The Elderberry Pavlovas are tooling up and making plans to bust out of this joint! Evacuation by helicopter by end of September, no berry left behind!

[barkingtreefrog]

The smallprint –
Berries have a strict entrance criteria (TTC #1, over 30, TTC for 12+ months, NO instadiffers, must have a special pot and definitely no mention of baby dust or baby dancing).
Those not abiding by the rules may be escorted from the premises.

Well done serenity's follies, sounds encouraging. I was a bit shocked by scan entry point, thought it was going to be over belly so when it went elsewhere! Similarly she told me not to get confused with bowel processing not that I'd not got a clue what she was trying to show me anyway. All I can remember was that I didn't have as many follies as she'd have liked to have seen (think the count was around 5) and that I had a upright uterus (whatever that means).
Had AMH count come back as 10.9, which she told me was low fertility for my age. So hope that doesn't effect anything.
tiger my appt is nxt thurs but thks for checking! Have an awesome time in dublin
happy it's gonna be a while til we start ICSI prep - I'm thinking around nov. We need to first establish through SSR if DH has seeds to sow, which will be Sept.
chloe how's it going and how are you feeling?
barking how's your wk been?
Nearly the wknd everyone! Wish I was a teacher for the next 6 wks..

Good news serenity
Happy last day Happy. My class made me cry yesterday, they made me a beautiful card with lots of lovely messages.
Didn't help that just as I caught up with them all in the park I felt a big bleed and had to excuse myself, dash to tescos to buy more pads and use the toilet there... . Hopefully that's the raspberry leaf tea doing its job and I won't be getting this all holiday.

Speaking of holidays, our three weeks in the camper in France has been scuppered by a breakdown. No camper. So we will have to do that tent thing. Not to mention try and fit all the contents of a van into a car. Plus camping gear . It's all a little bit f**d.

Argh no what an annoying time for breakdown!

Bushy I meant Tiger ought to go to the church as it's cool, not that she does second the jail tour reccy!

Wotcha berries.

Also knackered after waking up at 5am for no reason and then an 8am meeting. Slept through any thunder and lightening though!

Happy last day of term teacher berries! A well earned 6 week break is all yours

Great news serenity and not long now till egg collection!

barking oh no! Can you not get it fixed in time? Still, camping is also great fun in a tent and I'm sure you'll have a fab holiday anyway. Hope all the mc stuff is over and done with soon and you can focus on you and enjoying your time off. You've been through a lot recently x

Oops, was a bit ahead of myself there pixie it's easy to lose track of everyone!

rp and bushy how are you preggers ladies doing? Hanging in there on the wait for scans? How's the sickness?

Thanks for the Dublin suggestions, haven't thought about what we'll do so very helpful, going to a gig in Iveagh Gardens on Sat night which should be ace!

Leaving my precious pooch with the inlaws who also have the grandkids and their dog staying. Unfortunately the grand kids seem to delight in terrorizing their own dog so hoping that they won't be allowed to do that to ours.

Anyway best get back to work! Happy Friday y'all!

Oh no Barking is the breakdown not resolvable? Still at least you will be away with your lovely dh enjoying everything France has to offer! Mmm! Also hope this is the last of your bleed now before you go.

Happy Bushy and other teacher berries, woohoo to your last day of term! and very well done getting home early last night Happy

Tiger if you don't like guiness go to the Jamison's whiskey factory! My gf in law worked there and was constantly drunk on fumes his whole life apparently! Dublin is really really lovely though, so much to do and see! I hope you have an amazing time!

serenity great news on the follies! Fx all goes well for your EC. How are you feeling?

Happy Friday everyone one else!

well! what a lot of news. congrats chloe, great news. I won't name check everyone because I'll have to have about 15 windows open and I'll go mad. Really sorry you're still having problems barking - so unfair. and lumen and rosie especially - am thinking of you both.

Happy holidays teacher berries! university has also basically emptied, there is tumbleweed floating up and down the corridors. brilliant, as can actually get some work done for once.

we had a really nice hol far far away from internet and phone and in laws. v good. took our bikes and did some good rides - started the holiday by cycling up buttertups to watch the Tour actually. We were about 10cm from the nearest riders, it was amazing. thighs everywhere.

kitten just wanted to say I'd go for st marys not stepping hill if you can.

Welcome back Nolly glad you had a lovely holiday.

Sorry in advance for tmi.. So I have been spotting for a few days, then this morning I woke with a bit of cramping and the bleeding is now bright red although not heavy, (it's really quote light) and so I rang the FC as it's Friday and they aren't open over the weekend and I didn't want miss getting in in time for a scan. She's booked me in for Tuesday?!! She said it's fine as that will be day 4 (she's counting day 1 from tomorrow) but I just think it seems late. I have quite short cycles too. I hope it's ok, I don't want to miss another cycle. I feel a bit like the FC and dh constantly go ahh it's fine don't worry, which yes probably everything will be fine but it doesn't help!

Sorry for ranting Berries x

Given how many scans I had and how long I waited before I could start stabbing I also reckon you'll be fine beaky.

At a wedding. Only one bump. Guess who I was sat next to until I sabotaged the place cards ?

Good for you barking, think I'd have done the same!
Woohoo! Schools out for summer! Soo glad, loved tiger's comment of wanting to be a teacher for the next 6 weeks.

beaky I am sure you will be fine re fc.

Ah ladies, thanks for the lovely words.

Chloe, congrats!

Sorry for not name checking properly, have been hiding from MN as it is less and less likely that I can join you on the clusterdiff in Sep. DP puts end to the baby project until our relationship issues are sorted - if they can be sorted. Not much hope. He even said he didn't love me and hasn't really felt like dtd for a year, which, strangely enough coincided with the start of ttc. Mmh... alarm bells, maybe?

Anyway, as this is not proper ttc chat, I'll keep it to myself. It will work itself out one way or another.

Lots of love to you lovely ladies and best of luck. I'll be thinking of all of you. Thanks for taking me under your wing. Wouldn't know what I would have done without you.

rosie so sorry you're going through relationship issues. It sounds like a time of upheaval and I really wish there was something I could say to make it better somehow. All I can say is that you have been a lovely Berrie to talk to over the last year and a huge support - for that, I thank you. Remember that sometimes a shift is a good thing, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time. OH and I went through a VERY rough patch a few years ago, couldn't decide whether we still wanted to be together, and then somehow, we got through it. If it's meant to be, it will be. Just be kind to yourself in the meantime and know that you have done nothing wrong. I hope you find what you are looking for in all ways.

Rosie I'm so sorry you're having such a difficult time at the moment. I really hope you work it out.

Rosie I'm so sorry you're going through this. I hope very much that you can see a way forwards very soon. Someone will be along to fix that light at the end of the tunnel so you can see it again, until then you just need to look after yourself.

rosie sending you much love to get through this. We are still here whenever you need it. Take care of yourself. Xx

tmi alert I was in the shower this morning having had bad cramps and I passed what looked and felt like a lump of cooked chicken, but with blood and a greeny/blue bit. Not insignificant in size, probably about 3x2x1 cm. No idea what it was but might explain why my hormone levels were still high. Hoping this is finally a sign it's going to be over soon. It's now a day over 4 weeks since the bleeding started.

Found out yesterday our referral letter to the rmc hasn't been typed yet as there's a back log. Earliest appointment we could possibly get is end of September, then I assume we wait for test results and wait for another appointment to discuss them. It seems likely that the earliest we might be able to do the next cycle of iui is November . Can't really get my head round that. It takes us dangerously close to me being too old for affordable ivf (ie egg sharing) anywhere in the country by the time we've used our nhs options.

Anyway, off on holiday, although thanks to traffic and deviation we're currently on track to miss the ferry by a good 45 minutes. I thought the broken camper was enough bad luck but seems not.

rosie I really feel for you, what an awful thing to hear. You have been utterly lovely and I hope that everything works out for you. feather said it really well so I won't add more but am thinking of you.

barking hope u caught your ferry!

For those of you that remember me wanging on about how unfair it all was, next door had their baby, a girl. We only know this as the car and house had been shut up for a long time and then we'd been out all day, having a nice time and came back and saw big balloon in their front room with it's a girl. Am glad for them as was worried something had gone wrong. Is it v wrong to think I hope they don't steal any potential baby names.. God I am a self centred person!! Also really hoping this baby is a quiet one as otherwise I am going to have to get out of the house a lot over the next 6 weeks!!!

Hope all having nice w/e!!

Hey ladies!

seren Sounds like positive news from the last scan. How did you get on today?

barking Hoping this means that your levels will be back down to zero soon. Totally rubbish that you'll have to wait so long for your appt and next IUI. In the meantime have a great holiday with DH. Sounds like you will be sorely missed at school. It's such a shame that so many good teachers leave because of all the unnecessary crap that goes with the job.

rosie I'm really thinking of you and hope that you get through this OK. We're all here for you whenever you need us, but totally understand if you feel the need to avoid MN. Take care of yourself in the meantime.

Fingers crossed for a quiet baby bushy!

Good luck for the scan on Tuesday beaky Have everything crossed for you.

Back from a weekend with the in laws and extended family. Only had 2 inappropriate "don't you want to have a baby?" comments. Told the PIL the news and asked them to keep it quiet as it's so early. Thought they would query why we're not telling DH's bro and wife, but they were actually really sweet and understanding.

Have our first scan tomorrow EC+21. Am so scared that it will be bad news. Don't have any symptoms at all apart from being really tired (oh and having missed a period which is apparently symptom #1 WTF). Having consulted Dr Google it sounds like they don't usually start until 5-6 weeks, but I can't help worrying. I know I should be grateful and just try to enjoy it but I can't. Sorry for moaning, I know many berries would give anything to trade places. Feel free to give me a slap.

Hope everyone else is doing well and the tumbleweed is a good sign!

Yes it's pretty quiet on here isn't it! Exciting chloe, hope all goes well tomorrow! don't forget to come on and let us know, that'll well and truly get rid of the tumbleweed! Grrr at the stupid questions from relations. I didn't have any symptoms either apart from feeling bloated and a bit twingey and some headaches.

Good luck for your scan today Chloe hope all is perfect! Don't worry about moaning, you're bound to be anxious! Do let us know how you get on.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend.

Good luck chloe! Thinking of you!

just back from the MiL's - it's been a loooooong few days. Very quiet here though. Is everyone ok?

Morning all. Sorry I've been AWOL again. Completely manic few days, been out last 4 nights. Getting to old for this! It is very quiet in here though - has everyone gone off on their hols?
Rosie so sorry to hear about your troubles. Fx you can both work through this. Feel free to come and talk whenever you need us, the Berries are always here for you.
Hope all goes well today Chloe
Hello everyone else. 10:15 and I'm still in bed. Been awake ages but determined to have a lie in on my first day off!
Had a letter today to say we've been accepted on to the waiting list for NHS IVF - 3 bloody months after the referral was made!! So glad we are fortunate enough to be able to go private - the NHS here are beyond a joke!! It does say though that we are allowed 3 private goes without it affecting our NHS entitlement. We were initially told just one go, then it changed to 2, now it's 3! They must be really desperate to get the waiting lists down!

Hope everything is good today Chloe. Definitely update us later.

Rosie I'm really sorry to hear your news. What feather said was very right - there could well be a way through that leaves you in a better place. We too had a relationship blip which meant we put TTC on hold and it is very hard to put aside something you want so much. With luck (and maybe some hard work) you will sort this out.

bushy at your thoughts on the neighbours not snaffling baby names. I think that makes you normal rather than selfish - and if you really, really wanted a particular name you know you would go with it anyway, even if there is already one of those next-door.

serenity how is the stabbing? Or are you not doing that now? My knowledge of the IVF process is limited - but I daresay that will have to change sooner rather than later.

happy good that you have it in writing that you can do three private goes before NHS. I don't really see the point of the NHS limiting it anyway. As you say, the more private IVF cycles people have the more chance there is that they will not need NHS treatment.

Off to see the fertility consultant this afternoon - I don't see the point really as all he will say is, 'off to IVF with you'. I can't think of anything to ask him which you ladies couldn't answer more accurately!!

Thanks wildflower! Am yet to find out name, think will just write card and pop round to find out what it is but obv don't want to bother them too much at this early stage. Know what you mean about it being silly limiting private Ivf tries. Good luck at the fc.

happy I slept til 10 today, blooming lovely!! Ate breakfast in garden, pottered about, had nice bath and not a fat lot else. Time to cook tea, hopefully can coincide with dh arriving home and impress him

your nhs waiting time sounded similar to mine! I'd had a lap in October and she said then she would start the paperwork and I don't think we got anything through til February time, then treatment didn't start til march/April. So yup takes a while but once it does start, it pretty much flies by.

Well hellloo berries! Hope you're all well.

chloe and wild hope your appointments go well today. Do let us know how you get on. beaky are you in tomorrow to start your iui off?

serenity how are you getting on?

barking hope you're having a lovely holiday.

happy enjoy that lie-in!

Hope everyone had lovely weekends, it's been really quiet in here so hopefully that means everyone has been out and about enjoying the sun. Dublin was absolutely amazing, had the best weekend. On way home now and back to work tomorrow but a fun week ahead nonetheless as its my birthday on Wednesday. 34, which feels old when I think that I was 32 when we started ttc, but so far managing to feel reasonably up beat about it.

Ah Bushy the big difference is that once you're on the list here there's still an 18 month wait! That's why we've pretty much given up on the NHS . I've honestly never known anything like it. The letter we had today was dated 2 weeks ago. If I worked that slowly I'd be sacked!!
Glad you enjoyed your break Tiger. It's been glorious here today and long may it continue!
Had a completely lazy day today. Need to get myself sorted tomorrow as got so much to do!