Thread 26. TTC #1 - Calm as a hysterical cucumber

[AlexiaB]

Calling all OPK-ers, Temp-ers, Clomid-ers, Femara-ers, IUI-ers, IVF-ers and anyone else on the TTC #1 Bus.

We've been going a while now so the novelty has somewhat worn off and we're slightly battle scarred and bruised in the cervix area. We don't get a lot of baby dust in these here parts, we just keep it legs spread and fingers crossed (LSFX). We love a baby bomb from a prior bus-mate but if we get told to 'just relax and enjoy it' ONE MORE TIME you will get a punch in the face!

Here's our Grad's Thread. May 2017 lead us all to upduffed heaven and the Grad's thread, amen.

We don't have rules as such but expect to be talked down from the ledge with kind but firm words if you get too hysterical. But most importantly, don't convince yourself that you're pregnant in the tww. That is paramount!

Hop on board, post your stats and prepare to be dazzled by the wealth of TTC knowledge we long-timeys have to share...

PS, that sounds like a fake military nickname..... or a euphemism for TTC. "Major Panty Watch, reporting for duty. SNAFU."

Thanks for all the support you lovely lot.

Day 1 of cycle 16 here, just wish period pain didn't have to be so bad. Talk about insult to injury!!

We've had a lovely walk up to Hampstead Heath and stopped for a fresh hot cross bun and pot of tea on the way back. Heaven.

Kwick I will indeed still be a north London chick! I hope the allotment has cleared your mind

Hope you've managed to enjoy seeing your friends and babies binky
*
Pug* the price difference is insane isn't it? I also get the impression that some of the European clinics are better / have more advanced than the UK. Sounds like you had a fun evening - There's nothing like a bit of live comedy hey.

Glad to hear you are feeling relaxed about it
Miranda

Fx smitten!

I know what you mean pyjamas about wanting to relax and have a drink, I've been told no alcohol week before my op which is on 10th. Ordering a pizza in instead ( not v healthly but hey!

Jam sorry for AF sounds like you have had a nice day.

*Smitten pears your comment made me laugh!

Hope everyone else is doing well

Jam - glad your appointment went okay, annoying they didn't give you the HSG but I can see their reasoning. I always forget what a massive wait there is for IVF, I'm getting referred in April but the chances are I won't start it till the end of the year either. And sorry about AF

Kwick is back in town! You have bounced back so quickly, this is why I love you and you have been my inspiration since joining the thread. You've had a tough time of things and I know you're due good luck very soon so hang in there xx

8dpo here and completely symptom free but can't say I've been paying a huge amount of attention to it. I think AF should be due around Thursday or Friday. Anyone else around this time?

jam sorry for af but sounds like you have a good plan in place now. hope the purchase goes though all fine now!

cd 13 and positive opk this morn, 1 day later than last month, 2 days earlier than the month before and when i randomly took them before officially ttc when my friend gave me a bunch she didnt need anymore it was always cd 15- but that was only on 2 or 3 cycles then i stashed them. better get on with a gos this eve then. managed EOD from cd 8 so far- which is the best we have managed so far but dh has yet another flaming cold......seriously do not know how he gets so many, i havnt had one in years (touch wood).

Jam, sorry about AF. Hope you're doing okay with that combined with your appointment last week

Hopeful, pizza is always a good choice!

Sk1pper, there are a few of us due this week. AF is due here Weds/Thurs I think. No symptoms to report. So boring!

Glittery, hurrah for a positive OPK. Hope you caught that egg!

jam I hear you on period pain - sounds like a lovely day yesterday; my work's really near the heath, you've reminded me of my plan to go there more at lunchtime

smitten made me laugh - will think of that now

Trying opk this month for some peace of mind re ovulation, but will step away if it shows a positive - sounds like relaxed cycles are the way to go. Partner's moved on from calling Clue 'your diary' to 'the love diary'...

Non-TTC note - incredible results in NI gaelach & harriet (though maybe not if you read more local news...?)!

Fx for the upcoming testers!

Sorry about AF jam 💐 Sounds like you had a lovely day though.

AF due for me Weds at the earliest (not entirely sure this month) skipper and like kath, not a whiff of a symptom.

Hope you enjoyed your pizza hopeful! I had one on Friday as well 🙂

Yay for positive opk glitter! Jump on him!

I've found opks we're really useful to help figure out when I actually ovulate quiet - now I roughly know when that is and how long my LP always is, I don't need them anymore. Definitely recommend them at the start to figure out what's what though.

Had a lovely day with DH yesterday - walked around Covent Garden and Soho all day had lovely lunch and great dinner, along with a stop off at a BrewDog bar for a couple of pints of Nanny State for both of us. Such a fun day 🙂

Just had my PT session at the gym, then a relaxed day of reading the paper, drinking herbal tea and prepping meals for next week awaits me!

Hmm we're all symptom free? This is incredibly unusual! 😂

That is a relief london! After all the Romans built on the north side first as the south was an inhospitable swamp land
So glad you had some nice downtime with DH.

Bonfire was HUGE!

skipper 💜 not sure I am quite there yet though.

Feeling very delicate despite good sleep. Dreading work this week.

sounds like everyone is having good weekends! Especially pyjamas!

I finally got a positive opk last night at about 6pm. Gutted as DH was away wed-fri. We HS on Tuesday (which I think is too early), yesterday and will do tonight. But tbh I think I am ovulating right now as have pains, so is there any point in HS tonight?

If not then everything will be riding on yesterday I guess. I haven't had much EWCM but did use conceive plus for the first time. Don't think things have been wholly normal this cycle so not holding out much hope but I'm sure I will symptom spot all the same!

Skipper it would be nice to have a familiar name going through IVF if it comes to that. I sincerely hope that neither of us have to though.

Kath the appointment / period combo was a bit lethal sadly - I spent much of yesterday in floods with a hot water bottle. Think it needed to come out though. I got out and had that nice walk, which helped.

Quiettime how lovely yes you should especially with spring around the corner

Pyjamas I'm so envious of your DH adoption of alcohol free beer! My DH is defending his right to booze very strongly

Hahahaha kwick agreed

Definitely worth it again tonight harriet

Fingers crossed for some good news this week for all testers 🤞🏼

That's a really excellent fire kwick, I'm impressed! Sorry you're having a tough day though. Is there any opportunity this week to WFH at all? I find that helps my mental health sometimes.

Harriet, last night will have been perfect timing. If you want to HS tonight, go for it! You're definitely in with a shot either way.

Sorry yesterday was tough Jam, I'm sure I'll be in a similar boat when AF arrives this week. Trying to preempt that by coming up with a plan of when to start IVF.

Sometimes you just have to give in to it. Coming up with a plan is an excellent way to deal with it. I've started enquiries about IVF on the infertility boards, there's much helpful info. I think we're going to have to look at some European clinics as just so much more cost effective. Keeping everything crossed you'll get a BFP this week and not have to think about it again though kath

I'm actually more reluctant than he is to give up the booze jam ha ha - and that causes a whole host of other issues as our previous bust ups have shown! I think we'll go back to moderate consumption after this detox phase. Sorry you had a tough day - but good that you got it all out 💐💐

Sorry I've been AWOL girls. Needed some time away to stop obsessing about TTC and try to get through this TWW. It's dragging! Wow I've missed a lot.

Thinking of you Peaches I hope everything is ok lovely, do you have a reassurance scan soon?

What a week Jam Firstly, huge congratulations on the flat! You definitely made the right decision going ahead with it. Imo it's better to have your own place and no baby than to risk having neither. Glad you have some cheaper EU options for IVF if you need it. The NHS delays are unfortunate, wasn't it Inspector who has no wait for IVF and can start when ready? I guess it's a location/luck thing. Many positives still to take from it all. You will get your babies even if you do need a helping hand. You will be the one carrying the baby and all is perfect with you. Big hugs

pyjamas your weekend sounds fabulous. I'm taking a leaf out of your book and doing meal prep today too, and with my new nutribullet I'm on a huge health kick!

Harriet glad you finally got your +opk! I know I always O two days after a +opk so if it was me I'd definitely go again tonight. O pain can be hard to gauge. It can start a day or so before the egg actually pops, and with the egg living for at least 12 hours, it's worth a shot if you can go again. If not then you still have it covered.

Skipper I'm another one due AF next week. Currently 9dpo (I think you are too?) and I don't have any crazy symptoms to report either. So scared to be hopeful! I think you asked before if I'm still doing opks and yes I am, I find them reassuring.

Yay for +opk glittery

How are you Binky? You can have multiple patches of EWCM during your cycle, well done for getting a GOS in though!

kwick sending you love and strength for the week ahead. You are incredibly strong and once you start trying again I'm sure you'll feel more upbeat about things as the hope returns. You are in perfect time. Take it easy

Keeping my fx for us all Skipper, Kath, pyjamas and anyone else due soon. Surely at least one BFP is due!?

Jam, I've looked into some of the European ones but I think we're going to end up paying more for the convenience of doing it close to home. It does feel like a total rip off when you compare the prices but just think going abroad for us isn't going to be practical. I've also got a couple of underlying autoimmune conditions which may flare up because of the hormones involved in IVF so the consultant we've seen here said she would work closely with my rheumatologist to ensure that the risks are managed. I worry that wouldn't happen if we went abroad. There's a lot to consider though on both sides.

kathrino I am working from home next Monday but this is the schedule for this week:
Mon - need to be in for 7am - in meetings from 8am until 6.30pm
Tues - 6am train to Brussels, evening train to Paris
Wed - late train back from Paris
Thurs - annual appraisal, pm flight to Amsterdam
Fri - pm flight back

Thanks Alexia

Where the hell gave all the BFPS gone?

Ugh kwick, that sounds insane. No wonder you're looking for something else. Nobody can reasonably be expected to live like that. You may bump into by DH on the train to Brussels though as he's going over on Tuesday. Not that that will improve your day much I expect...

Jesus kwick what a schedule Less hectic job needed asap!!!

Hi ladies, quick check in after another busy week.

Although nowhere near as busy as yours Kwick! I think we will all be here popping open the champagne when you get another job, I honestly don't know how you do it.
Good luck getting through it, you are amazingly strong and inspirational to us all

Welcome back Alexia, the dawdling TWW is the worst isn't it? Hope you've had a lovely weekend with DH and everything is calmed down and back to normal now.

Peaches hope you're okay?

Pyjamas and others, I really want to try the Nanny State of which you all speak. I can't find it in Waitrose or my local Sainsbury's Local :(

Jam congratulations on the flat!! That is SO exciting and I am really, really pleased for you both. Please tell me you will ease off the booze reduction and have some champagne to celebrate when you're in?

Very sorry you didn't hear what you wanted to hear at your appointment but I would take a lot of heart that both the doctor and the nurse were emphatic that you can conceive naturally. There is no reason it won't happen for you before the end of the year although I completely understand your frustration at being told you need to wait.

One thing though, have you double checked the IVF eligibility criteria for your CCG? For mine, you are not eligible for NHS IVF if you have had more than one previous attempt (even if it was private) so please check yours isn't stricter if you do seek help earlier.

As an example, I just read this on the UCLH IVF page:
"Please note that if a couple have already had some self-funded (private) cycles they may not be eligible for NHS funding, or only be funded for a reduced number of cycles. Please contact your CCG for further information".

Yes Alexia it was me who doesn't have a waiting list for IVF. Well, according to the consultant anyway. Who knows if that will be the reality if/when the time comes.
I think it helps being outside of London, along with the fact the treatment would be at a private clinic and not in a hospital. I imagine the clinic has more staff available, longer working hours and better admin systems which all help push things through more quickly.

Right, I'd better get back to work. I am frantically trying to get things organised ahead of our 2.5 week trip on Weds. I'm obviously very excited about it, but also dreading being away from work for that long and coming back to who knows what at the end of the month :-/

On the plus side, it's FW while we're away so you never know...

Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone

Pyjamas - your day out sounds amazing. Also I am so, so glad about your Nanny State recommendation. I buy two bottles for the weekend every week and they are delicious and guilt free. Thanks!

Alexia - welcome back, yeah we're synced. Got everything crossed for you too! Xx

Inspector you must promise that you will shag for Blighty whilst away

What is this Nanny Stte of which you speak?

Feeling a bit better about next week as got home early from Mum's (where I spend most weekends) and have sorted clothes and the all important cosmetics for next week. Also if it all gets too much I have promised myself I will just excuse myself from whatever meeting I am in.

Nanny State is a wonderful 0.5% beer by BrewDog - more like a pale ale than a lager (am more of an ale girl myself) and I absolutely love it! So glad you like it skipper 😁

Penguin - do you ever online shop from Sainsbury's? My Sainsbury's local doesn't sell them either, but I get mine with my weekly online shop 🙂

Kwick - understand completely why work must feel so daunting right now, but it's a good idea to pace yourself and excuse yourself where necessary. Make sure you look after yourself, I hope work isn't as bad as you expect it to be. Your mum sounds lovely too xx

Penguin - I also buy the Nanny State on my weekly Sainsbury's delivery. It's so convenient. I am well and truly prepared for AF thanks to you, I got some of those over the counter drugs you told me about. Come at me witch! 😎