Toot, Toot. Calling all dirty chicks! Jump aboard the charabanc with Barry & The Berries. Destination BFP" (thread 26)

[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.

Current passengers:

Happylass, 37, TTC since Aug 2012. 2 failed ICSIs. Time to defrost the spare.
Beaky 35, ttc coming up 3 yrs, 2x failed iui 1x long protocol ivf cancelled due to poor response. Awaiting follow up with FC and possibly short protocol IVF next.
Minx, 34, both tubes blocked, 1 buried ovary, appointment with consultant early March.
Nolly, 33, TTC 2.5 years, BFP Christmas Eve, MC New Years Eve. Awaiting "spontaneous conception" before IVF starts, August 2015.
Wild 40 - TTC for three years. IVF double-stimms freeze all embryos cycle started in February - due to complete May/June.
HampshireBlues 36 TTC 3.5 years, unexplained. Cycle 1 chemical pregnancy, cycle 2 abandoned due to cyst, cycle 3 failed. Plan thrombotic profile, scratch and short protocol.
Lumen, 35, ttc since Nov 2011, unexplained, two IVF cycles in 2014, both bfns, waiting for lap&dye and results of numerous bloods, aiming for one last IVF cycle in the summer.
Tigerdog, 34 ttc since Jan 2013. Unexplained. Starting ivf in March.
Gillster, 40, TTC since Feb 2012. Had IVF in Feb 14 and had 6 one cell embies frozen due to polyp. Cancelled FET cycles in Sept 14 and Dec 14 due to more polyps. Awaiting hysteroscopy before commencing natural cycle FET. Hoping to be at least PUPO on the 4th attempt!
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
Kuma - 40. TTC 2 years. Low AMH high FSH - DH antisperm ABs. Failed IVF June 14 and two cancelled IVFs Nov and Dec 14 due to poor blood results. Hoping for another try at natural cycle IVF end of Jan.
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. BFP Feb '15

Arrgghhh, just got out of a meeting to a missed call and voicemail from the embryologist saying 'call me back when you can'.

Called and he is in theatre at the moment. I've listened to the voicemail about 12 times to see if I can detect positive or negative tone to his voice. Need to stop staring at my phone again!
Wild That is great news!

THEY'VE ALL MADE IT!
Well, they've got through the stage at which all the other lot perished, so we are over the first hurdle. He is going to check them again at 4pm and give me another update but he said we are go go go for 11am tomorrow.

I'm a bit emotional now. I was expecting the worst when I spoke to him...

Brilliant news spare!!!!!

And great news on the all clear beaky. I picked up my drugs from the clinic in the morning and had to put them in the fridge at work!

Not spoken to dh yet but a brief text told me the meeting went ok. Following all your advice I told him to make sure they understood that he was attending his medical appointments, not supporting me at mine!

Aw spare that's great news. Everything so tightly crossed for tomorrow.

I'm also feeling emotional, I'm not sure what has come over me. I feel so tired I can't think and I just burst into tears because my computer was being slow. Damn these drugs!

YAY!!YAY!!YAY!! for Spare's embies. I got a lump in my throat reading your news, looks like this emotional thing might be catching.

for you feeling teary on the drugs Tiger. Go easy on yourself, don't rush around too much or stress yourself out, this bit isn't for long so put off doing anything you don't absolutely have to do. I've been feeling very cross and moody myself today. I'm never sure if it's all the hormones I'm pumping into myself or whether waiting for the news from scans stresses me out more than I realise.

Thank you for the handsprings Beaky. Just so you know, the Primolut made me fart a lot....hope you enjoy your round on it. I like the idea of an opaque box or cool bag to keep your drugs away from prying eyes.

Barking I'm really glad that the people in the meeting will at least have to hear the reality of fertility treatment, that it does affect the couple not just one half of it. There is so little understanding of this whole lark and so, so much unhelpful ignorance. Thank you to you and your DH for making sure that a few more people have no more excuse for ignorance by spelling out the reality in this meeting. There are sometimes big decisions to be made after a fertility appointment so it is ludicrous to think that you don't both need to hear the facts. Ok, I'm off my high horse now.

HB OMG!! Local anaesthetic bum bullets?! So you get a numb bum? Great. It was me asking about your scratch, but I've actually remembered now that I'm having something similar yet slightly different called a D&C which will involve some form of sedation. I hope it isn't the criss-cross pattern thing, that sounds excruciating.

Lucie hope all goes well for you in Prague. Gil is so right in what she says about getting on the plane and the trigger being your responsibility and the rest is out of your hands now. Do keep us up to date if you can. Keeping fingers crossed for you.

Happy - I've heard of that Serum clinic in Athens. It is meant to be very good and to do a lot of new type treatments and to very much take a tailored approach to each case. As I understand it they also offer further diagnostic tests, not all of which are used here. I did look at prices a while ago and I sort of remember a figure of about £2k - £2.5k for a new cycle + drug costs, although I can't remember where I got that from, sorry.

wild I had the cris cross scratch, it isn't wasn't that bad.
A bit worse than a smear, but it was over quite quickly. They have the ultrasound probe on your stomach while they do it, so you can see it happening, and my uterus starting pulsating afterwards which was weird... I also made a crap Mask of Zorro joke/impression to the FC, which didn't go down very well

tiger Damn those drugs. If you are like this now, just think what an emotional mess you're going to be when you are upduffed..!

Barking So glad the meeting went ok. I was seething on your behalf that they even called it in the first place. Grrrr.

Lucie Hope you have arrived safely...

Just had the update call. Only two have divided properly, but that means we'll have one to go back, and they will then attempt to take the other to blast and refreeze it. He thinks we are out of the woods for them perishing overnight, but I'm still shitting myself that we'll get a call tomorrow to say something went wrong.

Just popping in to say yippee Spare that is really good news, will keep everything crossed for continued good news tomorrow.

Lucie hope you've arrived safely....good luck for Sunday....

Wild they were pain killers not anaesthetic. You're having a D&C? Definitely has general or sedation, when are you booked?

I genuinely have no idea when AF will pitch up as my last cycle was 40+ days, but all going to plan should be the last week of the month which typically I am away for part of so will need to work my scans around that! Bizarrely I am a little excited about this cycle as it going to be so different yo the others.

Beaky I'm really glad that you have had the all clear; one less thing to have to focus on and worry about.

Barking I'm glad the meeting went ok, hopefully DH work will start to get the picture

It's Friday everyone.....yippee......!

That's great news Spare, FX that all is go for 11 in the morning!

Lucie Hope the flight is smooth and good luck with the trigger. I had an email back from them today confirming receipt of paperwork and that it has been passed to a consultant who will be in touch shortly.

Hope the DH's meeting is successful Barking and that he will be able to attend. Still makes me mad when I think of it! I work in a college and if me or a colleague can't make a lesson its covered by someone else or the students self manage. No fuss is made its just dealt with.

Good news for you too Beaky, it must be a relief.

Good news Wild that does sound promising. Any idea on EC date?

Woohoo! Bunkhouse we're staying in has Wifi!
Pont the problem is there's no one else to cover him that will do a decent job. He's already covering these lessons for a colleague who went off sick and never returned (family bereavement, not work related). As a result the kids are behind and slt are stressing about results.
He made it clear that these are his appointments, not him supporting me. On this occasion I will go by myself. By the time anything else happens with us they will have done their exams so school won't be arsed.

Good luck Spare, won't be long until that little embie is on board.

Glad the meeting went OK with your DH Barking, I'm pleased they are now informed that it's a couple thing and not just stuff that affects you. Yay to Wifi too!

Morning everyone else, weather looks lovely.

Good luck for today spare. Let us know how you get on.
How you feeling Gill?
It is indeed a gorgeous day. Up and out already. Have a lovely weekend all.

Yay good luck with your embryo spare. Keep us posted. I've got everything crossed for you

Pont congrats on getting your paperwork off. I think the consultant will need your AMH results before they can set your protocol etc but you are nearly there now! Come across and chat with us on fertility friends if you haven't ready. You will get to know others that are going the same time as you.

Well I have arrived safe and sound. It seems really nice here. We are going to go out and have a look around properly today and check out where the clinic is. I did my trigger shot last night which all went ok. I can't believe that I am going in for egg collection in the morning. I'm getting nervous now, not because of the procedure as I will be knocked out for that but just to see how many eggs they get and whether we are going to be in with a chance. Please let it be ok.

Spare hope everything goes perfectly for you today. Eek! So exciting.

Barking brave of you to go on your own at such a difficult time, but needs must. Glad things have been more or less sorted with the school.

This piece in The Guardian today is one of the very few newspaper articles about fertility which I have actually enjoyed reading. I love the part where one of the staff members at the clinic talks about really rooting for all the couples. The only wrong part is where it says that couples get three goes of IVF on the NHS - err, no very few get that. Anyway, I thought you might all like to read it.

The FC has asked me to go in for another scan and bloods today. I imagine they will decide this afternoon whether to trigger tonight or whether they can give the follies an extra day of growing time. So EC should be either Monday or Tuesday depending on how things look today.

Have a lovely Saturday Berries.

cross-post thereLucie - glad you have arrived safely and enjoy your day in Prague. Hoping for a good number for you tomorrow too.

Good luck spare, thinking of you.

wild hope the scan goes ok today.

gill hope you're managing the 2ww ok so far!

lucie glad to hear all is going well. I hope you can enjoy your time there too.

Have a lovely day y'all.

Spare any word yet? Fx all goes well for you!

Wild hope your scan and bloods go well too and there's some good sized follies getting ready!

Lucie good luck for tomorrow!

I'll catch up properly later, been doing an assignment

I'm PUPO!
Testing on the 30th

Yay Spare - 2ww buddies!
You'll be testing the day after me. How easy did you take things/planning to take things in the 2ww?

Good luck with the scan Wild.

Glad you're settling in Lucie and well done on the trigger.

Thats fabulous news spare! Good luck!
Hope you are doing well too on your 2ww gill
Glad to hear all is well so far lucie & I'll look into the other thread, I had forgotten about it.
Good luck for your scan wild hopefully trigger then ec then et then PUPO for you too!

Well done Spare, although the 30th seems ages away.

The FC has said to stim for one extra day and then trigger tomorrow ready for EC on Tuesday. Come on little follies!

Pont it will be a while for me yet to join the PUPO brigade. This is a freeze all cycle and we will be having a FET probably in June.

Congratulations Spare keeping everything crossed for you.

Good news Wild you're nearly there!

I'm sad today berries, just heard a friend is pg and devastated about it as had my last cycle been successful we'd be due around the same time. When does it start to feel less unfair?

Yey Spare, fantastic!! I'm so pleased it's worked out so far, crossing fingers legs and toes for you and lovely Gill! Spare did you have one put back and refreeze the other (with your chicken fillets and peas)

HB aww that's shite, so sorry it is very difficult to try to get on with things when it's someone you are close too and see as you have that reminder. But fx for this cycle and hopefully you will have a little bundle not too long after your friend.

Wild great news! Another EC then a tiny little break and your frosties will be back on board!! So excited for you. Are you hoping to put one or two back? Sorry I always ask this of anyone having an et!

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

HB sorry you heard the news. It always sucks doesn't it
wild great news and keeping everything crossed for Tuesday! I had a few months break between collection and FET, and the clinic says it improves chances statistically to do it that way...

beaky yes just one back. They offered us the option of two but I didn't want to risk it...
Not even 24 hours and I'm already symptom spotting
gill how are you feeling? My plan is business as usual bar running and the gym and coffee and wine!
What about you?
lucie hope you are settled in and have had a chance to get out and see a bit of the city?
Happy weekend everyone

I've just had egg collection!! Brilliant experience. Everyone here is so nice. I went into the theatre and they knocked me out. Woke up about 20 minutes later and asked her if it would be done soon and she said we have finished!! Been waiting on my nice little room and the doc has just been around to say we have 7 eggs collected. Is this a decent number?? I'm quite chuffed with it. After all the fuss in the UK I was only expecting about 4. Just hope that the majority are mature and fertilise ok! Phew.

Woooo! Amazing news Lucie, and a great haul. I'm flicking virtual V's at the idiot nurse who suggested abandoning the cycle.
Take it very easy for the rest of today and fingers crossed for the call tomorrow. What time will they tell you how many Embies you've got?