*% here earlier but the sun is now OUT!!!

I'm not on the SOP anymore! I'm bizarrely on the armchair of acceptance and almost feel relieved about it! Afraid I can't stop the bbt and opks (I'm a complete and utter addict now) but I am going to stop stressing until the iui call.

Just in garden sunbathing now, contemplating taking a picture of my muffin top and posting it on Facebook as my profile haha...

Pate and peanuts are 2 things I really don't want to give up, and also have great doubt about whether it's really all as bad as all that.

boom so sorry you've reached a year since you got pg

kitty I feel like I need to take control and lose a few lbs (before I out on loads obviously) and actually do some exercise, I feel like a right lardarse and so unfit!

Obviously this will all start tomorrow after my curry and booze tonight lol

How you doing foody ? Things must still be very rough!

tally I don't think they tell you to give up peanuts anymore thank goodness!

bunny I'm almost back on track with gym but have really struggled since I went on hol. Promise once you've been going a few weeks and in a routine it gets easier. Was thinking about you earlier and your ibs. Have you ever been tested for coeliac disease? It's just there is a link with fertility issues x

Hey kitty yep I was tested years ago when I first started having problems, they tested for coeliac and other things and decided on IBS could be worse I guess! Thanks for thinking of me it is a pain in the arse (sometimes literally lol) but manageable! x

Ah thought I'd found the answers to all your problems then

If only it was that simple

Very quiet in here tonight, think I shall settle down on the CLOL and have a snooze!

How'd the weekend go, ladies? I hope the SOP/CLOL worked their magic & those in need of a boost found it. The ups/downs involved with TTC are awful

syd afraid I made the schoolgirl error with the thermometer too! Promised myself this is the last month of opks and bbts although I'm clearly lying
If you had to pick one of those books, which would you pick?

Just sat waiting to give blood and had to tick yes to 'have you had any fertility treatment'. Live discussing my personal life with strangers (apart from you guys of course!)

Hello all. Been away for the weekend at a shotgun wedding...fun! Came home to find our neighbours who had been feeding the cats for us had left our dining room window open. Went round to give chocs as thanks, and to mention window. The wife wasn't there, but kids and husband were. He just said that he would ask her to come over when she got in. I also mentioned that our living room door had been left open the last time they'd cat sat and the sofas had been scratched, but we hadn't mentioned it as we hadn't specifically said to keep it closed, but had been really surprised to find it open. He said he could understand kid doing that. I said that I couldn't as it was a closed door in someone else's house. Aibu? Anyway, the wife just came over, mortified, as it was her who had left the window open. I'm hoping that we've drawn a line under it now, but am feeling bad for making her feel bad. I hate it when I feel unnerved when I'm not the one in the wrong! It's the fact that I hate confrontation!!

How is everyone today? How's bristowpooch ? So sorry or hear that he's been so poorly and that the ferrets aren't well. Had the reminder from the vets today for the annual vaccinations. They send the letter addressed to the cats...'ask your owner to make an appointment'. Odd but sweet.

How is Mr barking now? Sounds horrible, but will hopefully be better for it in the long term.

Yes, I do own the crown for the longest cycles - one before this one was 107 days. Am currently on day 68..... Rah! boom really sorry that everything has been pushed back and that you're being reminded of your mc. It must be awful. I do hope that you get some answers soon and that the irregular cycles and scan do result in a pcos diagnosis so that you can get on the metformin soon.

Sorry for the crazy long post.

Well going to give blood was a waste of time! It hadn't even occurred to me that lowering my iron levels might affect my fertility. Know i need a miracle to get me preggers but dont want to make matters wirse. Guessing I'll get it tested when I go for my iui so don't want to give them any excuse to delay it even more!

Hey sid My weekend was a working one so it was very very tiring! Hope pooch is doing ok!

Hey kitty Hey cats - kitty-cats (snigger)

Went on evil bookface today, 2 bumps stared me in the face! One family friend, one school chum, they must be due this summer, deep joy! I really enjoyed seeing the pics NOT!

Just a quick note before tea to say I did indeed slap myself off the sofa yesterday afetr having one more biscuit before going for a run and getting a friend round to sit in the sun with us, was lovely, someone else popped round later and had super yum takeaway too. Was still a bit fragile but was good to be disctracted and not wallowing. Work today, could have been teary this morning but managed to hold it together and the ward got stupid busy so no time to think about anything but getting patients sorted, left 2 1/2 hrs late, so home exercise, watered garden and now for tea.phew.

hows the pooch sid? OH is doing ok, think some of its still sinking in a bit more for him and been able to be a bit more emotional, he is sooo good to me though, amazing.
thanks for the slap tally and wise words people, wise words indeed. anyway, off to eat pizza, will read more tomorrow I hope, hugs to all thet need, and even for those that dont

bunny oh I love seeing people's baby bumps, in fact I really don't think the world shoves enough of them on my face arrrgh!!!

Just wait til I have my own baby bump...FB won't know what hit it!!!!

Can you keep your fingers crossed for me tomorrow that the fc understands just how much I need her to check me out before we try again. appt is at 3.45 and I'm sure I'll be forgetting everything I've researched and want to all them to do and instead sit there nodding about how common this is and how little they can do

tally have you made a list? My fc loves lists not but it's the only way you'll get any answers as otherwise they'll just talk about what they want to talk about. Will be thinking of you today x

Thinking of you today tally, hope the fc are helpful. I agree with kitty, go in with a list if there's stuff you know you specifically want to address.

Mr barking is still in a lot of pain during the night. Apparently he was unaware of how many, er, pleasurable dreams he has in an average night. I'll leave the rest to your imagination but suffice to say he wakes up swearing and squealing and clutching himself every time it happens.

Good luck tally hope it goes well!

barking ouch! That makes me squirm and I'm a girl lol

Hope they're understanding Tally, agree that a list would help to make sure they don't just bamboozle you. Easier said than done, I've had a list the last two times and they made me feel so stupid that I backed down, it's only when I had a fullblown off-the-Richter-scale tantrum that they said they'd do any tests at all. Er...the moral of this story is not to have a tantrum though, not sure what the moral actually is but hope you get the answers you need from them xxx

barking oh poor Mr barking! They could have warned him about that!

Foody Mr Foody sounds like a good'un! Great that you're managing to keep out of the wallow-pit (most of the time anyway, think you're entitled to the odd wallow). Sending hugs xxx

Charming boo to day 68 . Didn't they see a follicle at your scan though, so hopefully you won't make it into the hundreds this time..! Fingers crossed. I don't think you're being unreasonable btw, yes they're doing you a favour by catsitting but you do expect your house to be left as it's found, especially the window as that's just common sense security.

Sid how's bristowpooch doing?

And hello everyone else! xxx

BlindKitty both books are helpful, in completely different ways. TCOYF is like a user's guide to your reproductive system with a helpful motherly tone. Most of the info is genuinely new to me so I'm able to apply what I'm learning. It's encouraging without being patronizing, and gives an excellent rundown of all types of fertility treatments, what to expect, when to pursue them, etc. Impatient Woman's Guide is chattier, with a 'helpful girlfriend' tone, and touches on a lot of topics but doesn't delve too deeply into any. It's encouraging in a more humorous way. The info re: age 35+ fertility was v v detailed and that, on top of it's general tone of "I know it's rough but don't freak out, you can do this" was what I needed at the time. However TCOYF is much more specifically helpful in that it's mostly about how to temp & read cervical fluid, since those are the best signals available on our fertility, and what would be most helpful to provide to a dr should the need arise. If you need a hug and a laugh, get Impatient. If you need a cup of tea and a "here's what to do", get TCOYF.

Tally sending you all my good energy today; I do think a list would help, at the least to just organize your thoughts and show the dr you mean business.

Charming it was right to speak up; I'm sure you were polite about it so hopefully there won't be any awkwardness. If there is, pay no mind. She should've been more careful.

Hoping Mr Barking had a decent night's rest, poor man!

Boom hoping the dreary weather is making it easier for you to plug away at your dissertation! Hard to concentrate on research etc when it's warm and sunny out!!

Bristowpooch seems to be doing well, has an appetite and seems glad to be home, if a little quiet. Seeing his stapled-up incision made me cry; I can't believe I put him through that for no real progress, although I couldn't have known. Choosing to believe that the vets couldn't have either and that I didn't just pay 3k for the worst week of my dog's life.

Frogcatcher haven't said hi to you in a while, hope things with your little tadpole (haha) going swimmingly (too much?) and v sorry to hear about your job situation - hope the way forward becomes clear soon x

Hi to everyone else!

Cervical smear here tomorrow so DH & I can't DTD. Makes me a little nervous as it's CD11 and after last month I just want to not leave any room for that awful doubt of possibly missing the magical 'right' day. Scone's lovely summer off is starting to sound nicer and nicer...

No such luck Sid, sun is out here if a little patchy. Went for academic supervision yesterday, apparently I've done everything wrong. BAH! Boo to the smear, as if we don't have to put up with enough poking around up there anyway you could always have a post-appointment catch-up session Glad your dog is home - nothing to feel bad about, you did what you thought was best for him and I'm sure he's just glad to be back with his family!

I'm now in my third week of no DTD, since we had to stop for 2 weeks before the hycosy which should have been today, but then AF showed up and I've got another week of abstinence to get through before my new appointment. TBH it's quite nice to have an enforced lack of action for once - it's been taken out of my hands and nothing I can do about it so can't really stress over it! going to be so ready to jump him this time next week though

Off to see my acupuncture lady in a bit. She's going to be so chuffed I've started a new cycle, there was a lot of headscratching going on at the last session about my badly behaved hormones not responding .

Charming can I ask a TMI question since you're also in the long cycle boat? Do you find when AF finally arrives that it's still quite light? I would have thought that 2/3 month cycles would result in heavier periods, but I've only bled for 3 days really and only the first day was heavy-ish and after that just light bleeding/pink discharge. I just would have thought there would be, er...more!

syd think I prob need a hug so I might buy the impatient woman one!

boom snap re fc's! What's worse is for some bizarre reason dh seems to side with her (for which he's now apologised). He's agreed to do the talking next appt whenever that will be with the help of one of my lists!

barking I'm wincing for mr barking! If he's anything like my dh, he'll have 'pleasant' dreams an awful lot! My dh regularly dry humps me and squeezes my boobs (extremely annoying) although I have been known to wear easy access nightwear during shag week just to squeeze a bonus shag in..even if he is asleep.....

tally how'd it go bud? X

well the appointment went well considering I was the wrong clinic. despite the consultant.not being told that, she was very helpful. she's sending me for the one other blood test that she can, and an internal scan to check there's no scarring from the erpcs. Other than that she isn't allowed to send me for the other thing we wanted which is genetic testing for us. there's a 2 month waiting list for the scan though so now we have to keep trying not TTC til then. huh. but they were really nice about the hg and offered to scan me regularly when I do get duffed. thank god!

Finally made it back - my router died on Sunday so have been two days without internet; how did we survive before we could do everything online?!

sid thanks for the info on TCOYF, I'm definitely going to buy it. I'm annoyed that it isn't available on Kindle so I can't dive in right in now! Glad your pooch is home, I hope he is recovering well.

Tally hope your appointment went ok and you got all of the answers you needed.

B00M even a 2:2 in Japanese is pretty awesome, its so hard to learn, not to mention the reading and writing thing!

Sounds like good news overall, glad you were taken seriously . Bugger about more waiting though.