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

Oh congratulations Wild! That is wonderful news, you must be totally over the moon

Aw! Thank you for all the good wishes Berries. We were both so confused by the whole thing that it's good to get external confirmation that there really are two lines there. DH wants to wait and test again on Friday (OTD) before telling the clinic.

Hope you are bearing up Smidge. Crappy times.

Congratulations wild that's amazing news, you must be so happy right now!

wild Congrats! Good strong line there as well...

Yes I thought that about the line too Spare

Wild I'm so excited for you! Also can I ask a favour, if you have time... Would you please go through your treatment again for me? (I'm sorry I know it was a lot!) as you know I'm trying to get prepared to be able to suggest treatment options to my clinic when I go back for my follow up and there were a couple of things I thought would be handy to suggest. Thank you super loads in advance

Hahah! At the strong line. It came up almost straightaway which was good as there was no agonising wait. It is a FRER though so should be quite sensitive. The line on the Internet cheapy back-up test was not as dark.

No problem at all to list my treatment plan Beaky. I was planning to list the FET medication details for Barking anyway as she asked. As you say, it is a lot so I need to gather all the info from the clinic first and then I will post it all.

Wild
I used FRER for my BFP as well, and it wasn't that strong even days after my OTD. Just sayin' what we are all thinking

beaky No real plan at the moment, other than playing around with the MN due date calculator obsessively to work out what is the earliest possible date we could go for another cycle.
I'm still waiting for the clinic to write the letter for my GP for us to try and get NHS funding to do another cycle with them (our NHS trust will either let you use the local hospital, or will fund a cycle at a number of clinics, and we are trying to get the latter). They sent me an initial letter, but it was incomplete so they are having to re-do it and are taking their time.

Then if that doesn't work, we need to think about whether we can self-fund another round, and if we do, whether to stay at the same clinic or go elsewhere. I've been reading about ARGC and am wowed by their success rates, but not sure they are the best for our case. And they are twice the price of everywhere else...

Awesome news WIld! About time we had a bloomin pick me up around here and that surely is one!

So sorry though smidge. Are you feeling OK? I know you were feeling resigned anyway, but it doesn't' really help does it.

barking total madness. Maybe just go to hospital and camp there until they treat you?

Great news Wild. Hugest of berry celebrations

Smudge - I'm so sorry. Shitty shitty news just isn't deserved for berries

Just popping in mid hol to give a big woohooooooo to wild, great news and about blooming time!!

So sad for your BFN lovely smidge, completely unfair.

Will catch up properly when I get home this weekend, hope everyone's well

Wild! Yeeeehaaaaaa! That's brill news

As requested here is the outline of my treatment.

Once I had been diagnosed as having low AMH (2.7) it was recommended that I go for two freeze-all cycles (aka embryo-banking). The aim was to harvest a decent number of eggs to play with - given that at my age a lot of the eggs would be dodgy and the tests suggested I wouldn’t be a great responder.

::Stimms Protocol::

Norethisterone - Days 14-25 of prep cycle - for gentle down-reg

Fostimon 225iu + Merional 225iu - stimms
Zomacton injection (human growth hormone) every other day during stimming - to improve egg quality
Dexamethasone - steroid tablets - to improve egg quality, I think I took it for one week
Cetrotide from Day 7 - antagonist - to hold off ovulation

Doxycycline (antibiotic) - from Day 7 for 7 days - to 'get rid of any bugs’

Monitoring: scans and E2 (estradiol) blood tests - almost every other day from Cycle Day 6 (i.e. Day 3 of stimming injections)

::Medicated FET cycle::

Hysteroscopy and D&C - performed between Days 6 to 12 of prep cycle - to check for endo or any other hidden problem + to do the same job as a scratch + to check out shape of the uterus ready for ET (patients who don’t have this have a 3DSis scan instead to ‘map’ their uterus ready for ET).

Down-reg
Norethisterone - Days 14-25 of prep cycle
Buserelin - Day 21 of prep cycle - continued until luteal support medication started 4/5 days before ET

AF and baseline scan…..

Oestregen meds:
Progynova x3 per day by mouth, x2 per day up the fanjo
Evorel oestregen E2 patches (changed every two days)

Prednisone (steroid) - 20mg per day from Day 7 - immune treatment
Zithromax (antibiotic) - 4 tablets all to be taken on Day 7 as a one off - no idea why, I’d given up by this point and just did as told

Luteal support meds - started Day 16 (i.e.. 4/ 5 days before ET)

Progesterone meds:
Crinone gel - x2 per day
Utrogestan - x200mg x3 per day (these ones are goooood, they’re the ones which make you high)
Lentogest injections - every other day
(I’ve heard that progesterone helps fend off NKcells - so the immunes protocol may be the reason I’m taking so much of the stuff.)

Aspirin

Clexane injection - x1 per day from 2 days before ET - to help with implantation possibly?

Intralipids infusion - given approx 1 week before ET - part of immunes protocol

Luteal support meds continued until test or until around week 12 of pregnancy - as directed.

Bloody hell wild, they didn't leave anything to chance!!!! Congratulations!!!!!

smidge I am absolutely gutted for you, that is totally shit

I called the clinic, they are going to speak to the consultant tomorrow about the possibility of going ahead without seeing him first. Fingers crossed we could still do the Fet in August. Given the biopsy was 1st June that's within the 3 month window that a scratch is supposed to be helpful for, so might not have to have that as well.

Ooh, and forgot to say I had a Diclofenac (Voltarol) painkiller suppository before ET and 6 hours afterwards to prevent any spasms which might shift the embies.

I was wondering what you needed to see the consultant for Barking. I know it's a good idea but you can get by without him. Great news that you might be able to go ahead in August.

Wow, wild
Never again will I complain about being a pin cushion for my treatment!
So glad it was all worth it. How are you finding resisting the urge to test again..?

jeezy chreezy wild (that is italian for "oh my days": Fact)

Yeah - it's a lot of drugs, a real kitchen-sink approach.

I'm successfully resisting the urge to test again Spare. You once gave a stern warning against the madness-inducing act of comparing pg tests and wondering if the line is getting darker. I'm heeding your advice. I'll hold out until OTD on Friday when DH wants to test again to confirm it. ()

Barking if you can't get the go ahead for next month can we do a Berry barricade at the hospital until they do what you want? Taking Nolly's idea of you doing a sit in protest and ramping that up to a sort of Berry Greenham Common.

Spare - ARGC's results really are incredible - 70 per cent! What are your specific issues, if you don't mind me asking? Your details are not on the list.

Hope you are all enjoying the hot weather.

Lovely receptionist has cleared it with the consultant, he's going to add a note to my file for the nurse and we've got a nurse appointment next Weds to discuss the FET . Providing there's availability, looks like August could still be an option .

Gutted for you Smidge. How are you doing? Xx

Congrats to you Wild. Fabulous outcome. Cripes you had a lot of meds! Obviously was totally spot on though!

Thumbs up to Batking! Looks like an August FET is pretty likely. I had my scratch this morning and start stabbing 8th July. If all goes as it should then I'll be for ET circa 12th August. I'm having a medicated FET despite having a regular ovulation (apparently to monitor the lining growth). I'm down regging with buserelin and stimming with progynova. I have an appt 16th July to see if I can get some extra stuff prescribed to ensure the lining is beefing up.

Lucie, your clinic experiences sound extremely frustrating. This is all plenty stressful enough, without worrying whether your doctor is doing the right thing.

Happy, despite my thrombophilia my consultant wouldn't let me take aspirin post egg collection as he says there's evidence to say that it can impede the quality of the eggs.

Nolly and Rain, hope you are enjoying your hols!

Funky why no aspirin post egg collection if the eggs weren't there then to be affected anyway? My consultant said to take aspirin from cd1 all the way through for ivf and the other consultant told me not to

barking ACE news! Bet you did your best stern teacher voice when you spoke to them

nolly Hope you are having a fab hols. Love the berry language lessons!

wild Yes, try and resist testing too much. I think it causes more worry that reassurance in the medium term. Hope the wait til the scan goes quickly though... We are male factor - zero morphology. But the failed FETs might mean there is an egg issue as well, so they said we need to think about possibly doing PGS next time, but I don't think we can afford it.

I should probably do my stats, really..!

Spare - 33. TTC 2.5 years. Male factor diagnosed in Apr 14. IVF in Aug 14. BFP from FET in Nov 14, but lost baby after 20 weeks. 2 failed FETs since. On an enforced break over the summer to assess options and apply for NHS funding for next round or sell anything not nailed down to self-fund another round.

That is quite long though, so maybe just this instead:
Spare - 33, ttc for-bloody-ever, sick to the back teeth with the whole thing

Omg Wild your BFP is more than deserved after that mammoth drug regime and the write up you did on it up thread!
Great news that you're getting started Funky and Barking. I hope to be joining you late August. With regards to the aspirin I only took it up to EC but as we ended up worse off than the previous cycle I won't be taking it again.
Smidge hope you're doing ok - thinking of you
Had a massive row with DH last night over his untidiness and he basically said I'm getting obsessed with cleaning and decorating as a way of coping with my desperation for a baby . Whilst I admit that keeping busy helps me deal with all this shit (and it's got to be better than turning to alcohol or drugs?!?) I'd want him to pick up his mess whether we were TTC or not . I'm pre AF though so he got the message and my full wrath . On top of that I got baby bombed at work today by a 16 yr old pupil who brought her baby in to show her off

A 16 year old pupil?! oh my days. Think we all have our little things we do to distract us from the hell of ttc. However it's entirely reasonable to expect someone to not be messy regardless of whether you want a baby or not!

Sorry Barking, that was a typo. I meant pre egg collection.

Indeed Funky. And we have a 15 year old who is currently 6 months pg. Although I've managed to avoid her to date