The Elderberry Pavlovas: Hanging up our fertility crystals, relaying the Yellow Brick Road and chasing that chopper. We want our BFPs and we want them now! (Thread 22)

[happylass]

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.

All this stabby talk takes me back! Glad it's all going well. I used to keep some cotton pads in my kit. I'd wet one to clean the area before stabbing, then use it to hold against needle site in case of bleeding.

I'm feeling all Mongy having done my fertility flow yoga DVD. It's a little woo ( the leaflet talks about moon cycles!) but it's lush.

Dh has really pulled his finger out- he's ironed a load of his shirts and washed up, put out the bins and did a bit of washing putting away! I told him that I really appreciate the effort and he tells me he doesn't need to be thanked (ha, ha! I love a mention if I've done housework!!.. Also think he wouldn't like it if I didn't say anything)

Manic day today, tons to do, worked an 11 hour day and slept poorly last night. I don't know whether it's new NC, new TA, or beg of year but it's sooo full on. I could have come home and worked even more but I didn't. Also been so flipping full on that I only ate breakfast and a roll until tea time. Need to try for bit more balance! Hence me yoga! Got class tomorrow too- yay!! Good shout re spin feather... Will have to build myself up to that though as it's been a while!!

Just popping in to say hi

Wow, so many berries starting stabbing! May be a bumper month. Good luck. bushy rather than cotton balls I was given a big batch of alcohol swabs to use before and after stabbing. Supposed to minimise infection risk, but the main bonus is they are quite handy for cleaning the iPad.

I went to see (Dr) AliG yesterday, and thankfully finally have some clarity, yay!! She confirmed that she'd def recommend the lap first, and had really only gone for second choice IVF 2 long protocol avec the endo scratch as she thought I was anti the laparoscopy. Once we sorted out the fact I just want to take her advice on best approach, I have been booked in for lap & hystero thing on Monday 13th Oct. (she's on hols before). The great news is that apparently I don't have to wait to start the long protocol IVF either. I was really worried the timings would mean we wouldn't be able to start that til after Christmas, but no, better than I hoped, I can actually start to take the lucrin (auto type wanted to change that to 'lice in' bleurgh!) before the lap!! Yay yay double yay! So blood test on 6th Oct to check I've ovulated, then start lucrin, have the lap a week later, get my period 5/6 days after that (32 day cycle for me) and then boom! Ready for IVF round 2. Long protocol this time, hopefully to help more eggs make it to blastocyst stage.

Oh! And I finally remembered to ask about assisted hatching and she said sure! She's put it in my schedule (might cost another $500 but who's counting ) so I can feel as if we've tried everything.

Talking of which, last session she suggested I take 150mg coenzyme Q10 daily to help egg energy - she did say there's no conclusive proof but reckoned it's worth trying, and certainly won't hurt. So I'm doing that.

Have to point out to hubby dearest that she says he should definitely still be taking his sperm vitamins, as although his tests were all good (he keeps falling back on those to avoid the dreadful pain/inconvenience of taking a vitamin tablet daily ) they don't know why our embryos didn't make it very far - could be egg OR sperm, so although his might be mobile and plentiful, that doesn't mean they're all perfect little DNA carriers.

Anyway, I'm so pleased we have dates and plans set in motion. Shame not to be joining you all this month but hopefully you will still be around (posting support from the dizzying heights of helicopter land!)

Buonasera berries! Just waiting for a cab to take us to Rome airport and then flying home! To say I don't want to go home would be a huge understatement and as for work tomorrow.....argh!

Was out of communication range for a week and had no idea of the news - even managed to avoid the announcement of the royal pregnancy until the weekend. F*kers. One wants a baby, one shall have a baby. Simple.

Hope everyone has been well. A skim read suggests its stabbing central in hq at the moment so keeping fingers crossed for everyone and will catch up on progress properly when I get home.

Holiday was fantastic, think I've put on half a stone due to excessive gelato consumption.

Evening all.

Welcome back Tiger I hope you had a lovely break!

Smidge I'm glad to hear your next cycle sounds like it's getting organised.

Bushy I hope your day has been a bit quieter today.

happy, Jellie, beaky, wild I hope the stabbing is going well and you are not having too many anxieties.

In my news, I'm not going to be doing my natural cycle this month. In short, the FC claimed not to get my message to arrange the scan on day 1, and today is day 4 and by the time they called me today they said they couldn't fit me in and I have to wait till next cycle. Unfortunately I'm on holiday around ovulation next month so can't fit a cycle in, and am still away for the beginning of the cycle after. I will turn 40 during that time, and although the nurse thought it wouldn't be a problem as their funding is already agreed, I'm not confident that they won't change their mind. So if I do get to do the natural cycle it won't be until December. Angry, upset and frustrated don't really sum up how I'm feeling today...

I've had acupuncture this evening with some needles to reduce frustration thrown in for good measure.

Bloody fuckers Kuma. Ask them to send you that in writing about the funding (((fumes)))). . Sorry hun I hope it turns out okay x

Tiger - you'll have to say you're having a gelato baby! Glad you've had a fab time!

Smidge ,,- you ought to tell your dh that embryos that fail in the first 2/3 days are egg quality generally after that its sperm that takes over so get chugging the Wellman sperm ASAP or you'll come at him with a dildo can and see how he likes it! . I'm really pleased you've decided on a course of action and your Dr has given you definitive advice.

Righto today I've been to the gym after work, eaten lots of protein,

Oops hit post prematurely there

.....had a scalding hot bath and listed to my Zita west track ( in the bath 2 birds one stone!). I must have moved these follicles and my lining on a bit no?!?!?! Scan tomorrow so we'll see!

Ciao for now

Oh kuma ! So sorry to hear your news. You must be so p**d off. They are utter fools at the clinic. Idiots.

And how frustrating to wait another few months. I know you will put the time to good use by preparing etc, but it is very frustrating.

I'm sure the funding will be fine, but see if you get something in writing so that there is no mix up over it. You will get to do your natural cycle, just not when you thought.

jellie your comment about the antiseptic wipes being handy for cleaning the laptop made me laugh. How is the stabbing going? And beaky?

That all sounds very positive with your FC smidge . It's great that you are all finally in the same page. The consultant is saying all the things that I would want to hear in your situation.

Bushy sounds like ypu are in full on termtime mode. Look after yourself. The yoga sounds good, is it quite demanding or more gentle?

All looks good with me and I will likely trigger tomorrow. Yikes! It's taken ages to get onto any treatment and now it's all happening so fast. I bet the 2ww will positively crawl by.

kuma - Jellie put it much better than me! What she said.

Yes, she did put it well. I will be penning an angry letter tomorrow, but now all I have the energy for is sleeping and hoping I'll feel better in the morning.

A good night's sleep will do you good and will give you a break from the thoughts churning around in you head.

Kuma that is so shit, with it being a natural cycle can they not go ahead anyway (sorry if that is a totally stupid question) but def what Jellie said too.

Tiger welcome home! Hope the holiday depression doesn't hit you too hard, esp with having work tomorrow. Was it lovely weather there?

Smidge my dh is the same, got two great sa's and now he thanks he can kick back. Ha. Also unhelpfully my fx told him the don't recommend vits for men as there is no evidence to back them up, ffs! It can't hurt. Anyway sounds like you have a good plan in place there, and not too long to wait at all. I'm necking coQ10 as well, can't hurt!

Jellie best of luck for your scan tomorrow, all fx for you.

Happy are you scanning tomorrow too? Good luck if so.

Eek Wild if you trigger tomorrow when will you go in for the iui but? Exciting! I hopefully won't be long behind you on the longest 2ww ever...!

Bushy sounds like you've a nightmare busy time at the moment, hope things ease off for you and you're managing ok.

Second injection was fine for me and no bleeding this time dh is away now til the weekend which I hate I'm such a clingy eejit these days.

Hi all, back from a fab holiday in St Lucia (bushy you are fab for suggesting) and on my way home from a long first day back in the office. Lots has been going on in here with stabbing etc. Glad to hear they the Cyril Cysts have done one. Fingers crossed for all of you currently cycling. kuma sorry to hear your FC screwed up

We booked in for next long protocol IVF just before going away so will start down reg in about 10 days with EC scheduled for first week of Nov, so I will be hanging on the coat tails of the upcoming clusterdiff!

Sorry for lack of personals but on phone and have just read over a week of posts so confused as to who is doing what!

Welcome back lumen and tiger - shame you have to go straight back to work. Oh well, that's life.

The FC just rang and said to take the trigger shot, so I have. Yikes! I'm a bit freaked out tbh. Main follies today were 20mm and 16.9 mm and the FC was talking about leaving it a bit longer, but LH blood test said no. IUI tomorrow afternoon. Bloody hell. Between this and the Scottish referendum it all feels too much. DH says if this works out then names will be either Hamish or Catriona, seeing as it's all happening on referendum day.

Exciting wild, best of luck for tomorrow, will start the implantation dancing for you! (Goes hunting for pom poms)

Welcome back lumen! Glad you had an amazing time. Hope yours and Tigers first day back at work was manageable.

Wild how exciting! What cycle day are you? Imagine if you got two Hamish and Catriona! Did you get any weird feelings when you were injecting? My ovary area feels, erm heavy? Maybe I'm imagining it. All fingers crossed for you anyway!

Wild - Omgeeeee how exciting! So do you have to take any meds after the iui? Progesterone or owt? Good luck for tomorrow! Will be thinking of you all day

Lumen -sorry you're home now and not still on your Fabby holiday. Boooooo to getting back to normal . So not long until you start brill

Beaky well done on the second injection! You'll be fine on your own doing it! You should start to feel it in the ovaries as they start to fire up the follicles. I don't as I don't have many follies to fire up but most should!

AFM - scan went well today, my two follies are now both at 15mm and my lining is 6.8ish. Follies looking good, lining needs to thicken a bit more. They aim for about 18mm I think. I'm thinking 18- 20 would be better but apparently in a natural they like to have them a bit smaller. I have to go for another scan tomorrow and we will set a date for ec. It will deffo be sat/sun/Monday. I'm actually now feeling optimistic for the first time today! . I'm going to be PUPO from next week! (Pregnant until proven otherwise!). Gaaaaaah excited! . Hope ec is Sunday/Monday!

How everyone else is okay!

So, I have attempted to catch up on all your news.

Firstly....HURRAY....beaky you finally got underway with IUI. So pleased that you have managed to take the step and have everything crossed for you. You too wild, you have made quick progress and fingers crossed that this yields some bairns for you too!

kuma really sorry to hear about the delay and how totally frustrating that it is really through an adminstrative error and not any clinical reason. I work in the NHS and I'm afraid to say that adminstration and management falls short, and even though I know how the system works, once I'm the patient I still find myself absolutely fuming at the failings. I hope you're doing ok and that you can celebrate your birthday and enjoy your holiday knowing that your IVF will be round the corner.

jellie that is exciting, not long now and then you'll be PUPO. Glad you're feeling more positive.

smidge great that you have a plan!

happy how's progress with you? Sounds as though things are going well so far!

bushy hope you've had a less crazy day today, and that you're doing ok I think I need to join you in the exercising more. I walk the dog daily and do yoga 2-3 times a week. Think I am going to start running again.

Feels like lots of people are missing but hello to all you other lovely ladies, and hoping everyone is doing well.

Giving myself till the end of September unless the lots of holiday sex has miraculously paid off and then am starting back on the regime of healthiness. OH has even agreed to give up drinking with me for a month. Have an FC appointment again on Friday, thought it was a duplication but this one is the follow up from my lap, whereas the other was re IVF. Same consultant though, so will take the opportunity to ask questions and see if we can do IUI whilst waiting for IVF.

Had a horrible first day back at work, a nightmare of petty bureaucracy and frustrating management. Trying hard to maintain the holiday relaxed vibes. However, I also have a job interview on Friday, so we'll see what happens with that! This one is with the same employer so no concerns over maternity benefits etc and is quite tempting. I think there is another candidate already lined up for it though, but good practice anyway and food for thought.

The AWOL Berries return! I am also just back today after 10 heavenly days in Mauritius.
Pretty sure my blood is now 90% booze (strawberry daiquiri at 10am on the beach? Obviously!), and I am definitely a stone pound or two heavier (curse you buffet pasta man) but it was pure bliss. Really, really didn't want to come home.
Even the arrival of the fecking witch halfway through didn't break my stride, although I did allow myself a 30 min window of discontent when the Kate Fucking Shittleton news broke. Bah!

Lots to read back through to catch up properly so sorry for lack of personals, although really excited to see so much news of fab follies, luscious linings and spiffy stabbings. Really sorry tho to see that your plans have been disrupted kuma - definitely get that assurance r.e. funding in writing.

Wisely booked an additional day off tomorrow so will try to catch up properly then, but as I only got 3 hours sleep on the plane last night I am now heading off to Bedfordshire, night night!

Jellie great news that everything is going well, and PUPO next week! All fx for you.

thank you Tiger I was very relieved that I got the go ahead. Oo an interview! Good luck! I am on the look out for new jobs but there isn't a great deal about here. I would definitely ask about iui given that you only get one round of IVF, hope the appointment goes well otherwise and also crossing fingers for a fufc holi-diff

Welcome back Rain! Your holiday sounds lush and glad you had a lovely time. I love a strawberry daiquiri so very jel.

wild will be thinking of you tomorrow, good luck!

Thank you for all the good luck wishes, lovely Berries.

Rain welcome home too. I love a free day post holiday to just settle in and get used to the idea of work again. Totally jealous of Mauritius and daiquiris.

I will be Day 11 of my cycle (not stimming) tomorrow beaky . Apparently they don't normally trigger on Day 10 but ov was imminent so they went with it. I hope it will be ok and that the follies have had time to mature.

Sorry beaky I didn't answer your question about weird feelings in the ovaries. For me it was yes and no. It felt different but not in a clearly definable way. It was more like I was the princess on top of a pile of feather mattresses with some dried peas underneath. I could feel the impression of something but I wasn't really sure what or where.

jellie cheering you on.Any news fromgill ?

I am lurking Wild. My FET was cancelled 10 days ago because my polyps have returned

Given that this is the second time they have cancelled treatment I was pretty bloody miserable last week so was avoiding Mumsnet/FB. Couldn't stay away for too long though...

Felt slightly better last Friday when a letter came through with my new op date (6 Oct) which is a definite improvement on the five months wait I had last time only to be told there was nothing there. Have my pre-op assessment tomorrow.

Just a bit worried that I'm some sort of super oestrogen responder though and that as soon as I start treatment the polyps grow back. I had a polyp removed in December but it was back again in Feb when I did my original IVF cycle.

Just hoping that my dates work out well in order to commence treatment as soon after the op as possible and thus minimise time for polyp re growth.

Seems like there is a lot of stabbing in HQ at the moment so good luck with all of that ladies.

Hope you get a good and mature egg haul Wild, fingers crossed.

Sorry to hear that Gill - I'm sure you are not a super-responder polyp magnet, just bad luck. It's good that your op date is so soon and you can get on with things. We just have to plod through these things I guess.

The IUI went fine today, although why oh why did nobody tell me that they use a torch. I found the whole thing highly comedic and went to have a good laugh in the gardens afterwards. It was probably letting off some nervous energy because I was very tense beforehand. I wasn't nervous about the procedure itself, rather all the other stuff - hopes, fears, money etc.

Anyhow, it's all over and done. Now for the dreaded 2WW

How is everyone else?

Hey Wild! Glad you got on well today! Was it like a headtorch!?!?!?! .

Gill - sorry to hear about your polyps coming back. Sounds like you've got a good plan of action. Fingers xd next treatment dates come through soon

Tiger - good luck for your interview tomorrow! You'll be great I'm sure

Rain... Love strawberry daiquiris.... Drool. How it's not too much of a bump to be back.

I had a further scan this morning. Lining had grown and is now 7,8 so good! Follies have not grown really today but they only looked at them yesterday. They took bloods again and have decided that ec is Monday. Eeeeek!

Now, They asked if I would want to do this without sedation. As I only have 2 follicles to drain, they think this would be okay. Has anyone done this? I've pretty much decided to have the sedation but wondered if anyone had views on this either way?