been ttc#1 forever (and a bit longer) ....

[nomoremagnolia]

Thought it was time for a new thread - we're almost out of room on the original one

[herbaceous]

More brownie points for DP - he took me out for dinner last night, too. He rules.

[kd73]

To my friends on MN, I think I might be ....

Please cross your fingers that this one sticks

Thank youx

[nomoremagnolia]

kd got my fingers as tightly crossed as I possibly can for you

[Ready]

kd, everything crossed for you sweets. Take care of yourself won't you - wrap yourself in cotton wool

[herbaceous]

Fingers, but not fanjo, crossed for you here too. I've been trawling back to see your story - and thus calculate how 'deserving' you are! - but can't find it. Do tell.

As expected, AF started yesterday evening. But it's a weird one. V painful, but just some half-hearted brown goo. I'm not imagining I'm pg, just want my cycle to be normal again.

[kd73]

Thanks ladies, I contacted my GP today and have been referred to the Early Pregnancy Unit today. I have a scan booked for next Thursday and if viable pg they will monitor me and consider a trial involving baby aspirin and heparin injections daily. In the meantime, here is my story of heartache: -

Oct 04 - 31 yrs old & thought I would like to consider starting a family as happy settled in relationship with dp
July 06 - Went to GP as nothing happened yet - referred to hospital
Mar 07 - Laporoscopy & cystectomy carried out
April 07 - Unexplained infertility diagnosed clomid recommended - decided to wait til Aug before commencing clomid
June 07 - Conceived naturally
Aug 07 - Miscarried
Nov 07 - 2 days before holiday BFP - cried all through holiday so scared
Xmas 07 - Had a slight show and in alot of pain, no scanning facilities until after New Year
Jan 08 - Scan revealed 2nd miscarriage - advised they will investigate after the next one!

Herb I am sorry bitch arrived and even more irratating when she's not behaving normal

Ready, Rah, Gilly, No more & Herb - Please pray for me and the bean and in return I'll hope lady luck lays with you at night!

[nomoremagnolia]

((kd))
It really breaks my heart to hear the stories of people on this thread. In some ways I'm glad I have never conceived rather than had to go through the loss of a much longed for baby. I don't know how you guys carry on, I really admire you all.
I have been and will continue to pray for you and your bean kd

[herbaceous]

People can be so lovely. I'm, embarrassingly, in a local am dram group, and when the ladies found out about my last-but-one miscarriage, one of them gave me some healing crystals, and another one a talisman of the patron saint of fertility (or some such), and another said she'd pray for me. I don't actually believe in any of it, but the fact that people care is what makes the difference.

I saw my GP yesterday to ask him how much he has to tell the adoption people, re my investigations into why I'm not conceiving. He said he cannot lie to them, but will let me see what he says. To speed the process, he gave me a form to enable me to have an HSG privately. Can't decide whether to keep my appt at the fertility unit at the local hospital (22 May), or just get the HSG done. I'm wondering if the fertility unit might give me clomid, not that I need it, I don't think, as seem to be ovulating. Though maybe not last cycle. blah blah... Christ I'm a rambling fool.

[nomoremagnolia]

Gilly That is so lovely of your friend. I don't think you should apologise for the religious-ness of a post, we accept other people casting fertility spells and all sorts! :P After all you're not trying to convert everyone (are you?)

[nomoremagnolia]

herby That's what I mean - people do what they believe in - I pray for people but I have a friend who gave me a rose quartz (to help me love myself I think? just googled it) Anyway - it's the fact she's doing what she can to help me that matters. ps used to do am-dram and loved it, really miss it now!

[nomoremagnolia]

My mum keeps praying to St Jude for me! (the patron saint of hopeless cases/lost causes for the uninitiated)

[EachPeachPearPlum]

If it's ok to be a bit religious, then I just wanted to say that I've been praying for all of you too. (I'm a Christian but not a Catholic)

Hope no-one's offended by that, but it looked like you wouldn't be and I always feel better when I know people are praying for me.

kd73 - I don't think we've 'met' but I really hope your scan went well yesterday and everything goes ok with this pregnancy.

[Ready]

As someone who is not religious, I want to say that no-one should ever feel that they can't post religious things - we all share what makes us feel good in the hope that someone else can benefit too - and if that happens to be religious, that's fine with me.

It's been said, but again, it's more that people are thinking of us that really counts, than their method. If everyone wants to pray for me, I am totally fine with it

I am fairly low at the moment... so if someone could pray to the patron saint of ear infections, I would be most grateful.

I kid, of course. I'm really not trying to mock or anything.

Kd, fingers crossed for you, you give me hope.

[kd73]

Thanks everyone.

I've had a tough day, having received a crap email from a "friend". Unfortunately it appears that a long and dear friendship has reached an end and although the writings been on the cards its still sad

Whilst I pray we will all be rewarded with our patience, Ready I will pray to St. Cornelius who apparently is the man to turn to for earaches and ear infections.

[nomoremagnolia]

(((kd))) sometimes friendships run their course but it's never easy.

[RahRah1]

Hi all.... sorry for not being around over the weekend... had loads on and been so busy!

KD - Many congratulations... have my fingers and toes crossed for you. When is your first scan?

Gilly - Blimey you have a lot of questions
Happy to help

• My clinic had very little advice, when ever I needed something I asked and they would tell me then. From their point of view everyone is different and has different requirements and they just inform people as they go along.

• No advise given on diet... we said we were talking supplements but they were not very interested and said there is no evidence that any of them make any difference except for folic acid. They do ask for you to stop smoking and reduce alcohol within the recommended limits for adults.

• I work for myself so I was luck in terms of being able to take time off when I needed it. But its very much in their timescales and sometimes I would find myself at the hospital 4 days in a week. Which was very time consuming. In addition the waiting times can be horrendous and I would often find myself waiting 1hr just to have my scan. Which wound me up a treat. So take plenty of time off work when you go for your appointments... but maybe your clinic might be better in their time management.

• In terms of scanning it differed every month. I would get scanned on day 5 as routine and then scanned again from day 10. They would then normally scan me every 2 days from day 10 until I was ready for the IUI. However in usual Rah fashion I did not ovulate on day 14, so often went back again and again.. So normally they would look to scan on day 5,10,12 and 14... but I often had more scans than that.

• Scans were never at a set time for me, only the last one before IUI. They had to be done so many hours before the weekend, incase I could have my HCG and then IUI

• No advise when taking clomid on egg production. I was just given the clomid and then my eggs grew. I was lucky as never had over 2 eggs big enough in a cycle, so never over produced eggs. They say the best result is 2 eggs over a size 17.

• When I ovulated over the weekend and my eggs were not big enough beforehand, they abandoned my cycle. GRRRR But after taking clomid this did not happen, as clomid accelerated everything and I was ready on both occasions before the weekend. On one occasion they had to give me my HCG and IUI within 24hrs instead of the recommended 40hrs, as otherwise they would have to abandon again.

• Dh stayed with me through out IUI. DH needs to produce his sample 2hrs plus before IUI for them to do their thing on it. Then you would get called in for the IUI. The IUI itself did not take too long. They just use the same thing as a smear instrument and then put a small tube into your womb and inject the sperm up. Its not uncomfortable, in fact its not far off a smear test. Surprisingly OK! Basically you don't have to worry about that bit, promise!

• They don't advise any time off after the treatment, they leave that for you to decide. Some people go straight back to work afterwards. I always took the afternoon off after the procedure and had a good chill out on the sofa and a good movie and some chocolate.

• I've not had a HCG (I had a lap & dye) and was asleep... ... but the IUI does not hurt. I only had problems with my last one as they could not get into the womb, they were at it for 45minutes and then decided to squirt it up into the cervix instead of the womb. as I had obviously got myself a bit tense. GRRR But she said its very rare for that to happen. But if its going to happen it will happen to me

• Sorry I'm not sane... ...

To be honest after the first treatment I was convinced I would be pregnant and even felt a bit pregnant the moment they had done he treatment... I did hardly any work for 2 weeks and then the disappointment was huge. So after that I just continued as normal and tried to manage the disappointment. So I think my best tip is to try not the think about the treatment after you have had it and just carry on as normal. Try and organise a few things to take your mind off it and go out with friends. Also I found it quite hard everyone knowing and then having to tell them it had not worked. As everyone has a story of someone they know and it worked first time etc.... Also IUI has a relatively low success rate, but the rate goes up the more times you have it. Therefore put you hope into the 3rd cycles rather than the first one and then the second one IYKWIM... so basically expect it to work more on the 3rd go and then hopefully your mind with be more positive if the first one fails.... etc etc...

I hope I have helped... and remember everyone is different and every clinic is different. I personally found mine hard work and would seriously have issues with them if I paid for their services. But some of my friends have had great experiences with their clinics, so its all different.

My email address is [email protected] if you want to talk about any of it off line or need any support when your doing it

[kd73]

Just a quick update, I have first scan (6+4) on Thursday am and also hospital will discuss a trial with me due to previous miscarriages.

Hopefully things will be ok but I have had a bit of a bleed over the last few days

[kd73]

Rah - I am sorry your IUI didn't work out....Why can't life be easy??????

[nomoremagnolia]

kd Hope everything's ok, still got everything crossed for you (and still praying this one stays put)