Roll up! Roll up! Mount those uni cycles and shake those pom poms. The Elderberry Pavlovas are drumming away in the hope of a Christmas clusterdiff (Thread 24).

[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.

The roll of honour:

Gillster 40, TTC Feb 2012, IVF Feb 2014 resulting in 6 frozen one day embies. No transfer due to polyp. Failed FET cycle in September due to polyps. Starting 2nd FET cycle on 4 Nov.
Happylass 36, TTC since Aug 2012. Antibodies in DH's sperm. 1 unsuccessful cycle of ICSI September '14. Starting cycle 2 in January.
Smidge, 38, TTC since Jan 2013. Unexplained. IVF#1 Short protocol July 2014 yielded 1 blasto, BFN. IVF#2 in process - Long Protocol Oct/Nov 2014
Serenity 34 TTC Jan 2013, unexplained infertility, DH has textbook super sperm, 3 rounds unsuccessful clomid, 1 ICSI June 14 with complete fertilisation failure, next ICSI Nov 14.
Jelliebabe - 40, Threw the pills away 8 years ago. Unexplained but have a very low AMH, 1st IVF with clinic in Prague, 2 embryo's, chemical pregnancy. 2nd IVF in London branch of clinic - 1 embryo, BFN. Hoping to go back to Prague for Donor eggs in January
nolly, 32, TTC since Sep 2012, unexplained. 6 months clomid did sod all, next appointment 29th Oct, hoping to start private round ivd soon.
Pixie, 33, TTC June 12, DH has zero sperm count but managed to extract some under surgery, start downregging in a week, long protocol, ICSI Nov
Tigerdog 34, ttc 21 months. Unexplained after all tests and currently on waiting list for IVF.
Beaky 34 ttc since aug 2012. Unexplained with recurring cysts and adenomyosis. 1 failed IUI, IVF appointment in November and hoping to start first cycle in January.
Bushy 36, ttc since dec 2011, low amh, ovarian reserve, dh sperm had low count & motility but improved to 'normal' standard, IVF/Icsi in May bfp, then later missed miscarriage at 12 week scan. 2nd Ivf imminent but not sure if dates will work over Christmas.
HampshireBlues 36 TTC since August 2011, unexplained. 1st cycle of IVF chemical. Had a break over the summer. Cycle 2 planned for November
WildflowerMarmalade , 40, TTC 3 years, unexplained, underactive thyroid + immune issues. Sept IUI - BFN. Due to start IVF in Jan
lumen, 35, ttc since Nov 11 without a sniff of a bfp, unexplained, had only nhs funded IVF summer 2014, no implantation, trying self-funded IVF Nov 14, currently mid cycle
AnnieHoo 41, ttc July 2012. Unexplained. MMC Nov 2012, MMC May 2014. IVF Oct 2014 BFN. Waiting for FET.
Trill 41, TTC since March 2013. Endo with one completely blocked tube and one kinked with adhesions. Currently stimming.

And Gil's handy guide to the current IVFers....

Smidge - PUPO on 3 Nov
Pip - ET on 5 Nov
Lumen -EC on 5 Nov
Trill - day 5 of stims
Pixie - week of DR done
Seren - stimming yet?
Gillster- start DR on 4 Nov
Kuma - you starting soon???

Lumen. Are you going to hold out for OTD?
Pixie. It does sound like an autocorrect mistake and only someone ttcing would see it as any thing ttc related.
Wild my cycles snapped back into place straight after my failed IVF but my first couple of AFs were heavier.

AFM. DH is now totally behind it, I think he was just a little shocked yesterday. I went back to work, where nearly everyone seemed to know. I just hope it sticks. I feel so responsible now.
I had a touch of morning sickness this morning. I'm sure the novelty will wear off.

Rain that sounds really exciting and hopeful.

Sorry if I'm going on too much ladies.

No early testing for me pip, I am going to hold out in my pupo bubble. Had a good acu session, now hopefully going to have a great sleep. Night night berries

Sweet dreams lumen.

rain the clinic sounds fab. Lol at dh looking at the sperm under the microscope, I think I'd be doing the same too.

rain what's embryo glue??
It sounds fab. I want some! Is it literally as it sounds, some sort of way to stick the embryo to your uterus so it just has to implant? I've not heard of this.

I have nothing to report apart from MrSmidge and I were busy last night pulling the big cushions off the settee (the ones you sit on) and trying to work out if we can fit them into the boot to use as a mattress for camping! V funny. I don't like slumming it . Actually I just can't sleep on a hard floor coz I get pins and needles within seconds - even just leaning my forearms on the table (I know I shouldn't, v bad manners) will cut off the circulation within 30seconds. So I neeeeeeed some cushioning! We are going to get laughed at big time by our camping friends! But I don't care! We are taking cushions and 2 duvets - one to lie on and one to lie under . Not sure quite how we are going to fit in the car but that is Friday's job.

How is it possible that I can be so pleased and hopeful for the berries in and on their way to the winning enclosure, but at the same time so upset that I'm not there too... It's weird. I've heard other people hating really not liking pregnant women but that doesn't seem to be the case for me, I am genuinely thrilled for them. Just want to have my own baby too!

wild you're right of course, but I like the random amazing luck potential!

Bushy good advice too and what promising news for your colleague too. I hope she makes a quick full recovery.

Rain yes, and extra lovely sleep filled nights too! So pleased your open evening went well, it sounds very comprehensive at your clinic and that's a great success rate too glad you're feeling better about ttc now. They showed us a video of the fertilisation and then progression of the egg/sperm to a foetus at ours and it was amazing! Will you be long or short protocol? When do you get a date to start?

Pip try and not worry about others, and I hope this next few weeks (8?) fly by uneventfully to the 12w scan. Is it weird that I'm excited for you having a touch of morning sickness?! Not the awful sicky aspect, obv I bet your colleague was over the moon that Ganesha had been lucky!

Smidge Oo camping! You're brave! My dh goes to festivals a lot and takes a blow up bed and two duvets! So I wouldn't worry about your cushions loving the 80's leotard, I'll get us all some luminous legwarmers too < chants along with Smidge our time will come!>

smidge yep, basically! I think it's a bit more hi-tech than a blob of UHU tho (at least I hope it is!). The embryologist actually was a bit surprised that more clinics don't do it as standard.
I just hope our funding is approved - it's £6k a round otherwise at this clinic. beaky our next appointment with our fertility doc is Dec 30th and she told us at the last appt that we'd get our referral for IVF then if we hadn't conceived again, subject to funding approval.

pip I found plain rich tea biscuits were all I could stomach with morning sickness, but they did help ward it off. I hope yours doesn't get too bad, although it's great that you're getting it (you know what I mean!).

Also smidge - I must have missed this, where are you off to camping at this time of year?!? We're 'glamping' for new year in Devon, just us two! There's a wood burner tho so we won't be cold

Smidge. I felt exactly the same. A friend from work had a loss at 20 weeks. Of course we were all ecstatic when she announced she was pg again. Didn't stop me having to go into a cupboard, cry and kick furniture. I didn't wish her ill, not for one second, and I was so pleased for her but I was so jealous.
About 3 years ago now met with friends that we only see at Christmas. She told us that she was pg after only two months of trying. I had to go and cry in the cafe loos.

Well, I just spoke with AliG. She thinks given my raised NK cells I should try the prednisone starting from Day 7 of a cycle, and then on Day 10 have an 'intralipid infusion' whatever that means!! Apparently I have to come into day surgery for it and it can soak up peripheral NK cells. I shall be consulting Dr Google any moment.... She says I need to take the massive dose of folic acid to try to counter the increased risk of cleft palate - I thought it would be prescription but apparently not, it's over the counter called ..."MEGAFOLE"... Oh, and caltrate and vitamin D to help my bones through the steroid.

If I do a fresh cycle she'd recommend the longer down reg cycle again as my eggs seemed to respond better on that. Whether or not I do fresh or frozen she suggests I come back in to her rooms to have another endometrial scratch on Day 4. Please to goodness she has some of the smaller implements to hand!!

When I said about being away for Christmas she wasn't keen to start until after I'm back... Not really the flying but just that they want to be able to do more monitoring when on the steroids and would be concerned about not being able to test properly if any bleeding etc. She also said they'd do another intralipid infusion at week 7. I laughed and said "you are clearly assuming it's going to work next time! I just look at my dates and figure I'll have already got my negative test result by then so wasn't worried that I was going away over Christmas!"

She didn't seem to find me funny.

So, it seems I cannot begin yet, boo hiss. But if she's going to do another scratch I guess my concern about leaving it late is less valid (just my emotions to handle now). MrSmidge and I need to decide whether to do another fresh cycle when I get back (I'll need to be back on Day 23 to have blood test and start lucrin if so - luckily that should be the day I arrive back in Aus and hopefully a day late won't be an issue) or just try the frozen. Either way my next OTD won't be until around the 19th Feb. Which feels MILES away and won't tie in with my ideal time of year for a baby to be born am I really still being this picky?

I suspect OH will suggest doing frozen as maybe the lack of hormones may improve my chances and I think he's getting bored with the porn selection and he doesn't like me going under the knife. But I kind of feel we should build up another frostie if we can while I'm still 38.

I wanted glue but my clinic don't use it! Considering their 'throw the kitchen sink at it' approach, I was a bit surprised.

Smidge, we will be prednisolone buddies! I've had no side effects on it (40mg/day dose) so fingers crossed you won't either. My best mate got slightly spotty skin when she was taking it, but then she also got pg on that round so it could have been hormones.
Interesting about the folic acid and vit D. I haven't been told any of that so will go and dose up on multivitamins...

How is everyone else today?

lumen All good with you? Not long now!

Love your sense of humour Smidge, I think you're doing marvellously through all of this. It seems an interesting plan of action. I know Feb seems a long way away but once you have your trip to the UK it will be here before you know it and you can be part of the next Jan/Feb clusterdiff.

DH is going to call the FC today to try and speak to the doctor about having an earlier scan. I don't fancy his chances but it's good he is getting involved.

Hope you're feeling better Trill and that things aren't too stressful in the 2WW for Spare and in particular Lumen

rain your clinic sounds good. It is exciting. Sounds a like a good deal in your part of the world re funding. It is just a single cycle here, and that is it. It is also totally one size fits all approach to treatment and it doesn't even sound as though I'll get a consultant appointment.

smidge enjoy the camping! It isn't slumming it, it is getting closer to nature, I love it! Can't survive without our blow up bed, pillows and a cosy big throw though - some luxuries are necessary. We took our dog last summer, and it was hilarious, in the night she stole loads of our clothes to make herself a nest despite already being in pyjamas and under a blanket. Some tough decisions about treatment to make, but February really will be here before you know it and you'll be able to enjoy Christmas without any what ifs about flying/drinking etc. I agree with gill you have a wonderful attitude to all of this, and I'm sure that your time will come!

Yep, the shedding a tear about someone else's pregnancy announcement whilst also feeling happy for them is familiar. I remember being surprised by one at a wedding earlier this year and having to hold back the tears. Is it the german language that has a word for being happy for someone else and sad for yourself at the same time?

gill enjoy your holiday, brecon is lovely. I am on the countdown to Christmas holidays! 4.5 weeks to go!

I can't help but imagine that embryo glue comes in little tubes like superglue. Wonder if you have to be careful not to get it on your fingers?!

I feel like absolute crap today. Was awake between 1am-5am with terribel period pains. I'm not sure what goes on in there to hurt so much. Ibuprofen didn't work, hot water bottle didn't work and I was up and down to the bathroom. I'm so tired I can barely type and my face and eyes feel so puffy. The only pain free period I have had recently was following a cycle when I took asprin. Not religiously, but most days. Is there a link do you think wise berries?

tiger sorry to hijack, but your dog wears pyjamas..?!

Rain your clinic sounds amazing! Can't believe what you could get on nhs! Same as tiger we only get one go but I'm not eligible due to bmi so going private this cycle.
Pip - morning sickness! It's all really happening!
Smidge hope you're not too gutted by having to wait and as the others day, with your trip to UK hopefully it'll fly by and you don't need to worry over Christmas. It does seem like the sensible option and will give your body the best chance, especially if they're going to do NK treatment.
Rain we're also using embryo glue. FC said that research has shown it does improve chances of implantation a little. I think it gets swirled in the glue just before ET. Pip and the PUPOs ( there's a band name on there somewhere!) did you use it?
Gill very envious of trip to brecons..are you an avid walker? Did DH get any joy on scan?
Lumen respect for holding out testing! Trill and spare hope you feeling ok.
Tiger did I read right...dog in pyjamas?! Sorry to hear about your pain, it really is horrible getting bad AF. I've found it's got worse as I've got older. Have you mentioned the pains to Dr? Just wondering whether might be anything behind them.

I had dildocam this morning. They're surprised at how well I've responded. For those in the know I have 19 dollies with 1 at 19mm, 3 at 14mm rest bit smaller. They're worried about over stimming so have done blood test and I'm waiting for result to tell me whether need to coast/reduce dosage. Really hope it's not a ruined cycle but they seem confident I'll go ahead with EC Mon/Tues.

pixie I am not sure I deserve respect for my lack of poas action! it is just because I think it has not failed and I want to delay the realisation of two failed cycles this year, even though the wait is now driving me nuts. Did you get your blood results? You follies sounded good to me.

On the embryo glue question, we had it on our last cycle but not this one. It is just a solution that mimics the natural uterus condition compared to the standard solution, it is still being tested by places. When we had our review meeting the consultant said it still gas to be proved to have a big impact on results, if it did then they would all be using it to improve their stats. As he said, a good quality embryo will implant whether in the glue or not.

tiger I think we all need to see a pic of a dog in pjs! Sorry that you are suffering so much with af, I don't know anything about aspirin but am sure there is a wise berry out there with the answer.

gill did your dh have any luck organising a scan? Hope you have a dry weekend in the beacons, we spent a lot of time around there when growing up.

smidge sorry to hear that AliGs plans don't quite match what you had been thinking. The girls are right that time will go quickly between now and then with everything you have planned. I haven't been lucky enough to get any frostiness from my cycles, but I think I would want to do another fresh one first, and hopefully get more frostiness for siblings in future

rain glad iykwim to have you back and that your FC open evening went so well. Your funding in your area sounds great, fingers crossed you get it all signed off next month.

trill and spare how are you other pupo ladies doing?

bushy and pip hope everything is good with you! don't leave us yet!

My brain is fried, wrote part of "has not worked" and part of "has failed". These drugs have a lot to answer for.

pixie that is a great haul! Pom-poms at the ready. Are you feeling ok, or a bit sore and swollen?

tiger Re asperin, I was taking it daily in preparation for one of my previous failed FETs and out of habit, carried on taking it after AF turned up. When I mentioned it to the Dr, she said it was better to stop because as a blood thinner, it helps you bleed lots and during AF you don't want to bleed lots.
But maybe it also helps the lining to shed easier if the blood is thinner, hence less cramp-y and painful?
This is purely my un-scientific theory by the way!

It was suggested to me that I take low dose aspirin after ET, but I didn't in the end.

Thanks for saying not to leave Lumen but I remember back in the early days of the berries that lots of us got mildly annoyed at two graduate berries comparing prams.
Is it Friday you test?

Pixie. All sounds promising.

Yes pip on Friday. Somehow I can't see you and bushy discussing prams for quite a while yet! And that is what the copter thread is for

haha, yes my dog wears pyjamas! If she doesn't have them on then she gets too cold, and wakes up needing to go for a wee in the night. Hers are nothing too fancy, however I am very tempted to get her some new ones that look like the ones in this photo for Christmas!

pixie wow that's a lot of dollies! I have a mental image of rows of paper dollies (the ones that you cut out of a single sheet of paper). Sounds like good progress. Yep I went to the GP about my painful periods about two years ago. I had a dildocam, which revealed no issues and they offered me something that would ease the pain but I didn't really want to take any drugs that might mask an issue whilst I was ttc. I also had a laparoscopy to check for endo but that wasn't it either.

spare I think your theory sounds reasonable. I have had more clots since af became painful and the asprin seemed to reduce that as well as the pain. It is the one or two almost entirely sleepless nights that finish me off, I do not do well on no sleep! I wish there was a bit more of a definitive view on the benefits of asprin.

How are you feeling trill?

lumen I hope you're not going too crazy. Fingers crossed for you still.

Oh my god! It's a DOG! In pyjamas!!! . Splutter cough bark cough bark bark bark cough..... Errrrrghghggg

Guaranteed I won't be lumen! Cld totally see how annoying that would be.

Yes tiger he has his own pyjamas? Need to see!! Is it because as a greyhound he doesn't have that much insulation? Poor you with af, it's the worst, so draining. Maybe you should talk to doctors as that sounds pretty extreme.

Totally get the happy sad thing re announcements. I was really it by a friend a couple of weeks ago and she's someone who has had long term ttc problems and totally gets it. This announcement was her second and I was happy for her but it still somehow turns the spotlight back on yourself and you just feel left behind.

Oh my tiger , that dog, it's the first thing to make me smile all day. You should definitely get those for your dog, or a set of Christmas dog PJs!

Smidge sorry that it looks like you'll be waiting till February but it sounds like AliG has a good plan and your best interests at heart. I know how frustrating it feels though when you are being left behind everybody else.

lumen hang in there, it sounds like your subconscious is being confident that the cycle hasn't failed! It won't necessarily be two failed cycles this year - harness that Ganesha optimism!

Gill glad all is moving forward for you, I hope you get that scan sorted. Enjoy your time holiday, I hope the weather is good to you!

pixie that sounds like a really good number - I hope you aren't feeling too uncomfortable.

I'm still totally confused with my cycle, had acu last night and she tried to 'regulate' it and today I seem to have EWCM, so seems like the bleeding was mid-cycle. If I OV now at CD19 and have AF in 2 weeks I might just be able to fit in an IVF cycle before Xmas, but now I can't remember what date the FC said the last EC of the year would be - 22nd Dec maybe? I hate not being in control of things, and this level of uncertainty messes with my head.