thread 2... TTC bubba #1

[xoJellybean]

Thread #2... TTC our first!

@Lebe14 thank you for the warm welcome 😊 I wasn't sure what thread to chat on, since I'm not actively TTC yet and so I thought I wouldn't quite fit into the monthly threads just yet...
Good luck with your transfer, fingers crossed that all goes well for you!

Anyone from the USA here? I gather that most of you on MN are from the UK...I recently moved to the USA and still working on understanding the healthcare system here 😅

@Lebe14 yay so pleased you got your blastocyst! I'm surprised they're not doing a fresh transfer? Hope you won't have to wait too long for your FET. Do you need to wait for a withdrawal bleed AND a period? I.e. a month or so?

@anie1513 I'm in the UK and I'm already finding the pregnancy part of the NHS a bit bewildering - the USA must be a whole different thing again! If you've got a bit of time before you start TTC I recommend making sure you've had your smear test if you're due one, as you won't be able to do it whilst pregnant. (I find it really hard to keep track of this so it's worth checking!) Now is also the time to make sure you and your partner are nice and healthy. DH and I both stopped drinking (mostly!), took supplements as advised by our clinic, started planning healthier meals, and I also started doing more exercise. Apart from helping to conceive, this also means that now I'm pregnant I'm not having to make any big lifestyle changes because I'm already quite healthy.

@taytay2020 yeah it is bewildering, I just moved here last July and the system is so strange! Thanks for the suggestions. I had some blood work done to look into my PCOS and possibly low iron/ferritin last week, waiting for my GP to call me into the office to discuss the results... I think I am due for a smear this year and my GP said she'll do one in July or so. We're trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle - I walk to and from work most days and my job is a hands on kind of job, so I'm moving around and on my feet a lot, we're both trying to eat healthy and exercise 3-4x/week. I'll discuss supplements with my GP, but I'm already taking vit D since I live in an area with very little sunlight during the winter! We're trying to cut back on drinking too so that we're nice and healthy when we TTC.

@taytay2020 thank you! Pleased I've got something. They couldn't do a fresh transfer as the embryo only got to blast on Tuesday, and the fresh transfer would have been the Sunday before for my lining etc. to be at the right stage. My consultant is happy to start prepping for the frozen transfer on my withdrawal bleed IF my ovaries are quiet and follicles aren't big etc. I'm hoping my withdrawal bleed will come over the next couple of days and can then book in for a baseline scan to check. All being well, I'll start the oestrogen x

@Lebe14 oh fantastic! Not long to wait then.
I had two blood tests this morning. TWO! One unrelated longstanding appointment at the hospital and one last-minute GP appointment to check my thyroid is doing ok in pregnancy. It was just really bad luck that they both happened in the space of one hour!! I've now got matching plasters on each arm 😂

@taytay2020 oh no!!! Two in one day is my worst nightmare. Especially with my veins 😂 How are you feeling? Any further symptoms?

My withdrawal bleed came this morning so I'm booked in for a baseline scan tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed my follicles have calmed down from the collection and we can start the FET prep...! X

@taytay2020 good news from scan today. Follicles are quiet so start the oestrogen today - tablets and a patch. Also added in 1 aspirin a day. Have another scan booked for next Friday to see how my lining is getting on xx

@Lebe14 fingers crossed all goes well for you!

@taytay2020 two blood draws! I hate having my blood drawn because I have super thin veins on my arm and the nurse always has trouble finding them.
My GP contacted me and said that my blood work looks ok except for low ferritin, and she wants me to go in for an ultrasound to check my uterus and ovaries.
Still waiting for the ultrasound referral. Why is everything so slow 😅

Sorry for the radio silence this week! I'm feeling the fatigue and the queasiness now, but I didn't let that get in the way of a great weekend away :)

@lebe14 how are you feeling? Do you have side effects from the oestrogen? I really hope your scan goes well tomorrow!

@Anie1513 yeah I found that everything moved slowly when we needed various tests and referrals, but sped up massively when we finally made it to the IVF clinic. Hopefully you won't be waiting long for your scan. I found my first ultrasound really fascinating and regretted not having my DH there with me so he could see it too. I've insisted on him being allowed to watch every scan since. (I think I've had another 10 since then!)

I finally got my blood test results back yesterday. The GP didn't contact me directly, I just checked it myself on the NHS app. And thank goodness I did because my TSH level was waaaay too high but someone had marked it 'satisfactory' and planned to take no further action - they clearly hadn't read my notes and seen that I'm pregnant and need a lower-than-normal level. I had to call up my surgery when they opened this morning to insist they give me an appointment TODAY. I'm so annoyed.

@taytay2020 I'm glad to hear you had a great weekend away, and sorry about the nausea!

Oops, that's a pretty major error on their part about your TSH levels! Good that you caught it and called them.

I get my results on the app too, but I waited for GP to call anyway. Slightly annoyed because there were a couple of tests (Vit D, and a couple others) that were marked 'test not performed due to hemolysis'. I messaged GP via the app about that, and no response for a week. I messaged again about the ultrasound referral, and the nurse at the office replied saying that we will send the referral but please call them if they don't call you in a week's time. 😐

DH thinks I should change GP's since it's better to get into one of the big hospital systems in my city anyway considering that we will TTC next year. So I called one and asked about a new patient appointment. They've scheduled me for October 🙁I don't understand this system considering we pay so much for healthcare and insurance. Things were way easier in my home country where you could walk in or get a same/next day appointment pretty quickly.

Basically annoyed by all this and needed to vent!

@taytay2020 glad you had a lovely Easter break and managed to get away. Sorry to hear you're starting to feel tired and queasy. Hope it's manageable and you're finding things to ease the queasiness? Good excuse for lots of naps. I can't believe your GP overlooked your thyroid test results.... that's really awful and you shouldn't have to point it out to them - imagine if you didn't know your results should be different when pregnant?!? That's someone rushing and not remembering there's a human being at the end of the results.

I'm feeling okay on the oestrogen - similar to before - cried at The Dog House last night because someone was giving up their 2 dogs for rehoming..... to be fair, I'd probably well up in normal circumstances, but the oestrogen makes me have a full on cry haha!! Fingers crossed for the scan tomorrow. I reckon they'll scan me again next week and then book the transfer for the following week. Just want to get the date confirmed so I can organise time off work etc. I've got a week off work wc 22nd April - likely to be in the TWW - so I really think that'll help.

@Anie1513 sorry to hear about your troubles with your GP. Is that an appointment to join a new GP that you're being offered for October?!? If so, that's crazy!!!

X

@Lebe14 good luck with the scan tomorrow! Rooting for you!

Yeah that's for a new appointment with a new GP. Love the US healthcare system 🙄 My current GP is at a small clinic that my employer runs for employees only, so I picked her last year only because she had available appointments and I quickly needed to address my worsening migraines. She was fine up until now, the fiasco with the blood tests.

Current plan is to follow up with current GP but as soon as I can get in to see the new one, I'm going to switch. I asked them to put me on a waitlist so that my appointment can be moved up in case there are cancellations.

@Anie1513 wow that's mental! That's also cool your employer have their own GP. I guess the system is just so different in the US and most employers do offer healthcare as a benefit due to no NHS etc.

Scan went well today - transfer has been booked in for 15th April. The next hurdle is hoping the embryo survives the thaw. Once you get started you'll get that every step in IVF produces another hurdle 😂😂😂 xx

@Lebe14 Happy for you that your scan went well! Good luck on the upcoming transfer - hoping it's a sticky bean x

Yeah there's no universal healthcare, and health insurance is expensive! Fortunately my employer pays 90% of the premium so I actually don't pay that much. But I've heard other people have it worse. It's also sad that you're limited to whatever your employer offers, if it's a good insurance plan you're good, but if it's a not so good one you really don't have options. You can buy privately but the premiums are very high.

Also all employers don't have their own clinics but mine is a research institute cum cancer hospital so it makes sense that they have a clinic for their employees.

I'm finding it harder and harder to wait until our anticipated TTC start date, I think I have baby fever 😅 I'm using birth control of course but every time we DTD I can't help thinking that it wouldn't be so bad if the BC fails would it 😂

@Lebe14 I'm so glad you're on track for your transfer! I know how you feel about the thaw issue, chances are it'll be fine but it's so hard to hope for the best when you've had so much disappointment already. I'm sure it'll work out though, your little blastocyst seems like a survivor!

@anie1513 That's an insanely long wait time! Hopefully your current GP won't muck up again in the meantime - in fairness, it probably doesn't happen often. The GP I spoke to in my urgent appointment last week could see that whoever labelled my blood results hadn't looked carefully enough - I'm hoping they followed up on that internally.

Update from me: I'm now taking double the dose of levothyroxine for my thyroid, and I've been referred to a specialist antenatal clinic to keep a closer eye on things from now on. Hopefully no lasting harm done by the delay. Great news this morning - we had our first scan and saw a heartbeat! Baby measuring spot on for 7 weeks 4 days so we're on track and we can breathe easier now. (Obviously I won't though, I'll be just as nervous before our next scan!!)

@taytay2020 ahhhh so exciting on the scan!! So lovely to hear everything is going well. And glad you have your thyroid meds sorted and that they're monitoring you xx

@taytay2020 so exciting about the scan, happy all's looking good! ☺️ Also I'm glad you've got your thyroid situation sorted out and that they're monitoring x

Yeah hopefully the GP will be fine. My employers clinic does only primary care, so DH thinks it's a good idea to get a GP in one of the major hospitals anyway since they'll refer to an OB and such in the same hospital. But the wait time is so long!

Finally got word on the ultrasound referral. I'm scheduled for the week after next (I would have done next week but AF is due to arrive and the person I talked to on the phone recommended to schedule on CD 4 or later. I had to call back and forth a few times (GP sent the referral but they didn't receive it, had to get them to send it again) but got it scheduled finally. Hope all's clear on the ultrasound and there's nothing strange going on...I really want to keep my TTC start date of January!

@lebe14 How did your transfer go? I felt a bit emotional in both of mine, seeing that little dot of light on the screen!

@taytay2020 it went well. No pain at all this time as they used a smaller speculum 😂 I feel a bit emotional this evening as if this doesn't work we'll have to go through a whole new cycle.... I kind of already feel like it won't work.... I don't know why. But then also didn't expect to get this far with this cycle. My progesterone levels were in the 30s so I'm having to do another lubion injection every day from tomorrow. I've got tomorrow off work then on holiday all of next week - really looking forward to going away for the TWW and not being at work, as I'm finding work stressful and emotional at the minute.

How are you getting on? Have you had any further scans?? You feeling okay? Xx

@lebe14 I'm keeping everything crossed for you!! You are in with a chance or your clinic wouldn't have done the transfer. I'm glad you can take some time off, it's really hard to continue with work as normal when you have this going on. Enjoy your holiday!

@anie1513 I hope your ultrasound goes well this week!

@lebe14 When's your OTD? Have you noticed any symptoms? 🤞🤞🤞

I've been feeling a bit better the last few days, not sure if that's a good sign or not. I'm enjoying not having a constant feeling of nausea, but I do need to snack often to keep it at bay. Got my first midwife appointment tomorrow morning! Currently at 9 weeks 3 days.

Ahhh @taytay2020 how did your midwife appointment go today? Can't believe you're 9 weeks already.

Unfortunately 2nd FET hasn't worked 😔 didn't even stick this time. Onto cycle 3 xxxxxxxx

@Lebe14 oh I'm so sorry! That really sucks. I really hope your clinic has learnt some lessons from this cycle and can make suitable changes for cycle 3 to increase your odds of success. I assume you'll have to wait a few weeks for your next period before you can start your next cycle? Take care of yourself in the meantime, sending big hugs xx

Our appointment was good, lots of ticking boxes on the computer about family history, general health etc. Plus a urine sample and blood test.

I've now got a better idea of what appointments to expect over the next few months, and a date for my 12 week scan. (Which I immediately had to phone and change, but fortunately I'd been exploring all parts of the NHS app and quickly found the phone number to do this, rather than nervously waiting for a letter to arrive before I could fix the problem!) It's now booked in for 12+2, so that'll be the next milestone to cross.

@taytay2020 glad your appointment went well!!

I'll need to wait for my withdrawal bleed which should come a few days after stopping medication. Then on my next period I'll be able to start my final cycle.

Xx

@Lebe14 I'm sorry about the transfer hun xx i hope the next cycle goes well for you!

@taytay2020 I'm glad your appt went well, good luck for the 12 week scan!

I got my ultrasound done last week and it was ok, first time I had a transvaginal ultrasound and it was mildly uncomfortable but not too bad. I waited forever for GP to contact me about the results and called them yesterday. Turns out I have an endometrial polyp and an ovarian cyst. GP thinks the polyp is most likely harmless and is causing AF to be heavier than usual, and suggested I see an OBGYN. Got a referral and I'm waiting now...

I looked it up on the internet and it seems a lot of women with polyps experience loss, so I'm worried about the impact on TTC! Will have to wait for the GYN appointment and see I suppose...