been ttc #1 since forever...

[nomoremagnolia]

Feeling very fed up with failing every month and wondered if there's anyone in the same boat? It's a lonely boat on a journey to nowhere at the moment, but if anyone else wants to join me, some company would be nice

eat it - it's his own fault for being out so late

Hello newbie here.. I really do feel like #1 is unachievable...No BFP, no pg ever and now 20 months in, tests have been ok so fingers crossed...

Thanks for having me I hope everyone is doing ok

Have MN changed the layout of the threads, or is it just my computer?

Well AF was a no show yesterday. So that puts me on 15dpo. I think I'm right - last day of EWCM was Thursday 11th and then I woke up on Friday 12th with creamy cm and sore boobs. Usually AF does arrive on 14dpo for me, but on one occassion the witch waited until 15dpo (I remember this well as I was just getting all excited). So I expect she'll show up today (I can almost hear her cackling in the background). I'm not too hopeful this month. Boobs are no longer sore and cm is not too abundant. When I was pregnant last christmas I'm sure I had persistant sore boobs and plently of the thick cm. Oh well I can do nothing, but wait. I'll test tomorrow if nothing happens today. Sorry for waffling on about me. I just find the last bit of the 2ww so all-consuming.

There are such sad stories on this thread . I think I've had it rough, but not really compared to others.

Welcome to the thread cityangel. I hope you don't need to stay long .

Gilly You sound a bit like me. I got pregnant easily then m/c and now can't seem to get pregnant. I find work quite a good distraction from ttc miseries. I also feel that doing well at work is something which is within my control, so I'm concentrating hard on my career right now.

Can I ask what is the advantage of iui (compared to normal shagging)? Is it just about getting the timing right. Or is it a big help to get the sperm a bit further in?

Fingers crossed Jess that AF stays away for you.

IUI allows the sperm to be washed, so they use only good sperm and better quality sperm and they also track your follicles. Once the egg is matured they release the egg and then inject the sperm using a catheter directly into the womb, so the sperm is taken much closer to the egg than normal('o'natural). Basically it gives everything a helping hand. However I have not had it yet, but this is what I understand they do.

cityangel - Hi there.. welcome

Oh sorry.... forgot to say... Morning everyone

Ready this is the most recent thread I could find on the reflexology and TTC. I had 2 sessions in the spring with a general reflexologist practioner but I felt it did nothing for me (i.e. didn't relax me) then the move to London happended and I decided to give acupuncture and chinese herbs a try. I'm not pg yet but it has had an effect on my cycle already

Jess fingers crossed for you hun! I wish I had the motivation to imerse myself in work but it is very bitty at the moment and I just don't have anything substancial to get my teeth into; hence why I am feeling about it. I took 9-10 mths to get pg first time and then mc; so certainly within the average time but this one seems to be much more elusive!

Hello Cityangel, hello everyone too!!!!

Hi Gilly, I just mailed Ready and said virtually the same. I tried reflexology, which I found OK, the acupuncture is defo more beneficial to me. Although not pregnant yet, my cycles are becoming stable and feel more 'fertile'. IYKWIM. I'm really enjoying it. although its very costing. How much do you pay?

Rah its £45 per session and at the moment I am going weekly so yes it is very expensive! The herbs are £30 per month but I have chosen to have them in capsule form so I don't know if that makes it more expensive. I am now based in London so again i don;t know if I am paying over the odds. I considered a few other acupuncture places (inc. the Zita West clinic which has been recommended by some MNetters) but I could not afford that. I have heard good things about hypnotherapy too. Anyone tried that?

My herbs are £35 a week in the herb form or £32 for 2 weeks in the tablet form. He keeps trying to push the herbs that I have to boil up, but thats £140 on herbs a month. I had the tablet form to go on holiday with, as I thought customs might not be too happy with me and preferred taking them. This week I am going to ask for them in the tablet form, however he reckons they are not as strong as the others. But I'm not too happy about spending £140 a month on herbs. My acupuncture though is only £25 a session. But probably depends on the area. I got to Coventry, but if you go 10 miles down the road where people have more money it is about £40 a session.

Maybe this guy is inflating his herb prices as his acupuncture price is low? I might get the herbs in tablets and look on the internet for them cheaper.

I have done the herb form for about 6 weeks and it is doing my head in. They stink and they taste disgusting. Plus I need to boil and simmer them every morning and evening for 1/2 each time. Its all very disruptive to normal day living. I'm always late doing things!

Nomore..... doesn't sound very relaxing at all to me!!! Nice though...I wouldn't mind a few freebies!
I had accupuncture every week after my DS was born to sort me out....seemed to work as my cycles settled down nice and quickly to 27/28 days but then I started using OPKs and realised that my LPhase was only 8 days...so a bit of a problem there.
I'm now taking B6 as I've heard that it supposed to be excellent for lenghtening the LP.
This month I have OVd on CD15...usually CD17, 18 or 19....so we shall see in a few days if it works or not!

Ready.......yup...your thesis has definitely beaten my measly attempt at an essay...never again will I feel that I have typed too much!!!!
How are you feeling today?

Rah...hope the cotton wool has gone okay...totally undiginified isn't it?
I went for day21 bloods and others again this morning. The form said to put them in a GREEN tube but the hopsital insisted on putting it into a BLUE tube...so I am expecting to have to go back and do them again when they are not accepted...AGAIN!!!!!!
(Happened with my swabs last year - wrong form and I had to have them all done again......nasty!!)
PMSL at your group comment...just what I was thinking....a few different partners...a bit more enthusiasm for TTC...a truely brilliant solution for subfertility!!
Bring on swinging on the NHS!!!!

(Actually...don't!!!!! )

Very with body and the way of all this ttc shit. It's so unfair that pre-menstrual symptoms are practically the same as early pregnancy, and that every month I see those very same symptoms as hopeful signs, even though it would be much better for my mental well-being to accept reality.

My last cycle was three days longer than its usual 28, and towards the end I had metal mouth, cramps, funny lips (a symptom in previous pregs) so was v disappointed when flo came along. Now, I'm only on CD25 and that familiar pain around the hips has started, and that funny cold feeling in the lower belly. Did loads of BD at the right time (or what I thought was the right time), too. Come on then auntie - let's be having you. Let's get it over with.

Rah my acupuncturist gave me a choice of capsules or fresh. I knew I would never get on with the fresh. I must admit that your prices seem very high compared to what I?m getting. She ordered my capsules from this place and had them posted to me at home as she does not dispense herself. I have 3 different formulae; one for days 4-10; another for days 11-15 (ov) and a third for the end of the cycle. I have to take three capsules three times a day and I regulate when to take the middle ones depending on when I suspect I am ovulating. It may be worth asking for a more economical way of taking your Chinese herbs?

I want to see how I do for a couple of months and then do it every two weeks otherwise I?m going to be very broke by the time a baby does materialise!

Herby, sorry to hear you are feeling crap . Please tell me to shut up if I am about to talk rubbish - but do you remember when Torres on the TTC after MC thread was told she had a very cold abdomen and this was making her incapable of ?incubating? the egg? She was having acupuncture at the time but also told to use hot water bottles in the second half of the cycle to ensure her body temperature was always warm. I have also read this in the Zita West book and I try to avoid cold things (ice, drinks, ice cream).

I will try to keep it brief today

BIG WAVES to City - welcome aboard chick

Seems to be some disparity between herbs and capsules prices Rah and Gilly - certainly worth comparing notes isn't it

Herby (hope you don't mind a nickname?) - I am the opposite, as soon as I get a twinge I convince myself that is it and no BFP (there never has been, so I am 100% correct) but I have to try to convince myself it might be pregnancy related. Hope you are ok?

Rah - Hope today wasn't too bad. Thinking of you

Any news Jess ?? MN have changed the layout, dunno why, I hate it, I have changed mine back to classic

BIG HUGS to everyone!! Hope you are all enjoying your friday! It's blardy miserable here, suits my mood really. Although the chocolate orange has helped

Ok... Does anyone know anything about royal jelly? I have heard it mentioned a few times now and I am intrigued er, nosy

Thanks Ready. was not too bad (always enjoy opening my legs to total strangers)
It was a good job I went in as the lead nurse for the IUI clinic knew nothing about our baby and hence why we were invited with 10 other couples. We discussed that November is not the best month for us and that it would be best to met on a 1-2-1 basis in December. So pleased!!! I was already dreading going to the group session....
Its amazing how the same hospital do not communicate. The same clinic even investigated my premature labour.... crazy! They are meant to be professionals and they only get 1/2 the info. You have to feel for the nurses as they end up in an embarrassing situation. GRRRR

Sorry moan over!

gillypumpkin - Thanks for the info..

I'm getting a bit concerned as he uses the same herbs through out the whole month and acupuncture. He has reassured me that if I became pregnant the baby would not be harmed, but after last time I just don't want to risk anything.
We questioned the prices with him and he said they were defo the prices as he makes up the herb batches individually and hence why they are so expensive. I think I am going to hunt down another local herbalist and check out their prices. I suggested just getting the capsules, but he kept saying the real herbs were my best chance to get pregnant. However I beginning to feel a bit resentful about the prices.. IYKWIM and that I'm being a bit conned. Plus they taste disgusting! But I do find the acupuncture relaxing and of benefit.

Rah your herbalist sounds like he's got you where he wants you - very manipulative saying it's your best chance. Check out other prices and don't let him bully you.

I know your right. I hate these situations. We went in there on Saturday with a clear plan of only wanting the tablets. Once we had the tablets we could then order what he was giving us off the internet for a cheaper price. But it all ended up going horribly wrong and we ended up with 7 bags of herbs for another £35. How can he expect people to pay that kind of money + £25 for the acupuncture a week?? Thats £60 per week!!

Well AF arrived on Friday I was pretty much expecting it though so I didn't feel too bad. I'm currently CD4 so the new month is already well under way.

Rah - Those herbs sound very expensive and to me it sounds like the herbalist is praying on your unhappiness. £140 seems like a huge amount to pay each month for something which is effectively unproven. Have you tried another therapist? Maybe paying a bit more for the acupuncture, but a lot less for the herbs would be better. Probably best to ignore me on these matters though as I am highly cynical about alternative medicine .

herb - sorry you're at the cruel end of the 2ww. I find it's the hardest time of all. Fingers crossed for you.

Hello to everyone else.

Rah I?m sorry if I have confused you in terms of your acupuncture/Chinese herbs but I must say that, based on my limited experience, I agree with Nomore and think he may be taking a bit of advantage of your situation. I have read up on Chinese herbs and some practioners do prescribe one set of herbs for the whole month whilst others decide to vary the formula. I?m not sure why. What I am worried about is that he is saying that taking fresh herbs ?is your best chance of getting pregnant?. I have not found anything to say that capsules are better or worse than fresh but I?ll ask my acupuncturist this Wednesday when I see her.

Before I decided on an acupuncture practioner I checked out others on MN who had had the treatment. Unfortunately some of the ones which were suggested I could not afford; so as an alternative I checked out my local place and each of the three practioners there and if they were registered with the British Acupuncture Council (you can search by post code) and had any fertility experience. Don?t feel guilty about changing practioner if you want to and ask lots of questions before booking an appointment BTW, how long have you been having treatment?

Jess, so sorry to hear about AF I?m expecting her to knock on the door on Saturday and been feeling crampy all weekend already.

Ready, please don?t think I was putting you off reflexology last week. I think I should have done more research before just picking one practioner out of the air (and not taking my own advice as above!). I love having my feet touched and if we had not moved to London I would have probably given it all another try with someone else who knew a lot more about fertility and was a woman.

Hey Nomore!!

I get some herbs in tablet form, called 'planting seeds' I think, from my acupuncturist, and they're £17 a tub, and last at least a month. Either yours are expensive, Rah, or mine are cheap shit!

..of course that is the other conclusion!!

The torment continues - the Witch of Flo still hasn't come. Every now and then I get the sort of cramps that get me dashing off to the loo, tampon in hand, to find nothing there. Cue excitement. Cue madness. But I've been here before.

I know I should do a test, but a BFN is somehow so much more depressing than aunt flo.

herby I'm the other way round - would rather a BFN 'cause then I know AF is going to come and it's not so disappointing, but either way it's hard to avoid the madness.

AND, I seem to have the longest luteal phase known to man, if not pregnant. I got some EWCM (hurrah - first for months) on about CD11, and it's now CD29. This, naturally, further fuels the flames of madness.