#makeithappen TTC through Donor IUI or Donor IVF or just undecided – all welcome! Thread #6

[kwick]

This thread is for anyone trying to conceive... or thinking about doing so through donor IUI or donor IVF. Nothing TMI - feel free to join, we are a lovely group here to support and help keep the cray-cray away!

Here is the link to the previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/2832207--makeithappen-TTC-through-Donor-IUI-or-Donor-IVF-or-just-undecided-all-welcome
Here is the link to the one before that one: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/2769549-TTC-through-Donor-IUI-or-Donor-IVF-or-just-undecided-all-welcome-makeithappen-loadsofBFPs
Here is the link to the thread before that: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/2688511-TTC-through-Donor-IUI-or-Donor-IVF-or-just-undecided-all-welcome-makeithappen
Here is the link to the one before that one: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/2587046-TTC-through-Donor-IUI-or-Donor-IVF-or-just-undecided-all-welcome
And the one before that!: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1877198-Donor-IUI

Then that means you could have ovulated the same day as your positive opk, which is totally possible. Your temp raises about 12-48h after you ovulate

I had been getting readings on the opks for about a week,this cycle was weird generally-Af 2days late, LH surge 4days later than usual , I think I would have got 26th if I could have held my pee in for longer than an hr 😣 So 27th was possibly the later end of the surge maybe....who knows! As long as I'm ovulating that's half the battle

@pickle162 honey what caused the nausea? Hope you feel better soon.

@Karendvm that is great news! Does that mean we can congratulate you now?
Your poor 🐶- I think you will find having a baby easier.

Wow @Karendvm your FC sounds amazeballs - why the hell doesn't mine do that? 

@Pez82 it is the Great Pottery Throw Down - on BBC

Not sure what is up with me - head feels like it wants to explode. I hope a will help. Then must ring my mum - we HAVE to have a bonfire at allotment today - last chance before October!!!

Oops not sure what happened with the bold there... was trying out new app features

Dunno kwick was horrid tho but no sick so all good-perhaps something I ate (altho can't think what it would have been)???
Sorry pez completely missed ur whole previous post-sometimes mumsnet doesn't seem to show all the posts straight away....anyway yes bbc 2 Thursday at 8...need to catch up in 3 first ones as discovered by accident 2weeks ago but love it :)
When u put the @ before name I get a little email saying 'you have been mentioned in a post' never had that before

pickle I got an email too! Was wondering what that meant but it's pretty cool.

kwick I'm being dumb, but what does fc stand for? Happy bonfire!! Hope the headache goes away.

Fc =fertility clinic I think

That is right pickle!

Told you I was being dumb. It's actually not the fertility clinic, but the regional lab that has started offering results online. Very handy, and means I can check in the middle of the night when I'm obsessing. Lol. I was a bit sneaky about this blood work. My fc gave me a blood requisition form, but I also got one from my family doctor. Fc didn't seem to think we should make sure numbers are doubling. Which is totally dumb to me. So I went behind their backs. They will be mad about it, also ridiculous, and also why I will switch clinics if I need to (hopefully, hopefully, won't need to).

kwick I don't know if I will ever feel "safe" during this pregnancy. Even the people I have told have been very reserved in their reactions. Which is sad. I remember last year this time how excited I wasn't and how happy everyone was for me. What a difference a year can make. I'm starting to believe that I am pregnant, and allowing myself to dream just a little bit.

Don't blame you karen I would do the same-seems quite ridiculous that they wouldn't do it tho considering you are paying. What ever keeps u sane my dear x

Reading with interest as I've been getting positive OPKs for three days in a row! But only did a digital test yesterday (2nd positive, cd14), I'm still not totally sure about my interpretation of the cheapy strips, really glad I've started practicing early...

So I had a possible positive on cd13, definite positive on cd14, and what I think must be a positive today (cd15), also I think I can feel a bit of ovulation pain today. I'm a bit confused about when the IUI would be done? In theory, would I have had it yesterday (day after first positive), and then if I ovulated today it would still be OK? I think that's what I've picked up from the thread!

I've ordered a basal temp thermometer to help (or add to) my confusion...

So excited for you cherry and Karen and thinking of you, pez and hoping! I realised yesterday when I read cherry's update how invested i feel in all of your journeys, if that's not too weird to say :)

I keep losing track of the thread and then can't catch up! On OPKs the first positive test you get in a cycle is the only one that matters. It marks the start of the LH surge and it is the start of the surge that has been found to generally take place 24 hours before ovulation.

Two things then happen: you will keep getting positive tests during the surge, then I gather it drops off for a few hours/day then sometimes will give a positive test at the start of the come down, so it wouldn't be unusual to keep seeing positive tests after the initial positive.

You can stop testing after your first positive of the cycle as I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter what happens after that.

Thanks Snork, that's really kind. I feel the same about all you guys and you were all the first people I told when I got my positive.
I'm now turning into crazy pee stick lady. I did another FRER this morning and the line is now much clearer, a few shades lighter than the control line. YAY!

Cramping quite badly today but no way to know if it's good or bad cramping. We will see. I'm taking the whole experience as a good thing as I know lots of things went well this cycle and had zero expectations for the first try.
Hope everyone in the TWW isn't losing their minds.
How are you Kwick?

Following everyone's stories with interest. Sounds like some great positive news hitting this group 😚
Can I ask what OPK stands for?
I'm due to start my IUI next cycle and I'm worried about timings for the surge. Clinic have provided me with pee sticks (expensive ones but not digital)
But I'm worried I should have practised before as I don't want to mess up the whole thing by getting it wrong! Is it hard to measure?
The clinic will also do a blood test on day of iui to double check I did everything right but obviously I will be one cycle down by then so don't wanna waste it. I get 8 cycles so feeling fairly positive

Cherry I had a lot of cramping for the week after my first positive. It's settled down now. Again, who knows what is actually happening in there.

Snork you'd go by your first test. As long as it's a positive don't keep testing. It's good to practice!

Cherry - sounds promising. Don't worry unduly about the cramps: they can just as likely be implantation cramps as AF cramps and feel similar. Cautious congratulations

And cautious congratulations to you too Karen. I understand the underlying fear following your experience but this could very well be your sticky bean

Munro - OPK = pee stick. My clinic requested six months of OPK practice before the first attempt (I'd only done four, so added a couple of fictitious cycles to their form!) but they use only OPKs (no blood tests or scans) to time IUI so good LH testing is more of a necessity. Just make sure you read up on how to use them and you'll be ok. Main points: Do not rely on first morning urine only. Better to test every four hours or thereabouts to be confident of knowing when the surge starts. And I'd buy some Clearblue digital tests to back up the cheapie tests when they start looking nearly positive.

Thanks shoes
I have seem clear guidelines from the clinic but panicking so thats good to know

Hi All,

I've been reading this thread and thought I'd give joining a go as we too are about to embark on the ttc journey. My wife and I had our initial consultation yesterday at a London fertility clinic for donor insemination. I had the ultrasound (no one ever tells you before treatment that you'll have scans even when on your period, and in fact have them because your on your period - yuk but it had the strange effect of reducing us to giggles) and I have pco (15 follicles) so will have stimulated di. The dr was really optimistic which has made us optimistic too. We're not starting just yet, financially we know we can afford 3 consecutive attempts this yr if we don't start until Aug/Sept. I research everything so am reading as much as possible to be prepared for all eventualities but wanted to ask if anyone has been lucky on their first attempt? Tbh I'm so excited to get started but slightly terrified too... I've always been able to achieve what I've wanted if I put my mind to it so I'm a bit scared now when it really matters that my body might just fail me. Is it usual to feel a bit daunted at the outset???

Hi poppy
Can't answer you're questions, as we are waiting for our IUI but welcome to the thread! You'll get loads of support here. Everyone's on different journeys but there are similarities of course.
It's normal to feel overwhelmed. It does mess with your mind. But ask questions and share your thoughts. It helps x

Welcome Poppy

I'm feeling daunted too and I haven't started yet. It's such a monumental step and at the moment I can live with my head in the sand that it will all work out somehow (magically) but once I start I'll need to face up to whatever the reality is. I actually applied for a new job last week - which, if I get it, will make this journey harder with finding time for appointments but easier financially. I'm still to make my initial clinic appointment but thinking about it constantly.

Good luck to you both x

poppy welcome. I have had bfp for 3 out of 4 iris. My first was a mmc, the second an early mc (or chemical pregnancy, the definitions vary) and now the third. You'll never know what is going to happen until you try. Have they checked your tubes yet? Highly recommend having that done prior to an attempt.

Hey poppy welcome to the thread! I think if you aren't daunted by the prospect then you may not be alive! There's a lot to take in, a lot to learn, a lot to come to terms with. But we are here for all of it, so anything you want to know, just ask!

Thanks for the warm welcome - it's so good be able to talk to others feeling slightly on the edge of reason!

Karendvm- I was lucky enough that when I first went to my Drs surgery they sent me to hospital and they completed a hysterosalpingogram. I had a small blockage which they flushed with water and cleared. The dr at the fertility clinic has seen the results and is fine with them so I don't need to repeat it and as she was optimistic I'm thinking maybe it's quite common to have a small blockage.
I don't know how you coped with your first bfps not working out, but I hope you can start to feel excited and this one is the one that works. Fingers, toes and everything else crossed for you.

Tygr - I also am in the process of switching jobs. My current job is great but the new one will help financially and should be less stress (I say with fingers crossed). I'm on a couple of months notice period so don't actually switch until start of may but I feel like it's a step on the road.

I'm so glad I've found this thread, just knowing other people are feeling the same fears, on the same journey but at different stages is so reassuring.

Welcome Poppy!

I am on my 3rd and last IUI (before moving to mini IVF). I did find my BFNs quite hard to handle especially as I feel the progesterone the clinic put me on the first month had messed up with my 2nd cycle... So really I feel I'm on the 1st real try this month...

IUI does work but there is a lot left to chance so as long as you accept this upfront you'll be fine. I think the whole financial aspect also adds a lot to the stress. Every month I can't help thinking how much baby stuff I could have bought instead of coughing up so much money on the next round.

BUT I know it will all be worth it in the end and our determination will make us great parents!

Just realised I sound really negative this morning, I didn't mean to!

Have you started taking vitamins yet? It takes 3 months for follicles to fully develop so what you eat now is important. I cut alcohol and caffeine in October last year (I do treat myself to a nice glass of wine or coffee when I feel a bit down ).

I'm going to call my nieces now, they will definitely cheer me up

Welcome Poppy and hi snowdog!

I'm at the start of my journey too, about to start IUI treatment as a single woman - I'm at almost the same stage as you Poppy, waiting for my initial consultation (got to get my blood tests done first), then hoping to start with a natural iui cycle around May time.

Pez, which vitamins are good? I'm taking D3, a B complex, zinc, and magnesium but for other reasons! Also folic acid. I'm trying to quit caffeine and alcohol but it's not going very well so far Though I don't drink much of either to be fair.

I've booked an acupuncture appointment for later in the month with a bloody LOVELY women who specialises in fertility, quite looking forward to it if a bit apprehensive! She said she could give me some advice on what to eat, supplements etc too :)

Thanks all for advice re OPKs! I carried on testing cus I wasn't 100% sure I'd got a positive so wanted to compare with the next day, but now I've got some digitals it should be easier next month. It's all starting to feel very real. The financial aspect makes me feel a bit sick to be honest, I can't decide whether to try one natural iui cycle first, then a 3 cycle stimulated package if it's unsuccessful, or whether to start straight away with the package.... so many decisions! I guess it depends on my blood results/consultation too so will wait and see.