TTC 35+ Thread 8

[M4v3r1ck]

New thread ladies! Hope this works! 😃

@Marvellouslymadmum as the fertility clinic gave it to us hopefully it's quite reliable but who knows?! The app already didn't work 🤦‍♀️

Lol @ 'splashback'!!!! You have all got to stop saying 'produce' 😂😂

Hope all your guys manage to hit the target! xx

@Yumcoffee I would imagine it must be! I'll definitely get that one if it's a big wait for my partners sa still waiting to hear. My oh is more of a dribbler than a shooter 😂🙊 I'll have to make him point down!!

@Marvellouslymadmum hilarious!! I cant believe my bf did his in private without me I was quite offended ! I only left the room for some headache tablets!

@TTCat39 I'm 6dpo so quite close to you! I've got all my Easter eggs to eat if af arrives! I stopped BBTing because I got too anxious x

@Yumcoffee wow that was quick 😂 I would be offended too lol

@yumcoffee
😂😂 Broody when sperms are cute!

Love all the support and open discussion, watching everyone's journey. I should be ovulating this week, so let's see what happens this month.

Good luck everyone 👍

Hello to all newbies I haven't said hi to yet! 👋

@Yumcoffee loving your cute sperm story 😂 @Marvellouslymadmum also lolling at your oh's dribbly sperm 😆

@KatRee I'm also a bit worried that my periods have got lighter in the last year. I only have 2 days needing tampons now and then 2-3 days of next to nothing 🤔

@Misty84 I had my scan with Create today. Only 2 follicles this time 😭 I had a bit of a meltdown as I'd had 6 in January and 7 in February, so I just assumed it would be similar. The nurse was really nice though, she said that it varies month by month and this could just be a bad month, and also that I shouldn't focus too much on the numbers as it's the quality that counts, and everything else on my scan looked good (healthy looking uterus and ovaries, no fibroids or polyps, healthy blood vessels etc). She also said there's no waiting list and I might be able to start on my next period. I've got the consultation with the Create doctor on Thursday so still keeping an open mind, but I think today's scan may have tipped the balance slightly towards going with Create.

Attended a live webinar with the Lister (private clinic in London) this eve and was able to submit questions. This post is mainly for @Kitekat81 as I know she’s in a similar situation with low AMH so might not be of interest to everyone else but you never know! Kitekat I wanted to let you know how it went...
The consultant said that there’s not really any greater chance of success with IVF than there is trying naturally if you have low AMH. That is on the assumption that we would be low responders and only produce possibly 1 or 2 eggs which is not much different to trying naturally. We don’t know that for certain until we try and our ovaries could respond well.

He didn’t recommend Natural IVF; he said that unfortunately IVF is a numbers game and with each extra egg collected the pregnancy rate increases by 5%. With Natural IVF you also have less chance to have any extra to freeze which means you end up doing expensive multiple fresh cycles.

I’d already ruled out Natural IVF anyway (for now!) as I know the success rates are lower. I have an NHS consultation tomorrow so I’m going to hash all of this out with her. But currently my thinking is to give normal IVF a go and see how I fare.

It also seems to be completely pot luck though; some people have success with normal IVF, or natural IVF, or natural conception...there are stories of success and failure with them all!! Hence why it’s so hard to make a decision and people choose differently!

Infuriatingly I still haven’t had my tubes looked at because I’m on a never ending NHS waiting list, so we’re prioritising having that done privately ASAP.

How are you getting on with your research?

@Kitekat81 I posted my message before seeing yours! I’m sorry to hear about your follicles, I would have had a meltdown too. I hope it’s brought you a little reassurance that it’s changeable.
Honestly it’s a complete nightmare isn’t it. I burst into tears straight after the webinar. I was expecting the Lister to say “Of course we can help you, IVF is a great choice!”...not to tell me my chances were no better than trying naturally and would just cost me £6-7000😭 for the pleasure of giving it a go. It’s all truly gutting but I’m trying to keep the positivity alive.
Think it’s just so hard that IVF is a back up plan for many people, including myself, until this shitty news. x

@Misty84 we must have been writing our messages at the same time ☺️ It's so difficult to decide what to do isn't it. I was sure that today's scan was pointing me in the direction of Create, but I've just read on here about someone who got pregnant via normal IVF with only 1 follicle - the 1 follicle had 3 eggs in it! So we really just don't know how any of us will respond until we try it. I think maybe rather than choosing based on the methodology, we'll end up going with the clinic that we like the best for other reasons like patient care, and making us feel optimistic that we do have a chance of success? I think it would absolutely be a valid decision to try normal ivf first, most people do that and then try natural ivf if they haven't had a good response. I'm also favouring Create because I might be able to start next month rather than waiting until August/September, so that's another factor for me. How are you feeling about things? Did you like the Lister or are you still shopping around? I have to say what they told you today probably wasn't the best way of winning your custom! I guess quite a lot of clinics turn away more tricky cases like us because they are worried about keeping their success rates up? It's really important to go with a clinic that makes you feel good about it, so maybe have a look at some others as well?x

It is strange @Marvellouslymadmum, acupuncture has coincided both times I've had what is a "normal" period for me over the better past of the last year. If it reassures you, apparently the lining can be reabsorbed (good old stress again) and despite my light periods from last August ish until March when I had my scan my lining was normal so that made me feel a little better. Fingers crossed you get an appointment soon!

@KatRee definitely worth trying some stuff if it helps, I had these odd light periods for months and months and I really think stress plays a big factor in it for me.

@Henslovetoscratch welcome aboard! (I read it as hens fyi lol)

@Kitekat81 I'm sorry you had a lower AFC today, how was Create, what what tipped the balance for you? Great that you could start soon though! I'm attending the Create online webinar tomorrow, hoping it's useful.

I just posted on the infertility subs to hear about IVF experiences, hoping to get some good responses to inform me a little more.

Oh, just read your next post @Kitekat81, what a great IVF story with the three eggs in one follicle, I wish I understood more about all this. I'm thinking the same thing about not knowing until you try, and I'm guess I'm open to trying both options right now.

@Misty84 I'm sorry you had another curveball experience with the Lister, but I suppose it's good they're being honest so you can make informed decisions, but also not what you really want to hear.

@thislittlebird I was leaning towards Create because of the lack of waiting list, but also because they didn't seem to think that only having 2 follicles was a problem. Perhaps I'm misjudging the normal ivf clinic though in assuming that they would think 2 follicles is a bad thing. I'm going into this process with zero expectations that it's going to work first time, I do think it's a case of just trying it that first time and seeing what you can learn from it. I could even do one cycle with Create while I'm waiting to do normal ivf in August/September, it's not the normal order to try them but it's a possibility.

@thislittlebird oh that's good then! I'm going to call again in the morning and see if I can get a sooner appt if not it'll have to be Friday I suppose! You'll have to have another round of acupuncture and see if it happens again!

@Kitekat81 @Misty84 lovely to hear about your experiences with the ivf clinics so far, sorry your afc was low today @Kitekat81 but that's really good they said it can change and about the three eggs from one follicle lady!

P.s my oh deffo has dribbly sperm and I'm glad it can give you a smile lol

@thislittlebird Yes I’d prefer that they were honest with me rather than sell me some BS! I sort of knew that the odds were the same anyway from my research, it was just hard to hear it!

@Kitekat81 That sounds like a good plan to have Natural ivf while you’re waiting for normal IVF. I have an NHS consultation today so will speak to them about everything. I’ll still have the individualised consultation with the Lister (as yesterday was just a general Q&A so they don’t have the full picture of my results) and CRGC do a free 20 min consult so I might try and get in with them too! Would really like to be trying something by the summer!
I also get my updated AMH today...scared...hope it hasn’t dropped even lower in 5 months 😬🤞

@Misty84 @Kitekat81 I'm sorry you didn't get the news you'd been hoping for yesterday. It's so incredibly difficult when you long for something so much but it feels there is so much that's out of our control.
I've come across lots of stories from women who had similar experiences that end with ' and right now my baby is sleeping on my chest' and I really really hope this will be you soon enough

Thanks @KatRee. @Misty84 good luck for your AMH result today 🤞

I'm still struggling to process my 2 follicles. I was really worried before about only having 6 or 7. It's amazing how your perspective changes, now I've only got 2 I'm looking back and thinking wow 6 or 7 was LOADS!! 🤦‍♀️

Thank you @KatRee. Yes I’m always reading stories that end like that, feels like an impossible dream but if it can happen to them then why shouldn’t it happen for us?!

@Kitekat81 Sorry to hear you’re struggling to process- I would feel exactly the same and yes it’s funny how perspective changes! If I get an even lower AMH today I’ll probably think 2.3 was great!🤦‍♀️ I slept terribly last night, so much for not stressing, it is impossible! I could pretty much feel the cortisol flowing through me!! Ovulation day today so also panicked that all the stress has ruined my chances. Geez what an ordeal this is! Xx

@Misty84 I am also in fertile week (cd12 today) so am going to have to try and put this all out of my mind and get in the mood for dtd 🙄

I hope everyone is having an ok day and all appointments and things are going well. Is anyone in the TWW at the moment? I don't really like to pay attention due to fear of getting hopes up but it's impossible not to!!! I am currently 7dpo with no symptoms.

Hello again scratchy Helen  [grin]@Henslovetoscratch
I'm 5/6dpo today, so right there with you in the TWW. Going for my progesterone test tomorrow as it's my best guess at 1 week prior to AF. How are you getting on? My nose-diving temperature went back up again today, so not sure what's going on, but as usual we wait patiently and see.....hahahaaha! Oh dear....

@TTCat39 😂🤣 Scratchy Helen noooooo not even my name!! Apart from being VERY ITCHY (joking..) I am fine other than not able to concentrate on work and just being the Uber Googler. I haven't taken any temps as I am just not patient nor have a good memory but did use OPK the last two cycles. I sometimes wish we had a wee see-through panel/inspection hatch that you should see an actual egg being ovulated or something!! Does a high temp mean potentially good sign?

@Henslovetoscratch I would LOVE a belly window. But would totally reinforce the old saying 'navel gazing' - I still wouldn't get any work done!

I've been temping to try and see if I feel a bit more in control / in the know.....that remains to be seen! I've posted a screenshot below and (I can't believe I'm actually explaining this to someone else because I have NO idea what I'm doing, but then that seems to be typical of my adult life!) I was hoping that my temp didn't dip below my cover line (ovulation temperature) as it should stay elevated in the luteal phase. Dip is too early for implantation, might be a sign of increasing estrogen, might have been a bit cold in bed who knows!

@TTCat39 ohhhhhh that's interesting, thanks for sharing!!! I might start doing that if I feel the urge...but I am trying to not share all my mad googling with partner just to keep it low pressure with him. So how can I take my temp without him noticing... 😂 Wonder if you get thermometers that don't beep!

@Henslovetoscratch My thermometer beeps like a vehicle reversing! Good job my husband is a heavy sleeper. If you do get one, make sure it's a proper bbt one, with two decimal places. The temp variance is so slight that you'll gain no insight from a normal thermometer. You have to take it at exactly the same time every day, after at least 3 hours of sleep, don't move when you wake up.... there are a lot of parameters!

@Henslovetoscratch it’s tough to do it discreetly (as it’s not like you can get up to do it!). When I was temping I’d quickly shove it under the bed covers when it started beeping which definitely helped minimise the sound!