TTC 35+ Thread 8

[M4v3r1ck]

New thread ladies! Hope this works! 😃

@Misty84 thank you, I hope that that's the case. Our next appointment is next Tuesday. I am very excited. I remember that we tried from 28 - 30 as well but not actively, without any positive test. And in Germany to make an appointment if we are trying more than six months and are over 35 yo.

@Yumcoffee that's a great point. 😁 I think, our kids will be happy about it. I am not exactly sure about my stepdaughter, she might get jealous because the new baby is going to live with their dad and she isn't. But we offered her to live with us several times, and she didn't want to, so I hope, it will be okay.

@Marvellouslymadmum oh that's very similar with slightly more children. xD Wow, you've been trying for a while, I hope, you'll be successful soon.

@MgW1 I am an early tester, I often start testing at 8dpo. I know, it's not ideal, especially with the higher chances of not being able to keep it until af. I had a really short second phase. I am taking magnesium now and selenium and it seems to get better. I also often have spotting several days before the period start but even that seems to be getting better now.

@MgW1 I'm generally not an early tester, it's been so long that I found all the bfn were more disappointing than af so I try and succeed (most months) to wait until after af is due then still get disappointed when it's a bfn or af but it's more expected and not as disappointing

@Misty84 I definitely have daydreams about telling my partner and family! Keeping everything crossed for you that you get that bfp! 🤞🏻

@Magnum99 I'm like this too! If I have cheapys in the house, I'm more tempted to test but if they're expensive ones or none I find it easier to wait!

Good luck everyone in the 2ww! Really hoping this is your month! 🤞

@Misty84 I used to have daydreams like that, but they stopped a while ago 😔

I had a strong positive opk this morning so should be ovulating tomorrow. A few more days of dtd then I'll be joining you in the 2ww.

@Castielle Best of luck with your appointment! I have my first appt with a private clinic next Friday so I’m excited too!🤞Looking forward to hopefully getting something done about this (I’ve been TTC for 21 months).

@Magnum99 Haha I’m the same- I only have one expensive pregnancy test and don’t want to waste it! I’ve got a few cheapie ones which are more tempting to use! Thing is I have very reliable, clear AF symptoms in the few days leading up to it so I never feel the need to test🙄 If one time I got no symptoms or different ones then I might do!

@Kitekat81 Best of luck over the next few days and I’ll see you soon in the TWW!

Had a bit of a wobble this week and also thinking of making an appointment at a private clinic ASAP. I'm kicking myself for being so naive about how hard ttc could be and wasting so much time. I was referred by GP to fertility service at local hospital in feb and they've written to advise me to make appt for HyCoSy with AMH test on the same day and for OH to book SA. But the system for HyCoSy is you call or email on CD1 to book in it and then abstain from dtd till after the appointment. Day 1 was last sat for me, so emailed- no reply. Have tried calling the number several times this week and it just rings then goes to a recording saying try again later. For SA there is a website which says all appointments this week are fully booked, new appts released Friday so try again then, but OH was in there refreshing page all afternoon last Friday and nothing changed. I know the NHS is under loads of pressure but I'm not sure I can handling the waiting, and not knowing whether we can ttc this month or need to abstain in case they do manage to find appts for us. Sorry for long post - got no one to vent to about this.
Everything crossed for all of you in ttw x

I like early testing so I don't get carried away with the daydreaming. I'd just rather know. I've found a relatively cheap source of FRERs so have a load of them, otherwise I just buy them off Amazon at much higher prices anyway!

Hey all! Anyone coming to Manchester, let me know, here for somewhere to stay!
@thislittlebird thank God. Prayed that something would come through for you.
I'm on a new month and will start taking opk every day as we've got our first appointment at Stepping Hill 17th June, get in there!
I had attended SH in 2013 and got told I had cysts, then, 'Until you start trying for a family there's nothing more to do'.
Well here we are!
Any good news? Positive tests, praying for those who are waiting

I have some potentially good news - I got my CD21 progesterone results today (CD19 for me because of my shorter cycle) which are 36.6nmol/L. Apparently if ovulation has occurred they should be over 30nmol/L, so I'm taking this as a good sign and putting my crud FSH level to the back of my mind for now.

Also got our STI testing results today and we are both clean as a whistle. Although that would have been a bit of a mystery if not. Next week is semen analysis and the week after that is my cervical smear. Then we're all set for clinic referral...however long that takes. But for now it feels good to be getting things done, wherever it leads us.

@KatRee sorry you are having a frustrating time trying to book your tests.

@TTCat39 great news on your good progesterone result!

@Misty84 I had my Create consultation today. She actually recommended mild IVF instead of natural-modified, which I wasn't expecting! She said it doesn't make sense to only go for one egg if there's likely to be more in there, they might as well get them all. She also said she thinks I'm still young at 39 (!) so that was nice to hear! She recommended a 3-cycle package which I could do over 3 consecutive months, with a 20% chance of success on each cycle, and I can start on next period. I'm actually quite pleased with this recommendation, it feels like more of a halfway house between normal ivf and natural ivf. Oh and on dhea, she said she doesn't believe in it and the only result I'd probably see is my hair falling out. I had a chat with my oh and we decided that whichever clinic we go with we are going to put 100% trust in them and follow what they say to the letter. So if we were going with Glasgow I would probably take the dhea, but if going with Create (which looks very likely now) then I won't take it.

@Kitekat81 thanks cycle buddy and you're absolute right re: future play daters!!! 😘😘😘 yay to strong OPK! Get on it! 😈

@Misty84 bit late to reply, but I'm taking 200 mg ubiquinol from health thru nutrition (bought on Amazon). Someone shared a link to the "egg book" online and this was one of the recommended ones. DH is on scummy cheapy 200 mg uniquinone! 🤣 yay to DTD, girl!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I'm around 2dpo too! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 for us!!!

@thislittlebird how are you getting on with your decision making and appointments?

@Castielle welcome! 8 months isn't long at all, so 🤞🏻 everything is ok! 😃

@KatRee sorry you had a wobble! That's why we're here! 😘 Hope you get appointments sorted soon!

@TTCat39 yay re: results! 😍 what's the next step for you now?

How's everyone else doing! Looks like a few of going into TWW, and some testing soon!!! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻😍😍😍😍😍😍

@Kitekat81 that sounds great! 😍 And yes, you ARE young! Is create in Glasgow or is that the one you need to travel for? Good luck in all your decision making! 😘

@M4v3r1ck Create is in Manchester so that's a 4 hour commute for me honestly I liked them both and they both gave us a 20% chance of success so if Glasgow could start straight away I'd be tempted. But at this stage I just want to crack on so looking likely I'll be going with Manchester. Just got the quote through - £13k 😱

@MgW1 we’re going away in the week and it will be the lead up to my first fertile period we can try again but I’m not taking my tests with me, just going to dtd and ignore tracking this month I think (I don’t test for pregnant yet anyway, because....unlikely lol).

Continuing on the subject of testing...

I just cannot do it. It hurts too much and makes me very anxious. I have done it a handful of times over 18 months but that was only two late periods probably. Also, it’s expensive but I have tests here right now and I can’t use them, which is equally as annoying in case they expire.

Like @Kitekat81 I don’t really daydream anymore. I was scared to do it at the start but it feels stupid now ugh. Oh and @Kitekat, I got the access quote and the 3 cycle ICSI is 19k before meds!!!! Nearly fell off the train seat I was on and onto the dirty floor.

With that Create package of 3 cycles is it only one transfer or three?

@ShirleyValentineManc yeah glad it came through! I tried calling them to add results to my file but they didn’t call back

@M4v3r1ck god, I’m still so overwhelmed by options. I got a price list from access and because I’m nearly 38 I’ve clearly missed out on refund package options 😑. More research is needed still. How’s you?

Actually, no, I think I missed out on the 2 cycle refund option but there’s a 3 cycle 50% refund option which is the expensive one that gave me a heart attack. Something like that anyway, I read it quickly before I saw the dermatologist today and haven’t opened the email since.

@KatRee I’m not surprised you’ve had a wobble, that sounds like such a frustrating experience. I hope they get back to you or you get through to them to confirm things soon. But I would say...if you can afford it, private is so, so much quicker with none of this hassle!!

@TTCat39 I’m glad you had a good result and things are happening now- it’s a good feeling to be progressing!

@Kitekat81 That’s great that they recommended mild instead of natural ivf! Better chance like you said. £13k...yikes...so you have to pay for all 3 cycles at once? It’s sooo exciting that you are starting next period!! Can’t believe it!! 🙌 Do you feel ready?!

@M4v3r1ck We are cycle buddies then! Thanks for the Ubiquinol info 🙂

Oh are you starting next cycle @Kitekat81???? Sorry, I must have glossed over that!

@thislittlebird yikes to that price 😱😱😱 The Create quote includes meds and just one transfer. They freeze any blasts they get after each cycle and do one transfer after all three, so it's different to the access packages where you would get a fresh transfer after each cycle and then work through all your frosties before you move on to the next cycle.

@Misty84 nothing's locked in yet as I still need to meet the patient coordinator (hopefully do that tomorrow) but if I can start next cycle I think I'm going to go for it. I wouldn't exactly say that I feel ready, but I don't think I would feel any more ready if I put off starting until later, so might as well crack on!

@KatRee hope you manage to get your appointments sorted

@TTCat39 glad your results were good and you've got a plan in place - it feel like you're working toward something when you know things are happening doesn't it?

@Kitekat81 glad you had a good consultation today, that does sound promising for you! £13k! Ouch but worth it if you get what you want!

@thislittlebird whoa that's mega expensive! I would've fallen on the train floor at that amount!

@M4v3r1ck I'm the opposite end just coming into my fw so plenty of dtd for us hopefully!

@Marvellouslymadmum @Kitekat81 yeah, the price floored me a bit. ICSI adds even more on

I think I’d be tempted to get the 2 cycle package with access if I was doing it through them, just over £8-10k (depending on ICSI or IVF, with unlimited FET + additional for medication). Rather than committing to 3 cycles with one clinic for much more money. The dream is the NHS just send us for one when we see them so I can see how it goes without wasting a ton of money on the first round and then use my response to that round to gauge what I’d like to pay for. The first round is all such a gamble when you don’t know what your egg quality will be like once it’s out, or if they’ll fertilise and stay alive etc. Would be great if we didn’t need ICSI.

I’ve gone down a spiral of what if we need to do more tests on him like DNA fragmentation or when they take the sperm out surgically. Why is it all such a minefield???

I think I’m going to restart B6 today and maybe also email PALS next week to flag my concerns and experience to date ahead of my appointment in May maybe.

@Kitekat81 @M4v3r1ck @Marvellouslymadmum @Misty84 Thanks for the words of support- we've decided that if we don't manage to get NHS appointments sorted by the end of the week we will contact a private clinic to arrange them. As OH pointed out, we have a little bit more saved up this year on account of not being able to spend it on our usual treats.

@Kitekat81 @TTCat39 yay for positive news and things moving forwards!

@thislittlebird @MgW1 Enjoy your time away- you've inspired me and I'll be looking to get a break booked in as well as clinic appointments this weekend

Hope everyone is doing Ok today

A little bit disappointed - I won't be able to start on my next period after all. I thought it sounded a bit too good to be true! Will have to wait until the period after, so looking at starting treatment end of May. Oh well, gives us an extra month to try naturally!

@Misty84 thank you. I hope everything's okay. 21 months is a while, hopefully, the appointment will bring light to your situation.

@M4v3r1ck Thank you. I guess, it only feels that way. But when I read how long others have been waiting, 8 months feels like no time at all.

Afternoon folks, I wondered what cheaper than clear blue etc test do people recommend using? Now wondering if it's worth having a few cheapies for my sanity at the moment. Thank you 🙂

@Henslovetoscratch I use these opks which include some pregnancy tests. Super cheap! 😂