Ttc for what feels like an eternity? Then you've found your bus! No fertile unicorns here, only infertile donkeys!

[notyetamumbuttrying]

Buckling up our are usual riders...and their stats on the fertility/infertility train 🚂
@Annny27 29, no1 since June 19
@RobinRose 27, no1 since Oct 2019
@kerrym87 34 no1 since sept19

@Motherofkittens28 39 no 1 since aug19
@Yutes 34 no1 since aug19
@Crazydoglady123 32 no2 jan19, ivf in April21!
@Marvellouslymadmum 41 no3 since April 18
@Tofu35 35 no1 since sep19
@Hayley19835 38 no1 oct18
@Narwhal88 32, no1 since jun19
@Dogmum13 29 no1 since dec19
@SlothMamaToBe
@Theawkwardblonde no1 for 18 months
@CreativeThinkerTequilaDrinker 15 months ttc ivf in June, ov 8th April
@2020mission 33 no1 14 months ttc
@Sjhigs 37 no1 since sep18 ivf consult mid April
@crazycatlady1981 39 no1 since Oct18, ivf in May
@PeanutButterBrownies
@Juno231 33 no1 since jan20
@clolo 31 no1 since jun19
@Aimzie 28 no1 4 years NTNP 22 months ttc
And me 😊 35 in a matter of hours no1 since sep19, ivf may/June

@notyetamumbuttrying they are amazing! I'd just have to stop Everyone from keep running out there to scare the little things so they fall over! 😂🤦🏼‍♀️

Hello 👋 can I join you?

I've been ttc since November 2017, we did conceive after 16 months but miscarried and I've since had 3 more losses. I have low amh and had private tests for my losses which showed very high activation of nk cells which is the likely cause of our subfertility and recurrent losses, so I'm on a concoction of medication to try and suppress my immune system 🤞 and my first ivf consultation is next week! I have just done ovulation induction with letrozole and a trigger shot, so am in my tww.

Looking forward to following your journeys xx

@notyetamumbuttrying yeah, I booked it in anyway, it will be the day before our post treatment review so I'm sure we will still have things we want to talk about.

@MIW01 I just had a failed ivf cycle, got my bnf about 2 weeks ago now. At my first stimulation scan I only had 3 follicles that looked like they might grow, that was when they said I should consider using an egg donor because my response was so poor. In the end I had 4 follicles but only got 1 egg as 3 were empty. We were very lucky that our 1 egg made it to day 5 and was transferred but then ultimately it didn't develop into a pregnancy. They have already told me they would recommend a shorter protocol next time due to my poor response, poor responders often do better on a shorter protocol. I'm planning to do one more round and if that doesn't work to go back to my "younger" frozen eggs. If that doesn't work it will be an egg donor as the last resort. I've just been scaring myself reading about the low success rates with your own frozen eggs, but honestly people freeze egg for different reasons and at different ages and very few try to use them again so the stats aren't really that helpful. I was 1 week past my 35th birthday and healthy, although with lower amh even then, do I hope my 6 eggs are of good quality and lead to some embryos if we need to use them!
I still hope we might conceive naturally next cycle now the endo is gone but really the chances are slim! However, my future mother in law took 3 or 4 years to conceive my OH and 8 years to conceive his brother so it can happen naturally still!

Welcome @VenusStarr very sorry for your loses and fingers crossed for the ivf! What tests did they do for the NK cells? That's something that worries me and I would love to have tested to see if it's an issue.

@Marvellouslymadmum haha you would have to wouldn't you! 😆
@VenusStarr of course you can! Hi 🙋🏾‍♀️ best of luck in the tww! When's test date?
@Motherofkittens28 makes sense! When can you go ahead with the fet?

Thank you for the welcome :) @Motherofkittens28 I've done 2 lots of nk cells testing. The first was a uterine biopsy at the Coventry implantation clinic but my levels were normal so they prescribed cyclogest, which I do think might have helped us conceive, but I lost the baby in the same week as 2 of my others (I've had 3 MMCs, so baby stops growing in week 6 but I miscarry in week 9). So we went to the CRP Clinic in Surrey under Dr Shehata. He looks at peripheral bloods, so he puts your blood into a pregnancy state and sees how it responds. My nk cells level is normal, but I've got an exceptionally high activation in pregnancy (normal is under 0.8, mine is 3.05). I've been on treatment with him since November but we've had no luck and he said as we are eligible for one funded nhs round, we should proceed with that. I'm on a preconception plan as he thinks the nk cells kick in early, so I take hydroxychloroquine daily and have intralipid infusions at ovulation and then when I have ovulated I had prednisolone and cyclogest. When I do ivf, he wants to add in fragmin too as apparently that helps with implantation in ivf? Even though I have no clotting issues. I'm supposed to be taking baby aspirin too, but I'm taking a month off as I wonder if that's contributing to implantation issues. X

Cross Post @notyetamumbuttrying 👋 thank you. I should test next Thursday, but that's our ivf consultation day, so I'm waiting til Friday so I'm not distracted. And because I had a trigger with ovitrelle I want to make sure it's out of my system. I've heard a couple of people say it lingers x

@VenusStarr wow sounds like you've been through a lot! Glad you're under good care now. Best of luck for your appointment and for testing next week!

Oh gosh, sorry to hear that @Motherofkittens28 I don't think I've managed to keep up with all the posts! How old are you now? I was 35 in September. I wonder if we have similar issues? I just need more tests done it's so frustrating not knowing. That's interesting what you say about conceiving naturally and does give some hope at least! My sister just told me she had a FSH of 14.7 at age 31 and was told she was in perimenopause and it would be highly unlikely she would be able to have any more children and then she fell "accidentally" pregnant with my niece and didn't know she was pregnant for over 2 months because she also "had a period" whilst pregnant! So I know it can happen she fell pregnant "accidentally" without trying with both children! So I'm choosing to believe it is possible for us to conceive naturally!

Welcome @VenusStarr sorry to hear of your long and arduous TTC journey . . . I hope these investigations in to the miscarriages will mean they can find a solution for you so that you can go on to have a healthy baby!

@MIW01 yes it will definitely be interesting to see the difference in the two! The Lh seems like quite a good number as it says it should be between 2.4 and 12.6 in follicular phase so maybe you'll get a better fsh result and that will make more sense!

@Motherofkittens28 it can definitely happen even when it takes a long time! I know my gran and grandad were trying for years with multiple losses, eventually got their baby but she was born with spina bifida and back then there was nothing they could do so she only lived a few hours, they then carried on trying and 8 years later when she was 41 she had my mum on the same day and at the same time as her sister! They then went on to get pregnant again with twins 5 years later but unfortunately miscarried so my mum ended up being an only child this was way before there was all the medicine and technology we have now though as she was born in 1927!

@VenusStarr hi and welcome! Sorry to hear of your losses and lots of fingers crossed for you tww what dpo are you? I'm 5DPO at the moment and af due between 7-10th April (as my apps don't agree on actual ov day and Lp)

@notyetamumbuttrying I don't see how you couldn't 😂🙊🐐🐐🐐

Oh wow @Marvellouslymadmum what a story! What a journey for them, oh my! All those years, all that heartache as well but also joy they did finally have your Mum! Amazing! I really do find stories so helpful and inspiring. Thank you for sharing.

@notyetamumbuttrying I'll do another fresh round first, which I hope to start 8 May, I guess that if that doesn't work we will look to use my frozen eggs after the wedding, so probably August

@MIW01 it really is an inspiring story! I'm pretty sure from what I remember being told when I was younger that there were multiple other losses along the way too!

Well I've just rung the hospital booking system as I haven't had a letter through by my deadline for the gynaecology referral, only to be told that the appointment was triaged on 26th March and set as routine, which I get and it's approximately a 33 week wait! 😳 so that will mean I should get an appointment by around 12th November 😩 I feel like I'm definitely going to have to go private for the amh and afc as by that time I'll be on my way to 43! 🤦🏼‍♀️

Hi all, sorry some of you are struggling 😞 hope you start to feel a bit lighter soon.

So we got the call this morning that we had 2 good embryos from our 8. The others are lagging behind so probably won't be suitable for freezing but they will monitor them until tomorrow just in case. I was a bit disappointed that 8 went to 2, but it is what it is and at least we have those. So I had 1 transferred back this afternoon and the other has been frozen. We picked up five guys on the way home because of the fries myth (we aren't a fan of McDonald's)! It feels weird and strangely I don't feel excited, just nervous! I think I'm protecting myself as I never let myself get excited about things until they happen.

@Narwhal88 ooh at least you've got a good little egg for now! Everything crossed for you that it burrows deep and is a sticky little bean!

@Narwhal88 I meant for using now 🤦🏼‍♀️ I must learn to read before I send!!

@Narwhal88 aw I'm glad they were able to transfer today tho, that's great! And one in the freezer is great too! Are you at work this week n next? Not sure what I'll do on my first tww, prob still work to keep my mind from going into overdrive! So much luck to you honey ♥️
@Marvellouslymadmum that's a ridiculously long wait! Please go private for the tests if you can, you'll be seen within weeks, not several months!
@Motherofkittens28 another fresh will be good then. Not too long to wait either.

@notyetamumbuttrying I'm going to look into it, it's just really thrown all my planning up in the air! I'm trying to save in case we need ivf and now instead I'm going to have to pay for a private consultation and tests and I don't even know if they'll offer clomid like the docs and I both think may help as they seem too geared toward ivf and then that's mega expensive so it'll take money out the ivf pot 🤦🏼‍♀️ I'm just a bit lost now as I can't afford to wait until November, too old for that business!

@notyetamumbuttrying thanks. I have been off work last week and this week but I am back on Tuesday. It has been a lot easier being off whilst doing stims, egg collection and transfer with all the appointments and anxiety. I don't think I would have done my job properly if I had to work thought it. It's tough though as if I have to do multiple cycles I can't keep taking this much time off as I'll be using all of my leave for IVF and I want some holiday!

@Marvellouslymadmum thank you. I can't believe they have said it's a 33 week wait just to be seen that is insane! When we got referred we had our first appointment within a month. I think private clinics can give clomid, I've heard others that have done that before. I guess it depends on the test results, do you not think you are ovulating?

@Motherofkittens28 we’ve currently got 3 cats too! Luckily we’re both cat people! We’ve had 4 of them at various times, but had a few losses over the last couple of years. I think 4 is our optimum cat amount though and I’m fully expecting another waif or stray cat to move in any day now! 😹

I’m desperate to have more animals though, as I’m a big animal lover! Definitely need some chickens, maybe some sheep or donkeys. The flock of sheep in our little village are due to lamb soon and as we live closest, we usually have to keep an eye on them in case they have any issues as the shepherd doesn’t live nearby! A few years ago DH and I had to help a sheep give birth late in the evening in pitch black as she was struggling with her 2nd & 3rd as they were trying to come out together and got stuck and would have died if DH hadn’t got stuck in and pulled them out! 🐑 😬 I’m not sure he’s ever quite recovered from having his arms up a sheep’s fanny!! 🤣🤣

@Narwhal88 so glad to hear you are PUPO!! And great that you’ve got one in the freezer too! You never know, a few more might make it into the freezer yet! Hope you are putting your feet up and having a relaxing few days!

@MIW01 sorry to hear about all your stress with the NHS and your FSH levels. It’s terrible that your area doesn’t offer ivf above 10! Hope your next fsh test gives better results! I’m sure these tests can probably vary from month to month! I would recommend getting a postal AMH test as that what I did through Care private clinic. It might put your mind at rest & also give you some answers.

Welcome @VenusStarr, so sorry to hear about your losses but it’s good that you are being looked after now and they have a plan to help. I hadn’t even heard of nk cell activation before! Fingers crossed for your test next friday! 🤞🏻

@Marvellouslymadmum yes I would definitely get some private tests done. We paid about £450 with care for our AFC, AMH, consultation and SA.

@notyetamumbuttrying I feel like everything changes day to day atm!

@Marvellouslymadmum ah I also had horses. Still technically own one. Love llamas! That wait time is ridiculous! I'd definitely go private. With our clinic, we did the webinar and they offer the initial consults and tests massively reduced for people who attended them. I paid £200 for AMH, AFC and consultation. Think it was about £50 more for SA on top. Might be worth asking?

@MIW01 acupuncture is great, even for relaxing and mindset. I've been having it since beginning of Feb

@Motherofkittens28 that is shockingly awful that wait time for the counselling! Have you told them how much you need it?

Welcome @VenusStarr. What a journey you've been on so far. Hoping for this IVF cycle to work for you

@Narwhal88 it's such a luck of the draw this egg malarkey. I just saw in the IVF thread someone else had another egg catch up after day 5 so don't loose hope and hopefully this egg sticks. Get some rest and try and relax and congrats on being PUPO

@Marvellouslymadmum you can do fertility packages that do the lot in a bundle so defo look into it. You can get some good deals for £400/£500. Less if you don't need an SA.
@Narwhal88 yeah think I'll be off for the egg collection and transfer, just not sure on the stimming part and tww, I guess I'll see what my holiday days are saying around that time. I'm also gonna tell my boss so hoping I get some compassionate leave too! Have you told your work? Do you think they'd cut you any slack considering it's ivf?

@Narwhal88 it's crazy, he said when it gets to my appointment it'll probably just be a phone call at first too! I ovulated last month as I had my day 21 tests and progesterone was through the roof but I don't think I do every month, that could've been down to the iron or I may have pcos so I need to get the other tests done and go from there. It's just really thrown me that it's such a wait! I've not even heard anything about oh sa yet either

@crazycatlady1981 that story about your oh with the sheep just made me chuckle out loud 😂

@notyetamumbuttrying I'll have to get a good research around. The doc said she was referring the oh for an sa but who knows how long that will take!

@Marvellouslymadmum your gp can request the blood tests for PCOS. I'll dig out what you need to ask for tomorrow and let you know. I asked my gp to blood test for them and they did