TWW Jan/Feb 2020

[41trying]

This is for ladies in there TWW that would like to chat and have a little support!

Never apologise for ranting @Rovera12 ❤️ This is a safe place to do exactly that. I guess you need to weigh up the pros and cons of just having them review your notes and cracking on or holding back for the one to one and starting later... which would you feel the most comfortable with?x

How are you feeling @Viletta?x

Excellent news on your BFP @Wimbledon1! 🤩 Has it sunk in yet?! 😄

Other than feeling (and looking! 🙈) mega bloated @FlapJackered , I'm relatively symptom-free now 🤷‍♀️ The queasiness has subsided since I've stopped using the pessaries and my boobs only smart if DP gives me a bear hug! 🐻 🤗 My lower right-sided dull ache keeps coming and going, so I'm guessing everything is going OK... going to have to think of a better name for the embie than 'lower right-sided dull ache' though! 😂 Have you had your blood level back and are you feeling reassured?x

Welcome @Lucinda4321 👋 I take it you've not managed to use FMU for each of your tests if you've done 3 in 24 hours? That could be the cause of the one BFN? I think you have plenty of reason to be tentatively optimistic 🤞🍀

Congratulations @Wimbledon1 and hi to @Lucinda4321. I'm sorry to hear about your previous BFNs, hope it's all positive news so far. I'm very confused by your tests but I'd trust the BFPs rather than the others. Is the FRER a new one and in date? Worth checking 📋

I'm 2dp5dt and time stays still. I'm not brave enough to test my OTD is Monday the 10th but I'd rather wait for signs, rather AF of a growing tummy. Anyone else testing on the 10th? Also does anyone know when your heart rate is supposed to increase? I'm trying to use it as my test instead. I'm such a wimp 😩

Hi @BambiOnIce80 interesting you stopped the pessaries. My clinic said to carry on until 12 weeks 🤷‍♀️?

@BambiOnIce80 I am jealous of you getting to stop the pessaries, I have been told I need to keep going with them. 🤢
Blood test results came back at 300mlu which apparently is good, so fingers crossed it keeps going in the right direction!
They have booked me into the first scan on 21st Feb which is not that far away, still long enough to send me nuts though! 😂 Have you been booked in for a scan yet?

It's because I did a fresh cycle @QuantumGirl so I have lots of empty corpus luteums kicking out lots of lovely progesterone 🤓 For non-fresh cycles people need to be on the pessaries for 8 - 12 weeks 👍

And I can help you with the heart rate thing too (again with the 🤓! 😂) 💗 Mine has been 10 bpm higher for the last 3 days (and I'm 12dp5dt now).x

That is a stonking BFP blood level @FlapJackered! 😍 No seeds of doubt there! 😊 I must admit I'm going to pee on an OPK tomorrow morning to see if there's still a strong line there, seems I'm not feeling that symptomy (thank f🤬k for the heart rate thing or else I'd probably be catastrophising again already! 🤦‍♀️). My 7 week scan is booked for the 18th of February and I've taken the day off as annual leave... Just in case!! 😳

@FlapJackered my first scan is the 21st too. We really are living this together!! 😂

It has sunk in mostly but the fear is already here @BambionIce80. I was thinking to myself earlier “I wonder how many weeks it will be before I have to hold my breath when I look at the tissue after going to the loo” 😬 I’m a natural worrier though so hopefully no-one else is being this neurotic!!

Welcome @QuantumGirl. I know what you mean about the time. This forum really helps though, everyone is such a big support 💖

That made no sense. Have to STOP holding my breath (which is what I am currently doing)

My clinic said to start winding off pessaries and all the meds week 8 and stop them on week 10. Booked my scan for 15 February. Did I tell you that early scan is cheaper than endometrium check.. crazy!

@Wimbledon1 😂 amazing! I love it!

@BambiOnIce80 is it? I have no idea about levels! 🤦‍♀️
I have heard most people don't get proper symptoms until 6 weeks. So I am sure they will come. I think before then it is likely to be the progesterone. Saying that my sister is 6 months pregnant and has never had any symptoms so it isn't necessarily a negative thing.

@Wimbledon1 congratulations! I am so happy for you, they are amazing numbers.

@MissHoney85 we do seem to have had very similar cycles! Have you had an update from your clinic about the next step? My DH and me have been looking at CoQ10 and DHEA research papers today and decided to start CoQ10 and ask about the clinics thoughts on DHEA.

@Rovera12 we had one NHS funded fresh and frozen cycle. Unfortunately we did not have anything to freeze so that was our NHS cycle done. I phoned today to inform BFN and they asked if we wanted to continue self funded (yes!) And I was given the option of waiting months to see the consultant or having him and embrologist review and then a call with the next plan. I opted for the phone call. I dont think that it is NHS funding that is the problem I think that the need for fertility help has increased and they are overwhelmed.

@BambiOnIce80 I kept meaning to ask about your HR!

I think today is the first day I haven't been inspecting the loo roll super closely @Wimbledon1! 😂 Other than the bloating thing, I'm feeling pretty normal and not like AF is going to hit at any minute... I really hope I'm not jinxing myself! 😣🔮

Thank you for the reminder that minimal symptoms are not necessarily a bad thing @FlapJackered (I still stopped at Boot's on the way home tonight and got a twin pack of clearblue digital HPT's with my advantage points though! 😬🤦‍♀️).x

I think you're absolutely right @UnicornPuff - the system is stretched paper thin, unfortunately 😔 We went self-funded NHS with our cycle (because the waiting list is a year long here and I would've been over 40 by the time our NHS-funded turn came round) and they've been fantastic, but you can see they have a massive amount of people coming through their doors. Does this mean you could be starting a new cycle really soon? 🤞🤞🤞

@unicornpuff Thanks, I think that is what the nurse said like the doctor reviewing my note and getting in touch for the next plan. I will write them on Monday requesting a call back.

Congratulations to those with a BFP, so happy for you.

The TWW is horrible, much more so than pre-ivf and naturally trying to conceive!

I feel nothing, zero symptoms really apart from sore boobs. They feel solid. Which I presume is just from the cyclogest because I never get sore boobs normally. I'm only 5dp5dt so it's too early really and my husband won't let me test early because he doesn't want me to set myself up for heartache.

@Pinkstars2501 I'm with you on that. My boobs are sore and solid. I'm on a medicated FET so I know all the symptoms I'm experiencing are the hormones I'm taking. I'm 7dp5dt and I'm trying to avoid temptation to test. All I have is cheapies and I know it won't show regardless!

@HJF84 it's shit isn't it. This is our only NHS round and it's our first fresh transfer (a pair of 5 day blasts in the freezer). I go from feeling optimistic and trying to stay positive, to thinking it defo hasn't worked because I don't feel anything.

I can't bring myself to buy tests because I know I'll pee on all the sticks. I had a couple ovulation sticks leftover and I even peed on those 3dpt! Which is actually insane.

@Pinkstars2501 Totally. This is my third cycle. One fresh and one FET that failed. This is the last of our frozen embies so I'm keeping everything crossed, although the chances are slim as it wasn't the best quality. It's so difficult to stay positive!

@HJF84 bless you, fingers and toes firmly crossed for you and lots of baby dust.

Morning all! How is everyone who is still in the TWW?

My night sweats and 4am wake up calls are back. Luckily I have my cat to keep me company 😂 This time, I managed to fall back to sleep about 6am, and I've only just woken up - bliss! I have a lazy day planned, although I do need to do some housework. Might go and treat myself to a pedicure later. What does everyone else have planned?

My night sweats have calmed down now @HJF84 , but the 1 - 3am wake up calls for the loo followed by insomnia are going strong! 😏 My cat keeps me company too! 🐱 I hope the night sweats are a positive sign for you like they seem to have been for me🤞 Remind me when OTD is for you?

We're having a relatively chilled weekend, which is pretty welcome after the last couple of months of craziness. I've got acupuncture this afternoon, going to make a tastey curry for dinner and then tomorrow we're going to plan a staycation for my 40th in a few months time... don't suppose anybodies got a recommendation for a nice 6 bedroom cottage somewhere in the north of England/Scotland?! 😬

I'm feeling brighter today, I ended up plucking up the courage and telling someone at work yesterday about our IVF which made me instantly feel better.

Got a family party tonight and although my parents know we're on the TWW none of the other family do, it's going to be tough hiding that I'm not drinking. It was easier to hide in January 😂

@BambiOnIce80 take a look at Sally's Cottages we just booked to go to Carlisle they seemed to have a whole range over the country.

@UnicornPuff how come you only have one NHS funded cycle? We are at the same clinic as you and we have two. The system is so weird! I've been trying to think of questions I can ask / things I can do to improve embryo quality for next time. I feel like I did everything I could for my eggs (except maybe acupuncture) this time. Suspect sperm quality could be an issue so might get my husband on CoQ10 or something. Also wonder if progesterone could be an issue for me as I started spotting on Sunday and still had a faint positive on Thursday, so presumably was still quite pregnant when I started bleeding. The nurse I spoke to kind of dismissed the idea of this having any relevance but said she would put it on my notes for Mr Riddle... I do feel sometimes that there's a cookie-cutter approach to things where they're not interested in hearing certain ideas, but I think that's common to all IVF clinics. And I guess they're the experts so it must be kind of annoying to have patients self diagnosing from a bit of internet research!

@HJF84 I've had the night sweats and 4am wake-ups too. I'm done with it! Was so exhausted at work yesterday! Test day on Weds - still feels years away 🥱

@BambiOnIce80I stayed in a fab big house in Borders with a bunch of people last year - think it was only 5 bed, but huge, and several other rooms which could have a blow up mattress in.

www.unique-cottages.co.uk/cottages/south/borders/bp8-gorrenberry-house

@UnicornPuff I would recommend checking success rates, equipment, doctors, reviews and prices of your NHS clinic against private. When we had a choice to go private with an NHS clinic in our city I discovered it has very low success rates and old equipment. We went to a private clinic in another city instead and then to Czeck for price/quality. Good luck!

@BambiOnIce80 I have no symptoms what so ever apart of occasional twinge. My mum said she never had morning sickness or any other symptoms in first trimester.

@MissHoney85 your funding is dependant on where your GP surgery is based and unfortunately ours is just on the side of the border that means we only get 1 rather than 2 cycles. Which is disappointing but the postcode lottery with IVF unfortunately. I have just been to Holland and barratt and got CoQ10 today it is on offer at the moment. I figured if you can buy it at Holland and barratt I cant see them having an issue if I start taking it to hopefully improve my egg quality. We have frozen sperm from a surgical retrival so if the sperm was the issue it is going to be a bit harder to fix but I suppose if I need to keep playing with my hormones he can have a second retrival after supplements!
I would have thought if you had HCG in your system still it was relatively recent so I think you are right questioning the progesterone. Have you had an update from the clinic about the next step? When I spoke to the nurse she couldn't really tell me anything until Mr Curtis and the embrologist review the cycle when I asked about egg quality.

@Viletta my clinic is a private that accepts NHS funded patients. They have quite good reviews and other than the fact we didnt succeed this time we have been really happy with them.

@UnicornPuff that's so frustrating about your funding. It's all so arbitrary. Regarding CoQ10, I bought the Holland and Barrett stuff myself then noticed it's actually quite a low dose. I ended up buying the stuff recommended by the It Starts With the Egg lady, Doctor's Best Ubiquinol. I get it off Amazon, it's pretty expensive but 🤷 in for a penny in for a pound! No update as yet from the clinic, I'm not going to request a meeting with the Consultant though so I guess it's just a matter of waiting to hear from them after they've done their review. Hopefully it won't be too long!