# Hello - newbie couple *waves*



## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Hey everyone,

I'm 23 and my lovely wife-to-be is 27. We have been together for just over three years and are getting married in 2009  
At the moment we are right at the beginning of our TTC journey. We would like to use anonymous donor sperm, with IVF with egg-sharing, so will obviously be going down the clinic route. We are currently looking at the different clinics and trying to decide which one to go with, LWC is a popular choice with us at the moment, as it seems particularly 'lesbian friendly'. If anyone else has gone through them we'd love to hear what your experience was like - good or bad. Any advice about clinics, IVF and egg-sharing would be greatly appreciated   Feel like there is so much to learn and take in at the moment, very exciting and over-whelming all at the same time. 

Love and luck to all those on their TTC journeys xxx


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

hi pinktink!

congrats on your engagement and starting your TTC journey.  all very very exciting.

we used London Womens clinic for our IUIs and i think they were great.  but there are lots of people here who have used other clinics and found them to be great too.

why are you going to do IVF with egg sharing?  you might be ok with IUI.  or do you know you have fertility issues.

aimeex


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Hey  Thank-you for the reply.

I do not have any fertility problems, so we are not using IVF with egg sharing for that reason. We have chosen IVF over IUI as the prices are comparable, and the success rate with IVF is much higher than that of IUI. I am also hoping to egg share, which reduces the cost further and means getting to help another woman to conceive. We are aware that IVF is more expensive and invasive but feel is the best option for us after considering the options. xx


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

fair enough pink tink - lots of people do!!  

and egg share is a great thing todo.  we wldnt have our little bump if someone hadnt donated his sperm.  if we need to do ivf in the future im sure i would like to egg share.

axxx


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Congratulations on the bump!  You must be so excited!! Is this your first baby?? I cannot wait to get started with it all, trying to find out as much info as we can at the moment, so much out there! We are going to the info evening at LWC next month, can't wait! x


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## magsandemma (Oct 18, 2006)

Hi there Pinktink

Welcome to you are your partner, and good luck on your journey of ttc, its all very exciting we also used the LWC and they were very good with us, we started by going to the open evening and saved some money there as we got inital consultation free if we booked on the night, like you guys are thinking we also went straight to the ivf route with egg sharing and this was due to the much higher success rate with ivf, we were very lucky and have a 1yr old daughter now.  Altho we are looking at booking our inital consultation in January to try for a sibling using the same donor so that is very exciting.  

I see that you girls are from herts, we are also in Herts, good to see some local girlies around.  We have attended the herts meet before too.  I know there is another couple on here who are in herts who have recently had twins, so good to see a few of us on here.  Good luck with your appt.

Hope to speak soon
Maggie, Emma & Louise
xx


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Hello  

This is actually Lynn (PT's other half)... must get round to signing up - lol!

Thanks for your reply and congratulations on your little girl. Just out of interest was she born at the QEII because thats where I used to work and will work again when we come back to herts as a midwife. We are in bristol at the moment but are coming back home in jan/feb when we will hopefully be starting our treatment. It's amazing to have people on here we can ask questions to who have been through the same thing.

We have looked at all the options, but as we are both quite keen on egg sharing anyway as it helps another couple it seemed to make sense to go straight there rather than gambling on a few cycles of IUI first. The financial reason is definitely in there aswell but we are lucky we should be able to afford a few cycles if we needed to go it alone...

We can't wait to get started and we also have our CP to plan for  

busy busy busy!! It's nice to hear there are other lesleybeans in hertfordshire - sometimes it felt like we were the only ones


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## magsandemma (Oct 18, 2006)

Lol

Thanks, we just use the same one lol so used to really confuse everyone when we used to use the chatroom alot, altho its mostly me that posts, maggie.  We had Lou at the lister as we are in stevenage, altho we both work at lister, altho I work cross sites too so do do some shifts at QEII, are you moving back to welwyn then?  Well if you want to ask any questions or need any info, just shout, perhaps we may cross paths at the LWC before you move back, lol.  Right must be off our daughter has turned into an escape artist and is off out the door again, lol.  

Maggie


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

I guess that's something we will have to get used to (hopefully) chasing the little ones around!

I guess we'll all end up working at lister in a few years! 

We're not sure where we are going to end up living, PT is from Welwyn originally and I'm a london girl, but we will be somewhere in the welwyn/stevenage/letchworth areas... that narrows it down  

Just a quick question about the sibling sperm... did you pay for it at the time of conceiving your daughter? or is it just still available? just wondering how much you stored if you did? as we both want to carry sproglets we would ideally like them all to be from the same sperm to give them a biological link aswell as a familial one? 

Thanks

Lxx


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## magsandemma (Oct 18, 2006)

Lol

So somewhere in the local area, lol, this was the only problem we had with LWC was getting contact with them about sibling sperm, however after a few emails we did get the result we wanted, we only just managed to get sibling sperm last month I think it was, and we saved 2 vials as we thought this would be enough for 2 more treatments as that is probably about all we could afford at the mo, so would reassess the situation if need to after that, but hopefully everything crossed we wont have to.  

Yeah the way things are headed yeah we will all be at lister in a few yrs, lol, are you both going to be working at QEII then?

Maggie


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Nope - just me... Am is going to be job hunting when we move back!

We're hoping the clinic can guide us with things like how many spermies to save in order to give us a good chance to complete our family with the same  

I'm hoping the clinic still give you the consultation free if you book it at the info day... fingers crossed! I'm also hoping one of our consultants will sort out the tests for us... what's the point in spending half your life with gynaecologists if they can't come in handy!


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## magsandemma (Oct 18, 2006)

LOL

Yeah that would be a bonus, I did manage to get a few of the bloods done with my gp last cycle and altho it wasnt much it still saved us about 400 quid, am goin g to try to get some done this time again and also going to ask if they will fund any drugs, they can only say no, lol!  one bit of advice I would say is shoip around for your drugs as the clinic I found was more expensive that the chemists, I did get a few looks pricing up drugs everywhere but I didnt care lol.

Maggie


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

hi everyone

i am also having REAL trouble reserving sibling sperm ... or getting an answer from LWC.  sometimes they can be a bit rubbish at getting back to you with answers.

i had bloods done else where which saved money.

axxx


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

that sucks a bit   do they not give you a specific contact you can get in touch with...

I have to admit I have quite high expectations of people to provide a good service - especially considering the amount of money people pay for their care... I don't think it's very fair to mess people around...

Maybe I'll have to bite my tongue!  

hope things get sorted for you soon


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## rosypie (Feb 1, 2007)

as far as i remember, you can't reserve your sibling sperm until after your baby's born. at least that's how it used to be. maybe different now...


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

i just got an email from them saying when he comes in for bloods they will contact us and reserve some!  so i think we are hunky dunky!!

axxx


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

aimeegaby said:


> i just got an email from them saying when he comes in for bloods they will contact us and reserve some! so i think we are hunky dunky!!
> 
> axxx


Yay - that's really good! I find it weird you can't just say... I'll have some in now and some for later??  think they'd want the money if nothing else... unless it's part of that 10 family thing - I guess if you aren't pregnant you aren't one of the 10 yet but if they reserve them he might fill up his 10 and then you won't be able to use them... IYSWIM God this stuff is going to send me  not even I know what i mean.....


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

i dont know either!!


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Lol  Confusing...

I've just been looking at Bourn Hall as we are still trying to decide between clinics, now I am going to post this on the egg share thread aswell as Im very confused...

Bourn Hall say you have to pay £1000 for a Donated Sperm Family reservation fee.... thats refunded if you dont have a baby.... this secures that persons spermies for as many trys as you need I think...

I take it LWC doesn't do this...

Also Bourn Hall seems to have the drugs incuded free of charge and LWC doesn't mention this but I'm assuming they are extra...  oh god I'm so confused


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

ummmm - we paid each time for our sperm for the vial we used.  they wanted us to reserve for three goes but we didnt want to pay the extra.  i think it was a pain for them cos we needed to choose new sperm each time.  but i think it was a couple of hundred squids.

i dont know how they work the drugs for ivf and charging.  soz!


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## magsandemma (Oct 18, 2006)

Hi again

Whenh we egg shared at LWC we didnt pay for the drugs, it was only when i was preg and was on gestone injections we paid for these, hope that helps.

Maggie


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Hey  Amber here..Lynn's at work (poor Lynnie!)

[fly]Hope everyone on here is ok and had a great Christmas [/fly]

Yesterday we went to Tesco and stocked upon lots of healthy food, as we are doing the 'You are what you eat - Gillian Mckeith eating plan, it's super super healthy. I have 1 and a bit BMI points to lose and want to get myself in tiptop condition before commening with treatment. We are going to the LWC information evening at the end of January which I am very excited about! I can't wait to get started and am trying to read as much as I can about fertility/IVF/egg-sharing etc. We went shopping the other day and tried to get a IVF/fertility book, but all that was available were books for straight couples trying to conceive through sex - not very useful for us ! Will have to order off Amazon methinks..We've also been looking at accupuncture to have alongside the treatment, something we are quite interested in doing. Would be interested to hear from anyone that's had it? Right, am off to clean up - one of our pooches has a poorly tummy today and has been sick again - and guess who gets to clean it up - lucky me!

Love Amber xxx


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

hi amber!

i had acupuncture and would heartily recommend it.

even if it helps you relax i think it has a major benifit.

enjoy the dieting.  gillian is HARD CORE!!  

hope you both had a great crhistmas.  mine was SOOOOOPER.

axxx


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Hey 

Good to hear you guys had a fab crimbo  Well after one day of gillian we decided it was too restrictive and hard,lol I know, I know. And are now going to do weight watchers, which may not be as super dooper healthy, but it gets the job done!! Did the accupuncture hurt can I ask? I've never had it so don't know what to expect! The gas-man is here at the moment as our boiler broke down yesterday - our house is freeeeeezing!!!! I hope he can fix it!! BRRRR!!

Love a very cold Amber and Lynn  xxx


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

it doesnt hurt at all, you cant really feel the pins when they are in.  but when you have it regularly you begin to feel the 'energy' kind of tingling, but you need to have it quite often and for a while before that happens.

sorry to here youre so cold, isnt it brrrrrr here!!!

axx


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

That's good to hear it doesn't hurt - i'm not that good with pain! Would definatly like to try it though, am willing to try anything that helps! The gas-man fixed our boiler - thank god! The heating is on and the house is now s l o w ly warming up!!!  xxx


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

have a look in the alternative section im sure someone might recommend a practicioner near you in hertfordshire.

glad youre warming up, i need to do that too!


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## magsandemma (Oct 18, 2006)

Hi Amber & Lynn

We can sympathise with the boiler problems as ours has leaked twice in the last few weeks, its such a pain, hope its all sorted now.

When we were having the last tx I had acu at the londons acu clinic which is opposite the LWC, I saw christina there and they were very good with appts etc as they would fit my acu around my clinic appts and it made it very easy for us when we went before and after et, expensive tho, and it was very relaxing, not sure if we are going to do it again this time, due to cost etc.  We had the zita west guide to infertility book i think it was as it was very good in giving advice on foods to eat and supplements, vits etc.  We also got a book on amazon think it was called lesbian guide to conception, it was old book and very american, lol.  

Aimee  -  Cant beleive you are nearly half way there already, are you girls feeling bubba move yet??

Right off again

Maggie


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Hi guys, it's lynn...

Thanks for the input about the acu... we have looked at the london acu clinic (as there was one where I grew up) and we think we are definitely going to go for it... (well Amber is lol - i'll hand hold)

We have the lesbian guide book aswell - it was definitely american! We found some parts of it seemed quite negative... weird book!

We want a Zita West book aswell.... amazon here we come!

The boiler is all sorted now - yay

Hope you are all well.... keep that baby warm Aimee... it's cold!


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

hi lynn and amber and maggie

zita west kind of scared me, i remember looking at her book in waterstones and thinking this really could do some serious damage on my slightly obsessional behaviour ... its best if i dont even read this book.    but i guess other people have found her really useful.

i know weird we are almost half way, and no movements detected so far.

luckily i think the baby is keeping me warm!! 

did you all have good new years eves?  mine was such an anticlimax ... i had booked a restraunt in london bridge for a mix of friends and family, and without warning us in advance they shut at 11.30!!!  but we have had a really nice new years day in greenwich at the maritime museum and the observatory.

love axxxxx


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

oh btw - what did your LO make of christmas mags?


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Hi 

Hope everyone is well and not too snowed in!

Just wanted to write a quick update to say what's going with us at the moment. We went to the open day at the LWC last weekend and loved it! The clinic is lovely, staff seem fab and we got a discount for booking our first appointment on the day.  I thought the day was good, short and sweet, had a talk about egg-sharing which pretty much covered everything. So our first appointment is now booked for the beg of March - woooop! We are both really really really excited and cannot wait to get started!  I am going to go to the GP/GUM clinic soon to get some of the required tests done as this will save us some money. Have filled out all the forms, lots of information to fill in, and just want to get going now. Really hoping and praying that this works for us and our recipient x

Love to everyone,

Amber and Lynn xxx


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## Sheshylou (Oct 5, 2008)

[fly][/fly]
hi Pinktink, just wanted to say glad everything went o.k for you at LWC and good luck with tx. Were doing IVF Egg Share @ LWC so if you need any advice, (were quite new too) then just ask and will try and help. Wish we had known about the open day, could have saved a few quid on the consultation fee! darn! Anyway good luck

michelle and emma x


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Hey Michelle and Emma   

It's really nice to hear from someone else who is going through the same thing as us  How are you finding it all so far at the LWC? Hope all is going ok  We went to the open day as we'd read that some people got their first appointment free when they booked on the day, we got ours for £125 instead of £295 which we were really pleased about. Did you have all the bloods etc done at the LWC or go to your GP/a clinic instead? 

Amber xxx


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

congrats amber and lynn on your first consultation appointment!


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Hi  

Thank-you! We are very, very excited to get started! Have been given a giant list of of tests to get done, not sure whether to ask the GP if they can do some of them or go to a GUM clinic for the STI/STD ones? Meant to get them done last week but we've been trapped in by the snow a lot of time time - grrr!! 

Anyways, how's everything going with you?? All ok I hope  xxx


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

yes i thought i would have got all the std tests done at a sexual health clinic if id been in the UK!  they wont say no and they wont charge you!  do you have one near?

im good thanks chick!

ax


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Yes that's what we thought, might as well get them done for free! Glad to hear you're ok  x


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## rosypie (Feb 1, 2007)

check it out first if you're on a timeline. they won't charge you but they might charge you for written results which you'll need for LWC. all the ones around here give them verbal or by text message (which i find astonishing) so we ended up going private via our gp to get our hiv/hep screening done. it was cheaper than the clinic but it did take some time to organise.

good luck x


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

wowsers!  by text!!  imagine if you were +   

i had the MW leave a message with my FIL yesterday afternoon regarding my blood tests .... its astonishing NO sense of privacy in Gibraltar.  i have had health care people leave messages on my essentially public ans phone at work.  and even funnier when i was having my first appointment for MW and they needed an additional contact for me i told them i would put my friend down although i didnt have her no on me ... i mentioned the womans name and the MW said, oh she was in earlier she is pregnant isnt she ill get her no off her form!!  imagine if i didnt know she was pregnant!!  AMAZING!


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Hey 

Thanks for the advice guys, Lynn phoned our GP up today and they've said they'll do the tests for us, which is good as we'll get the results on paper and not via a text message! Can't believe results are given out that way?! Surely not positive ones though, I thought they had to be face to face? Aimeegaby - that is pretty poor confidentiality - luckily you already knew about your friend?! x


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## Misspie (Feb 1, 2009)

Hey Pinktink, 

My DW phoned our practice and asked them, who said they were more than happy to do the test for us.

We went to the nurse, and she gave me my blood tests and I picked up the printed results today, all free!!!
On my return today, i went for my smear (which was due) and chlymedia and gonnorroeah tests, which again i should get back next week, and they will print results for me, which has all my personal details on! Again Free...
I asked while I was there about a ultrsound to check how healthy my uterus is etc and the nurse saw my doctor there and then who said she could discuss over the phone, and hopefully i can get her to refer us to a hospital for it.!

I'm trying to get as much through the GP as I can, especially considering we pay for the damn thing through our NI stamp!!

You can get your results through a GUM clinic as our friend who was our original donor did though he had to pay £10 per sheet of paper to confirm each result. We wanted all this done prior to even trying with him.

He originally asked his doctor about these tests and they refered him to the GUM clinic and wouldn't even entertain him.

Luckily for us we seem to have a nicer practice, though in a small village in Ofordshire, so could always be worse 

L
x


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Hello guys,

We went to our GP today and they were really helpful - as I'm a midwife they have just given me all the stamped forms so I can take amber's blood at the right time for her cycle and i can drop it off to the lab at work.... saves trying to get an appt as they are a very busy practice and we might not be able to get one on the right day!

Am is 'too young' to have a smear according to the nhs but we are going to ask them if they will do it anyway! If not the LWC said they will do it and its not that expensive...

It's so exciting to get going! I really hope this works   Being a midwife is not the job to have when you are broody! Lol

Hope you are all well...

Lynn
xxxxxxxxx


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## Damelottie (Jul 26, 2005)

Aimeegaby - that made me laugh about the confidentiality. It was the same at Reprofit in Czech. I was delayed going in for my ET. The consultant comes out and says to a lady (couple) in the waiting room - in front of the whole waiting room - "i'll be back soon, I'm just going to put this ladies eggs back"     

TBH I dound it hilarious. Especially when I got back, told the story on a thread on FF and got a reply from the lady in the waiting room he'd said it too??


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

oooh lottie!!  what are the chances of that!


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## rosypie (Feb 1, 2007)

yeah, it's [email protected] being on the rough end of the postcode lottery. our PCT are really really mean and we weren't able to get anything from them - no screening, no tests, no prescriptions (not even for the non fertility stuff)


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

That sucks! It's crazy how different it is depending on where you live, really bad that they wouldn't help you with any of it. We are very lucky that Lynn has the job she does as it means we can get things for free that we otherwise might have to pay for. I'm just waiting for my period to arrive now so we can get the day two hormone tests done. Tried to book at the GP but they didn't have anything till way into next week, my period would have been over by then! Luckily Lynn can just take my blood otherwise I don't know what we would have done. I really felt like everyone was staring at us yesterday, especially after the receptionist shouted ''SHE'S HAVING IVF'', so the whole world could hear, I think they were trying to figure us out, I also look quite young which I think confused them further. It makes me feel  really glad that we are going to the LWC where they aren't fazed by lesbian couples and younger women having treatment. Anyway, that's enough rambling from me, hope you're all ok today 

Amber xxx


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## magsandemma (Oct 18, 2006)

Hi Lynn

How you girls doing?  When is your appt in March we are also going back for our consultation in March to hopefully then start for a sibling, fingers and everything crossed in may/june time, just need to squash lots of bank in between now and then, lol!!  Hoping to try and get gp to do the bloods as they did some last time but that was a different surgery and am going to ask if they will fund any drugs too, they can only say no.  When you girls heading back this way, you start back at QEII soon??

Must dash again
MAggie


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Hi Maggie,

We're doing well - very excited to get going - been planning for so long, seems almost crazy that we'll actually be doing something soon! Our appt is on 2nd March - for the initial consultation and stuff! Our GP was lovely and just gave me the forms to fill in myself with their cost codes - very helpful - lol! AF arrived today for Am so my valentines day pressie to her is stabbing her and drawing her blood - so romantic!

We move back in 2 weeks and 1 day - not that we're counting - lol! I'm starting back at the QEII virtually straight away and I need to get some bank shifts booked! 

So how are things going with you - how's the little one? How exciting that you are trying for a sibling... are you going for IVF? 

Speak soon

Lynn x


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

lol - I've just seen your message on the other thread and you've got an appt the same day as us! Small world x


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## magsandemma (Oct 18, 2006)

Lol 

Lovely, are you moving back to Welwyn area?  Cos I was on mat leave and havent done bank shifts for 2yrs!!!  Have to rejoin lol, but then will be booking in the shifts, lol.  

Yeah we are looking at doing ICSI again, so expensive tho, so will have to see what they say at consultation we are seeing Dr Venkat again this time, we had our first tx with her and then second with Dr Kini but he has left clinic, so will see what she has to advise, all exciting tho to think be starting again soon!!

Rigth must be off Lou is screaming as knackered and wont give in.

Maggie


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

hey,

we are moving to broxbourne - found a nice cottage and its 5 mins away from where amber is going to be working.. 

we aren't sure whether they'll recommend ICSI for us or not... we are hoping to egg share all being well. Is that not an option for you to help with cost?

I was going to ask if you've seen Dr Venkat and what you thought as that is who we're seeing aswell. 

I took amber's blood today - nobody can say I'm not a romantic on V Day - lol at least my services are free!!! 

Speak soon xx


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

Hi girls wishing you loads of luck 

Poor you having to satb your partner on Valentine's day.

It certainly helps having 'nurses/MW' in the 'family network'.  My donor, his partner and I are all nurses, and my friend is a practice nurse- my donor's partner takes all my bloods and gives all my injections to me through all my 6 cycles, on the odd occassion that he couldn't make it (he was at a funeral, but otherwise he comes from Brighton to do them) then another friend gives them to me. I have needle phobia and I would trust him with my life.

My GP sends pts for bloods to the hospital where I used, until recently, to work and my DP's does so we just throw them into the lab (doing our bit of saving the NHS staff time and freeing pt appts!!).  My practice nurse friend also gave me a wad of GP blood request forms and basically for 2 years I did my FSH, LH, prolactin and oestrodial every month and cd 21 progesterone.  My GP is sweet he said he doesn;t mind doing my bloods, HIV, Hep B etc but can't fund anything else.
He also gives me a sick cert for my 2 ww from EC-test day.

My donors partner also took my donor (his partners) HIV bloods one morning as they were 6 months old and needed redoing, but he said it was v traumatic.

L x


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Hey 

Thanks JJ1, it's definatly very handy, and saving us quite a bit of money! I also much prefer having my blood taken by Lynn than a stranger, she's much nicer  I was going to ask about taking time off work during the 2ww/after EC/ET - and would be interested to know what you girlies have done? Is it necessary to take time off or just down to personal choice? I was thinking about having a week off around the EC/ET and beg of the 2ww and then maybe going back to work the second week? 

Amber xxx


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

Fortunately one 'perk' of the NHS is the sickness allowance unlike others in the private sector where their salary and leave is taken.  I have never had a day off since TTC for a cold or the usual trivial things people drop like flies and ring in with, so my sick record was v good.  

It is down to personal choice, but I wanted to give it my best shot and read Zita West's books where she recommends bedrest for 4 days after ET and no lifting, exertion or stress the 2ww- can you manage to avoid this in your role?? I am a manager so desk based most of the time!

For my first 4 cycles I had my 2ww signed off by my GP from EC to the end of the 2ww.  He signed the note as gyane procedure under anaesthetic and recovery.  On my last 2 cycle I was at ARGC and it is v intense there with daily bloods or 2/3 times a day bloods.  I took 2 weeks holidays before for the stimming and then he gave me a note for afterwards.  Some people saying working is a distraction for them so good.  I went to see my GP well before the cycle and expalined things to him, he admitted he didn't know much about ICSI, but I said that I didn't know what day EC would be exactly and he said to ring the surgeyr leave a message and he would send me a sick cert or have it waiting at reception- as you get 36 hours from triggering to EC!
I am doing DE's in Spain now and I went to see my GP beforehand he is still more than to write me a note for the ET etc.  I am now working for a different Trust and this time (although I have been cancelled twice at the last day due to my lining not thickening up and associated problems).

If you do a search on FF you will see it has been debated +++ and personal choice at the end of the day.
L x


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## magsandemma (Oct 18, 2006)

Hi

Yeah Dr Venkat was very nice on our first cycle, not sure how we ended up seeing someone else for our follow up but there you go he had different ideas so was good too, we will be hoping to have the same tx as last cycle, we egg shared on the first cycle, then the second cycle was supposed to be egg share but they could not get to my right ovary so only collected 9 eggs from the left, which was a pain really so the dr who did ec came to see us and just said we couldnt es again, but we will discuss this at the consultation, I dont think they would let me share again also cos Lou has down syndrome but not to worry will see what they say, so its gonna be very expensive this time round I should think, lol.  Gonna give the acu a miss this time tho, found it helpful last time but too expensive.  I took time out of work for the 2ww, on one cycle I was given special leave depends on your manager really and had sick leave for the second one, I just felt that didnt want to take the risk, and as stressful job too!!

Must go again
Take care all

Maggie
xx


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## Pinktink (Dec 17, 2008)

Hello  

I'm glad Dr Venkat is nice - it's a bit nerve wracking going not knowing the staff etc for me - maybe I'm just used to knowing which doctors I trust and which I don't at work - lol!

It's a shame about the egg sharing - but like you said if you discuss it you might find that they will let you. how annoying they couldn't get to your right ovary.... all that egg growing!! But as you got your LO out of that cycle maybe it was just fate's way of keeping her with you!

We are debating how much time off am's going to need. Her job will be more sit down than anything but I don't want anything stressing her out. We will have to play it by ear I guess! 

Hope Lou is doing well now - I read on one of the other threads that she hadn't been well   

gotta go - trying to get things packed for the move!

Lynn xxxx


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