When the going gets tough, the tough get Yams

[SoozC]

Thread five!

A safe place for those of you who have been trying to conceive for 6+ months and even yams aren’t helping. Come and have a good ol’ bitch and a moan without judgement.

The Yam Commandments are as follows;

• Thou shalt not arrive one day and post BFP next day

• Thou shalt not give advice to others when TTC for one month only

• Thou shalt 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 shalt not be offended by strong language

• Thou shalt not tell everyone to eat yams

• Thou shall accept being called a muppet for testing at 7dpo at 9pm at night

And most importantly...

• Thou shalt not symptom spot during the two week wait and must be prepared for a telling off if you do so.

Sorry everyone is having a challenging week, TGIF!! 8dpo and no boob tenderness this month - wondering if that means I didn't ovulate? Odd. So hard not to symptom spot when my body throws something brand new at me!

Sooz I've read all sorts about the cream and I decided I didn't like the sound of it so tried the B6 with a B complex. It definitely did have an effect on the spotting from first cycle.

I've had a long chat today with midwife cousin with 3rd and 4th child in her 40's. Long story short she told me not to give up, went through so much more with me than actually midwives, and suggested that anyone with m/c before 8 weeks should be on B6 and baby aspirin, which I've not tried. She says B6 v good for natural prog increase, and aspirin anecdotally massively reduces m/c risk. She also said her course said spotting from 10dpo on should not be an issue as LP still fairly healthy, but it doesn't hurt to boost prog.

Rhi a glass really won't hurt.

I meant to say that this convo has been the most positive, active and gentle I have had since this started, and despite everything I feel a lot more positive.

We haven't told anyone other than our mums and 1 friend each that we're ttc so this thread is a lifesaver for me especially as my friend had a baby recently after accidentally getting pregnant 😢
Advice on temping ladies - is it vital to do it first thing before getting up? And on my days off work should I still be setting an alarm to wake up and temp at around the same time?

@LexieJean sorry to hear you've been baby bombed 😫😫
@RhiBee29 a little won't harm, don't be too hard on yourself xx

After getting all of my results back, My Dr announced that he thinks I have PCOS. I have to have an ultrasound to confirm but that's what it's looking like. I know it's not the end of the world but I can't help but feel bummed out.

Sorry the baby bomb, Lexie, I hope you managed a good night in anyway.

Rhi, I follow the 'drink til it's pink' rule just because I hate to put my life on hold each month. It won't hurt. I had a beer this evening, no af yet although some more spotting today.

Limp, she sounds like a useful and lovely cousin to have! Interesting about the B6 and baby aspirin, I will definitely try both next cycle. Is it 1 a day?

Bama, yes, do it at the same time every morning. Advised to do it before you move at all (although I've known women do it after the same movement each morning, eg. walking to the bathroom). Use an app like Fertility Friend to track.

Starting to feel crampy. Af tomorrow then. Onto 4th cycle post-mc.

Right. Tomorrow's changes for a new cycle:

1. B6
2. Aspirin
3. Agnus Castus til ov
4. 2000ml water a day
5. No caffeinated coffee (hard one!)

This is in addition to:

1. Folic acid and Vit D
2. Vit B Complex
3. Vit C and Zinc
4. Iron
5. Cod liver oil
6. Weekly acupuncture

Think I've got enough going on?!

Sorry to hear that @LookingAtTheStars89 that's some crappy news 

Thanks @SoozC I have glow and flo already which I'm logging it into and have downloaded fertility friend too for the chart! I have the thermometer on my bedside table but keep forgetting going to the loo first so it's good to hear some women do that before getting the temperature....I'll aim to do that everyday this month then around the same time and if that doesn't look to be working I will have to remember to do it before moving!

She is lovely Sooz even without the knowledge. Out of hundreds, you gotta get lucky with a few cousins 😊

She says aspirin daily. But it's dispersive or dispersible 75mg now coz baby aspirin is banned. B6 is one a day but it needs a b complex for absorption.

I take B-Complex already, so will maybe add a separate B6 to it anyway. I think it's low on the B6 side. Thanks!

I have a fab cousin (out of the hundreds I have!) who is a nurse and had a mc but went on to have her 3rd child and took her years to conceive each time so she is my "lovely one" I turn to for advice!

@limp I’m so pleased you had a good talk with someone gentle. You sound in a much better frame of mind.

@looking sorry for the potential PCOS diagnosis. Knowing there is an issue is both a blessing and curse I guess. Big hugs.

@sooz I’ve not heard great things about progesterone cream. Taking/getting too much can cause nasty side effects.

So much for not taking anything this month. I’ve gone back to vitamin B complex and magnesium with B6 in as well, plus Maca root, folic acid and vit d. I was taking magnesium when I got pregnant with DD so worth a shot.

BFN @ 14dpo...making gp appt Monday!

How are my af buddies today?

Bubble - I think I’m one of your AF buddies. I’ve been lurking for a while. She rocked up right on cue about half an hour ago... Oh joy... Onwards and upwards to Cycle 18.

Also suffering from secondary infertility at this end. We’ve been ttc since December 2016 without a hint of a BFP. DS took 12 months to conceive, including a cp and a ruptured ectopic along the way, so I half expected similar this time around, but not quite this...

We’ve had all the basic tests, and the only issue they’ve uncovered is that DH has very poor morphology, which came as a huge shock, particularly as I conceived 3 times in 2014/15... Off to see a Consultant Urologist on Monday to see if he can help us.

We have a follow up at the fertility clinic on 26 March to get the ball rolling on IVF, although I may push for a HSG first (I’ve had the basic scan and it didn’t reveal anything untoward), but I can’t help worry that my one remaining Fallopian tube might be blocked...

Morning Cariad sorry to hear af showed up today :( mine hasn’t yet but I’m not 100% sure when I ovulated so it may come later today or tomorrow. I know I can’t be pregnant this month unless I’m the next Virgin Mary lol.

Your story is similar to mine. Secondary infertility, been ttc since Dec 2016 with no luck. I’ve had most of my tests done now and there appears to be nothing wrong with me or OH which is kind of even more frustrating. Definitely push for a HSG/HyCoSy at the fertility clinic, it’s wirth just checking your tubes even if your plan is to do IVF anyway. Good luck!

Worth* not wirth lol

You’re right Bubblegum. In some ways, I think it would be a comfort of sorts if I discovered my remaining tube was blocked as at least I’d know that I could never conceive naturally, thereby avoiding the monthly rollercoaster...

It would also mean never having to use contraception again, which might have its pros! 😂

Bubble - I hear you re: unexplained infertility. It’s very very tough. Although DH has poor morphology, his count and motility are good so on paper (and particularly since he drastically cut his alcohol and caffeine consumption in the Autumn, and ramped up his vitamin intake) there’s no reason (they’ve found so far) why we shouldn’t conceive naturally... In fact, the Dr we’re under at our fertility clinic said to us in November that she really didn’t expect to see us again as she had every confidence we’d manage it naturally before Spring... But obviously it hasn’t happened, which is frustrating and infuriating in equal measure.

When I went for my HyCoSy and they told me my tubes were fine, they kind of just wished me good luck. At that point I thought, oh my god. This isn’t going to happen. They’ve not found anything they can try and fix, I’m on my own and if it hasn’t happened already, I doubt it ever will. It’s actually kind of terrifying isn’t it?? Like, it’s what our bodies are designed to do. When you can’t you assume it’s because something is wrong so you go and get it sorted out but when they can’t find anything wrong, you just think, well why the hell can I not get pregnant then?! If there’s sperm and an egg and clear tubes and a nice looking uterus, what’s the problem? Ugh it’s all very tiring lol it’s even more frustrating when you’ve had a baby before because you know your body can do it. Every doctor I’ve seen has said “well you’ve had one before so that’s a good start” is it?! I think having a baby previously has naff all to do with future fertility tbh

Hey, Bubble, brown watery spotting once this morning, after pink spotting last two days. No proper af pains last night, they were more like I'd been doing sit-ups, but very low down in front and very mild. Plus a sharp, sharp pain right lower abdomen for a minute or two. But I'm sure proper af pains tonight.

Are you going to POAS @SoozC?

Keeping my fingers crossed for you Sooz I’m hoping mine shows tomorrow instead so I can get in some dtd tonight without recreating a scene from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Rhi Ahahahahaaaaaaaaa! No.

Was stoopid on Thursday doing one (was out of date, but meh), no way I'm doing one when af is literally around the corner! I'm sure she'll turn up, my cycle is just still a bit out of whack after the mc and who knows if the acupuncture has helped reduce my af pains!

If she's not here by, say Tuesday, I might test.

It’s so tricky isn’t it Bubble. On the plus side (and in case this is of comfort to any of those ttc#1 on here), I’ve lost count of those I know who really struggled whilst ttc#1 only to find ttc#2 (and in one case #3), much much easier, so I definitely think there’s a huge lottery element to it.

You’re right - it’s hugely frustrating knowing that you’ve managed it before and yet your body refuses to play ball. I’m half hoping that even if our first round of IVF isn’t successful, the drugs will do something to kick start my body into baby ready mode...