30s TTC Inc: Rolling out BESH practice across our flagship monthly diffment projects - Blue Sky thinking for a paradigm shift vis-a-vis droids and wooden spoons.

[Muser]

We're getting serious this time BESHies. Welcome to the Palace, where the emphasis is on sophistication. Cast your eyes over the plush carpet, admire the oh-so-carefully worn leather armchairs with sidetables and little green lamps. We have the Bonds of the ages as barstaff, waiting to serve martinis and the finest champagne.

To your left you'll see the Pit, which hopefully we won't be needing much. To your right the Cave of Gloom, and straight ahead we have our special space for the 2WOOFL. You'll find beanbags and gym balls there, the walls have been specially painted to allow you to write your symptoms up and wipe them off if they disappear. It's all the rage for Blue Sky thinking these days. And there are donuts and coffee to keep you going as you try to shift that paradigm.

Wow Med, that's quick. Glad things will get going if they need to, if you see what I mean, but hoping you'll be phoning up to cancel.

I'm sure the funeral directors will have had worse to deal with than minipot Cass. Hope they were helpful and efficient and anything else you needed them to be.

Aries if you find any spare brains when you're looking can I have one? - the list of stupid brainless things I've done this week is getting far too long.

I hope so too, ocs. V sorry to hear the droid has arrived ChezOcs.

It's have

Lyra, I've been struggling with the 'everyone is getting pg except me'. Statistically, it's so much more likely we're gonna win our baybees, but it doesn't seem believable, does it? But this is such a crappy time for you that it must surely feel like it's one shit thing after a-fucking-nother at the mo .

And why are you scooping stuff off my shelves (worse entendre e-vah, you filthmonger)? I am only a moderate menkuller regarding supplements: B6, Agnus Castus, Maca, L-arginine, Astragalus, Evening Primrose Oil until Ov and of course, Folic Acid. These are all the things recommended by all top fertility specialists for short luteal phases/luteal phase ishoos. I've read loads a books now and cross-referenced them and these are all the top things, apparently. And as for the acupuncture, it has helped my overall health loads, it has stopped 2 colds in their tracks (bonus!) AND my spotting/droid has really regulated - instead of spotting from as early as CD 18 until CD 28, I get less than 24 hours of spotting, starting late on DPO 11 (CD25) and droidn starting on DPO 12 (CD26). It might not be perfect yet, but it is getting there and it's a marked difference, which I totally believe is down to needles. And I too am/was a total Ben Goldacre over 'hippy shit'.

And talking of 'hippy shit', my darling Auntie Polly has sent me a new tube of progesterone cream. Not only is she a darling, she is psychic - I was literally going to order some tonight. Is recommended for helping with crappy LPs but says on back to not take if you're TTC or pg. Confuzzled!

I've been watching that post some of you are thinking troll about and I flip between hoping it's a troll and thinking it can't be

The babyneed is very bad in me today. Some days it feels unbearable, dunnit?

"Everyone else have..."? Surely not.

Scorps it's yours and others experience of acupuncture that makes me wonder.... But I still don't like needles. Haven't even heard of some of the stuff you're taking (astragalus?) so clearly haven't investigated well enough.

I'm glad I'm causing grammatical confusion!

I don't like needles! It's not like I'm getting Acupuncture to feed a piercing fetish or summat. Some of them bloody hurt, especially ones in the ear or inside wrist BUT it lasts for a millisecond and I feel sooooo much better after each session and it is really helping so wanna stick with it. Needles hurt less than labour, so I'm told

You're not selling it very well on the pain front!

Fuxache! Friend who was moaning about how shit motherhood is now on Twitter whining about how griefstricken she is cos she needs to lose 5 - five more lbs (to get back into a size 8, I hasten to add).

I can't be mean; her partner is my best friend.

Scorps do exercise a bit of caution with non -prescribed progesterone...I don't think that it will do you any harm, but if you get diffed whilst taking it, you might need to be guaranteed an ongoing supply to continue some way through the pregnancy.

I think that a sudden drop in progesterone might be implicated in causing babyfail (there may be a cause/effect controversy), and therefore weaning off progesterone needs to be managed, or it might need to be stopped at a particular point in time...therefore your health profs need to be ready for it.

I am a bit woolly on this (despite have used it myself) and Polly might have more info, so sorry if I am mongering scares!

By the way, Hi-de-Hi friends, and sympathies to Cass - although not posting much, I have been reading that your lovely grandma died, and wish you much love, it's such a sad time .

I want you to post often DanielSan . You are my icon of late thirties, determined diffedness. No pressure. Like LyraBird, I'm feeling fairly hopeless about the while thing today. My body is indulging in mindfuckery.

'lo all, I iz back. Scropy glad you got the parcel. Fink it says about pregnancy cos that particular manufacturer makes it for menopausal women, but if you search online you will find advice on using for pregnancy. Basically one pump (fnar fnar) a day after ov until droid (or hopefully no droid in your case) should help put pay to sore norks, spotting and PMT. I know I told ya already but you gotta keep using until you are 12+ weeks, just to be on safe side.

Everyone knows I am evangelical about the needles so won't go on about it again. Except to say that I recently read that Bristol PCT are considering using acupuncture as part of NHS IVF treatment as it it believed to improve implantation. A lot of private IVF clinics also recommend (and have their own practitioners of) acupuncture. Rates of success with IVF and needles are something like 12% more likely to implant than just IVF. (My sis was told 30% success rate for IVF when they had their treatment, not sure if that is national average or average for her PCT.)

There is a lot of talk about lack of evidence and whether it just gives a placebo effect, but for me? I don't care whether it was in my head or it actually worked, but my FSH levels dropped from almost 30 (no chance of pregnancy) to 8.9 (bang on fertile for my age) within 6 weeks of weekly session. That for me is all the proof I need.

Sorry, really will shut up now!

Interested to read about other experiences with auntie cactus... I was never really sure it was helping me and I got pregnant when I stopped taking it and started using the progesterone cream instead (AC and prog = raised FSH levels = bad thing for Polly). And of course I was on my 3rd cycle of needles and herbs.

interesting article

Size 8 Scorps? I don't think I have ever been a size 8

I will also agree with Polly re needles. remember way back when at the start of last year and I had no droidage, I went for accupuncture and I'm convinced that's what kickstarted the squeaky metal git off.

Meant that scorp's mates is a caahh, not lovelyCass. Really must proofread before posting...

Cho lovely to see you, how are feeling? I am still ridiculously excited about all the recent diffage in here.

Meds meant to say the temp thing is sounding promising - the month I won, the first sign was temp doing odd things. After a few drops in the first week it jumped up and just kept getting higher. Will be keeping everything crossed for you, Lozza and RieRie.

Ginsters how is the menkul? I hope you get a date for scan soon. Big smooches and gropes me luvver.

Occers was v to read of metal bleeping git. Would you feel comfortable fibbing to doc in order to get some blood tests done? (ah go on, go on, go on, go on, go on etc)

She was a size 20 in the past and has become fairly fixated with weight and size now. I used to be an 8-10 - is why I hate my body so much now.

Polls, ta again and another query - should I take AC until I ov then stop and try the cream OR just stop it now and try the cream? Am going to book appt with nice BESH Doc and ask about my progesterone levels and LPD and also check with my Needles Lady. OV not due till next Fri/Sat, so plenty of time to make decision on whether to try it this month or wait for one last try (hope you wouldn't feel rejected if I decide not to use it this month). Were you using the cream when you won your JesusBaby?

(Or did the Angel Gabriel appear and Lo! you were with child? )

Watched 5 mins of Location, Location, Location and ended up crying because couple on it had a baby. Wailed to TYF about how everyone has a baby except me Absolutely pathetic.

Please note: I don't watch L, L, L; was just watching it out of sheer boredom waiting to take food out of oven.

Scropes nah, just stop taking the AC all together. Yep, I used it when I won JesusBaby (who in my head is now called the Shrimp, not sure why...) Of course I wouldn't be offended ya daft mare.

I didn't realise you were fellow needles-luver.

Fank for reminder Scropes - I love LLL but stoopid computer media centre has crashed and lost all my series records so I was missing it...

Really must get off arse and cook dinner. Got back from beach and was glued to that uvver fred this one. Sadly, I have sis who has been through many abusive relationships (inc. father of her children who thought it was ok to punch her when pregnant - because he hit her in the head, not the stomach ) and it rang all too true with me. Really hope OP has made the break for good.

hello Pols, yes I loved my needles lady. Had some weirdy chinese herby tablets too!

I am watching LLL and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

Ha, I have worked out how to record it on +1 so I can go and cook dinner. I am starving... fish pie tonight if it ever makes it as far as the oven.

I love my needles lady too Cossie - she is my newest girl crush. She squealed and jumped up and down on the spot when I told her I was duffed, then gave me a massive hug. She is lufferly. I wish I'd had tablets though, instead of having to make funny tasting tea with d'herbs.

So are you continuing to use it until week 12 then, Poostink? PS thanks for further info.

And CosmoSmallpiece, is farkin ACE to see you in here more these last few days. How YOU doin' [Joey Tribbiani emoticon]

My Needles Lady does 5 Ki acupuncture and doesn't dole out the panda cock pills and whatnot (feel I'm missing out now!). Feel smugly smug about her success rate, as was personally trained by Zita West herself - hallow-ed be her name - and 5 Ki is what Gerard Kite does (super-success rate fertility acupuncture genius), like wot is mentioned in that article Poll so groovily linked to. She does the little 'stabby' thing to the back or collarbone and by jove the fucker works. It feels like good drucks coursing through your system.

Early pregnancy and work stress don't go. I was hormonal and tearful anyway this morning. Having a momentous work nightmare left me desperately trying not to sob all the way home from work.

I need some good violence to buck me up. Or to go on holiday for a month. And my terrible mood has left me thinking Monday is going to go horribly wrong. I had exactly no symptoms today. Except, y'know, the crying every 2 seconds.

Oh Muse, that sucks

I'm sure MOnday will be fine, it is always worse in your head than the reality, I find.

Thanks Medee. I just feel like an idiot at the moment. MrM was out tonight, phoned me to see how I was and I just cried down the phone at him. If my work nightmare sorts itself out I'll be ok. Just have to hope my superior on this project can work magic tomorrow. And doesn't get too pissed off with me.

Muse darling, the crying all the time is a mahoosive symptom. And at this stage, the symptoms tend to fluctuate and come and go. I bet tomorrow, you will have loads of symptoms! Are you doing any thing good over the weekend to distract you from impending scan?

Scopry I iz 15 wks tomorrow. Yes... already. Scary innit. So I az stopped slapping on the cream.

Oh, just remembered the first time I had the needling - I felt like I'd just done a gram of speed and didn't stop buzzing for about 12 hrs. Twas fab.