TTC for 10 months or more, and now we're moving onto thread 4! Ten plussers welcome!

[MPP81]

Thread for anyone TTC for over ten months. Please feel free to join us!

Took the liberty of starting a new thread (with what is obviously a brilliant piece of rhyme!) as I assume everyone else is sleeping peacefully right now :)

I have no idea what tests they do as standard. Or how long it will take for the referral to come through. Fingers crossed not that long.

So sorry Brenna, it's so cruel Really hope your referral comes through nice and quick. Mine came through within 2 or 3 weeks but my hospital require you to have blood tests and scans redone with them before you see a consultant so it was another 2 months before my actual appointment. Which isn't too bad as it meant she had all the information she needed to prescribe an action plan. From being on here I realise it's different everywhere.

Hope everyone else is OK and having a lovely bank holiday.

Lucie, banana, how are both bearing up?

Mpp, are you on your hen do?!!

Stealth, hope all still going well. Any symptoms yet?!

Hi ladies

Hope you’re all having nice bank hol weekends and enjoyed some sunshine yesterday (even if it’s pants today, at least in London!)

brenna I’m so very very very sorry to have been reading your news. My heart is absolutely aching for you

Tests that the NHS will offer after 3 consecutive losses (but which a kindly GP may agree to refer you for after 2 - or which you could pay privately for):

Thyroid function – TSH, FT4,
Auto-immune antibodies – including anti-nuclear antibodies,
Thyroid peroxidise and anti-mitochondrial antibodies,
Thrombotic Risk Screen – FBC, anticardiolipin antibodies (IgG and IgM), Antithrombin 111, factor V Leiden, factor II prothrombin gene, MTHFR, Activated protein C resistance, Protein C, Protein S, lupus anticoagulant,

These are basically looking for clotting disorders and any major autoimmune conditions which may have an impact on miscarriage

sammy so pleased to hear about your AF - hoping you’re getting some fab juicy lining going!

itsme honestly, the worst bit about the injections is the anticipation - the first one is the worst because you’re building it up in your head, then once you’ve done it, you’ll be totally rocking them like a boss

And yes, you’ll need the pantliners for the pessaries! (aka fanjo bullets aka messaries)

My AMH is appalling (1.5, yes the decimal point is in the right place), so I’m on a very high starting dose of stims (450iu) - although in both cycles the dose was dropped down fairly quickly. My baseline follicle count was a rather rubbish 5 before my first cycle (got 7 eggs), but had gone up to 10 before my second (got 17 eggs). Curious to find out what the hell my baseline AFC is this time - hopefully find out in due course!

lucie massive love and hugs - it’s just cruel playing the watch and wait game with hCG when you’re willing it to go down. Hopefully it’s dropping - good that they’re keeping an eye on you, and expectant management def seems eminently sensible without rushing to give you MTX, when it doesn’t sound like levels are at red alert status. Hope you managed to have a relaxing weekend

BTW I have only ever done short antagonist with Gonal-F and Cetrotide and did really well on it. My consultant wanted me on a pure FSH only stim, fingers crossed it’s a good ‘un for you

maple nice work on the HyCoSy - deffo get those boots knockin’ they do say a good flushing out can help things along. Every day though, bloody hell, that’s some stamina!!

Mpp hope hen weekend was good and you’re feeling suitably annihilated!!

star been breastfeeding anymore claymation figures?! I shall never look at Morph the same way again!!

BTW totally with you on baby bombs. I hate myself because I ducked out of seeing two groups of really lovely schoolfriends (secondary school pals this weekend, primary school pals, including best mate recent baby bomb, next weekend) because I just can’t hack it. First lot with their toddlers and breastfeeding babes in arms, and second lot with two out of the three with baby bumps due 2 weeks before my due date was supposed to be. It’s just so hard

stealth hope having graduated to bum rockets those progesterone levels are doing great - and if Dr wasn’t worried, you definitely have no reason to be. Especially not with those fab hCG levels!

AFM - finally getting BFN! Although tbh I might have had several days of undue worry, as I had a BFN on a cheapie strip on Thursday or Friday - but was also using up the pregnancy test sticks on the Clearblue Fertility Monitor as well. Well I was STILL getting BFPs on the CBFM yesterday, despite several days of BFN on cheapie, and was getting nervous. Friend said to me ‘oh, once it’s detected a BFP it then locks out and will keep giving you BFP, you’ll have to reset it’.WTF?!!!! So, I can’t stick the pregnancy test sticks in it and actually get it to read the tests and tell me what the result is? It just assumes that once you’ve stuck a preggo test in, no one miscarries, and we can psychically know that these ‘Pregnant’ readings aren’t ACTUALLY reading the bloody sticks?!!

So, BFP, reset the machine, then immediately got BFN

FFS!!!!!! I’ve been absolutely shitting myself the levels aren’t going down, and turns out the frigging machine has probably been lying to me for days.

Anyway, I’ve written a rant on the Cleablue FB page, will probably smash the bloody monitor with a sledgehammer, and feel happier that I am now seemingly un-pregnant-ed

Getting bloods done on Weds (hCG, progesterone, FSH, LH & oestrodial) so we can then get me in for a scan accordingly, and ascertain the ideal time to start stims. So hopefully soon!!

brenna am really sorry to hear your news. Big hugs

Hope everyone else had lovely long weekends. I'm in Spain for work today so lost the bank hol grrrrr! Will make it up another time.

Banana - glad your pg tests are finally bfn. Appalled about the cbfm though. How stupid!

Stealth - that is rubbish about working today, glad you get to take it bs k at some point!

I got an email back from the clinic today (had emailed them asking when I'm likely to hear from them) saying they will be contacting me in the next couple of weeks with a view to starting late June. So itsme it looks like we may well be cycling together!
They want me to go on the pill after my next AF which I'm not entirely surprised about... This seems to be common on the NHS. I'm worried about what it could do to my lining though, I'm sure it's all those years on the pill which have made it so crap. Any experience anyone? Xx

Hello ladies - just to say I'm still stalking you ladies reading your updates when I can. I'm not posting much as I've had stinking headaches from a sinus issue.

It'sme I'll be here to handhold through your cycle as I'm sure will everyone else - the jabs are really easy. Just have a quiet calm space for your first one and you'll be great from there on.

Mpp is your wedding this week or next? Much love to you as you get married for the lifetime together ahead of you both.

Brenna I am so sorry about your news. I hope your medics look after you and offer all the tests and help you need

Banana - yeyy for bfn. Never thought I'd say that to anyone on here :) I think I'd heard the cbfm tests did that - evil things.

Waves to sammy and lucie and everyone.

Hi all - bleugh work tomorrow (poor you stealth having to work this weekend!! Will you get it back in lieu and do you get to enjoy it at all?!).

Itsme oh god what are the knicker ruining pessaries?! Great news though, so glad things moving along for you soon!

Brenna thinking of you. I hope the referral comes through quickly for you.

Haha banana I know, I think I'll need a rest after! Don't want it to become a chore but equally, feel it already does a bit anyway... Just want to give it a go just in case!
Can't believe about the monitor!! I don't have one (I only used cheapy ones and never got a positive so never splashed out on one) but that's outrageous!

Sammy you are the same as me with the super light periods after the pill. I was on it for 10 years and they have never been this light ever!! I was worried about the lining too... I wonder if I should give iron or acupuncture a go. I heard raspberry leaf tea is meant to help but doesn't it also help with bringing on labour?!

Waves back to Boris!

Maple - I think with raspberry leaf tea you're only meant to take it up to ovulation and the stop. The liquid iron is available on Amazon if you want to try it.
www.amazon.co.uk/Floradix-Liquid-Iron-and-Vitamin-Formula-500ml/dp/B000Z971W6
I was on it for around 9 years so am starting to think it could well be solely to blame! Xx

Right - lining folks!

sammy I went on the pill before my last cycle, I can’t imagine a couple of weeks would make any real impact on your lining. Yes my lining was pretty crap until we added some progynova, but it’s always been crap! It’s v likely the years on the pill played a big role in my lining issues - but that was over the long term. A couple of weeks is neither here nor there. And once we threw a load of oestrogen tablets into the mix, my lining thickened up 3mm in 4 days! Problem solved!

I wouldn’t stress about the pill - and esp with your new juicy lining from acupuncture. And the option of adding in some extra oestrogen if needed. You’ll be rocking!

maple lining wise - bit of a specialist subject here! Light periods on their own aren’t necessarily an indication of thin lining (apparently some people just reabsorb more?). That said, both Sammy and I do have lining issues, after years on the pill (but equally, millions of women spend years on the pill with no lining issues at all)

Best (only!) way to check out the lining is to for a scan (yes, your old friend dildocam). There’s loads of private scanning places (e.g. Baby bond) nationwide, who can do you a basic scan looking at your follicles and lining. Prices vary, mine was £90 (for v v central London)

Aim to go a few days before you’d expect to ovulate, i.e. roughly when it should be at its thickest (or not far off)

For most people, lining is NOT an issue. So you’ll almost certainly come out feeling suitably reassured!

For me personally, it was a pretty big breakthrough.

I spent a month doing absolutely EVERYTHING anyone had ever said might help uterine lining. Vitamin E, L’arginine, baby aspirin, selenium, pomegranate juice, raspberry leaf tea, loads of acupuncture, strapping a heated pad to my belly at all times, wearing umpteen layers of socks, and yes, shoving vaginal viagra cream filled tampons up my foof, in the hope that Dr Sher’s magical viagra cure would be the holy grail

Went for my scan to check out if my lining was magically plump and juicy and triple lined. Not even close. Absolutely atrocious. Sonographer was even taken back by how thin it was.

So for me, that scan proved two things

1. I definitely had a major lining issue in my natural cycles
2. every old wive’s tale under the sun did jack shit for me - what I needed was SCIENCE

Very long ramble - but basically, it’s very unlikely you have a lining issue at all, most people don’t. But if you’re worried, and don’t mind coughing up £70 for a scan, that’ll put your mind at ease

Thanks for all the info banana!! It just seems odd pre and during pill, periods were a lot heavier.

I'm v central London too so I guess it would be about £90 for a scan. I think I will see what the consultant says on Thursday (going through all my results of scans / bloods etc) before I start panicking about my lining then!

Ah brill if you've got an appt so soon - totally slipped my mind. Can deffo ask him then! X

Thanks banana, I guess I'm just so used to things going wrong that I'm automatically thinking the worst. It will be kind of nice to have a fully relaxed week I guess where we are 100% def not ttc! Xx

Hi ladies,

Sorry I have been AWOL, as my start date for treatment has approached I've started to feel a bit anxious and have had my head in the sand a bit. Start on the prednisolone today and first injection is this evening plus need to get my intralipids booked in. Have done lots of injections before so that part is fine but have a different one this time so a bit apprehensive. Just need to get the first one out of the way.

Sammy, great that you had a more substantial AF I had to take the pill for a few weeks, had norethisterone to delay AF for my cycle last year and much preferred that.

Itsme, I was also on 150 of gonal-f and got on really well with it.

Maple, glad the hycosy went well- FX for a post hycosy BFP. Hope your appointment tomorrow goes well.

Banana, delighted to hear that you are getting BFNs, hopefully not too long until you can start stimming.

Star, hope your appointment goes well on Friday. I've got to pop in for a blood test so may bump into you

Lucie, glad to hear your appointment went well. You must have your next blood test any day now. Hope you're ok.

Brenna, I'm so sorry I hope you don't have to wait long at all for your referral.

Big waves to everyone else.

Trixie - lovely to hear from you :).
Exciting that you've got started, and hope the injection goes ok. I'm sure it will. Xx

Trixie sure the injection will be fine exciting that you've got started now!

It's been such a beautiful day today - going to have dinner outside in the garden!

Have my consultant appointment tomorrow morning - excited but nervous at the same time. Hope I get some answers!

That is so exciting Trixie. Best of luck for everything.

Thank you so much for all the details Banana.

trixie big hugs - the anticipation and build up is so nerve-wracking - once you’re off the starting block, you’ll totally rock the socks off this cycle. We’re all here with the pompoms cheering you on

Good luck with your appt maple

sammy can totally relate to expecting the worst. I had a month on the pill before my last cycle - was strangely liberating!

Extra hugs brenna - know nothing we can say or do can ease the pain, but pls do pm me if I can be of any practical help

AFM, yes, it’s another essay! Strap in for the latest instalment of the neverending banana-pregnancy saga… this update’s a bit cheerier!

Had bloods this morning, lovely consultant gave me a ring to talk me through them (and poor bloke was subjected to the usual Dr Banana spanish inquisition). SO much interesting stuff discussed, but main headlines:

• it seems my superhero alterego is ‘hCG woman’ - as, unbelievably, 7 weeks and 2 operations later, I am still officially ‘pregnant’ - hCG @ 37

• however, it is coming down, and Dr said actually, at this point, hCG isn’t too much of a concern because…

• …my natural cycle has started to wake up!

• which apparently isn’t uncommon after a miscarriage - seems the system doesn’t necessarily have to wait for hCG to hit zero before it can kick into gear

• Dr is very pleased with hormone levels, which are currently all looking very promising

• so promising, in fact, that my LH levels suggest I’m gearing up to ovulate

• which is a bit of a headfuck. I’m ‘pregnant’ AND potentially about to ovulate?!!!

• unfortunately fuck all chance of a miracle ‘omg I miscarried and was getting ready for IVF when I got a surprise BFP!’ ironidiff, because 1 week post D&C there obvs isn’t any lining

• but v pleasingly Dr reckons overall picture is actually looking pretty decent

Seeing consultant on Weds: if bloods & scans look OK, hopefully (please, please) starting stims in the next week or two!

Eek that is good news Banana! And Trixie, you'll do great.

Waves to everyone else from a rainy Turkey :(

Hey Trixie! Wow, you're off!! Good luck with the first injections tonight. Can understand why you've been feeling anxious even though you've done this all before. My anxiety has gone through the roof as my appointment looms. Good luck with everything. I will look out for you on Friday

Maple, good luck with your appointment today. Hope you get some useful information and good news.

Banana, glad to hear you're finally getting there with becoming unpregnant. When do you think you might cycle then? Haha, shame about the miracle baby but much better to not waste effort hoping like I do every month

Second consultation tomorrow. And we've finally started planning our wedding (after 18 months being engaged) as our plan to have our first out of wedlock is very clearly not happening...

Hope everyone else is doing well and enjoying the nice weather wherever you are (if indeed it is nice)

Oh, sorry about the rain itsme, at least you're not a work hey?

Fantastic news Banana.

How dare it rain Itsme.

I love a good wedding Star. Enjoy the day and all the planning.

Stimming in the next week or two, that's great Banana!

Thanks for the messages ladies, all went pretty well. DH was supposed to be out with a friend but rearranged so he could be at home which was sweet (I'd told him I would be fine) Had a bit of difficulty breaking the ampoule open though, the nurse made it look really easy and it was a clean break, mine wasn't.
Woke up this morning and my cat was kneading my tummy which was odd, maybe she is doing her bit to get my follicles growing...

Hope you've got better weather today Itsme.

Star, I've got an IVF relaxation CD off Amazon which I've been listening too. I've found it pretty helpful, may be something to think about. I'm sure you will be fine.

Let us know how your appointment goes Maple.

Hi all!

Banana that all sounds like good news - made me laugh about the miracle bfp, I was about to say that would be amazing but then saw the bit about the lining! Fingers crossed for Wednesday and imminent stims!

Itsme sorry about the rain hope it is sunnier today!

Star good luck for tomorrow! And wedding planning! So exciting - any idea when the big day will be?

Trixie glad it went well and bless hubby! That's so cute about your cat! They do say they have a 6th sense - sending follicle growing vibes your way!

So, I'm just on my way back from the appointment. I have mixed feelings about it all to be honest. Basically everything normal - AMH good, tubes open, scan showed no cysts etc and good follicles, bloods showed I did ovulate, DH sperm good. So I'm now in the Unexplained Infertility camp.

She said we will therefore be moving onto super ovulation and IUI. I have to wait for a letter but she suspects June/July. I get 3 goes and then onto IVF.

I stupidly didn't ask about the actual results and totally forgot to ask the things I wanted to!! Which partly goes towards why I feel disappointed (at myself!). Also the unexplained fertility "diagnosis" was something I didn't want to hear! I almost wanted something, so that it could be "fixed". Naive I know.

Also heard IUI doesn't have much success rates... So yeh, that's where we are. I'm glad we do have a plan of action though!

Genghis, thanks lovely, super sad but trying to remain positive about the future and the fact that I can now get pregnant!

Brenna, hope you are ok, sending hugs.

Sammy, that's great you have heard back from the clinic and are good to start the end of June. Won't be much longer now. I wouldn't worry too much about a short stint on the pill. I took it for one cycle and didn't have any problems

Boris, hope all is going well with you.

Trixie, hope all went well with your first injection. So exciting that you're going again. Everything speeds up so much from here and you will be pupo before we know it! Hopefully we will get another nice bfp on here before too long.

Banana, great that your hcg has dropped right down and you are about to ovulate! Looks like you are finally getting back to normal and the hcg should be down to zero in a week or so. Hope you can start stimms soon.

Star, good luck with your consultation. Hope all goes well and very exciting about the wedding planning!

Maple, sorry to hear you are unexplained although even if an issue is identified there are no real quick fixes to anything. We have sperm issues and have had icsi which obviously helps with that but still not pregnant. Can you ring up and say you forgot to ask about the test results and get them over the phone or ask them to do a print out for you to pick up for your own records?

Not much news from me. Still stuck in limbo. My next blood test is Monday but have done a couple of pregnancy tests and if anything they are getting darker so I'm pretty convinced it's not resolving. Think I may just have to accept the methotrexate and get this over once and for all and deal with that wait before we can cycle again

I know it's not the news you want to hear maple with being 'unexplained' I know the hoping every month is unbearable, but at least there is the hope! I know what you mean about the results, I'm so in awe of it all that I just hope my consultant knows what he is doing and will do the best he can that I barely question his answers!

His reputation seems to be pretty good, he was one of the first doctors to specialise in IVF (in fact my friend is actually the first twin IVF baby) that he helped conceive... So I do trust his years of experience, how naive that is I'm not sure!

Lucie I'm so sorry to hear you are going through the mill like Banana. it's so unfair.

Weather has perked up a bit, thanks for you well wishes all! I hear the UK is just as sunny, hope you have all made the most out of it!