Thread 27. TTC #1 - we're stressed, we're fed up, we're bitter but I promise this will all be worth it when we're holding our precious babies

[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 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.

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

Key:
HS - have/had sex
GOS - good old shag
ELH - enthusiastic lavatory happenings
LSFX - legs spread, fingers crossed

alexia dont worry im not! my app usually shifts it backwards starting from either day 9 or 10 when i get a very strong positive opk which is usually day 12 or 13. so ive just presumed im in fw for the last 2 days. i dont think i can rely on cm....this might be tmi but since taking the b complex i literally have ewcm from around cd6-16......
we are having a good gos month so far so better not fall flat and have gone too hard too soon! managed cd 6,7, 9,10 and then will probably do tonight as dp is out tomorrow night, then we shall see.....

God pajamas that is seriously annoying! We put enough pressure on ourselves without someone else getting involved. Definitely get her over your back by saying you're taking a more laid back approach.

So interesting that all of you think we would still be eligible. So different to advice I've had. I thought you had to be trying for well over 2 years to qualify on NHS? A friend of mine who had it after 2.5 years had to beg and she did say the other day well it's still early days you haven't been trying for that long yet which did sting a little bit as it feels like long enough.

Great getting some info on iui as well. I know everything is out there on google but so much better getting advice from real people!

Line of duty was absolutely epic! I love broadchurch but LOD is my absolute fave!

Sounds great glittery - loads of ewcm is never a bad thing. It's good your cycles are regular with nice early ovulation. Amazing GOS'ing too LSFX!

Yeah I told her I wasn't tracking a while ago, but it's still the first thing she asks. Don't get me wrong, I'm so grateful to have someone there IRL to talk to, but I kind of think it's better to weave it into conversation (which I wouldn't mind) instead of straight after hello! Who knows, I'm probably just being a hormonal over sensitive so and so.

LOD is next on my list to watch!

Honeymoon booked, that with the wedding should distract me aptly for the next 3 months.

Oooooo exciting skipper! I loved my honeymoon, maybe even more than the wedding hahahaha

I'm not looking forward to the wedding...sounds crazy to some probably but I hate being center of attention. Just something I need to get out of the way. So so excited now...worried about the timing of my period since I ovulated late but going to try and get those period stopping drugs.

I was exactly the same skipper - I hate being centre of attention as well and was relieved when I wasn't on show anymore!

Hope AF plays ball for your big day!

Ditto skipper & pyjamas! Was not as awful as had expected

• and honeymoon made up for any worries I used the period-stopping drugs for honeymoon (GP was fine with it), as we were travelling about a bit in inconvenient places - things returned to normal pretty quickly once back. Very exciting!!

Thanks Alexia, that's useful. Just to clarify, our consultant didn't say that sex was better than IUI but did say that the overall success rates for IUI are 13 - 15%. To us, that seems too low to bother with when we're looking of IVF success rates of between 40 - 50%. I guess it totally depends on your circumstances though.

So exciting to book your honeymoon sk1pper. I could have taken or left my wedding but our honeymoon was the best.

Hi girls, got some sleep last night and feeing more human

Kath with low morphology I think the recommendation is ICSI IVF rather than IUI. Are you looking into private options?

Pyjamas one of my friends who I told early on text me 'Has your period come yet?' about a month in. I politely asked her to stop asking...

Skipper how exciting, where are you going?

That reminds me penguin I hope you're having a wonderful time in Japan looking forward to hearing about that

It's three days until we get the keys to our first home 🏡. I might test at the end of the week to make sure I can lift heavy boxes etc. Packing is underway!

Jam, it was more a general question than anything as don't think we'll bother with anything other than IVF. Interestingly, our consultant said we wouldn't need ICSI so, as ever, it doesn't seem like there are any consistent messages! We're still planning to start in Sept but I'm tempted to bring it forward a couple of months. Glad you're feeling a bit better today, are you still looking at going abroad?

The lack of consistency in diagnosis, advice, treatment really does drive me crazy! We're not looking at private IVF seriously just yet. Got to let the finances recover post house purchase. We contacted Serum in Athens and the lady gave us some advice - more frequent ejaculation to clear out old / dead sperm. To be honest though since DH got his improved result he seems to have thrown all advice to the wind - been missing Proxeed, drinking more booze instead! 🙄Think I need to remind him that we're not actually pregnant yet...

Same as Penguin - going to Japan. I'm hoping to tap up all her knowledge once she gets back.

Yes for Japan skipper. I'm going there next Thursday. I can not wait. (Also hoping for penguin tips!)

It really is so crazy how differing the advice is. This thread is brilliant because it gives everyone a different perspective but it is mind boggling!!

Also I realised I never said to kathrino and flash how much respect I have for you for sharing your stories. 💐

miw if you wait until the weekend I'll be so impressed. FX for you.

I'm loving the term "zen point". It's a much less stressful place to be.

Japan will be amazing skipper. Are you stopping off anywhere else en route? I've only been to Tokyo but it's an awesome city.

jam that is such a typical man thing to do. You gotta love em. I had a Google of proxeed as seen it mentioned a few times on boards but I understand it's for motility rather than morphology? Exciting on the house front.

macs totally get you with the zen point. It's hard to get there but a much nicer place to be.

What a cool place to honeymoon 😎

Chlo I think Proxeed is to improve sperm quality all round. It's boosted DH motility massively (44% to 77%), morphology from 1-3% to 4%). His count didn't change much but was already high. The factors are all taken into account together; a crude measure of a mans fertility is count times % motility - those are the numbers that seem to be considered the most important. I think it's worth giving it a go, but that said - I am not yet pregnant so I can't recommend it too vigorously!

Sorry that should have read 1-2% to 4% morphology - so its just nudged him into the normal range.

I don't know, it feels like a guessing game though. Sperm quality fluctuates due to lots of factors - diet, exercise, stress, sleep, alcohol, heat... I guess I like to feel that we are actually doing something to help it along, so if it's contributing to improvements that's good enough for me.

I wish there were more clinical trials going into this kind of thing. It feels like such an under researched area.

Hello all,

Welcome hanna and angel

Oh my pjamas that's horrific. I think you need a really serious chat with your OH.

Ah right, thanks for the info jam. That's another thing I can ask the consultant about. Did you get prescribed it or just buy it? There's so much information out there and a lot of it conflicting which is very frustrating and I agree it just doesn't seem like there's enough research at all. Xx

Well just back from our appointment at the hospital. Consultant seemed fairly positive about our chances, my fsh is a little on the low side which is common with pcos. Unfortunately bmi is still too high to start any treatment yet (37 currently), need to get it below 35 for clomid.

However, he is organising a pelvic ultrasound and I need to book a HSG when AF arrives and will see me again in 3 months. Confirmed that we aren't eligible for IVF on the NHS. My ccg is having a consultation in April about stopping funding for all fertility treatment, including clomid! I was so shocked, how is that fair?!

However he seemed quite confident that I just need some help in ovulating regularly and that would probably do the trick.

I've been working hard on my weight loss recently (lost 8lbs in 3 weeks), need to step it up a gear now. 3 months to lose between a stone - 2.5 stone is doable right?

Pug - completely doable, just coint calories. Or keep up whatever you have been doing to be honest! It is absolutely shit that your ccg might be stopping all IVF funding, I mean luckily it looks like you don't need it but I feel for all those who really do need it in your area. So many positives from your meeting though, glad things are looking up. Hope you have more success from the HSG than I did...

Pug that sounds positive! yes totally do able re weight loss.

Your consultant sounds really proactive pug , good luck getting your BMI down, you've got a clear target and goal to work towards and I'm sure you'll smash it.

I can't help but feel NHS IVF will be a thing of the past over the next few years. The service cuts yesterday suggest they are having to lose anything they deem 'non essential'. It's so wrong

Had another terrible nights sleep. It's so typical at this point in my cycle. TTC hasn't half shown me what PMS does. Awful mood swings, the hunger and cravings, temperature fluctuations, racing pulse, insomnia... who would be a woman!!

Anyone testing this week? I'll dig out the list

Anyones dates need updating?

BFPs due
Pug
Gaelach
Londonjam - 2 April
Skipper - 4 April
Pyjamas - 4 April
Alexia - 6 April

Mrsbluebell - 6 April
Kerryleanne - 8 April
Carley - 13 April
Kathrino
Pyjamas
Binky
Glitter
Winging
Quiettime
Missy
Smittenpears
Macs
Flash
Hopefulbunny

Grads
Kav
Mrsg
Wanting
Music
ScottishLady7
Starmist
FXSkip
Dixiechick
NS
Presh
Gimble
Peachytech
Starfish
Colourmylife
Poppet
Peaches
Tonks
Kaydee
Miranda
Harriet