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.

Loving the headtorch idea

wild I really hope the 2ww doesn't drag for you. I guess the key is to try and distract yourself a lot! Anything fun planned to take your mind off of it? You did make me chuckle about the torch. Everything to do with TTC is so bizarre. I felt really freaked out seeing all the pictures they took from my lap and hysteroscopy - frankly I do NOT need to see my insides in that level of detail!

Thanks for the good luck wishesjellie. I'm not nervous yet, but I know I will be tomorrow! Can't really help on the EC question, but I think I would be opting for sedation if it were me!

beaky being home is lovely, but being back at work is not! Very happy to have my pooch back, but she is definitely a bit naffed off with me for being left behind. Still, off tomorrow for FC appointment and interview and hopefully both will signal some sort of new beginning! Hopefully your ovaries will play ball and your timings will be spot on!

Tonight is mine and OH's 9 year anniversary (of our first proper date, we're not married) but no time to celebrate until the weekend as prepping for the job interview, oh the romance!

Good luck for your interview and your FC appointment tomorrow, Tiger! And happy anniversary! Let us know how you get on tomorrow

Oh my it is exciting on here! Good luck to all going through the process. Wild-exciting!! And yes, more details on the torch needed!! It seems an age ago that I had mine (April/may) and am not sure how similar iui is to Ivf but tips for procedure- leave yourselves loads of time to get there so you're not worried, bring sanitary towel, don't wear makeup to egg collection... Hmm think that's all I can think of.

Oh wow, so glad you enjoyed st Lucia lumen it's lush isn't it!! Did you drink lots of rum? Chairmans spiced was my dh's favourite and the piton beer was pretty good, just loved all the fresh fruit. Happy days!! Did you do zip lining, pitons?

Mauritius as well!! Flipping lovely and go you having a daiquiri at 10am. I remember the pool boy asking me at similar time did I want a piña colada- I said no. Had no such reservations in st Lucia, we were drinking beers watching beach cricket at 11am, why the heck not!

Nice to hear from tiger too.

Crap news kuma can totally appreciate how bummed you must feel. Sympathies to gilster with crappy cysts. Glad you're back on here though.

I'm alright. Had a shaky few days but ok today, although getting a cold!! We're having a girly night out tomorrow with few girls from work. Earlier in week I wanted to hide away and not do it but tonight since I've had a bungled attempt at waxing my own legs, then resorting to epilating (. Can totally see why you should pay someone and normally I do!!), then mammoth fluff of house for guests I feel alright. Actually looking forward to it!

Oh my new TA dropped a good un today. After working in the year group, who are a nightmare, she came back and said I should get pregnant now to avoid them... Bless her, she doesn't know so just grinned and bore it!! Hmm, don't think I'll be getting pregnant right now as think first AF has turned up. Might explain why the past few days have left me feeling a bit like a mentalist!! Still, am ok about it, means we can give it a good go. Consultant said I'd have a period in October and that my November one would be the one we'd have treatment on. She did say that she'd normally leave it a bit later. Anyway my next bleed will be earlier than November if this is AF now. Ooh!

bushy why can't you wear make up to egg collection? I don't think I did, but I don't remember being told I shouldn't either. Just interested (as not really a problem for me as I rarely wear makeup these days conforming to the 'now I'm married I don't need to make an effort' expectations!)

Must say, for my ec, Hubby and I both thought I shouldn't wear my wedding/engagement rings, just coz we had no idea what was allowed re anaesthesia /if there was a risk the nurse/doctor might pinch them off me while under but that proved totally unnecessary. Though I notice on my lap paperwork they DO say not to wear any jewellery for that (and possibly perfume too, now I come to think about it) - but that's proper general so maybe it's different from the half dose you get during ec. (Ooh does it make your fingers swell up? )

Smidge on the jewellery for your lap, it's to do with using diathermy during surgery and nothing to do with the anaesthetic (plus yes, I suppose we don't want people wearing their finest jewellery and then being responsible for it while they are asleep!). You can keep your wedding ring on usually , they'll just put tape round it. I was told not to wear perfume during ET because it might damage the embryo. No make up makes sense from an anaesthetic view, we like to be able to see if our patients are going blue. During a proper GA, your eyes are taped shut to prevent corneal damage so mascara/eye liner/false lashes come off when the tape is removed. Sorry if that's TMI!
Good luck to all the current crop of IVF/IUIers, I can't keep up with you all!
Gill and Kuma I hope your oestrogen levels/polyps behave them themselves and you get your FETs ASAP.

Hello Lady how are you getting on? Are you coming up for 12w soon?

Bushy good to hear from you and that you are ok. Enjoy your girly night and fx for AF so that you can get on sooner rather than later!

Tiger how did the FC app and the interview go? Stressful day for you hey.

My puppy fell down the stairs last night, she's not well I managed to catch her half way down but what a shock. Am also super emotional today think it's work stress and I have to go in tomorrow as well as I'm so busy at the moment. Anyway on the injections, tonight's really really hurt! I hadn't thought I did anything different but who knows!

How's everyone else? Hooray for the weekend!

Oh no! Poor puppy beaky - so worrying. We give these little pets so much of our hearts it's terrible when something happens to them. Hope your puppy is ok.

Ref the injection being painful, the nurse at FC told me that your skin gets more sensitive as you are pumped with more and more hormones, so the stabbing hurts more. I was relieved to hear that because I was worried I'd turned wimpy! Are you still on schedule for triggering on Monday?

Oh Bushy at your TA. People mean well but sometimes they get it so badly wrong, don't they. How are you getting on with having turned a new corner? Is it still working? And good news on AF. I love it when a plan comes together.

Thank you for the good wishes lady and same to you.

The torch at my IUI was not a head torch, by the way. That would have been totally hilarious. It was pretty funny as it was with the nurse running from one side to the other to hold the torch, then back round to hold the scan wand! Luckily I was doing calming breathing, otherwise I'd have either freaked out or laughed my a** off.

Birthday celebrations for me this weekend - so long as DH actually has something planned. If not I'll just eat cake. I'm really abnormally tired though and I'm wondering if it is possibly a side effect if the progesterone gels I'm using. Off to bed now!

Gil great to see you. I've been thinking of you. Glad your appointment isn't too far away. Hope they can get you sorted once and for all. You've been going through his for waaaay too long
Great to see all the globe trotting Berries back - welcome home ladies.
Happy Birthday Wild . Lol at the torch! Hope you're 2ww goes quickly. FC that you kick off the next clusterdiff! Jellie good luck for Monday - fx you'll be next in the BFP queue!
I too have found that the stabbing is getting more painful the longer I've been doing it. Some nights are better than others but makes totall sense what your nurse said Wild
Beaky your poor pooch. Hope he's recovered from his ordeal.
Had scan yesterday and my biggest follies were 17mm. They want 20mm so EC definitely won't be Monday, which I was a bit gutted about but it's obviously vital to get it right. Aiming for Wednesday now instead. Was teary all day yesterday - think the hormones are getting to me plus I'm shattered from work. Feeling much more upbeat today though. Been booking up a few little cheeky weekends away - always need something to look forward to!
Have a great weekend all.

Happy Birthday wild! eating sounds like a good plan to me! Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Aw, your poor puppy beaky I hope she is feeling better.

ooh, the thought of having eyelids taped up makes me feel slightly weirded out lady although not as as when the told me they would be popping something up the bum for pain relief after the laparoscopy! How are you doing? oh, and smidgeI was also told no nail varnish.

bushy hope the cold has been kept at bay and you had a great girls night out! So many people have no idea about ttc issues, but it is so infrequently talked about that you can't always blame people for not understanding when they haven't had any experience of it themselves. Doesn't make it any easier to deal with though.

jellie hope you are incubating a good batch of eggs ready for collection!

Thanks for the good wishes....yesterday was an interesting day!

FC appointment was a non event. IUI is not funded any more so it is straight to IVF in the new year. The consultant told me that I should stop trying to time dtd to ovulation etc and forget all about actually trying to conceive and see what happens until I get to the top of the waiting list. He also went on about how I need to avoid stress, and that stress plays a big part in unexplained fertility. So, bearing all of that in mind, I only went and got offered the job yesterday, almost immediately after the interview. It sounds great, but, did I mention it is in London?! So, a fair bit of thinking to do about what to do ahead....

Taping eyelids sounds horrible I agree! And had no idea about all these things that aren't allowed. Better plan on looking a bit of a hobo by the sounds of it

As for pain relief up the bottom, I only just read about that myself, on my handy take home laparoscopy leaflet. Wowee. Hopefully they'll do that while I'm still under anaesthetic so I won't actually be aware of losing my dignity!

happy if your follies are already at 17 I'd be surprised if they wait til Wednesday. I was told that they grow between 1-2 per day. But maybe it depends on which drug you're on. I think they might have waited another day for me actually if it hadn't been for the fact my LH levels started rising rapidly. Hence long down reg this time - apparently these different drugs should mean my LH stays low.

Spent the afternoon at friends house who are redoing their garden. Helped them out for a bit - felt good to get my hands dirty and do some physical work outside. I miss my little Windsor garden being down under, apartment-living. (Though the view here's pretty nice too)

Aww thanks Wild Happy and Tiger she's quite old and I think she's maybe had a stroke too. Gonna take her to the vet to get checked over.

Wild happy birthday! Have an amazing day/weekend!

Wild Happy phew! Thank heavens it's not just me, stabbing did really hurt last night so am a bit nervous for tonight! Happy your follies sound like they are getting there! Will do a grow follies dance for you haha. Are you having another scan on Monday? The teary-ness is to be expected though, even without the hormones it's a stressful time, but you're nearly at EC now, after all this time! All fx for you.

wild am really hoping you get your bfp and lead a big clusterdiff! How are you feeling? I'm super nervous for Monday, it'll be the first scan although it will be cd11 so hopefully I'll be in for the treatment ASAP after that. How long do you wait until you test? Did your FC give you a test or do you have to get a blood test? Apologies for the Inquisition!

Tiger that's a shame about iui, but hopefully you will "just relax" and get diffed eh. Why didn't we just think of avoiding stressful jobs?! But, woohoo! Congratulations on getting the job! Are you undecided then? What is it to do - if you can say. How long do you have to decide?

Smidge what's your weather like at the mo? I'm sat here in a blanket with the heating on! And to the lap pain relief!

Hey Beaky! Oh no! I hope your doggy is feeling better and it was just a nasty shock.

Smidge - no varnish, no make up and nothing strong smelling at all! It's bad for the eggs apparently! I'm taking my varnish of tomorrow . I'm planning on taking make up with me and applying after and some hairspray! Otherwise I will look like a proper tramp. I don't think the fc ladies are going to recognise me Monday morning.

Happy ,- thanks! I'm hoping so too! Mine were 15 on Thursday and I'm in fur ec Monday. They should grow 1-2mm daily. When are you in for a scan

Tiger ,- I'll probably only have 2 eggs Max. I'm doing a natural cycle with only very minimal stimms. Only two follies at a decent size on any case so fingers crossed they both have eggs in. My biggest fear is waking up and there's none... Yes stress is very bad for all sorts of bodily functions... But life is stressful so I dont see how it's avoidable really.

Gaaash posted early again!

Wild. Hope you've had a good birthday!

Right, I off to take my final Cetrotide now then two trigger shots At 11.15 going to be dropping to sleep! Eeeep. Here we go. No drugs tomorrow. Hurrah! . Mind you trigger made me feel really sick last time soooooooo. Here we go.

Hello

Can I join please? I came off the pill after my wedding 4 years ago, and haven't used any contraception since then, although 'only' started ovulation tests and seriously going for it in March 2013.

DH diagnosed with low morphology on first two SA, and I have a lot of PCOS symptoms. Have had one failed IVF back in July, and due to have another in Jan 2015.

I've been stalking you guys for a while (sorry, that makes me sound like such a weirdo ) and sounds like I have a lot in common with many of you.

Good luck to all those currently cycling

Happy birthday wild!

Wow so much is happening in here at the moment, best of luck to all who are stimming and those with EC this week, looking forward to hearing how you all get on, such stressful exciting times for you all.

Welcome bear, stalking us is fine, I think we have all been there. Sorry you are here with us but you couldn't find a more supportive group.

So we got our drugs yesterday, ended up getting them from asda as they do them at cost price and now we are self funding it all helps. As someone has said before, this sh#t just got real! Start down regging on sat so the long 9 week cycle will finally start

Happy Sunday berries!

Got to love ASDA! Food, clothes, homewares and cost price drugs!

Welcome bear!

Drug free day today! Been to the gym already, trying to get surged for tomorrow. Supermarket next then some housework. Then after tomorrow we can take it easy.

Or sorted even!

Oo Jellie good luck for tomorrow.

Lumen yey to getting started again and check asda out, truly the all rounder of the supermarkets haha. Fx for this cycle for you.

Welcome Bear, sounds like a tough time for you but the berries are a great support. I think a lot of people did a bit of stalking first!

Welcome Bear sorry you find yourself here but you are in completely the right place - lots of lovely ladies and a wealth of experience between us!
Bummer about the IUI Tiger but not too long to wait til the IVF. Well done you on getting the job! Would London mean a big move for you? Also hope you told your consultant where to stick his "just relax... " advice
Lumen great to hear you're joining stabbers anonymous. Do you mind me asking roughly how much your ASDA drugs cost? It was always our plan to source our own meds but because we opted for the 2 cycle package we have to get them from the clinic. What they failed to mention is that they seriously overcharge. Our drugs bill is already nearly £1200 and that's just for the down regging and stimming
Off for another scan tomorrow and hopefully my follies will have reached the required size. Smidge I was hoping that the 17mm on Friday would have enough for EC Monday but apparently they like them "nice and big" for ICSI. I purposely made the appointment for the afternoon tomorrow, just to give them that little bit extra growing time. Think DH will burst a blood vessel if we have to fork out for any more Menopur!

Of course I don't mind you asking happy, I got 2 if the nasal sprays for down reg, 4 gonal f pens (3x900, 1x350), 1 ovitrelle trigger, 2 boxes of clycogest pessaries and one voltarol pessary. Came to 1105, the official drug co from our FC quoted 1230.

Happy I'm pretty sure in my last cycle I worked it out to £90 per injection of menopur so that's £15 per 75iu at ASDA. I really can't remember what I paid this time. I'm taking a lot less so our bill will about £700 for everything instead of £1600!

welcome bear sounds like you're in the right place for a bit of ttc support.

Hope you've had a lovely drug free day jellie.

Buying drugs from Asda just sounds so surreal lumen! Exciting that your next steps are under way though!

happy fingers crossed for your scan tomorrow. I'm in the Midlands so London would be a big move, but I'm from that neck of the woods so it would be a return home of sorts, rather than a move to somewhere unfamiliar.

I'm still in a major dilemma over the job, can't decide what to do. The choice is either full scale distruption and change vs plodding on in the hope I get pg....arrrggghhh!

tiger I can't say I ever thought I would be spending that type of money on drugs in asda but am very glad they sell IVF drugs at not-for-profit.

Good luck with your job decision, sounds like a pros and cons list needs drawing up to aid the choice,am sure whichever you choose will work out, my mum always says that if it is meant to be it will happen.

Happy good luck for tomorrow! Fx they are right size and you don't need to spend any more money on the drugs!

Tiger major disruption will definitely tempt fate for getting pg surely! I have applied for a new job tonight, It's a total change so I don't have all of the experience but I know I could do it! How are you feeling after your FC appointment?

Jellie good luck for tomorrow!

I've done my last injection so far, scan tomorrow. Fx all is good, I've had absolutely nothing going on down there in the last day or two so hope everything is ok!

Lumen when do you start?

Bushy did AF turn up? How was your girls night?

How's everyone else? It's still quite quiet in here these days, hope everyone is ok.