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.

Gosh beaky that is sad news about your friends.

wild its not surprising that you found it upsetting, it is a big thing, but you can do it, and we're all here cheering you on! Yeah, the supplements are a bit much probably, but I wanted to follow the advice given in my Catching Rainbows plan and from my Acupuncturist. I'm giving it three months and then I'll probably pare back the supplements to a basic preconception vits once again. Fingers crossed for some magic!

bushy thx for the st Lucia tips. I looked at the hotel you stayed at and it was a close second, but we wanted something bigger. Staying at the Grande St Lucian. Got a cracking deal by playing some travel agents off each other so have a suite (with a butler), not sure what we will do with them!

Nice poem tiger

Don't be scared of IVF wild, I actually found the whole procedure quite manageable and have just been sad that it didn't work, but the accountant in me understands the numbers and at a 35% chance the result was not unexpected although as my dh said that means it works for 35% and it could have been us

Just been out for a nice Wagamamas dinner and to see Hurcules at the cinema with dh. Off into London tomorrow to follow the trails of the 'book benches'

Happy weekend berries

I like your poem tiger. It's good to have something to remind you to settle back into yourself.

beaky that is very sad news about your friends. What a horrible outcome for them.

at lumen's butlers maybe one of them could get you pregnant

Thanks for the reassurance about IVF, one step at a time eh? Even if I have to break it down into teeny, tiny steps to get through.

Hiya! Room for another?

I'm 39 and been TTC fur 8 years. We don't qualify for NHS help but had our first ivf in March in Prague. This ended with a chemical pregnancy. While this was heartbreaking, I took comfort from the fact I can get pregnant.

Cut to now, I had a very long period followed by a huuuuuge wait for the next, went for my scan, fridge full of drugs, and I have an active cyst on one ovary. I now have to wait until next period to see if it goes by itself.

In some ways I'm a bit glad to wait. We are very busy at the mo and it's difficult to fit this in, we would have had to have treatment in London which we didn't want and now we will be able to go to our clinic in Prague. It also feels like a bit of a holiday! Time out from it...

I can't wait to start again. I will be doing a min stimms round. I have very low (1.8) amh no other explanation. Hopefully this will give us a few decent eggs. Mind you only got three on Max stimms!

Anyway! That's me! I've read back a little but will attempt to catch up a bit more!

Wild after my first visit to fc I got back in the car and cried because I couldn't believe it had come to this. It just is a bit overwhelming. Love wagamammas.

Oooh butler service and a suite- get you lumen!!

Love that reading tiger, think will try to cut & paste it so I can keep it.

Aw that's nice Tiger I am stocking up on the vits etc too and have bought the pink grapefruit juice on the advice of Bushy! I also thought a good 3 months of sticking to everything would be my aim! My list is getting longer all the time now!

Wild it's a really stressful thing. I really had to work hard to bit cry at my last FC appointment when they said I couldn't do iui. I wasn't expecting that tbh. And yes one day at a time!

Hi Jellie welcome! Sounds like you've had a difficult time too, I'd be interested to hear about your Prague IVF experience! Boo to the cyst - do they know what caused it? I have just been in to start iui but had 2 cysts so can't start this month. It's rubbish eh.

Lumen wooooo! A butler! This holiday sounds amazing!

I feel so sad for my friend, seeing her soon so I'll probably find out more then and whether it's the only thing that has caused the split or not. Anyway, family day tomorrow which will be lovely! Hope everyone has nice plans for the weekend!

Berries sorry for lameness, just been trying to catch up on thread since I can't sleep because of the heat. You are all such wise berries with such amazing advice and words of support.

For those with failed cycles be kind to yourself, I don't know why a month goes so slowly when ttc but in the context of everything you need to absolutely be in best of shape mentally and physically and so worth the wait if you're not 100%. Since DH and I found out that it'd be impossible for us to conceive naturally time seems to whiz on again. It's quite bizarre but finding other things to focus on does help...we're decorating house now that we've come out of our depths of despair and coping a bit better. In a way, I'm glad we don't have unexplained infertility like some of you berries..at least we know what we're dealing with.

Had a good session with consultant on thurs and now concluded all our blood tests and investigations and so just a waiting game now for Mr pixie to have his op, she reckoned anytime mid Sept-mid Oct and then hopefully they'll find some swimmers and then I can get my fridge full of goodies. So far still to go on this journey as you berries have shown...trying hard not to get ahead of myself.

Had totally forgotten about folic acid...guess it might be the right time to hunt it out the drawers and start it up again, thanks for the reminder!

Have a fabulous wknd everyone!

Hi Beaky! Yep cysts truly suck. I dont know really what caused the cyst. However I've always had long/odd cycles so I'm wondering if I regularly get cysts on the ovaries but not the syndrome. I must say in all the lovely dildo cams there's not been one before.... Anyone's guess really.

Going for treatment in Prague was great. Originally driven by cost, but our clinic gets brilliant results too. Quite a few out there outstrip British clinics. And our clinic had a sister clinic in London which we use for all scans blood tests consultation etc. Literally just go out for collection and transfer. Prague is a beautiful place too. We had such a lovely time.

Lumen! St Lucia sounds amazing with a butler too! You should ask him to peel you a grape!

Morning all. Gorgeous day here on the beach yesterday but there are literally bumps everywhere
Welcome jellie sorry to hear this has been such a long drawn out ordeal for you but so glad you've found us. You are in completely the right place.
Totally get the upset at facing IVF. When we had our first appointment I was completely overwhelmed by talk of injections and false menopause. Couldn't stop thinking "what the hell am I doing here?". It really shouldn't be this difficult
Glad to hear things are moving in the right direction for you Pixie. Hopefully everything will be sorted for you soon.
Very sad about your friend Beaky. We had a lovely Berry a while back who split up with her fiancé. I'm not sure how much TTC had to do with it but it's true that this whole nightmare more than takes its toll.
I can't get my head around the idea that the wedding is only 3 weeks away!! Wild the dress is a strapless lacy Maggie number. I did post a pic to the FB group when I first bought it but that was a while back.
Another glorious day here. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Hi Beaky! Yep cysts truly suck. I dont know really what caused the cyst. However I've always had long/odd cycles so I'm wondering if I regularly get cysts on the ovaries but not the syndrome. I must say in all the lovely dildo cams there's not been one before.... Anyone's guess really.

Going for treatment in Prague was great. Originally driven by cost, but our clinic gets brilliant results too. Quite a few out there outstrip British clinics. And our clinic had a sister clinic in London which we use for all scans blood tests consultation etc. Literally just go out for collection and transfer. Prague is a beautiful place too. We had such a lovely time.

Lumen! St Lucia sounds amazing with a butler too! You should ask him to peel you a grape!

Welcome jellie, sorry you are here with us but this is a fab place for support. Am thinking we need a new list but I am on my phone so cannot oblige, anyone else?

I feel like I have been on folic acid forever pixie. I started taking it 6mths before stoping the pill which means I have been on it over 3.5yrs

Oooh happy had a quick google of Maggie sottero dresses- v nice!! Can you put on which was yours? I love a good ogle at a wedding dress!

Hello to jellie, v interesting about Ivf abroad. I'm not sure I'd be brave enough for that.

happy I had a strapless lacy Maggie Sotero too, which one is yours?

Ummm this is really bad but I have no idea what my dress is actually called! Just 3 weeks to wait and I'll post a photo

Hello lovely berries! Just dropping by quickly to say welcome to jellie - I don't think we've had any IVF abroad-ers recently? (longer standing berries correct me if I'm wrong!). I have family in the medical world in another country and last year while on holiday they took me to their work's IVF clinic - it was so much cheaper than here although I can't now remember their success rates. It will definitely be a temptation if our nhs options don't work (which they WILL, you hear me world?)
How did the process work out there, do they arrange the accommodation etc for you?

Hope everyone's enjoying a lovely sunny weekend. I am up to my armpits in paint. We've decided to repaint our spare room the one earmarked for baby and turn it into a study/den. I don't know if this is an attempt to tempt fate or the beginnings of just wanting to move on a bit and stop hanging about for something that might never happen. A bit of both I think.

Hallo ladies, hope you've all had good weekends/weeks. I've been avoiding the computer as much as possible as it's so hot and I just want to be outside. (also v lazy and avoiding work). Plus, we're moving house in a week's time so saying goodbye to our lovely home and dreading moving into a house for which the in laws have a key and a room (shared family house in London - long story but it's only temporary thank christ).

Welcome jellie and cat sorry you find yourselves in this position but you're in the right place.
Sorry to hear your news seren

Just caught up on all the chat. happy I can't believe it's only 3 weeks away! I hope the weather holds for you. beaky I'm really sorry about your cyst. what an absolute pain, just another reminder that we're not in control isn't it. barking hope that's the end of it for you. Must say you are starting to sound more relaxed and happier, which is great.

Pixie, wild, HB great to see you back.
Know what you mean about rattling with the pills, lumen. Weirdly it's usually opening yet another folic acid which sets me off on my rare weeps. (often feel despondent but rarely weep).

hope you get the paint out your armpits rain ;) and happy birthday belatedly tiger

kitten totally agree re st mary's. I've heard bad things about stepping hill and we had good care there, although it took 9 months from GP to consultant.

rosie how're you doing? Really sorry to read about your stress, as everyone else said it takes two to tango and you can't blame yourself. TTC seeps into everything in a relationship I think - so easy for things to take on a proportion they ordinarily wouldn't have.

Interested in everyone's chat about how TTC has changed you. Bit sadder, I think, but certainly more tactful. and i hope more appreciative of things we do have. Hard to say really.

I'm on cd-1 myself (spotting etc). Have a funny story to tell you actually. we hit the 2 year mark next cycle :( and so I was a bit stressed about moving our FC care down to London cos of waiting lists etc. Anyway, I had a GP app down there just before we went on holiday and i was away from the London house for just over 2 weeks. during which time I was sent an appointment letter for a week later and then a discharge notice because we DNA! hilarious. Thank god the clinic saw the funny side and got me rebooked in for week after next. but can you believe that?! 3 weeks from gp to consultant. bodes well i hope, although obviously hoping for a fufc. Who am I kidding, if the holiday bfp didn't emerge then I doubt a house-moving, new house-buying, in-law dodging couple of months is going to cut the mustard. Plus dh has just decided to go for a 3 month fellowship in africa next year. which made me think of funky - how are you funky??

hi everyone else! back to the garden for me

Cripes Nolly what are the chances! How fast is your new FC sounds like you have a busy time ahead but exciting too.

Rain would you not be tempted to have your private cycle abroad before your NHS one then? I think if I had to pay and had good recommendations I would definitely try a clinic abroad as it's so expensive.

Happy I love lace wedding dresses, so elegant! Are you going away for a honeymoon? Know what you mean about bumps everywhere, we have had an airshow up here this weekend and they are everywhere! Also went to a children's party but luckily that put me off cause the kids were all nightmares!

Pixie your appointment sounds like it went well! Are you guys going to start IVF after your dh's appointment?

So I've stockpiled vits, pregnacare, vit d, agnus castus, this one called dim, and I'm having pink grapefruit juice and looking into coq10 etc. I know it probably won't help but I want to do something extra! Also the acu lady hasn't got back to me and there aren't many round here. Hmm maybe back to the drawing board there.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

Evening all, hope everyone has had lovely weekends! We've just been hanging out close to home, and getting a few long put-off jobs done and, more excitingly, organising villas and booking flights for Christmas in the sun! After not going anywhere in 2013 in anticipation of being pg, 2014 has instead become the year of the holiday! FUTTC!!

Welcome Jellie sounds like you've found the right place for a bit of and sympathy. Pull up the pouffe of possibility and make yourself at home! Not qualifying at all for NHS treatment seems pretty unfair to me, most areas do offer at least a miserly one cycle.

nolly hellooo! Sounds like you have a lot going on. We also had to stay with our in-laws last time we moved so I can totally empathise. It was meant to be for about 6 weeks and ended up being 4 months as our building work overran! By the end I was climbing the walls! As for the FC, I think the waiting times in London are much shorter as there are loads of clinics, both NHS and non NHS. Ours is totally over subscribed and it took a couple of months to get an appointment. Good news that you have an appointment soon.

rain I think you are right to make the most of the room for yourself, right now. It can always be changed again, and in the meantime you'll get the satisfaction from making the room lovely. Don't forget the mantra though....Your turn will come! I have to confess that I decorated one of the bedrooms in our house expecting it to become the baby's room. Seemed very sensible at the time, but now just feels a little bit sad. It has become my sewing room instead for now.

x post beaky. That's a shame about the acu lady. Not responding doesn't send out the right vibes really. Perhaps try her again to give the benefit of the doubt before looking elsewhere. Ah good, someone else is joining me on the crazy supplement regime! Apart from bright yellow wee, I'm not sure what else they really do for me, but what the heck! Happy to follow some expert advice. Hope you had a good weekend and the kids party wasn't too stressful.

Trains all messed up again this morning, nolly now that you are back can you sort them out please? Hate commuting

Just waving a quick hello from the south of France. I'm in a tent in a thunderstorm. I hear the weather back home is lovely....
I'm feeling a lot more sane thanks, nolly, some time off the ttc rollercoaster is doing me good. I'm not dwelling too much on it should be my 12 week scan this week. I've been cycling up big hills and treking over mountain cols with DH, the dog and a very small tent. All good

Enjoy France barking it sounds fab and trying not to think about ttc is easier said than done

Ooo I've found a new acu lady, first appointment is tomorrow! I checked with dh (as it's going to be costly) and he was fine about it, but later in the conversation said it was another one of my "things"! I don't quite know how to take that! Anyway I'm looking forward to it. Although am apprehensive re the needles. So this and my supplements have officially bankrupted us!

Tiger a Christmas holiday in the sun sounds lovely! Can you say where you are going?

Barking glad you are having a lovely time, you guys must be super fit! I bet the dog loves it too!

Lumen hope you got to work ok!

Great stuff beaky. there's a register I was going to send you, acupunture.org.uk, in case you ever need it! It is expensive but it is the most relaxing thing i have ever done. categorically. I thought I'd had a lobotomy after my first session, it was amazing.

lumen I am donning my TrainWoman cape as we speak!

tiger watch this space for some IL ranting. Kind of annoys me that it's really the MiL who's just super territorial. Feels like a nasty sexist cliche, but there it is. Think you're right about the extra clinics and shorted waiting times. (PS madly painful AF this am, had to come home from work. wonder if it's the TTC disapointment making it worse, never used to be this bad!)

I love an Alpine col barking, never been in the pyrenees, I bet it's beautiful. Love cycling in France, people are so friendly. Always being overtaken by teams of 80-yr old men going 'Allez, courage mon brave' etc. v cheering.

beaky good news on your acu lady, i am debating whether to switch from reflexology to acu for next round, any thoughts anyone.

Also just wanted to wish diffed berries good luck with all your scans this week, will be thinking of you and fx for great results.