Back in the Zoo for new adventures with old friends

[CaptainNemo]

Come on over animals, I think we'll be very comfy here

What gorgeous weather today I hope it's been the same for all of you, could get used to this! We spent part of the day at Jimmy's Farm and had a lovely time and enjoyed a picnic in the sunshine
Nemo I meant to say in my last post that next time you go to Ipswich you should drop in - we're literally just off the A12 outside Colchester! Have you been to Jimmy's Farm with the godchildren? If not then you should go, T would love all the animals. In answer to your question, we're in Brussels for 4 days so that will be nice. We've had busy weekends all this month actually, with another wedding on Easter Sunday so I think we won't be doing anything for the rest of April!
Glad the GTT went well this morning despite the disgusting stuff they make you drink and hopefully you should get the results back tomorrow. Fingers crossed for you. As for reduced movements, you'll know better than anyone else what feels normal, but if you're at all worried then contact your mw or hospital and ask to be monitored just to make sure.
Marbles Sounds like a lovely weekend The Lakes are lovely. Fingers crossed you made a baby whilst you were there! Is it Friday you finish your job? Bet you can't wait! Are you starting the new one on Monday or have you taken holiday between the two?
Hope everyone is OK

Hello ladies - lots of animals in the zoo recently, just how I like it !

Nemo glad the test is over, let us know when you hear.

Impala wowsers Brussels sounds lovely, lucky you !

Marbles 10/10 for BDing with squeaky bed and sleeping child - a medal is winging its way to you !!

Buddha I assume your absence is because AF arrived, pop back when you are ready missus, we are here to listen/cheer you on xx

No news from here - have a similar bug to impala, tiredness, weak, achey which now seems to have passed and now just have the trots which is not a big deal except it means SWI is on hold so sod's law dictates that I will no doubt ov soon . I will be soooooo if we miss the egg because of this stupid bug. Anyway, have another small concern. I have had 2 episodes during this cycle where I have had pink/blood tinged EWCM - both lasted a day or 2. Anyone have any experience of this/advice ? Obviously I googled it and got various results - the most worrying (which matches my situation) is that my body is approaching menopause so there is less oestrogen so despite best efforts my body keeps failing to ov - this is exactly what it feels like as have had several patchy days of EWCM then it dries up and the process starts again - been happening for over 16 days now . I am trying so hard to be philosophical about it all and not worry too much, but I should be going on mat leave this week and it has hit me harder than I had expected . The next few weeks are going to be tougher than I'd hoped and am alredy dreading announcement of my friend's baby's arrival . Arrgghhh so much for keeping my chin up - sorry ladies xx

murray {{{{big squashy cuddle}}} here is the place where you really don't have to keep your chin up I'm so sorry you are finding things hard ATM keep talking... I'm around lurking most of the time so you always have at least me to listen to you/shoulder to cry on...

WRT the no Ov/mid-cycle spotting... Have you tried the B100 complex I was rattling about? It's shortened my cycle and boosts progesterone apparantly so helps with LP... Also I have bought Agnus castus for next cycle if we haven't gotten lucky this one which is natures answer to clomid according to reliable sources... Might be worth a look

Marbles thanks or being there mrs - much appreciated - I went to bed last night thinking that I had most probably killed the thread again with my moaning !

Anyway, guess what - sod's law did indeed take effect as my temp rose today ! Obviously I have to wait a day or 2 to ensure it is not a 'blip' (esp as have been ill). It is so funny, as I have been on high alert for the past 4 weeks and as soon as I get so pee'd off with it all and start to ignore the signs it happens ! Anyway no SWI last night so Sunday was the last one - still in with a chance but def not getitng hopes up esp as have been poorly.

Marbles on the subject of vits - I have taken agnus castus before when TTC E and it gave me my longest ever cycle and loads of symptoms so it was a hellish 4ww with a BFN at the end of it ! I have also heard loads of positive stoires about it though - just be careful as it can have the oposite of the desired effect for some women. NB the 4ww wasn't actually an extended LP - it was because it took wel over 28 days to ovulate ! I thnk what Nemo said about my body needing more than 1 cycle to get back to 'normal' is true. I know from reading the MC threads a while back that a lot of those ladies at least 2 'WTF cycles' as they refer to them ! I just have to be patient - not in my nature as we all know !

Nemo any results yet ?

Marbles just been doing a wee agnus castus search on MN and here is a typical thread - very mixed reviews. Like one lady says it is like marmite - love it or hate it. It can definitely help but can also mess cycles up further if hormones imbalanced.
Do you have specific cycle issues you are trying to fix ?
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1253013-Agnus-Castus/AllOnOnePage

Hey murray

I have the feeling that I'm not Ov every month... About 1 in 3 by my reckoning and I thought...what the hell! It can't hurt to try it... I have bought it but I'm not 100% sure I will even take it yet...

Hope you are ok {{{{hug}}}} hope you are feeling a little better xxx

It's my EDD for my very first MC tomorrow my baby would have been 9yo if all had gone well

Hello everyone (enters shame faced after long absence and brings CAKE to make up for it)

Haven't read through everything, but it seems that some of you are still going through it with TTC I am keeping everything crossed that we have some good news from all of you soon. It is so frustrating and every maternity leave starting or EDD just makes it all harder. Lots of hugs to gomurray Buddha and Marbles. You all amaze me.

Nemo How are you doing? How long to you have left and remind me, did you find our the flavour?

frazzle Are you still frazzle? I must just say your running is amazing. I always notice the updates on twitter and can't believe you are doing those distances. I am in awe.

Anyway, we have had one of those lovely (pretty rare) days where everything goes to plan. The children have been delightful and even napped at the same time, so I am going to top it off with an early night too xxx

Will be back SOON

Hello Ladies

Good to see you Mummy, where are the rest of you ?...

News from here is that I am not great - in fact am freaking out. I am 6dpo today and had some brown blood - quite a bit with no sign of red (I have had implantation spotting both of my PGS but it was about 9dpo and pinky/red/brown). This is different def just brown and a bit watery - my first thought was "ectopic". Following the initial hour of blind panic and almost blubbing at my desk I managed to calm down and met DP for lunch. I explained all to him and he has been great - I just needed him to know that if I collapse he needs to tell medics that I had suspected ectopic ! I'm sure he thinks I am off my head but he is being very understanding. Anyway, subsequent trips to the loo have revealed no more blood so am going to sit it out and if I do get a BFP at the wknd/early next week I will contact MW and ask if there is any way they can test me for ectopic - I think they do bloods - there will be nothing to see on a scan so early. The main reason I'm now freaking out is that we go on holiday on 2 weeks (when I'd be 5 weeks assuming BFP) and ectopic rupture would most likely happen while I was away - I am not prepared to rely on foreign hospitals to deal with this as it is potentially life threatning. Apologies ladies, you know that I am not generally a panicker but this is just too scary. Hopefully I'm just over-analyzing and worrying before anything has actually happened.
breathe and relax

Ah Murray bless you! How are you feeling about things today? If it helps, the type of spotting you're describing sounds EXACTLY like what I had with this pg, brown and watery 6 or 7DPO. Then had more of a similar type the day af was due, think I even put a tampon in as was working and just assumed it was the start of my period as thought there was such a slim chance that I could be pg, but it stopped, and a couple of days later I decided I should prob do a test.... Spotting continued to about 10.5 weeks then red bleed at 12 weeks, was the most stressful start to a pregnancy, but apparently baby was unaffected by it all, bad for mummy's mental health but not for baby it seems! Fingers crossed it'll be the same for you. Though hopefully without any more mental anguish!
It's a v personal decision, but having had bloods done with Thomas and ending up on a complete emtotional roller coaster I personally wouldn't go down that route again, my understanding is that they're not definitive in any event. At 5 weeks although a scan wouldn't show a hb it should show a sac in the right place. Would you consider a private scan a couple of days before you go if you're still worried, if the NHS won't oblige?
I really hope you wont mind me saying, but the worries you're experiencing sound very similar to the concerns I had just before we went on holiday after we lost Thomas, and in the end I think it was all tied up with the grieving process. I was so worried something was going to go wrong, we really needed the break and I just couldn't believe it would all work out the way we'd planned when nothing else had. As I recall, I half convinced myself DH had a terminal illness... It was the grieving chapter of the Lesley Regan mc book that made me realise what I was doing. It may be different for you, but do you think that might in part explain the level of panic you're feeling? I'm not saying you should totally ignore the possibility of an ectopic but could that be why the worries feel so over powering?
We're all here if there's anything we can do. Big hug to you xx

Hello to everyone else, sorry for being AWOL. Have had a stinking cold and been extremely rough and exhausted but on the mend now hopefully. FINALLY got blood results yesterday after chasing the hospital for them and apparently all fine. Am still concerned about the size of the baby and want to discuss it further, but will have I wait for now. Am seeing the consultant on the 19th and am trying (so far unsuccessfully) to get an appt with my gp before that to see what she says... My thinking is that labour may well be significantly quicker than it was with DD, who only took 6.5 hours and that having been told she was on the 50th centile she turned out to be 8lb9, whereas this one is already showing up as massive. So if 8lb9 left me with a 3rd degree tear what's a significantly larger baby going to do to me?!?! Maybe don't answer that.... I'm pretty sure I don't want an elcs, so I guess the only real question is whether they'd consider inducing me early, which I know may not work anyway and increases the possibility of an emcs.... There are just n easy answers are there?!

Sorry for the me me me post, and for not commenting on everyone's news but I really need to go and do some work now..... Widh me luck? Love to all!

Nemo thank you so, so much for your lovely post. As always you are so right. I am struggling to imagine things going right this time. The blood has disappeared so am trying just to forget all about it until the weekend when I plan to test. Am due on Monday but going out for dinner on Sat so would like a glass of wine if not PG. Ideally I'd wait to see if AF arrives/temp drops but the temptation of wine is too strong . On the bright side, if am not PG then I can drink even more wine on my holiday

Nemo you poor thing worrying about a giant baby. FWIW if you do end up going down the CS route it is not all bad (no contractions and pushing nonsense). It does take a few weeks to heal completely but within about 5 days you will feel pretty normal. I healed really quickly - I took arnica homeopathic pills for several weeks prior to due date and I swear they made all the difference. I know several women my age who took a lot longer to recover. Ideally you will go into labour naturally while baby smaller - I know a vaginal delivery is what nature intended but don't fear the alternative Was DD on time/late ? How many weeks are you now ?

Hello lurking animals !

Ah thanks Murray, and I'm glad you're feeling better! A bit of wine won't do your little bean any harm, even if you are preggers. I seem to remember I had quite a bit the night I found out I was pg this time, needed it to cope with the shock!

Am officially 30 weeks today, EDD is 12/06/12. DD was born 2 days after her EDD but actually on the date I thought she was due. FWIW I think this one is due on either 16th or 17th June (who has the energy to have sex on a tuesday?!? ) If he hasn't put in an appearance by then I'll be going for a sweep by the same mw who violated helped me last time on 14/06/12. Poor little chap is just doing the best he can, while his evil mummy spends all her time planning his eviction! xx

Hello ladies !

nemo LOL at you evicting your poor wee boy ! You have good reason though. I really hope they listen to you and consider inducing you early, otherwise it will be a worry-filled last stretch for you.

Buddha are you at the fun part of TTC yet ?
marbles where are you in your cycle after your heriocs on holiday

Not much news from here other than frantic 2ww symptoms spotting ! Yesterday had a far bit of dark red blood then back to brown/old blood today. Am 9dpo and bought in some cheapie tests today. Anyone tried them ? I mean mega cheap 2 for a pound from the pound shop . Not sure whether to use them or just wait and get 'proper' ones - any opinions ? Temp was looking promising but took a wee dip today (not enough to be anything exciting like an implantation dip, just enough to wreck a potential tri-phasic) Not that I am completely obsessed or anything

Marbles on the topic of temping, why don't you give it a go ? Esp if you are unsure that you are ov'ing each month - that would put you more in control and allow you to understand more about what is going on. However, I do appreciate that not everyone is a control freak like me ! I was really religious about the rules when TTC DS in that I would not get out of bed within 3 hours of taking temp and took it at exactly the same time every morning. Now, I do not have the luxury of sticking to the rules and am often up with DS just a few mins before I take temp (or I just take it whenever I can !) and it still tells me what is going on. All I am trying to say is that you do not have to be too anal about it so it is not as restrictive as you may think.

evening ladies

murray i have temped with no success in the early days of TTC and for me, therein madness lies...i am trying to stay relaxed about things as i know that it is relatively easy for me to get a BFP so i must be ovulating but im pretty sure that i get a anovulatory cycle every 3 months or so as i have NO Ov signs on anov cycles its like my body just CBA to Ov that month im on CD34 today...AF was due last weekend(at the latest tuesday) and other than some crampiness...no sign...BFN on tuesday morning too so just my uterus being an arsehole true to form...

how are you? the symptoms sound promising keep us posted!

nemo i cant remember if you said you have had the water around the baby measured? i was told that DD was going to be HUGE and i had a meltdown in the MW appt...so much so that she sent me for a growth scan where it was revealed that DD was normal sized but i had 2 litres of excess fluid (polyhydramnios) and had to be monitored more closely...just a thought really...DD eventually ended up 8lb 12oz and when my waters went it was like niagra falls we needed to buy an new bed, bedroom carpet and i had to change my clothes 4 times throughout the day when i was in labour...might be worth a talk with the MW

Hello ladies, happy Easter! [bugrin] [bugrin]

marbles thanks for the kind words, that must have been scary for you with DD! It was the measurements of the actual baby on the scan that were big, specifically the abdominal circumference.... So it's not extra fluid. Had a good MW appt yest so feeling a bit better, though our mortgage co are currently being ARSEHOLES so am extremely stressed about that. Why can things never be simple?!?
Ah well, DH's bday today so will try [email protected] to think about it. 8 people here for dinner tonight but my mum has kindly done most of the food as his present so hopefully shouldn't be too much work

Big love to all [busmile] hope you have a fab B H weekend xx

Afternoon ladies. Happy Easter (gutted can't do bunny ears on app!)
Apologies for only lurking rl has been mega busy.
Nemo Ouchy Ouchy big baby I'm not surprised your stressing out my lovely especially with your past history! I'm still wondering why you're celebrating dh's birthday considering his poor show for special days lately
Murray Any other symptoms other than the bleeding? Although that alone sounds good I only had implantation bleed with one if the three pgs and that resulted in E so I've everything crossed for you.
Marbles what is your body doing to your head again? I'm the same as you can't get the temping much prefer my ov sticks from eBay

Yes we're at the fun part if ttc, out on a hen weekend tonight so poor dh better look out later although E is going through bad week of awful sleep so tiredness and ttc are not good partners!

heellooo ladies ! So good to see so many of you on here, happy Easter [busmile]

Marbles WTF is going on with your body ? Surely time to test again ...? I have fingers crossed for BFP but I also know that it is not as simple as that for you, so big hugs xx

Buddha Go girl ! Never mind tiredness and sleepless nights, needs must ! Just be glad you know when you are going to ovulate (give or take a day or 2), even poor DP was getting fed up having to perform every other night when my egg was AWOL . Spring is the best time for fertility and new beginnings so crossing everything (even my legs at the moment !) for you xx

Nemo how did dinner go ? I hope you made minimal effort for maximum results. Partly because you should not be busting a gut for DH after his recent track record and also because at your stage people should be running around after you, esp when you are so stressed.

Symptoms from here are not much in terms of bleeding now, very high temp again today and a touch of constipation (nice !). I had actually forgotten that constipation is a 'sign' until I read my pregnancy book the other day to find out what 'may' be happening in there - apparently due to hormone levels. Anyway, I was going to test tomorrow but have decided to sit it out and wait for Monday - AF due then (or Tuesday) so more likely to get an accurate result by then. I don't want to get BFN tomorrow then go out and drown my sorrows only to get a BFP later ! Listen to me so hopeful... what happened to not getting my hopes up ? [buhmm]

Happy Easter ladies [busmile] hope you have all had a chocolate and fun filled day.

My day has been ruined by the early and unwelcome arrival of AF (actually started last night so at least 2 days early). I know it was our first month but am still gutted as had several "signs". Had zero pre-AF PMT, just sudden onset of cramps then AF, very strange. Am convinced body tried to get PG but messed up hormones just couldn't sustain pregnancy, am so fed up with my post-MC broken body. Facing due date is going to be so much tougher not being PG but at least I can drink wine on holiday .

Happy Easter [bsmile]

murray so sorry AF arrived when do you go on your holiday?

AF is (still) AWOL BFN yesterday (again) I'm pretty sure I'm not upduffed as I have ZERO signs of anything... Who knows eh...

That should be [busmile]...

Murray I'm so sorry af got you I know how much you wanted to be pg for due date but maybe your body is just not quite ready. Have a brilliant time on holiday, kick back, relax drink and be merry who knows what will happen next month x
Marbles What's your body doing at the moment? Af arrived?

Nothing to report here af due a week today/tomorrow. No symptoms unless you count toothpaste tasting funny
Work is mega busy and there are 3 of us ttc there so we're all watching each other like hawks

Hi buddha

AF got me too 10days late! Ahhh well I have started Agnus castus now to see if I can regulate my cycle...

Looking forward to seeing if things have worked for you lovely

marbles 10days late what a nightmare really hope the Agnes works. Loving some of the pictures on draw something I hunk your officially my highest record!
obsessive symptom spotting alert - think I mentioned the toothpaste, I'm also over sensitive to smells, some make me heave, but unless I really squash my (.)(.) they aren't render which is normally my first sign so probably another month closer to being 40 and not pg

Ladies, so lovely to 'see' you

marbles 10 days late, that is just rubbish, do you think you ovulated late ?... Good luck with the AC I really hope it works for you and gives you some hope.

Buddha heightened sense of smell sounds promising . What a nightmare with others at work TTC and all checking each other out to guess if each other is PG !! I look forward to hearing your news next weekend, I'll check in from hols to find out.

I am packing and looking forward to some sun Acupuncturist told me today to avoid shellfish and spicy food (2 of my most favourite things) and not to drink cold drinks or eat cold foods like ice-cream - I'm going on bl00dy holiday FFS !!! I am not sure whether to take heed or just ignore him altogether . I told him that I refuse to take the stinky herbs on holiday so he has given me pills instead. Am so fed up with my body as my temp has not gone back to proper pre-ov temps since AF arrived. Temps not high enough for PG though - basically either on or 0.1 above coverline, very frustrating. Acupuncturist told me that hormones are unbalanced because I am not in good health which annoyed me as I eat healthily, am not overweight, exercise regularly, take loads of vits and rarely drink too much grrrr... he says my poor circulation is the problem which I don't understand as I have reynauds but had that the last 2 times I got PG so my hormones were fine then... . I will persevere with it for a while but am getting fed up waiting for results - I guess doing something is better than doing nothing though... Anyway, moan moan, sorry ladies. See you all after my holiday - we leave on Monday - I am hoping that once due date has passed I can move on and feel more positive.

Murray Hmm not too sure about all the info you've been given by acupuncturist like you said you managed to get pg before without all the herbs and food avoidance but if it feels like your doing something constructive and helps regulate your temp then it can't be a bad thing. Well jel about your holiday how long are you away for? Is due date when actually away too?
Don't hold your breath waiting for news next weekend I'm sure there will be nothing to report again