Yo yo!! Calling all Ladybros over 30 TTC #1. Join the Berries aboard the Charabanc of lurrrve. Bring real Champagne, from the actual Champagne region. No Colombian builders allowed.

[happylass]

The small print:

The Berries have strict entrance criteria: TTC #1 for 12 months+, over 30, NO instadiffers, must have a special pimping pot and absolutely no mention of baby dust/dancing. Not that we're fussy

Current passengers

WildflowerMarmalade 40 - TTC for three years. FET done in June with immune treatments - waiting for result... Six embryos in the freezer after two freeze all cycles.

Minx 35 in August - TTC 2 years. Stage 4 endometriosis, both tubes blocked, 1 buried ovary, IVF booking in appt in July, hoping to start IVF soon after

Smidge 39, TTC since Jan '13. Unexplained. IVF#1 Short protocol July '14 BFN, IVF#2 Nov'14 and IVF#3 Feb '15 both Long protocol BFNs. High NK cell immune treatment. Natural FET in June '15, awaiting result.

Happylass, 37, TTC since Aug 2012. 2 failed ICSI cycles and 1 failed FET. Hoping to start long awaited NHS cycles in late August provided pesky smear test is sorted by then.

Beaky 35, ttc coming up 3 yrs, 2x failed iui 1x long protocol ivf cancelled 1 BFN following IVF

Tigerdog, 34 (soon to be 35) TTC since Jan 2013. Unexplained. IVF#1 May 2015 resulted in a chemical pregnancy. Now transferring clinics in the hope of a second round of IVF on the NHS and considering an NK cells biopsy in July/August.

barkingtreefrog 36, ttc 3.5 years. clomid bfp summer 2013 then mc @7 weeks, iui bfp summer 2014 then mc @6 weeks. Factor V leiden thrombophilia diagnosed at the repeat mc clinic. IUI bfn Jan 2015, IVF bfn April/May 2015. Currently awaiting nk cells results before a FET possibly in August/September.

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.

Kuma - 40. TTC 2.5 years. Low AMH high FSH - DH antisperm ABs. Failed IVF June 14 and March 15. Looking to change clinic and try another natural cycle in June 2015.

Lucieloos, 35, TTC 18 months, low AMH & sperm motility. 1st ICSI in Czech Republic in April BFN.

Rain, 33 ttc since March 2012. unexplained. mystery bfp oct 13, MMC Nov 13. NHS IVF starting in June

tiger after I got my bfp I was referred to the epu for a suspected ectopic, then after about a zillion blood tests eventually miscarried naturally. So glad to hear you are feeling better now. A big happy birthday for tomorrow and hope you enjoy the birthday treats!

Good luck for the appt on the 3rd dizzy you do sound in the middle of things at the moment, I hope you get some answers soon.

funky I doubt I’ll never get anywhere near a frozen transfer, so no experience of patches, though I do love the idea of sticking your patch on below the waist and above the waist band…. Perhaps if you did some sort of yogic headstand….?

Oo Barking that's nice and soon, how are you feeling about it? Interview is next week, am very nervous already!

Spare £3k! Wowzer. I have heard that it is good for increasing success rates but cripes that's expensive. Hopefully they will throw more kitchen sink things at you!

Sesame wow thank you that's fab information. I hadn't realised that's what clomid did as I didn't really have time to look into it properly before my NHS follow up. I have had two iuis before and since we had no fertilisation issues my thinking was that maybe there may be implantation issues so I'd go in for it now rather than wait til next time! I think a project is a great way of taking your mind off things and as you say, we get to see the results of those kinds of projects! I love Pinterest too!

Tiger that sounds like a lovely birthday celebration! Happy birthday for tomorrow. I may need to ask you a couple of q's ahead of my interview of you don't mind....!

Dizzy I can't believe they've lost your dh's SA! That's crazy. My first consultation at the FC was looking at history and booking in for more tests. It takes forever!!

Funky both Gill and Wild had oestrogen patches, as happy says maybe ask on fb. Thanks for the congrats! Yes ghats exactly what embryo banking is, it's great if you have low amh etc as you get as many as you can quickly then you can transfer them over time. Fx they do the job for a comfy plush lining!

Happy hope you're enjoying your time off!

Thanks everyone for the good wishes about the I/V, I'm pleased I've got this far!

Oops *no fertilisation issues during the IVF! Clearly I have no idea for the iui!

Happy birthday for tomorrow tiger

happy yes, those are the ones. I hadn't twigged, of course they're not bum bullets are they... I really hope they suit me, I've got 3 weeks worth! Did you have to do three times a day?

beaky it's moving so much quicker than expected, and so much is different to what I was expecting (new injections?!) that it's all a hit of a whirlwind at the moment, and I just want to get through tomorrow and find out what's happening and when ET will be.

Oh, that reminds me… spare apart from scratch the other thing I’ve heard can improve implantation rates by a smidgen is embryo glue. Some clinics I think just use this routinely, else might offer for extra ££. Perhaps this is also worth asking about?

The journey to even get an embryo to transfer is such a difficult one, I just feel I need to throw everything at it once I do get there.

Oh and good luck for your scan tomorrow barking !

Yes I think it was 3 times a day Barking and no, not bum bullets - fanjo specific!

wow £3k spare! We were told about this option too, but given we never get more than 1 or 2 embryos to day 5, there has never been any point in doing it. I don't think there's really any point unless you get so many blastocysts that it's hard to pick between them!

sesame I'm not sure when we'll get my test results back. I should get a copy sent to me, but they usually do that a couple of weeks after they send the results to the doctor (so that the doc can talk you through them first or something... as if we might dr google them ourselves and get worked up or something ). MrSmidge and I are off to England for 3 weeks - ONE WEEK TODAY!! HURRAH! So I suspect we won't get the results until after we're back. That is unless The Prof calls me with some amazing news on why we can't conceive. Somehow I suspect all the results will come out normal though and continue to leave us in the unexplained camp!

Beaky I'm glad everything is moving forward so quickly. When I had a FET they didn't give me any Ovidrelle or equivalent - they just took blood to check when I had ovulated naturally and then counted the days after for transfer. I would imagine you would only need to use the trigger if they want to ensure your transfer happens on a specific day? (Unless the trigger includes something else that helps lining or something? But then again yours sounds great anyway - triple lined still makes me think of luxury soft loo rolls )

Happy birthday for tomorrow (might be today actually, given the time difference and when you're likely to read this!) Tiger ! Where's the party blower thing when you need it? I shall have to resort to the traditional instead

[balloon]
[party]
[whistle]
[bunting]

smidge if the bloods today show I've ovulated (or am about to) then I won't need the trigger - I'm just I had to pay for it just in case I needed it... If it looked like et ws going to fall on a Sunday they could have used the trigger to bring it forward to prevent a cancelled cycle, but if I can do this as my body wants to then that's brilliant as far as I'm concerned!

Got to the clinic at 7.32 this morning and there were already two people ahead of me in the queue . At least queuing until they open the doors at 8 isn't as bad in the summer!

Funky - bottom, tops of thighs or stomach. Stomach is fine for a few days as still leaves enough room for stabbing. Then you can move the patches elsewhere so you can stab in the non-bruised bits.

Hope all goes well today Barking. Very excited for you.

Happy birthday Tiger.

Good luck today barking.

Happy Birthday Tiger, hope you are feeling a little better. I still get days where I am hugely up and down. Some days I feel like I can't go on with it anymore but I know I don't have a choice and then other days I feel little more positive. Hang in there.

Spare, if you ever want the embryo testing done then go to CZ for treatment it's only £800 there. That is next on my plans if this round doesn't work. I'm going to embryo bank until I get 6+ blasts and then get them all tested. Although I have told the clinic that I will have it done this time if I get 4 or more blasts but I know that will never happen.

Happy, thanks for the info about baseline scan. I've provisionally booked one in for the day I think af will arrive but it's tricky as its a morning scan so unless it arrives early I won't know if it's the right day or not. I start the suprecur on day 1 so not sure if it would be suitable to go on day 2? Do you know how many antral follicles you've had on your baseline and has that coincided with how many eggs you have collected? This is the but I'm dreading hearing about. I would rather not know until later on otherwise I will only be worrying about it!

Beaky, im due to have my consultation with gennet 2 weeks tomorrow. Although knowing my luck I will need a scan or something that morning!

Lucie I always started the suprecur on day 2 or 3 so not sure whether it's suitable for you to go on day 2 or not once you've stated it. There's a lot of debate anyway about what actually constitutes cd1 anyway. Some have said its when you wake up with AF in full flow, others say it doesn't count as cd1 unless it comes before 3pm. Mine usually arrives just before bed so I always count the next day as cd1. So confusing though and adds extra stress. I've never been told my antral follicle count and I've never asked. I agree with you - there's nothing you can do about it and it'll only cause extra stress. Hope all goes well with your scan.

happy birthday tiger

Thanks happy, sometimes I get very light spotting the day before af and I won't count that as day 1 I wait until the next day. I'm just going to have to guess as best I can and if it works out I will go for the baseline scan and if it doesn't then I won't be able to. I'm glad they didn't tell you your antral follicle count!!! I know it sounds silly but I really don't want to know

It's very busy in here at the moment!

Thanks for the birthday wishes ladies! Am feeling much better than in recent days. Still a bit naffed off by the lack of appointment but will get on the case tomorrow and start hounding like crazy.

dizzy I'd probably say don't expect too much from the first consultant appointment but do your research (eg check CCG funding policy for ivf etc) and make sure you speak up about any concerns you have and investigations you think they need to do. Take a list of questions as it can be quite intimidating the first time - I became unusually quiet whereas I don't normally have a problem with asking for what I want! Good luck!

Funky you are so nearly there. Everything tightly crossed and back in cheerleading mode!

Thanks lucie it's a rollercoaster isn't it. Thankfully I feel much better today. When are you expecting day one? I didn't have a baseline scan or a single blood test during my ivf cycle so I can't really provide any insight.

How did you get on today barking? Ovitrelle isn't cheap to be buying just in case! I would be a bit naffed off about that too! Still, eyes on the prize for you too.

Cheers smidge. Great that you have your holidays to look forward to! In true English fashion, I have to report the weather has turned a bit pants after a really long spell of nice weather - hopefully it will improve again by the time you get here!

Thanks clem how are you?

Beaky ask away! Not sure I'll be of much use mind!

On the train home now and on the phone - sorry if I've missed anyone! Will be toasting you all when I have my birthday champagne tonight !

I'm good tiger, thanks for asking...just on the 2ww...so lots of paranoid symptom watching at the moment...

reason I have been a bit quiet on here as of late, is because the longer I am here, the more I am feeling like I am in the wrong place (I know I sound like I've just wondered in here and don't know whats going on .

what I mean is, because I am so early in my fertility issue journey (1st round of clomid this month), I've very new to the majority of what you lovely berries talk about. I read all the posts, and most of them feel like they are in another language, cause I've not had to go through any of it yet, so I just don't have the experience/knowledge (to give some example of terms I don't understand: embryo banking, scratch, short/long protocols, down regging, ccg funding, baseline scans, antral follicle count, embryo testing, blasts etc...(and thats just from the posts in the past day) .

I don't expect anyone to be explaining this all too me (its hard enough that you guys have to go through it, let alone explain it all). But I'm now torn, as to whether to try and find another group thread that I can keep up with/understand...or alternatively, try and get a better understanding of IVF and all that surrounds it (in case thats where my journey goes).

So are there any resources on the web, that you think would help me get upto speed with all this, so I can understand/contribute more...or do you think I should avoid educating myself on all that, until I have to go the ivf world and should find another thread?

p.s. I think all the berries are lovely, and don't want to leave

In the same boat as you Clementine. Was hoping I'd pick it up as I go along

hi dizzy...I did wonder if there would be anyone else like me

I have picked a few things up (well, taken educated guesses)...ET = egg transfer, FET = frozen egg transfer...

so I am making slow progress

Will catch up in a sec, just going to splurt my news first as it's making my head spin!!

Did my first injection tonight. Blood test this morning showed that I had made little progress since yesterday, despite showing a follicle on the scan at 17 and expecting to ovulate naturally. The nurse said that the levels were rising very very slowly and I wasn't going to ovulate therefore would need to take the injection tonight. I'm now wondering if this is what happens every cycle - the follicle grows to size then everything slows down and it just sits there while my body attempts to ovulate. This, combined with the 7 day LP the other side would obviously be very unhelpful in terms of trying to get pregnant and also indicate that it's not just my LP that is a problem.

Anyway, that means that embryo transfer will be next Thursday, and the day of reckoning will be Saturday 8th August. At least that's not a working day so I won't have to get the news then go into the office. There was a bit of confusion with the fragmin. Despite what I was told yesterday I was told today that I shouldn't take it until embryo transfer, the same time as I start taking the progesterone. Apparently the effects only last 24 hours so before the embryo is there is nothing for it to do.

I've got to wait for a phone call from the embryologist next Thursday and she will tell me whether the embryo has survived the thaw and what time I need to be at the hospital. My lovely acupuncturist has told me to text her as soon as I know and she will make sure she gets an appointment booked for me afterwards.

Happy birthday tiger !
I hope you're not lowering the standards set by lady wild and you're celebrating with real champagne from the champagne region

lucie I don't remember being told my antral follicle count, but I'm pretty sure I read in a letter after it had failed that they'd given me the highest dose of stimms due to my low antral follicle count seen at the baseline scan. No number on 'low' though .

clementine when the berries first started we had only been trying a year, but as a few of us are still here 2-3 years later, the thread has moved on with us! I'm not sure on websites, I've learnt everything I know on this thread or asking lots of questions in the clinic!

embryo banking - going through two (or more) IVF cycles but freezing all the embryos and not putting any back in. Advantages are that your body has time to recover before transferring the embryo, and also means that you collect all the eggs in one go and don't waste any time with cycles and frozen cycles while you get older...

scratch - womb lining is scratched, this can help the embryo implant as the lining heals.

short/antagonist/long protocols - these are all different types of ivf cycle. Even within the same protocol different clinics use different drugs. Long protocol involves downregging - essentially shutting down your natural hormones before you start stimming - pumping hormones in to make the follicles grow more than they would in a normal cycle. With a short or antagonist protocol you don't spend a long time downregging first so the process from beginning to end is shorter. Rather than shutting down your own hormones, it supresses them so you don't ovulate until they want you to - at this point you inject the trigger - in my case ovitrelle which is what I injected tonight. This will make me ovulate on Saturday.

ccg funding IVF is a postcode lottery. Some berries live in an area that gives them 3 rounds, others (like me) only get 1 funded round.

baseline scans - done on day 2 of your cycle to see what's happening before IUI/IVF starts. They'll check the lining, the antral follicle count - the 'resting follicles' which indicate your ovarian reserve (remaining egg supply), whether there are any cysts etc.

embryo testing - looking at the quality of the embryos in various ways in order to pick the best.

blast - an embryo goes through different phases as the cells divide. By day 5 they are a 'blastocyst'

*disclaimer - very basic definitions, no responsibility taken for any inaccuracies......

Aww Clem don't worry, most of us have been on this thread a while and so are used to the terms, but we all started somewhere. You are very welcome to stay but you can also post on more than one thread if there's another you think would be suitable for you! We won't kick you out! Anyway Barkings explanations are ace, but you will also need to know dildocam which is what we call an internal scan seriously though, if there's anything you don't know, just ask away. In this shitty ttc business I am so thankful for having this thread and these ladies for support. You and Dizzy will pick it all up in no time.

Barking excellent news those timings seem to work out well. Will your dh still be away by otd? (Official test date Clem ) also that seems like an interesting bit of insight re ovulation and hormones slowing down. All fingers crossed for your little embie. I'm cracking out the sparkly leotard for you.

Smidge I bet you're so excited for seeing everyone! Hopefully you'll get decent weather. Are looking at starting another cycle when you get back?

Tiger how's your birthday going? Enjoy your champagne from the champagne region glad you're feeling more upbeat today too.

Lucie I think you could still have a baseline after one injection, but sure I wouldn't worry too much about it either way as you've been fine previously.

I have my scratch tomorrow, Im really nervous but that might just be how I am these days! phew, I can't wait til the end of next week.

Just dropping in to say don't go Clem and Dizzy.
Remember this group isn't just for people having IVF or other fertility treatment, it's for anyone over 30 who has been trying for more than a year.
You will get to understand what people are talking about but moreover everyone is here to listen to you and support you though your journey. Talk about what you want to talk about and people will listen and advise you.

Oh and as tomorrow would have been my due date I thought I would share the berry prayer as a bit of hope to us all. Many berries have come and gone, most with their prayers answered:

The gospel according to St Berry

In the beginning Mumsnet created the TTC forum and saw that is was good. But many of the threads were full of women complaining that they had not been blessed with their 4th baby. And Lo many women who were evil and greedy for having delayed having babies so they could live fabulous lives and have holidays (and nothing to be with being financially stable and being with the right partner) and they were made sad by the women who already had babies.
And they went into the wilderness and walked for 40 days and 40 nights until they came to the promised land of elderberries and sausages. And they saw that it was good.

And Lo those women did pee upon the stick of OPK and saw that there were two lines and held it to the light and did say unto their fellow elderberries 'tell me oh wise women, is the test line darker than the control line?' And the wise women said that it was and they must make haste to their bed and the elderberries did call unto their husbands and ask for him to lay with her and he said, 'but I have been busy at work and I'm too tired.' And there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

And the elderberries did go to the wise GP and speak to him but he didn't understand but sent the woman to have tests on the wrong day. And the woman did say unto her husband 'you must spill your seed into this pot and a man will look at it and see if it is good' and the man said that he was too busy and tired. And there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

And the woman looked at her fellow women and they all doth say 'but I laid with a man but once and I have had many babies' and another said 'I think thou doth triest too much. If thou stop trying it will happen'. And the women were evil and they thought not for the feelings of the elderberries and they doth call upon their friends to bring them gifts as they were very pleased with themselves for having a baby and could not understand why the elderberries find it so difficult.

And lo the elderberry did find herself reading the scripture of the internet and did do everything asked of her by the soothsayers therein. She did eat manuka honey, she did pee on sticks, she did put a pillow under her bottom, she did not partake of the caffeine or the alcohol, she did put the legs into the air after she had lain with her husband but each month she was visited by an evil spirit. And there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Our peestick
Who art in the bathroom cupboard
Clearblue is thy name,
Thy peeing on done,
Thy one line only come,
This month as every other,
Give us every other day strength to DTD
Forgive us complaining
As we forgive those who give us advice,
And lead us not to read the internet
And deliver us of a baby (eventually)
For thine is the CBFM
The opk and the conceive plus,
Until we get two lines
Amen.

clem and dizzy I’m here because I want to be a mum so badly and no one else I know understands how that feels. This is your thread too, please stay. I have a bad habit of getting carried away with the technical stuff, I would never want to exclude anyone by it. Oh and clem btw how are you getting on in that 2ww, when’s your OTD (official test date)?

smidge wow, one week till your big trip, how exciting!

lucie my baseline scan at my first clinic was on day 2 if it helps – I called the day af arrived and went in next day.

Wow barking really interesting your theory that you’re not ovulating properly. If that’s the case then it could explain a lot. I’m only speculating but perhaps that might explain why you think that you ovulate much later in your cycle? If you’re not ovulating at all and then think you ovulate much later, that might also shorten your LP when you count up the days. And you did get pregnant on Clomid and IUI – on medication to help you ovulate. Did you ever get a 21 day blood test? Oh, and great explanations, what an amazingly supportive berry you are!

beaky Dh won't be back until over a week after otd by which point the hormones should have left my body and I shouldn't be a sobbing mess every day
I talked to my boss today. I cried when I explained that I might need a couple of days holiday at short notice if I couldn't handle the result, given I was going through it without dh .
I've booked the two days before otd off work as well and I'm going to go away to stay with a friend (and his young daughter, but she was a miracle baby so no there).

Pip hugs, due dates are really shit. Are you doing anything to mark it? With our first we planned a really nice day with just the two of us, went on a stunning walk and it felt really special. With the second I'd gone out of my way to avoid finding out the due date (I lost it at 7 weeks so never got as far as a midwife and studiously avoided working it out) but I'm not sure that helped. Some of the ladies on the mc thread have planted trees or build a cairn to remember them by.

sesame I had a day 21 which showed I hadn't ovulated (I told them I hadn't) and then went back on day 28 and it showed that I had. So I never had any concerns that I wasn't ovulating, I just knew it was late. Seems weird that my follicles are ready a lot earlier though. The clomid and the iui did work, but 5 rounds of clomid, one iui and one ivf didn't, so there's still got to be more going on...

beaky good luck for your scratch tomorrow! I took 2 ibuprofen and 2 paracetamol at least an hour before and after...

pip wow, the gospel is amazing! Thanks for sharing all that. And for tomorrow.