Yams, fertile feckers and what not to say.

[LimpLettice]

Part the third:

Welcome all anti-fertile fuckers! This is our clique for those trying longer than 6 cycles and are pretty fed up.

Here are our Fucked Off TTC Commandments

• Thou shall not arrive one day and post BFP next day
• Thou shall not give advice to other when TTC for one month only
• Thou shall not participate in one-up-manship and realise TTC is shit for everyone in different ways
• Thou shall allow posters to be fucked off with the world and everything in it at regular points in the month
• Thou shall not be offended by strong language
• Thou shall not tell everyone to eat yams
• Thou shall accept being called a muppet for testing at 7dpo at 9pm at night

Our spreadsheet which includes what supplements (and potatoes) we are trying in our journey to motherhood.

Ban the bath @DoAsDreamersDo 😂

There's also going to be less drinking and more exercise in his near future and a great deal more zinc. He's so lucky to be married to me #blessed

Has anyone tried acupuncture? I'm usually very sceptical about holistic medicine but I have noticed quite a few ivf clinics offer it as a complimentary thing.

There's an offer on my staff noticeboard for discounted sessions & im tempted to give it a go!

Yes, but then I've tried absolutely everything.

I thought it was a load of hokkum and that I've better ways of spending £50 (like setting fire to it). However some people absolutely swear by it. Do you have irregular cycles? I've just regularly seen people credit it with sorting that out for them.

@ronswans I’m going tonight! I’m sceptical but trying everything else so thought I’d give it a go. Although burning £50 like si1ver sounds about right! 😂

My cheapie preg tests arrived today, going to get harder to not be testing in the mornings. I am 10dpo tomorrow, when is the sensible time to test?! I guess after AF is late - but I have no real idea when that is.

Good luck at acupuncture @Lexie, please let me know you get on, do they do a specific TTC session? I am having reflexology & feel it could be helping.

Let me know how you get on @LexieJean! I've booked a session for week after next. I really don't believe in this kind of thing normally but I thought it would be worth a go. It's only £35 with the staff discount & I probably spend more than that on supplements every month!

Ok @ronswan and @lovepina I shall report back tonight! 😊

Ooh do report back! I'm still awaiting AF but plotting what next to put all my faith in (acupuncture, SMEP, baggy boxers, preseed.... the options are endless!)

For those looking into acupuncture I highly recommend it - was struggling for 6 months post MMC then on cycle 7 (and I think not coincidentally) after only 5 or 6 weekly sessions of acupuncture (which improved my temp chart pattern massively) I got a BFP. Currently 6+4 and feeling quite positive so 🤞🏼
Good luck yammers x

Thanks @grumpy glad to hear things are progressing well for you hugs

My report on acupuncture: 😊
So the lady I went to was recommended by a friend of a friend who struggled TTC for years and had multiple IVF treatments (who now has twins!) she is a fertility specialist, working in the field for 20+ years. Suffice to say despite my misgivings about the whole thing she knows her stuff!
First session extended as LOADS of questions! She asked all about me, my cycles, my diet, lifestyle, history of my cycles (I started late and v irregular as a teenager), how long on the pill and general health questions, especially any dizziness, other aches and pains (I get lower back pain) and sleep patterns. I have to say I do like the ‘whole body’ approach of Chinese medicine. Then she stuck a load of needles in me!
When discussing diet she was v concerned about the lack of meat i eat and my short, light 1-3 day period. I’m no longer a vegetarian but was for years and stick to once or twice a week- I believe the trendy kids call this a flexitarian! I do this for various reasons. Anyway she insisted we try to create a warm welcoming space in my womb and increase my blood by consuming more meat and fish (5 portions a week plus plenty of lentils etc). I must keep my feet warm, not walk barefoot. Also she recommended Royal jelly, omega 3 for OH as well as multi vit supplement like Pregnacare for us both. She explained that she will work differently depending on the time of my cycle- so when I’m in the 2WW she’ll use different/fewer needles.

In summary I’m going to give it a go for as long as I can afford to- hopefully 8-10 weeks, and follow her advice. My way isn’t working after all so might as well try her way!

I am also an advocate for acupuncture. This is cycle 12 ttc #1 with a mmc in September. Been going to acupuncture for the last 7 weeks and got my bfp on Tuesday! I am going to continue going throughout the first trimester as he recommended, but apparently it's not of much benefit after that. Good luck to everybody and I hope you get your bfp's soon 🤞

Ooh, that does all sound very positive. Even if it's just all in the mind, it seems to work!

I've also been looking at acupuncture. I'm really tempted. Though technically there's nothing "off" with my cycles, and we were diagnosed as struggling due to male factor... Anyone any idea if it's worth it in my case?! Could it make my womb/eggs extra receptive to the few sperm that get there?! Or is it pointless with my husband's low everything?

Can they do acupuncture for male fertility?? If it involves needles in that area though, I'm not sure I could convince him..!

Congrats @stowie! Thanks for the hope.

@newsense they can work on males for fertility too- needles not necessarily in his nether regions, depends on what needs to be focused on etc. Might be worth a go if you can persuade him.

@NewSense my DH has very low count, it just takes one. I am not sure about acupuncture for male fertility, might be worth looking into though!

@NewSense I think of be focusing more on diet and healthy living to improve sperm count. However, if you want him to try acupuncture, there's no needles to the bollocks. It's more likely to go in his foot, his arm, his forehead etc

Eurgh I'd hate to have a needle in my foot! I'd end up kicking the acupuncturist in the face (by accident, of course!!)

Oh @dreamers I absolutely hate having my feet touched- mostly the underside. But she was calm and not ‘delicate’. I find that worse that a firm touch. And the needles went around my ankles and near the top of my big toe.

Oh I forgot- coffee is a no no! 😭 I already knew that but she was very firm with a tea a day is ok (I don’t drink tea) and one coffee a week- just a single shot. No to decaf because of the chemicals they use to process it.
As if TTC didn’t suck enough already I now lose one of my favourite things! 🤬

So it is cycle day 31 and I am now a day late. Did a £1 test yesterday and it was a bfn. Should I waste money and test?

Can I join please

Ttc for 18 months for baby number 1 and am 29 years old. Have been to the doctor's and hormones are within the ranges and hycosy is clear. Husband sperm was checked. I have a appointment in April for referral to the fertility department. Does anyone know what happens next?

Hi Catherine welcome! If it’s the first time at the fertility clinic, they’ll probably do an internal US and more bloods (as standard) and most clinics will ask your OH to repeat his SA even if it came back normal the first time. Then they will go through medical history etc and give you a date for a follow up appointment to get any results from them and discuss what the next course of action will be :)

Bubblegum! So I had to wait for all these appointments for test to be done, to get a referral for the fertility appointment, where they will redo the tests I had done to get that appointment, to get another appointment..... 🤣🤣🤣 Good to know! I just told my husband what you said would happen.... He says looking forward to his date with the cup and hopes the edges of it aren't so jagy this time

Haha I know, it’s annoying. When I went I’d already had my thyroid and progesterone etc checked at the drs and my OH had had his sample checked both of which we needed for a referral. I got to the FC and they said that they were able to access my results so I didn’t need to redo mine (although they took more bloods to test AMH and for rubella) but said that they don’t have access to SA on their system and so they do their own in-clinic one. I think a lot of clinics prefer to redo the SA in their own labs. My OH wasn’t best pleased at that news but if it has to be done, it has to be done! He went to drop it off at the clinic last week and he proudly told me that he didn’t spill a single drop while, ahem, completing his mission, and I was just like, thanks that’s super gross. In fairness, we get poked with needles, have all manner of things shoved up our lady area and all they need to do is jizz into a cup (and masturbation isn’t notoriously horrible and uncomfortable lol) We definitely get the raw end of the deal!

@mamabooks what’s the longest cycle you’ve had? Give it another 2 days and test again! 🤞