Thread for anyone TTC with a bit of medical help!

[ChandlersFarang]

Hello ladies! I'm looking to start something like one of the normal TTC 'busses' but for any of us that are on the journey with a bit of medical assistance (but not full IVF, as there's already an established thread for that!). I'm talking: assisted ovulation, clomid, metformin, IUI, Femara, injections, all those helpful little pushes from the doctors as we may not quite get there on our own! Post your story below and let's cross fingers for lots of BFPs over the coming months - would love to hear from you

eek how exciting! good luck chandlers hope it goes quickly not too long now!

Thank you both!! He he. Am not feeling very preg right now after that flurry of excitement, but tbh I'm only 8DPO... Have been getting increasing amounts of creamy CM (TMI?!) which is now the only potential symptom... But I can't really say, because I'm taking progesterone tablets for the first time, so I dunno whether to put that down to that!

Donttellmetorelax I know exactly what you mean about the OPKs!! Fx for you that you are about to ov then. I used to get such random stuff on them, it was so confusing. Our LH levels are a bit screwy to say the least with PCOS. When I had the trigger injection last Friday I did a test just for a laugh (I clearly knew I was OVing soon!) and it was the strongest positive I'd ever seen - which was quite cool!! Bit annoying I didn't get any of my usual post-ov symptoms to help me pinpoint when it actually happened (again, could be the extra progesterone changing my usual rhythm) but that's just me being a control freak..!!

Goodmorning girls

For the last 2 cycles I've been having strong pelvic pain in my left side during the second half of the cycle .

Anybody has been experiencing anything like this?

Donttellmetorelax I haven't had that I'm afraid... I wonder what it could be? Could it be your left ovary getting in a tizz, maybe? I'd mention it to your doctor!

Rats. Am 9DPO and experiencing cramps that can only be described as AF on her way!! Disappointment aside (screwed the PCOS low-GI diet and had a Magnum just now to cheer myself up, ha ha), this is pretty annoying, as I've been taking progesterone tablets twice a day since 1DPO specifically to lengthen my LP!!!! I got AF cramps at 9DPO last cycle, and then she turned up the next morning. So it would seem the progesterone tablets have done absolutely zilch. Gah!! if no AF in the morning will take a test but that's highly unlikely I think.

Oh well, would have been a bit of a miracle to be upduffed on my first cycle on Femara! High hopes for the second one, hopefully starting tomorrow. Will be good to take the Femara early on this time so I have a shorter cycle - am on day 50 overall today.

How's everyone else getting on? X x

Hi all, hope you don't mind me gate-crashing. I've just been diagnosed with PCOS after coming off the pill just over a year ago and having very irregular cycles. My GP has referred me and my hubby to our local fertility clinic, first appointment is in October so a bit of time to wait I'm not too sure what to expect really but my concern at the moment though is what I tell my line manager.

My appointment is at 10am so pretty much in the middle of the working day. My manager isn't exactly the most approachable person in the world and tends to take things very personally (she's the type of person who makes you feel you have to justify why you're taking time off work as though it's her leave you're using). Unfortunately she also has a nasty habit of taking things out on her team (there's only 2 of us so we each get quite a bit of flack at times) when she's in a bad mood or when someone has annoyed/displeased her.

I don't really want to tell her anything about it at this stage other than I need to pop out of the office for a while for personal reasons. I just know she will quizz me over why I need to go out during 'core working hours'. I don't want to create an uncomfortable/stressful situation for my colleague, especially as she is in the early stages of pg herself! I have a feeling my manager will see me trying to get pg too as an attack on her as there could be the possibility (fingers crossed!) that the two of us could be off at the same time.

I feel I should be concentrating more on the situation at hand rather than fretting about how/what to tell my manager

Has anyone else had to deal with this situation before?

Can anyone talk to me about PCOS? I have just been diagnosed with this too after an internal scan, no one ever said anything to me before when I had previous scans so I am a bit confused. I have hypothyroidism, I have bad skin which could be linked to the PCOS, but I have always had a monthly period so I just don´t understand?

What would be the next step from here? I have always been able to get pregnant, but never sustain it?

Thanks for your help.

Hi Red can you just say you have a medical appointment? I don´t see why you would have to explain to her. Sorry you don´t have an understanding manager.

Thanks escorpion sorry to hear you're having problems keeping hold of your pregnancy You're doctor should be able to refer you to the fertility clinic so you can speak with a specialist. Ask them to refer you if they've done so yet. Some GP's can be a bit slow off the mark.

Any other time I would just say I've got a dr's appointment but by the reads of the confirmation letter I had through from the hospital I don't think it will be a quick in and out kinda thing. I'm not sure if it will be a regular thing either and I know she will give me grief if I have to keep skipping out of the office.

It's a hard one to know what the best thing to do is.

Red have you tried going back to the source of the problem - calling the clinic and explaining the situation, and trying to get a first thing or end of the day appointment, outside your core hours? That would be my first port of call. You shouldn't tell your boss anything at this stage IMO.

escorpion - on what basis were you diagnosed with PCOS? Did they see cysts on your ovaries on the scan?

Unfortunately the clinic closes at 4

Chandlers yes I have "more than 25" 6mm follicles on each ovary. The weird thing is that when I had my scans before during the pregnancy, the ovaries were checked but maybe too breifly just to rule out ectopic as no one said anything. It´s just left me confused as I am not the classic PCOS case. I always have a period, albeit quite short and light. However I was overweight until a couple of years ago, and the reason I am not now is because I do excercise 5 times a week. I do suffer from acne prone skin.

What's the earliest appointment, red? You might want to book the day off as annual leave. I went straight back to work the same day as my appointment when I was diagnosed with PCOS and was not able to concentrate at all! You can work out what to do for subsequent appointments when they crop up but try to remove any stress around the first one. Xx

What's the earliest appointment, red? You might want to book the day off as annual leave. I went straight back to work the same day as my appointment when I was diagnosed with PCOS and was not able to concentrate at all! You can work out what to do for subsequent appointments when they crop up but try to remove any stress around the first one. Xx

escorpion I feel for you! I'm not the typical PCOS case either. I have clear skin, no excess hair, and am a size 8/10. Although like you I have to work hard to stay slim, I've always been a bit of a gym freak and now eat incredibly 'clean' (low GI, no sugar). Unlike you, I don't have regular periods though, which was my symptom. You might well have helped yourself already on that front in due to your frequent exercising. My ovaries look like that too! I've realised the more I read about PCOS that everyone has a slightly different version. It seems you are ovulating as you have been able to get a BFP - am so sorry about your 2 mcs, this is also a side effect (higher risk of mc). The good news is that once you've been diagnosed you can get on the right medication and start being 'fixed'. I'm on metformin and it seems to have helped a lot of women control the androgens flying around their systems, reducing the risk of miscarriage, making it slightly easier to keep weight gain off, etc. I really recommend you have a look at the forums on the Soul Cysters website (not a fan of the name - it's quite 'American' but an incredibly good resource when you're getting your head around your diagnosis). Check out the sticky threads for newbies, and also the forum for 'lean cysters' - ie anyone with PCOS and a BMI below 25. They've done some really interesting studies on normal weight girls with the syndrome. You'll also find comfort in the pregnancy/mc threads too, and lots of advice no doubt! Chin up though. I was quite down when I was first diagnosed, but you have to look at it positively - there's nothing you've done to cause it, but plenty you can now do now you're aware you have it to improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy, and reduce related health risks.

Thanks so much for your kind words Chandler I am seeing my gyno at the beginning of October when my other results are back, but see my endrocrinolgist before so I will mention it to him too. I am just hoping I can get this fixed. I will definitely look into Soul Cysters. Thanks for your support!

I think you're right chandler, it may be easier to take the morning off rather than thinking of what to say the reason is. I've already been diagnosed with PCOS this is to start going through the different options available to us.

Good stuff Red, there are a few options depending on your specific profile of PCOS. I'm not sure where the NHS starts but would be interesting to hear.

And escorpion... You're welcome!! Good luck with it all and keep us posted

I'll keep you posted chandler with what the clinic says and what have you.

Morning you lovely lot. Just a quick update from me - my three eggs were not to be, as after a couple of BFNs on tests over the weekend AF turned up today with a vengeance!!!

That last cycle was 57 days long, urgh!! But I only took the ovary stimulant drug for 5 days from day 26, as I'd been on hol at the start of the cycle and unable to go to the hospital. The good thing was I took progesterone supplements after ovulation which allowed my body to have a 15 day luteal phase!! The natural ones I had before were about 9 days so that's really good news.

This cycle should be a normal length as I'm taking the ovary stimulants on CD3-7 this time, then going in for a scan CD12 to see if any follicles are growing. So with any luck I should get shorter cycles with longer LPs... i.e. more frequent chances of getting pregnant and able to sustain a bean implanting! So it's all eyes on cycle 5 for me.

How are all of you getting on, anything changed since your last messages? Hope you're all happy and pursuing your BFPs one way or another! x x

I'm sorry this month wasn't your month, i thought with all the help and positivity of guaranteed eggs, ovulation, timed DTD etc it would have happened for you but at least you can be sure all stars are aligned for next month ;-)

hope you don't mind but about to PM You...

Go for it NewLeaf! Thank u

Well tbh my chances with PCOS are appaz 15% as opposed to 20% per cycle (although who knows what that stat is based on - it might be for someone with PCOS with no meds/help at all, in which case hopefully mine are actually closer to the usual 20%!). So even with 3 eggs all emerging, that's still only a 45% chance of pregnancy - I.e. More likely NOT to be pregnant. Which is what happened. Bloody maths ruining things!!

hi everyone, sorry about the radio silence. I've lost track a bit with where you are all at, but wanted to say hello and hope you are all coping with this stressful TTC business.

So sorry to hear AF arrived Chandler, and 57 days!! that must have been a very hard wait for you. p.s. I never liked maths either.

I think last time I posted we were waiting for an appointment. We went and discussed my bloods so far - which were a concern. My FSH is higher than they'd like at 12.3, so they are re-running day 1-5 bloods plus an AMH test, and whole battery of additional bloods, in the hope it was just some odd one off reading. I have a scan next week too, so its all go. Trying very hard to stay positive, but needless to say we were handed the IVF pricelist and told to be prepared for it to be our only option. so its been a tearful week or so.

has anyone had an internal scan? do they talk you through what they can see or do they write a report and discuss it at your next appointment?

Good luck everyone :)

Hi everyone!

Chandler I was waiting to hear news from you. Sorry about AF, but at least you have the ball in full roll this next cycle.

I think I'm on cd 14 and brown spotting, I spot a couple of days before Af, so probably it will get me tomorrow