Assisted Conception (and the bits in between) Volume 5

[Bumpless]

Thought I'd set us up a new home! kettle's on and choc tin open.

This is a lucky start to our new thread: 2 BFPs and a fantastic fertilisation rate from Dueling!

Boobs and biscuits to everyone

Hello guys - just a quick one so sorry won't be able to reply to everyone

Cerubina hope the downregging went as planned, nearly there now!

BB not sure, but I would imagine that your body would need a bit of time to get over all the extra hormones not to mention the emotional stress. I do know two people who had been trying for ages had IVF, failed and then fell pg next month naturally. Very strange, but even if you feel rubbish try to do lots of bding this month you never know . Hope you feel better soon, lots of hugs to you.

MM & penguin Wow how exciting, this seems to be the thing on this thread this month!

I am doing ok, but had a big wobble midweek. I had been feeling terrible (sick and tired etc...) Then had a stomach bug on Monday and then didn't have any pg symptoms for three days. I completely flipped as that was what happened when I mc before (just stopped feeling pg). I called my clinic and was reassured by the nurse who basically told me to keep healthy try not to focus on it and wait until this week when I have another scan. Luckily I felt terrible again on Saturday, but definately not as bad as I was. I have been thinking all kinds of things and was wondering if maybe I had lost one of the twins! Feeling better about it now and only have until tomorrow pm to wait as have another scan and hopefully will be discharged from our clinic back to the local NHS. Which will be good as we travel 1.5 hours to the private clinic so it is a bit awkward with work. Anyway keep everything crossed for me, just hope they are ok!

Hi all

Poppy that sounds frightening but probably with a tummy bug there was just too much going on to know truly how you felt ? eg any nausea or cramping could easily be masked by the illness symptoms. Fingers crossed for a positive scan tomorrow and a chance to relax a bit more afterwards.

BB sorry you feel crappy, perhaps it?s a combination of disappointment and rampant hormones, after all your body was probably getting accustomed to lots of chemicals in the blood stream and these have all been turned off at the same time. Hope you feel better soon, maybe try to eat healthily and get lots of sleep if you can. Have you got a holiday planned soon?

Loujalou I am impressed by that claim to fame!

Kezia, I recognise that mood. It?s horrible when you feel despondent and as though it?s never going to happen. It?s so hard to keep your spirits up when you have disappointments all the time. Suggestions the same as above for BB - making sure that you are taking care of yourself is an important way of taking some control of the process, and if you feel that you are eating the right things and making time for relaxation and things you enjoy doing, it can sometimes help you feel a bit more on top of it.

I am on to stimming now, but I really did my best to fuck it up! I began downregging 3 weeks ago and nobody told me that the bottle of synarel would run out after about two weeks, so I was merrily sniffing fresh air for probably 5 or 6 days before I realised. I know it seems almost unbelievable that someone wouldn?t twig that the nasal spray wasn?t pumping anything out but although I noticed a difference I put it all down to being so used to things that I hardly noticed it any more, and I also had a bit of a blocked nose so it wasn?t running down the back of my throat. Also I have been quite distracted with the jury service and building work/preparations for moving house ? what amazes me though is that IVF of all things was the one I took my eye off. I wonder if the drugs were making me thick ? did anyone else have that effect or am I really just that stupid?

Anyway, as luck would have it, I realised my mistake on Saturday lunchtime as we were driving up to see my parents out of town, staying overnight and only coming back yesterday afternoon. So I had to spend an agonising day and a half kicking myself for being SO STUPID and worrying that the whole treatment cycle was going to be cancelled, before I could take any more sniffs and try to repair the damage.

I was really gutted, and consider myself very lucky that the scan today showed everything was fine and ready to start stimming. But for future reference for anyone who?s not started yet, the bottles don?t last forever and you should work out in advance how many days it will last for!

We did the first injection at the clinic today and it was completely painless, which surprised me. No doubt I will find a way to make a drama out of that too! My poor DH was squirming in his seat as the nurse showed us how to do it, I thought he was going to pass out! Now that I?ve told him it?s painless I think he is going to do the jabs for me ? I think it?ll be good for him to be more involved.

Anyway, bit of a long one but just wanted to share. I feel like a very relieved person indeed I can tell you. Next scan is on Monday, and we move house on Tuesday...that should be interesting. I hope EC can be a few days later or I will be all over the place.

Thanks Cerubina - am trying to relax now on holiday from work. So glad you able to continue with IVF despite running out!

Am seeing the NHS dr (or rather a random junior dr as I have done the last two times) on Thursday, so hope to find out how HSG and transvaginal scan went and whether we need IVF or ICSI due to dH's poor morphology. We asked for gp to refer us elsewhere, but that has got lost and gp on holiday for 2weeks so was going to cancel this apt, but now feel I should go as taken 8mths to get to this stage.

Hello lovely ladies

Cerubina happy belated birtday for last week. Hope you had a lovely day. Your stimming sounds like something i would have done, i bet you were kicking yourself when you realised what you had done, you must just be so comfortable with the sniffing that you didn't realise, i'm sure it's easily done, especially if you had a stuffy nose. I'm glad it hasn't effected your treatment though.

Penguin and MM It must have been amazing to see the heartbeat beating away. Hoping i will have the pleasure of seeing that one day

Poppy hope the scan goes well today.

Keziah i know how you feel about hearing pregnancy news, before i was trying i never used to hear of anyone that was pg but it seems like all the time now, i've heard about 6 so far this year. I'm sure my face shows my jealousy and i'm not usually a jealous person. It's horrible the way it makes you feel. Just makes me feel like a failure that other people can get pg so easily and i can't

Italian hope you haven't gone for long, i've always enjoyed reading your posts when i was a lurker

Well it's cd26 for me and i was told i can test at 14dpiui which will be tomorrow but i think i will leave it till Thursday as i have a feeling af might come tomorrow i rang the clinic for my progesterone results and it was 115 and they told me anything over 30 means i ovulated so thats good, i kind of knew it would be over 30 as i had extreme ovulation pains on the day of iui. Just praying it did work but i know i have to be realistic. I've had sore nipples every now and again which i never usually get but that could just be from the injections.

Cerubina I think I had a few days with an empty bottle as well, but it luckily didn't do any harm, hopefully although there isn't a full dose there is still enough to keep everything at bay.

Kezia hope your appointment on Thursday goes well, fingers crossed you see someone who knows what is going on!

Just a quickie, had my 8 weeks scan and everything is ok!! Was really surprised that there are still two! They are the right size and have good heart beats. So I am really relieved, although I'm not sure when I finally will relax . I think I might try and not think about it all for a while, if possible. Good luck to everyone else with stims, u/s, EC's etc...

Hi - quick post and run (leading kids camp tonight!) - awful appointment... at least saw actual consultant. HSG and scan all ok, I am not ovulating and dh's morphology low - all which we knew in June. I am 35 soon. He said go away, keep trying, come back in 6 months. Well I been married 10yrs, ttc#1 for 6yrs and already it has taken us 8months of testing to find out this is the NHS approach.What makes it worse is I know someone under same dr, who has better results than us and has started treatment after only a 6mth wait from referral, all tests done to treatment!!

Kezia that sounds shit. If you are not ovulating how on earth are you supposed to get pregnant. I am not a consultant and even I have got that figured. I will virtually slap him for you.

Congrats Poppy fingers crossed they both stick.

Hi to all.

Sorry i've been on here for a while.

POPPY AND MM - TWINS FOR YOU BOTH. Thanks grrrrreeeeaaatttt!!!!! Congratulations!

Cerubina - glad the Synarel running out was not disadvantageous to your treatment.

Someone asked whether they've missed out cos they didn't have to sniff anything. I didn't have drugs to sniff either. I used injections to downregulate my hormones from Day 21 of my cycle and then whent he clinic had done a scan to make sure the ovaries have shut down for production they let you start the additional injections to stimulate your ovaries again. and you gradually reduce the dose of the downregulating injection so that the transission is gradual. I have known of women having to sniff some of their drugs so i guess it's not uncommon but i didn't have those ones.

Some of you know my back story but for those who don't i'm 36, married and been TTC for over 5 years in total. Had a myemectomy (to remove huge grapefruit sized fibroid in March 2004), had to NOT TTC for 12 months, then when TTCing no joy. I've had 6 months Clomid, then 3 IUIs, then 3 ICSI cycles as DH Sperm count just slightly low. All 3 ICSIs I had good responses and the first two I had 2 embryos transferred on Day 3 but no implantation, 2nd time: 2 embryos transferred on Day 2 but no implantation, 3rd time: 1 blastocyst tranferred on day 5 but no implantation (that crashed down around my ears on 2 June 2010. I am tonight going to a new clininc for an open evening. I had been hoping that I would fall PG naturally this month but alas AF has arrived in the last few minutes!!!!! damn and blast!!!! Sorry to offend any lovely religious ladies out there.

Hi all

Just wanted to let you know our first iui worked and i had a BFP this morning and another this afternoon. I still can't beleive it. Keep thinkingi'm dreaming. It's still early days, just hoping it sticks.

Sending lots of babydust x x

Ladybird you lucky lucky girl!!!!!!! well done you and DH/DP. Congrats. You deserve a big hug and lots of relaxation.

You give us TTCers hope to carry on.

Keep sprinkling that baby dust over yourself as well and us.

Kezia You wont recognise me, I posted on here a while ago whilst going through IVF and am now thankfully 29 weeks pg, so dont always post but like to keep up with everyone on here anyway just wanted to pop on and say I was in your position although 'only' ttc no. 1 for 3.5 years.
My own GP did initial tests and found out i wasn't ovulating and i got referred to the local hospital for further tests, so that was another 18 months of testing to tell me what i already knew - that i wasnt ovulating! I even had to ask for some of the tests (eg dye test) as my consultant was useless. To cut a v v long story short they prescribed me clomid at the lowest dose which didnt work so i went back to my GP at the end of my tether with it all who prescribed me a higher dose (which did make me ovulate but sadly not pg) anyway she told me to complain to PALS which i did and i don't know if it was coincidence or what but i got referred for IVF the next month! Whether i was on the waiting list all along I have absoloutly no idea as the hospital didnt seem to know what they were doing but maybe making that step to complain will push things along for you. Hope you get it sorted I know how frustrating it is to be getting nowhere when you know what the flippin problem is from day1. Good luck

Many congratulations Ladybird - you are walking proof that IUI can work! You must be thrilled, well done you.

Kezia sorry that the consultant has fobbed you off again, that must be maddening. What on earth does he seriously think is going to happen in 6 more months of trying? Apart from you getting more demoralised of course. It's quite depressing that a consultant did this given that they should know the consequences of not ovulating and poor morphology. Did he give any hint why this was his recommendation and why he wasn't moving things along for you? Keep going - unfortunately in this game you've got to be very resilient in all sorts of ways. Have you thought about taking agnus castus and other remedies to try and get ovulation going, or do you know a reason why that wouldn't be worth a try while you wait?

Poppy congrats that the twins are still thriving in there! Keep us posted on your progress. Have you been handed over to normal ante-natal care now or will you stay under the ACU for a while?

BB downregging = down regulating (switching off normal egg production). Stimming = stimulating (getting superovulation going). If you didn't have to downreg it suggests your cycle is nice and orderly so they didn't need to take control of it manually.

KC how was the open evening? Was it you who wanted to try somewhere new because you felt the other place (Barts?) had not been 'on it' enough? Sorry about AF but I hope the new clinic gives you confidence and you get a chance to start as soon as you want to.

Rosie can you seriously be 29 weeks? That is unbelievable. It really seems like about 5 minutes since you had treatment. How are you finding it?

I'm on day 5 of stims now and finding them really fine. I'm making sure to drink lots of water so have avoided headaches, and have tons of EWCM (sorry if TMI) which I trust means the hormone levels are where they should be. Feel a bit chubby round my middle and my waistband feels tighter, but other than that all seems fine and fingers crossed the follies are growing nicely. Will find out on Monday morning.

In the meantime, this next few days is a really busy time for us with our move - we are being packed up on Sunday and moved on Tuesday, back into our lovely renovated home! The builders have been unbelievably slow but have done a good job, and though we are now flat out of cash and have to borrow yet more, it is all exciting stuff. So next week will be a huge one with all that going on and possibly egg collection towards the end of the week. Please keep fingers crossed!

Meanwhile I have had a permanent cortege of pregnant women around me all week - I'm sure I have seen at least 20 different ones so far today, and it is pissing me off! Where have they all come from, and why do they all live and work near me?! The maternity wards are going to be packed out for the next few months, that's for sure. I can only hope that in about 10 days' time I'll be growing a little one of my own

Hi Cerubina it does seem to have flown doesn't it! I am really well thanks and so far touch wood am really enjoying pregnancy, been getting a few aches and pains but nothing out of the ordinary i dont think and swimmimng seems to help.
We found out we are having a little girl. we are both so excited as are all our friends and family especially the ones who knew about the IVF. I am being very spoilt and making the most of it...
It still all feels like a dream really and I won't beleive it until I am actually holding her i dont think, although im sure labour will feel real enough
I am keeping everything crossed for you for this cycle, as I said in my post to Kezia I do keep up with this thread but don't always feel appropriate to post (as i for one know how annoying it is to be surrounded by pg ladies, especially the ones who moan about every single ache, pain and symptom)
Enjoy moving back into your newly renovated house - a sign hopefully of good things to come - everything falling into place and all that

Good luck to everyone else too hope penguin and MM are not feeling too ill during those early weeks!

Hi all, still lurking but just coming back in to say hi to all

Ladybird10 Congratulations! Hooray!

MM, wow wee Angelina super. So it may be twins? Do you have other kids/a child, already with DH, or is this number 1/and 2?? Just checking, I am sure I asked this before, I am a numpty! I am seriously so happy for you. I feel quite sad I will not get to meet you in real life. All of you!

Penguindreams wow, two again. That is so amazing. I am so pleased for you.

Cerubina Thinking of you. Glad you did your duty! Hope all will go well now

KC11 Hope all will go well at this new clinic.

BB No, did not feel shit physically but did emotionally, please do ask your clinics and see if the symptoms you feel are what they may expect. You have had drugs in your body etc and so you know that could account for it. Thinking of you and thinking of Penguin, who had a failed IVF a while ago and is now expecting and just wanted to encourage you if you have any embies for a FET or if you will go again, BB. Get well soon and do check out your symptoms.

And Kezia thinking of you, I am sure you did feel low, especially if you have been ill. Have you had the medical treatment for your illness, whatever was needed? I guess it sounds obviously but some people struggle on with illness (my own DH) rather than get it checked out. I hope you will feel fully well soon and I really hope you too will be enjoying that BFP soon. Arrow prayers for a great result for you and for all of us! The jealousy/envy thing is so common, I am always hearing about people getting pregnant by accident! Really, so sorry to hear that they say you are not ovulating, do they mean not that month or not at all? I really think they need to offer you more help and hope than just keep trying! I think Rosiebeagle may have it right in that complaining may be the way to go ? I know it sounds horrible but when in doubt, shout! At times you do need to stick up for you! All the best, honey.

Londonlottie so nice to hear from you. I was in Switzerland this summer, just in Geneva for a night before going on to the French Alps. We also have friends who live near-by in France/by the border and we went to see them. I do hope all is well and you are enjoying your little ones.

LissySilver Hope all is well

Moonracker told DH about the blue plate and the fact blue does not occur naturally in food. He said, is it to stop you eating the plate! This week at work (I work for a Christian charity) we had Holy Communion (bread and wine) and guess what, bread was on a small blue plate!

chocciechip Hi and welcome. Don't get confused if I keep name checking the absent chocbunny whose real name is idreaminchocolate she was on here a few months back and I keep calling her in the hope she re-appears. You really do need to ask your clinic to explain your Day 3 test results, and any other results, as MM says. I am no expert so I really can't comment but the FSH did not look like a bad number to me. Please bite the bullet and get the correct info from the clinic.

Loujalou all the best with the relaxing bit.

Did anyone watch the Fairyjobmother last week? Quite moving and she did a fab job. Just funny as woman had a waitressing job and presented the lady customer with her cake saying "One banana-offie!"

Can't believe we (the viewing public) are being asked to vote about the BT ad, of course we all want her to be pregnant, if only real life were as easy as that!

Just saw the new iphone advert with the deaf people signing, beautiful! STOP watching telly, Italian!

OK, my news, switch off now if bored! I was half way through watching my weird family about two gay dads when the opportunity for DH and I to chat came up! He said he felt old and did not relish going back to being a father to a baby! But he asked me what I wanted to do. At first my heart sank as I realised he was actually asking me what I wanted. I had been so ready to have to fight my corner for what I wanted that someone asking me was a shock! I really was 50/50 about whether to go for more fertility treatment with donor eggs or go for adoption - but I also felt that if we wanted to have more treatment then now was the time. There was no point trying to adopt and having fertility treatment as a backup when I was even older and DH was even more tired! So I said I wanted one more go at treatment with donated eggs and DH agreed!

LOOK away now if bored already! DH was not keen to go abroad, just his own feelings about being secure, knowing the place etc. And although it does mean more of a wait I am happy that we can have more treatment at a place I know! The wait is ten months; it may even be as long as twelve! I am pretty sure though that that time does include the actual treatment time and I am now over a week into the wait so best case scenario by this time next year I could be at least three weeks pregnant or even three months pregnat! Worst case scenario is lots of money down the pan and no further on. But I just felt I wanted another go. I was not ready for adoption or fostering yet. Adoption is a BRILLIANT thing and I hope one day DH and I get to adopt or to foster. I just felt I had to give this treatment one last go ? and it really is one more go. I know I am old, I feel old, I am 45 but I may be only half way through my life and that is a long time to regret not taking this chance. For others in my position adoption might be 100% right but for me I just needed this. What was so fab is that DH is willing to do this for me, he loves me that much and I am so happy. I also know I need to take some of the strain off DH, he does a lot around the house and helps me a lot and so I need to make sure he does not feel too tired out by life. My other goals are to finally get fit and slim and also to get my head around the fact this may fail. I think chances are better than 50/50 that it will succeed but it did not last time so I do need to do some serious mind-boggling to accept that this may be it and my beautiful DD may be it for me!

Love and chocolate boobs to all

Thanyou for the congrats, i'm surprised it worked first time but am very happy that it did, just hoping it continues to stick.

Don't ever give up on your dream of having a baby, i have been so close to throwing in the towel but am glad i picked myself up and carried on. It really can happen in the end.

I'm feeling very nervous and don't think i will relax until i have my scan and know that everything is ok.

Italian thats brilliant news that your dh is willing to give it one last try, i really hope it works for you.

Extra stong babydust to all *

BB Perhaps but I have no idea how to and get lost easily on these things!

Italian Sounds like you have a plan and to have DH on board makes everything so much more manageable. I know from trying to persude DH to do IVF, the main stress of all the treatment was getting him to agree! Good luck with everything and having a focus of getting fit and healthy sounds good!

Cerubina all sounds good, make sure you don't have anything to do after the EC as you need to treat yourself and prepare! Fingers crossed

KC11 good luck at the new clinic, hope you get positive feelings from it

Kezia I woudl go to my GP and ask for a second opinion if they aren't doing enough

I have my first NHS midwife appointment today, which is exciting as I never got to this point on my last pg (which ended in mc). No new news really, but I am so desperate to get to 12 weeks so I can at least tell people and perhaps begin to plan a little. After the last time, I am just trying not to day dream and think ahead. Am feeling absolutely dreadful, which must be a good thing and so tired which I love as it means something must be happening in there! Now at 9.5 weeks so only 3 weeks to go, keep those fingers crossed

Just a short one - had my scan today and they are happy with my response as the lining looks thick and there are 5 mature follies (after only a week!) and another 4 that look close behind as well.

So all of a sudden I am booked in for EC on Wednesday this week - and we move house tomorrow so this will be a hectic few days! Trigger shot tonight, a day off tomorrow and then full steam ahead on Weds. Very exciting.

Does 5-9 follicles sound decent? They sounded very pleased with me but then I would really have hoped for double figures. I know it's quality not quantity but it's true that you just worry no matter what you're told!

No time for a full rollcall but Poppy I'm delighted to hear you have such strong symptoms - I would be the same myself, pleased to be tired and sick! I'm sure it's a good sign for you and with twins on board as well you should have some powerful symptoms. All the best for the next few weeks and the scan. x

Hello everyone,

Had a bad afternoon! Went to my midwife appointment and at the end she asked for a urine sample. Went to do it and noticed lots of fresh blood! Couldn't believe it, also getting lots of stomach cramps. I have to wait until tomorrow and call the early pregnancy unit to see if I can have a scan

Can't believe this could be happening again after all the effort it is a total rollercoaster of emotions. I just hope everything hasn't gone . So guys I'll let you all know when I get the news, if they are both gone not sure what I'll do.

Wish me luck xxxx

Poppy75 Thinink of you, hope it will be fine.

Cerubina sending baby dust to you and Poppy75 and BB, Ladybird all of you lovely ladies.

Thanks so much to all saying nice things about the right decision. I do feel I am making the right decision but it does mean a lot to know others agree.

If you hear of any ladies wishing to donate eggs in the Northampton area, please send them in my direction (they need to be under 36, I think).

God Bless. back to lurking, will check back in in a while.

Love and chocolate boobs to all

Apparently these are the mistakes we make when trying to lose weight. Following on from the other helpful tips!

Lady congrats - not sure if you remember me from the sore bits thread!

Hello just a quick update!

Paid and had a scan today (or had to wait until tomorrow morning) it only cost £60 so worth it!

The good news is there were still two heart beats and they had both grown since last scan! So the bleeding wasn't from in the womb and is probably from the cervix (apparently normal for some people)

Absolutely relieved and feel exhausted, can't believe the stress this whole process has put on us! Anyway I'm going to have a relaxed evening with a chick flick and early night

BB that is good that they still have lots of sample left, one less thing to have to sort or worry about

Italian don't know any suitables in that area, one of my friends is waiting for eggs and her husbands cousin has decided to donate and although they won't get those eggs they have gone to the top of the list Do you know how long the wait usually is?

Cerubina I only had 9 follicles but they got 8 good eggs and that was enough for me so I think that is good. If there aren't so many of them I think they tend to be good quality! Fingers crossed for you hope tomorrow goes well