Assisted conception (and the bits in between!) - part 3 - all welcome

[Caitni]

Right ladies, time for a new thread.

And a big welcome to everyone . Here's to many more success stories and healthy pregnancies!

lottie Amazing news - sorry for stalking you out but knew you had a scan today and was too desperate to know how it went

So happy for you and your DH
(see babies are like buses - you wait forever for one then two come along at once - couldn't resist that one!!)

Wow, a shiny new thread! I nearly missed it

Mowmi, I'm so so sorry to hear about your scan, and am really hoping that the next scan will show a development. x

Good luck with the stimming Caitni, I hope it all goes well!

EMZIB - those hormone levels sound great! Best wishes for developments!

Have a lovely holiday Flibberty! Lottie - Wow! I appear to have something in my eye what amazing news - and to think you were feeling so uninspired about this cycle!

I totally sympathise with you about your mother, by the way, I haven't told my Mum about the IVF as I know she just couldn't resist telling the world - my feelings would not matter a jot. She arrives next weekend for a six week stay, and by the time she leaves I may well be injecting myself again, but I am so undecided about whether to tell her or not. She puts so much pressure on me to produce grandchildren, and I just don't want her adding to the stress.

Otherwise, AF started today, so am booked in for my blood test (FSH and AMH) on Monday evening. That couldn't have been a worse day, work wise, but the lovely nurse at my clinic was able to book me in for 7.45pm.

Lottie - hooray hooray. That's great news. I think you're feelings are completely understandable and completely normal. But think of it like this - for you having two babies will be completely normal because you will never have had just the one so you won't know any different.

A dear friend of mine has just started writing a blog about her experience of being a mum of twins. She didn't have IVF, in fact she was totally shocked to find out she was pregnant and is now a single mum to her two beautiful babes. But it's heart warming and funny so even if you don't identify with it at the moment (or ever) you might find it worth a read.

earthmothercb.blogspot.com/

Congrats again. xx

Morning ladies

Lottie I agree with Summermagic - it's normal to be freaked out by twins (two babies!) but you'll cope and not having had one baby already two babies will be your norm. I've thought about it a lot - lots of lurking on the multiples board on here, reading up about SET, googling and talking surreptitiously to the mums of twins I know - and have decided to have two embryos transferred (if we get to that stage) as I reckon we'll cope with twins and the risks associated with twin pregnancy (even with living in different countries from our parents and extended families)...And your DH will soon realise that getting help from everyone will be key (I wrote that and then browsed Summermagic's friend's blog and see that she has it as one of her top tips!). And glad to hear that your aunt hadn't told the world about your news.

NPA glad to hear the lovely nurse could fit you in for your bloods. Hope the results come through quickly. It's tricky about your mum - if you think the pressure would be too much then you could probably keep the injections private from her.

Summermagic thanks for that link btw . She's very funny and it's interesting to read about her experiences (single mum to twins - respect!).

Mowmi thinking of you and your DH.

Duplo, Sooty hope the tww isn't driving you mad.

And big waves to everyone else

Things fine with me - enjoying the amazing weather and sorting out the last bit of the garden (our flower seeds didn't work so bought lots of bee & butterfly friendly plants and already it's nice to see the bumblebees arrive ). Did my first unsupervised injection yesterday and it was fine, bit stingier than the first one, but fine. I'm on 225 of Menopur and am still sniffing the Suprecur one nostril, three times a day (down from 2 nostrils three times a day). It's a bit early for side effects I guess but not really feeling anything (long may that continue!).

OMFG Lottie Absolutely amazing news. So pleased for you I can understand how overwhelmed you must feel but try not to worry about the practicalities of things like bf now - plenty of mums of single babies don't manage it so don't put yourself under too much pressure. Go with the flow when babies are born. I bf ds but it was very hard work and I will try again with this one, but will not be hard on myself if it doesn't work out. I think you are right to try and concentrate on enjoying the here and now. It is fantastic news and seems so fitting after all those disappointments.

hi, could i hijack please? does this thread include clomid takers? if so, may i join? i see a few familliar names.

Mowmi - so sorry and hope that by some chance things might still work out. I had 4 m/c after having ds (who was a threatened m/c) and had all but given up hope of another (though I do realise I am very lucky to have 1 dc and don't wish to appear ungrateful esp as there are women here ttc their first). Then first cycle after ERPC after boozing and generally unhealthy living, I conceived and despite all the odds the pregnancy seems to be going well. So I understand how you feel, but please don't give up hope

Hi everyone. Just popping on to the thread to say congratulations to Lottie - twins must be daunting but you will cope. I have a colleague with twins and she says she prefers it that way (rather than having to go through the newborn bit twice) and also echos the didn't know any different argument. Also when they're older they entertain each other and can actually be less demanding that a singleton in some ways. If you're eligible for tax credits, you get loads more for two, enough to cover the second nursery fee if you end up staying in UK.

I've replied to you on the Clearblue thread Mowmi, but just wanted to repeat how sorry I am for your news and sending you lots of hugs for this difficult time. Really hoping that everything will be OK for you at the next scan.

Sorry not to have properly caught up with thread and for lack of personals but I'm trying to stay away from the threads until after Wednesday as I'm becoming obsessed with everything that could be wrong.

Lottie!!!!

Just popped round to my mum's to use her computer and find out how your last treatment went. Sorry to everyone else on this thread as I've just scrolled past everything else to read the most amazing news that you are having TWINS!!

I've taken ages to catch up as my 2 boys were born 8 weeks early nearly 4 weeks ago!! Just heard today we should be able to bring them home on Wednesday.

Be a little bit freaked, I am - I've got a team of nurses showing me how to look after them at the moment, but can't wait to have to deal with it all myself (okay so DH will try to help).

I'm also here to try to sign up to broadband so I can catch up with everyone else - is it wrong that I wanted to make my birth announcement in conception? It still seems like this is more home than anywhere else.

Congrats rattling

Hello ladies, if I may show my face around here after disappearing for months...

First and most important, having zoomed through and hopefully caught up on all the really important bits of news - massive, huge congratulations to LL, Issy42, EMZIB and Rowing! How fabulous to have such a collection of brilliant gorgeous inspiring BFPs! And TWINS LL!!!! I'm so excited for you - was at my twin godchildren's 1st b'day party on Saturday and they were too adorable for words. Hope you're coming out of the shock and able to look forward to them - it's my secret fantasy to have twins because it's the complete family package and I'd never need to go through all this again.

So if I may humbly offer an explanation... after our first IVF cycle ended in disaster back in Feb, with only 1 follie after 10 days on the max dose and with a horrid clinic which I'd never trusted, I kind of turned in on myself for a while and had to come offline to cope with it all. We switched clinics to the lovely, professional and cheaper(!) London Women's Clinic and went into what felt like a lifetime of delays and complications which eventually got tracked down to a cyst, which took 2 lots of drugs to get rid of. We finally started IVF again in May, amid much trepidation, but managed to get 5 eggs, 4 of which fertilised and 3 of which were good enough for transfer, which happened last Tuesday. So now I'm in the dreaded 2WW [waves to Duplo and Sooty], obsessively listening to my Zita West cd and leaping for the loo at every twinge. I'm thrilled to have got this far, given that I wasn't expected to respond at all, but having come so far I'm dreading the moment of truth!

Big hugs to everyone who's had bad news and setbacks over the last few months too.

So much news since I was last on!

Rattling a huge congratulations on the birth of your little boys - I'm glad to hear they'll soon head home where they belong .

Bumpless yay! I'm so happy to hear that you've got embies on board - woo hoo! I was a lurker on the last thread so know your history . Did you transfer all three? I hope the little fellas (or gals ) burrow in and get nice and comfortable for the next 9 months . It sounds like you've had a much more positive experience with your new clinic, though I'm sorry to hear it took so long to shift the cyst. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that you (and Sooty and Duplo) have some good news soon.

Lottie glad to hear you're trying to relax into your news (and must be good to know that your worries are precisely what other worry about ).

Issy sending you a big virtual pat on the back for managing to avoid MN until you have your scan. I really hope all your fears can be put aside after Wed's scan.

Lissielou you'd be welcome to join us . I've never taken clomid but there are ladies on here who've been on it (Issy I think and Summerbird)

Big waves to everyone else.

Still injecting without problems but am starting to get more nervous...Bought some brazil nuts at lunch time...not sure they're lodged in my mind as something that someone somewhere recommends for growing eggs . And have taken to using a hot water bottle on my tummy when lounging in front of the telly . The rational part of me keeps muttering "your consultant said there's nothing other than folic acid that you need to be doing" but my irrational side keeps interrupting with "yeah but it can't hurt can it?". Just hope the scan on Wed shows some follicles growing .

Hi Caitninice to meet you - and I've been returning the lurking favour as I built up to coming back ! I so hear you about the 2 voices - I went entirely with the 'it can't hurt' approach in the end on the grounds of what if, meaning 2 weeks of protein-boosting ham and milk and nuts, supplements, hot packs at every opportunity, visulatisations, acupuncture, you name it... hey, maybe one of them's even the reason why I managed to produce some eggs! Huge good luck for the scan on weds.

I had all 3 embies transferred (as I'm over 40 I'm allowed to) and then had a panic that I'd been greedy and they'd all fail through lack of elbow room (panic while doctor, 2 nurses and embryologist all down nose to groin peering intently at business end with me flat on back feebly bleating 'that is the right decision, isn't it?' there's no dignity in this game) But in the end I couldn't bear to see the third one washed down the sink after it had tried so hard, and it wasn't good enough quality to freeze.

Hi Lissielou, I tried clomid last summer and autumn, unfortunately no result for me apart from hot flushes but hope you get a better result!

And go Rattling go

Bumpless well congratulations on having three embies on board - you've totally made the right decision (though I was at the lack of dignity - too true!). How many days past ET are you? I hope the tww isn't too hard (I imagine it's the worst part).

I'm now 7 days past ET - so far stayed off the wee sticks but the clinic want me to wait till 14 dpt not sure I'll last that long!!! Although while I don't actually know, it might still be positive, so the flip side is maybe I'll wait till I'm holding a baby to dare test...

I like your thinking Bumpless, that's my attitude often too! Fingers crossed for you, I hope the news is good when you do finally get around to peeing on that stick...!

Hello everyone

Isn't the weather amazing? I love it, I love it, I love it.

Congratulations on the birth of your lovely boys Rattling. As the proud mum of one I can safely say that little boys are amazing and you have lots of wonderful years of hugs and Mummy adoration ahead of you. Trucks and diggers are much more fun than you'd initially think you know.

Caitni - good to hear that you're not having any side effects yet but who the bloody hell is Summerbird??

Hi Lissielou - Issy and I did take clomid but neither of with much success. Mind you I only did it for three months because it was making my SAD a little bit worse so didn't really give it a proper go and I know a few people who it did work for - look at Jools Oliver and her flower themed children.

Lottie - have you stopped panicking and started day dreaming about matching outfits and double doses of smiley faces yet?

Bumpless, Sooty and Duplo - hope you're all doing well.

Wednesday seems to be an important day for quite a few people. Issy and Caitni - let's hope Rattling bringing her beautiful boys home the same day you have your scans is a good luck omen.

I've got an appointment with my consultant tomorrow to get the results of my malarial (is that right?) hormone count and to discuss whether to do IUI or IVF in August if nothing happens in between. They keep suggesting I try IUI first because I've already got one but with odds of 17% against 30% and my mum offering to pay for one round of IVF, I don't know whether it would be best to go straight for IVF. I won't do anything else until next Spring then (because of SAD) so maybe I should just put all my eggs in one basket. Would you mind me asking what you think?

Mowmi - thinking of you lots and hoping you're ok.

Summermagic big time at getting your name wrong! So sorry! I think there's a summerbird kicking around on MN somewhere (perhaps my forgetfulness is a side effect? I've made a couple of schoolboy errors at work too ). I was at your malarial hormone - would it be AMH (anti mullerian hormone...though my spelling might be off)? I had that too as it's starting to be used as the most reliable indicator of ovarian reserve. 'Fraid I can't really help with the IUI vs IVF as I didn't think the chances of success were high enough with IUI (especially for us as we've got male factor issues) so we decided to go straight to IVF. But I have a friend in Spain who's now 19 weeks pregnant after her 4th IUI, so it does work. Good luck tomorrow. Hope the results are good and you get good advice on mapping out the next stage in operation baby .

Bumpless well done for staying away from the tests so far . Early testing can be misleading (just ask EMZIB ) so best to wait as long as you can (although 14 dpt is sooooo long to wait that I don't think I could wait that long either!).

Oh Lottie was psml at your surreptitious checking of Christmas presents! One Christmas I remember doing not just that but also showing my younger sister her presents as she still believed in Santa and I just couldn't bear it as I knew it was a lie (I was 6, she was 5). So I ruined my own surprise and hers too . To this day I prefer knowing what's coming up and am a big control freak planner (which is what will make the tww so friggin' hard ). I'm seeing Ian again on Wed after my scan so will mention your wonderful news

Hi all, I did actually post yesterday, but I think my message to mowmi which included a variation on the F word threw me off the system. So Mowmi, so sorry to hear your news. Really don't know where to begin . . . except to say that I felt it was all over a few months ago, and that was okay. I had found some peace with the idea of not having children, which is sort of confronting now I am on my 2WW again . . . not sure if rollercoaster is the right term as swings and roundabouts. Good luck for your next scan, here's hoping . . . but if it doesn't work my advice is probably to take some time out. We did and it did help.

LL OMG!!!!! Twins, you lucky bugger! Okay, it will be hard but it will be fun. My bro/sis are twins and I always envied them - shared parties etc. Also, at our age it's instant family which can't be a bad thing in the big picture. Hang in there, you'll cope . . . and as for the haircut! I had exactly the same experience, go in for the fashionable 'long bob' end up with the haircut you had when you were seven. It will grow . . . .

I am currenlty on D10, and it hadn't even occurred to me to test until I read LL's last post. Now I am thinking . .. but I am going to wait until Saturday I think . .. D15. I don't know why . .. . perhaps I am just too much of a woss and want to 'not know' the negative for as long as possible. Does that make me a glass half empty person?
You are a day behind me Bumpless, and glad to hear you had a good cycle too. Sounds like we have had similar problems, though I seem to have the added weird problem of follicles with no eggs . . . oh well, worry about that next cycle (hoping there isn't one). What was I saying about swings and roundabouts?

HIJACK for Lottie (sorry!)

CONGRATS!!! and twins!!! Am really pleased for you, you so deserve this

Can't be;ieve it's nearly a year since I joined you on the temping thread and now here you are pg with twins and I.....

have a 3wk old DS!!

Take care and hope the rest of your pg goes smoothly. Twins may seem a little daunting but you'll get lots of support on MN and think how cute, nevermind the fact that you're going to be a mum!!!