9DPO Symptom Spotting

[unCliche]

Hey @ButterscotchBabe! Continuing our chat here 😁

I loooove that your temps did exactly what mine did too. So good that AF hasn't arrived at CD26!! Happy for you! When your temps increased last month, was it is to a gradual high or did it jump up again and then AF started? Because if this pattern is new, it could mean good news!

Ours definitely look like the beginning of a triphasic chart. My temps last month started dropping at 7DPO, so it still being high at 9DPO is such an achievement for me and no sign of AF either although my vulva feels AF'y in a weird way. My pulse and breathing rate have also continued to shoot up!! If temps don't tell you AF is coming, pulse rate defo will because it always starts falling a few days before AF for me.

I do suspect chemical but no BFP so can't confirm and nothing else changed that cycle so I can't explain it. Hormones were defo the reason I never took the pill, it plays such a big part in changing your reproductive cycle that of course it would have an affect on cycles after you come off them! 45 day cycles sound like a nightmare - especially when TTC too.

I do have a FRER! I'm always so scared to use it though. I always use rubbish ICs which probably aren't the best thing but I will use my FRER with you!

I like predicting what my temps will do with DH. What do you think will happen tomorrow? I think both our temps will go up again 😆

In the grand scheme of things 6 months isn't too far away, so even if you have to wait that long at least now that shops and places are open, you'll have plenty to do to keep you busy. And you won't have to be pregnant in lockdown! So you can go to all the pregnancy and baby activities of your choosing.

Haha aww! They're still little babies! But good to know that they're both boys! During lockdown, we had to wait in the car while the vets came and took the pets away, but now we can go inside with them. Maybe in a few more weeks they'll start allowing the humans in too at your vets. But glad to hear it all went well and your boys and nice and healthy!

It was nice! My dad's brother, his wife and two kids (5 and 9) came to stay. You should try keeping kids entertained! All we had was netflix and internet. The little one even asked for toys! 😂

Wow! That hotel is gorgeous. In the summer it would be stunning with the sea just in front of it. If you DP prefers this one and you don't mind either, then maybe just got for it so that you're both happy. We didn't actually view a lot of venues. We say the one we wanted online, the pics looked amazing, we viewed it and that was that - we loved it! DH was very much aligned with a lot of things I liked so it definitely helped when we had to make decisions together.

Now that you have the letter, I'd call them and ask them to explain exactly what is meant so that there are no misunderstandings. Since consultations is plural, it suggests that more than one will be covered by the NHS.

My sleep has been great. Good to know it's been good for you too. I think once I start the IVF, it'll get disrupted from all the nerves. I just hope I can start with my next AF. I have 8/9 days between my initial consultation and AF starting so it might be cutting it close and I'd have to start in July. Not sure if we should bother TTC this cycle. Might as well...

You'll definitely be pregnant by then! Maybe even heavily so! But you've waited so long for both that being pregnant on your wedding day would be a double blessing!

Much better thank you! Not sure why it was so painful before it started, because once it got going, I had no menstrual cramps. My AFs are generally pain free, not sure if that's a good or bad thing though.

Your temps literally flew back up! It's looks really good. How does it compare to your past charts? Are these your highest temps yet?

Temp went back down again this morning ☹️, I think this cycle is gonna be an 8/9 day LP.

Hope your af has stayed pain free, I'm not sure what causes the pain because I used to have very painful periods and now they're lighter and less painful 🤔.

Glad you had a nice weekend with your family 😊. Haha I'm no good with kids, I guess I'll learn when I have my own but at the moment I wouldn't know how to entertain them! How did they cope with no toys and just Netflix and internet? 😂 Did they like the rabbits and cat?

There's another issue with the Berry Head, they only have one large function room, so the ceremony and reception have to be in the same room. To save time they set up the ceremony at one end and the wedding breakfast tables at the other end. So everyone has to walk past the wedding breakfast tables to get to the ceremony. I don't like this as I feel the ceremony should be completely separate. I asked if they could set up the tables after the ceremony and they weren't very happy with that. So we're still searching! That was really lucky you found the perfect venue quite easily, we've looked at 5 now! I hope finding a wedding dress isn't as difficult 😂😂.

We'll probably never stop worrying, our worries will just change from TTC, to pregnancy, to birth, to keeping the child alive and healthy! Yes definitely still give TTC one last go, many people conceive right before they start treatment.

How is Aski doing? Is she allowed out yet or does she need more time to recover?

Did a late food shop this evening, so much nicer shopping when it's quiet! Do you do most your food shops online or in store?

Oh poo. Did your temp go back up today? It might not be a short LP. Do you have any spotting or AF symptoms today?

My AF has continued to behave itself. I think I'll be finished by tomorrow so it might be 4 days long. This cycle, I'm thinking about taking baby aspirin (although I don't know where to get it from!) and also self-inseminating instead of DTD. It probably won't cure a low sperm count but maybe it'll get more sperm past my cervix.

If I'd kept my original appointment, I would be having my scan today, but instead I went to a team meal with my colleagues. I haven't seen them in ages so it was good to reconnect with everyone.

My cousins survived without toys. Poor Aski though. They wouldn't leave her alone, she kept hiding from them. She'd go under the bed and wouldn't come out. Eventually she did warm towards the older one but I guess the little one was just too unpredictable for her.

Ah, I see. I would prefer separate rooms too tbh. Keep searching! It's the most important part so you want to get it right! Are you just looking within Devon? Since it's just a one day event, it might be worth considering further out. DH and I got married an hour away in Hampshire and many people from around the South East (and even further) were able to make it.

I'll probably start treatment in July. The clinic we went to for our investigations dated DH's SA Jan 2020 instead of 2021. So in a way it confirms our "we started trying in Jan 2020" story but abc definitely won't accept the results because it "isn't within a year", so he'd have to do another SA, which is fine I suppose because I'm curious as to where he is. Have you guys given up on getting your DP's SA?

Aski is doing really well thanks. Her wound looks non-exisitent. She's healed up pretty fast. I took off her recovery shirt today and she gave herself a proper groom. Yesterday, once again, she had poop stuck to her fur 😷

We mostly shop in store too but we're pretty rubbish at it because we don't plan beforehand, we just notice there's no food in the house and get whatever happens to fall into our hands. I'm sure you're the really organised type though! You probably know how many of each item you need and all the meals you're going to cook with them.

I've bought some low dose aspirin (75mg) and soy isofalvones (which will arrive tonight and I'll take from CD5 - CD9). Might as well try these 🤷‍♀️

Also, a friend is celebrating their 30th on the weekend (the other one who also had a baby) and my long term ex is a mutual friend and he'll be there and now I'm imagining all these scenarios in my head! Trying to think about all the best ways to not make it awkward, like pretending he's a long time friend and being all happy to see him and keen to catch up 😅

Temp has been a bit weird this cycle but as it's gone up today and I don't have any spotting, af probably won't start till tomorrow or Friday. Hopefully yours has finished now, do they normally only last 4 days? Mine last 5-6 days but from CD3 onwards it's just very light and brown, so more like spotting.

So the aspirin will help if you have too much inflammation, will you be taking that daily? It might be worth seeing if the GP will test you for inflammatory markers because if you don't have inflammation, then it won't help.

I wouldn't recommend taking the soy isoflavones, they're the over the counter version of clomid. As you'll be self medicating no-one will be monitoring you and you don't want to mess with your hormones right before you start IVF.

That's cool you met your colleagues, it must have been weird seeing them again after so long! I don't think our team will meet up until later this year.

I started looking further afield and found this beautiful venue called the Hornsbury Mill in Chard, it's actually closer to where we live than the other venues but it's in Somerset. I've contacted them and they've reserved Saturday 2nd July 2022 for us and we'll view the venue on Saturday this weekend. It's a stunning location, separate rooms for ceremony and reception, reasonable price for exclusive use, food looks good in pictures (we'll have lunch there to test it!) and their payment terms are amazing. So at the moment it ticks all the boxes! 🤞

With your venue being an hour away, did you book suppliers (cake, flowers, decor etc) close to the venue or close to where you lived?

Haha thats funny the clinic put Jan 2020 for the SA! Yes I think it would be good for you to get updated SA results. Unfortunately as DP is not prepared to be pushy, I've got no choice but to wait until our consultation. At least the consultant wasn't concerned about the result, so even if it's not perfect, it shouldn't affect the IVF.

Glad to hear Aski is recovering well, hopefully soon they'll be less messy poops!

Hahahah I do write a shopping list but I get extras as well, normally treats! I normally shop in Tesco but a while back DP wanted to shop in Morrisons. When we left I said to him "never again!" They didn't have the products I wanted and it was difficult to find anything as I wasn't used to the layout. It was a traumatic experience 😂😂😂.

Will your DH be with you at your friends birthday? Does anyone else know that the mutual friend is your ex? If your DH is with you then probably best to just avoid the guy and speak to other people. If your DH isn't going to be there, then it might be less awkward?

Your LP might be longer than 10 days this cycle. You're already at 9DPO and you don't have spotting so you definitely have another two days before you start. I count my AF days as proper red flow. So today (CD5) would be a spotting day but I won't count it as it's more diluted blood. I used to have shorter AFs when I first started TTC, like 2 or 3 days, it was probably because of the vitamins. I'm glad it's a bit longer again because before TTC I used to easily have 6 days of AF.

I'm just taking whatever at this point. I'll cover my bases with the aspirin because it probably won't hurt. And too late! Already taken my first dose of soy iso. I want to see if I'll have a stronger ovulation and a longer LP.

Eeeek! You have a preliminary date!!! 2nd July 💕 So exciting!! The venue is lovely. Very idyllic 😍 You'll get gorgeous pics at this one too! Take loads of pics when you visit. It'll help when it comes to planning! How does your DP feel about the venue?

The vendors/suppliers came from all over the place to be honest! Most were able to travel within a certain radius. My videographers came from quite far, I think Ipswich, but they regularly shoot weddings in London so they didn't charge me extra to get to Hampshire. It's up to you if you choose vendors local to you or local to the venue. Just depends on whose work you love and if they'll travel.

Hahaha! We're Tesco shoppers too but we've also visited Morrisons a few times. I also find Morrisons sometimes doesn't have what we're looking for but they also have some products that we can't find in Tesco. But I like Tesco anyway as it has most things.

Yes, DH will be there but it doesn't have to be awkward! Everyone who knows me knows he's my ex. We were together 5 years and engaged to be married 😅 I don't want to avoid him or else it'll be really weird so I just want to act normal around him.

How are you finding life with the rabbits. Are they supporting your emotional needs? They must be a good distraction for you 💕 I'm always contemplating a second cat but we were so lucky with Aski with how gentle and well behaved she is. I don't want to risk it and bring home a naughty cat. We let her out today and she escaped from the garden to the front of the house and ran through 2 neighbour's front gardens. I started chasing her and she eventually stopped to let me pick her up. We've now blocked her exit to the front of the house and left her to play in the garden for a while then she came in by herself!

Spotting has started today so af will come tomorrow and I'll have had a 10 day LP. I'm surprised it managed to last that long without many high temps!

Are you looking forward to having your scan next week? That will make it all very real!

Yes so potentially the wedding could be 2nd July next year! Although I have a feeling pregnancy may change that, I would rather not be pregnant at the wedding so we'd probably push the date back. Yep I take lots of pics whenever we view a venue 😂😂. DP is a bit sad that we probably won't be going with the Berry Head but he does agree that this one looks lovely.

Lol okay, well maybe when you first get there, say hi and do a brief small talk early on, then the awkwardness will pass? Do you know if he'll be attending alone or if he has a partner now?

The rabbits have definitely made these past couple of weeks easier, I was surprised yesterday that I was 9DPO, I genuinely wasn't keeping track of my cycle! Yeh if you got another cat Aski would probably buddy up with them and she may not be as well behaved. Aww she's desperate to explore!

I've found it really difficult trying to book a venue for my birthday party, it's strange, it's like all these venues aren't interested in the business. I can only think they are wary of the rules changing and therefore don't want to make things difficult by taking deposits. So I'm now considering having a party at ours, I'd be able to buy a lot more food and drink! You and your DH are very welcome to come 😊

That sucks to hear, did AF eventually start? The good news is your LP has been pretty steady at 10 days which is just about enough for implantation, so that's really good progress.

Next week's scan should be interesting. I wonder how many follicles I have growing at the moment. I've taken that Friday off so I'll be able to relax and leave early in case there's traffic. Today was horrible with traffic. DH and I went to Brighton yesterday, decided whilst we were there we would stay the night so we got a hotel. It was all very last minute and returning back today was an absolute nightmare. Seems like everybody was on the road. Do you have any plans for the bank holiday weekend?

I had to cancel today's blood test because I wasn't in Reading so now it'll be done around 5DPO (if I ovulate CD14) which is better for a progesterone test but it depends on when I ovulate. I might call in and try to push it back 2 days so at least if I ovulate late, I'm still within the right time frame. Anything else happening with you and your tests? Did you manage to dispute not being put on NHS funding?

What would be an ideal date to push the wedding back to? I think up until September will be nice. With having a March wedding, we were lucky we didn't get rain. I bought a white/clear umbrella just in case! I think winter would be risking it because you'd have to take pics in the freezing cold. But if the venue is nice and picturesque indoors, it might be worth it.

I know he has a girlfriend so I imagine he'll be coming with her. I don't want her feeling awkward either so I'll probably be very open and chatty with her. Maybe complement her on how pretty she is because she is! People say she looks like me so he must have a type 😂😂😂 but I think she's definitely prettier. Or maybe she does her make up better than I do because I'm useless at it! In my situation, what would you do?

Yeah the cycles are really flying by. I'm so glad you have something fun and lovely to distract you. Constantly thinking about TTC can get so consuming. Sometimes I find myself looking at obese or old women with young kids and I'm just like, how did they manage it, what am I doing wrong? But at this point, who knows the struggles they went through..

Aww yeaaaah! Thanks for the invite, it'll definitely be a awesome to celebrate your 30th with you! Send all the details and I'll speak to DH about it!

How's your DH's job? Has he recieved everything now? Does he have a start date?

Yeh af started yesterday unfortunately, I had a 10 day LP. It was painful yesterday but not today which was good as we went to view that venue! Are you CD8 now?

When you have your scan you'll have one big follicle but it would be good to know how many other follicles you have, I'd imagine you'll have 10+ on each ovary. The more you have, the more eggs they'll get with the IVF!

Aww that's nice you two had a night out in Brighton, did you get up to much? Yeh I can imagine the traffic was bad! Its horrendous down here every bank holiday, it seems half the country want to spend their bank holiday in Devon and Cornwall! Luckily the venue we viewed today is in Somerset so we were travelling the opposite direction to everyone else!

Still waiting for a date for the MRI, our consultation is booked in for 6th July so I'm getting concerned the MRI won't be before then. I need to email the clinic back, they called me yesterday chasing payment but I told them I would email regarding the transfer to NHS form. However, DP wants to pay for it anyway as a gesture of good will 🤨

With regards to the IVF and wedding, we've decided to go ahead with the Hornsbury Mill on 2nd July 😀😀 (no-one else knows yet!) So the plan would be to continue with the fertility investigations, laparoscopy if needed and then IVF. If I'm not pregnant by October, then we'll continue with the egg collection process and make the embryos but store them until after the wedding. So I would contact the clinic just before the wedding to book in an embryo transfer, for after the honeymoon.

Is it your friends birthday party tomorrow? If it's tonight, I hope things have gone okay! Its difficult for me to give you advice on this one because if it was me, I would feel quite uncomfortable with the whole situation but I think you'll handle it much better. You're confident and friendly and I think speaking to them early on will calm any tensions between both parties and make the rest of the evening less awkward 🙂. Maybe don't comment on her looks, she might think you're being sarcastic or trying to make her feel uncomfortable 😂.

Lol I hate walking past McDonalds seeing teenagers with kids, or obese and/or smoking parents with kids. Does seem very unfair!

I haven't fully decided whether I'll do the party at home or at a venue but either way it will be on Saturday 24th July. The government are due to announce what's happening next with regards to restrictions on 14th June, so probably best to wait until then before making a decision. I'll keep you updated 😊.

DP has started his new job now! He got paid for the first time in months yesterday so that was nice 😀.

How are the rabbits? Are they happy in the garden? We put ours outside for the first time yesterday and they loved it!

Sorry about AF and how painful it was. I'm pleased it got better for you, it would have been terrible being in pain while having to pay attention at the wedding venue. And congrats on choosing the venue! That's such good news and now that that's out of the way, everything else will slowly start falling into place. You must be so excited! An embryo transfer after the honeymoon sounds like the equivalent of a honeymoon baby - such a good idea but I'll still keep my fingers crossed for a pregnancy before October! Is the fluid in your tube removable? If so, would you be able to conceive naturally then? I'm just thinking it might be the quickest way to get pregnant if the NHS waiting list is long.

Today I'm CD9 and I'll be taking my last dose of soy iso. I've already been getting sharp pains in both ovaries. I keep checking for EWCM but I don't think my body is ready yet. Either way, I'll be starting OPKs today. DH and I have already DTD CD7 so if my body surprises me with an early ovulation, then I'm somewhat covered. My temps have dropped loads since taking SI. I couldn't temp on CD7 because I was impromptu in Brighton but my temp still fell some more today.

Brighton was good. One of my cousins is studying there so we met up with him and his friend in the evening and went for food. It was good to get away for a bit. I had to ask for a last minute day off but my boss was fine with it. I was also really worried about my pets, woke up at 3am with worry, because we hadn't planned on being away for two days and I hadn't prepared enough food for them but when we got back, they were all still alive with loads of food available!

It's probably a lot worse with covid where the only places you can travel are within the UK. And travelling to the coast must be the equivalent of a holiday abroad right now. Good thing you weren't caught up in the traffic, it was horrible!

Your MRI will definitely happen in June. July is ages away. Definitely keep pushing with this whole payment situation though. I still think you need to either have a call or receive an email detailing exactly what is meant by the wording of the form. Also ask them the steps you'd need to take to get on the NHS waiting list.

My scan is in 5 days!! I just hope my ovaries don't look too polycystic. Maybe I'll have two dominant follicles since I'm feeling it in both sides. I made sure to start the soy on CD5 so that I didn't produce anymore follicles, and only matured the ones I already have. I hope my ovulation is stronger this cycle.

The party went well! The ex and his gf were there. I think they must have been super nervous but I went up to them, said hello, gave them both hugs and chatted for a bit. DH also chatted to my ex for quite a while as they had similar jobs and it was all cordial and I think it really helped dissolve any potential tension. I spoke to his gf quite a bit too, didn't want her feeling threatened. In the end, it was a peaceful atmosphere and we didn't make it weird for everyone. I saw a lot of my old uni friends for the first time in a long time too. It was great! Told the ladies I'm getting IVF. DH disclosed his low sperm count himself but it was all pretty chill. Just a good day with good people.

Depending on when I start IVF, 24th July might be fine or it might not. My July AF will be due 13th July and egg collection/embryo transfer may fall on a day around then. But let's see what happens! Put us down as a tentative yes!

Yay that's amazing! How's he finding the job so far?

Awwww!! Were they binkying lots? I think our rabbits are loving it outside. They seem fine and happy to be left alone. Not sure if we should give them away to someone who'll give them more attention, but knowing my rabbits, I think they'd hate that.

Any plans for tomorrow? I'm so pleased I'm having a 3 day week. Might just do the bare minimum at work and have a chill week 😁

Whoa your temp! That must be from the extra estrogen! It will be interesting to see how it affects your ovulation and progesterone. Its clearly doing something! I just hope that by you taking soy isoflavones, that doesn't affect the results of scan because I think they'll base the level of drugs to give you on what they see.

That's interesting you're getting ovary pains already, I hope the actual ovulation isn't too painful. A couple of times I've had to take co-codomal due to intense ovulation pain!

Are you still taking the baby aspirin? Does that have to be taken everyday?

I haven't taken my temp over the past few days, decided I wanted some bank holiday lie ins! I'm only on CD4 so I doubt it will be very interesting anyway 😂.

I don't know if the fluid is removable, they've only mentioned cutting off the tubes, so I'm guessing it's not but I will ask! If they did manage to remove it, I guess there's no way to stop it coming back.

Aww glad you had a good time in Brighton, at least with the rabbits being outside they can eat grass, so even if you hadn't left much food they'd still have that. Yummy grass... 😂

I think only a consultant can authorise our transfer to NHS funding, so I'll have to bring it up again in the next consultation but at least DP can be with me for this one, as it will be online.

Exciting that your scan is soon! Even taking it on CD5 can produce more follicles but not as many as if you'd taken it earlier. When do yoi

Balls I accidentally pressed 'post' when I hadn't finished!

When do you have to pay for the IVF? Do they offer a refund if you don't get any embryos? I'm sure you will get lots though as you're bound to produce lots of eggs.

I'm pleased to hear the interaction with your ex went okay! I would have avoided them but that would have probably had a worse outcome 😂, it sounds like you handled it really well 😊.

That's interesting you told your friends about the IVF and brave of your DH to mention the low sperm count. Do you feel better now other people know? I met one of my brother's yesterday for lunch and I told him about the fluid and that we'd most likely need IVF. Although he's only 19 so I don't know how much he will have understood or been interested 😂😂.

Ah yes that would mean your egg collection would be around 24th July. If you can't make it then we could still meet up as we had previously planned 😊.

DP is finding the job busy, I think they're throwing a lot at him pretty early on, so hopefully it will calm down at some point! How's your DH's work going? Is he still working from home?

Yes when we put them outside they kind of jump and flick which is very cute 😂.

No plans for today, this morning I was in agony for about half an hour. I had really intense stomach pains on my right side under my ribs, which radiated to my back. Never had pain like it before, could possibly be gallstones 😕 but the pain has gone now thank god. Lovely and sunny here! Are you doing much today? 3 day week sounds awesome!

Hellloooooo!!

Yeaaah! My temps are super low. They're now sort of hovering. I'm looking forward to seeing what my temp rise will be like after ovulation. I have EWCM today, so I'm estimating a CD13/14 ovulation. My only concern with SI is my progesterone levels. If they end up higher this cycle, I'll have to let the consultant know that I was taking SI to help boost my hormones 😆

Have you started temping? It's nice to take a break from temping now and again. But I am glad I have a bracelet that does it for me because then I can have lie-ins if I want 😜

Don't laugh, but I tested the pH of my EWCM today. It was about 5/6. I guess slightly acidic is normal, but I'd ideally need it to be around 7. I came across something called baking soda finger and it intrigued me about my pH levels so I bought litmus paper 😂😂 DH has low sperm count and I don't want to be killing them off before they even have a chance! Have you heard of baking soda finger before?

Yes, I take the aspirin everyday. Although I didn't do much research beforehand. However, I don't think it'll kill me!! I'm really against taking medication quite frequently but if it helps me this month and I get a baby, then it'll be worth it!

If your tubes needed to be removed then you'd have no choice but to have IVF and they'd definitely have to finally put you on the NHS waiting list!!!

The rabbits finished the grass! So I had to move their hutch and enclosure over today. Our grass has grown really long so I'll use them as our natural lawn mower! How are your bunny boys coping with the heat?

After the scan, I'll have an initial consultation, if we're ready to go ahead then we pay a deposit there and then. Then I'll have a treatment consultant and I think I pay the rest then. My initial consultation is on 8th June, so next Monday!!! Eeeeeee!! Important decisions will be made very soon!

I'm not sure how I feel about people knowing about IVF. I guess it makes me feel empowered and that there's nothing to be ashamed off. Haha aww your brother probably wouldn't have understood the full extent of it but it must have felt good for you getting it off your chest?

Yes, we still defo need to meet up regardless of when/if I have IVF!! Especially since the weather is amazing too. It would be a shame to miss out on some sun.

Yup, DH is still working from home. He's always super busy and super stressed though. Glad to hear they're giving your DP lots to do! It'll help him get familiar with everything and everyone quickly. How's work for you?

Sorry to hear about your pain! Are you ok now?? is gallstones something you suffer with? Definitely take things easy. It's so easy to get ill in this heat!

My weekend was chill. We've been doing loads in the garden, especially as it's finally stopped raining. We even bought an electric concrete breaker!!!!

Anyway, must dash. Need to help DH in the garden. I haven't had time to proof read so please excuse any grammatical errors!!

I wonder how low your temp will go right before ovulation, so possibly tomorrow? Did you get a positive OPK today? Its exciting seeing something different happening but yeh you should tell the consultant because otherwise they'll think your current results are normal, and will base your medication on that. Not long now until your scan!

Yeh I started temping yesterday, it's probably pointless now but I might as well go through the motions, else I'll only be annoyed not knowing if I've ovulated 😂.

Lol I didn't even know you could test the PH of your EWCM! I've not heard of baking soda finger 😂. The vagina is always acidic, I know it goes more alkaline when fertile but I don't know if it ever reaches 7? The seminal fluid that the sperm come out in, is supposed to be help them through the acidic environment, so I wouldn't worry too much. Also it's kinda irrelevant as you'll be having IVF very soon!!

You've got a nice set up for the rabbits, I bet they love the long grass! I see you've got some bricks around the edges, we've had to do that too, annoying uneven ground! DP decided to get in and play with them 😂😂. We've got a shade cover which we put ontop and the bunnies tend to just stay in the shady bits when the sun's out! We've kept them inside today as it's been raining, luckily I bought some treats yesterday which has kept them entertained. Grey rabbit has definitely turned into a stroppy teenager, a few times now he's stamped his foot when we go to pick him up and nudged us with his head when we try and stroke him!

8th June is a Tuesday, did you mean 7th? After that consultation and payment do you then just wait for your next period to begin treatment?

Telling my brother about the fertility treatment didn't really feel like I'd got anything off my chest, I think because he can't really comprehend what I'm going through, so there wasn't much to discuss. Did you find people asked much when you told them?

My work is going okay thanks, a bit busy but nothing too stressful. I've been doing more wedding stuff, we've now paid the deposit for the venue and photographer 😀. So it's all real now 😬😬.

Yeh I'm okay now, it was really strange, I've never had gallstones before and I don't definitely know that was the cause but it matched the symptoms 🤷. Fingers crossed it never comes back!

Omg I bet the electric concrete breaker is really noisy 😂😂. How much concrete have you got to break up?

I'm not sure if my OPK was +ve yesterday. It looked like half of the line was dark and the other half was light so it was hard to tell so I marked it as low. My other results from yesterday weren't +ve so I marked yesterday as -ve. Today was definitely +ve and it's started to fade now this evening. My temps are still staying pretty flat. I'm assuming I'll get an ovulation dip tomorrow and the day after it'll start to rise. Tomorrow at my scan I'll ask if I've ovulated yet - That's if they can tell from the scan. I had ovulation pain in my left ovary today but now I'm feeling it in my right 😱

You ovulate every month so taking a month off temping won't stop you from being able to confirm ovulation. Plus you can check for when your CM turns creamy and ovulation pains. Did your temps fall further today?

I always feel like there's everything wrong with me so I must try everything or else I won't get pregnant. I've been testing the pH of everything. DH's semen - alkaline, my urine - slightly acidic, Aski's saliva - alkaline (I need to google about this), water - neutral 😂😂 I tried the baking soda finger a few days ago but I haven't really bothered during my FW since my body seems to be doing a good job at regulating the pH of my urine, so it must be doing a good job down there too 😂 You should buy some litmus paper and test everything 😂😂😂

Haha you're so observant!! How did you figure out the bricks 😂 our ground is uneven too so I've had to block the gaps. Oh no grey rabbit stamps his foot? Is he nervous? He'll get used to it anyway. It took ages for my rabbits to be ok with being touched, and even now they still run away. Your DP had the right idea getting down to their level to play with them. Cuuute! 💕 Today is my white rabbits birthday and tomorrow is grey rabbits birthday. They're two years old!! I actually forgot! My old neighbours wished them happy birthday and that's how I remembered. In fact, I also forgot it was mine and DH's 3 year anniversary today 😅😅😅 Silly me!

Ooops, sorry, I meant Tuesday 8th June. Not sure why I thought that was a Monday. But still not long to go. I'll probably pay the deposit and if by some miracle I end up pregnant this cycle, hopefully I'd be able to get it back. Yes, after the treatment consultation all there is to do is wait for my next cycle but it depends on when the consultation will be booked in for. If I can have it shortly after the initial consultation then maybe I can squeeze an IVF cycle in this month, but I doubt it anyway. How are things on the NHS front? Have you gotten a letter with scan dates?

Hmm no, people didn't really ask that many questions. They were mostly supportive and attentive and were understanding when DH mentioned his low sperm count. Do you think you're going to tell anyone else who would be able to comprehend your situation?

Congrats!! Photographer is such a big deal!! Will you get a videographer too? But venue is an even bigger deal. So pleased for you! Now you can defo look for other vendors now that you have a venue and a date for them. So exciting!! What's next on the list?

Haha did you use Dr. Google to diagnose your symptoms 😂 Hopefully it was nothing serious and you haven't experienced it again.

Looooooads of concrete/bricks! We're demolishing the big pond that we had in the middle of the garden. We have a skip coming tomorrow so we can finally start clearing the mess we've made! The concrete breaker is super loud - our poor neighbours 😂 we wear ear defenders when it's on. I hope we'll be done soon. We've only used it for 1 hour two days ago and 2 hours today and we've broken up quite a bit. I just can't wait for a finished garden!! We'll probably get some free topsoil off sellers on facebook to fill in the holes.

I won some competition at work in the whole of EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa). We had to create a video of ourselves explaining a new platform that the company recently launched and I did some silly double act where I role-played as two characters, one of them being a doctor with a posh accent!! It's so embarrassing and I had no intention for it to be seen by anyone but my boss, but now the whole continent has seen it 😂😂😂

Omg my ovulation pain is horrific. It's radiating into my back and I can't move 😭😭😭 today might be 0DPO after all 😭😭

LOOOOOOL I can't believe it but I actually ovulated from both sides 😂😂😂 just finished at my scan, will fill you in later!

Omg that's amazing, you could have twins 😱😱!! Your progesterone is gonna be high this cycle! Hope the rest of your appointment went well. Really busy at work today but I'll respond properly later 😊

The rest of the appointment was pretty positive. 10 follicles in each ovary this cycle so not as polycystic as last time, phew! I'm a perfect candidate and they're really keen to have me - it's just annoying that as perfect as everything apparently is, it isn't working for me! 😆 I'm hoping having two eggs will boost our chances of conception, two fertilised eggs would be great, but I'll happily have just one - but I don't think I'm lucky enough for even that!! I'm guessing the soy iso helped mature an additional egg this cycle, which is great but I really hope it helps with my progesterone. My temps barely rose this morning and with two corpus luteums it should be flying! Maybe I'm just a slow responder to progesterone 😪

I can pinpoint exactly when each ovary released an egg. The left ovary did it first around early afternoon yesterday and the right ovary released yesterday evening when I sent you that last message.

My progesterone blood test results will be so out this cycle 😂😂 I'll have to let them know I ovulated two eggs.

I'll need TSH and Rubella blood tests, my latest smear results and SA for DH and that's it!

How are things going with you?

Also, I mentioned the fibroid and she said she saw nothing of concern 🤷‍♀️ so maybe the fibroid has gone.

Nothing much interesting happening with my temps, it will probably bump up and down until ovulation!

10 follicles on each ovary is perfect, hopefully that will mean you won't get OHSS when they give you the stimulation drugs. Imagine if you got pregnant with twins right before starting IVF 😂. How much is the deposit? I'm guessing you'll have to pay that before you'll be able to do a test?

Don't worry it's early days, I'm sure your temp will shoot up! You've got two corpus luteums on board now 😊. Have you purchased another Progesterone test or will ABC be testing you? That's good the fibroid is either gone or not a concern 😊.

You even tested the pH of Aski's saliva 😂😂, are you gonna continue testing throughout your LP? I don't know if the pH of the vagina changes if you're pregnant?! I probably won't do the pH testing, there's already enough wrong with me 😂😂.

Haha yes I noticed because we have to use bricks sometimes depending on where we position the run. Its so annoying because we have a large garden but it's so bumpy that we can't put the run on most of it!

White rabbit has never stamped his foot but grey rabbit has done it several times now. He did it today so we separated them, I'm not sure if grey rabbit just wants a break from white rabbit or if he's getting aggressive 😕. It seems the longer we have the rabbits, the worse they become with being picked up, they hate it ☹️. Aww two years old, they're still young! That's funny your neighbours reminded you, they have a very good memory!!

Did you manage to do anything nice for your anniversary? It will be our 5 year anniversary in July, the day before my birthday!

I've still not got a date for the MRI scan, getting worried now that my consultation is gonna get put back. I wrote back to the fertility clinic querying the form I signed, they have come back and said they've realised I might be eligible for NHS funding and will come back to me once they've spoken to the consultant...

Booked a videographer, had a video call with them this evening. I'll have this wedding all sorted by the end of the month 😂😂.

Oh dear, hopefully you won't have to use the concrete breaker too much. DP has a chainsaw and I absolutely hate it, it's soooo loud!! Do people sell free top soil?? That's handy!

Haha wow that sounds very different from your normal day job! What's your prize for winning??

I've had a very long and exhausting day in the garden. I mowed the lawn this morning then started moving the piles of bricks and rubble into the skip we hired - I had to transport them up steps and through the garage. I've disposed of quite a lot by myself already but I've left the really big and heavy pieces for DH to sort out tomorrow. Did you spend your day out in the sun ☀️ as well?

Yeah, I'm pretty relieved that it was quite a good number in each ovary. I may not have to take a cycle out because of the risk of OHSS. My body seems to be behaving itself at the moment. The deposit is £500 so not too much to lose in the grand scheme of things if I end up pregnant this cycle but I imagine I'd get a portion of it back anyway. I'll probably have to pay it on Tuesday after the initial consultation so I'd still be in the middle of my TWW.

I'll be doing the progesterone test with my GP on Wednesday. I'd be 6DPO then, I'm also going to call in on Monday to see if I can add a TSH test in, if not, I'll pay £35 to do it at abc. DH's SA will cost £65 at abc, which is much more affordable than my other clinic!

Loool no, I won't be testing my pH anymore. I don't think anything would change during my LP. Are you doing anything new this cycle or are you keeping things the same?

My temps are still rising reeeeally slowly 😅 but it is going up. One of these days it should eventually jump up! This is probably the furthest we'll be with our cycles in the history of this whole thread!

Oh no, sorry you've had to separate the rabbits - are they fighting? Rabbits only stamp their feet when they sense danger, it's done to warn other rabbits. Just keep handling them and they will get used to it, I promise! They're not cuddly pets and the prey animal in them has them fearing everything and everyone, you'll soon learn what they do and don't like. I know my rabbits like to be left alone, so I leave them alone 😂

Aww five years is so long! That's such a lovely milestone. Will you guys be doing anything? You definitely need a separate celebration for it, don't lump it in with your birthday! DH and I didn't do anything for ours, I guess since we have our wedding anniversary, celebrating this one isn't necessary anymore.

Yay! Finally! Good thing you kept pushing. It's about time they put you on the NHS waiting list and funded all your treatments and consultations! I really do hope they get back to you with a date for the MRI, the weeks are literally flying by that it's so easy for things to take ages to happen. I'd chase it up with your clinic.

Wooow!! Amazing! Do you have a list of all the suppliers you want or have you been searching for them over the past few days? If you've recently only found them then you're definitely speeding through it! Very efficient. It's good not to leave things to the last minute. Especially with weddings where things book up so far in advance!

Loool what does your DP use the chainsaw for?? I think we'd probably use the concrete breaker for another 3-4 days. Yeah, there's lots of free top soil on facebook, but I'll need to be careful for invasive plants like Japanese knotweed, I wouldn't want to infect my garden!

I won recognition points which can be used to buy stuff. I currently have about 2000 points (but won 1150) which is enough to buy me something around £200.

Wow I bet all that garden work is going to get you really fit! I hope you've managed to have a well earned rest day today 😊.

I've spent most the weekend doing wedding stuff - working on a website, updating my budget spreadsheet, choosing canapés and menu options and have also booked a DJ!

How you feeling about the consultation on Tuesday? Have you got a list of questions?

It will be interesting to compare your progesterone results having taken the soy isoflavones. Also good that they're wanting you to test your TSH levels, I think anything above 2.5 affects fertility. £65 for SA 😱 that's very cheap! Our clinic charge £105 although they haven't charged me yet 😂.

I'm not doing anything new this cycle, I'm finding looking after the rabbits and planning the wedding is taking my mind of TTC 🙂. It's also helping me cope with things moving so slowly with the NHS!

How's your temp doing now? Hopefully it's rising a bit more steeply. Yeh after these cycles you'll be moving onto IVF and I'll be waiting for laparoscopy surgery and then IVF afterwards.

We didn't separate the bunnies for long, white rabbit also stamped his foot but grey rabbit does it more. There's no danger around so I think they're just being stroppy teenagers 😂. Hopefully they'll calm down when they've had their balls chopped off 😂, 4 weeks to wait!

Don't worry our anniversary won't get lumped in with my birthday, I ensure it is celebrated separately 😂😂. I think we're gonna have dinner out at the wedding venue we've booked. We wanted to try their food when we visited but they were fully booked. Yeh I guess this will be the last year we'll celebrate this anniversary, as you say, it will then move onto the wedding date.

There are some suppliers I decided on a long time ago but none of those are ones we've booked yet 😂. The photographer is a friend of DP's from uni and I found the videographer and DJ by doing some online research. I've contacted a cake baker and requested a quote for the attached wedding cake brief, hopefully I'll hear back tomorrow. Did you find people ate much cake at your wedding? Just wondering whether it's worth having 3 tiers 🤔.

DP uses the chainsaw to cut down trees or chop up wood. He's chopped two diseased apple trees down, which we replaced with young pear and cherry trees. We're also trying to change the trees for ones that are native and better for the wildlife here. Yeh it's safer to purchase from a garden centre to avoid invasive species, if you get it free from someone, you'll just have to keep a close eye on it.

Oooh £200 that's cool! How does the recognition points work? Can you swap them in for cash or do you buy something and claim it back off them?

Yeah, yesterday was definitely more chill than Saturday. I actually took DH to get his first covid vaccine then when we got back, I left him to move some rubble while I lounged about. I did help a bit but not too much. My body was super exhausted! Then a friend came over and we had a tree stump BBQ (Stumpique). It was a nice evening all in all. Sounds like you had a pretty productive weekend too!

Wooow you've done an amazing job finding these suppliers and booking them so quickly! That cake looks gorgeous. Did you create the image or you found this cake online? You'll definitely have this whole wedding planned a whole year in advance 😄but glad it's keeping you busy. It's definitely a worthwhile distraction. For my wedding, I bought baby cakes (about 5 x 5 cm) that were boxed and we handed them out to guests and they took it home. We also had a three tiered cake but I'm not sure if anyone actually ate cake at the wedding but if you want, you can serve it as dessert.

I haven't really thought about my Tuesday appointment. I guess because I already know what to expect. I haven't got questions at the moment but I guess I'll be able to think some up depending on what is discussed. I'm just thinking about whether I should wait for the end of the cycle before putting down the deposit. The baseline scan is valid for 3 months so I have some time to make a decision.

Yes, I think you get a discount if you're a patient of abc so I'll defo be getting DH to do his SA through them. Not sure when to book it for though.

Temp is doing much better. I've had to override the coverline again as it was set for CD14. I'm assuming being a slow riser is just something I am and nothing will change that but I am glad it's starting to jump up in leaps. Have you started getting any fertility signs yet? Any EWCM?

How long after your laparoscopy do you think you'll be waiting for IVF? Have they told you anything about the waiting list?

Loool you are the "danger"! 😂😂😂 If I've chased my rabbits around, they stamp their feet as they perceive me as "danger" although it's probably more out of an annoyance than danger so don't worry! It's probably not their hormones and more them just being rabbits. If it's hormonal you'll definitely know, trust me!! Their behaviour becomes unbearable.

Haha I'm sure you'll have a wonderful July then! Loads to celebrate and having dinner at your wedding venue would make it so, so special! You lucky lady!!

Cherry tree? Amazing!! Send pics! Do you get lots of cherries? Sounds so wonderful! I'd love a fruit tree but then you get lots of fallen fruits that rot and make a mess on the ground. Maybe I'll get an orange tree!

No, you can't swap the points for cash. There's an online catalog system where you can purchase items through. There's loads on there like electronics, furniture, clothes and jewellery, tools, etc. so once I've amassed enough points, I'll get something really expensive.