TTC 15 months or longer. Bring your protein bars and all your supplements this way! Bus 3

[notyetamumbuttrying]

We're a mixed bunch of ladies ttc with all sorts of issues, mainly of the male factor kind! 😏 Though there's a range of reasons over here, come join if you've been in the ttc game for a long time and had nearly every test under the sun ☀️ and heading for interventions. There's ivf chat as well as natural. Buckling up for the ride of their lives are our usual riders: 😎

@Annny27 29, ttc #1 since June 2019, 1 miscarriage in nov 19 👼🏻
@RobinRose 27, ttc #1 since Oct 2019
@kerrym87 34, ttc #1 since sept 2019
@Motherofkittens28 39, #1 since aug 2019
@Yutes 34, #1 since Aug 2019
@Crazydoglady123 32, #2 since jan 2019
@Marvellouslymadmum 41, #3 since April 2019
@Tofu35 35, #1 since sept 2019
@Hayley19835 38, #1 since Oct 2018
@Narwhal88 32, #1 since June 2019
@Dogmum13 29, #1 since dec 2019
@SlothMamaToBe
@Theawkwardblonde
And me 34 (for a few more weeks) ttc #1 since sept 2019
(Sorry if I've missed anyone off the old bus, please jump bk on!)

@Crazydoglady123 im quite nervous about it, not the operation itself, I've done it before so im not worried, its more about the results, just really hoping for three mature eggs, obviously more would better but unlikely I think.

Re start dates it will depend on what protocol they put you on, long or short. The long you start on day 21 so for reference im on a long and started on 30th January, egg collection will be 1st March, embryo transfer 6th March and test date 18th March. My egg freezing cycle was a short protocol and as far as I remember that started on day one and essentially ran over a standard monthly cycle. I believe they determine what protocol to put you on based on your AMH and antra follicle count. Mine are both low so they did the long because its more aggressive and more likely to yield results (although sometimes when your levels are very low they move back to a short protocol)

Thanks all for the luck and well wishes, im glad I can at least give you all a guide as to what expect if you end up down the ivf route, although obviously I hope you don't have to!

Thanks for the info @Motherofkittens28 and great to hear that you should have at least 3!! Do you mind me asking what your AMH and follicle count was? My AMH is 6.1 and afc 10 which they said was good for my age (39) but I thought it seemed a bit low.
I was told I’d be on long protocol as well.

Eeeek how did I miss the tag for the new bus!!

Fingers crossed for a lucky thread for us all. I'm back on it now, started opks and tentatively awaiting my first peak following the awful miscarriage.

What's the crack with the protein? 😂 think I missed that in the previous thread! I'm hoping it's a good thing? I use a lot of protein supplements due to my exercise regime.

@Motherofkittens28 is the collection done under GA or sedation at your clinic and is this your second IVF cycle then? Fingers crossed you get a good batch of eggs 🤞 A couple of people have mentioned I'm possibly high risk OHSS so I think they tend to do short protocol for people who are from what I've read? Do you know what day that starts on? Can you tell I like to plan ahead and the not knowing is KILLING me 😆😆😆

@Crazydoglady123 I couldn't get through on the phone so sent an email, no reply yet but they said they usually respond within. 24 hours 🤞🏻
@RobinRose definitely a great starting point! I'm going to be searching for something similar near to me now 😂

@Theawkwardblonde hope you're feeling better l? Apparently and from what I can remember protein is good for eggs and follicles! I'm sure someone else could tell you more, I've already jumped on it and trying to add what I can

@crazycatlady1981 my AMH is 5.2 and AFC was 9. I had these done in December when I was still 38 and was told its low for my age. They say to expect as many follicles as your AMH number so for this cycle thats right for me.

@Crazydoglady123 this is my first ivf cycle but when I was just about to turn 35 and single I had my eggs frozen just in case. Short protocol is day 1 start. I think all clinics do egg collection under sedation rather than GA but honestly I couldn't tell the difference for my egg collection 4 years ago, I was knocked out from my perspective. Yeah, if you're at risk of OHSS they will do a short protocol.

@Theawkwardblonde I've been told to up my protein to help my follicles grow and to get as many different types of protein as possible, I've passed the advice on because I'm sure if it helps for ivf then it would help generally and certainly can't hurt!

@Motherofkittens28 ah thank you! I didn’t know that about AMH and follicle numbers so that’s good to have an idea of what to expect!

@Theawkwardblonde yep we’re all trying to grow our eggs big and strong now with lots of different protein sources!! 😬 it’s something I was a bit lacking in, but I’ve managed to double my intake this week! 👍🏻

@Marvellouslymadmum eeeek exciting!

@Motherofkittens28 thank you so much! I'm so desperate to start ASAP so fingers crossed I'm on short protocol 🤞 I don't know where I got GA from 🙈 Sorry, loads of questions! How come you're harvesting more eggs and not using your frozen ones? Is it better to keep them frozen and use fresh?

@Crazydoglady123 very! And I agree diverges are rubbish we've just always had other things to spend the money on so far so haven't bothered yet lol

@crazydoglady123, I think it probably is better to use fresh but mainly im not starting with my frozen ones for my mental health as if I used them and they didn't work ive lost my best chance, I'd rather have them as back up. Plus I'd like to know if we have any other issues before we use them so they aren't wasted, e.g if I have implantation issues or DH has sperm issues we arent already aware of. I only have 6 frozen eggs and they may not all survive the thaw so they are very precious. Even at one week past my 35th birthday I had low AMH for my age at 7.9 so I didn't get many eggs, I considered doing a second at the time but it cost me about £5k and 6 months later I started dating DP so it didn't seem necessary to spend the money.

@Marvellouslymadmum I don't blame you! Even once you're divorced there's soooo many things to change your name on 🤯 My OH keeps talking about proposing but I like to keep him on his toes not telling him if I'd say yes or no 😉

@Motherofkittens28 that's totally understandable and makes perfect sense! Has your OH had a SA?

And I don't know what the hell is up with my body today but I've got EWCM even though I'm apparently having an anovulatory cycle 🤷🏽‍♀️ It's like my ovaries and my brain can't work together 🤦🏽‍♀️

@Crazydoglady123 glad you realised I said divorced 😂 I goff to my name changed by deedpoll about 6 months after we split, it was way easier and cheaper! So I'm legally back to my maiden name anyway, the actual only reason for divorce is literally so I can get married again! I can honestly say my oh doesn't have a romantic bone in his body so I'm not sure he'll ever actually propose, I'll probably end up doing it myself haha

@Crazydoglady123 🤔 that's weird maybe you can still get the ewcm if your body was trying to ovulate - wouldn't surprise me! Either that or you have ovulated after all

For anyone who is going through this without telling their mum, I told mine today. I was really nervous and didn't want to but with the risk of over responding again on Clomid and the IVF looming and having my son and other responsibilities I decided it was sensible to tell her in case anything does happen and we need some more help. She came out with the whole "stop being so silly, course you'll get pregnant...why are you getting so wound up over it" blah de blah but I was an accident and my sister was easy so she hasn't been through it but she did actually feel a bit upset that I hadn't told her sooner and especially that I went through being poorly with my ruptured cysts last month. I felt awful and hadn't seen it from that perspective. Anyway she's sworn to secrecy and I've promised her I will keep her up to date on everything from now on

@Marvellouslymadmum can you not do the diy/easy divorce after X amount of years of being separated? I can't remember the specifics... Awww that'd actually be really cute. My OH isn't romantic but I've told him if I did say yes it'd have to be a really romantic and memorable proposal (poor guy) 😆 I don't feel the pressure of needing to be married but obv I understand he would like to but I see so many happy people with kids who aren't or long term engaged even.

I know, it's weird... I scared to believe as I don't want to get my hopes up but my god for a little egg to have popped out undetected would be amazing (and a miracle)!

@Crazydoglady123 ahh I haven't told my mum, I will maybe think about it depending what happens next. It's so hard when people haven't been through it themselves, but does make sense that they want to know.
We can do the divorce without any need for cause as we've been separated over a certain amount of years but it's still about £600 I think and as we both need divorces that's doubled I'd just rather use the money for baby making haha
I've hinted a few times that I'd love to have a really special proposal I've just got no idea if he could manage one 😂 there's no pressure us to either it would just be nice!

Deffo get to dtd just Incase 🤞🏻

@Marvellouslymadmum yeah I felt bad tonight I hadn't told her sooner.
Yeah deffo £600 I'd rather spend on TTC! Was your first proposal romantic? Mine seriously wasn't so I have high expectations if it happens this time round haha!
We deffo will tonight just in case 🍆🍆🍆

@Crazydoglady123 exactly! And really it's £1200 as we know we would have to pay for mine and oh, neither of our exes would! Not particularly, my ex took me on a 'surprise' holiday (which I knew about) to Blackpool woohoo where I had to drive as he had lost his driving license 🙄 should've known then. And he took me out for a meal in a pub and proposed in the restaurant so he'd kind of thought about it but nothing major lol

Ooh my food delivery just turned up and I feel like you guys are the only ones to appreciate my hauls (Tesco & H&b yesterday) I'm too excited about this! Also got some extra veggies and fruit but that's already put away 😂

@Crazydoglady123 cannot wait for summer and our bloody freedom again 🙌🏾
@RobinRose it's bloody fantastic 🤩
@Motherofkittens28 that's exactly what I thought with the short and long protocols so good to get it confirmed! Should get my amh bk late next week or early the week after. Getting my afc scan done on the 8th! So much crossed for Tuesday for you hun x
@Theawkwardblonde heya! Glad you're back to it and doing ok. Sounds like you get a mix of protein anyway so you're a ok 👌🏾
@Crazydoglady123 aw glad you told your mum mate!! Must feel like a weight lifted now. My mum knew when I came off the pill 😂 so she knows our whole journey. I found out she told my auntie about ttc (not Dh infertility as we didn't know that yet) and I stopped telling her a thing until we went for tests. She's now sworn to secrecy, didn't think I had to make it explicit but seems I did! Mums eh 🙄
@Marvellouslymadmum amazing haul 🙌🏾

@Crazydoglady123 yes, he's had three now I think, the second one the morphology was low but had gone back up into normal range by the third one so we think that side is OK. Apparently if the embryo makes it to day three but not to day 5 its an issue with the sperm so I'll be interested to see what happens.

I only told my mum in December when we were dress shopping, I decided I wanted her to be aware we were starting ivf. DP told his mum at Christmas as well and I've been very open with most of my friends as I wanted the support.

@Marvellouslymadmum well then definitely £1200 better spent! Your proposal sounds about as 'amazing' as mine was 🙄
That's a healthy haul you have there!

@notyetamumbuttrying tbh I was half expecting her to say she'd figured it out but apparently none the wiser. That's what I'm worried with my mum about her talking to family but I've made her swear on her grandson 🤣

@Motherofkittens28 yeah I'd heard the same too. My OH has slightly low normal forms so same as you, will be interesting to see what happens to the embryos...my duff eggs or his 'swimming in circles' sperm 😆 That's nice you've been able to talk to your friends. A lot of my close friends are OH's to my OH friends so he's worried about the guys taking the pee which I don't think will happen but he's still not comfortable with me talking to them.

Have any of you ladies got PCO/PCOS? I've been reading up on L-Carnitine and thinking of starting that too. I'll share a post on it