Feisty & Fabulous at 40+ more adventures of TTC

[gonepearshaped]

Actually now I feel guilty using up the last post of the thread - hope this will do as a continuation

Tuesday, not Thursday for DS1 birthday. Obv got appointment with doc on my mind.

Evening all, I've dug myself out of the self-pity pit I've been languishing in for the last 3 weeks, and am now feeling normal again. (Whatever that is.) Thanks for helping me through it.

Mabh, I'm so sorry to hear that you're feeling so down. What kind of books do you like? I have a few spare (am in a bookish line of work), and would be happy to send them your way, if they are of the type you fancy.

Can anyone tell me any tips for getting eggs to stick? I've heard that eating sweet potato is good, but what other gems can you share?

Hope the rest of you are warm and snuggly, and looking forward to the weekend.

That does sound promising ILGH, fingers crossed that you won't need any more tests.

Kiwi I wish I knew the answer to sticky eggs, the main thing from the perspective of IVF treatment is progesterone, but I gather the 'sticking' of embryos is a very complex and problematic issue for IVF.
There are lots of immune tests available to IVF patients and similar because there are a number of immune issues which can prevent embryos from sticking, one is natural killer cell levels.
I think the main issue is embryo quality based on both the egg and the sperm.
Probably not that helpful sorry.

A whole new world to me, Rowing. Glad you're there to hold my hand. x

Kiwi, I've heard that fresh pineapple helps with implantation.Not sure how, and I believe you have to eat the hard inner core...

ILGH, ohh, hope you keep getting symptoms and a nice bfp for christmas.How lovely that would be.

Well, I've been reading more books on fertility, (obsessive, me?) and one that I read said that getting plenty of folic acid helps, particularly in the over 35s. I knew it was important for everyone ttc, but this study showed that we really need it at our age, and it needs to be 800mg or more a day. I know I am sometimes lazy with my multi v's, so now I'll try a bit harder.

The book was based on the "nurses study" done in the U.S. You may have heard of it. The Fertility Diet. Here's a link www.amazon.com/Fertility-Diet-Groundbreaking-Research-Ovulation/dp/0071494790.

I also read The Tao of Fertilitywww.amazon.com/Tao-Fertility-Healing-Chinese-Medicine/dp/0061137855 which I quite enjoyed, but I do like Randine Lewis' book better.

I do read many books like these, but I have always had an interest in health in general, so I can't help myself.And although it isn't good to be obsessive, I like being armed with knowledge and to feel that I did what I could.

It's an early start for us.We are going out to a farm to package our organic lambs (4! Should last all year). They have already been butchered, we just package them up.Then we have a big bbq and hang out with our friends.

I like the little christmas smilies, so will have to use one.
Have a lovely day

Hi all,
I'm up late after having an early night then waking up at midnight feeling grotty.
Hoping to return to bed very soon - work tomorrow, but last day before holiholiday. Yipeee Intend to do the minimum tomorrow and just get over this cold.
Gum that sounds such a good idea, I wish I had the space to do something like that.
How is the Christmas stuff going?
We went off tonight and tried to buy a set of regular white Christmas tree lights - nothing! There were icicle lights (brr) don't fancy icicles inside the house. Or blue lights, not really digging that either, seems a bit brrr as well and I think I would keep looking out of the window to see if the old bill had turned up for some reason.
Sorry, my dad says old bill, I don't usually.
Oh Michael Buble's on TV, aaah....

Christmas stuff...mmm...actually, it's all right now, but I did have my annual Christmas melt-down this morning!

I'm one of those people who think too much (my acupuncturist says I'm a "spleen" type - over think everything), and then I start to get stressed and pretty soon everyone around me suffers too!

After the melt-down (brought on by DS wanting all the baubles off the tree, taking handfulls of the dirt in the pot and throwing it around, and screaming because we wouldn't let him do it anymore), my DH helped me realise it just isn't worth all the stress and unhappiness, so either we cancel Christmas, or I just lower my standards and try and relax.

I'm going for the second option.
Then my sister visited with her two toddlers and I was REALLY happy I hadn't done any cleaning up!

My Dh has taken DD1 and DS3 to the hardware shop to buy brooms,spiderweb brushes etc so he can do some tidying up for me. Bless him, it will help.

I wouldn't care so much, but the in-laws are a bit thingy...my BIL is a clean freak and I hate the way my MIL always comments on the spiderwebs. Maybe if she spent a little time with her grandchildren I might have time to clean up spiderwebs...but that's another story!

Rowing, I hope you can get on top of your cold soon.

I wish,wish,wish some of us could get a bfp for Christmas. Anyone testing soon?
I am getting a little colour on the opk, but not enough to celebrate ovulating!
I'm really hoping something will happen over the next 6 weeks because my DH is on holiday and we'll have more time and energy for shagging !
And I may even have the energy to get DS to take less booby...
The psychic(Ruby) said oct/nov/dec for a bfp, and the other psychic(Cherie) said she saw Dec for conceive/bfp or birth. I'm hoping one of them will be right. It might be a load of old cobblers, but it gives me hope and there's nothing wrong with that.
Happy holidays everyone.

gumblossom think we've had the same psychic Cheri22, right? She was right with DS3 and has predicted Dec/Sept for me this time.

Also, think you might be me what with the annual melt-downs. I tend to get mine in November though for some reason.

Well, on CD23 now and have a bit of spotting. Did a clearblue digital and it said not pregnant. I am, however, the type to dismantle the test and check the strip and there was a faint line. I know the test has been manufactured to say positive only at a certain level of colour intensity so am keeping my fingers crossed that this will be okay and not just another chemical pregnancy. That would be my second in three tries. At least that would support my lpd theory though and I've got doc on Thursday to get blood results. Maybe I won't need to though.

Off to wrap pressies.

Happy holidays to all.

Firstly, I wanted to say sorry to Mabh. Very insensitive of me to say all that about making the most of my DS's. I hope it didn't upset you too much.

Next - wow I've had a weird old time of it recently. As you know I have been having short cycles and have not got past 24 days yet. Well since seeing my consultant who said he didn't think I was oving and my womb lining was quite thin, I kind of lost track of what day i was on cos it seemed pointless keeping track.

Anyway, the other day I thought that my boobs felt very odd and I worked out that I'd got to day 26 without even spotting. So i did a hpt just to rule it out and stop me being mad. I got a BFP. BUT... it does say that ovarian cyst can effect the result. I'm now at day 29, still no sign of AF, boobs feling weird. Did a digital test and it said pregnant 2-3 weeks. I am trying so hard to keep my feet on the ground and tell myself that it can't be a real + it must just be the cyst but there is a bit of me that is thinking, "Whoop whoop!"

There's absolutely nothing I can do except wait and see if AF turns up and I guess if she doesn't then I'll have to ask for a blood test. I'm not drinking and still taking the folic acid just in case. It is SOOOOOOO hard not to get excited but I know I must try.

Any thoughts???

By the way - Merry Christmas to all .

Forgot to add that I defo had the cyst last month (that's prob what the NHS scanner saw) and I did a preg test last month too. (Because I was given a free one at the fertility show and couldn't resist peeing on it .

Anyway that one was neg so the cyst didn't trick that one did it! Arrgghh I am totally going out of my mind. Will have to call consultants secretary and ask if it is at all possible that this is a real positive not a false one.

DH just keeps saying he thinks it's false but i think he just doesn't want me to get my hopes up.

OMG Hippy, that is sooooo exciting!!!! I feel as if I was looking at the test not you.
Cysts are very peculiar things, but I'm not sure they are that peculiar.
You will have to get a blood test to be 100%, but it sounds very very very hopeful. Hurray!

ILGH that also sounds very resourceful of you - the dismantling, and very good news to have a faint line.

I do hope this all pans out and we have two graduates, in fact if we include Bluebell that would be three in the recent past and Fifi - where is Fifi??

Gum what a cheek your MIL has inspecting your cobwebs. I must say I would have a different view on spiders if I were in Australia, as opposed to here. Do you think she is worried a spidey falls in to her wig.
Just ignore those housework types, they don't have very broad perspectives on things if their top, no.1. fave thing is cleaning skirting boards.

Oooh Hippy, fingers crossed for you and also ILGH....
Been offline lately due to ANOTHER bout of cold/fluey thing - deeply p**sed off with all of this but DH finally off work so hoping to get some babydancing in during the next week or so. Or at least once AF has left the building.....

Happy Yule/Christmas to one and all - with wishes for a fertile and productive 2010

Woodelf yuck at the recurring cold/flu thingy!
It is the same here, just acquired cold number 'can't remember, lost count'. Ho Hum!
Are you going to be having much of a holly?
Next year I am going to have another baby and that's final!

Me too,Rowing!!(another baby, not a cold!)
Gosh, it has suddenly gotten very exciting around here...Hippy- I hope it is not the cyst causing the positive - when I got the + with my DS, I also had a cyst(discovered at 8 week ultrasound) and I was def. pregnant. I read that the type of cyst to cause a +preg test is very rare.

ILGH - Can you do a First Response test? I am pretty sure they are more sensitive than the digital. I got a + on FR 3 days before on the digital.

Wow! Christmas bfp's - so happy for you.

Thankfully my meltdown is all over and I happily spent the day watching a movie, drinking tea and relaxing! I'll get back into it today. At least we did get the tree up yesterday. Now DS 16 months is enjoying destroying it bit by bit!

Keep us posted girls - I want to hear about any further testing...

Ooh, Hippy and ILGH, fingers crossed for you both! (And fingers on the other hand crossed for the rest of us.) Rowing, can't believe you've STILL lgot that cold - you poor thing!

Morning Ladies! Still full of cold but braving Sainsburys. V p*ed off at missing out on trip to London to Transport Museum. Packed DH off this morning with little'un for a day of fun while I do boring housey type stuff ( not me at all )

I never used to get colds and stuff before my DS but he's very free and easy with the germs. At least DH isn't doing Manflu so I've got some help about the place.

Did a great impression of dancing on ice yesterday - it's invisible stuff and most hazardous. I'm such a big kid though cos I love the snow when it falls - its so magical!

Hi all - just emerging from frenzied period of housebuying and work, not known whether I was coming or going for weeks. Can't believe those colds out there are still hanging on - it must be months of suffering now.

Pleased to hear there are whispers of some good news to finish the year off. We've just got back from the follow up at the clinic. DH's little swimmers had trebled (!) in quantity since the last test in the summer but quite of lot of them were having trouble working out which direction to go in (not unlike my darling DH in the car come to think of it ). Consultant said my figure of 17 (for what wasn't clear) wasn't great but in line with my age. Decided that I needed a blood test to get my AMH and that could be done immediately (at a cost of £50). So we now have to wait for next appointment in mid Jan to find out how many eggs I actually have left. This will determine whether there is any point at all in going for IUI which they still think is the only option open to us for assisted conception or whether that noise in the background is a fat lady singing...

Of course just to add some extra complication to the mix we are due to move in Feb to a whole new health authority so who knows whether this will all have been a waste of time

Very best of luck to Hippy & ILGH

Woodelf I like your description on dancing on ice, it sounds very graceful. I'm sure there were no wildly flailing arm circles in sight.
I'm at home with a cold as well, but it is so nice not to have to go into work and make it worse. Finally, an opportunity to take it a bit easier and get rid of it. House is a TIP!
Gum I am very sympathetic to your plight with the Chaos of Christmas. I can't even find the tree to decorate.
Spiral do you think the 17 was the results of the FSH (day three blood test)? There are quite a few threads for higher FSH and successful pregnancies on Fertility Friends to cheer your heart.
Bless your DH's swimmers, perhaps a teeny satnav for Christmas?
I had a weird dream this morning - was having a lie-in until 9:30am!!! I was in the later stages of pregnancy 30+ weeks and was having bleeding. I remember thinking, oh well it's OK if the baby comes now because it will be big enough to survive.
How peeculiar!

Love the idea of sperm using a sat nav - v.funny. Frantically trying to get all xmasy things done without thinking about babies (failing miserably).

Did another digital test and it still says i'm pregnant and still no AF and DH still says that i must not get my hopes up - arrgghhh. Laying awake at night having arguments with myself going psychitsophrenic (sp?). One minute convinced that it is all good, next minute sure I can't be preg !!!!!

Not much help on the thread I put on here, just someone who told me to try not to think about it cos that can cause the symptoms to increase (nice of her to reply but mad to suggest that I try not to think about it!)

At least if it is positive by the time i know for definite i'll be about 20 weeks and over the worst .

Love to all. Are you ok Mabh?? Any more lines ILGH?

Still getting faint lines and the spotting has stopped am now on Day 11 pov. Still got sore boobs. Off to docs on Thursday anyway I reckon as might get a blood tst for HCG count - there's definitely some there and it would be good to check if it's where it should be for 2 weeks post ovulation. Assuming AF doesn't arrive of course.

DS1 is 6 today. Had a fab birthday party but am totally knackered so off to bed soon (remember we're three hours ahead so am not that bad!)

What are the next steps hippychick, do you have an appointment? How will they be able to tell if it's cycst or pg?

Well, I think it must be time for a celebration! It sounds like you two girls are knocked up!! I'll crack the champas, but you two can have a sparkling water, okay?

Congratulations and try to enjoy this time, because it is more than likely you are pregnant.

It really gives us hope!

All things Christmassy still going on here. today my DDs and I are baking. Cue drumroll...This year the relatives will all receive a goody bag of homemade delights, so I reckon we'll be in the kitchen for a large part of the day. Hopefully DS(16yrs) and DH will oblige and take care of the toddler while we're busy. It's a juggle, but I'm happy!

I had acupuncture yesterday, so glad I took the time to do it, as it really helps relax me. I had some amazing electrical type stuff happening when she put the first needles in - it was like an electric current zapped through my feet and out my toes.Very strong and actually hurt.It only lasted a second, thank goodness! She said my chi energy was blocked, so that opened it up nicely. Blimey, I should think so, I nearly jumped off the table.

The TCM herbs did help my kidney yang - my morning backache has disappeared, which is great, so I'll keep taking them for another two weeks. Fortunately they are not the cook up herbs - these are just little ball bearing tablets.I take 12 in the morning and 12 at night.The children find it quite amusing.

Right, off for a cup of tea before turning on the oven...I'll save you a peice of panforte if you like

Well, I think it must be time for a celebration! It sounds like you two girls are knocked up!! I'll crack the champas, but you two can have a sparkling water, okay?

Congratulations and try to enjoy this time, because it is more than likely you are pregnant.

It really gives us hope!

All thinghs Christmassy still going on here. today my DDs and I are baking. Cue drumroll...This year the relatives will all receive a goody bag of homemade delights, so I reckon we'll be in the kitchen for a large part of the day. Hopefully DS(16yrs) and DH will oblige and take care of the toddler while we're busy. It's a juggle, but I'm happy!

I had acupuncture yesterday, so glad I took the time to do it, as it really helps relax me. I had some amazing electrical type stuff happening when she put the first needles in - it was like an electric current zapped through my feet and out my toes.Very strong and actually hurt.It only lasted a second, thank goodness! She said my chi energy was blocked, so that opened it up nicely. Blimey, I should think so, I nearly jumped off the table.

The TCM herbs did help my kidney yang - my morning backache has disappeared, which is great, so I'll keep taking them for another two weeks. Fortunately they are not the cook up herbs - these are just little ball bearing tablets.I take 12 in the morning and 12 at night.The children find it quite amusing.

Right, off for a cup of tea before turning on the oven...I'll save you a peice of panforte if you like

Oh bugger! Posted twice by accident. Sorry!

Hi everyone. Sorry not been around for a while but times have been stressful.
Good to see a few of you have brilliant news for the end of 2009 and looks as if the BFPs just keep coming.
Things not too good for me i'm afraid. DH had a SA which showed he has nothing. Bad news all round. Taking things a bit bad at the moment, sorry to put a damper on proceedings.
Drs appointment this afternoon for more info and hopefully advise about the way forward (if any).
x

Well I got the BFP on the Clearblue Digital this morning 12dpo. Can't get First Response here - have scoured the island - pink is my preferred bfp colour!

Doc called this afternoon to say all my bloods were normal and she was delighted when i told her I had a positive test and to go back at 6 weeks for the early scan.

Here's hoping baby is a sticker. And we did bd cut off on day 11 so, even though I don't mind, maybe we'll have a DD at last. I've got my boys name ready though.

gumblossom enjoy the champers . Think I'll be allowed one on Christmas Day.

luckywebby sorry to hear about the SA for your DH. Is there anything that can be done?

Any news hippychick? You coming over to the September bus?