Fertility Appointments and Beyond.... the next chapter

[Tinkerbell098]

I have created a new thread as the previous one is about to fill up. I've tagged some of us here, but apologies if I have missed anyone.

The thread is for anyone who has started/ about to start fertility investigations or treatment. Come join us, we are a lovely bunch :)

@tillybabs
@thislittlebird
@kay00
@jeaniej
@PurpleUnicorn01
@paintfairy
@dogmam
@flutterby8
@Ughmaybenot
@dancingfairydreams
@beckycarlos
@jkjellyhead
@juno231
@decaffe
@bumble44
@BritinNZ
@tinkerbell098
@pinkginpls
@thedaydreambelievers
@everymumday
@wanderlust16
@lori23ttc
@Gracie2021
@Sofasogood1
@99pctpractice
@magnoliasinbloom

@thislittlebird great news!! All fingers crossed this is the one for you!! And that you can move to Cornwall - so lush...

Not looking forward to flying home to the heat of London today!! Just hoping the underground is working so I can get back into the city from the airport!!

@99pctpractice what time are you flying? It’s already 28C here and it’s not even 10am.

@Gracie2021 can’t wait for Wednesday! The problem is these days (unlike when I last bought and sold) they won’t even look at you without your place being sold first. So although we can sell fairly fast, we really need to have sold already before we can look properly and it’s so expensive down there, worried we’ll be priced out of what we want, where we want it. I guess new builds might not be like that, never bought one so I’m not sure.

You’ve reminded me I need to ask them about the blood tests, I’m not sure when, no one has mentioned it.

Speaking of progesterone, my Cyclogest is kind of melting? Not sure what to do because the advice is not to put it in the fridge, but it was a bit too soft this morning when I used it.

That's a hard one @thislittlebird so you nearly need to gamble and lay all your cards on the table before you can even properly jump for a house. Have you spoke. To any estate agents down there just to get an idea of how competitive things are? No clue about the clycogest- do you have a cool room or anything that you could move it to?

Hope you have a smooth travel day @99pctpractice

Good news here. Had the our final follow up with our doctor about our last round and we're being compensated. So glad to be able to draw a line under that and move forward. CD3 today and first scan will be Monday 25th on CD10. Slightly worried about the timing around the following bank holiday weekend but keep telling myself we'd have to be very unlucky to ovulate through this higher estrogen dose so just hoping for the best. Have the first week of august off anyway so will be off sometime around transfer assuming all goes well.

I've broken out in coldsores, started yesterday, I felt ok about the FET but maybe I was more stressed than I realised. Or the procedure itself stressed me out.

@Gracie2021 basically, yeah. I hate it, when we viewed this place we hadn't sold yet, probably just listed it. Our asking price offer got rejected for a man who had already sold and offered more. Then his seller pulled out not long after and our offer was accepted instead, we may have had a sale by then, it was a couple of weeks. But nowadays the market is so hot (here and down there) that you really need to be sold first or they won't look at you. I spoke to a couple of agents down there who said the same, their best suggestion was we get everything lined up (photos, agent etc) so we're ready to roll if we want to. I think I'll get a valuation in a few weeks, once we've finished the work we're doing.

I might stick the cyclogest in the fridge for an hour maybe? Dunno.

@Gracie2021 are they refunding you some/all of it? Fingers crossed for August timing going to plan. They're going to monitor you more closely, right?

Ugh @thislittlebird cold sores are the worst. Funnily enough I had a few last week and hadn't had any for ages. Think they can definitely be triggered by stress. Sounds like a good plan to have the valuation done and be ready to list and even to feel like you're moving forward on something. Would it be completely off the table to sell with the aim to rent somewhere for a year while ye look for something suitable in Cornwall?

Last time I went for first scan on day 14 and could have transferred on day 21 but they made me wait til day 28. This time first scan is day 10 but with the same ay the bank holiday is falling the soonest I could start progesterone would be day 14 for transfer day 19. Should be fine but Really worried about leading follicles again. On the bright side all my prime day pregnancy test purchase just arrived. Everything crossed that this transfer goes ahead. How did yours go? All smooth sailing?

@gracie2021 I'm glad the conversation with the doctor went well! Fingers crossed the estrogen does its job!

@thislittlebird depending where you are the market is batshit isnt it! I browse rightmove for our area because I'm nose AF but at one point in lockdown things were sold stc by the next day! I feel like there must be so much pressure to find something as well if you need your house sold first! Sorry about your cold sores, they are the worst. As for the cyclogest thats hard (pardon the pun), do you have a cool kitchen cupboard? Or can you put the packet under the sink near the cold water in pipe (there must be a technical term I'm missing there lol)

@Gracie2021 i hate coldsores, but my lip seems to want to host a few of them right now!

Yeah, we'll definitely get the valuation but I feel like we can't really move until the ivf works. Everything rests on that and the job/mat leave. Very frustrating.

Did they ever explain why day 28? That seems crazy. Transfer was fine yeah, but I remembered it being slightly easier than it was, I took a sedative pill last time. It was only ten minutes but there's a lot going on between the full bladder being pushed and scanned, the speculum, catheter and screen...all a bit overwhelming and uncomfortable, but over fairly fast. Terrible music was being played in the room. First it was like some ibiza club classic remix and then a very dire instrumental version of Angels by Robbie Williams kicked in. Weird.

@beckyCarlos Honestly, I'm getting so tired of these insane markets. It's stressful just thinking about it all. That's the thing, where we'd be moving literally has a handful of decent houses every few months, if that, it's not overflowing with lovely, decent sized stock we can afford. We'd have to tell any buyer that this might take a while. And we can't really sell and rent there because rent there is ridiculous. It's 1500+ for rent, our mortgage is much less and we need our spare income for IVF funds really.

I've put the cyclogest in the fridge for an hour, then I'll put it in a cupboard downstairs where's less hot.

Sounds like you've done everything you can do for now anyway @thislittlebird and you never know you could be house hunting and job hunting while on maternity leave soon. Wishing this into being for you 🤞 sitting on a beach in Cornwall with a wee baba.

CD28 because of scheduling on their part but they massively missed my big growing follicle and shouldn't have pushed me out. Anyway being scanned earlier this time so hopefully everything all good and my lining is as good as it was last time. What was your lining this time actually? I did an IUI and imagine it's the most similar to a transfer. Found it a bit uncomfortable because the nurse said they can't use lubricant for IUIs. Good trial run for transfer though, full bladder and all. Can imagine it's a lot more chaotic with a transfer and all the screens etc. laughing here at the weird music choices.... wow!

Love searching local house listings too @beckyCarlos nosy AF here too!

@thislittlebird I hate cold sores! I get them when I'm stressed too, esp when the sun is shining. Hope yours are short lived. If it's melting probably a good idea to keep in the fridge and then you can always take it out half an hour before you need to use it to let it come up to room temp? Can you check with your clinic?

Housing markets are crazy. And anything involving estate agents is so painful - sounds like a good idea to get yourself ready to go and then you can hopefully move quickly when you're ready...

@Gracie2021 that's awesome that you managed to get some compensation out of your clinic. They mostly seem to be one way money drains so I'm glad that you're getting some compensation! Plus just getting the admission that they did something wrong goes a long way to making you feel better.

Made it back to London, 2 hrs delayed but no major disasters (phew). Hugh grant was on my flight - best celeb spot i think I've ever seen!

Very relieved to still be on flashing smileys, hoping for a static one tomorrow so I can go in for my final monitoring blood tests. Then we're just waiting for sperm dna fragmentation test and immune test results to see if we can plan an august cycle....

@99pctpractice that is amazing! How does he look in person? Hes definitely on my old(er) man crush list

@Gracie2021 my lining was 7.7mm a few days before transfer. Yeah IUI probably is similar. Did they use a catheter for that?

@99pctpractice I think I’m going to stick it in the fridge if it is melting again when I try it in a bit.

2 hrs delay is annoying but that’s not too bad! Glad you’re back without too many problems.

That’s so funny, Hugh Grant is my best celeb spot too! Sat on the table next to him in a pub in Chelsea when I was about 25. Some drunk woman was giving him grief about Jemima Khan (he’d just broken up with her) and he was (rightly) very annoyed. How did you know he was on the plane?

We all got on a bus when we landed and there he was :o) looked a bit greyer than he used to so wasn't sure until I heard him speak and it was definitely him! @thislittlebird so funny that you have seen him too!! He was with a very attractive and understatedly glam lady this time - could not tell from their body language if she was a romantic interest or not!!

@99pctpractice assuming he was in first, it’s funny they have to get the same bus lol.

The heat was dreadful and it still won’t leave my house. People’s house burned down from fires and I just…..it’s crazy. Hope you’re all enjoying the relief of today’s cooler weather.

I used the paddling pool yesterday, decided it wasn’t a big risk to sit/lay in a paddling pool to cool off. I also developed hot weather arthritis, who knew that was a thing until yesterday!

Zero twinges or anything happening in the old womb area. It’s really hard in the 2ww because you want to feel something different happening and it just doesn’t happen.

Hey all, hope everyone is well and enjoying today's cooler weather. I've been catching up on a lot of messages!

@thislittlebird so pleased you've had your transfer and crossing fingers and toes for you. In case it helps, I had not even the slightest hint of a pregnancy symptom whatsoever in my 2ww post IUI.

@Gracie2021 I'm so sorry about the continued screwups of your clinic!! That is just unacceptable and the financial compensation is the very least they can do, it doesn't even cover the emotional distress you would have gone through. Really happy for you that you can proceed next month.

@Kay00 I'm guessing you would have had/be coming up to your review appointment with your original clinic? I hope they were thorough and could give you some insights.

xx

@magnoliasinbloom very annoyingly I’m more sweaty today than yesterday 😂. I hope you’re right, it’s hard to believe anything worked.

Soooo I’m annoyed with my clinic. In my consultation after my first failed transfer the doctor said I could have my progesterone tested because it had been low in the past. I’ve requested this via email and the nurses first said they’d look into it because it’s not routine and come back to me. Two days later I’ve heard nothing, emailed again. This time they say the systems are down and the test is not routine when patients are on progesterone.

I’m annoyed at this point. I’ve emailed trying to be firm but fair and said this was agreed with the consultant, I shouldn’t have to keep requesting this and would appreciate if someone could speak to the doctor about when this will happen since no one replied when I asked two days ago.

I don’t understand why they’re pushing back. I’m telling them he said it was fine because I had repeated low progesterone in the past. Why are they arguing????

What am I supposed to say to this? “Ok thanks! I’ll wait until that’s resolved” ???? Surely they should say we’ll get back to you when the system is back up? Am I supposed to email daily? Ask if they’ll do it when the system is online?

@thislittlebird I would just call them tomorrow, I would just repeatedly call my clinic reception each morning following up unti l got an outcome, and I imagine it was annoying but it was effective. A nurse will probably need to follow up with your consultant to confirm they agreed to testing which might take a day or so but will hopefully happen?

literally just went onto the FET thread to see someone saying they aren’t absorbing the progesterone! This is why I’m asking!!!

@magnoliasinbloom i replied to her saying I will call in the morning to find out if the systems are back online. They’ve had two days already since my original email and their response saying they’d ask the consultant.

Is it just me or is it not cooling down as quickly as I expected?! Im sweatier today than yesterday. I feel disgusting 🤣 and if course I agreed to go to a paid for book talk even thing in York tonight ages ago... I'm on a sweaty bus and then have to get a sweaty train. Yey. There is cake though...

@thislittlebird call, its against all my comfort zones but call and keep calling until you're happy. They're being idiots. At the very least that email should say 'we'll book you in when its back up and running'. Does your clinic have an appointments line you can call? (Or can you get your consultants secretarys number and play dumb 'oh, I thought I should call you to set it up..') sneaky tactics but they're often effective 🤣

Hope everyone else is doing ok! I'm in for a baseline scan tomorrow to check my womb is as it should be 😊 x

@beckyCarlos I’m disgustingly sweaty, I was fine yesterday. Fuck you, humidity.

That’s exactly what I thought, why aren’t they offering to arrange this for me when the systems are online??? I’m going to call in the morning and I did consider emailing the PA of the consultant. Need to try to find that info.

Is it a transfer for you next????

Did you guys see this news? I’m so relieved this stuff is being addressed:
www.itv.com/news/2022-07-20/new-womens-health-plan-includes-baby-loss-certificates-and-better-ivf-access

Hi ladies! Sorry I haven't been around much, I have been super busy!!

It's nice and cool in the West Country today. I even wore a jumper 😅

@Gracie2021 well done getting the compensation 💪

@thislittlebird I'm so excited for you being in the TWW!! Good luck 😁😁😁

@magnoliasinbloom yes, I had my follow up consultation with the Exeter clinic yesterday, and it went quite well. We agreed that my body responded really well to the protocol I was put on; I had a good number of eggs and they fertilised well with ICSI. She thinks the high drop off rate between days 3 and 5 are down to my egg quality rather than the sperm amd she said ICSI should help improve the quality coming from the sperm.

So we discussed what we would change if I did a 2nd cycle with them, and we discussed a few different options. But we decided the best approach would be the same protocol but a few lifestyle changes: a PCOS diet for me, and continuing to take my supplements throughout my cycle rather than stopping beforehand.

So I'm tempted to stick the Exeter and we can start the Norethisterone on my next cycle starting in August.

I thought I had decided to work with the Plymouth clinic, but starting from scratch with the diagnostics and the travel to Plymouth is starting to put me of...

Decisions decisions 🤔

That is so frustrating @thislittlebird keep plaguing them. Obviously you shouldn't have to and it's terrible service but pestering is literally the only cure. Are you two days post transfer now? Or have I lost a week and you're 9? Yes catheter for the IUI so assuming it's much the same. 7.7 is a great lining. I had 7.2 last time so would kill for 7.7.

Ooh @beckyCarlos don't envy you that bus and train ride. Do you have to travel back tonight or can you make a night of it? Great news and fingers crossed for your scan. What's the plan if all is looking good?

Thanks a mil @magnoliasinbloom feeling good so far so just hoping all is good at my day 10 scan and hoping for a first week of august transfer 🤞

Glad you got home safe @99pctpractice and spotted a celeb. Well jealous. Did you get your static smilie yet? Fingers crossed you get all loose ends tied up for an august cycle.

@thislittlebird that is super annoying. It was £40 for a progesterone test at my old clinic, do you think there's any point in trying to get one done privately? I know your clinic should be doing it but sometimes it's easier to wave a result in their face to get some action. Could be that I have gotten too used to throwing money at the problem though, my sense of perspective when it comes to the cost of all things fertility related has I think completely gone out the window....

@Gracie2021 all fingers crossed for your day10 scan and an August transfer! Did you say it was on Monday?

@beckyCarlos still a sweat machine here too. It's cooler outside now but having been out of the house all day it's still about 40 degrees in here!! All windows now wide open so hoping it'll be less scorchio soon!

My static smiley still hasn't arrived and it's still flashing. My second line looks super faint though. I'm on CD16 already so I'm a bit worried that I'm not going to ovulate this month or could I have missed it? I've tested every morning since CD8 when there was a clear lead follicle but who knows....I might go back to the normal ovulation predictors rather than the digital one next cycle. Oof! Too many unpredictable variables in this whole ttc business!

@thislittlebird that article sounds promising!

Scan this morning was good, had a lovely doctor who did it which always helps. She showed me the EIGHT (yes, eight!!!) Antral folicles! Four on each ovary! The left has recovered from the downreg (where it never got going again), and the right had two good size and two smaller 😊. Considering I had two on each at my last baseline this is promising. X