First time IVF age 42

[worrymerchant]

HI - i am 42 and going thru my first IVF ICSI cycle... (already have DS,15ys, and DD 13ys from prior marriage). DH has low motility. Egg Collection produced only 7 eggs, 3 poor quality, 2 failed ICSI, i didnt fertilise so was left with just one egg to implant last thurs on day 2. AM feeling very low about it all. Any positive advice or feedback please?

Hi NS - how are you? We are all knee-deep in DIY jobs in the kitchen here today, so not much chance for me to be on the computer - there's sawdust and plastic sheets everywhere! So glad you've managed to change midwives and that the new one seems more approachable - that's so important and will help you confidence. Are your family settling in nicely with you now? I expect it's such a comfort to have them with you. Have you been sleeping okay? I'm finding I really can't eat much in the evenings at all, beyond a light snack, otherwise I just keep waking up at night, tossing and turning and having a generally unrestful time. I stood on my scales today for the first time in ages - I've put on nearly 2 stones since the start of my pregnancy! Yikes - I'll have to watch that - and my books say that the baby is still only between 1-2 lbs so quite a bit more weight to go on yet and that's just for the baby! And I scoffed a whole pack of Thornton's choc cake bars today as well - there's no hope for me! Oh well, take care, & I'll hopefully be back for a further chat once I can lounge here in some comfort! love, TNPx

Hi there everyone, just a quick note to say sorry I havent posted lately but I have jsut had the most terrible weekend. Can't really talk about it, lets just say it's teenage problems. I feel really low, and useless, so not really good company for you girls.

NS - I am glad your change of midwife has worked out so well, she sounds lovely.

Hopefully I will get to talk to you more next week when things have calmed down a bit. Have spent most of today in a daze with a bad headache and full of tears.

TNP - Good luck with the DIY and enjoy the chocolates... !!!

Love WM x

Dear all,

Hi there, just saying hello.

It been a difficult time for us all. WM you sound like you have a nightmare to deal with, how old is your teenage daughter? I know teens can be difficult and many of my friends who have teens complain about feeling frustrated, tearing thir hair out and feeling tearful. I have no experience but can sympathise. TNP you sound as though you have been really busy. I am sure you are entitled to all that food with the work you've done. Enjoy those chocolates, you deserve them!
We went out to a science convention today with my little niece but she became ill in the way children know best. A high temperature very suddenly. We brought her home dosed her with cowpol and she seemed to recover almost immediately.
My sleep is better TNP, thanks for asking, but still very disturbed. I think I just have pre-natal anxiety and it's something I will have to live with until the baby arrives. In the meantime I will just ride out the emotions and tell myself it is nothing more than hormones. I now have all the support in the world.
The family are settling in but DP can sleep at the drop of a hat which is real frustrating!

Speak soon.
Lots of love NS XXXX

Dear all,

How I wish I could have much more time to post.

NS- HOW DARE SHE!!!! That woman who calls her self a midwife. I was disgusted by her entire approach towards you. She really had no right to say the things she said. Pregnancy is a time full of anxiety and i would say about 99% if not all women do face some sort of anxiety for a whole lot of different reasons during and after pregnancy. So please, know u are not alone. When my husband got a job in the Middle East in 2000, I was expecting DD2. He moved in May while i stayed back and joined him in September. It was a stressful time for me filled with lots of anxiety. The feelings you get are only natural. Thank God you have a new midwife. She sounds so encouraging. Goodluck with the counselling too.

TP and NS thanks for the advice on weight, diet etc. I guess i'll just stick to ur suggestions as they seem ideal. Right now, i'm caring less about my weight. I guess its because i'm clueless as to when exactly we'll start things rolling with the IVF.

TP how is the DIY going? Good luck with it. There's nothing wrong with eating all the cake bars you ate. I'm not pregnant yet and i can finish a tub of ice cream in one sitting!!!!! So help me God for when i am pregnant.

WM sorry to hear about the challenges you are facing with your teen. Their issues are universal so please dont feel alone. We all go through concerns with our teens. DD1 is nearly 15 but seems to be going on 20. Deep breaths and exhaling at that point in time is my way out of not having to scream.I know it can be hard atimes. Please take things easy and look after yourself.

NB hope the weather is nice in England today. The weather in Bahrain is nice but for the sand storms and fog we get now and again. Not very pleasant but hoping they become less by the month end.

We watched a programme last nite that featured a lady and her husband who had fertility treatment twice. The first one produced twins and they decided to try for one more but the 2nd time they had 6. Yes sextuplets(think thats what they're called not sure i got the spelling correct).

DH and i didnt know what to say as we are hoping for one more too. I guess one needs to be careful for what one wishes for.

NS,TP AND WM. Have a fruitful week and take very good care of yourselves. Till next time xxxx MTB

Hi all - just a post from me to bump this up and catch up a little - it's so nice to come on here and read up on everyone's news and how you're all doing etc.

Yes, MTB, I would definitely say watch what you wish for as it might come true! Are you any closer to deciding a start date yet? Keeping my fingers crossed for you for when you do start, as the cycle itself is such a lengthy process, isn't it. Don't worry so much about the weight - just try to focus on keeping healthy (she says, munching another cake as she writes).

WM - I was very interested to hear of your previous life training in midwifery! Do you think you'll ever go back to it at some stage? Especially as there's such a shortage of midwives, particularly empathetic ones, which you would so obviously be. It is another life, though, isn't it ... I feel about that with my "other life" as a teacher, which I gave up (or took a long 'holiday' from, which I'm still on 6 years later!)when we were expecting the arrival of our DS1. I can sympathise with dealing with teenagers though - actually as teacher I like them a lot, but not sure how I'll be as a parent to a teenager - I've yet to find that out. Well, whatever the problems with your family, feel free to come on here and rant - that's what we're here for, to make each other feel better during stressful times, as well as cheer ourselves up with the good stuff.

How's your writing NS? Have you managed to get any time to yourself to get your thoughts down on paper? It is so therapeutic for you. Isn't it the most annoying thing when partners can sleep so well and you can't!! My DH I swear could fall asleep on a park bench, and sleep for as long as he is left alone. A skill I very much envy!

Well, I'm off to my local La Leche League tomorrow for the first time to check out the support. I breast fed DS2 until he was 19 months, but the first few months were very difficult and I'm keen to avoid the same again with this baby if possible. So, I'll let you know how I get on ...

Bye for now all, and take care, love TNPx

Dear all,

I agree with TNP, it's great to have a chance to catch up.

Thank you v. much for your good wishes. I have had so much help from you all with that midwife and it has made such a enormous difference, you really can't imagine, how helpful you've been.

MB: I'd also be interested to know when you start your cycle. It seems such a long process from start to finish, doesn't it? There is an awful lot that the clinics can't really describe until you've been through it. The waiting was the thing for me. Waiting to start, waiting to down-regulate (which I didn't. It took me two months), waiting for stimulation then the dreaded 2ww.

I really empathise so much with you and WM. It's a horrible process, with a lot more involved than the clinics really understand. I tried to submit a piece of writing to the clinic re my experiences for staff members to read and I'm not quite sure what happened to it. I also nearly managed to get one of the mainstream newspapers in Ireland interested in my story. I wanted to try and get across how difficult IVF was because of living with uncertainty. No-one knows when they start out who will be successful or not and I wanted to write a column as I went through the whole process and dealt with those issues, bad or good. I was extremely annoyed and upset when the senior edititor only appeared interested if I was successful, she actually asked me if I was pregnant at the start of down-regulation. I have not in fact followed it up because I am unsure how I feel about yet another positive IVF story appearing, I think both sucessful and unsuccessful stories need to be covered and in Ireland there is a bias towards succssful stories. I'd be interested to know your opinions on this and whether you think I should follow it up.

WM: I hope the teen issue is sorted out and you get a chance to relax soon. Teens can get so wrapped up in their own issues, can't they? I am like TNP in this. I did a PhD on adoelscent health and I loved working with them. I'm not sure what it would be like living with them! You've a lot on your plate there and as MB said your not on your own. I'd also like to know about your midwifery training. I also think (from having known you for the past three months) that you would make an excellent empathetic midwife and as I know they seem to be be in short supply!

TNP: What is a La Leche League...I've never heard of it! Keep tucking into those cakes ...I'm suure you need them to help you through the DIY. We have just started scrambling around in the loft for baby things ...my niece's pram has just been brought down. I want to get a moses basket as well because I like them more than I need them. Yesterday I used my birthday mothercare voucher for a pregnancy pillow and it is so comfortable I really recomend it. How many weeks are you now? I'm approaching 30.

I have my glucose tolerance test tomorrow so will be in touch soon to let you know how I do.

Lots of love to you all

NS XXXXX

Hi all - just bumping this up. My two boys have had chesty colds and now it seems I am brewing up for one, too ... Have you got your glucose results, NS? La Leche League is an international charity set up for breastfeeding support. There's lots of info on their website, together with your nearest group if you're interested. Have you thought about how you're planning to feed yet? My 'local' group, which actually cover quite a large area, happen to meet quite near to me so I thought I'd go along, ready to garner any support I might need come the summer. They were very friendly. I am now 25 weeks and feel enormous! I am giving your questions of newspaper articles re IVF some thought ...

Hope WM and MTB are okay - once again, I find myself wishing I was in a hot climate, but will be going on holliday in the next few weeks to France, so shall have to hope that it fits the bill!

Bye for now and take care, love TNPx

dear all,

i am in hospital with adeep vein thrombosis. it is hard to write on this machine so wont say much. i hope ican come out today because it is noisy and i really cant sleep.

Oh my goodness, dear NS, what a state to be in, my girl - how did that happen? Really wishing you well enough to get home as soon as possible - it all sounds horrendous and just what you don't need. I really hope if you have to stay in tonight you manage to get some sleep - hospitals are such noisy places, even when they're not waking you up every 2 hours for their checks etc. Ask for something to help you rest better tonight. Take care and get well very soon, love TNPx

Dear TNP,

Thanks so much for your prompt message I was able to read it before I was discharged last night. Sorry this is all about me but it's great to be able to share it with someone. Anyway I am back on injections twice daily (7.00am and 7.00pm). The good thing is that it was caught and I am on treatment. The thrombosis team will work with the maternity service because I can't take heprin during labour due to the risk of haemorrhage. Deep vein thrombosis is v. rare. They only see about 7 cases per 4,000 births annually. Trust me! Babby is fine and they were extremelly happy with the trace from the foetal monitor. They said it was excellent for a 30 week baby.

The bad thing was that that hospital experience was one of the worst of my life. Admission into the hospital was swift and organised. I went for the glucose screening test and mentioned a pain in the back of my leg. They took it seriously and I was admitted within half an hour and scanned two hours later. Getting information from the hospital was a nightmare. They kept me waiting on the ward for the whole day before treating because they couldn't get a doctor to prescribe heprin.
The next day after a bad night it took the entire day to discharge me. The ward was understaffed and the midwife kept ringing only to be told the doctors were dealing with an emergency. They finally agreed to discharge me (with medication at 6.00pm, I didn't see the doctor myself) and we had to wait another four hours for letters to be written. Believe it or not the hospital managed yet again to loose my rehsess negative results and tried to take blood at 8.45 last night in the day room. All the staff on the ward couldn't do it because my veins are so small so I have to go back yet again next Tuesday to have it done for the 4th time. They wouldn't accept confirmation from my written notes from Ireland which they had in front of them. I alos failed to get information on the amount of Piriton for sleep that I could take because it was increased the night before. Fortunately I was so exhausted I didn't need it.
I hope you are well and my apologies about this rant.
Lots of love,
NS XXXXX

Poor you, NS. I have been thinking about you and worrying that you are okay. Had a bad day and night myself yesterday, with hgh temp and achey limbs - wanted to come down to the computer last night and leave you another message but my legs just wouldn't let me! I collapsed in bed as soon as DH got home and there I stayed! What an awful nightmare for you having to go through all that. But, I was thinking last night, it's so good they caught it and I wondered if it was something to do with your glucose test. Have you had swelling/oedema as well? At least now they'll keep you under close monitoring, which is what you need, but such an annoyance about having to go in for yet another blood test when they have your blood group there in front of them. I think hospitals can trigger-happy with their blood tests all the time. Anyway, I'm glad you're out, but that it some statistic, 7 in 4,000! Wow! Do you have to wear support stockings now? I absolutely hate them - when I was in hospital for a week at the start of my first pregnancy, I refused to wear them and caused quite a ruckus on the ward with the nurses and doctors! Such good news that the baby is doing so well - just keep thinking of that.

Hope you have a relaxing Easter weekend and take care, won't you. Good to hear from you & thanks for updating me - I have been concerned. Love for now, TNPx

TNP,

I am so appreciative of you thinking of me when you weren't well yourself. I hope you are feeling better now and that your DH is helping out with the boys until you receover. I imagine you couldn't take anything other than paracetamol so that must have been v. hard. Do they have to monitor you closely in labour because of asthma.

The DVT is not related to the glucose test. I am not diabetic. However it was v. fortunate I was seen, otherwise I would have waited for 2 weeks until I saw the midwife and put my symptoms down to the usual...anxiety. In our hospital they have a sort of casualty department for pregnancy so I thought I'd ask them while I was there. I was in a lot of pain, I could bearly extend my leg and I staggered around the place when I tried to walk but I thought it might have been caused by my DH massarging my leg. There was no obvious swelling but when they measured my legs they found slight swelling which was a symptom. There is a light danger of pulmonary embolism (clot in the lung) so I have to keep an eye out for chest pain and breathlessness. I will also keep an eye out for reduced baby movements in case it travels to the placenta. However, now that it has been treated a further clot is unlikely and we are following the doctors advice to the T. Back to the injections! At least DH knows how to do them.

Once again thanks for your concern. I hope you have a great Easter...Lots of chocolate for you and bump (do you ever treat the dogs...we don't.)

Lots of love NS XXXX

(No we don't let the dogs have chocolate ... but it is our elder dog's 13th birthday next weekend and he is traditionally allowed ... a MacDonald's!!!) TNPx

Hi all,

Just bumping this up and wishing everyone a happy Easter.

Cheers,

NS XXXX

Hi TNP and NS,

I'm still finding it hard posting as often as i wld like to. Sorry its taking this lng. I'm taking french classes and had so much wrk load which included exams hence the extended silence. My sincere apologies.

Its nearly 10pm and im actually struggling to stay awake. NS sorry to hear you had to go into hosp. Pls take things easy. Preganancy is such an interesting journey. Dont worry about such things. I had all sorts. Terrible heart burn, constant protein in my urine u name it. So i was in and out of the hosp. All is well.
That reminds me whats down-regulate.

TP how are you feeling now? Trust you are feeling much better.Take things easy ok. Both of you.

DH said i should gve hm my fertile period date. I guess he is ready to set things rolling. unfortunately all this time i should have been eating right and exercisng but instead hve been eating so much junk its pathetic. I really need to get bck on track and start being focused.

Hope you both had a nice easter. The weather here is nw getting quite hot. Pathetically hot climates like here can get quite unbearable atimes.

Girls, pls bear with me. Hve not prevwd the msge so xcuse my mitakes. Wish u both the best and loook after your lovely selves.

Look fwrd to my next post.Good nite. MTB XXX

Hi all,

I am feeling much better this week. I started a thread on DVT here on Mum'snet and I've loads of information from it. My concern about my condition now is more about the future. I am a greater risk of DVT if I do IVF again and I am hoping sometime in the future to be able to use my frozen embryos. I have decided not to worry about that now but to make an appointment with Borne 2-3 months after the birth to get information.

MB: I understand why you've not had time to post...college courses take up huge amounts of time. Any idea when you might start the IVF? i am glad your DH is checking in with you re your fertile period and is interested and involved. Enjoy the junk food...it can be theraputic. I can't imagine what hot weather like that might be like. I start to melt when the temperature rises above 25 C here which is one of the reasons I like Ireland. It's a cool rainy place with loads of freash air and sea breeses. I miss that side of Ireland.

TNP: Hope you and family are well that you had a good Easter and ate lots of chocolate. Since I was found not to be diabetic I indulged in some chocolate and it was wonderful! Hope your dog enjoyed his Big Mac Birhday. Thanks once again for the support last week. Thanks to Mum'snet and excellent support from the hopsital I now have more information and am getting used to life with a DVT. A health visitor is coming today so I can meet her before the birth.

WM: Hope things are okay with you and you weren't too stressful over the Easter period.

Lots of love NS XXXXX

Hi all,

Just wanted to check in with you and say hello. Haven't heard for a while and checking to see if your all okay and receovered from the chocolate.

Take care.

NS XXXX

Hi all - so sorry I've not posted for a while - been frantically busy and now in the midst of packing to go away for our much-needed holiday. I am still munching away on the chocolate and getting bigger and bigger! This baby is going to have a serious choc. addiction! Otherwise, generally fine, and thanks for asking about my dogs, NS - yes, he enjoyed his birthday 'party' very much - 3 dogs (with my mother's) had 3 Big Macs and fries - they couldn't believe their luck! And they were allowed them in the dining room, too - normally verboten! My younger chocolate lab, though, has torn a ligament and has been hobbling around, poor girl. She's already on medication for her joints, which has meant that she's not in much pain with it, but just hopping about. Vet says she needs lots of bed rest - I know the feeling!

Hope everyone is doing okay, particularly NS, with the worrying news about the DVT. I do hope it's under control and being monitored okay now and that you're feeling a bit more confident? It must have been quite an anxious time - what medication do you have to take and will it impact on the sort of birth you would like? I expect you're getting lots of information from the hospital and midwives.

Okay, will close for now and catch up with you all when we return, so bye for now and take care all, love TNPx

Hi all,

Just bumping this up and seeing if anyone would like to talk. I am wondering how you are getting on WM and MB. I think TNP is away on holiday in France. If you are about to go I hope you have an excellent time and if you have gone I hope it was great and you had a much earned break.

Talk soon

NS XXX

Hi there NS,

I am SO sorry I have been unable to post for such a long time.

I have had a quick glance at what has been going on, and it seems there has been quite a lot!! NS- how worrying for you about the DVT - i hope all is under control now? It seems I cant turn my back for a moment without you getting up to some kind of mischief!!!

i myself have been very busy having lots of different therapies and treatments - I have been told that my cycle is so disrupted that it would have been virtually impossible for me to have conceived with IVF as my progesterone levels were to low and the luteal phase too short to support a pregnancy. Also my pre-ovulatory phase was not healthy and therefore would affect the maturation of the eggs hence not producing sufficient good quality eggs for fertilisation. I dont want to undergo that whole emotional IVF rolercoaster ride again until i am confident that I am in the best possible shape to give it the best chance.

I ahve also had to take DD to see an educational psychologist for assessment because it appears that she may have a problem - in Year 9 they sit cross band tests which are basically intelligence tests and she came top of her yeargroup implying that they would expect her to be a straight A student. However her performance is always scraping the average despite the fact that she tries really hard at school. Anyway the assessment revealed that she is severely dyslexic. So now we have to find her a specialist teacher etc.

Every time I think i am getting on top of my stress levels, something happens!!

Sorry to be goign on like this!

ANyway I hope you all had a good Easter. TNP I hope you are enjoying a good break in France- wish it was me!! whereabouts did you go?

MTB - how are things with you?

NS TNP - things are going much better with Bilbo. In fact he starts gundog training this morning and I am really excited about that - I am sure the stimulation will be great for him - I think he will be really good at it.

Anyway that is all for now - must make sure DS is doing his revision - GCSE's loom next term,

once again sorry for not being in touch, i just get a bit overwhelmed at times and the time just slips by.

lots of love,

WM xxxxxxx

Hi WM,

It's great to hear from you. Yes the DVT was a bit of a shock! I am on medication for it now and will have an induced labour so that it can be controlled. The latest scan showed that we're probably going to have a girl and the name we have chosen is Emily Mirium. Despite all the problems of pregnancy (DVT which has an incidence of 1 in 1,000 pregnancies, breathlessness at night and aches and pains) I wouldn't change anything for the world.

I am glad you are taking time over the next IVF cycle. It's much better I think to enter it in good health than try and rush at it. I thaink the better you are when you go into it (and that might be through acupuncture or fitness like me, being calm which is not me)really helps. Any idea when you might have another cycle? I think the summer months are good. We did ours last September. As the clinic was in a large complex in a country park we were able to take long walks between appointments. V. relaxing.

It's really good your DD came out top on that test. It shows she has the ability and with the right help she should be able to move forward. It's so helpful that it was recognised. Do you have to pay for the assistent? My sister had a severe brain injury at the age of 7. Although quite bright she never received the help she needed at school which has led to her having difficulties later on.

Glad Bilbo is towing the line. Gun dog trainning is a good idea as it might keep him occupied as well as wearing him out. We're just back from a walk with our three.

Lots of love NS
XXXX

PS: We've good weather here. Hows it going for you!

Hi Everyone

How lovely to return from holiday and find there's been some catching up on here! Hope everyone is well. We had a lovely time away, but it's good to be home. We did such a lot of motoring - took the car down to South West France, by the Gironde, so travelled a long way, particularly in the last two days, getting back up to Calais and although I did have a lovely time, I think I'm right on the limit of travelling comfortably with this pregnancy, as I'm getting quite cumbersome now. I wouldn't have wanted to be going away any later, frankly. The weather was pretty awful - much like it was in most of the UK, I gather, but the villa we had was gorgeous and the most important thing was we all got to have a bit of leisure and sightseeing time together, not something we have been able to do very much. Poor DH, who always seems to be doing something and finds it hard to do nothing, felt quite at a loss for the first two days of our holiday, just relaxing. It doesn't come easy to him! But he has come back nice and relaxed now, so it's done him some good.

So nice to hear from WM. I was interested to hear of your DD's dyslexia and so glad that the school have picked this up now. Thank goodness her teachers noticed the inconsistencies in her CAT scores and classroom assessments and hopefully now she can get some targeted help. Have the school suggested how much time they will be able to provide with some specialist tutoring and will you need to get a private tutor on board also, do you think? You must have such a lot going on with all that, but it must be a huge relief to have the dyslexia diagnosed as it can be really tricky to pin-down as there are so many types/variations (and it's not something I know anything about myself, so if I were in your shoes, I would have to start from scratch with finding out about it etc).

I was also interested to read about your therapies, WM and the real progress you've managed to make with nailing-down what's going on with your cycle. That information about your pre and post ovulatory phases, plus the low progesterone, is so valuable - it makes such a huge difference to be able to explain something to yourself instead of having to deal with the "unexplained" and "no reasons" for not conceiving. And now you can tackle specific things, like you said, and get yourself in the best shape possible. Are you taking herbs to boost the progesterone? I hope you are still doing your meditating and wearing your pink and orange scarf? I took my natalhypnotherapy with me on holiday - have been doing the pregnancy one - it's so good - and also have the preparation for birth one, which I can start from 32 weeks, so thanks for that recommendation. If I'd known about them whilst doing my IVF, I'd have had the IVF ones, too. So, you are doing all the very best things possible, which is very cheering to know.

Bilbo doing gun dog training makes me . I love to hear of dogs getting a first class education! I hope he's enjoying it and I'm sure he's coming back fully exhausted! One of our favourite old family stories is of my cousin's black Lab Knocker, a huge character of a dog much loved by us all back in the early 80s, who was sent off to residential gun school on the train by himself. He travelled up to Scotland in the guard's van with a label round his neck and returned some weeks later, fully trained and ready to work with my cousin. Now, that's what I call training! Our choc. lab has worker blood in her and in her younger days would happily have worked the fields all day long every day, whereas our yellow boy has always been more in favour of hanging round the kitchen to pick up whatever he can find! So, good on Bilbo, I hope he does really well, and I'm certain it will knock any dominance issues off him!!

NS - how are you keeping at the moment and how is the DVT treatment going? Do you have any idea of how far along you will be able to go before the induction? You must be around 33/34 weeks now, so it's getting pretty close! Are you getting nervous? I shall start looking at the childbirth threads soon myself, I think. Your chosen names of Emily Mirium are absolutely lovely - they have such a ring to them and very pretty. Are you managing to get much sleep? I can't say that I am - well, I get woken up by this active baby at around 1.30 each night now, which is when he/she really starts to get going, so funnily enough, thta's why I'm on here at 2.30 in the morning, blabbing away to you all (so sorry for going on and on!). I'm off to the midwife for week 28 bloods tomorrow so will let you know how I get on.

Finally, hello to MTB and hope everything's going okay out there in Bahrain? Will look forward to reading your catch up if you're able to post!

Okay, that's it for now - sorry for the long ramble, but as I say, it's 2.30 in the morning and I'm sitting here on my birth ball trying to rock this baby back to sleep!
Take care everyone, bye for now and lots of love, TNPx

Just me again to say all well at the midwife appt this morning & have to go back in two weeks, so I guess it's finally starting to step up a bit! Hope you're okay NS, love TNPx

Hello everyone,

Glad you had a good break, TNP. I was thinking of you over there in France and hoping you weren't too uncomfortable. Hope DH, plus two boys enjoyed themselves. For soem reason I imagined you camping which is probably not right. It wouldn't be easy for either of us right now! Hope the hotels were up to scratch!

I really have got too cumbersome to travel now, even if I was allowed which of course I'm not. I am fast approaching 34 weeks. I think baby is running out of room and her movements have changed. It's a bit like she's shuffling around every so often. I seem to be putting weight on by the minute now. Lots of reading and relaxing and getting out of tasks. (Might not be the same second time around if I am as lucky with the next IVF as I was this cycle!)When's your due date? It must be sometime in July. Nice to have the baby before the really hot weather comes in. When are you going to start getting it's things ready (I take it you are waiting for a surprise, I think I asked you that before but I forgot). We've started to look but I am reluctant to buy until the very last minute. I love moses baskets...I've always dreamt of having one of those!

Hope your blood come back fine. I'm sure it will. The sleep is something I can sympathise with. Poor you. I hope your not too tired today.

Thanks for asking about the DVT. I have no idea when they will induce me because there has been some confusion between the thrombosis team and the maternity service, I have an appointment on 9th May with the thrombosis team so I'll let you know then. The maternity service felt the clot was stabalised and didn't want to interfere but the thrombsis team feel it was discovered v. late in my pregnancy and want some control over my medication. I have to be on exactly the right dose to maintain a balence between risk of heamorrhage in labour (blood too thin) or the clot enlarging (blood too thick). The maternity service are going to be led by the thrombosis team so I recokon I will be induced sometime between 38-39 weeks. Easier to get a date with me because of course we know when conception took place.In the meantime my thighs are all colours of the rainbow from bruising. They keep trying to get us to inject into the abdomen but it seems a bit too close to baby for that!

I'm staring ante-natal classes on Wednesday and will fill you in.

WM: TNP has good advice there. It's so helpful to have a diagnosis. It took me 4 years to get one, blocked tubes and I do feel better having some explanation for all that misery.

MB: Hope things are working out for you over there in Bahrain and you get a chance to post soon.

Lots of love NS XXXX

By the way our dogs are all of the hang around the kitchen and see what they can get variety or the try and sneak on the bed when no-one is looking variety.

TNP,

Just reread your message and saw you were in a villa. Hope it was nice! What did you do with the dogs while you were away?

Love NS