# Lesbians Using Donor Sperm, Part 10



## **Tashja**

New home ladies !!!

Hope you are all well - sorry I have not been posting - been ill with the flu and our house has sold 

T xx

Cyclers  

Louismummy & Partner* - DIVF 

2ww - Good luck!   

Alison0702 & DP - DIUI - Testing 01.05.06  

In between treatment

Eddie* - Clomid and DI 

Emma73* - DIVF in October

(Ejsmith2) Emma* - DIUI

(Feistyblue) Claire* & Beverley - Egg Share DICSI 

(Herbaltea) Sarah* - DIUI 

(Julesforgirls) Jules* - Donor eggs with partners eggs, then DIVF

(Midnightaction) Sarah* - Egg Share DIVF

(Rachjulie) Rachael* & Julie - DI 

(Snagglepat) Gina & Rae* - DI  

Tonia2*& Bron - DIUI - 15th May-ish  

Woo_Woo* & Lea - DI

(Nismat) Tamsin* & Karen - DIVF/DICSI - EC 09.06.06 

Precious Cargo On Board  

(Starrysky)Heather* & Jo - DICSI in Feb  

Never Forgotten Angels 

Woo_Woo* & Lea 

Our Miracle is Here 

Evelet & R* - Proud parents to a baby boy born 16.08.05  
(Bagpuss1) Kerry* & Helen - DIUI - Proud parents to Edie born 02.01.06
Edith* & Mabel - DIVF - Proud parents to Monty born 12.04.06
Friskypony* & Pup - DIVF - Proud parents to Morven Lilly born 14.02.06

Please let me have any additions/amendments to the above list - I hope it is all OK any amendments let me know  List might go a bit mad while I get to know you all !!!

* = Partner having treatment

Sending loads of love, luck and babydust to you all.

Tashja xx


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## snagglepat

Thanks for the new home *Tashja*. 

*Heather*, try not to be too concerned about the results of the Nuchal Fold test at this stage. They are often innacurate: http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/DSA_detBackground.aspx?ba=4. Whatever happens with ongoing tests, I wish you the best of luck with it all. R and I have also had the 'what if our child is disabled' conversation, and we knew from the start that it would make no difference to us either. R works with people with learning disabilities and I always find myself getting involved in things. Every person I've ever met with Downs has been beautiful, loving and a joy to be around. Sending tons of positive thoughts your way.

*Tamsin* - that's great news about the eggs and the IVF.  Fingers crossed all five fertilise beautifully.

*Tonia*, I'm really glad you've gone and got yourself a mooncup. It can take a few days to get the hang of using it, but by the end of the first period I used it for I knew I was never going back. I also make our own washable sanitary pads and not only do they work better than any disposable pad I've ever tried, but they're so much cheaper and better for the environment. I made ours out of an old bedsheet. One weekend's work for a lifetime's supply of sanitary wear isn't a bda deal really.  The pattern I used can be found here: http://pacificcoast.net/~manymoons/howto.html

Best wishes all round,

Gina


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## starrysky

Gina - Thanks for the information and the website link, have just had a look and there is a lot of good stuff on there.  With the inaccuracy thing: We had a blood test with the scan (meant to be about 95% accurate) but we already found info in Lesley Regan's book which says the blood tests can be skewed by:
- Diabetes (Insulin dep) : I don't have this but I do have PCOS which messes with your blood sugars and Ive been taking Metformin for ages at a high dose & Im sure that must do something too.
- Twin pregnancy ( We did have a twin - Hence the empty sac).
- Blood loss (Had a major bleed just a few days before the test)
- Overweight (sayng nothing)
Anyway, overall we could have really done without the extra stress of this but we are doing ok in the circumstances.  Both of us are still more worried about possible m/c than anything else & dreading a possible further bleed.
Thanks for your encouraging words.
Heather.


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## nismat

Well, we eventually heard from the Cromwell about our eggs/embies - it was a very long morning waiting for them to call (we were expecting the call from 9.30am, they didn't call until just after midday!). 3 of the 5 have fertilised - Karen is over the moon and really excited, whereas I'm petrified that some (or all) of them won't carry on dividing over the weekend. A fairly typical illustration of our different outlooks on life   

I'm trying to put my worries aside and feel positive, but it's going to be a tricky couple of days. I know that I should feel good that 60% have fertilised, but with that only translating to 3 eggs (and no info yet on quality), I can't help worrying that we may end up either without any to transfer at all, or with not very good quality embies. Where's all my positive thinking gone??!  

We're to go in for embryo transfer at 9.30am on Monday, so rather than worrying about what's happening now, I'm going to try visualising that we've got to choose between 3 fantastic quality embryos    

Send all your hope our way please girls!


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## starrysky

Tamsin - Waiting for that call is a lifetime, the 1st time we played Trivial Persuit (normally takes hours as we are both rubbish at it) that morning we were finished in 30min & were left thinking 'now what?'
Very pleased to hear about your 3 fertilised eggs - Go embies, Go!!!!
Love Heather


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## Tonia2

Just a quick note:
*Tamsin-* good luck today    go those three perfect embies!!

*Heather * -good luck for the follow-up today! I agree with all Gina & Tamsin have said in response to your news.... good luck! 
love to all, 
Tonia


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## Mable

Good luck Tamsin for this morning!!

         [br]Posted on: 12/06/06, 11:23MUST stop logging on compulsively every 15 minutes to see whether there is any news from Tamsin!!! 

One nice thought is that your 2ww started over the weekend, as such, so you've only got 12 days to go. Only.....

Monty is having his first big checkup with the GP today - bet he flashes one of his winning smiles, he loves being prodded and stroked.


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## nismat

Here's the news at last *Mable*! Had the transfer this morning - eventually! The doctor was stuck on a broken down train for over an hour, so it took place at 11am rather than 9.30am - the delay having caused some problems over the need to have a full bladder for the procedure but not knowing quite when it would be! 

Of our 3 fertilised eggs, 2 had survived and divided successfully, so we had 1 x 5-cell grade 1* and 1 x 6-cell grade 2 transferred(where the grading refers to the level of fragmentation). Not quite as good as I was hoping for, but it's what we've got and hopefully it will be enough to achieve a successful pregnancy - the embryologist certainly indicated that it was. So, fingers crossed for the next 2 weeks, and plenty of rest & relaxation for all of this week at least (got to work Tues-Thurs next week).

Must go and lie down now and think positive thoughts!

PS - Mable, no such luck with the weekend counting as part of our 2ww; our clinic say that the 2ww starts from transfer (although that makes no sense to me!). Put it this way, if we've got past that weekend I'll be feeling very positive about the outcome of the test on Monday morning (26th).


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## Alison0702

Tamsin

Thinking of you and sending lots of   and   over the next two weeks.   

Alison xx


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## lucky2010

*Heather* I hope your consultation went well today. Thinking of you and sending positive vibes your way x

*Tamsin and Karen* How exciting about your successful transfer!!! The 26th is going to be a positive day as I start my new job then and all is destined to go well on that day... I will alleviate my anxiety on that day by thinking of your positive test result!!! x

*Mable and Edith* I hope Monty's appointment went well and that he stunned the GP with his good looks!!!

Hi to everyone else, no more personals as have to get ready to go out to dog training... not really what I fancy after a nightmare shift at work!!!!

Rach xx


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## starrysky

Hi everyone!

Tamsin - Jo is going to do fertility dancing for you (Im not really up to it!!), we are both sending loads of positive pregnancy vibes your way.                       

Mable - We are sure Monty will knock them off their feet.  

Hello to everyone else.  

We saw the consultant, it was a reief she was so nice & seemed to be cool with us as a couple.  Her opinion is that the bleeding is caused by the 2nd empty sac - which is quite good news for Boom.  She seemed fairly optimistic about the pregnancy continuing & is referring us back to Kings (Just when we thought we'd escaped!) for specialist assessment about the Nuchal screen.  At last we are now properly linked in with experts.

Heather.


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## Mable

Hi,
Oooh Tamsin, ta for putting me out of my misery. When I got home, I got Edith straight onto the computer and when we saw that you had posted, we left poor Monty in the middle of a wash, with no nappy on, coo-ing away to himself. It rather showed us that he is not responding to us at all, just general fuss in his direction.

Anyway, great news about your embies, 5 and 6 cells sound fab and the fragmentation too. All they have to do is hold on now, we are sure they will, now go IMPLANT immediately.     

Monty has now put on loads of weight due to my diagnosis of reflux (thanks to google) and the baby gaviscon we extorted from the GP. Its a good thing I'm a nurse and can do all my self-taught checks...

Can we please have some collective           for Tamsin
x


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## emma73

great news tamsin - fingers crossed for you. xx


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## dani

hello, me and my partner are looking into having IUI next year, understandibly were a little nervous about the whole thing, i just wana know othert peoples experiences. Im lucky i have the support of my family and friends but guess it wouldl be nice to hear other peoples stories and how they have coped with other people.


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## starrysky

Welcome Dani.  Our experiences have been generally positive the whole way along, though we have worried also about this in the past.  No doubt more of the storey will be told as we go along, sorry I haven't got much energy just now.

Love Heather.


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## snagglepat

Hey folks,

Welcome *Dani*. I'm sure you'll find everything you could possibly want to know about IUI as a same-sex couple, and everything that goes with it on this board. We're all going through different journeys, (some IUI, some IUI then IVF, some straight to IVF and some at home with known donors, a good smattering of successes and failures) but everyone is really supportive. My partner and I have been trying on and off since Nov 03 with known donors at home. No success yet, but we'll get there one day.  Luckily, both our families are really supportive both of our partnership and of us starting a family.

*Tamsin*, I'm so glad to hear that the transfer went well. I'm crossing everything possible that your embies are super-sticky and that BFP is just around the corner. 

I'm really happy to hear that the consultant was so positive about what's been going on for you *Heather*. Did she give any indication if the bleeding is something that will continue throughout your pregnancy, or should it ease off soon? The info you found about the blood tests being scewed is really good. I might have to get hold of a copy of that book as quite a few of my clients go fo the nuchal scan and it might help some of them with the worry if the results come back less than ideal. I really am sending tons of positive thoughts your way.

I know this has been touched on before by people, but I was wondering what the rest of you had planned with regards to the whole legal security/civil partnership thing. R and I had a big chat last night about some of it. We accepted a while ago that we'd probably end up doing the civil partnership thing for the legal benefits it offered, and figured we'd do it when we had our first child. It recently occured to me that maybe we ought to do it before we even start trying again, as (and I know this is a bit morbid) if the non-pregnant partner were to die while the other was pregnant that partner would get stung for all the inheritance tax and would basically lose the house as a result. And if the birth mother were to die before we'd had a chance to do the adoption thing, then surely having the civil partnership (along with our wills) would make it easier for the non-bio mum to be assured custody of the child (although that parent would risk losing the house too if we still hadn't tied the knot, as it were). This has thrown us a bit as it means we might end up civil partnering sooner than we'd anticipated, but now we've thought about it, I don't know how happy I am with the idea of inseminating again before we do it. Grief aside, I don't relish the thought of either of us being faced with the prospect of becoming a single parent and losing the house into the bargain. Incidentally, civil partnership, for us, is not something we'd have a big party about - we'd do it quietly and privately. It still feels like a big thing though, if that makes sense.

I'd be interested to know what the rest of you have done, those of you who'd be happy to share.

Best wishes all round,

Gina


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## nismat

Hi all, I didn't realise that I hadn't posted on this thread for several days, so I hadn't thanked you all for the implantation/fertility dances  
I'm quite enjoying doing not very much (especially now it's sunny again), but I'm getting a bit stir-crazy! I've been reading & watching some DVDs, plus I've started a baby tapestry picture kit that I bought some time ago, when I bought one to do for my nephew, just after he was born. It was the first thing I bought for our future baby/ies so it seemed appropriate to start it in my 2ww. 
I want to get out though; but the clinic said that I shouldn't walk for more than 10 mins, or stand for long periods, both of which are highly impractical to carrying on anything like a normal life!  I have been trying to stick to it in the pre-implantation time, to give the embryos the best chance of implanting, but I'm going to give myself a bit more freedom over the weekend (though it will be a good excuse to avoid going into town and wandering semi-aimlessly round the shops as usual). We'll probably head for a day out at the coast I think (my sister is coming to visit). 
BTW, we've decided to test a day early on the Sunday (25th). If we waited until Monday, it would have to be around 6am before Karen heads off for work, and we're then going to be apart for the following 3 nights as I'll be working up in London. Whether the outcome is good or bad, getting the result and then being apart immediately for that long would just not be good!

*Heather * - I'm glad that your consultant was supportive & helpful. It's great to hear that she was optimistic about the pregnancy continuing successfully, although it's completely understandable that you & Jo are still concerned about the risk of miscarriage. The good thing is, despite all the bleeding episodes, Boom seems to be a real fighter and is hanging on in there and obviously developing well with the activity at the scans. Are you waiting to see them at Kings again re: the nuchal scan results?

*Mable * - that made me laugh to think that you & Edith both just abandoned Monty to read my ET news! It reminds me of when we went to see one of my friends, soon after she had her first child (now 7 yrs old )). She came downstairs to answer the door, started chatting & making coffee etc, so we presumed that he was asleep in his cot. After about 15 mins, when we asked how he was doing, she suddenly realised that she had forgotten all about him, and left him lying naked on a rug upstairs in the middle of a change!

Hi *Dani*, and welcome! Although I'm now in the 2ww of my first IVF cycle, we first did 6 IUIs over the period of a year. We decided to go to the London Women's Clinic because of its lesbian-friendly policy; however, I think that most of us imagine that we are going to encounter a lot more prejudice at clinics etc. than we actually encounter. There are so many of us baby-making lesbians out there that most clinics have seen it all before and don't blink an eyelid over a same-sex couple. With hindsight, I think that the most important thing is to find a clinic that's reasonably close, has good statistics (check out the hfea website), and where you feel comfortable. The other consideration though now, since the law changes regarding anonymnity, is to go for a clinic that can actually get you donor sperm. Some clinics/areas have severe shortages (or even none available at all) at the moment. Quite a few are arranging to import from the US though, so perhaps by this time next year, the situation may have improved. 
With most clinics, you go for an initial consultation with a fertility nurse, and then a doctor, to discuss the basics and any health issues you may have. In my opinion, it's very helpful to have charted several cycles yourself beforehand, so that you know how regular you are, when you ovulate etc. Chances are, you'd probably start out with natural cycles (no drugs) and see how you go. You'll have to have a whole series of blood tests (for hormone levels, and to check for STDs, infections etc), a smear and an internal scan. You can probably get most of the tests done by your GP. The IUI itself is pretty similar to having a smear - sometimes uncomfortable/painful, other times not. 
All my (close) family and most of our friends know what we are doing (from before we started) and are very supportive; sometimes I wish that we hadn't told quite as many people - as time goes on, it becomes a bit tedious to keep on saying, "no, I'm not pregnant yet". Hopefully that's all about to change though! [br]Posted on: 16/06/06, 13:26*Gina * - thought I'd reply in a separate post, as the previous one was already an essay, and this won't be short either!

Karen & I haven't yet got civilly partnered (or however you should phrase it), but we definitely do plan to do it before any children are born. It's rather odd, because although we feel very strongly that we want to do it, there's not really been a massive sense of urgency to get on and organise it . In many ways, ttc has actually been a reason for putting it off; as it seemed too hard to deal with 2 major things at once. We're so bad that we don't even have wills at the moment, which makes me cringe every time that I think about it, and the implications if one of us was run down by a bus tomorrow. It would be the most appalling mess legally, quite apart from the emotional side, and if it were Karen who died, neither of us are convinced that her family wouldn't try & take her half of the house etc. :-

We've actually been talking about doing it in early-mid September, but there has been lots of angst and discussion around it. Although we both want to do it (partly for the legal aspect, as well as to celebrate our relationship and commitment to each other), we have *very * different ideas on how to do it. Karen wants it to be a totally private ceremony (she'd prefer not to even have any witnesses, although that can't happen), followed by a big party - at which hardly any mention of the "nuptials" is made! Whereas I want it to be in front of family and friends, so that they can witness the importance of the commitment, more like a wedding. I wouldn't want it to be too traditionally wedding-like though, more like a humanist ceremony, and I don't feel the need for big frocks/cars/all that malarkey. We've come to an initial compromise, where our ceremony would be just us plus Karen's best friend and my youngest sister as witnesses, and my mother. We then plan to have a party after, at which I get my part of the bargain, not in terms of exchanging any vows in public, but in getting a few people to stand up and talk about us and our relationship. It's all very complicated though, as it then becomes potentially quite expensive! I'd be happy to just have a limited number of family & friends for a self-catered party at home, but then Karen doesn't really want that :- I think that sometimes she feels my family are a bit overwhelming as we're all pretty close.
I sort of feel we've got a deadline, as my middle sister/husband/niece & nephew are moving to Australia in October for 1 1/2 to 2 years, and I really don't want to do it without them there. So I'm pressuring Karen, and she doesn't want to make any decisions yet, until we know the outcome of this 2ww, and whether we need the money for another go at IVF more than we do for a CP party. Tricky stuff!

BTW, once you're civilly partnered and your baby is born, you can very easily get parental responsibility as 2nd parent, well before you can do the adoption (which can't be until the child is 6 months old - unless you're lucky like Louis' mummys!).


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## Mable

Hi,
Well done Tamsin with all your resting. Hope you are staying sane. I remember driving Edith mad repeatedly asking 'Any implantation spotting yet?' - she never had any.

Gina - we did our CP on the quiet in our jeans on a rainy day in March with our 2 best friends in Brighton - it was a fantastic day and it felt very intimate just the 4 of us. Also it was quick, cheap and no fuss with hats or parental involvement.

It feels wonderful to be finally married and all legal. It is good to do it before the birth of a child, mainly because there is no time or space to do it once the baby is here, also you have full rights as partners during the pregnancy and birth and the child is born into a legal partnership. It is then dead easy to get parental responsibility - I've got it for Monty already. On the whole, it is great to have done it and I heartily recommend doing it ASAP, if you are committed to each other that is!!

Welcome to Dani - don't be nervous, it's great. Where are you based? It might be good to join a 'live' group to meet other lesbians ttc in the flesh. I found that very helpful and normalising.

What do you girls think about damned Father's Day business?   I had decided to ban the whole Mothers and Fathers day thing when Monty was born, partly because my mother used to make such a fuss of feeling hard done by on mother's day I still dread it, but also so that it wouldn't be an issue, him having 2 mums and no dad. Edith thinks it makes an issue of it, banning it. Isn't it all just a load of consumerish rubbish anyway - where did it all come from?

Happy weekends everyone and   for Tamsin
Mable


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## starrysky

Hi everyone!

Results from Kings are a little more encouraging but still high risk.  Boom is looking good to us though.

More from me & personals tomorrow, am quite tired.

Love Heather.


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## nismat

I'll try and do a short reply this time!

*Mable * - we never celebrated Father's Day when I was growing up - is this just our family, or has it become more of an "event" in recent years with increased consumerism? Anyway, my father doesn't get a card from me - I figure if I didn't used to do it when he was part of my life, why would I bother now when we hardly have anything to do with each other (although that's another story......)
Anyway, because it has no meaning for me, I hadn't really thought about it with regards to our children. It will be made a big deal of in nurseries/schools etc. as they always do the card/present making stuff don't they, so I don't think that you'll be able to escape it. I imagine that we will probably celebrate Mother's Day (at least for me, Karen considers that she will be a parent, not a mother), but in a low key way.

*Heather * - glad that things are looking a bit more positive for you, even if there are no guarantees.


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## Mable

Glad to hear that Kings are more encouraging Heather and Jo, although still high risk. Take care and rest lots - sounds exhausting.
Mable x


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## starrysky

Hi everyone.

Mable - We hadn't really thought much about father's day until you mentioned it.  The way we see it is that we will definately both consider ourselves as mothers & because of that will want to mark mother's day in some way.  With father's day, I don't suppose we will worry at all until the baby is getting a little older, when we plan to tell him/her all about their conception & the donor: We may 'use' fathers day as an opportunity to re-inforce regular conversations with our child about their donor.  Obviously building on the level of information as they ask & become able to understand.  It is perhaps different for everyone though & you are right about the commercialism.

Dani - We can recommend Lisa Saffron's book "Challenging Conceptions" as a really good place to start when you are looking into all this.  She also runs some workshops but we never went so we don't know what they are like but imagine they would be good.

Gina - You can choose to see a solicitor to discuss ways to protect yourselves whether you are going to register or not.  For example, with houses - If you rent then you should ensure you are joint tennants, if you have bought there is something like "joint & several" ownership which offers protection we think & we also have enough life insurance each for the other partner to virtually pay off the mortgage if one of us were to die.  We are planning to get registered later this year, not because we are pregnant though we were going to do it either way but mainly because we wanted to legal recognition for access to each others work pensions if one of us dies before 65.  Also suspect it will make being equally recognised as parents & each others next of kin etc that bit easier.  We are plannning a nice & small event with just close friends.  Look in the back of DIva - Solicitors advertise in there or try Stonewall.


Tamsin - Thinking of you.                  

Love Heather.


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## Alison0702

Heather - Glad your appointment was a bit more encouraging. Take it easy Heather and get lots of rest.      

Mable - I never celebrated fathers day when I was growing up,  and now I dont see my father at all now, he certainly doesn't a card now. I would imagine that it is a big thing in schools like Tamsin said. Not really sure how we will deal with it, as it hasn't been discussed yet.

Tamsin - Hows the   going? You sound like your quite chilled out this time round. Hope work is not too taxing for you this week.    

Our friends came round last night with their 10month old little boy. I havn't seen him for a few months and couldnt believe the difference. He was crawling and walking along the furniture. It's scary how quickly they grown up into proper little children. 

I have been on Metformin for a couple of weeks now and am now feeling ok with regards to the nausea etc etc etc . I have however been feeling a bit depressed and quite emotional. I'm sure I'll be ok soon. 

Hi to everyone else, and have a good weekend.


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## lucky2010

Hi Gina,

Julie and I had our official Civil Partnership in Feb this year. We did however have another ceremony in Jan 2004 as Manchester Registry office offered Commitment Ceremonies as a non-legal way of showing your commitment to each other. Both events were pretty low-key, we did exchange rings (the same ones second time round!!), a few close friends and family came and then we had champagne and a meal afterwards. I didn't expect to feel any different after the Civil Partnership but strangely it has offered a feeling of security regarding all the legal issues. Julie and I own our house and bought it together a few years ago, when we signed the contract we made sure that if anything happens to either of us then the other will get the house, so that wasn't a particular issue anyway but all the other things such as pensions etc feel more sorted.

ON ANOTHER NOTE. I was wondering if anyone has any experience of the non-bio Mum being entitled to any sort of 'paternity' leave from work. Julie and I are both nurses and when Julie hypothetically asked the question of HR they said that no such leave is available. Obviously Julie would be able to take some annual leave but I feel that we should be entitled to more. If nothing is available this is incredibly discriminatory and I'm sure I feel a test case against the NHS in the offing!!!!! 

Anyway, I hope to get some feedback on this topic and would be interested to know how the people who recently have had babies went about this.

Love to all

Rach x


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## emma73

Hi just a quick reply to Rach - my partner had loads of leave off work - obviously we had sad circumstances, BUT her boss at that time made it clear that some of her huge amount of leave was paternity leave. She also is entiteld to all the leave that dads at her work are entitled to. She works for the Council. Check out this link -

http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/lgbt/orientation.htm

It says that non bio mum/partner is entitled to leave as set out by the Employment Act 2002, I'm sure if you have a huge problem you could get help from the women and equality unit.

Emma xx


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## ♥JJ1♥

Rach, I work in the NHS but am single, so it doesn't effect me.  However I do work with another manager (HR incidentally) and she is the 'non-bio' Mum and had 6 months adoption leave off, and her partner had maternity leave off. Also you are entitled to carers leave for your dependent -whether it be child, adult or partner (some paid and unpaid) or special leave after a year in NHS service (but this is unpaid). I would consult with the RCN and also refer to the Agenda For Change terms and conditions handbook on the Dept of Health website.  Also you should have someone responsible for diversity issues in HR.  Good Luck. L xx


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## Mable

Hi Rach,
I am a nurse in the NHS in London and had 2 weeks paternity leave on full pay. Our trust policy includes same sex couples in its paternity leave policy - it is published for all to see on the internet. It was extremely simple to arrange. The term 'paternity' needs changing though.  

It is very strange that Julie has been told that she is not entitled to NHS paternity leave. Did she actually say that is what she wants to apply for? I would say that she would definitely be elligible and needs to revisit this with HR - perhaps ask for someone senior? Please do mention that in London (South London and Maudsley NHS Trust to be precise) same sex couples are elligible for paternity leave.
Good luck
Mable
ps Monty is asleep in his grown up cot for the past 2 hours - MIRACLE!!!!!!!!


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## bagpuss1

Hi everyone,

We both work in the good old NHS too. Helen had 2 weeks paternity leave, one of which was on half pay. She had no problems with organising this, if you look in your trusts maternity policy it should tell you what paternity rights you are entitled to. I was under the impression that it was common practice in the NHS now to recognise same sex couples as parents, maybe I am just being naive.....

MABLE YEH TWO HOURS SLEEP SO FAR!!!!!! WOW, I have to say, Edie slept much better when we moved her in to her big girls cot, I personally think she felt a bit too enclosed and that she wanted to have a look round not just stare at a wall of cardboard (we had a recyclable eco crib- our daughter slept in a cardboard box!!!)

Well better go as bed is calling!

PS we are in the process of arranging our civil partnership for in the next month or so. getting the rings next week!! Nothing fancy just a quick sign of the register and to the pub for a family meal. Is anyone planning on changing their names. Edie has a double barrelled name but unsure whether to make all our surnames the same.....

PPS TAMSIN- thinking of you loads and wishing you so much luck!!!

Love to everyone,

Kerry and Edie


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## Alison0702

*Rach* - I work for an airline and the policy states that you are entitled to Paternity Leave to care for a baby or support the baby's mother if you are the baby's biological father or the mother's husband/Civil Partner or partner. This includes same sex couples.
If you are eligible for paternity leave you can chose to take one week or two consecutive weeks paternity leave (not odd days). 
Only one period of leave is available irrespective of whether more than one child is born/adopted as the result of the same pregnancy or adoption.

The first week of Paternity Leave will be paid at basic pay. The second week of Paternity Leave will be paid at Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP).

Sounds very strange that you have been told by HR that there is no such leave available, but it's got to be incorrect information that Julie has been given.


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## starrysky

Hello everyone,

Mable - A grown up cot eh?  Before you know it he'll be off camping with his mates!  

Rach - We are outraged to read about what HR said.  We would suggest you take a look at the new discrimination law which bars discrimiation in the workplace, try looking at www.stonewall.org.uk/workplace/ 

Alison - I had my very last Metformin this morning, a definite cause for celebration.

Tamsin -                          

Hi to everyone else.

Love Heather.


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Hi everyone sorry we have not posted for so long.  Being back at work ( 3 days a week) and lee still fulltime (4 on 4 off) has been hard work.  Some nights were getting through with 3 hours sleep as number 8 tooth has just appeared.  We start round 2 of ivf in a few weeks so trying to get the money together has been hard work.

Tons of positive vibes Tamsin we have everything crossed for you.

With regards to fathers day most schools do not celebrate it due to the lack of fathers around these days.  In my class of 22 children we have 7 dads who live with the children ( and i am not sure if all are biological).  It is common practice to celeberate Mothers day but not fathers day. Louis is celebrating godfathers day on fathers day. Last year at least a quarter of the children made cards for step mothers as well.  We only have one same sex couple at school but i know both mothers got a card made from their child at school and were so impressed ( the child was not in my class).  As families are so diverse these days schools cater for all family units.

Lee had paternity leave with the police ( one week full one week half) we did not ask for adoption leave as they have been so good re the ivf.

I have tons of school work to do but i promise to write again soon.  Lots of love to everyone

Charley, Lee and Louis
xxxxx


----------



## dani

Hello Everyone 

Thank you all for your very warm and friendly welcome. Its so nice to be able to talk to people in the same situation. We will look into all of your recomendations. Before we came across this site it felt like we was very much alone and singled out it is nice to know people have been through it all.... and of course best of luck to anyone in the process and trying. 

We are planning on starting IUI next year, we are getting ourselves emotionally and financially ready then we can get trying!
I am going to see my GP soon so she can probe me, should that all come back as ok and fit to go does anyone have any idea on IUI sucess rates? I am early 20's in good shape and as far as I know there are no issues downstairs.

Dani and Dee

xxx


----------



## snagglepat

Hi folks,

Thanks to all those who responded to my civil partnership question. It looks like it might be November job for us, done extremely quietly with just us and two friends for witnesses. It's really interesting to hear how others have approached the legal side of things too. 

And as for the paternity pay/adoption leave, that really has been interesting reading. Has anyone planned to go for taking the six months adoptin leave as opposed to paternity leave? If it would be possible for the birth mum to get maternity leave and this to be followed up by the other mum getting six months adoption leave then this would be fantastic. I've no idea if it would be possible, but I guess if you don't ask you don't get.  I ended up being late into work today as R and I got talking about it all ,and she surprised me by suggesting that we start saving so that if things don't go well after a few months of trying again with me we can have some money set aside to pay for a more medically involved option. It's interesting, as although we've been doing this for years, now we've had a good break from it it feels a bit like we're coming at it for the first time again, but this time with a slightly different slant on it. I can't imagine R ever saying something like this before for example.

*Dani*, I think the average number of IUIs needed for women who have no fertility problems to conceive is four. This figure will vary clinic to clinic though, and it's worth bearing in mind that for the average to be four, around half the women doing it will need more tries than that.

*Kerry*, we've considered changing both our names too. We hadn't originally planned to, but R is getting increasingly annoyed with people calling her her given name rather than her chosen name and so we started talking about her officially changing her first name to get round it. She thought if she was going to be changing her name anyway then it would be an ideal time to change her surname too. We're still pondering that one at the moment. I do like the idea of us both having the same surname as our children though. It would be another little thing that would help to clearly define us as a family.

Sending best wishes round to everyone.

Gina.


----------



## dani

Do you know what happens when you have a baby and are rights on the birth certificate, can we both have are names on it?
We are engaged but want to have are ceremony when we have a baby so they can look back and see they played in a role in the special day. So wont have the same surname unless it can be done before then?


----------



## Mable

Nope, just the 'mother' who has given birth to the baby. The father bit comes first, on ours it is blank, other people cross it out. There is no room for those of us who are non-bio - just the parental responsibility certificate, where you are listed as step parent.

You can change your surname by deed poll or via a solicitor I think. Its just that when you have done your civil partnership you can change your name just by showing the certificate. We've double barrelled and Edith used that at the hospital, so that the scan photos and notes all had this name before we did the civil partnership. Nobody queried it.

  [br]Posted on: 20/06/06, 19:32If anyone is interested in joining together at Pride (london) this year, see this link for meeting details - scroll to the end of the messages for update:

http://groups.msn.com/LesbianInseminationSupport/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=2467&LastModified=4675577467579767554

See you there!


----------



## dani

Thank you for that Mable thats interesting. I'm gonna look into that further. [br]Posted on: 20/06/06, 22:36Snagglepat - Thank you for the info on stats


----------



## starrysky

Hi all,

Great excitment here - We have heard the heartbeat at the Midwife's appointment today   & got a Bounty pack into the bargain!!!       

Dani & Dee - IUI sucess rates for the various clinics can (I think) be found  on the HFEA website.  Good luck with your preparations, an exciting time.

Louismummy - Hope you get a better night's sleep soon & that you get into a routine with work.

Gina & Rae - Congratulations on setting a date for your partnership.  

Love Heather.


----------



## Mable

Oooh Heather and Jo, how exciting to hear the heart beat. What a lovely moment - how many beats per minute was it? You might be tempted to buy one of those dopplers you can use at home to hear the heartbeat as often as you like, I think after around 14 weeks. Go on, treat yourselves!

Dani - we were told the success rate of IUI was around 10% each try (for infertile women), which is low, but being so young and not having any known fertility problems you stand a fantastic chance of it working. 

    to you know who!
Mable


----------



## dani

Thanx Mable, its so exciting, I cant wait.


----------



## Alison0702

Heather  - Bet it was so exciting to hear the heartbeat  . I've never heard of a doppler, but it sounds like it's worth the money.   
Have you still got the cramps, or have they gone now?  

Lots of     to Tamsin 

Hi to everyone else


----------



## starrysky

Hi all,

Mable - The MW didn't count the heartbeat but we were all (her included, I think) so relieved just to hear it.  She seemed worried that she might not & that it would panic us due to all the other problems we've been having.  The doppler for home is tempting but we are worried about how we would cope if we couldnt find it or becoming addicted to it & basically staying on it all day.

Tamsin - Thinking of you. Loads of  

Alison - Cramps come & go, bleeding is really slowing down (fingers crossed)

Hello to everybody else.

Love Heather.


----------



## brasilgirl

Hi
Myself and partner have just had our first appointment at CARE Manchester to try for a sibbling for our lovely 2 yr old daughter. She was conceived with a known donor in a clinic in Brazil. We are talking to them about doing a fresh sperm cycle as apparently this is possible to get through the ethics / regulations hoops as we have already had a few tries the DIY way and inumerous tries for me to get pregnant in 2003. Does anyone out there have info on any other clinics that have agreed to do a fresh sperm cycle with what is technically a known donor? 
Anyone else out there from the NW or even using CARE?

[br]Posted on: 22/06/06, 17:06Hi again
forgot to say - have just re-registered here after not using the site since I had Maia in November 2003 - in the 2 years or so I haunted this site I never met another lesbian - although I'm sure there were plenty about - how fantastic you're all here!
julie


----------



## emma73

Welcome basil girl - wishing you lots of luck in trying for a sibling - I'm trying for a sibling for my son Luke but so far have had two BFN's. Hoping for 3rd time lucky. 

Was just popping on to say hello realy - and to say that I had a doppler - or rather have a doppler that I used during my pregnancy with my boys. I used to use it everyday (just for minutes) and it used to give me lots of reassurance. HOWEVER my GP (who is the best gp ever) discovered that I had been using it everyday and warned me agaist it as they dont really know if it can do any harm - all these waves boucing off the baby - so I used it once a week after that. Oh - and then I went into premature labour anyway!! If I get pregnant again I wont be using it anywhere near as frequently.

Also - Tamsin I'm thinking of you and hoping that you are copng during the torture that is the 2 week wait. Not long to test now?? Cant wait to hear of your BFP!!!

Love to everyone else

Emma xxx


----------



## Alison0702

Welcome brasilgirl...nice to have you onboard. Good luck with trying. Maia is a lovely name by the way

Tamsin....I am keeping everything crossed for you........ as I am sure everyone is on this thread!

                


Well, after only two weeks of Metformin, I got my period today, so it's obviously working!  
I am not taking any clomid this cycle, but will take it again next time!

We're off to Birmingham at lunchtime for a hen party weekend. Just booked tickets for Cadbury World for tomorrow, which probably isnt a good idea saying as I am meant to be on a diet...ah well!

Not sure if we're off to Antigua or not on Wednesday now, as the flights are really busy, and if its full we wont get on  
So, who knows where we will end up.

Have a good weekend everyone, and will be straight on here when I get back on Sunday to hear Tamsin and karen's news.


----------



## nismat

*Dani*, we were told that natural cycle IUI rate was 7-10% per cycle as well, but as Mable said, this is mostly based on straight couples with fertility issues of one kind or another. It sounds very low, but of course, the more cycles you go through, the greater the cumulative rate becomes. As Gina said, a lot of women will have got pregnant within 4 cycles, but anything up to 6 cycles is pretty normal. Beyond that, you would probably be wanting to look at other options (you'll be pretty fed up if it gets that far, believe me!). 
The prospect of starting _is _ very exciting, but, without wanting to sound like a killjoy, I would just sound a note of caution about being overly optimistic/expecting it to happen really quickly. It's definitely good to be hopeful, but I think that it is also helpful to retain a bit of realism that it may not happen straightaway. We all hope and believe that we will be amongst the lucky ones, and don't consider before starting that the ttc journey may be quite tough. Admittedly, I'm at least 10 years older than you, but my cycles have always been regular, all my tests were fine etc. so I thought that I would get pregnant really quickly and it was quite a shock to find out that I couldn't. And it took a lesbian couple I know from another board who _are _ in their early 20s, 5 cycles before they got a BFP, which they also found pretty challenging. 
If there was one thing that I wished I had realised when we started out, it was the fact that it could take quite some time - not only in terms of numbers of cycles, but in sometimes having to skip cycles because of bad timing/ ovarian cysts etc. I simply hadn't anticipated delays at all. When we started ttc in April 05, I was envisaging either having a baby by Christmas or being heavily pregnant, and I think that many of us set ourselves these kind of goals/deadlines, and it's very disappointing if it doesn't happen. I'll now be absolutely thrilled if I'm pregnant by the end of this year, but I no longer put too many expectations on it in terms of a time frame (although clearly I'm hoping that this IVF cycle works!). 
I hope that this long ramble comes across okay, I don't mean to be too negative 

*Heather * - how *wonderful * that you heard Boom's heartbeat  I hope that the bleeding is soon gone for good.

*Brasilgirl * - welcome! It is great to have our own little community on here  Maia has such a pretty name - well chosen 
I don't know of any clinic where they have agreed to use fresh sperm from a known donor; I think that most clinics aren't willing to run the risks involved, even if you are prepared to take the risks yourself. Very tricky. As far as I know, if you are using a known donor they would only agreed to treat you if they take his sperm and quarantine it (frozen) for 6 months in between the tests. However, each clinic has its own ethics committee, so it would certainly be worthwhile trying to make a case for yourselves given that you have already been using the donor for the DIY route. Good luck! 

*Alison * - just saw your message before posting this - fab news that the metformin is doing it's thing! How long will you have to take it before you can start ttc again?

I've got just 2 more days to get through now before testing (or less, given how early I'm bound to wake up on Sunday! ) Working for the last 3 days has really helped the time pass and taken my mind off things for most of the time. I don't "feel" pregnant, but as time goes on, I'm feeling more and more hopeful that I'm pregnant, although at the same time I find it pretty impossible to believe that we could actually have done it this time  Loopy or what? 

Love to all


----------



## starrysky

Hi everyone

Brasilgirl - welcome!!!!!! I'm sory I don't know anything about clinics that use fresh sperm, but good luck anyway. I too searched for some lesbian contacts in FF for a while before suddenly Edith's post popped up and it has been great ever since. 

Dani - It is always good to be conscious of delays as Tamsin said, we started in 2001 and are now pregnant in 2006. My advice to you would be stay hopeful but also try not to put your life on hold. We worried about when to have holidays and all sorts of things during the process that with hindsight we shouldn't have worried about. It woudl have made it less stressful. 

Tamsin - you are sounding so calm, and patient, and it doesn't sound like you need the pee stick police.    . Have got everything crossed for you. Jo says "Come on Sunday, hurry up". I think that she feels like it is her 2WW. Good luck and    , Boom is sending you positive baby vibes!

Alison - oh, I do hope you make it to Antigua. I've been looking forward to your holiday!! Well done Metformin, I have now come off it completely with no ill effects. 

Emma - thanks for the info about the doppler. I have got myself a kick counter through the post this morning. It is a deep purple rubber wristband with a counting thing on it. Looking forward to wearing that. 

Love to all and once again   to Tamsin.

Heather


----------



## dani

Heather, your write we must try not to put are lives on hold but sadly i think its inevtiable, i justr hope things go well and it dosnet take too long but then who dosent. Im just gonna feel those positive vibes and hope for luck 

Welcome Brazil girl, i know you felt seraching the site hoping you wernt the only gay couple then finding this link and having loads of people to share things with!


----------



## nismat

Aw, Heather, give Jo a big hug from me  I wish Sunday would hurry up too! 
I have spent the entire day (starting around 8am) surfing on all my ttc message boards/blogs etc. Have barely done a scrap of work. V naughty. At least I don't have an employer looking over my shoulder - just my own guilty conscience!  And no, you really don't need to call in the pee stick police  I wouldn't say that I am exactly calm    but on months when I did test early (because my LP is <14 days), I so hated getting those BFNs that I really don't want to run that risk again. Plus, there were a couple of cycles that I did sneaky early tests without Karen's knowledge and that I still haven't told her about  One of those times I did one on a day when I was away from home & took the test with me; I was sure that I had told her I would be doing it, but apparently I hadn't, and she was really upset that she hadn't been involved, understandably. I felt really bad about it (as I should have), and haven't done it again since. Doesn't stop me feeling v tempted though 
I don't want to tempt fate (hah!) but the PMS-type symptoms that I've been feeling seem to be _less _ strong today


----------



## ♥JJ1♥

Girls is anyone does find a clinic willing to use fresh donor sperm for a known donor, please can you post 

Best of luck to you all.
L XX


----------



## lucky2010

Welcome Julie (brazilgirl), my partner and I are in the NW, near Manchester. We are not going through a clinic but are going to start ttc in the next 6-9 months with a known donor AI ourselves. Welcome back!

Tamsin, good luck for tomorrow, Julie and I are thinking of you. BFP here you come!!!!

Thanks for all the feedback from everyone re Paternity leave etc. Julie is going to have another discussion with HR next week as it'll be good to know where we stand. We'll let you know the outcome.

Just going on a walk in the forest with my little brother and sister (16, and 21 years my junior!) and four dogs... we must be mad!!

Bye for now.

Rach and Julie xx


----------



## bagpuss1

Hi everyone,

Thinking of you Tamsin for testing tomorrow.          .

Mable- hows the sleep/ lack of sleep going?

Better go- child having a tantrum!!!!

Kerry and purple faced nearly six month old!


----------



## dani

Julie, it will be interesting to know how that chat goes about paternity leave, its about time work caught up and made the rights for gay couples the same as the norms!


----------



## Mable

Well, good luck to Tamsin and Karen. We feel very anxious and hopeful for you both and send you strength as you test. Really hope this is the time for you and you get some sleep tonight


----------



## nismat

[fly]We're pregnant!!!!!!![/fly]

It is so hard to believe that it's true, but we couldn't be happier   

It was petrifying doing the test this morning; my PMT like symptoms had definitely been less present in the last couple of days, so I did think that there was a fairly good chance that it had worked, but yet I couldn't really believe that it would have worked. Seeing the second line on the test was just astonishing. Karen burst into tears and I just kept saying "oh my goodness!".

Needless to say, it doesn't feel real yet  and of course, being pessimistic me, I have to sound a note of caution/realism and say that I hope that our pregnancy will be full term and totally & utterly dull (in the best possible way of course) 

 Thank you all so much for your support - I couldn't wait to let you all know that it has finally worked for us after so long hoping/planning and trying.

Tamsin & Karen (and baby/ies!)


----------



## Mable

Oh My God Tamsin!!

I am so happy for you and Karen. That is amazing news! Congratulations. We have been both thinking of you and hoping and hoping and hoping.....You must be so thrilled. Finally a double line!!!! It is the most amazing feeling isn't it. Cautious, disbelief and amazing happiness that you are actually pregnant. YOu have been through so much. Fab fab fab thats all I can say. Congratulations! Mable did the night shift for me last night so is sleeping - am so tempted to wake her and share the good news!

Enjoy your day! 

lol Edith


----------



## emma73

I knew it - CONGRATULATIONS!!!! the best feeling ever - you really deserve it!!! 

Do you have to go back to the clinic for a blood test?? How would you feel about the possibility of twins?? 

Heres wishing you a very uneventful 9 months!

Emma  xxx


----------



## bagpuss1

*TAMSIN AND KAREN,

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG                *

need i say more??

Tee hee, am cryiong as I write!! so so pleased for you!!!!

Loads of love,

Kerry, Helen and Edie


----------



## Mable

Oh, this is the best news EVER!!! Fantastic. People on message boards across the country are celebrating with you Tamsin and Karen. We are so delighted for you, Edith has tears in her eyes *again*, Monty is kicking his legs like crazy. Hurray!

When I was feeding Monty in the night, I was thinking that the PMT symptoms that then lessened was exactly what Edith experienced before she tested and I had a flash of excitement, Tamsin is pregnant! Wonderful for you, enjoy your day and see you at Pride!!!!!
Mable


----------



## starrysky

TAMSIN & KAREN - We knew that Boom's vibes would help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

                                      

Made up for you, I was cautiously optimisitic. Enjoy buying these first pregnancy books/mags and other things. Jo will have a celebratory glass of wine later, I will have a celebratory glass of water!!

We are sorely disappointed we won't be able to see you at Pride. I don't feel well enough to be able to go. We will march around the living room with a banner. But maybe next year? 

Love and excitement

Heather and Jo and Boom


----------



## **Tashja**

Tamsin and Karen 

How flipping excellent !!! 

I am so happy for you both - WWWWOWOWOWOWO

    

 !!!!!!

Let me know when you feel ready for me to change the list

T xx


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Oh Tamsin and Karen we are so so pleased for you.  It is truely fantastic.  Excellent news
xxxxx
Charley, lee and Louis
xxxxx


----------



## Spangley

Hello again Tamsin (this is The Original Spangle from the MSN board) - just found this board in the last day or so and now I'm "graduating" onto IVF thought I'd start posting here too. Lots of good info and boy does it make you feel less alone than being in the lesbian community! 

Big congratulations on your BFP  

I'm hoping to start sniffing synarel next Friday - bring it on!

Lucy


----------



## lucky2010

*Tamsin*, what fantastic news, we're so happy and excited for you... definitely had good vibes... you must by cautiously euphoric. Well done you two. Love from Julie and I to you and Karen and the soon to be 'bump' x


----------



## nismat

Oh girls, I'm overwhelmed with all your good wishes  It's so wonderful to feel so supported and so much love coming our way  
Post test, it is a real rollercoaster of emotions though; as Edith put it, caution, disbelief and amazing happiness all at the same time 

Now, who had questions....? 
*Emma * asked if we go for a blood test - no, the clinic doesn't offer these as a matter of course (you can of course have them if you want to pay extra!). The next step is to call in the morning and arrange a scan for 3 weeks time (7weeks pg), to check for heartbeat/baby(ies) implanted in the right place). I'm going to try not to think of what might go wrong between now and then 

As for twins, well, Karen would *love * it to be twins. I would prefer to have one baby at a time, but the thought of twins doesn't terrify me like it used to. And having spend a total of £11k on treatment to date, the BOGOF idea quite appeals   I know that it would be hard work, but we'd manage somehow.

*Edith * - did you wake *Mable * up to tell her the news or let her sleep in?! Very interesting that you too experienced the lessening of progesterone-induced PMT symptoms just before your BFP. I hope that I do see you at Pride next weekend - Karen & I are still negotiating on that one, as I would love to come and see everyone again now that I'm actually finally pregnant rather than the only one in the "live" MSN group that isn't, but K doesn't want me to over-exert myself  And of course it would be great to meet young Monty 

*Heather & Jo*, thanks in advance for the celebratory toast to us  As my brother put it, Karen will be drinking for two in our celebrations 

*Tashja*, feel free to update the list any time  I want to see my name down under precious cargo! I think that my EDD is 1st March 2007 (or somewhere thereabouts - the IVF makes all the usual dating rather tricky).

*Lucy * - hi & welcome! This is a great thread, and more active/practical than the MSN one has become over the last few months. I see that you're going for the "full works" in terms of IVF options, so I really hope that it enables you to realise your dreams at last too  There are quite a few of us on here who have done IVF, so ask away if you've got any questions. If you're starting sniffing on Friday, then you'll be having EC before you know it!

Thanks to everyone else that I haven't mentioned by name - don't think I haven't appreciated your messages, as I do


----------



## **Tashja**

New home ladies !!!

Hope you are all well - some excellent news for Tamsin and Karen so I have updated the list 

T xx

Cyclers  

Louismummy & Partner* - DIVF 

2ww - Good luck!   

Alison0702 & DP - DIUI - Testing 01.05.06  

In between treatment

Eddie* - Clomid and DI 

Emma73* - DIVF in October

(Ejsmith2) Emma* - DIUI

(Feistyblue) Claire* & Beverley - Egg Share DICSI 

(Herbaltea) Sarah* - DIUI 

(Julesforgirls) Jules* - Donor eggs with partners eggs, then DIVF

(Midnightaction) Sarah* - Egg Share DIVF

(Rachjulie) Rachael* & Julie - DI 

(Snagglepat) Gina & Rae* - DI  

Tonia2*& Bron - DIUI - 15th May-ish  

Woo_Woo* & Lea - DI

Precious Cargo On Board  

(Starrysky)Heather* & Jo - DICSI in Feb  

(Nismat) Tamsin* & Karen - DIVF/DICSI June  

Never Forgotten Angels 

Woo_Woo* & Lea 

Our Miracle is Here 

Evelet & R* - Proud parents to a baby boy born 16.08.05  
(Bagpuss1) Kerry* & Helen - DIUI - Proud parents to Edie born 02.01.06
Edith* & Mabel - DIVF - Proud parents to Monty born 12.04.06
Friskypony* & Pup - DIVF - Proud parents to Morven Lilly born 14.02.06

Please let me have any additions/amendments to the above list - I hope it is all OK any amendments let me know  List might go a bit mad while I get to know you all !!!

* = Partner having treatment

Sending loads of love, luck and babydust to you all.

Tashja xx


----------



## Alison0702

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                    

Tamsin and Karen........Congrats.....You deserve this so much. Burst into tears when I saw your post...I was nervous logggin on tonight I must say.

Well, we are also going to have a nice drink to toast you both!

Massive hugs to both of you, from both of us. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


----------



## Mable

Hi Tamsin,
Edith did wake me up and I didn't care, I was delighted. I was trying to work out your due date - early March is a lovely time to have a baby, going into summer with a newborn is so much more pleasant than going into winter with the cold nights and darkness.

Can I recommend the 'Bun in the oven' part of this site - I'm sure you've found it already but there's a 'waiting for the first scan' thread which I found very reassuring in my anxious moments.

Still feel on a high for you.
Mable


----------



## starrysky

Hi

Mable - just spotted your "my turn next..." on the bottom of your post!! Exciting!!

Tamsin - I would also recommend the "bun in the oven" bit of the site. Lots of info to keep you reassured eg. the number of people who have told me about their bleeds and ongoing bleeding have really kept me going. How are you feeling today? I was shellshocked when we got the result, ecstatic somewhere within myself but also quite calm and guarded. We went to Hastings that day and I saw parents with young children everywhere and was thinking in disbelief "I am finally going to be one of them"!

Welcome Lucy - good luck with that first cycle. It will go round quickly as Tamsin says. 

We are off to see our consultant this afternoon, don't suppose there will be much new to say except that we now have a scan at 18 weeks which is now less than 3 1/2 weeks away. But we'll see. She is very approachable which I am so pleased about. 

Love

Heather


----------



## Mable

Heather, with Tamsin's success fresh in mind, I am considering doing IVF straight away and not even trying IUIs. Don't know what people think about this? We don't have much money and I am 36, and Kings have long waiting lists. My GP referred me there last month - expecting to have first consultation+counselling etc in October if Edith's treatment is anything to go by.

Hope it is a productive meeting with the consultant today. She might have a doppler and let you have another listen to the heart beat - worth asking.


----------



## nismat

*Mable*, it's a very tricky one, and completely a personal choice as to whether you want something so intensive/medicated straightaway but.... the success rates with IVF are _so _ much higher. The thing is, even though it wasn't your body, you _have _ already experienced the stresses of ttc and BFNs and you know what that is like. Of course, never having tried, you just don't know if you could get pregnant very quickly via IUIS, but I have to say, if I were you, I would be very tempted to dive straight in there and go for IVF. Especially being 36, even if all your hormone levels are fine like mine are, I just don't think it's as easy as when you are younger. We spent as much on 6 rounds of IUIs as we did on 1 IVF cycle, and it was an awful lot more stressful, as you never knew why it hadn't worked (and there were so many more possible reasons with IUI). I really didn't expect us to be lucky enough for it to work on our first try at IVF; guess our luck has changed at last. 
I know that if we decide to try for a future pregnancy (with me again), we'll just go straight for IVF, no messing.

*Heather*, thanks for pointing me in the direction of the (hideously named) "bun in the oven" section (I really hate all these euphemisms, I'm a call a spade a spade girl). I'm sure that I'll be spending a fair bit of time there comparing symptoms as they arise  We went out for the day yesterday, and kept on doing that amazed "we're going to be parents/have a baby at last" thing 
Best wishes for your consultation today; let us know how it goes


----------



## Spangley

Mable - I'm like Tamsin, if I had my time again I'd dive straight into an IVF cycle. All my tests pre IUI were completely normal and I thought I'd get pregnant quickly.

That was last July.

7 IUI cycles and £7000 later I really wish I'd moved onto IVF earlier. The clinic did start raising it as a suggestion before Christmas but back then I wasn't mentally ready to take on board the idea of so much intervention. 

So if I were you I'd just skip all the messing about with IUI and just go for it - success rates are so much higher and as Tamsin says at least if it doesn't work you'll have much more idea why not. I hated every minute of my IUI's - some of them were excruciatingly painful so I'm thinking IVF can't be any worse

Lucy


----------



## Mable

Thanks for that advice re IVF. Although it does seem like a very medical route to go down initially, I will just want to get pregnant and not have masses of heartache and debt on the way, so choosing a more successful way would be better.

It's so exciting Tamsin that you are already 4 weeks pregnant, but you've only known about it for a day. If you see what I mean...

I think I'm on a real BFP high, what with Heather and now Tamsin, I've got addicted to the euphoria of the positive announcements.  Who's next..?


----------



## Alison0702

Mable - I know what you mean about all the excitement about BFP's - it's great isnt it!!!!!!!!

We have just had the conversation around whether to mess about with IUI's or just to go straight to IVF. I am like you, and just want to be pregnant. However, as you know, I dont have the most normal of cycles/ovulation etc etc. So, I think we will try another couple of IUI's with Metformin and Clomid, and if I can't get pregnant with this medication, I am going to go straight to IVF. 

Hopefully this good luck will continue on this thread

We are off to Antigua (or wherever we end up) tomorrow so I will speak to you all in 9 days time.

Love Alison


----------



## snagglepat

*Tamsin*,

I'm a little late to this as I've only just logged on after the weekend.

Wow!

[fly]*CONGRATULATIONS!*[/fly]

You must be over the moon. I so remember joy and excitement of that  moment. Many, many congratulations and positive wishes for a completely and utterly uneventful eight months ahead. 

And a big welcome to *Lucy*. I'm sure you'll get all the support you could possibly wish from from this board. 

Gina.


----------



## starrysky

Hi all,

Alison - I hope it's Antigua, was looking forward to 'going there' in my head!  If not, I suppose so long as it is a holiday.  Have a great time & a good chance to relax.  

Spangley - Welcome to this thread.  We have found it very positive & supportive here, it did take a while though before we found it.  We had 7 IUI's before moving on to IVF too, I think we may have done it 2 tries earlier if we had our time again but the IVF has been really hard emotionally, physically & financially, even with a positive test this time (2nd IVF) it has not been an easy road for us at all.  It is only something you can really get yourself into when you feel ready for the ups & downs of it - Maybe now is the time for you?  Plus, we seem to be on a positive roll on this thread lately, always good to hear.

Mable - We are already talking about Jo's turn after Boom is born, she will be 36 then too.  So far we are thinking of a kind of middle-ground: Not full IVF but not IUI alone either - King's call it medicated IUI, we think they control your cycle & ovulation etc like with IVF but they don't stimulate the ovaries quite as much so there would only be 1 or 2 eggs & the IUI would be timed with a shot of HCG to force ovulation at the right time.  Guessing there might be scans etc involved too.  Jo has had her tubes checked & all seems ok (She has Endometriosis) & she has done home ovulation kits which seem to work for her, she usually knows when she has or is about to ovulate anyway.  Are you sure you have to be referred & have the counselling again?  We thought that we might be able to phone the ACU ourselves to book-in when the time was right, & figured we would be able to skip the counselling.  (Could be wrong but worth checking)

Our consultation went well, we had to wait quite a long time but don't really mind as it seems to be due to the Doc giving patients the time they need.  She was pleased with progress so far, but is now really waiting for more detailed scans at 18 & 23 weeks.  She had a Doppler & found the heartbeat really quickly  , fast & strong as ever.  Lovely to hear it again, we didn't need to ask her, she offered - She is really nice.  She says this pregnancy is going to be very closely monitored & has arranged all sorts of checks for later in the pregnancy for Heather & Boom, plus there are going to be 2 weekly midwife appointments at least for the next couple of months.  Still a little brown bleeding but not as much as before & thankfully not had many days of pain over the past week or so.  We are both getting used to this & mainly doing okay in coping with it.  3 weeks now since our last proper bleeding episode & we are both guardedly hopeful we have left that behind now.  Also, both feeling more relaxed because we are better supported medically.

Hello to everyone else, 
Love Heather & Jo.


----------



## dani

hello it seems like IUI isnt for everybody then, i think i must be a bit naive i thought it would be a quick process but dosent seem the case, 7 tries is a lot and like you say heart breaknig and a finacial toll. Maybe IVF is something else we need to think about and do are research on. 

Does any one know the site for lesbian friendly clinics? Is northampton clinic on there?


----------



## bagpuss1

Hi everyone,

Dani- we got our clinic from the pink parents website, but I have just looked on there and it looks like its under construction. Edie was concieved on our fourth IUI attempt,  we made the decision that we would not go as far as IVF but I have to say, I think I would have probably pushed for it although I know Helen was not keen at all.

Heather- so glad everything is still going well with Boom and that you are being so closely monitored, we spend so much time worrying whether we will get pregnant, no-one tells us that the worry only really begins when you get pg!!!

Tamsin- still so pleased for you, am on such a high that you have finally made it!

Hi to everyone else,

Love kerry and Edie


----------



## lucky2010

Hi *dani*, I think I got a list of lesbian friendly clinics from www.pinkparents.org.uk

This was some time ago and think you have to register on the site... hope you find it.

Rach x


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Hello everyone

Louis is fast asleep and i have 22 reports to do so i am on the internet!!! Lee is just about to start her second round of IVF with the same anonomous donor we had for louis.  ALthough we have a frozen embryo we decided to save it.  We phoned the clinic today and she starts sniffing in 2 weeks.  They have increased her Gonal-F from 225 - 300.  At our consultation the doctor said last time we had a 50:50 chance as she produced good quality eggs and we had 3 A grade embies so heres hoping it happens again.  I am really scared about this cycle as before it was all new and we new the odds were slim for it working first time but now its second time it feels like there is so much pressure.  

Louis is 11 months old today and is a perfect little man.  He is standing and trying to walk and has 8 teeth. I keep watching  him sleep and can t get over how lucky we are.

Is anyone going to the march on saturday.  Lee is working but i was thinking of going with Louis and a friend and maybe taking the train in.  It would be his first trip to London  and his first train ride.

Tamsin i cant stop thinking about your BFP i told lees mum and my mum.  I wanted to tell everyone ( think i am a bit crazy).

I got pregnant first time with Louis using DI at the clinic but i am definantly going straight for IVF for number 3 ( or 2 if lee is not successful this time).

Lots of love and baby dust

Charley, Lee and Louis 
xxxxxx


----------



## dani

Yeah i found the pinkparent site b4 and it was useful but it dont seem to be available now, neva mind thanx any! 
Kerry and Eddie, good to hear IUI does work for some after just a few tries i was feeling a bit worried for a moment


----------



## woo_woo

Hey all,

how's everyone doing?  Looks like all's going well and everyone sounding really positive!  We've been away for a while, after the ectopic we just couldn't face talking about anything related to conceiving/babies, but dropped by a few times just to see how everyone was getting along.  

Congrats to those who have new arrivals and to those expecting soon - all will be just fine i'm sure!  

We're taking the plunge and hoping to start trying again soon, although Lea is going to give it a go this time, she says she cant stand the thought of another ectopic and i must admit it was pretty scarey to hear the words 'life threatening'!!!!

If anyone has any advice for where we could possibly find some sperm, it would be greatly received.  Every clinic nearby seems to have a shortage.  Is anyone doing home insemination with a friend or donor? We didn't ever look into this before, but now it's looking like there might not be a choice.  I've looked on a couple of the sites that allow potential donors to post but am a bit scared as to their motivation, anyone able to offer any insight?

love to all

Woo and Lea xxxxx


----------



## lucky2010

Hi *Woo and Lea*,

We are doing home insemination with a known donor. We haven't started ttc yet but have found, and met, our donor and are going to start in the next few months.

We spent a long time researching how to find an appropriate donor that wasn't a 'weirdo' and we too were worried about what was motivating these men to donate. Eventually I found a site sperm-donors-worldwide.com (http://www.sperm-donors-worldwide.com/message_board_uk.htm) and put an add on with them (think it cost £10). They advise you to set up a Hotmail type (untraceable) account and then potential donors e-mail you with their responses. We heard from more than 10 men, some less than desirable!! Three were short listed and we had lengthy e-mail conversations with them... including 3million questions!! We found that once we built up a rapport with people via e-mail it was pretty easy to tell if they were on our wave-length. We eventually cut the short-list down to one and met him in March.

Julie and I unanimously decided that he was 'the one' and have sorted out all the appropriate tests etc. It has been a reasonably long process so far and sometimes uncomfortable discussing intimate logistics with someone we'd never met before!!! We definitely feel like we have found the right man for the job (so to speak!!!).

I hope this has been of some help and please feel free to pm me if you have any further questions.

Love to everyone else.

Rach and Julie

This post contains an unconfirmed link/information and readers are reminded that FertilityFriends.co.uk or its owners are not responsible for the content of external internet sites


----------



## Tonia2

OMG!! *Tamsin*!! Well done! I'm so excited for you!!  Along with the others I have shed a few tears of joy.... well done!!  Ohhh the waiting over the next few weeks must be a bit like the 2ww... cant wait to hear the results of your scan. I've been thinking about the twins thing again - I was totally against putting two embryos back (don't really want to have to manage twins) but now am thinking 2 just might be the difference between actually falling pregnant or not...

I hope the luck holds out! I start sniffing Syneral on the 7 July, will be having egg collection in the first week of August. Can't wait to get started. I'm in a similar position to a few of you -I have no known fertility problems, we had 6 IUI's over the last 12 months without success, and as a result IVF is seeming much more hopeful. The most frustrating thing for me has been the amount of times we've had to skip a month because of public holidays, Doctors' being away etc. It's not as simple as just trying each and every month. We'd been told IUI has a 16% chance of working and IVF 20-25%, which doesn't sound a whole heap better, so I prefer the IUI stats quoted on here!! 7-10% or so. The other frustrating thing has been just how long it takes to get started - waiting lists, always waiting for the next appt and so on. In the time we have been on this road my sister has become pregnant (naturally) twice - she now has a nearly 4 yr old and a 6 month old.. admittedly we did take a break for a few months while we considered a known donor, travelled and moved house - but it ALWAYS takes longer than you think!! It has also taken me a while to get my head around doing IVF. I really didn't want to have to do treatment that was so invasive, so I've had a bit of a hard time with that over the last few months. But on the other hand, if it works... !!

I've been away a bit doing exams and had about 7 pages of posts to catch up on! Welcome to the newbies and welcome back *Woo*, I'd been wondering how you were doing. Good luck with your plans for trying with Lea. I can really understand how you might not have wanted to think about ttc for a while. It does just get too hard some days!!

*Heather * - so glad things are settling down somewhat for you, I'm amazed at how quickly your ticker has been travelling along - I guess once you're actually pregnant there's no stopping time whereas when you're ttc a few months feels like forever!! ... good luckj with all your continued monitoring.

*Gina * - thanks for your PM - I'm heading to Melbourne on Thursday for a gorgeous 5 day weekend- can't wait! haven't had a chance to try the mooncup yet as am now on the pill for IVF so no period! Hope your travel plans are all working out. Will keep in touch.

Hello to everyone else, 
and lots of love, squishy hugs, good luck and hopeful positive vibes all the way from Aussie!! 

love Tonia

PS  I'm so excited for you Tamsin!! I'm not going to be able to stop thinking about you all day!! YAY!!!


----------



## snagglepat

Hi *Woo and Lea*,

We're also using a known donor at home. We've used two donors all in all. Our first donor was a good friend and we went through the full process of all the tests - STIs and sperm analysis - which we paid for. After five months of trying with him he got into a new relationship and his partner wasn't at all happy about him trying to make babies with someone else, so we stopped. We were out of friends to ask (the only other friend we'd considered turned out to have had a vasectomy when we asked him) and resorted to the online boards. We placed an ad on rainbow network's parenting forum and had quite a few responses, most of which were blatently not for us. We had two really positive responses though. The first we had great email contact with, but when we met in person we just felt the 'click' we felt we needed wasn't there. The second was great, and he's been donating to us on and off for getting on for two years now. Both the men we met through the boards were already donors, so had had all their checks. Our current donor is also a donor for Man Not Included so he has sexual health checks every three months as a matter of course.

The 'Using a clinic Vs private donor' thread has some really interesting comments and information about the legalities of using a known donor. It's here: http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,34695.0.html

*Tonia*, hope you have a fantastic time in Melbourne. Maybe you'd better warn them that I'll be coming over in another month so they can get in extra stock of cherry ripes, corn jacks and tim tams. Oh the things I miss from your wonderful country!  I'll come home twice the size I left I'm sure.  Any chance of us hooking up while I'm over there?

Best wishes all round,

Gina.


----------



## Mable

Heather - the medicated IUI sounds interesting. Is that what you did for a couple of tries Tamsin?

I imagine that Kings will need a new referral for Jo because you are now discharged and they will need new blood tests specifically for Jo. I imagine that the welfare of the child part and the counselling could be skipped thou. I might try and call the secretaries and see what they say.


----------



## starrysky

Hello everyone,

Charley & Lee - Loads of   & Boom is going to send some   for Lee with her 2nd try IVF, 2nd try was lucky for us, so maybe.....

Woo & Lea - Welcome back.  Can really understand your decision to take a break from the message board.  Loads of good luck to you for your ttc.  Not sure if it is a route you might be interested in, but we bought our sperm from USA over the internet/phone, it cost (with shipping) a similar amount to buying it here & was fairly straightforward, if you want more info send me a message.

Tonia - Good luck with the sniffing, coming soon now.     Also: The girl from Hobart has been knocked out of Australia Next Top Model coz she got ill & ended up in hospital.  Was a shame, she was doing really well.   

Love to everyone else,
Heather.


----------



## Spangley

Thanks for all the welcomes 

We went for our nurse's appointment at the Bridge yesterday and I'm definitely starting sniffing on Friday. Will start on the Menopur on 22 July and EC will be from around the 3 August. I've got a few more days of sniffing to do to fit in with the embryologists doing the PGS so hopefully it won't be too horrible!

I've ordered all my drugs at Tesco's in Kennington - a saving of £350. Also got a quote from www.healthcare-at-home.co.uk tel 0870 240 0518 who were really helpful and another £100 cheaper but because I need the Nafarelin for Friday I didn't have time to mail them my prescription and get the drugs back again. Or go back to The Bridge and get another prescription.

*Tonia* looks like we'll be doing things around the same time - fingers crossed for both of us


----------



## starrysky

Hello all,

Spangley - Best of luck, I will get Boom to send some     your way & ask Jo to do more fertility dancing for you                  Seemed to help Tamsin.....you never know.  Can't comment on the sniffing, we always had injectable drugs, though this tiome we only realised about 10 min before doing the jabs that hosp had only given us syringes & no needles!!!  Cue one panicked trip to A & E on a Friday night, worrying that we would be assumed to be IV drug-users of a whole different kind!  Oh what fun!

Hello to everyone else.

Jo & I have been sat at the beach for a couple of hours today.  Was lovely & sunny but not too hot.  Jo even had a swim in the sea, really helped with a little de-stressing.   

Love Heather.


----------



## dani

Emma
Thanx for that info thats great its closer to home which is good, thanks for that i will contact them


----------



## blueytoo

Haven't been back on this thread for ages as I'm still a fair way off my next tx but just wanted to say mega congrats to Tamsin and Heather!  

Love to everyone else.

Claire xx


----------



## nismat

Hi all, it takes a while to catch up, even after only a few days away! Thanks for all the further congratulations that have come our way  

*Dani * I just want to re-clarify my thinking on IVF - I definitely _don't _ think that it is something that you should be thinking about when you are just starting out on the ttc road. It is way too extreme (and expensive) a thing to jump right into, unless there are actual medical reasons for doing so. And during ttc, you have to go through a whole emotional process before you are mentally ready to do IVF. If I'd had my time again, of course I wish that we'd got pregnant earlier, but the earliest that we would have been "ready" to do IVF was after our 5th failed IUI.
You most definitely have time on your side, being in your early twenties, and the chances are very high that it will happen fairly quickly for you with IUIs. I'm really sorry if I've come across as negative and implying that it will always be a difficult route, because it won't be. I only ever wanted to try and point out that sometimes it's not as easy as we expect it to be, and that can be pretty crushing if you've never even thought about it before. 
I've also heard good things about Care in Nottingham, but as Emma said, many clinics are experiencing donor sperm shortages. I think that finding a "lesbian friendly" clinic is less of an issue now than it was a few years ago - there are so many of us starting families that I think that most clinics have probably treated lesbians by now. Obviously you want somewere that isn't going to "question" your right to be there though - I think that you can gauge a lot by an initial phone call, asking if they treat many lesbians, and seeing if there is an initial pause after the question/sound disapproving, or if they answer immediately and sound friendly (although of course a lot may depend on the individual receptionist who answers your call )

*Mable and Heather * - yes, 3 of my IUI cycles were medicated using injectibles (plus another cycle just on Clomid). Obviously it didn't work for me, but I was unlucky in that I didn't respond to the drugs at all at the "normal" levels (which would have been high for some women), so I never produced more than 1 follicle, which is the whole point of doing medicated, to increase your success rates. That was just bad luck though. On a medicated cycle, you have an initial u/s scan between cd3-5 to check your uterine lining and no ovarian cysts, then start the drugs, and have further scans, usually every other day from around cd10 (some clinics also do bloodwork). They usually base the timing of HCG trigger on when your (lead) follies reach 18mm, but if you have developed too many large follies (>3 at my clinic), you can't go ahead with IUI as the risk of multiples is too high. Apparently the timing of the trigger to IUI is much less crucial than for IVF, or so my clinic kept trying to persuade me. I don't really believe 100%, but of course the trigger will only increase the impact of your natural hormonal surge which is suppressed in an IVF cycle). Medicated IUIs increase your chances to about 15% (provided you respond of course!).

*Charley * - that is _sooo _ funny that you told your & Lee's mums about my IVF BFP! Sending you & Lee lots of good vibes for getting the same result from Lee's second IVF - I do understand that it must feel more pressured, but with cumulative statistics, it really is the case that chances are it _will _ work this time 
I was slightly surprised to read that you would go straight to IVF yourself, for the following attempt. I'm not judging your choices, it just seems a very expensive option when you *know * that it can work easily after you conceived Louis on your first IUI. However, I do seem to remember that you had some kind of time limit on the sibling sperm, so maybe that's the reasoning behind it. Hope that I haven't offended! 

*Woo & Lea* - I hope that the time out since your ectopic has proved healing (and that it doesn't sound too trite). It must have been very painful to deal with, emotionally as well as physically. Both the Bridge & LWC do have sperm, _but _ I'm not sure if they are selling it on to other clinics now, as there is so much demand. As Heather said, your best (or surest) bet, may be to import from the US to your clinic, even if it does increase the cost. Quite a few clinics are already arranging the processes for this I believe, because of the horrendous UK shortages of donors. But you can also do it as an individual, and you would of course get to choose your donor, rather than be presented with a very minimal choice (if any) at a clinic. Obviously using a KD would be a much cheaper option all round, but (money apart), it's not the right route for everyone, and can take some time to "organise". Have to confess, I was starting to think that it might be the next option for us, as I felt that several goes each month with fresh would give us a much better chance. Good luck!

*Tonia * - you're starting down-regging so soon now! Will be thinking of you  Make sure that you keep us posted all along the way. I do know just what you mean about needing to feel ready for IVF and it feeling so invasive (at least in prospect). In actual fact, I found it all _sooo _ much easier than I anticipated, and didn't actually mind the highly medicalised approach in the end. Truth be told, I quite liked it, knowing so much more at each stage made me feel much better-informed and therefore rather more in control  And obviously, I'm "for" IVF now, with having got my BFP 

*Lucy * - hooray - you've already started sniffing as of today! I'm very excited for you - how are you feeling? Excited too, or terrified?  It *is * all a big deal, especially when you are spending so much, but I think that you just have to try and write off the expense mentally, now that you are committed to it, and just try and get through it all one day at a time (as so much can change on a daily basis)

*Claire * - I hope that things run more smoothly for your next ICSI, and that you don't have to wait too long to find some donor sperm.

I'm already having a few pg symptoms, which was quite surprising as I didn't really expect anything much this early on! My already generously-sized boobs are like blooming zeppelins and really sore. I must get some new non-wired bras and sleep bras; it's already difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position  I can definitely "feel" my uterus inside me now (particularly when standing while working) which is totally weird. I've been getting stretching cramps, which feel more like a stitch than menstrual cramps, plus the occasional sharp stabbing pain like I'm being stuck with a skewer! Not very pleasant, but I'm not really complaining, honest  The oddest thing is that I'm finding that I fill up much more quickly when eating, and get indigestion if I eat too much. No bad thing, as I don't want to put on too much "eating for two" weight.

Hope everyone enjoys a sunny and relaxing weekend


----------



## starrysky

Just a quick one to say 

    Have a Great Pride to anyone going tomorrow. 

Thanks Claire for your good wishes  

Tamsin - still very excited for you   . I have gone up two bra sizes and had a definite bump from the IVF onwards. 

Enjoy the sunshine everyone!!

Love

Heather


----------



## nismat

Oh *Heather*, don't tell me that about bra sizes! I don't want them to get any bigger as I was already a 34FF/G. As for the post-IVF "bump", yes, I'm already finding all my trousers are too tight (partly the bloating, partly because I was _starving _ during the 2ww and ate loads of snacks).

PS, I'm still very excited too  Although I still don't "feel" pregnant, I'm starting to believe that it's really true


----------



## Mable

Hello,
A big thanks to Evelet for organising today's very successful Pride parade. At one point, I was soaking up the applause and whistling coming my way, feeling very proud of ourselves and Monty when I realised that it was actually directed at some rather fabulous drag queens right behind us. A little embarrased at the way I was personally acknowledging the applause.

Anyone keen to repeat it at Brighton Pride this year? Some women mentioned it during the parade, for us it was a first trip up to London with Monty, who slept all the way through (ominous for tonight) but he seemed so happy with the whole palava inpsite of the heat that I am up for a repeat by the sea this time. We'll try and not take the entire house with us in plastic bags this time, just in case we need it!

Anyone else keen to do it en masse? Heather and Jo?...

Tamsin - glad you are feeling preggers and it really is true! 
Mable


----------



## duff

Hurray!  well done Tamsin and also little Boom.  I've just started a new cycle (IUI) and begin on clomid tomorrow so thought I'd better write how happy I am before I go into hormonal madness!


----------



## lucky2010

what has happened? I'm sure I read posts from after the 1st July but that is the last post I can see online.... I was looking forward to catching up with things after getting back from our hols. hope everone is ok.

Rach and Julie x


----------



## Spangley

They've lost some posts. there's a thread about what happened in the Site News section.

My news is gutting - cycle abandoned as rubbish response to Menopur this time. Starting again next month on short protocol and much higher dose so  hopefully will be stimming again in a couple of weeks  

Hope everyone else is ok - I've been loopy without this site


----------



## **Tashja**

Welcome back ladies !!!!

All the Admin and Mods are a bit busy at the moment trying to get the boards back to normal but as soon as things have calmed down and back to normality I will do an updated list.

Hope you are all ok.

Tashja xx


----------



## Mable

Hi,
Heather - how was your scan? Really hoping it was OK - have been thinking of you loads over this time when we haven't been able to get online to hear from you.

Sorry to hear your news Spangley.

Please everyone send babydust towards Pretoria where a friend of mine is waiting to have her embies transferred        
Mable


----------



## blueytoo

Soory to hear your news Spangley.

My news is that I have finally started cycling. AF came last Friday so I started taking the pill (I egg share) on Saturday and will start down reg on the 19th! The clinic had matched me up with a recipient long before this and luckily I was able to get my hands on a very limited supply of sperm so have a vial reserved.

Pill making me feel really ill which it hasn't any of the other tx's so not too happy about the constant nausea and weirdness but hey. 

Claire xx


----------



## Alison0702

Thank god this site is back up and running!

Spangley - sorry to hear your news   
Hopefully the next one will be much more succesful  

Lots of     to Mable's friend

My news is that I have just finished Clomid and hoping for a nice big juicy follicle this cycle. We are off to Amsterdam Pride on Thursday, which is the day I start pee testing for ovulation - so we may have to come back home early if the test is positive so I can my 2nd attempt at IUI.
On the   front, my clinic are now offering us the chance to buy a "job lot" of 10 ampules from the same donor, rather than have the uncertainty of there not being any available should I have a period. So we've gone for that option so at least that's one worry off our minds  

Hope you are all ok

Alison x


----------



## irisbea

Hi Spangley, so sorry about this cycle. Glad you can try again soon. So much better though to not be overstimulated and end up with ohss about which ive been reading scary things.  Poor consolation right now though.

My partner starts IUI this sat and we are feeling very excited and optimistic also i have my counselling at the bridge next week prior to them deciding whether or not to accept me for IVF so its all go.


----------



## nismat

I've been desperate to get back on the site to find out how everything went for *Heather & Jo * with their scan/further results. I'm hoping that little Boom is OK. Hope that we hear from you soon, whatever the news is    

*Spangley * - I'm so, so sorry to hear that your cycle was abandoned. Have sent you a PM  
BTW, what did they determine as "poor response"? and when? I only had 4 follicles at my first scan (another 2 put in an appearance by the 3rd scan), but I was so thrilled that the drugs had worked at all, that it felt like a good result to me, even though it wasn't much by most standards. We got 5 eggs from 6 follies, 3 fertilised, and only 2 developed for the 3 day transfer. 
I'm not trying to say "it only takes one", as that can just be irritating, even though it's true. However, it _can _ work even when it seems like you'd have to be super lucky because you don't have much to play with, as it were. It is v stressful though when there aren't many follies/eggs/embryos, as obviously you imagine that the worst will happen rather than the best 

*Feistyblue * - hope that everything goes well for you in your upcoming IVF cycle. Congrats on managing to secure that precious donor sperm!

Sending some babydust over to Pretoria for Mable's friend     

*Alison * - wishing you a nice strong (and well-timed!) ovulation 
Have a great time in Amsterdam - we haven't been for years (and never for Pride). It must be such a relief knowing that you have secured some donor sperm  for future tries. It all seems such a lottery at the moment. Couldn't believe the thread on the main board sayting that the HFEA won't be granting any more licenses to import sperm from the US. The donor shortages are so critical!

*Irisbea * - wow, it sounds like your lives are going to be completely taken over with ttc in the very near future! Exciting though! Hope that the counselling goes well at the Bridge next week (is there any reason why they might say no, or do you think that it's just a formality?). Hope that you don't mind me being nosey, but do you plan to be ttc in tandem so that you both may be pregnant together? What will you do if your partner gets pregnant quite quickly through IUI? Will you still go ahead with IVF in that case? Feel free to ignore my questions if they are too personal, I know I'm being a bit cheeky! 

*************************************************************

Well, we had a lovely (almost) 2 weeks away; with the weather being as good as it was, who needs to go abroad! It was fab spending time with my niece & nephew (who have just turned 4 & 1 respectively). Ella is so much easier to understand now, and such great fun. She absolutely loves Karen, and actually said to her "you're fun Karen!" when we were out one day. We already know that Karen is going to be the "fun" parent in our relationship, while I'll be the one imposing discipline etc.!  Lewis is such a cutie now; he's so smiley and affectionate, and actually gives you spontaneous hugs and kisses - gorgeous boy! It was great getting to know him better, now that he's developed a real personality. I'm so sad that they are soon going to be on the other side of the world though, and that my sister won't be able to see our baby unless/until we go to Melbourne to visit them. Boo 
I spent most of the first week eating & sleeping (around our outings though), and then the second week, when we were on our own at the cottage in Yorkshire), PIN (pregnancy-induced nausea - it's *not * _morning _ sickness!) kicked in more, which curtailed our activities somewhat. I've been fairly lucky though, it's not too bad most days.
Back to lots of busy work this week, and then a hectic weekend, as we're going down to Brighton Pride on Saturday, and to the Innocent Fruitstock music festival in Regent's Park on Sunday (unless we're both too shattered, which will be a distinct possibility). 
Anyone else going to Pride?

Tamsin


----------



## MG

Hello everyone!

I've been reading the posts on here for a while but never realised quite how much I relied on FF until the site went down. So have decided to finally take the plunge and post.

My partner and I have been on the TTC path for a while now. Had 4 natural IUIs and 2 ICSIs all BFN. As you can imagine it has been a hard process. All BFNs are hard to deal with but the further down the path you go, more and more hope gets chipped away at. With IUI failures you always have the hope that if it comes to it, you'll do IVF. With IVF there isn't a next step as such its either keep going or give up and financially we are suffering!

I'm currently undergoing immunology tests etc but hopefully I shall start my next IVF (can't afford the ICSI this time) end August or September. 

Like some of you, we have been TTC long enough to have friends who have talked about and decided to have a family at the same time as us, conceive, have successful pregnancies and even begin planning for the 2nd. Its tough feeling like your the one left behind and wondering if it will ever be your turn. 

It has been wonderful to see the successes on here, especially the ladies who have had been down the TTC path as long as I have -it gives me hope.

I hope I can join in the support you all offer each other on here.  

Melissa xx


----------



## Spangley

Mable - hope your friend's ET went well  

Good luck with the pee sticks in Amsterdam Alison - hope you don't have to come back early

Hi Irisbea - hope you get on OK with the counsellor at the Bridge - let me know what you think of him. 

Good luck with down reg Feistyblue

Have fun at Brighton Pride Nismat - I'll be at Stratford seeing The Tempest with my grandmother for her 90th birthday!

and welcome to the fold MG


----------



## starrysky

Hi everyone

Glad to be back!

Going to post again in a minute but before I forget Spangley who is your acupuncturist again? Our friend is beginning IVF soon and she lives in the clapham area. I was sorry to hear of your frustrating outcome this time. 

News was good so far with Boom - will tell you more when I come back.

Love

Heather


----------



## Spangley

Hi Heather - It's Nick Johnson who practises at Common Sense next to Clapham Common tube.


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## nismat

So glad to get the positive mini-update re: Boom - look forward to hearing more when you've time *Heather*!

*Melissa * - welcome to the gang, and glad that you've delurked to join us  
It sounds like you've been through a lot so far; I hope that the immunology tests point you in a direction that could help the next round of IVF succeed.


----------



## starrysky

Hi everyone

Gosh Tamsin you are nearly ten weeks pregnant already, that seems fast to me. Iam twenty weeks tomorrow, half way through  . Your hols sounds nice despite the PIN. I have PIBP (pregnancy induced bladder problems, otherwise known as a UTI) which I am hoping will quickly go. 

Welcome Melissa - I know how you feel, we were four/five years trying before our BFP. There is hope. 

Thanks Spangley. Are you going to carry on with the acupuncture. I am sure it will help.

Hi Alison - we are looking at a Northumberland hols brochure at the moment for after Boom arrives so maybe we'll get to meet you then. 

Good luck Feistyblue, and Irisbea    . 

We were so frustrated when we couldn't share with you our news about the scan. It couldn't have been better. Boom is the right size and everything is in the right place - in the consultants words he is looking "healthy and normal". Of course we are not out of the woods yet as we still have to have the heart scan and a further anomaly at 23 weeks but it is good early news. Oh, and you'll notice I've said "he". Boom is a  ! Any tips on raising boys welcome!

Love to everyone

Heather

Forgot to say we're not going to make it to Pride partly due to my UTI and backache but also as I am still of work I feel ackward about going. Definietley next year.


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## nismat

Hooray, hooray *Heather*! That's such good news about Boom! And congrats on his little boy-ness  I've always had a preference for a girl, but after spending time with nephew Lewis, and hearing how boy babies are generally much more affectionate (and generally easier!), I'm really not too bothered what we end up having (as if I would ever really mind, as long as we get a baby - but you know what I mean). 
Sorry about the UTI, that can't be much fun. 
And no, I can't quite believe that we are almost at 10 weeks (a quarter of the way through!!!!) already  By 'eck, it's going quickly  Congrats on your halfway milestone; I'll bet that you are thrilled to be there.

Love Tx


----------



## Mable

Ooooh, am SO excited that Heather is nearly at 20 weeks and Tamsin 10. Nice and even, progressing so quickly. Tamsin - tempted to discover the gender??! Go on.....

Boys are wonderful - as are girls. Baby Boom boy (lovely) will be wonderful, because he's yours and extra special. Can you feel him moving yet - little flutters?? Hmmm - tips for raising boys - there are so many wonderful lesbians doing it beautifully, there must be books written about it by now. One thing about baby boys - they wee everywhere, into their mouths, all over the floor, over your clothes. Monty wee'd into Edith's stomach the minute he was plucked from the womb (caesarian) and it's just gone on from there. The washing is horrendous - now I go to work with wee on my clothes, it soon dries.

Thanks for all your babydust for my friend in Pretoria - her embryos are nice and healthy, growing away and will go back in on Friday (they do blastocysts there). Keep throwing babydust her way please   

Monty is now 16 weeks and a big fat budha baby. He is eating his hands and beaming at us. 

Contacted Kings about my turn - they can't see me until DECEMBER just for an initial consultation (my GP referred me in April!) and no update as to the sperm situation there! It's going to be a long haul but we are so lucky to have one.

 to Pretoria,
Mable


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## nismat

Oh my goodness *Mable*, that is a very long wait for a consultation! Things are looking so bad at the moment with the donor sperm situation, that it may actually be better by the time you get to try.

And no, we're not tempted to find out boy/girl at the 20wk scan (or at least not at the moment..... )

Your matter-of-factness about the pee on your work clothes really made me laugh  My sister always chucks a muslin over Lewis's bits as soon as she undoes the dirty nappy, so at least when he does do an immediate wee, it doesn't go absolutely everywhere.


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## starrysky

Just adding some   for Pretoria!

Heather


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## Spangley

Morning all - great news about little   boy Boom, Heather. Yes I am going to carry on with the acupuncture - going to make an appointment today for next week. 

I know I shouldn't think like this but can't help it - I keep thinking that having had one abandoned cycle maybe my next cycle is more likely to work    

Mable - wow that's a long wait to be seen at King's - I often wonder if I should have transferred there after Guy's were so rubbish but looks like I was best just to completely drain the bank accounts and go to the Bridge

Nismat - because we're having PGS we can ask AFTER the embryo transfer whether they were boy or girl embryos - how freaky is that. Not going to though - just don't think it would be good to know in case it doesn't work 

Have a great day everyone


----------



## blueytoo

Melissa - welcome to the thread. 

Heather - boys are wonderful - mine is 8 years old now and an angel. He also had suspected heart probs in utero and I had to have 6 fetal cardiac scans at the specialist unit at Guys. All was well though.

Claire


----------



## MG

Thanks for the welcome!

Tamsin- Yes I've been lurking long enough! Congrats on your pregnancy by the way. I really hoped the IVF would work for you as I remember a few times that you have echoed my feelings about whether the treatment would ever work but as it worked for you that gives me hope. Sometimes I tend to think if I feel like it'll never work maybe my instincts are trying to tell me something but its probably just fear!

Heather- Wow 4-5 years before you got your BFP! How did you remain so positive through all that time that you didn't give up? I keep telling myself that my time will come and I will do as much as I can to get my BFP, but I'm also preparing myself for the 'what if'. Wonderful news on your scan, and a boy too! 

Spangley- I know what you mean about not wanting to know about the embryos gender in case it doesn't work. I'm glad that I have never been offered a photo of the embryos at ET like some are as it would just feel more real and painful when looking at them again. If I had a BFP that would be a different matter entirely.

Mable- Here's some  for your friend in Pretoria.

Spangley & Claire- We may be cycling together as my down-reg looks set for 22/08 _if_ my bloods are sorted in time.

I was supposed to be starting down-reg end July but my clinic (LWC) discovered that I had tests missing and for once it wasn't their fault!! My local surgery forgot to do it. 

I rang my surgery today to check on my bloods and shock horror  they came in today!! I'm getting more and more hopeful about starting my IVF this month now... I have to have a consultation with my Dr to get the actual results though which is tomorrow. I presume there must be something in them if I have to speak to my Dr as they normally give them out over the phone  I don't know if I want them to find something in my bloods or not. If yes -then there's something to work on and I'll feel like it can be fixed. Equally it means my treatment will only get more complicated.

Melissa


----------



## brasilgirl

Hi everyone
Before the site went all haywire I posted a couple of messages , but didn't manage to get back on the site afterwards.
Well, heard from the clinic today that we got through the ethics committee and they are letting us use fresh sperm as we already have a child with our "donor" - in inverted commas as we don't consider him a  donor, he is our daughter's dad.

A bit complicated as my cycle has decided to jump from 28 days to 23 - which means we have to be on standby to cancel our holiday to do a cycle (hopefully) of IUI at the beginning of September. 
We have decided to use injectables (Menapure is the clinic's drug of choice) as that's what worked last time. I has one IUI with Clomid and one with injectables 3 1/2 years ago and have our lovely Maia as a result.
Anyone else used this drug? I feel as if I am embarking on all this again for the first time. Any info/help would be really gratefully received.The clinic are being lovely, but I can't even remeber which questions to ask.
Our added complication is that Maia's dad lives in Brazil so we have just been on the phone to him to arrange his visit over here to cover the whole window of opportunity, plus give time for all the tests. It took me about 45 minutes just to calculate all the possible dates. 
We will freeze sperm as well, but we won't have to wait 6 months for quarantine, we can just keep using it. I am feeling very positive about it working first time for no other reason than , if it does, it is likely that my due date would be my 40th birthday, and despite not being able to have the party I had begun to organise in my head, I really like the idea.
On the other side, I am realistic, but it worked once, so why not again?
Hope you are all well - I haven't quite got to grips with who everyone is and have no idea what all the abbreviations mean. I guess I'll pick it up.
Take care
Julie


----------



## Mable

Thanks for all your babydust for Pretoria. 4 of the embies made it to blastocyst stage, 2 going back in today - fingers crossed.

I've heard a little more from Kings - due to the sperm shortage, they are allocating 8 ampules of sperm per person. It is up to me to choose whether I use it for 4 IUIs (which uses 2 ampules per attempt) or 8 IVFs which uses 1 ampule but is so much more expensive. Its so hard to decide to go straight to IVF when I've not tried IUI - theres always the possibility that it might work for me in the first few gos. There is a long waiting list for the sperm, its a matter of waiting for a donor to turn up and my name being at the top of the waiting list, and that's after I am seen for consultation (December).  

So, am seriously thinking of going to the Bridge. Spangley - what do you think of Bridge? Could you let me know how much IVF costs all in all - can't quite work it out from their website. Is there sperm there? Is there a wait to start treatment?

Tamsin - ta for your wee tips! My problem is I try to give him a good airing to prevent nappy rash, hence the spraying problem.  

Good luck to the growing bumps and have a good, fertile weekend everyone.
Mable


----------



## Spangley

Hi Mable - I think the Bridge is OK - nurses are all really friendly and some of the doctors more approachable than others. I can tell you which ones to ask for if you do go there

In terms of costs - it's something like £2785 for the IVF cycle plus £210 for the sperm (if it's their own sperm) and £103 for the HFEA fee. The drugs are on top of that allow £1000-£1500 but get them to do you a prescription and buy it elsewhere as they're really expensive if you get them from the Bridge. ICSI is another £1,030 or you could go for Assisted Hatching instead which is £605. I'm only having ICSI as I'm having PGS as well to make sure there's only one sperm anywhere near each egg. 

The only thing I don't know is if they've got any kind of waiting list for treatment - I've been going there for a whole year now and have asked regularly whether there's any shortage of sperm and always been told no


----------



## Tonia2

Hi all, 
This is the first time I've had a chance to check on FF since the site has been down, I didn't realise how addicted I was until it wasn't available!!  I've so missed you all!

*Spangley* I was so sorry to hear your cycle was abandoned...I was looking forward to comparing stages and symptoms.... I hope the next one is much better for you!!

I've had a fairly exciting week. Had EC on Wednesday and ET on Friday - yesterday. On the scan Thursday week ago I only had 6 follicles and so I had the option of abandoning the cycle or upping the dose of Gonal F & rescanning on Monday. I wasn't ready to let it go and felt miserable all weekend, sure that we were going to have abandon it still  . On the scan on Monday I had 12 follies, which was still borderline but we decided to go ahead anyway. Bron & I drove to Hobart on Tuesday night and we've only just got back tonight. We got 6 eggs  , 5 fertilised and 3 were of good quality, so we had one put back yesterday and have two frosties!  We were rapt with the fertilisation rate as most people I've spoken to (including the 2 women who had EC on the same morning) started with around 20 or more follies,with less than half fertilising, so I was really nervous we wouldn't have anything to show for it by the end. *Tamsin, * I've just had a read over some of the old posts and saw that you had a similar number of eggs - and now you're pregnant... here's hoping! Our test date is not til Monday 21st August, that's 17 days after ET.. what a hideous length of time!! I so don't think I'll be able to wait that long if I don't get a period!! After our ET we went and spent 4 hours in the botanic gardens in Hobart & sat in the sun. It was a very relaxing break away, all in all!!

Good luck to all, 
love Tonia, Bron (& pipsqueak!!)


----------



## starrysky

HI everyone

Are any of you having problems posting or is it just us? Sometimes we just have to give up.

Spangley - best of luck for cycle no.2. I felt a lot more calm for my second cycle and I am sure that helped. 

Great encouraging words about bringing up boys!

Julie - glad to hear your news. 

Melissa - I don't know how we kept going, if someone had said before we started it would be that long I  would have went mad! Good luck with yours when it gets going. 

Mable - that's all very frustrating and limiting at Kings isn't it. It looks like the sperm shortage is really taking hold and I've read those other posts about the HFEA stoppping giving licenses for US sperm. Sound slike you should explore other options. The other thing for us is that we really like everyone at Kings but we will miss Dr C. 

Feistyblue - so glad to hear that your little boy was well after the heart worries. It has been horrible for us, but it is good to see that you can get through it. 

Tonia -      for Pipsqueak!

Bye for now!
Heather


----------



## Spangley

Hey Tonia - great to hear your news I was wondering how you were doing. Fab news you had such a good response. Sorry you've got to wait so long to test - that's going to be tough. Anyway here's some    all the way from London  

Hi Starrysky - do you think I'm allowed to call it cycle number 2? I hope so as I figure that means it's more likely to work! I do feel a bit calmer although have this niggling worry that something was wrong with my FSH level test in April and that when they test on CD2 it's going to have shot up. And I'm cross that we're forking out another £1500 on top of the payments we've already made for treatment. So maybe I'm more worried and angry than calm!


----------



## irisbea

Hi starry sky How exciting that Boom is a boy, I thought that i would always want a girl but now im starting to feel the other way although or course as long as a baby comesi dont really care and it could be both and it wouldnt bother me 1 jot. Althogh I have to say Mable that the tales of wee has come as a slight shock, is it that they wee more or that its just more likely to go everywhere i wonder. Waiting till december does seem like a huge wait. is there no where else who could see you sooner?Nismat The reason I might not be accepted by the Bridge is that we want to use my best friend as a donor and hes HIV +. This has been done ++++ with straight couples with no incidence of transmission but as far as im awarenot v much with people like us, so they have to judge whether or not ive thought it all through I guess. My partner had her IUI on saturday but then had to work a 14 hr day as we coudnt find any one to cover,not ideal.
In answer to your question Id be over the moon if she got pregnant first as a suspect she will. I will have to wait 6 months while the sperm is quarantined for other diseases if we are accepted so there should be a managable gap between babies. Im just very conscious of the effect of time on fertility and really feel we should both get on with it ASAP to be safe.


----------



## blueytoo

*Tonia *- great to hear you news and that you got some embies to freeze too. Fingers crossed for you.

*Heather* - it is horribly stressful and we were very lucky. Going up to London for all the extra scans in that highly medicalised environment was not pleasant and having to hold our breath once he was born and checked by the paeds/cardiac specialist wasn't nice either. It is really common apparently, for them to think that something is wrong with hearts as there are sometimes things they can't see that they should be able to and vice versa.

No news from me yet - just sick of taking the pill and desperate to start down reg and take my last pill!!

Claire xx


----------



## starrysky

Hi everyone

We had a mini-anomaly scan today (I went for a scan as have had a very uncomfortable pressure feeling in that area - my fault for not doing my pelvic floors). Everything still looking good with Boom - they could see his heart more clearly now and it is looking structurally fine. It is good to know that hearts are a common concern. We must put his picture up if we can manage it. 

Spangley - I'd call it No. 2!!!! Good luck this time. 

Irisbea - I love your dog picture . good luck with your partners treatment!   

Bye for now

Heather


----------



## Alison0702

Hello everyone

Feel like I havnt been on here for ages. 

Had a fantastic time in Amsterdam, and pride was great. Had my scan on Monday and I had 1 leading follicle of 16mm. I still havnt ovulated yet though even though I am on day 16 of my cycle. It was day 16 last month, so if I havnt ovulated by tomorrow, I have to call the consultant who will probably tell me to take the HCG injection and then go for my IUI Thursday or Friday - I really hope it's Friday as I am bridesmaid on Thursday and it wont go down too well if I have to leave half way through  
Have bought my pineapple juice just in case, and must get the choccy covered brazil nuts this time.

Heather - Good news from the scan chuck. I'm really pleased that you seem to be a lot more relaxed now, apart from the obvious medical issues... 
There's some lovely places in Northumberland to visit. And yes, would be fab to meet you all when you come. 

Mable  - Have just noticed on another thread that Mrs Nikki has Monty's photo as her avatar

Tamsin - Hows your bump? Hope your doin ok and not working too hard.

Tonia - Great news, sending you lots of  

Melissa - Welcome to the thread. Sorry to hear things havnt been so good for you, but hopefully it will be your turn soon.


----------



## nismat

Hi all, too much work and resulting exhaustion at the moment to be able to have much computer time at the moment (which given my internet addiction, you know that I really must be knackered!). Still, at least the next few weeks it looks like I'll be working from home, which will be a lot easier.
My bump is growing!!! OK, so there's a good layer of fat on the outside, but when Karen & I hug, we can both feel the firmness of the growing bump between us!  Have to say, it's quite a weird feeling! It's weird to think that I'm actually starting to look pregnant already, and I'm not even 11 weeks yet!

Got my appointment through for our 12 week ultrasound today - and it's for next Wednesday afternoon!  Luckily, it looks like Karen will be able to make it, even though it's in the middle of a working day. I'm trying to sort out a nuchal translucency scan as well (has to be between 11w3d and 14 weeks, according to the local private hospital, and they only do them on Monday's, so I probably need to book in for Monday 21st).

*Tonia & Bron* - I can't quite believe that you are already on your IVF 2ww! Such a lot must have happened for you whilst the boards were down. Can't believe that you've got a 17 day wait - that's just plain ridiculous! Although I think testing "early" (i.e. before 14dpo) isn't a great idea (hate those BFNs), I think that doing a test at 13 or 14dpt is going to give you a pretty clear answer on an IVF cycle. Do they do a blood test, or would you just be doing a home test anyway, given that you are some distance away from the clinic? 
Glad you got 2 embryos to freeze as well - that must feel "safer". Hope that Pipsqueak is getting well stuck in right now    We've named our little one Pip whilst in utero (the 2 embies were Bill & Ben, then became the less gender-specific Pip & Pod after the +ve pregnancy test, but Pip won out when we found out that we were just expecting one).

*Spangley * - yes, I would definitely call this cycle number 2 as well  Are you waiting for your period so that you can get started again? Have everything crossed for a nice, normal FSH result for you    So sorry about the extra costs from the failed cycle; it must make it doubly frustraiting 

*Irisbea * - I think that you had mentioned before that your chosen donor is HIV+, but I had forgotten. I hope that it all works out for you, and that the Bridge agree to treat you, as they would a straight couple.
Best of luck for a successful outcome to your partner's first 2ww 

*Heather * - glad that the mini-scan showed everything is in good working order with Boom's heart. I keep forgetting to do my pelvic floor exercises as well  - plus, when I do remember, I'm never quite sure if I'm doing them right. I seem to be either clenching my bum or my tum at the same time, which I'm sure isn't what is supposed to be happening!

*Alison * - hope that you get to do the IUI soon (and that it doesn't interfere with the wedding on Thursday!).

Catch up with you all soon,
Tamsin xx


----------



## Mable

Hello everyone,
Just wanted to say hello. And good luck to Tonia.

Is so lovely, Tamsin, that 12 week scan. Amazing to see them so formed, only 6 weeks after the little bean blob. Glad Karen can be there too.

Monty had his appointment with the paediatrician for his reflux, is now on 2 more medications, the paediatrician said he is " yummy scrummy". It should get better in 2 months, he is still waking every 3 hours at night which is quite tiring.

 to you all
Mable


----------



## Spangley

Good luck with your IUI Alison - hope it's on Friday not Thursday  

Sorry to hear you've been working so hard Tamsin. How exciting that your bump is already so obvious   

Yes I'm just waiting for my period to start now so I can get going again. What I really liked about the long protocol was having everything nicely booked in my diary so I didn't have the stress of waiting till my period started and that having to book in for a scan the very next day which is what I've got to do this time. I'm hoping my cycle hasn't been too mucked around by the drugs so I should be on CD 19 now and my cycle's usually 26/27 days long. My FSH was 9.2 a year ago and 6.8 in April - please let it be normal and baseline scan ok so we can have a proper try at IVF this time    

Hello Mable - you must post more often so we get to see that lovely picture of Monty! Sorry he's on more medication but good to hear he's getting better


----------



## Alison0702

everyone

Just a quick update...Still havn't ovulated so consultant has told me to do one more test tonight and if still negative I have to have the HCG injection at 1100pm. I am imagining that I will need the injection, which means that I go for my IUI on Friday at 7pm.     

Lots of     for you Spangley for this cycle..

Speak soon


----------



## MG

Hi everyone

*Julie*-Good luck with it all. I hope all the planning works out for you.

*Tonia & Bron*-    here's hoping your 2ww brings you those two lines we all long to see. Sounds like the journey to EC was a bit of a trial!

*Irisbea*-All the best with getting accepted at The Bridge and best wishes during your partner's 2ww   

*Alison*-Thanks for your well wishes. Good news about your IUI being on the Friday! I hope everything goes well tomorrow and lots of   

*Tamsin*-It must be so exciting to see the changes in your body which you have wanted for so long -but maybe a little scary at times I'd imagine. It sounds like your pregnancy is moving along very nicely.

*Heather*-Great to hear more good news from your scan.

Good luck to everyone else getting ready for their next treatment.

Melissa


----------



## Spangley

Hello all 

Just checking in

Alison - loads of     for tonight. I'll be thinking of you at 7pm as I tuck into a glass of wine. I've been allowing myself a little bit of what I fancy rather than Whey to Go and Linseeds while I'm between tx!


----------



## Alison0702

Hi 

   Swim Spermies Swim   

Thanks so much for your   and  

Well, the 2ww has arrived. Saw the sperm under the microscope and they were swimming like little good uns. Hope they are swimming in the right direction now  

Spangley - I hope you are enjoying your wine. I am sooooooooooo glad to have a break from alcohol, as I have completely overdosed on it over the last week -especially yesterday at the wedding  

Speak soon


----------



## Spangley

Yay good luck Alison loads of    to you and the  

Wine was good except I'm absolutely trashed after 2 glasses. Had pizza and garlic bread too


----------



## RachandSue

hello to everyone again!

we have had to re register since site went down! i'm finding this board a real help and we wish you all the luck the luck in the world!  

we've put our feelers out and hopefully we willl begin our journey soon, gp appt for me this week to see if they have any advice before we approach the clinic!

any advice will be helpful - questions to ask gp etc, lets hope he is supportive as we don't really know him due to very rare appts!!!!


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## starrysky

Hello all,

Rach & Sue - Welcome back!  Only advice we have re: GP appointment is to try & decide exactly what you want from him before you go, including which treatment centre etc.  Most clinics will want a referral from your GP, we think?  You may find that you wil need to tell him what to do, the process etc.  When we approached GP (many years ago now!) Heather went 1st & told her our circumstances & that we wanted a family.  She offered various blood tests & referred us to Kings, which was our choice of place as we had already made contact with them.  We would recommend doing it this way around so you know what the clinic are asking for.  Plus, if you are both going to the GP, make a double or an extended appointment.  Best of luck.


Spangley - We want Pizza & garlic bread now!  Jo says she wouldn't mind the wine too!

Alison - Boom  is sending loads of Boom        for those               Jo is doing the fertility dancing again (any excuse!)                                

Spangley - We are very hopeful the accupuncture will help with your body's response & will really imrove things for you.  Loads of luck for this 2nd try: Boom will send loads of   at the right time & Jo will do the fertility dancing again.

Mable - Sorry to hear about Monty need more medication, still he looks like a healthy bouncer to us!  Lack of sleep must be difficult, remember it should get better quite soon & it is not forever.

Tamsin - I too looked pregnant very early on.  In my case from the egg collection!    Hope the scans go well   

Heather is  almost certain she can feel Boom moving a little now which is lovely.  On the negative side she hasnt been feeling so well lately:  Had a nasty UTI, a bout of breathlessnes & now has glucose in her wee & off to be checked for gestational diabeties next week!  Jo keeps saying it is not essential for Heather to develop every pregnancy problem known to medical science but  
The very important detailed scan at Kings is coming up in less than 2 weeks now & hopefully Boom & the heart will be healthy & strong.

Heather & Jo


----------



## RachandSue

thanks Heather & Jo, advice taken on board. Kings? sorry no idea where they are? we were thinking of the clinic at tun.wells or the lwc.


----------



## starrysky

Jus a quickie...
Rach & Sue - Kings is in London, Denmark Hill/Camberwell.  We hear they have long waiting lists just now.  We went there as we used to live closer & then as we weere in their system anyhow & knew them we just stuck with them when we moves to Kent.  We normally allow a couple of hours each way for the journey, not ideal but we managed.
Jo & Heather


----------



## RachandSue

sorry of course kings college hospital! what a wally! well thanks for your input and we will let you all know how helpful the gp was!!!


----------



## Alison0702

Jo - your fertility dancing is fabulous   and I am sure it will work!  
Tell Boom thank you for his lovely thoughts and to keep that teeny heart beating nice and strong for the scan          
Hiya Heather...sorry your not feeling too well today - although I am not surprised with your track record    

Rach and Sue - Hello again.. We did the same as Jo and Heather and visited the GP after we had looked into what clinic we wanted to go to. I'd had quite a few day21 tests and other bloods done, and my doctor was great. She had to do a referral to the clinic and sent all the results of my previous blood tests so it was really easy. We had a clinic recommended to us, so again, there was no worries of it being lesbian friendly. Good luck, and as you can see, when the time is right, Jo will do a bit of a boogie for you   

Spangley - I am off to Asda now for some alcohol free wine   Friends coming round tonight and I am cooking Lasagne, so dont want to feel left out!!! 

Off to our friends little boys 1st birthday party tomorrow, so that should be fun. Last time I was on my   it was our friends little girls christening and I just couldn't face going to it, so hopefully tomorrow I'll be alright. 

Lots of   to all


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Hellllllllooooooo everyone

Well i have been reading everyones posts but never get the chance to post as louis loves the keyboard too and i am usually asleep by 8pm ( after he has dropped off).  Louis is now one years old and can walk 6 steps.  We are loving every minute off him.  Lee has just started taking her injections to stimulate egg production (IVF) and we have a scan on Friday then possible egg collection the next monday so its all abit scarey as its cycle 2.  Her dose has been increased to 300 now and she has taken 3 days worth and can feel somthing in her ovary area.  Were a bit worried as off to see Madonna in concert for her 30th on Tuesday and if it is OHSS we may have a few problems

Sounds like so much good news on the baby frount on the board.  Congratulations to everyone its fantastic news.  So many boys too.  We would like another boy if possible.  Lee has this premenition that she is going to have twin girls with curly red hair when she falls pregnant.

Lots of love to everyone

Charley, Lee and Louis


----------



## RachandSue

hi Alison,

thanks for your note may i ask which clinic you used?

xx


----------



## Spangley

Hi Heather and Jo - can't wait to have some fertility dancing it looks like fun. Sorry to hear you haven't been feeling well Heather   hope you start to feel Boom moving more strongly soon what an exciting feeling

Hi Alison - how was the alcohol free wine? 

I'm going back to healthy eating and no alcohol again from today as period should arrive this week ready for me to start tx again. I had acupuncture yesterday to help it along. Just want to get started again now

Hi RachandSue - I would recommend going straight to private tx if you're thinking of it which means you don't have to be referred by your GP but it's useful to get all the blood tests etc done on the NHS to save money if you can so useful to get the GP on side. WE wasted months trying to get treatment at Guy's and they were crap - don't work at weekends so we'd have missed several months as I seemed to get the LH surge on a Saturday plus they've got no access to sperm anyway. I'm at the Bridge Centre near London Bridge which might be more convenient for you than LWC if you're in Kent. 

Hope everyone's having a great weekend. We're waiting for the rain to stop so we can go and dig potatoes!


----------



## Alison0702

RachandSue - We are up North. We go to Spring House in Middlesbrough, which is 
1 1/2hrs drive from Newcastle  

Spangley - Alcohol free wine was ok, but was awake til 2am with bad stomach. Feel ok today though. Have just got back from a kids party, and have eaten my own body weight in buffet food.. Still not enough, have just scoffed a bar of dairy milk with my cup of tea  
Hope you managed to dig your potatoes  

Heather - Hope you're feeling better today


----------



## RachandSue

Hi all,

Alison: thanks up north is a bit far for us! We have had news from the sussex downs clinic who have said they will see us, going to go to gp next wednesday (earliest non emergency appt!) so will run it past the gp and see if they are happy to do tests then make appt for clinic. i wish you so much luck for the 25th i hope that the news is brilliant so we can all celebrate!



hope the rest of you ladies are well sorry to hear about your upsets etc especially heather im sure you have got every pregancy problem known to medical science just wait for me it the only part sue is dreading!! haha!

love to you all

xxxxx


----------



## nismat

Hi all, have been lurking recently. Too lacking in energy to do anything much positive!

*Alison*, wishing you luck for the 2ww    Hope that you're not finding it too stressful.

*Tonia * - how long now until you & Bron test? Really hoping that Pipsqueak is planning on staying around for you.   

*Spangley * - hope that your period turns up v soon (if it hasn't already), so that you can get going again. It's funny when you get drunk so easily isn't it, after hardly drinking at all. The thought of alcohol just makes my stomach turn at the moment! Don't miss it one incey-wincey little bit 

*Rach & Sue* - I'd agree wtih what the others said about GP visits. The tests which my clinic needed (and I think most are the same), and which my GP did for me were: CMV, Hep B and Hep C, chlamydia, high vaginal swab, rubella and a smear. I had to get a day 2 or 3 FSH hormone blood test done at the clinic, just prior to starting treatment. I also had to explain what IUI was to my GP! (he didn't know the acronym). At the moment, one of the most important factors in choosing a clinic is whether they've actually got access to donor sperm. There's a truly horrendous shortage at the moment, esp for NHS clinics. Both London Women's Clinic and the Bridge (also in London), have their own sperm banks, so you can be fairly certain of supplies there, although treatment may be more expensive. Plus travelling is a right pain (I had to allow at least half a day for every visit, as it's 2hrs+ each way from us to LWC).

*Mable * - sorry that you're still suffering from so little sleep. I hope that the extra medications for Monty are helping all of you. Can't believe that I haven't met him yet!

*Heather * - wow, that's wonderful that you think that you can feel Boom . Roughly when is it that Jo should be able to feel his kicks from the outside? You certainly do seem to be suffering from *all * the pregnancy ills don't you, poor thing!  Hope that the GD test comes up clear for you.

*Charley & Lee* - I hadn't realised that things were so advanced with Lee's IVF cycle already! Hope that everything is going according to plan. BTW, with the "ovary feelings" on stimms, I had those, and only had 6 follies! So I don't think that it's necessarily an indicator of OHSS. Was the Madonna concert last night? Hope that you had a great time if so!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

As for me, feeling decidedly lethargic at the moment. Luckily, haven't got much work on, so just lazing around. The house desperately needs cleaning, but I just can't summon up the energy. Have finally given in to Karen's demands for us to get a cleaner - just need to find one now.

Had the first midwife visit yesterday (at home, as it's a team of community m/ws) and told her immediately about the fact that we are lesbians. Although apparently we'll only be the second lesbian couple they have dealt with, she was completely cool about it and very accepting. Hopefully the other 4 midwives on the team will be just as blase about it. Nothing much happened on the appointment, but we've made the next one for a Saturday so that Karen can be there too (at the midwife's suggestion - I didn't even realise that they would do Saturday visits!).

Today's our dating u/s. Fingers crossed that there are no horrible surprises.  There's a good chance however that Karen may not make it in time, as she's got a training thing on this morning which doesn't end until 12.30pm, and then she's got to make it back to Colchester, and to the hospital by 1.50pm. Hmmmm, not very likely!  Chances are though, the antenatal clinic will be running late (and if not, I'm going to ask if our scan can be delayed slightly until she gets there).

Love to all 
Tamsin


----------



## Mable

Hello,
Big hug to Tamsin for your 12 week scan. Hope it was great to see your little bean fully grown. Fingers crossed that Karen made it in time. The exhaustion is a very good sign, although sounds difficult when you are trying to work - your baby is growing hard. 

Good luck for our 2ww-ers - Tonia and Alison! Much     for you.

Heather - I really hope you haven't got gestational diabetes. 

I am now a part-time mum, yipee! I work 3 days a week and Edith will be doing 2 when the schools go back in September. I am doing swimming, ballet and music classes with Monty on my 2 days, Edith is doing sitting about in cafes eating cake with other mums on her 3 days. I think this just about sums us up.


----------



## nismat

*Mable*, that's hilarious about the different activities Monty is doing with his 2 mums! So wonderful that you are doing just 3 days a week now, and have 4 days to be with Monty.

You can see the results of the scan in my profile pic - young Pip was posing nicely! Head down (bottom left) - and the lump that is sticking out of the head is one of the hands. The white bones of the spine were amazingly clear, running up the left hand side, and you can also more or less make out the leg/foot at the top. S/he wasn't moving around (asleep no doubt), so although we got 4 separate pics, they are virtually identical. We're already booked in for our 20wk anomaly scan on 11th October, but before then we've got the private nuchal scan next Monday. The midwife at the hospital said not to bother with the triple blood test if we're having the nuchal - the latter is more accurate anyway. After that's done, it's all just a case of Pip getting bigger and bigger!


----------



## Mable

Delicious, Tamsin!
A wonderful picture. x


----------



## Spangley

How wonderful Tamsin - SO exciting!!!

Mable - love the sound of your lives with Monty - sounds great  

No news whatsoever here - period still hasn't started but it's only day 26 so that is within the normal range. I've got really bad pains though so I guess it's coming soon. Really want to get started again on those yummy sniffs and tummy jabs


----------



## lucky2010

Wow, the pic is fantastic Tamsin.

Mable, are you doing 3 long days or 3 short shifts? Sounds fab to be part time!

hope everyone is doing ok... including 2wwaiters!!!!

love Rach and Julie x


----------



## Mable

Hello
I am doing 3x 9-5 days and Edith is doing 2 days (job share).

Feels fab to have finished my week tonight!! Is great to be part-time although managers do cram the work in. Not so much time to be on the internet at work..


----------



## bagpuss1

Hi Guys,

Sorry I have not been on for a while, busy being mummy!

Tamsin, I cant believe you are 12 weeks already, your scan piccie looks scrummy! Wont be long now and you will be feeling those little flutters that tell you, yes it really is real!

Heather, so glad that things are working out so well for little boy boom! a boy OMG, well done you! hows your bump?

Mable, Since I have gone back from maternity leave, both Helen and I have been working 3 days a week, Helens mum has Edie on a Wednesday and we get to be a family together on the weekends, work is so much less stressfull and really feels as if we have really come together as a family unit. IT IS GREAT!

Hi to everyone else, keeping my fingers crossed for the 2ww!

Edie is now 7 1/2 months- where has time gone!! She now has two front teeth and enjoys showing them off with a funny little smile that she seems to have developed! she is trying to crawl but keeps forgetting that she actually needs her arms to do this and ends up in the sky diving position!

Well better go, duty calls,

loads of love,

Kerry and Edie


----------



## Tonia2

Hi guys, 
thanks for all your good wishes...  
I'm starting to feel a bit excited...my _*2.5ww * _ is nearly over  !! Though my offical test date is Monday (21st) Bron & I agreed we'd test Friday if no AF has turned up... and so far it hasn't !!  It was technically due Wednesday and I'm usually early...

but I'm trying hard not to get excited, just in case  ... oh dear... the 2ww is so annoying. I've been OKCing (obsessive knicker checking) since Monday, even waking up in the night & checking! and on Monday & Tues I found myself half wishing AF would just turn up just so that I could get the disappointment & waiting over with! On Sunday I was feeling really premenstrual  - sore boobs, achey tummy, and generally miserable, but through the day I realised (duh!) that the bellyache felt quite different to usual - less central and more like low tight band across my belly, no backache which would be my usual... if I was pregnant it would be a little early for stretching to be happening wouldn't you think?  It feels like stretching. It's now Thursday night and it hasn't gone away,i t's only got more intense, and I've even had little waves of nausea from time to time.... I'm figuring I've either 1) got some _weird _ tummy bug, 2) I've been completely drawn into some intense psychosomatic symptoms  , or 3) dare I say it.......maybe ...??!! 
Argghhh!! I so hope I've got good news for you all tomorrow! We _have_ to wait til tomorrow as its' only just been a week since my last Hcg injection... waiting waiting, waiting....as always...

*Alison- * how are you doing?  The first week of my 2ww I nearly even forgot about it all a few times  , but not so the 2nd week - no chance! I hope you're looking after yourself!! I had time off work and have been doing some lovely yoga poses, it's been lovely to give myself more permission to relax more fully.    lots of positive vibes to you. How did the bridesmaid thing go? I love dressing up... Bron hates it!  
I've become so tired of alcohol free wine - all the ones I seem to find are so darn sweet.... I'm on the lookout for alternatives... Lime juice with Indian Tonic water is my current favourite  .

*Mable-* are you _really_ swimming/ music lessons /ballet with Monty? Swimming & music lessons I can imagine, but ballet?  I did ballet for years, I'm trying to imagine a 4 month old in the class....  That's very cool if you are!! I'm jealous! I haven't danced in ages!! Part time work /sharing mothering sounds fabulous, we'd like to do that, but Bron has 3 and a bit years of full time Uni left to do - We'll have to just muddle along financially til then I think...
*
Tamsin * - love the piccy! He/she is gorgeous! the picture is so clear! Did Karen make it to the scan appt on time? I had no idea you'd named him/ her Pip - that's a very cool coincidence. hopefully we'll have a Pip and a Pipsqueak on the board soon! heh! How is the nausea? Love the term - hadn't heard the term PIN before, but of course, 'morning' sickness is a silly name... Is there anything you can do / take for it?

*Heather * - I was so excited to hear it's a boy, and that he's all fit and well! Congratulations. If I do get pregnant Bron really doesn't want to know the gender prior to the birth, so I'm going to either have to be very sneaky or bravely resist my curiosity. I think it's great to know! How much must it help with planning... I also hope you don't have Gestational diabetes, I think you've had enough to deal with... hang in there, good luck 

This is turning into a mammoth post!  I should do little ones more often! 
Does anyone know if *Gina * is has left already for Malaysia / Australia?  I have a feeling I've missed her...If you still have access to computer - have a great time Gina!!

*Kerry * I love the photo of Edie you've had up - can't see it today but she's very cute. The sky diving impression made me giggle.  It's lovely that you all have more time together & are feeling less stressed - that work/family life balance is a constant dance for us. Some days it works!

Who was it that said they decided to stop lurking and start chatting after the site was down -?  Was it Melissa? Well, I thought that was really cool of you anyway! -I failed to say so when I first read your post. Welcome, welcome!

I've really got to stop this novel... 

Spangly and Rach & Julie, & Brasilgirl ( I keep thinking I should do a list of all the abbreviations for you- it took me a while to figure alot of them out too. ...Just ask!) & Rach & Sue, & Charley & irisbea & Julie & Melissa & Claire (down-regging starts in 2 days! yay! it'll be here in no time...)- I think I've missed a few ... hello and love to you all

cheers, 
Tonia


----------



## lucky2010

how exciting tonia and Bron... fingers crossed for you for tomorrow.... hoping, hoping!!!!!

love Rach and Julie xxx


----------



## RachandSue

good luck Tonia and Bron!

we send all the positive vibes we can muster up!    

love Rach and Sue

xx


----------



## starrysky

Hi everyone

Just a quick one - Jo and I are house sitting and won't be back until next weekend, a few days after the scan. Heard Boom yesterday, he is doing alright. I'm having my diabetes test tomorrow so I am now fatsing -there's a first!!


Tamsin - Love Pip! Great picture. We really must put Boom on. 

Tonia -         . Wishing you luck. 

Bagpuss - nice to hear about Edie. I have a very definite bump! 

Mable - you are a lady of leisure now! Well I am sure not quite but that must be lovely. 

Spangley - roll on cycle no. 2!

Rach and Sue - good luck for your appointment, it's great to get it started. Very exciting. 

Thanks for all your good wishes about my pregnancy A-Z of problems. It has not been an easy time but I am sure will be worth it in the end. 

Hi to everyone else and once again to the 2WW'ers and soon to be 2WW'ers good luck!

Love

Heather

PS I want Nikki to win!


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Just realised that you are calling your baby 'PIP'.  Louis was called Pip too and we still use it now.  When he was in my tummy one of the children asked how big he was and i said the size of an apple pip and from there on the kids would ask hows Pip, is Pip kicking etc.  If Pip was a girl we were going to call her Piper.  What a coincidence.  Its scan time tomorrow at 8.15 am we are so nervous.  Hopefully its a day for good news all round - Its Lees mums 50th birthday party tommorrow and we have to dress in 60s/70s stuff and my dress is terrible and so short !

Hope your all doing ok its great to hear that Boom is making his presence known.

Madonna was fab, lee is still abit shell shocked - but she did not do Vogue !!!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


----------



## Spangley

Great to hear from you Tonia - loads of            coming your and Bron's way

Good luck for the diabetes test and the scan Heather (it would be fun if she won it - i'll be glued tonight)

Charley and Lee - soooo jealous you got to see Madonna. We sold our tickets because it was exactly the day I was due to be having egg collection and then of course I wasn't. Gutted doesn't come into it! Glad you had a good time though  

My AF still hasn't turned up - just very slight spotting so I know it's coming - AAARRRGGGGHHHH!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Lucy


----------



## nismat

Oh my goodness, *Tonia*, I'm sitting here tingling with excitement at your post. It sounds _soooooo _ promising! It is definitely *not * too early for uterine stretching - I got it straightaway too. And felt very PMS-y. Plus no period...... have you had HCG injections instead of progesterone for luteal support?? 
Gosh, I can't wait until it's Friday morning with you to hear the (hopefully) positive news    I'm actually going to have to try and find out how big the time difference is now!!

I'm not suffering from nausea any more - I think that I got away very lightly on that front, as I only really had it properly for about 2-3 weeks! And even then, it was more feeling motion sick than feeling like I was going to throw up. Pretty constant though, which is wearing. I found that crystallised ginger helped me, as did eating an oatcake if I was feeling both hungry and sick. PIN is my own term; don't think I nicked it from anywhere. Morning sickness is just so inaccurate! I've now got heartburn instead of nausea, I think. I can constantly feel my stomach inside me; it feels all sore and swollen, and I really can't eat very much at once or I feel terrible. Lots of snacking/small meals! I didn't realise quite how much your body gets taken over during pregnancy - you really are just a host for this growing baby, and most of what it takes from you leaves you feeling pretty rotten in one way or another. I'm severely lacking in energy at the moment. But it still all feels amazing and miraculous, even when I'm feeling like cr*p. Although I was cursing the baby for making me feel so rubbish yesterday as I went round Tesco, and then I managed to drop a bottle of fabric conditioner on my big toe which really hurt (and covered me in sticky goo!). I really had to fight to keep the tears in - they always seem close at hand at the moment. Luckily a nice lady stopped and helped me, gave me tissues and fetched someone to clean up the mess on the floor! 

*Kerry * - love the thought of Edie's sky-diving version of crawling! That's great that the two of you have also managed to work out a part-time work/parenting strategy. Don't think that it's going to be an option for Karen and me - in fact, it's not something we've even considered! Although Karen is trying to arrange to be able to work from home more. 
I can't believe that I'm already 12 weeks pregnant either! At the outset, the 9 months feels like it's going to be forever, but it's really flying by already, and it just feels so great to know that I'm actually pregnant now. TTC was _so _ hard at times, but it was all so utterly worth while.

So *Heather*, you're "fatsing" are you? That doesn't sound so bad, LOL  I know that you meant fasting really! Hope that the diabetes test isn't too grim - and that you haven't got GD of course! Is it the 1hr or 3hr test you've done?

*Charley & Lee*, fingers crossed for a successful scan result this morning, and a good clutch of maturing follies    Are you still on schedule for EC on Monday?

Isn't it funny how so many of us have gone for Pip, or a variation, as a name for the little one_ in utero_? Our reasoning, for the names Pip & Pod for the 2 embies, was based on the seed/implantation connection. My sister went with "the bean" for my niece, so I wanted something that was different, or it would have felt like stealing! They were also meant to be completely gender neutral names, although now I feel like Pip is more masculine than feminine (because of Pip in Great Expectations).

*Spangley * - hope that the spotting turns into full-on period very soon! If it comes over the weekend (which presumably it will), will that affect when you can have a base-line scan/start stimms, or can you still go to the Bridge over the weekend?

Love to all 
Tamsin


----------



## Tonia2

OMG!!!​
[fly]      [/fly]

      ​
I have to wait til Monday to have a blood test to be sure, and meanwhile I'm torturing myself by thinking the positive result could be just a carryover from the HCG injections (but the last one was 8 days ago...) ....We're so excited!!!

Thank you to all for your wonderful positive vibes!! Will definately keep you posted!

love Tonia, Bron & Pipsqueak! 

PS Charley, how unoriginal am I? Our current most favoured girls name is Piper!! And we've got the third Pip on this thread!!


----------



## nismat

Yes, yes, yes!!!!!

        ^

I just knew it from all the signs you were posting 

Oh, I'm so happy for you both, and I'm sure that the blood test on Monday will bring you exactly the same result.


----------



## MG

Tonia and Bron- Congratulations! Excellent news. It all sounds good to me and I'm sure your blood test on Monday will say the same. I'm so excited for you both.
      

Heather- I hope the diabetes test goes okay.

Charley and Lee- I hope your IVF is moving along nicely.

Tamsin- Beautiful picture!

Spangley- I hope your AF arrives soon. Its always so frustrating waiting to get started. Fingers crossed limbo land is almost over for you. 

Alison-It's always hard to do christenings and birthday parties when having treatment isn't it? Glad to hear that you seemed to find the party okay. Best wishes for your 2ww.

Rach and Julie- Good luck with your preparations!

My update: So much for starting treatment this month. Apparently there are some blood tests missing which I need to have done! I just wish I'd been told earlier so I didn't start preparing to keep certain dates clear. Fingers crossed for September start eh!

Another Congrats to Tonia and Bron!

Good luck to everyone else.

Melissa


----------



## RachandSue

Tonia and Bron:

        

oh we are sooooo happy and we are positive the blood test will give the same fantastic result!!!!

it soooo amazing well done darlings bloody well done!!!!

        

Heather and Jo:

Hope all goes well with the diabetes test - fingers crossed for you both.


Love Rach & Sue
xx


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Fantastic news Tonia and Bron, i am so so pleased for you.  You can use Piper too we think it is fab too!

Well lee had at least 10 good follicles (3 over 21mm) and another 4 small ones (under 8mm) so its egg collection at 7.45am on Monday.  We are so pleased as lee only had 7 follicles resulting in 5 eggs last time.

Lots of love to everyone.  Sorry its short but Louis wants attention
xxxxxxxx


----------



## Tonia2

Thank you for all your congratulations! I'm busy feeling very special right now!!

Charley- YAY!! for Lee's follies!! Here's an ancient South American follie fertility dance:
                 

Good luck for EC!!!

Tamsin -I've read and reread your symptom & nausea info - Thank you! I don't think I'd realised how early pregnancy really can make one feel so grotty! Not wanting to sound ungrateful in the slightest, but, man! Sometimes it really hurts!! The crampy stretchy ache has woken me up a bit at night and made me want to curl up in a ball _already_! But it does come & go...I hope it's not a sign of worse to come though! I hope your toe & pride has recovered! Ouch!! I have been a bit teary too, esp. today, but I guess that's understandable!!

It's about 2.20AM here in Aussie at the moment, and the time at the top of the site says 17.18. So you're about 9 hours behind us. I'm working nightshift, so I tend to post at ridiculous times! When you get particularly long rambly posts from me it'll be when I'm sleep deprived and in la-la land. We tested Friday afternoon after I'd had a sleep (only 4 hours though -too excited!) and Bron had got home from Uni.

Melissa - so sorry to hear about the delay, waiting for endless appointments and tests is a cruel kind of torture... fingers are definately crossed for September!

Rach & Sue - your response made me laugh - it sounded so Australian!! ...thank you!

Love Tonia


----------



## Spangley

Tonia - that's fantastic my erstwhile cycle buddy - so happy for you both       Hope you're not still up - you need to get to your bed 

Charley - that's great news - fingers crossed for a nice big haul on Monday morning - wow that's early 

Oh Melissa I can totally relate to how frustrated you feel. I don't know how many times I thought I was just about ready to start treatment and then found out amount another test, another regulation, test I'd already had that had to be done again, whole load of tests my partner had to have . Over and over it absolutely does your head in. I first went to see my GP in October 2003 and didn't end up having my first treatment until August 2005 because of endless stuff and nonsense. So this Summer _all _ the tests had to be done again. Anyway - hope you've got them all sorted now and can proceed in September

And as for me and all you kind people who ask about my ever-so-delayed period - still not properly here - SO maddening. Just want to get on with things. Anyway it's the weekend and that's cool   

Wish there was a courgette smiley cos we haven't got any bananas on the allotment but we've sure got a lot of courgettes (and some naughty courgettes that have grown up to become marrows!)

Ooh and just remembered would really appreciate some advice too. I've been invited to a conference in Nairobi with all our Africa Country Directors (I work for an international charity) right at the end of September with work. Depending on when I start tx I would probably have ET around 3 September and so would know whether I was pg or not by then. If I'm not pg it'll be a really nice thing to take my mind off things - especially as my partner has friends in Nairobi and we could take an extra weekend and go on safari. Obviously if I am pg I'll be delighted but freaking out to be flying and going so far away before I've had my first scan. Nairobi itself isn't malarial by the way. What does anyone think? My boss knows about tx so I could tell her and enlist her help in saying yes to the conference and then managing it internally if I can't go. Decisions, decisions...


----------



## Alison0702

Fabulous news Tonia and Bron

                

I bet you do feel very special and you deserve to. WOW WOW WOW. Lots of rest for you now xx


----------



## lucky2010

Tonia and Bron

What wonderful news, you must be in seventh heaven... i can see you glowing from here!!!! Congratulations and fingers crossed for a smooth and bump free ride!

Much love Rach and Julie x


----------



## Mable

Hurray Tonia and Bron! Fantastic news indeed. All that crampy stretching did sound promising. We are delighted for you both.


----------



## Alison0702

Tamsin - Your picture is absolutely fab! Hope you're taking it easy and that you didnt do too much damage to your toe!  

Tonia - Bet you're still on the ceiling! Thanks for the tips about Tonic water and lime juice. Tried it last night and it was lovely. 
The wedding was really nice - I love dressing up too, but Ju would rather stay in jeans -I am definitely the girly out of the two of us!  

Melissa - How disappointing for you   Roll on September! 

Heather - Hope you had a nice relaxing time this weekend. Good luck for your test  



Well I am now on week 2 of  

1st week, didnt really think about it at all, but since yesterday that has all changed.
I have the following:

** HUGE craving for chocolate - i.e. I woke up this morning and got up to make a cup of tea, and brought back a bar of dairy milk to bed and ate that for breakfast. Had a nice chocolate and caramel shortbread as a mid morning snack. Had a bowl of crunchy nut cornflakes and a bar of green and blacks maya gold chocolate just now.  

** Very huge (.)(.) and very sore nipples

** Cramp

** Very emotional and feel very irate           

So all in all, looking at all of the above, I am not feeling very positive and think that   is on her way  

I am really stressed at work, and have an interview on Wednesday! Bad timing or what!

Will keep you all updated..

Have a great weekend and lots of   to all


----------



## nismat

*Alison*, do not give up hope yet! Most of those symptoms are exactly the same as the ones I had in my last (and obviously positive) 2ww. 
Truly, you can't differentiate between PMS and early pregnancy symptoms - until you've got the benefit of hindsight, looking back at it after you've got your BFP. 
Oh, and no, I didn't do too much damage to my toe, other than chipping the nail varnish (which I haven't yet repaired, lazy cow! 

*Spangley*, liked the idea of the courgette smileys! We're getting inundated with courgettes from our neighbour's allotment - all the benefits but none of the hard work! I love courgettes! Let me know if you want any recipes - I've got a particularly yummy one for courgette and feta fritters. 
On the Nairobi/travel/potentially pregnant thing, I also wondered about this prior to/during our IVF (although in regard to going on holiday in Europe rather than working in Africa!). When I asked around on-line, my initial view was that it wouldn't bother me to fly, as if we were unlucky enough to have a miscarriage following our BFP, then it would probably be down to something more like a blighted ovum than connected with the flying. Anyway, many women said to me that they just wouldn't want to risk it (although that didn't really change my thoughts much); but more importantly, a couple of cabin staff said that they definitely wouldn't do it, because flying exposes you to radiation (all flight crew are immediately grounded as soon as they say that they are pregnant apparently). And when I asked at my clinic, they said that they really wouldn't recommend it either, before an early scan. Not so much because it could be risky in itself, but because you don't know that the pregnancy is not ectopic until you've had that scan, and if you were to suffer an ectopic emergency whilst abroad, it could be pretty horrendous. 
So, I would accept the opportunity for the potential fun factor and interest, and then get your boss to sort out the problems when you get your BFP 

*Tonia * - are you & Bron still up there on cloud 9?  It took ages for the reality of the BFP to sink in for us!


----------



## Alison0702

T*amsin* - You havn't repaired your nail varnish...terrible behaviour from a mother to be   
I have a complete fetish about fabric conditioner (think I have every flavour from the comfort range ) and I cant believe it could be so cruel to you. 
Oh, that courgette and feta fritter recipe sounds lovely - could I have it please. Are you a veggie? My friends are, and it causes me cooking traumas when they come for tea!

I know I am getting my knickers in a twist about the period symptoms, and after reading all the posts on here, I should know it doesnt mean it's a definite no no. So thanks for the reassurance chuck 

*Spangley* - Do you grow coriander? We have tried for the last two years, but it always goes to seed before anything happens 
The amount of curries I cook, this is a prime ingredient I need on tap, so any help would be appreciated!


----------



## Tonia2

*Alison * - good luck for the next few days! PMS symptoms are so similar to pregnancy symptoms! I had a huge craving for chocolate last Tuesday to the point I left my Uni class to go and get some (which is unusual for me)! Fingers crossed... 

*Tamsin- * the weekend has been weird, I keep doubting it's true, it feels so unfamilier to get a positive! I _know_ how to deal with negatives!! This is a differnet story -it is taking a while to sink in. I've tested again ('just in case I did the HPT wrong'  ) and it's all still good, the line was quite a bit stronger this morning. Pathology lab is right next door to where I work and they open at 7.30am when I finish here, so I will be going for my blood test bright and early. (Ok, not so bright..!) I don't have to work again for 10 days now, yay! The path dept will fax the results to Hobart today and then the clinic will ring me back....

*Spangley,* I've also heard the same as Tamsin re. flying and radiation - I would feel nervous to do it. Having said that- and having put off lots of things "because I might be pregnant then" -I think Tamsin's idea is a goody -to book it, then deal with it later if the IVF works! In the case you got a negative AND also missed out on the trip, it would be a double loss...

We've told lots of friends about our positive result and a couple of them have really surprised me -saying things like, 'Oh, it's a bit early to celebrate anything isn't it?' or 'well, I'm not really interested until its a real live baby- anything could go wrong before it's successfully born'!! I feel a bit cheesed off, it's not like I don't know that a gazillon things can go wrong, and that it truely is early days... !!! Maybe they're just trying to 'protect' me from further possible heartache, but hey, I know the worst can happen. I probably need to start switching off to peoples comments and advice about now!! This is only the begginign of endless advice I'm sure!! Other friends have been great - wonderfully celebrating the fact we've got this far for the first time. Whew... thus ends my little rant!

I am still on cloud nine, will probably be more so when I talk to the clinic this afternoon....
Love & 
Tonia  (& Pipsqueak!)


----------



## RachandSue

Hi all,

Hope everyone is well! Can you believe the doctors have changed our appointment to the 5th Septemer due to us not being an emergency!!! Just thought I'd come on and have a rant!!!  
Bloody annoying - oh well never mind nothing I can do I s'pose!

Good luck again to you all that are having tests today!

Love Rach & Sue xxx


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Hiya

Just come back from the clinic our appointement was 7.30 am so very tired.  Lee had 8 eggs so were so pleased ( 4 last time with 3 fertilising).  We just have to wait until 9.30 am tommorow to find out how many have fertilised.

I promise to post a long one later - louis has tooth number 9 coming through and is suffering abit so he needs some loving
Lots of love

Charley, Lee and Louis


----------



## **Tashja**

Hi all

Wow there is some excellent news and some excellent scan piccies on here 

Hope you are all well

Cyclers  

Louismummy & Partner* - DIVF - 

Lucy & Partner - DICSI - 

2ww - Good luck!   

Alison0702 & DP - DIUI - Testing 01.05.06  

In between treatment

Eddie* - Clomid and DI 

Emma73* - DIVF in October

(Ejsmith2) Emma* - DIUI

(Feistyblue) Claire* & Beverley - Egg Share DICSI 

(Herbaltea) Sarah* - DIUI 

(Julesforgirls) Jules* - Donor eggs with partners eggs, then DIVF

(Midnightaction) Sarah* - Egg Share DIVF

(Rachjulie) Rachael* & Julie - DI 

(Snagglepat) Gina & Rae* - DI  

Woo_Woo* & Lea - DI

Precious Cargo On Board  

(Starrysky)Heather* & Jo - DICSI in Feb  

Tonia2*& Bron - DIUI -   

(Nismat) Tamsin* & Karen - DIVF/DICSI -   

Never Forgotten Angels 

Woo_Woo* & Lea 

Our Miracle is Here 

Evelet & R* - Proud parents to a baby boy born 16.08.05  
(Bagpuss1) Kerry* & Helen - DIUI - Proud parents to Edie born 02.01.06
Edith* & Mabel - DIVF - Proud parents to Monty born 12.04.06
Friskypony* & Pup - DIVF - Proud parents to Morven Lilly born 14.02.06

Please let me have any additions/amendments to the above list - I hope it is all OK any amendments let me know  List might go a bit mad while I get to know you all !!!

* = Partner having treatment

Sending loads of love, luck and babydust to you all.

Tashja xx


----------



## Spangley

Hello all

Hope you're all having a happy Monday  

Congratulations Charley, Lee and Louis about the eggs - great news and here's hoping lots have fertilised    

Rach and Sue - that's rubbish- I would be ranting too  

Alison - yes I have grown coriander and it did germinate but then the cats scratched it up so I gave up growing herbs at home and don't bother with them in the allotment cos it's too far away when I just need a pinch of something for a recipe. I know it's very temperamental - will have a look in my gardening books for tips. 

Tonia - sorry some of your friends aren't having quite the response you're hoping for - if they haven't been through this sort of treatment I don't think people quite get it do they. Lucky you now having mo work for 10 days!

Tamsin - yes courgettes fritters are yum - we've cooked those a few times. I've got a recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Fudge Cake which I know sounds weird but is honestly yum too. Am happy to share if you'd like to give it a go - uses a whole kilo of courgettes which is handy! 

Oh well didn't talk to my boss any further about the Kenya trip as we had to spend the whole meeting going through another load of crappy work stuff and I spent the whole meeting practically in tears. Am such a weed at the moment

Hey ho - onwards and upwards


----------



## Mable

Alison - are you watering your coriander??!! I don't understand how it can go to seed before you getting any leaves off it. It will bolt upwards and seed if it is very dry. Good luck for your 22ww.

Tonia - ignore them all and enjoy your BFP. The chances of things going wrong are quite slim, especially once you see the heartbeat. Have you a scan booked in 2 weeks time?

I have a hangover and am suffering   - AM NEVER DRINKING VODKA AGAIN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. It's all Edith's fault.


----------



## starrysky

Hi everyone

Tonia - FANTASTIC NEWS!!!! -        . Hope all has gone well today.

Alison - exactly as Tamsin said I had all those pmt type things when I got my BFP so hang on in there!

Spangley - I'd say yes to nairobi and change of need be later, hope things get moving for you soon.

Rach and Sue - what a frustration! So typical. We have just changed our GP as so fed up with her not doing the right thing by us. 

Good luck to Lee this time     .

Well we are two days away from our scan appointment and I have had to go back to the hospital tomorrow for my diabetes  results but looking likely on the grounds of the initial blood test. Mable - did Ediths diabetes make her feel ill. I have been feeling quite under the weather and I have this terrible pressure feeling "down there". Not thinking it is a major problems for the baby as I've had it for a  few weeks now and I know the baby is okay, but horrible nonetheless. Anyone else had this/ 

Speak soon

Heather


----------



## Alison0702

Mable - Stop blaming poor Edith for your hangover   - My cure for a hangover is a chinese..Plenty of stodge always does the trick or another vodka!!!!!
To be honest, Ju is the greenhouse queen, but she was watering her precious plants every day - the only thing I can think is that when our friends looked after things while we were away, they may have killed it   
22ww - Thank god it's not that  

Tonia - Ah just ignore those cynical friends of yours. People sometimes just open their mouths and dont think what the effect their words can have. It's so exciting!

Heather - Oh sorry to hear you are feeling grotty again. I feel for you   Good luck for the test tomorrow. Bet you cant wait for your scan  

Spangley - What date does your next tx start?

Charley and Lee - Fab news about Lee's eggs.    

Well, only 4 more sleeps till test date....I still have a bit of cramp but it comes and goes and it's nothing major. Have not had any chocolate which is a miracle.
Boobs aren't really that sore now.
Have taken part in lots of kkicker checking activities wit negative results so thats good!
I nearly tested yesterday, as I wasnt seeing sense. I didnt thank god.

Am really starting to worry about my interview on Wednesday - so much so that I choose to post on here rather than do my prep  

Anyway, must go and practice my presentation.

I am missing big brother - mind I have Love Island to keep me occupied now..anyone else watching it?

See ya


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## RachandSue

Heather: Good Luck with your test tomorrow and we cant wait for your scan piccie. re the pressure - do you think you might have a slight water infection? Maybe a bit of cranberry juice will help? Hope you feel better soon x 

Tonia: Ignore those meanies its all good and we are sure everything will be fine so go ahead and get excited - some people!!! 

Alison:     is all I have to say!!! xx

love to you all

Rach and Sue
xx


----------



## Mable

Heather - no Edith didn't feel any different with the diabetes. She had sugar in her urine, that is what tipped them off. Good luck for your scan.


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## starrysky

Hi everyone

Well that is me definitely with diabetes now  . Am off to spend an hour with the diabetic nurse this afternoon. However is good to know. Kings scan will be over by this time tomorrow and we'll know as much as you ever can  that Boom is okay, or not- will post asap. 

I had an internal exam this morning - never great at the best of times - this one was so quick i couldn't believe it. When you have treatment you do (eventually) get used to that speculum being up there for quite a bit longer!!!! However all is well up there and the only explanantion for the pressure could be that Boom is lying very low, and that's not  a problem. 

Alison and Lee - Good luck!!!!!

Love

Heather


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Hi everyone

Well strange news from the clinic.  All 8 of our eggs fertilized but we can only use 4 of them as the other 4 fertilized with 2-4 sperm ( potential twin, triplet and quads).  We tried to bargain with them as we would love a multiple pregnancy but their policy is only to put back single fertilized embies.

So its 11.30am tomorrow for transfer.  

Louis is off to grandparents for 2 days so lee can get the best rest and i looked so funny today buying 8 cartons of pinapple juice and a kg of brazil nuts!

Anyone else have any sticking tips ?

Lots of love

xxx


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## Spangley

Hello lovelies  

Gosh Heather what a time of it you're having. Really hope the scan tomorrow goes smoothly and little Boom is ok   

Alison - I'd like to know when my tx is going to start too! Basically I'm still waiting for a proper bleed since I stopped the drugs last cycle. The nurse at the Bridget DID NOT tell me that it might take as long as 6 weeks   so I've been freaking myself out that my womb has gone on strike or something. It's completely normal just the drugs still mucking me about. Another reason to be   with the Bridge. I've been on the phone to them twice this week and they never have my notes so I always have to go through it all again. The nurse I spoke to today only just stopped herself from asking me whether AF hasn't appeared because I could be pregnant  . I'm now waiting for them to call me back having talked to a doctor re what to do next. Just want to get on with things. Will keep you all posted.


----------



## starrysky

Hi Louismummy

I sore by the pineapple juice (don't forget the M & S one is especially nice, has  a hint of lime) and the brazils (I hated them as just nuts so got the chocolate covered ones -maybe that is where my diabetes started).

Best of luck    

For Alison and Lee I am wishing for no AF   and for Spangley may she please come quickly  

Love

Heather


----------



## Mable

Oh Heather, very sorry to hear about the diabetes. Edith was straight onto insulin after a week of trying to do it diet controlled as her levels were just too high. If you'd like any info, do IM us. Because of the diabetes we had regular scans to check Monty's size and she was induced early as the placenta was deteriorating. Other than that, it was a case of no sugar and the diabetes has gone post pregnancy. Kings has a very good diabetic clinic for pregnant women if your local services are not great. She was monitored weekly.

Good luck for your scan tomorrow.


----------



## Alison0702

Heather - Really sorry to hear about the diabetes. At least you can get some good advise off Mable. Hope tomorrow's scan goes well - can't wait to hear all about it.   

Spangley - Sounds like it's a bit of a farce at your clinic. It's no wonder you're getting cheesed off about it all. Hopefully that period will arrive shortly so you can get going.

Louismummy - Lots of     


My obsessive knicker checking has been about every 10 minutes today, as I am sure I am getting AF cramps. Must stop thinking negative thoughts!!!!
My boobs are feeling too big for my bra too and I cant wait to get home from work to whip it off for relief. - does anyone know where I can buy some hammocks??    

I am really nervous about my interview tomorrow - feel like having a HUGE glass of wine to calm the old nerves but will put the kettle on instead.  

Bye for now....


----------



## Spangley

Latest update - Bridge rang me back - have to call tomorrow to book a scan so will know what next steps they recommend from there. Hopefully they can see me this week.

Talking to my boss about Kenya tomorrow too so will keep you posted on that too.

Not long till you test Alison     Must be a good sign that your boobs are too big. Mine have shrunk I'm such a past it old prune at the moment. In fact you could have some spare hammocks from me


----------



## bagpuss1

Hi everyone,

Quick me post cos helen will go mad telling you- WE ARE GETTING MARRIED ON FRIDAY.
ohh got to go shes coming back,

kerry


----------



## **Tashja**

Oh WOW !!!!

Kerry and Helen - CONGRATULATIONS !!!!

T xx


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Hi everyone  Well we (lee) had egg collection on Monday and 8 perfect eggs came out.  On Tuesday morning we were told that the sperm had been too eager and 4 had fertilized properly and 4 had been fertilized with multiple sperm.  The clinic would only let us use the ones fertilized by one sperm.  We went in  today and our 4 embies were growing nicely -Grade A , 4 cell  So lee had a very smooth transfer and Milo and Bella are nice and safe.  We put Fizz and Jake in the freezer with Rio our saved embie from the last cycle.  So fingers crossed for a smooth two weeks.  

Good luck to everyone else, Alison when are u testing?

Love  
Charley, Lee and Louis


----------



## RachandSue

Charley, Lee & Louis:

Good Luck guys! Hope you get loads of rest and you have a smooth two weeks! Exciting Stuff!

Spangley:

Hope chat with boss went well do let us know xxx

Heather:

Really sorry about diabetes  here's to a smooth run from here on in!

Love to you all

Rach & Sue
xx


----------



## nismat

Kerry and Helen - that's fantastic news!! 
       


Hope that you have a fabulous day! Is it a small private do, if you've been keeping it "secret"?

*Charley, Lee & Louis* - I've got everything crossed for a successful 2ww for you   

*Rach & Sue*, sorry that you've got to wait for that GP appointment. Frustrating!

*Mable * - what _were _ you up to on Sunday, overdoing it on the vodka??!

*Tonia * - how's everything with you? I can't believe some of the things you're friends have said to you - that is just so insensitive! Thinking about it, I think that I probably pre-empted this kind of thing by saying "of course it's very early days..." myself as soon as we had told people the good news. We all know what _could _ happen, but it's blooming rude and hurtful to say those things.

*Alison * - will try and remember to send you the courgette & feta fritter recipe by PM. I'm not a veggie, but cook a fair amount of veggie food I suppose. How was the interview? Fingers crossed for tomorrow's testing for you! 

*Spangley * - hope you managed to get that scan booked in to see what's going on  I hate it when the clinic don't give you the full picture of what could happen following drug treatment 
I've heard of choc zucchini cake (and indeed choc beetroot cake) recipes before, but would love an actual recipe! After all, it's the same kind of principle as carrot cake 

*Heather * - so sorry for the diabetes diagnosis . My mum has this theory that the more problems you have during pregnancy, the better you will feel once the baby is born (that was her experience with the 4 of us anyway), so lets hope that you've had the full complement of problems already.

Not a lot of news from me; had a private nuchal scan on Monday, which was great as Pip was moving around and waving; simply magical! And the nuchal fold was really small, so we're low risk (waiting for the numerical risk factor to come through once my blood results are back). Feel like I'm in limbo now - next thing to "look forward" to is the midwife appointment on 23rd September. Other than that, just got to be patient and wait for Pip to grow! I indulged in a bit of catalogue retail therapy earlier in the week, so waiting for some maternity wear to arrive 

Tamsin


----------



## Tonia2

*Kerry & Helen *  Congratulations!! HOw exciting!! I hope you have a ball!!   Are you going to do the honeymoon thing too??

*Heather * Grrr!  re. the GD.. How annoying! I am so sorry to hear that. I've known so many people who've developed GD in the last year - you could consider that you're just keeping up with the latest trend.... 

*Charley /Lee / Louis* - my fingers are so crossed for you!  I didn't amnage to get any fresh pineapple juice, but did work my way through a few packets of brazil nuts! I don't know if you're into yoga (I'm not particularly) but on my 2ww I made a point of ensuring I took time out each day to really relax - I lounged around on the floor with my fav CD's on, alot! A yoga teacher I know suggested this position to aid conception & I found it really comfy: lying on your back keeping a comfortable natural curve in your spine, bring your knees up, feet on the floor, then open your knees out and put the soles of your feet together and let you kness flop outward. If you want to you can put a small cushion under each knee. It opens up the hip/pelvic area and increases blood flow & if you open your hands out it feels really relaxing & 'recieving-like' too. I 'm sure it helped me! 

*Alison *       ...thinking of you!

*Tamsin* -Woo hoo! re the scan! That's great news! I _am_ finding I'm pre-empting peope now, like you said - saying 'of course, it's early days and anything could happen' before they have a chance to say anything remotely negative!!! It has been balanced out well by lots of friends being really excited and over the moon though, I'm grateful to say. I've realised how important it is to me to get that validation!! Must do some thinking about that! We haven't told most of our family  - my family don't even know we were ttc and on Bron's side some of them know, we figured it was easier to not have to cope with all their judgements at such a difficult time, ie ttc, as most are quite religious and not at all supportive of Bron & I being together at all. It's going to be "fun" telling them later!!  Heh!! It makes friends all that more important to us though!

I'm in the process of trying to organise my first scan  - it is meant to be anytime after the 4th of September. Problem is Bron is in NSW til 8th September, and on 8th September the Dr is off overseas for 3 weeks, and the other place I can have this scan is closed for the same two week period... Grrr!  So either I have to go to the scan without Bron coming, which would be ok but obviously it would be heaps nicer if she could be there, or we wait for up to 3 weeks, depending on appt and when we can get there... I am going to ring the clinic again tomorrow to see which option they think is best. 
The blood test came back as 'a very strong positive'. I didn't ask for the numbers but the nurse asked if I had had two embies put in and I said .."no, no...only one"... So not quite sure what to make of that!  Am *very * happy though!! The stretching and cramping has eased considerably, to the point I get worried Pips not there anymore! Now, when I do get that pain or a little wave of nausea, I am so grateful!!

Love to all, 
Tonia


----------



## bagpuss1

Right, now I can post now nosey is not here!

Well we were keeping it small but when our families finally got their heads round it, they all wanted to celebrate with us. We are only going to sign the register and then go out for a family meal which will be lovely.

We are going away this weekend with Helens parents but not for an actual planned honemoon.

All three of us get to put our best clothes on which I am looking forward to, then Helen can adopt Edie which we cant wait for!

*Tonia and Bron*    congratulations to you both, it is such a great feeling finally getting those blue lines (i got a bit addicted and did 8 tests before I would believe it was true)

*Heather* Cant believe your luck! with everything you have been through I am so sorry to hear of the diabetes GRR!!!!
*
Charley and Lee* Good luck on your 2ww fingers and toes crossed!

*Tamsin* So pleased that your nuchal was okay and that everythng is going well, what a journey!

Well better go- at work,

Love to everyone that I have missed,

Kerry (Mrs Kerry soon to be!!)


----------



## Spangley

Congratulations Kerry and Helen        

Good luck in your 2WW Charley, Lee and Louis    

Tonia - I can't wait till my 2WW so I can try what sounds like a very elegant position. I've got my meditation CD now so I'll be all set. I'll just have to lock the cats out as it sounds like the sort of thing where one of them will decide to bite my elbow or something just as I'm nice and relaxed.  Hope you get your scan sorted soon.

Good luck for tomorrow Alison -    

Nismat - PM me your email address and I'll send you the recipe - it's full of pregnancy goodness I reckon!

My update is that I went in for a scan this morning. My endometrium is 17.2 mm and I've got a cyst in each ovary. Splendid  Anyway the nurse talked my "case" over with the doctors this afternoon and they're sending me out a prescription for some tablets to bring on a bleed. so depending on when I get the tablets which I take for 5 days and how long they take to work I'll be getting going again hopefully end of next week.  Otherwise I'm going to go nuts I reckon


----------



## Alison0702

Kerry and Helen ...    .....Hope you have a fantastic day!

Tamsin - Interview and presentation went ok but I think I did really bad on the 2 phsycometric tests. So that may put a dampner on things..ah well, it's all fate. Glad you seem to be enjoying this pregnancy lark. Hope you've repaired those nails 

Spangley - Good news about the tablets...Fingers crossed it's not long now! 

Tonia - Bit of a pain abut the arrangement of the scan. Hope it can be when Bron's there too. How does she feel about missing it?

Thanks for all your good luck messages for tomorrow. My obsessive knicker checking has got worse, and to be honest, work has been getting in the way of it today 
Still got the cramps on and off, but that's about it.
I am not really too scared about testing tomorrow morning, what will be will be. But I know that will be a different story when the alarm goes off at 6am.
Will let you know asap - probably at 6.03

Would love you to send me some good luck bubbles just in case   

Off to a vegetarian restaurant with some friends tonight - Hope there's something I like, or I'll be stopping off at the indian on the way home 


[br]: 24/08/06, 17:36Hi

Just to let you know it was a   

Feel that  on it's way as cramps are getting worse.

Fingers crossed it's good news next time

Have a good weekend everyone

x


----------



## MG

Alison- Really sorry hun     I hope you spoil yourself with some nice food and drink this weekend. Whenever I have had a BFN I always eat or drink something that during TTC is a no-no. Its so painful this journey isn't it. 

Spangly- Why do our bodies always seem to be working against us? I hope your AF is imminent now...

Kerry- Congratulations. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Tonia- Great to hear that your blood test came back so positive! You must be so excited!

Heather- I definitely think you've had more than your share of pregnancy problems. Fingers crossed that from now on its a smoother ride.

Tamsin- Your pregnancy is flying along isn't it!

Rach & Sue- Waiting for appointments is such a horrible limbo. Good luck with your plans 

Charley, Lee & Louis- What a great result from your EC. 2 put back and 2 frozen is fantastic! Best wishes to you   

As for me, I'm in that wonderful limbo land between treatments which seems to go on and on and you want to get started but at the same time are terrified of seeing another BFN. Oh the joy!  

Melissa


----------



## Spangley

Oh Alison - I'm so sorry   

I second what Melissa says - do some really naughty but nice things over the long weekend to treat yourselves. Thinking of you - it's all so hard 

Lucy x


----------



## Alison0702

Lucy - Thanks for your message, having a night in with a case of red wine tonight, and tomorrow night, our friends are cooking for us, and spoiling us completely. So,think I will overdo it, and feel like crap on Monday for work, but hey ho..
Have you got your tablets yet? We'll get there, I'm sure of it.

Melisssa - Your right about our bodies...I only had a little cramp for the last week. Since I did my test this morning, I have full blown cramp, pain in lower back, and a belly the size of Everest, and need two people to carry my boobs. 

Anyway girls...cheers!  

xx


----------



## Spangley

Hi Alison - enjoy the vino - slurp 

My prescription was here when I got home from work - had to text a friend to get her to tell me what it says   Anyway it's Norethisterone. I have to take it 3 times a day for 5 days and should start bleeding two days later. Charming  

Now I'm worrying the pharmacy won't have it in stock and won't be able to order it cos it's a bank holiday weekend. It's just one worry after another


----------



## RachandSue

Alison: We are so sorry darling - we agree with everyone else just enjoy yourself this weekend xxxx


----------



## Alison0702

Morning,

Well   arrived this morning. The good thing is, I am bang on time, so this is the firtst time I have ever been regular. Hopefully this will mean I can have IUI every single cycle, provided my follicles behave themselves.. 
Will start Clomid tomorrow for 5 days so I'm looking forward to that   

I was a complete   devil last night, and me and my friend comsumed rather a lot of wine. Pleased to say I feel fine this morning  


Lucy - I had to take similar tablets to those a few months ago but my consultant sent them through the post so no worries about chemists. Bet you're keen to get going asap now...

Rach and Sue - Thanks I'll  make sure I do have fun this weekend


----------



## lucky2010

Hi Alison,

So sorry to hear about your BFN... really impressed by your positivity for the next cycle though!!!

Hope everone else is doing ok.

best love,

Rach and Julie x


----------



## Tonia2

Oh Alison, I'm so sorry to hear your news...     but glad to hear that your AF was perfectly on time. I hope it works out for you next cycle. Whatever you do, don't give up!  

Tonia

PS have just had the courage to actually update my ticker.... fingers crossed for the next 6 weeks...


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Alison,

I am so sorry  about your BFN.  It s such an emotional rollercoaster and a lottery rolled into one.

Sending you lots of hugs

Charley, Lee and Louis

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


----------



## starrysky

Hi all,

Hope everyone is having a good bank holiday? Personally I am trying to fix the washing machine  (has had clothes stuck in it with water for days now, had been kind of hoping it might somehow fix itself! Especially as I have absolutely no idea what Im doing!). Heather is in Scotland to see her Mum, got to collect her from Gatwick at some late hour tonight!

Alison - So sorry to hear about your negative result. This getting pregnant is not as easy as it is cracked up to be, it is such a difficult & painful journey. Take good care of yourselves & each other. 

Spangley - Hope the drugs work! Im sure it will, has such an important sounding name dont you think? 

Melissa - Know just what you mean about the hanging around in between treatments. We had to wait almost 1 year between the 2 IVF cycles, we definately both needed a few months but somewhere between 3 & 6 I think would have done it! Remember though the old adage "Good things come to those who wait" Im not sure how true it is really but always makes me feel a little better to remind myself why I am waiting.

Kerry & Helen - Congratulations to you!! We are getting hitched soon too. 

Charley & Lee - Here's your fertility dance:                                                                             Come on Milo & Bella.

Tonia - Glad to hear things are progressing so well. Long may it continue!!! I think Heather is greedily  keeping most pregnancy problems in our house!

Tamsin - So glad to hear you Nuchal scan went well. They make us both quite nervous now but we are almost certain that we were just unfortunate & one of a small handful of people the test does not work for.

Heather is now on insulin (that happened within about a day of getting the diabeties confirmed) apparently her sugars were "alarmingly high". (Arrrggghhh!!!    ) Now they have to try & get a balance going well with it & have been changing dosages etc. She is not feeling too good but we are both hoping she might improve a bit once the insulin dosage is right.

I'm not sure if Heather already said that the scan last week went very well, nothing obvious to worry about so that is a big relief. But in our case, I can't help but wonder what next?.....

We are both very tired, I think it is the longer term effects of so much stress! We have also both changed to another GP as we were very unhappy with the way things were going with our previous one & thats also one less thing to worry about.

Love to you all,
Jo

[br]: 28/08/06, 15:18Just a quick one from edinburgh airport!

Alison sorry to hear your news, This is a terrible business and I hope you have success soon.

Jo I hope you fixed the washing machine and the house is not flooded!

More tomorrow

Heather


----------



## Alison0702

Awww thanks for all your lovely posts...Nice to know people are thinking of us.  

Heather and Jo - Glad your back - was wondering where you's were. Glad the scan went ok. I'm not surprised that you're both tired and stressed with what you have been through. Is Heather still off work? 

Lucy - Did you manage to get started on the tablets? 

Lee - Although I don't dance half as good as Jo, here is my version of a fertility dance                      

I'm tired now!

Tonia - How are you? Don't worry, I wont give up until we get our little baby  

Well, I have had the period from hell, the cramps have been really bad this time.
I am on day 2 of Clomid, and so far no effects..I am still a nice person   

Hello to everyone else - Hope you've had a great bank holiday.


----------



## Spangley

Hello everyone hope you're missing the sudden torrential downpours! I've been wearing my Pac a mac and quick dry trousers all weekend   

Heather and Jo - hope you got your washing machine fixed and that Heather got home safely last night so you could have a good sleep. Sounded like you needed it.  

Hope your cramps have eased now Alison and Clomid still ok for you.

I got my Norethisterone prescription on Saturday morning. Have to take 3 tablets a day for 5 days. Am on day 4 of that. Still no sign of  naughty old  but they said it would start 2 days after finishing the tablets so that means it should arrive on Friday. I had an extra strong dose of acupuncture this evening to hurry it along too. I'm sure I'm boring you all witless with my missing period   When it finally does arrive I hope it's the last one I have till next Summer some time


----------



## RachandSue

Hi 

Hope everyone had a great bank holiday, last one 'til xmas eh? What a depressing thought and I'm sorry to have shared it!!!! 

I don't have any news obiviously seen as we still have to wait a week today to see the GP!!! Not that I'm bitter!!!  

Anyway love to you all


Rach & Sue
xxx


----------



## starrysky

Hi everyone

I just have to say how impressed I am with Jo's skills at mending washing machines! perhaps a change of career is in order. 

I was due to return to work today but I am feeling awful with that pressure feeling and the diabetes so that is delayed, I am beginning to think I won't make it back. 

Spangley, hope you are off the starting blocks soon!

Rach and Sue - how frustrating having to wait at the first hurdle. I hope this week passes quickly for you.

Alison - how are you doing? Still very sorry to hear about your BFN

Tamsin - how is pregnancy for you. I reached 24 weeks today, the start of viability for Boom although of course there is no guarantee but it does feel  good. 

Tonia - how are you? Blood tests ok?

Mable - we're getting there. Another few weeks and we may even bowl up at the south london group. 

Hi to everyone else

Heather


----------



## Alison0702

There seems to be a serious lack of posts on this thread at the mo doesn't there.

Heather - How's you? Have they got the insulin dose right yet? Hopefully you'll not get any more illnesses between now and boom arriving. You deserve a flippin break 

Lucy - Any sign of   yet? 

Charley and Lee - How's the 2ww going? Hope you're not climbing the walls   

Tonia - Hope you're doing well... 


Well, the clomid didn't even affect me this time - no mood swings/tears/tantrums - nothing. I hope that it's worked and my little follies are growing nice and big. Scan is next Friday so fingers crossed.

Have a good weekend everyone
xxx


----------



## Spangley

Hello everyone - it's FRIDAY  

But agree with Rach and Sue - bit of a bummer that there are no long weekends until Christmas   Not long till you see the GP though  

Hi Heather - hope you're feeling better soon - and hope your work are being supportive

Alison - glad to hear things better on Clomid this time - not long to scan day

My news is that   still not here - absolute madness. I've had quite a few period like aches and pains but no spotting nothing   But they did say to take the tablets for 5 days and then the period should come 2 days later so that would officially be tomorrow morning. Let's hope so before I go completely  . The Bridge rang this afternoon and I've got my donor lined up so that's all ok.


----------



## Alison0702

Good thing that the donor is all lined up Lucy...one stress out the way. Has your other half considered treatment?

Friends have started asking me about what we'll do if it doesnt work for me - would Ju try - for gods sake I know its been going on a year, but I've only had 2 iui's. 
Anyway, I really cant answer them as it hurts too much to think that I wont get pregnant, carry a child and give birth. I honestly dont know how I would feel, and I wish that people would shut up about it.    

Last Saturday we were at a friends house and she said "so why hasnt it worked then" I thought, yip its that easy to get pregnant, there is obviously something really wrong with me!!!!   Some people just dont think do they...

Anyway, rant over!!


----------



## Spangley

Ooh Alison that is really hurtful. I've learned not to tell people the details as I really don't want to get into conversation about it. We've turned into hermits really over the past year so I don't have to answer people's questions about how it's all going.

One of my straight friends last Summer who had two kids when she was late 20s said to me (this was before we'd even started trying) "I hope you don't have any trouble conceiving". It still niggles that she said that so I can barely bring myself to talk to her about it.

No my partner doesn't want to physically carry a baby at all - plus she's 2.5 years older than me. She'd lend me her eggs though   but I really feel I'm not giving up on mine yet. I have started to think that I won't try IVF loads of times though as it's so gruelling mentally. 

Rants are what we're here for


----------



## Alison0702

Lucy I know what you mean..At first we told all our close friends but now it's only a couple know what the situation is - as you're right, you get sick of talking about it, especially when it's not working.

We too are little hermits, like nothing better than to be at home doing homey things. We went to  housewarming last night and popped into town for a few drinks forst. It was horrible - pub stank of cigarettes, and I cannot bear it since I stoppped smoking last November! The place was full of drunks and I couldnt wait to leave.  

We've said that we will give IUI maybe 6-7 chances, then try IVF if it doesnt work. BUT hopefully it wont come to that.

Will be sending loads of     your way  

Hope AF arrives on time tomorrow xx


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Hi everyone

Thank-you so much for the lovely fertility dances your all so talented.

Well its almost test day we think its Monday but it could be wednesday.  We had egg collection on the monday and sperm met egg on monday at 1pm then egg transfer on the wens- any ideas when it should be?

Well Lee looks 3 months pregnant its so tight under her ribs, she has frequent breathlessness, pains in her pelvis on day 7/8, very tired and sickness waves and big boobs.  Were not sure if this is the drugs, AF coming or she may be...........


I am wishing the time away but i have to go back to work on Tuesday after 6 weeks off so not looking forward to that.

Lots of our friends and even doctors at the clinic have said why dont i carry another  child as lee has fertility problems and i concieved first time through DI.  I dont think they realise how insensitive this is.  Yes it maybe easier and cheaper but Lee would give anything to carry a child and give birth to our child and we will try anything to let this happen.


Please keep sending us good vibes

Lots of love 

Charley, Lee and Louis
xxx


----------



## RachandSue

Rant! Rant! Rant!

Sorry here I go:

We had thought about all the hospitals and had decided ish that we would like to go for the bmi hospital in Canterbury - as this is near to us and convienient - but low and behod they have no blooming sperm and the London centres are not prepared to sell them any   as they have their own patients (and waiting lists)!!! Oh my god this blooming situation is a dire one what are we all going to do  


Charley, Lee & Louis :     all the way darlings!

Heather : We hope you have your insulin levels sorted out and are feeling a lot better!  

To the Rest of you lovelies:   and   to the mean friends who are so blooming nosey! We only have a few very close friends that know and even thats possibly too many!

Love to you all 

Rach & Sue
xxx


----------



## Tonia2

Grr!  I have just managed to lose a huge post I had written, and don't have time to do it again now! GRR!! I was having a good rant about an unhelpful friend as well , so maybe it's already served it's purpose!! 

*Lee & Charley - * I'd test Wednesday - its exactly 2 weeks after ET and if she's having any HCG it should be out of her system by then, so you won't get a false positive. It sounds good!! I had all those symtoms including a bewildering breathlessness, I couldn't walk at the same pace when on our usual walk, it was weird.

*Rach & Sue-* How utterly annoying and frustrating!!    I hope you find somewhere else soon...

I'm all good so far, 
will check in again soon.

love Toni


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

I know i am bad but i thought it would come up negative.  I had my egg collection on the 21st and embies(Milo and Bella) put back on the 23rd at 11am.  My hcg trigger jab was on the evening of the 19th.  I tested today using a tescos own test at 5.30pm with quite diluted looking urine and it came up positive.  I was not expecting this - could the hcg still be in my body from the 19th or can i get a little excited.  I have had sore boobs but this morning they seemed ok.  My stomach is very bloated and is very tight under my ribs ( i look 3months pregnant!!!) 

I dont know how to react, help put my mind alittle at rest.  Also all my friends who tested early and had a positive are expecting twins could an early positive indicate more than one!

Thank-you for any advice

Lee-anne (Charleys other half and louis mama)


----------



## lucky2010

Lee
How exciting.. I'm afraid I don't know how long the HCG stays in your system... sound promising though. When are you going to test again.... evry two hours until Wed??!!!! I've just been reading an article in the paper about the best twin buggies... maybe it's a sign!!! Good luck and keep us posted.

Love Rach and Julie x


----------



## Alison0702

Right not to get too excited,...whippee ha ha 
Oh fingers crossed for you three.

I'm not sure about HCG levels, so not sure whether the test could be right. When are you going to test again.

Ooooh keep us updated....in the meantime, here lots of


----------



## Tonia2

[fly]_*Woo hoo Lee-anne!! * _ [/fly] 
oooohhhhh, that's why I didn't test any earlier as I preferred to suffer the wait, rather than be confused or doubt the result....did the clinic not give you a date to test?? Shame on them for not making it clear to you!! But having said all that - It sounds really good!!!! I reckon you can probably get excited!!!! 

I read somewhere (or was told) that HCG lasts in your system a week. I had an HCG injection on the morning of the embryo transfer and twice more, at three day intervals after (some clinics do that as it apparently helps support the impending pregnancy); so I couldn't test til 16 days after EC at the earliest. You're on day 12 since fertilisation, (and didn't have any more HCG, I take it) so it's not really that early , HPTs are meant to be able to start picking it up at day 10 or so.... WOO HOO !!!! Well done!!

               
Love Tonia

PS I don't know if an early positive definatly means twins, but I do know that if the hormone levels in your blood (and in your wee!!) are very high it is a likely indicater of twins. It's definately possible!!


----------



## Spangley

Sounds positive Lee-anne and Charley - everything crossed for you     and a bit of    

My news is after a big cry yesterday evening feeling that my period would never come and then X Factor, a large curry and some red wine,   arrived in full force first thing this morning. Have never felt so happy about a period    

Have left a message at the Bridge to book my baseline scan for tomorrow morning but hopefully we're on our way again. Hoping for better luck this time


----------



## Spangley

Hello Emma - I've been at the Bridge for all my treatment (see my sig for the lurid details). I've found them friendly - have got to know most of the staff pretty well over the past year or so. 

I chose them over the LWC for convenience really as my partner and I live and both work in South London, Harley Street's not quite as easy for me to get to from work. Also I was originally seen at Guys so when I transferred to the Bridge they could just drop a copy of my notes round there. 

Happy to answer any other questions

Good luck wherever you choose

Lucy


----------



## Tonia2

*Spangley *    - yay yay for  !! A good cry does the world of good! Or maybe it was the curry... Good luck! Hope the time flys quickly to get the cycle all organised.

yay *Emma! *    - Can't help you out with the clinics but I just noticed Spangley is at the Bridge...? Is it a good clinic? I haven't taken alot of notice what others say about the clinics as I don't know any of them... Maybe the Bridge would be better as the costs do add up over time. Obviously things are different here in Aussie, but 1 IVF cycle has ended up costing me as much as 6 IUIs did, but we get a little back on Medicare (like your NHS I think) (we don't get anything back for IUI, only IVF). But the success rates of IVF are considerably higher, it's certainly been worth it for me. I was quite reluctant to do IVF to start with but it didn't feel as medicalised as it sounded. I'd happily do it again. Good luck with your enquiries! I hope things start happening for you soon! Re the HCG - I didn't know that about the various doses & yes it certainly does make sense- & I forget which dose I was on! Presumably around 500 or less.

I've just had two ear infections in the last 8 days.  A week ago I waited for 4 1/2 hours before I could see a Dr (it was the weekend) and ended up bursting into tears and couldn't stop crying because I was in so much pain and I couldn't eat the rubbishy cardboard sandwiches that were the only thing we could find, and I was so scared of getting a temperature (can cause developmental probs, esp in 1st trimester) and equally scared of having to take any drugs for it...  Eventually saw a very nice Dr who was very reassuring to the crazy first-time pregnant person, (of course) and found me a class A antibiotic eardrop (ie lots of pregnant women have taken it and theres been no evidence of any increase in birth defects), and it resolved through the week. And this weekend the other ear has developed one!!  What's going on I've been feeling really healthy otherwise, eating well and getting more sleep - I have been swimming a bit, so have to stop that for a short while. But grrr! how annoying. It's made me aware of how vigilant I need to be of my own health , I really don't want to get sick with _anything!_ I've started avoiding people with colds/flus, and theres lots of that around at the moment...I truely am going to become a hermit for the next 9 months...

love and  to all
Tonia
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spangley just posted while I was writing - the Bridge sounds good Emma!


----------



## Alison0702

Hey Lucy...Your night sounds exactly like ours!

Don't care what anyone says, curries (especially large ones) and red wine is extremely good for you  
So glad you're on your way again....Really hope it works this time. Did you say you were going to accupuncture? It's my first appointment tomorrow afternoon at 3.30. I'm off work tomorrow so I chill before I go. I'm a bit nervous actually, but people swear by it so lets see if it helps.  

Tonia - sorry to hear about your ears.  

Just been to my mams for sunday lunch - I can hardly fit into my pyjamas  

Have a nice night


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Thank-you so much for all your valuable advice and support.  We did a test this morning and this evening and still both positive so were getting a little more excited i cant wait to officially add one of those great flashing bfp (how do you do it!)  

Thank-you so much again

Charley, Lee and Louis (Milo and Bella)
xxxxxx


----------



## blueytoo

Lee - HCG has a short half-life so there is no way it would still be in your system now. During my last IVF cycle I tested each day after doing the HCG injection (10,000 units) and by 4 days after the injection it had disappeared and I was testing negative.

Sounds like congratulations are definitely in order   

Claire xx


----------



## Spangley

Congratulations Lee!!!   That's fabulous news 

Alison - I find acupuncture great - firstly it's really nice simply to have someone taking care of you and secondly although the needle points do ache slightly (couldn't really call it pain) they give you an immense sense of wellbeing and relaxation which had got to be a good thing. Then of course there's all the evidence about increased blood flow to the endometrium to support implantation. So I would deffo recommend it. Hope it goes well later  

Had my scan this morning - lining is thin, cysts have gone. I made them do blood tests just to be on the safe side as I really want to avoid any problems later on. So they'll be ringing me later on - hopefully we're good to go


----------



## Mable

We were told at our clinic to test from day 12 will be accurate. We got a faint positive on day 12 and it grew stronger and stronger. Many congrats!!

Monty isn't sleeping   We've even started weaning early (at 19 wks) to try to improve his reflux but last night he was up every 2 hours with endless screaming and sobbing. Just wanted to say that I am very tired. Am off to the health visitor for his weigh-in now - if there's any nonsense ("What do you mean you're his other mummy?") I shall simply burst into tears and it won't be a pretty sight.

Good luck to everyone
Mable


----------



## Alison0702

!st accupuncture over and done with...She was a lovely woman and only twiddled with a few needles too much that it hurt. What a wierd feeling though - weird but nice.

Have another appointment next Thursday.

Mable sorry to hear Monty being a little devil. Hopefully it wont last long so you can get some sleep yourselves. Must be very very tiring. 

Hi to everyone else

Alison


----------



## ynwa18_92

hi there i am lisa and i'am new on here been with my girlfreind emma 3yrs now and have been tryin for a baby for 2yrs we have been having sperm donor treatment at QMC in nottingham (well emma's actually havin the treatment that means no injections for me lol) we had 2 atempts but sadly  nothing as yet had to stop as it's quite pricey and just carn't afford it anymore,  We also had a friend donate but again nothing(Well he gave me a sample and we did the rest lol)  So just wondered if anyone out there had any other ideas to help thanx,


----------



## starrysky

Hi everyone

Sorry haven't posted for a while, have been so uncomfortable that sitting at the computer is almost a no-no, just quickly came on to read posts sometimes even standing up! But I thought I have to sit down today to say I am very excited for you Charley and Lee and good lcuk for testing tomorrow    !

Spangley I am also very pleased that your AF has arrived!!!!!!! 

Lisa - welcome, I m sure you will find lots of support/advice here. It can be so hard financially, in the end we borrowed and I am glad we did because it enables me to have the second IVF that worked. But the downside is that life with the new baby when he arrives is going to be financially tough, we won't have the freedom we might have wanted. A couple of ideas - I always think of the woman on Fertility Friends who entered all sorts of TV quiz shows and ended up winning a few thousand on the Weakest Link! A bit radical but I liked that idea! I don't know your age but could you change to IVF and do egg share, not an easy option but might be worth a thought. Good luck  

Alison - good luck with the acupuncturre. It is truly a weird feeling and sometimes I really don't like it. Hopefully it will help things to work this time .

Rach and Sue - you are getting nearer that appointment, very exciting, hope it goes well!

Mable - oh, you sound tired. I am getting prepared , have been up half the night with sore legs, Boom leaping around, mind going ten to the dozen etc. We heard yesterday that they usually induce women with diabetes at about 37 weeks and it suddenly struck me that is only twelve weeks away. We will be having scans every two weeks from now. 

Hello Claire and Emma - Emma glad to hear you are gearing up again. Good luck. 

Tonia - know what you mean. I was worried about catching things too. I do think it is funny that the first time I had a UTI I was very resistant to taking anything and the next time I couldn't wait to get the drugs in!! Roll on 25th September for you. 

Bye for now

Heather


----------



## RachandSue

Hi everyone,

Well we had our nurse appt. today who has accepted us into the surgery, she was really lovely and not even slightly phased by our situation (which was very comforting!). 

GP appt. is Friday so hopefully he will authorise the tests to be done through him and give us our referral. 
We have decided that even though it involves a bit of travelling we are going to go with the Bridge - please anyone who has good or bad input about the Bridge please please please sat now before I hand them our hard earned pennies!!! 

The Bridge have suggested we have an informal visit to be shown round - has anyone done this? Is it worth it or not? :-

Heather: I hope you are feeling better all round and that you are not too uncomfortable all the time!!! 

Lisa: We are borrowing too its a nightmare but hopefully worth it in the end! 

Alison: Glad the acupuncture went well, don't think its for me but check back in a year and I et I'll try anything!!

Charley, Lee & Louis: Sounds so positive -    let us know!!

Love to you all

Rach & Sue
xxx

[br]: 5/09/06, 12:15really need to spell check my posts hope the mistakes are obvious!!

1) say now not sat now!!!
2) bet I'll try not et I'll try!!!


----------



## MG

Hi everyone!

Charley, Lee and Louis- Sounds very good     I have also heard that testing positive on day 10/11 could mean twins so I wouldn't be suprised that not only are you pregnant but it could be twins! Many congratulations to you         

Rach and Sue- Really pleased to hear that your nurse appt. went so well. Its so tough going through what we do to get pregnant that it really does make a difference when our health professionals can be so accepting. One of the reasons I went for the London Womens Clinic was that I knew the way had already been paved and I really didn't need the extra stress. If it wasn't for the location of LWC being easier for me to reach I would have gone to the Bridge.

Emma- My experience of LWC has been up and down to be honest. Having been with them a while now they are definately getting better. But I often had problems waiting for call backs from them, different info from different people, high staff turnover, very impersonal service. In fact I did start the process at another clinic closer to me but the sperm shortage put an end to that. I know LWC has had a few complaints so I can only hope that recent improvements continue although I'm sure they'll hike up the costs there to match their improved service! 

Lisa- It's really tough isn't it? Does your local authority provide NHS treatment to lesbian couples? We have increased the mortgage, been helped out by family and then there are credit cards-eek! If your friend is willing to continue to donate and you are happy with that and have discussed the role he will play in the child's life then that is definitely the cheapest option but it all depends on what you want for your family.

Alison- I have thought about trying acupuncture but it just sounds a bit unpleasant. But as you go down the TTC road you try more and more things to help get pregnant. I did look into it but I couldn't find anyone local to me who dealt with fertility issues (I didn't look that hard mind). As for people asking you what you'll do if it doesn't work??!! Thanks for nothing eh! You have only had 2 IUIs and the average attempts are supposed to be somewhere inbetween 4 and 6. Its awful when you feel yourself turning into a hermit just to avoid those painful conversations and situations isn't it. It's amazing how insensitive some people can be. 

Spangley- Good to hear that you are finally on your way! How was the result of your blood tests?

Tonia- I hope you get better soon  

Mable- I hope your nights improve soon...

Heather- Sorry to hear you are feeling so uncomfortable.

All the best to everyone else!

Melissa


----------



## Spangley

Hello everybody - hope you're all going well 

Hope your weigh-in was fine Mable and no crying (from you anyway). Hope Monty starts sleeping better soon

Alison - glad you enjoyed the acupuncture - it's hard to describe isn't it

Hello Lisa and welcome to the thread - I can't really help with advice as I've been spending money like I don't know what since I started my ttc journey and still not pg   but all the best to you and Emma 

Sorry to hear you're so uncomfortable Heather  

Rach & Sue - hope you get on OK at the Bridge - I think you do need to have an initial consultation not sure you actually need to be shown round though. From what I've read on here I can't think they're any worse really than anywhere else. At least the nurses are really friendly and the doctors are ok too - I'm with Mr Shaw.

Hello there Melissa - hope all's well with you

Well my news is that the blood test came back with FSH of 14     absolute nightmare. They advised abandoning the cycle again but in the end we've all agreed that I'm going to go for it on max dose Menopur and see what happens. There's a chance that the FSH is a one off. It was only 6.8 in June and before that never higher than 9.2. I'm aware that I may respond very poorly again and have to abandon again but I'd rather at least try and see what happens. I seem to have read of so many people here who are advised to abandon and then go on to collect 5 mature eggs or something that I don't want to give up before I've even started. Because of trying for treatment in the Summer and then again now I've moved a couple of big work things to the Autumn so I have to take a break in Oct/Nov. This means that if this cycle is abandoned or is negative     I've got two months to focus on getting my FSH down again for a future cycle. So I've had a very up and down couple of days, spent most of yesterday afternoon and evening crying, barely slept last night but I'm happy that we're making the right decision with all the facts and starting on the max drugs we can have. Imagine if I hadn't pushed for that blood test though


----------



## duff

Hello everyone!  

I haven't been on here since before the big crash, or whatever that was.  

RachandSue - we go to the Bridge.  I really like all the nursing staff there.  They have sweets too!  I never liked the LWC.  I always felt that the consultant disapproved of us.  

I'm on yet another cycle of clomid/IUI.  It's starting to irritate me now, this TTC lark.  Alison, I know what you mean.  People are a pain in the **** when you're trying to concieve.  Why on earth does one of my friends think that telling me about someone who got pregnant first time will make me feel better?   

I turned 35 a few weeks ago and it's thrown me a bit.  I know this is ridiculous, but you know how all the statistics are for under 35s and over 35s?  I felt like overnight my chances plummeted!  There's a book on my shelf that we bought all those years ago when we were trying with my partner, called "Not too late.  Having a baby after 35".  I tell you, I'm going to throw it out of the window!  Suddenly I've gone from being young to being "not too late"!   

Excuse my midlife crisis!

Here's a question then.  Yes, this malarky is horrible and stressful.  It's a lottery played on a rollercoaster.  My accupuncturist said it's hard because it's something that you have absolutely no control over.  And then I thought, it's preperation for parenthood really - teaching us to that we can't be control freaks!  

How do you all cope?


----------



## Alison0702

Oh Lucy I'm sorry you're feeling so blue  . What should your FSH be? Oh I really hope this is your time. Honestly, if people had told me how thoroughly upsetting and hard all this ttc business could be for us, I wouldnt have believed them. I am sending you loads of       

Duff - Hello stranger. Ooh clomid - do you have any side effects (actually throwing books out of windows gives it away a little bit   )? I normally turn into a raving lunatic but this time, I didnt even know I'd been on it HURRAH! Mind I think this might be one of my last cycles on it as I have had about 8 rounds of it over the last 13 months. Oh, and dont forget....It IS good to be a control freak ha ha.

Heather - Hello petal. 12 weeks time, flippin hell. I still remember the Saturday you told us you were pregnant. You really are not a good advert for pregnancy mind  

Lisa - Welcome to the thread. We had to borrow aswell, and believe me that has nearly gone already. Will most likely continue till it works, as I cant imagine giving up now! Good luck 

Rach and Sue - Glad your first appointment went well. It makes you feel better when people act normal about our situation. I was quite nervous about feeling "accepted" but we'va had no problems. Hopefully, you'll get a BFP quickly, but if not,yes, you're right, you'll try anything to get pg - even millions of needles stuck all over your body!  

MG - Hello you...nice to hear from you again. Hope your ok.

Tonia - Hope you're feeling better.

I'm starting to get nervous about my scan on Friday. I hope that bloody follie has grown. Started testing for Ovulation today..yay, my favourite pastime. 

Bye for now


----------



## blueytoo

Hi everyone

I had 2 embies transferred today - 1 x 8 cell grade 1 and 1 x 7 cell grade 2 and 2 grade 2 embies frozen which were 6&5 cells.

Test date is 16/09. Maybe it will be 5th time lucky!!

  to all.

Claire xx


----------



## Alison0702

Claire - Good luck to you......     coming your way.

Alison


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Thank-you so so much for all your advice and dances. Its a BFP after five tests and were on day 14 now.  I am so so so happy.  I know its early days but all we have ever wanted was to give louis a sibling and now its looking more like reality.  

I will post when little man is in bed.

Where is Tamsin?

Lots of love

Charley, Lee,Louis and the very little bump


----------



## lucky2010

Such fantastic news Charley and Lee congratulations!!! Keep us posted as to how things go.

Claire fingers crossed for the 16/09, we're going on holiday on that day so it must be a good day all round!!!

Can't remember if I told you that we were worried that our donor hadn't been in touch for a while and we were worried... well he's been in touch today after having been on holiday and busy at work so panic over!!! We were just so concerned that we were going to have to go through the whole process of finding a donor that we felt comfortable with again. Yet another friend has announced that she's expecting a baby, I am so happy for her but can't help the ache in my stomach from taking hold... only 8 months to go. Some of you will have your bundles by then.... how exciting.

Anyway, must go and put the bins out.... joy oh joy!!!

love to all, Rach and Julie x


----------



## RachandSue

Charley, Lee & Louis: Bloody well done we are sooooooo happy for you!

                

Love Rach & Sue
xxxx


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## RachandSue

Emma: Sorry I seemed to have missed a post which clinic have you decided to go with? Sorry to be nosy but I'm just curious.


----------



## Tonia2

*Charley & Lee & Louis:*  YAY & double  YAY!!!  Here's some official flashing BFPs for you:     (to find them just look above, at the end of the smileys where it says [more]. Click on that and a whole heap more smileys come up, including the bfp...have fun playing!) Btw that's a gorgeous piccy of Louis! Love it!

*Claire: * yay!  I saw yesterday that you'd just had EC - good luck! Well done for getting 4 good embies!

*Rach & Julie* - yay re. your donor getting back in touch - hope the plans speed along quickly for you. I know, it's so hard when others you know are expecting. My sister had 2 babies in the time we'd been ttc. I hated her for a while there!

*Lucy*- So sorry you're feeling so miserable. You're right, some of us _have_ gone on to have ok success despite not responding well initally. There's always that chance... Fingers crossed! I do hope you get a chance to go for it this time! 

*Mable* - I'm so sorry to hear Monty's been so miserable with reflux. Poor little man & poor mummies...I hope you both get some decent sleep in there soon 

*Rach & Sue*- glad to hear your appt went well. It probably wouldn't hurt to go into the clinic to have a look around if you can be bothered - more information can't hurt & may help you to feel more comfortable with the whole treatment thing.

*Heather * - sorry you're feeling so uncomfortable. Grief, I can't believe you're only 12 weeks away - I also still remember when you got your BFP! Doesn't seem that long ago... I hope the next 12 weeks goes even quicker for you.

*Lisa * - welcome, sorry can't help you any more with ideas. All I know is that it costs.... we're loading up the credit card, redrawing on the mortgage, living on eggs & beans!

*Duff * welcome back - I feel a bit of a fraud as I'm only 33 (34 next month though) but, the magic '35' was always a bit of an impending threat to me, everyone talks about it, and it did worry me alot, particularly as I always wanted 3 or 4 children (am reconsidering that now! for other reasons, ie cost & we want to travel) But having said that, I know lots of women who _have_ had babies after 35, perfectly succesfully, no problems or anything. So maybe you could enquire through FF for some women to chat to who have had babies after 35 - there's lots and you might find it reassuring!

*Alison * - here's a follie dance for you:            Good luck for Friday!

 I have a weird question - it's just something I've been thinking about alot and there may be nothing in it at all... I know it's really hard when people around you get bfps, when that's all you've been trying for forever, so I was wondering if you guys actually mind me continuing to post on here...? It can be discouraging and I don't want to make things any harder... It's just something that occurs to me often, and I guess I wanted you to know that I'm really aware of it... Am I sounding paranoid? Umm, yep, probably....  
Hmmm, anyway... 

Love and bfp blessings to you all, 
Tonia


----------



## RachandSue

Tonia: We have no poblems with you posting! It's so reassuring that it actually works and you BFP gals are the proof that it will be worth it in the end! It is also nice to go through the stages with you! Keep posting and I'm sure none of us gals that are still ttc can deny we are really jealous but on the flip side you gals are the hope we need!

Thats how we feel anyway.


Love to all 


Rach & Sue
xxx


----------



## MG

Hello all!

Tonia- I have no problem with you posting here. But thanks for bringing it up . I would of course ask anyone for whom it is successful to be aware when posting that there are those still desperately waiting for their success so please be thoughtful about that. I have seen problems on other boards of instances where those trying to conceive have been hurt or offended by comments. I would just like to say I have not seen this on this particular thread but just a point I feel I should make. Tonia thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and for being so considerate. As someone who has been through multiple cycles I take hope from your success and others. To all the successes: I love to see the progress of your pregnancies and hope you will continue to be as mindful that you have what others on here are desperately wanting. I hope I haven’t hurt anyone’s feelings with this but as a veteran who's been around too long I feel I should follow up on Tonia's concerns and say a big thanks to all who remain so considerate and I hope you will continue to share your pregnancy stages and milestones with us.

Rach and Julie- Yep that ache in the stomach is far too familiar to me. It is hard. 

Like most on here I wish I hadn't confided in as many people as I did. Unfortunately I have been the 'victim' of the competitive super fertile friend who comments frequently on how easy getting pregnant was, and I should just relax, and she loves to tell stories of others who were so lucky...  The good thing is you quickly weed out the good people from the bad in your life.

Claire- Good luck your embies sound top notch!            

Charlie, Lee and Louis- Congrats again!      

Duff- How do we cope? Well sometimes its really hard but I remind myself that it is not our time yet but one day it will be and when it does happen we will totally relish the whole experience. This also helps with regards to friends/family/acquaintances pregnancies -it may be their time now but one day it'll be mine. Doesn't stop me behaving like a hermit at times but trying to have a baby is such a powerful instinctual need that how can you not feel pain when it doesn't happen?

Spangley-  Sorry to hear about your blood test results but as you say you hear so much success from people who succeed with worse odds. Unfortunately our bodies do misbehave . As your FSH level was so low in June it does sound like a one off. Good luck!     

I was wondering if anyone on here had bought an IVF hypnotherapy CD and what they thought of it? I want to buy something that will help me relax and think more positively. As money is very tight I thought a CD might be the answer. Otherwise I feel I may think myself into a negative  . 

Melissa


----------



## duff

Hey Tonia,

I think it's great that you post here  .  I think the great thing about the whole of fertilty friends and this group of us in particular is that nobody takes it for granted.  We're all trying and when one of us gets lucky it's great to be able to celebrate with them.  

This thread is unique on FF though, in that we aren't defined by whether we are using Clomid or having IVF or in our second trimester so there's a place for all of us here no matter where in the process we are.  

Charlie, Lee and Louis - Well done!  Fantastic news!  

Alison - I'm having a scan at the Bridge on Friday too!  I'm there in the morning.  If we're there at the same time, you'll recognise me because I'll be the one scoffing all the sweets!

Emma - I'm glad I'm not the only one who got my mid-life crisis at 35!  It affected me more than I thought it was.  Me and my gf had a row with an assistant in the Apple store on Regent St a few weeks ago and, in the heat of it, these ridiculous words came out of my mouth - "We are a middle-aged couple, we don't throw things around in shops!"


----------



## Alison0702

Duff - I have to start with you cos your post made me guffaw very loudly..and I dont guffaw very often   
I dont go to the bridge, I'm a northerner. So you can scoff as many sweets as you like and wont get caught!  
My appointment is 1230 so will let you know how it went. Good luck for your too.

Tonia - Awwwww of course I dont mind if you post here. I love to read about how you're feeling etc etc. I completely agree with Duff, and we are all interested in how everyone else is, regardless of where they are in the process. Oh and I loved your follie dance. xx

Hi to everyone else


----------



## Spangley

Hello everyone hope we're all doing fine

Firstly Duff - see you at the Bridge some time - you'd better leave some sweets for me   

Melissa - I've got the Anji hypnotherapy CD from the US. I'd be happy to try and make a copy of it for you if you like. It was $35 so quite pricey. I've given up trying to save money with this lark   I haven't actually sat down and listened to it yet though might give it a go this evening. 

Good luck on your 2WW Claire   

And now a huge big lot of         for Charley, Lee and Louis 

No real news from me, on day 2 of stimms, some twinges already in my ovaries - really hoping the Menopur's working


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Thank-you so much for all your wonderful comments and messages.  Although we dont post very often this board has been fantastic and everyone so supportive.  As i had DI to conceive Louis we did not know anyone else who had had IVF or what to expect but reading everyones experiences and valuable advice has made everything so much less daunting.  

Where is Tamsin ?  We miss her!

We have our first scan at 3.45pm on the 20th i hope it is ok.  Lee never thought she would ever get a BFP and its been a very emotional few days.  Louis' new word is BABA.  We also realise its early days and it could all be taken from us but were staying positive.

To everyone else TTC it will happen, we never thought it would happen for us and he is 13 months now.  Its such an emotional rollercoaster but with support and friends in the same boat it is so much easier.

Its Louis first day at nursery tommorow and i have just made him heart shaped sandwiches and ironed his clothes ( He is going one day a week). I am so scared and nervous- i am sure he will love it.

Lots of love

Charley


----------



## Spangley

Good luck to Louis for his first day at nursery  

I forgot to say in my last post that Tonia - I don't have much particularly to add to what others have said about you posting but I really like to keep up with your news. It really helps to know that success is possible and I like the fact that everyone on is thread is at different stages of their journeys so if lesbians make their way here there's always going to be someone who's going through/gone through the same stuff. 

We listened to our meditation CD in bed last night and once we had managed to stop giggling I had the best night's sleep in ages.  
Have a good day everyone


----------



## MG

Spangley- That's what puts me off of buying a hypnotherapy CD -I might be giggling too much to hear a word of it!  But obviously it relaxed you which would be good during IVF! Did you wake feeling positive and refreshed?  Is it specifically for people going through IVF/treatment? Would you recommend it? If yes, it sounds like the sort of thing I'm looking for and I may have to try and get a copy from you! No more questions for now!! 

Charley- I hope Louis has a great first day at nursery. As someone who also doubts whether I'll ever get a BFP it is wonderful to hear of Lee's success. In some strange way it makes it feel like it could happen for me and it is not my 'intuition' telling me otherwise if that makes sense?  Looking forward to hearing the results of your first scan and finding out if it is twins!!

Melissa


----------



## Spangley

Q - How do you know you're an old git?

A - When you and your partner listen to meditation CDs in bed to get a good night's sleep

  

anyway enough of my bedroom habits. Melissa i'd deffo recommend it and will do you a copy to save you time/money


----------



## duff

I have this great CD called Yoga Nidra.  It's a form of yoga where you lie completely still on your back, sounds good eh?  I can only listen to it on headphones though because of the giggle-factor though.  

Ok, I've been thinking about ovulation.  I'm not sure I trust those wee sticks.  Every month they cause me no end of stress (and expense, because I end up buying about 3 packs a month).  Should I ask the clinic for an injection to induce ovulation instead, just so I can be sure the timing is right?  

Charley - heart shaped sandwiches!  That is so cute!


----------



## Alison0702

Awww heart shaped sarnies..how cute! Hope his day went well.

Duff - I agree - thise flamin sticks are the bain of my life! I have started buying them off ebay, but I got some clearplan ones this time and they are very unclear. So I have had to buy some digital ones too just to check. I suppose the scan tomorrow will tell me whether I need to carry on or not. If my follie grows I have to have the trigger HCG injection as I dont seem to be able to do it myself. I have got Ju ovulation testing too just to make sure the tests werent a dudd..Mad as a  box of monkeys!   
What is your scan for tomorrow?

Lucy - Fingers crossed that Menopurs working   

I'm feeling pretty miserable today for some reason. I think I'm a bit worried about the scan tomorrow. I'm worried that a follie might have grown this time on the left ovary - 
they can never see this ovary for bowel gas  
Or that it hasnt grown at all. God this is horrible! 

Anyhoo, cant do anything about it if thats the case.

Have a nice night everyone

xx


----------



## duff

Alison - mine's just the normal Clomid scan.  It's supposed to be day 10 but this time it's day 9.  Just to check the follicles and lining and stuff.  I think I'm going to ask them for a trigger injection and the progesterone pessaries too this time.  I might as well pull out all the stops because we're due for a review if this time doesn't work (thanks clinic - no pressure, eh?  )

Good luck with your follicle.  I'm not much of a dancer so here's a lucky green faced policeman for you  .  I hope your bowel gas clears nicely too!  

..and just to show off - me and me girlfriend are off to the South of France tomorrow for a long weekend!     I've got the scan first thing then we're jumping on the Eurostar.


----------



## Alison0702

Duff - Stop showing off  
Thanks for the green faced policeman - I am sure he's lucky  ......Good luck for your scan too...here's a lucky   smoking pumpkin for you. 
My consultant makes me go for my scan on day 13 of cycle. Mind you i have a 32'ish day cycle so maybe I go on day 13 cos I ovulate later than a normal person??
What are the pregesterone pessaries for? Tell me more, if your having them I want them too  

Have a great weekend in France


----------



## duff

Alison - Where did you get that lucky pumpkin from? Ahh I see the "more" button.. well I see your smoking pumpkin and raise you one smiling sperm....

The progesterone pessaries are just to make sure you have enough progesterone to keep the lining thick. I don't think I have a problem with low progesterone but my periods are pretty light and the clinic suggested them once. They were very relaxed about it, like I could have them if I want. They're not a hard core fertility drug or anything, more of a booster like evening primrose. But what do I know? I'll have a look elsewhere on FF and see what the experts say and report back..

Here we go, from the IUI board -

"When you leave the clinic you may be given progesterone pessaries, injections or gel. Not everyone needs this it is really a decision made by the clinic. Progesterone is normally produced in the second half of your cycle and the early weeks of pregnancy. This course of drugs is designed to ensure suitable endometrial thickness for implantation. The pessaries appear to receive the most attention. A lot of people slip them up the front, so to speak, but some have found that the 'leakage' has been troublesome and have changed to the rear passage which appears to hold the juices better. "

Whaddja reckon Alison?  the only side effect seems to be that you get *extra wind*!!!


----------



## Alison0702

Duff. Extra wind, that sounds great. Thanks for the info, but more importantly, my smiling sperm.  
Extra wind, leakages, hmmm let me see......nah I think I'll pass  



What size is your leading follicle normally?


----------



## Spangley

Morning Alison and Duff - stop making me  at my screen when I'm supposed to be being a serious boss type person!

Duff - hope the scan goes well and have a lovely time in France 

Hope everyone else is feeling tip top and looking forward to weekend  

I'm feeling a touch queasy today - and have definitely been having ovary twinges so really hope it's working. I've been working out exactly how many grams of protein a day I'm having to make sure it's enough, even considering eating some fish to make sure (I'm vegetarian) but Clare told me I'd have to eat it in the cupboard so she couldn't see me so maybe that's not cool.


----------



## MG

Spangley- Ovary twinges are an excellent sign! Especially if they increase in intensity as the days go on. I hardly feel anything at the beginning of stimms, but as the days pass, my ovaries feel swollen and the twinges start to feel quite sharp. I think I'll also take my protein intake more seriously when I start stimms. But I wouldn't worry about changing your diet too much. There was someone on another board recently who was vegetarian and started to eat fish/meat for her IVF no 2 and ended up not getting as many eggs as when she stuck to her vegetarian diet in IVF no 1! You can get enough protein without eating fish. It is so hard not to beat yourself up about what you should and shouldn't do sometimes isn't it. Just do what feels right for you. 

Duff- Hope the scan goes well and enjoy your trip to France! 

Alison- Good Luck with your scan today!   

As for those bloody progesterone pessaries!  I've used them for IVF as you need progesterone support. For IUI I was given them as my Luteal Phase is too short (your Luteal Phase is post ovulation to AF, average is 14 days, low is 10/11 days and under -although different Dr's say different things). They are supposed to hold off AF for a bit longer until test date, not that they always work!   There's nothing like wind, cramps, leakages and constipation on top of all the drugs your already doing, not to mention the stress.   If your not getting the full 14 days till test date AF free it might be worth giving them a go, or if your lining isn't as thick as they'd like.


Looks like it may be possible that I will be doing my IVF in October (down-reg the end of this month). Hopefully I'll get a definite from the clinic next week sometime. I just want to get on with it now. Both my two ICSIs were egg share so I'm hoping that having drugs prescribed which are specifically for my cycle (and immunology issues) will improve my egg quality/implantation. I'm quite scared about the possibility of facing another bfn though  And now I feel guilty for not being more positive!  

Anyway a good weekend to all!

Melissa


----------



## Alison0702

Yipee my bowel gas was nowhere to be seen, and on my little left ovary was a lovely big follie of 23mm  . So I have to do one more ovulation test tonight at 10pm, if negative, have the HCG injection at 11pm, then go for my "present" on Sunday night at pm.
Feel much better now thats over!

Lucy ( AKA big boss person ) - Glad we made you chuckle   but even gladder that your getting twinges. Hmmmm eating fish in the cupboard sounds like a bit of a nutty thing to do, so I would take Melissa's advice if I were you.   
I would love that courgette fritter recipe you mentioned a while ago. Tamsin said she would email it to me but she was gone AWOL - actually I hope she is ok.

Tamsin where have you gone?

Melissa - Hope you get a date to start soon. Ohh I wish you could feel more positive about it. Here's some       to help you  

Have a nice weekend

Love Alison ( AKA the lass with a big follicle )


----------



## starrysky

Hi all,

Blimey you have been a      lot lately!

Alison - Here's your fertility dance (GO FOLLIE GO!)                                                    

Melissa - It would be good to get on with the treatment, we had to wait ages in between the two IVF's & I remember just how frustrating that is.  It won't make a jot of difference how negative you feel or talk about, we were both utterly convinced this treatment would not work!  It is probably just healthier to have a place where you can say these things to be honest.  Once you have dates, I will do a special fertility dance for you too.

Spangley - Heather did up her protein intake & was convinced that along with the accupuncture this was right for her.  Im sure it is not absolutely necessary to eat foods you dont want to though!  Or in cupboards, but lets not go there....Doesnt tofu or Quorn have a lot of protein?  Cottage cheese? Eggs?        

Duff - Hope you have a nice trip to France!    

Louismummy - I hope the 1st day at nursery went well, I bet you were so proud!  Of course it is early days, but I think it is nice that you are still a bit excited.  It is fantastic that it has worked & maybe remind yourself that there is much more chance that the pregnancy will be sucessful than not.  

Rach & Julie - Glad to hear your donor has re-appeared, must have been quite a worry!  I mean, it's not like we can mange without them is it?  I also wanted to say that I do know what you mean about more & more frinds announcing pregnancies when you are trying to concieve yourselves, it really hurts & you feel such a heel for not being overjoyed.  I lost count of how much of that we both dealt with, the ttc journey for us has been very long (about 7 years) & hard.

Tamsin - Missing you & hope you are ok?  

Hi to everyone else.

We are ok, I will post more of our news on the weekend - I have to go now as Heather has got me a nice curry & a glass of wine!

Love Jo


----------



## Spangley

Hello everyone - don't worry no fish in a cupboard for me - not yet anyway  

Fantastic news re your follie Alison - loads of     for you
Send me a PM with your email address and I'll send you the courgette fritter recipe - we've used it a few times and found it's good to fry them all one day, keep them in the fridge overnight and then refry them the next day when you're about to serve them as they're quite messy. 

Hi Jo - good to hear from you - hope Heather's doing ok and that you enjoyed your curry. We were visiting a friend's new flat in Tooting last night desperate to slide in for a curry somewhere but had to come home in time for my injections   so it was pizza for us  . A bit of a deviation from healthy but I'd been really good during the rest of the day. There are loads of things that I can eat instead of meat/fish for protein it's just making sure I get enough of them as the ratio of protein is lower. I'm having Whey to go every morning which gives a 16g start to the day.

I'm in for my day 6 scan tomorrow morning - really hope those twinges really are follies   

Have a great weekend everyone


----------



## starrysky

Ok then - A quick update on us.....

Heather's diabeties seems to be under a bit better control now, lots of sticking herself with needles though - 4x daily injection & 3x blood testing! I have (of course) got tempted & tested my own blood once or twice,  as you do....mine doesn't look too brilliant either but really do not have the time or energy to find out what might be going on!

Not sure if Heather told you already but she has also been told she has SPD (something to do with misaligning of the bones in the pelvis), she is suffering a bit with pain from it & waiting to see a physio. 

On a more cheerful topic, I can now feel the baby moving from the outside with no trouble. Makes me very chuffed & is definately helping me to feel less negative than I was before. 

I think that is about it for us. We are off today to try & get Heather's dress (for our partnership) altered, IE: Slightly bigger!  So it will fit her when we get hitched which is 2 weeks tomorrow. We are both getting a bit nervous now, though it is a very small do with close friends. However, the person who was going to help us out with food seems to have disappeared  Heather's dress does not fit her & she does not have any shoes!  Apart from that I think we are organised!

Love Jo. 

PS: Spangley - Pizza is MUCH better than most curries, your choice was practically saintly! Next time you are in Tooting look out for Fujisan (On main raod betweeen Tooting Bec & Balham, closer to the Tooting Bec end), Fab Japanese food with great veggie stuff & much of it is very healthy too. Last time we stayed in Balham a few weeks ago we went about 4 times in a week! It is slightly pricy though if you order more than 1 drink/main course but they do have good lunchtime deals.[br]: 9/09/06, 09:17Just to add to Jo's recommendation for Fujisan in Tooting Spangley have you and your friends been to the Kastoori Indian restaurant in Tooting and had the dahi puri, now they are my favourite Indian starter!!

Getting hungry at the thought !

Love and follie dances to everyone!

Heather


----------



## Spangley

Gosh Heather and Jo - all those needles and tests -  so miserable for you  Glad to hear it's more under control now though. Hope you don't have to wait too long to see a physio.  

How exciting about your civil partnership. Are you having the do at home? I'm always nosy about other people's plans. We're quite keen on the small do idea although haven't got round to setting a date or anything yet.

Fujisan - yes I know where that is - will give it a whirl. Kastoori's fantastic and we don't go there nearly enough - yum    

Off for scan in an hour or so. Woke up at 6am and couldn't get back to sleep which is why I'm here at this early hour on a Sunday.


----------



## Spangley

Well we've got 7 follies this time. 2 are over 10mm and the rest smaller. On this day in my last cycle I had 3 under 10mm. Also today my E2 is over 900 whereas CD6 last cycle it was 109. So all is looking better this time - I'm still scared though. Our next scan is on Tuesday -hopefully some of the little ones will have grown bigger...


----------



## Elur

Lucy

Great news hon  Sounds like things should go better for you this time.  

Very best wishes to you

E


----------



## Alison0702

Go follies go     

Good luck Lucy - it's follie week this week, so I'm sure you will be fine. Just off to get ready to go for my IUI. Wish me luck 

Bye for now


----------



## RachandSue

Hi everyone,

Lap top went down friday afternoon   so had get laptop man to come to the rescue   - bargain all fixed for £30!!  
GP appt. went really well on friday - very supportive and has okayed tests to be done through surgery so first round of tests start on 22/9 have to wait for day 2 of cycle for bloods so that should be the 28th. They reckon about two weeks for the results, so all being well I'll be able to book our appt. with the bridge after the middle of October   and then I s'pose it will be up to the clinic how quickly we can start tx. A part of me is praying that there's a chance we could be having tx before xmas (am I being a bit too optmistic?)  

Alison: Good to hear news about you follie - good luck! 

Heather & Jo: Sorry to hear about all your needle and tx dilemas and your spd, it can only get better surley?  

Hello to everyone else and good luck to those of you having scans this week xxxxx  

Love Rach & Sue
xx


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## Spangley

Great news Rach and Sue - good luck with all the tests  

Alison - loads of     for your insemination  

Hi there Elur - hope all well with you


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## ynwa18_92

Un-Ranked


Bubbles! 20
Online

Gender: 
Posts: 3


me and emma (i am the one with the dark hair)


    diy sperm donation 
« on: 5/09/06, 10:57 »    

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi there i am lisa and new on here just like to say hi to you all, 
  Well i have been with my girfriend emma for just over 3yrs now we have been trying for a baby for nearly 2yrs which has been tough going, we have been have sperm donation treatment at QMC in nottingham (well emma's the one who's actually going to carry the baby) we have had counselling and lots of tests and have had our second lot of sperm but sadly nothing as yet    we have since stooped with the hospital as it's quite pricey and we just can not afford it anymore we have also had a freind donate for us and did a sort of home job lol but again nothing ( i did pick up the spem and drive home 5 mins away with it ) don't no if that was the wrong way to do it if anyone can tell me how long it lasts thanx, my girlfreind emma thinks its her fault and that she a faliure i do keep reasuring her so theres the emotional side to as most of you will no, So was just wondering if anyone out there know's if there is a right way to do this,  we have someone who is willing to donate but should he come to our house so its fresh any info will be grately appricated thanx for reading bye for now lisa xxxx


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## snagglepat

Hello everyone!

It's been a while again. Glad to see so many new folks here. I'm afraid I don't have time to catch up with everyone right now as I'm actually still on my travels and am borrowing my hosts internet connection. My host doesn't mind though, as it's Tonia!  She and Bron invited me to visit when they knew I was coming to Australia and we've just had the most lovely weekend, including celebrating their pregnancy with a group of their close friends, which it was truly beautiful to be a part of.

So this board has spawned a truly international friendship - in person as well as on line.  Toni and Bron are two of the most beautiful, caring people you could ever wish to meet - or stay with. Anyway, I'll stop prattling and let Toni get on here.

Congratulations to those who've had great news in the last month or so and best wishes to everyone from sunny Tasmania. We're off to spot platypus in a bit!

Gina. x


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## Tonia2

Hello all! 
Yes, we've had a wonderful weekend, I think we're forming a mutual admiration society - Gina has been wonderful to have stay, we've got up to lots of mischief and almost have convinced her to buy a property here! Unfortunately Rae had other ideas!! 
Gina led us in a little creative celebration where the little group painted my belly - it was fantastic . We've uploaded a piccy on the gallery under members photos - its called 'Tonia's painted belly at 7 1/2 weeks' if you want to have a look! 

Will catch up properly later. 
Love to all, 
Tonia.


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## Alison0702

Nice to hear that you're having a lovely time Gina, Rae, Tonia and Bron. Love the belly painting!!! 
I am desperate to go back to Oz. We have decided if I am not pregnant by next April, we are going to go for 3 weeks and see our friends in melbourne and Brisbane. 

Heather - How are you feeling today? I am going to send you that curry recipe today, promise  

Lucy - Hope those follies are getting nice and big  

Lisa and Emma - We havnt gone down the known donor route, so cant help you. But wanted to wish you loads of luck.   


Well, that's me back on   
I feel really lucky to be here again, I just hope it works this time. I woke up this morning feeling quite teary, and sick and headachy so I rang in sick. Going to relax today and try and cheer myself up a bit. I have been banned from watching any baby programmes today!


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## MG

Heather & Jo- You really are going through it aren't you? It seems so unfair that you have been through so much to get pregnant and then your pregnancy has been so difficult. But come this xmas time you will have the best present you could ever hope for and will enter 2007 in such a wonderful way.  I hope all the planning for your partnership is coming together for you.

Tonia, Bron, Gina and Rae- Glad to hear you are having a wonderful time. Love the piccy what a lovely idea!

Lisa and Emma- Sorry to hear things have been so tough for you. I too am going through the clinic route so have no advice to offer on the DIY route. But I see you have posted elsewhere and have got answers. I have heard that sperm can last for up to 2 hours and that it is more easy to use via syringe when left for 20 mins but like I say its all hearsay for me. However, I can totally empathise with the emotional side.

Spangley- Great news about the follies! All the best for your next scan! 

Rach & Sue- Glad to hear your GP appointment went well and you can have your tests done at your surgery. Once your blood tests have all been done and you have had your consultation at the clinic things can move quite quickly so depending on your cycle start dates you may be able to fit in a tx before xmas. 

Alison- I hope you are having a relaxing day! Did you manage to stay away from the baby programmes?                 I'm sure the dance experts can do better!

I had a really lovely weekend with DP. Just got out and about and spent some quality time together. Sometimes you can get so focused on what you want to happen that you don't appreciate what you already have. So it was good to get out and enjoy the freedom those with children don't have! After all if my next tx is successful it won't just be about us anymore...

Anyone know where Tamsin is? Tamsin let us know alls well with you!

Lots of   to you all,
Melissa


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## Alison0702

Nope Melissa, your dancing was very cool and groovy!  I have had a nice relaxing day thank you, I did have a look at the baby channel but there was nothing on - Phew!
Took Ellie for a few nice walks, so she's tired now too.

Glad you had a nice weekend. You're right, we spend so much time and effort worrying and getting upset about what we havnt got, we tend to forget what we have got. 

Tamsin - I too am starting to get worried about you. You're never away from the thread this long. 

 from those of you who are having treatment....

How are/did your partners cope with you going through the treatment? And did they feel part of it all?
I'm worried that Ju is finding it all a bit hard, saying as it's me who is trying to get pregnant. She has commented a few times that even at the hospital she feels that they dont acknowledge her being part of it all. I'm sure men feel the same sometimes, and I know if she was _really_ bothered we would have had a proper conversation about it, but just wondered how all of you lovely people handled it.

Love to everyone


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## starrysky

Hi all,

Melissa - Glad to hear you had some nice quality time with DP.  Thanks for your encouragement, things really have been very difficult & we do forget sometimes that there will hopefully be a good outcome in the end.  The partnership is almost completely organised now (see Lucy's message for more...).

Alison - We were hoping to cook that curry tonight, now where is that recipe?   (Just kidding)  Sorry to hear you weren't feeling too good today, if it helps Jo is also off sick for the day with terrible endometriosis style period pains & she didn't get much sleep last night either.    It is good you took the day off, sometimes we have to out ourselves 1st.  Jo tried to make herself part of the treatment by going along to most appointments, being the one to ask any questions we had & taking a share of the responsibility with when drugs were taken etc....I think it is always different though for each partner: One will always have the hormones & the bodily things, the other won't.  We found it helpful to talk regularly & if you think Ju might be finding it difficult, maybe you could say that & ask her about it?  Jo & I came up with particular things for her to do to be the 'support person' so just making the dinner, lifting the heavy shopping etc was more meaningful.  Heather made lots of effort to describe what was going on in her body & mind, that seemed to help too.  Medical people will ALWAYS concentrate their attention on the person going through the treatment but it is worth remembering that it is your relationship & what you are trying to do together which is the most important thing to acknowledge to each other, what anyone else outside that then does (or does not do) seems to matter much less.  

Tonia - Belly painting sounds like fun!  We will see if our computer can be persuaded to let us see.  

Gina & Rae - Good to hear from you again, we were very excited to read you had managed to hook up with Tonia.  Platypus spotting sounds much better than going to work....  

Lisa & Emma - Welcome to this thread.  We were forced to borrow money for the treatment & it has left us in quite a bit of debt.  Don't know much about using fresh sperm as this was not an option we ever really looked into.  As for coping with the emotional journey, it is very tough.  We had 7 years of trying before actually having success but the pregnancy has not been straight-forward either.  We have both found this website supportive, we have leaned on various good friends at different times, used alternative therapies like aromatherapy, reiki etc but nothing can really take away the fact that this is a really big deal & is an emotional journey.  


Rachel & Sue - It is great that the GP appointment went so well.    Whether you will start treatment before Christmas or not will depend on how long the list at your particular clinic is & the availability of sperm.  Also, on their protocol: For example, Heather had a few weeks of waiting for a period then 1 month of the pill, about 2 weeks of down-regging, about 3 weeks of stimulating before then actually having the treatment, so that was about 3 months even after the time on the waiting list.

Lucy - Here's a little follie dance for you..... come on follies...keep getting the acupuncture too...

                                                                                 

The partnership is a small do yes (about 20 people), we have invited good friends & only those people who have always been supportive of our relationship & our ttc.  We have both got new dresses (but not 'wedding' ones), we picked non-traditional music & picked out some personal vows.  We have eternity rings to exchange & a 'best woman' to hand them to us.  Then its back to our place for food & wine (or juice for Heather!) - We have put various people in charge of music, topping up everyone's drinks, driving us to the registry office & making/laying out the food.  With a bit of luck, that will only leave us worrying about tripping over or fluffing our lines!  Then we are off to Dorset for a weeks 'honeymoon' back to our favorite (& oddly named place) Sandy Balls!  This is also the place where we had to cut our last holiday short because Heather had all that bleeding, so we are plotting a 're-claim Sandy Balls' campaign.  

Nothing much new to report from us, that we haven't said within all the above anyway!

Love Jo (now chief typist as Heather struggling to sit at computer chair) & Heather.


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## Spangley

Hi Gina, Rae, Tonia and Bron - how cool that you've all met up   I'm so jealous I'd love to go to Tasmania - maybe one day...

Lisa and Emma - sorry I can't help either as I've had all treatment done at the clinic - best of luck though  

Hi Alison - glad your insemination went smoothly - hope your 2WW isn't too much of a nightmare. I've emailed you the courgette fritter recipe   Can't believe both Corrie and Benders have got baby storylines at the moment   
Re my partner (Clare) coping - last year when we were having the IUIs it took quite a few goes for me to realise that she was getting as upset and disappointed as I was. I was so wrapped up in myself that I hadn't really taken her feelings on board. We took quite a few months off in between to give ourselves a chance to get over each tx. This year I've found is that all the tx has actually brought us closer together - particular as she has to do my injections so it does feel like something we're doing together. The nurses treat us very much as a couple. When we called off the last IVF cycle, Clare, the nurse and I all sat there in tears   

Thanks Jo and Heather for the lovely follie dance. Sounds like you're planning a lovely way to celebrate your civil partnership. Small is definitely beautiful in our book. Good luck with reclaiming Sandy Balls!  

Lots of love to everyone 
Lucy 

Melissa - sounds like a lovely weekend


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## ynwa18_92

hi there 
    just wanted to say thank you for all your replys and your wishes and would like to wish you all best of luck with all you are doing    many thanx lisa and emma xx


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## duff

Wow, so much is happening!  Good luck Alison!  well done Spangley!  

We just had a wonderful weekend in France, topped off by seeing Patti Smith at the Festival Hall last night.  She was fantastic!  In the second half, she was reading her poem about Robert Mapplethorpe and Kevin Sheilds was making this amazing soundscape.  You know when you can feel the bass in your belly?  I could feel the vibrations of the guitars and of Patti's voice right in my ovary region.  

I mention it because I had another scan this morning and things are looking good!  I've got two nice fat ones on my left ovary.  20mm and 16mm today.  I think my left ovary is the lucky one.  The time it sort of worked (early m/c) was when I had two follicles on the left.  I reckon the combination of Patti Smith (did I mention we were in the third row?  ) and clomid is a potent one!  Oh, and I decided against the trigger injection, I'm just going to have to trust the wee sticks.  

My partner is very involved in the whole process but I know it is hard for her.  It was never supposed to be like this!  We tried for years with her prospectively carrying the baby.  It would have been so wonderful if it had worked with her.  So it was hard when we switched to trying with me, because really it meant letting go of any hope we had of her ever being pregnant.


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## MG

Hi everyone,

Jo & Heather- Your plans for your CP sound ideal. I'm thinking it is about time we got on with planning ours but it will probably be done next year. I love the idea of putting various people in charge of different things which is something I will keep in mind, especially as I would like an informal/party type of event and I don't want to spend the evening topping up drinks!

Duff- Glad to hear you had a wonderful weekend and it has helped your follies! I hope the wee sticks aren't giving you too much grief... 
I am so sorry to hear that your tx wasn't successful for your partner. It must have been so hard for you both. Seeing your partner go through so much pain and knowing that you can't change it for her, and making the decision to switch to you must have been heart breaking for the pair of you. It looks like you two also have had a long journey and I hope it has a happy ending. This tx stuff is so unfair     

Lucy- I think almost every soap has a pregnancy/baby storyline according to my tv paper   Getting pregnant is all so easy isn't it!!

Alison- As with Lucy, it took a couple of cycles for me to realise my DP felt as upset as I did. I presumed she wasn't as committed as I was but when we talked about it it came out she wanted it too but felt like I wanted to concentrate on being positive and I needed her to be strong so she didn't reveal how upset she was. Since then we have talked about what is happening and I make a point of including her as much as I can.  LWC is quite good with making my DP feel part of the process and I don't feel she would be treated any different to a male partner. However, as I'm the one being 'medicalised' the staff do tend to address me more. But we both know that this is just a means to an end in the process of having a baby and that once it happens it will just be about us. During the 2ww she likes to look after me and makes sure that I don't over do it and makes me lots of nice dinners so that is her role and she does it well! In fact the benefit of the 2ww is I get quite pampered... 

Through all this we have definitely got closer as a couple and feel it has actually benefited our relationship. I feel like I can trust her for support through my most difficult moments (and likewise) and that is a wonderful thing to have in life. Okay enough of the mush...

  
Melissa


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## Spangley

Just a quick "it's all about me" post before I leave work. Went in for the scan this morning and the same 2 follies are still there and they've grown a couple of mm. The other swines are still below 10mm. I think they might have grown a little bit as it seemed like they were easier to spot this morning than they were on Sunday but it was different nurses each time so it's hard to know.

So the upshot of that is that we've got to carry on with the mega Menopur dose and see what's happened on Thursday morning's scan. We might push to carry on even just with the two follies, some may have grown by the time we actually get to EC. It's risk though as they may end up getting nothing and we'll have wasted all our money.

Poo


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## Alison0702

Lucy -   Bloody follicles! Right here goes, my best ever follie dance..knocks spots off Jo...starting with a bit of bum shakin

                                                                                          

Phew I'm knackered    All the best for Thursday  


Duff - I'm sorry to hear that treatment didnt work our for your girlfriend. It's so sad. Had you talked about you trying if it didnt work for her? It must have been so hard for her to "give up" as such. We havnt talked about that possibility yet and dont want to either! 
Glad you had a good weekend - sounds like fun!  

Melissa - Arent we being soppy tonight     
Everything you said rang true with me. The first few months was all about me me me..I was going through the treatment/I wasnt having periods/I was getting BFN's etc etc. Then I realised that it wasnt all about me at all, it was about us. Having a chat about that really helped us realise how each other was feeling so I think she is just being sensitive about hospital staff.  

Heather and Jo - How u feeling today? Jo, I wonder if you are now a qualified doctor?   .......check your email  

Love to everyone else


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## duff

Spangley - I really feel for you, possibly having to make such a tough decision whether to carry on or not,  but I'm really rooting for your two follicles and hope tomorrow's scan brings good news.  

Awww Melissa and Alison, it's really nice to read your mushy stuff about your partners!


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## Spangley

Hi Alison - thanks so much for my lovely follie dance - it really cheered me up. I'm feeling a bit more   today after being a bit   on the phone to my mum last night. 

I didn't mention that the nurse even asked me yesterday if I'd consider egg donation   which I really don't think I would as it's less important for me to actually carry the baby than that it's genetically mine. I can't believe that within 6 months we've gone from stimulated IUI cycles being the best option to suddenly looking at the end of the road. 

Except I'm not - of course - because tomorrow there will be lots more lovely big follies    

Thanks for the positive vibes Duff  

Hope everyone else is doing ok - I'll let you know how tomorrow morning's scan goes asap as I'm "working from home" tomorrow


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## Alison0702

Lucy - Be thinkin of you tomorrow - what time is your appointment? Be sending you lots of       and have sent you some good luck bubbles  
Make sure you dont work too hard tomorrow  


Well day 3 of   and been very good and not thought about it much. Went back to work today and had a "vague" day. Couldnt really be bothered and didnt utter one word in the meeting until the end then I talked a load of crap. My mate from work rang me to make sure I was ok - Just as I had a really wierd hot flush. Was sitting on sofa then all of a sudden I was really cold, then started sweating and breathing wierdly. I had to dowse myself in cold water then I started to calm down. Bet he wish he hadnt rang now  
Anyway I am ok now just very tired.

Got my 2nd accupuncture appointment tomorrow night so looking forward to that.

Bye for now


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## Spangley

Hello people

Well the update is leading follie 21mm, one at 17, then 11, then 9 and no more . However - the two littlest _have _ definitely grown since Tuesday but they may not catch up in time as we're now booked for EC on saturday morning. The nurse was really upbeat with us about going ahead as she made the point that after last time and now this, I may always be a rubbish responder so having spent all the money on Menopur we might as well spend the EC money and see what the doctor gets out of me. We're having the most senior professor at the Bridge do the procedure so I guess if anyone's going to find any follies that have been hiding he will.

So trigger injection tonight, EC Saturday morning 

Well done for not thinking too much Alison. Don't worry about talking a load of crap in a meeting - doesn't everyone do that all the time?!


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## starrysky

Hi evryone

Alison - Keeping my fingers firmly crossed for you    .

Spangley - good luck on saturday, you do hear of people who have responded brilliantly who get a BFN and people who have had problems getting BFPs. The leading follie sounds good to me, and the second in line. Sending them both positive vibes!!   .

Hi to everyone else.

Heather


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## duff

Spangley, 21mm and 17mm sounds pretty good to me!  They all still have a couple of days to grow as well.   

I'm still waiting for my LH surge.  I reckon it's going to come tomorrow so insemination will be on Saturday .  I had a brilliant acupuncture session last night.  Honestly, it was like drugs.  She put one needle in the side of my knee and I could feel it up behind my eye (this doesn't sound like it would be good but it was marvellous!).


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## Spangley

Thanks both for the grow follies grow vibes. Although not sure I want that biggie to grow as it's a bit uncomfortable.

Duff - looks like we could be cycling together if I get as far as embryo transfer. Really good luck for your cycle, hope your surge comes as expected.


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## duff

Hey Spangley, it'll be really nice to be cycling with you  .    Alison will be a few days ahead so she'll be like one fo the cool older girls in school who knows about stuff.  

Incidently, what do you reckon to the Bridge's new sperm share scheme?  I suppose it makes sense, given the shortages, but they know how to get money out of us don't they?


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## Spangley

Yeah have to say we paid up the £200 without really thinking about it as compared to the thousands we've already spent it seems like a drop in our ocean  

To be honest on Tuesday when Annette was talking to us about it I wasn't really listening as was too worried about my non-existent follies so not really sure what we've paid up for  

We might even go abroad next time. There's a clinic in Brussels I've been looking into which has a very good reputation. It's where the PGS technique was developed. I've found out they accept lesbians so if there's no sperm it is an option - quite straightforward to get there on the train.


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## MG

Lucy- That your nurse would even mention egg donation mid cycle is so not right . Instead of thinking up alternative options they should be putting all their effort into making this cycle successful . Good news about your 2 leading follies I really hope the other 2 catch up ready for your EC. I know it sounds mean but I hope you feel even more uncomfortable as that'll mean your other follies are catching up !!! The trigger injection can really boost the growth too so hopefully they give you a strong dose of that!              

I would also consider going abroad if necessary. The UK's clinic success is way behind the rest of Europe and you would probably get a better standard of treatment.


What is the sperm share scheme? 


Alison-       

Duff- Good to hear you are getting so much out of your acupuncture even if it sounds sooo wrong  I hope you get a good strong surge tomorrow!    

As for me, my hoped for IVF cycle at the end of the month won't be happening. My clinic want to refer me to a specialist consultant to do with my blood results so now I'll have to wait for that. I have checked out the waiting list and I'll be lucky to get an appointment by the end of the year let alone start my IVF . Even though I know I have to get the right drugs prescribed for me it is still very disappointing  Who knows what the cost of that will be. I'm hoping that as it will be a private consultation the waiting list will be shorter but I'll have to wait a couple of weeks to find out. What really annoys me is why did they get me to do the tests if they don't know what to do with the results, at the very least they could have told me about the referral weeks ago as they've had the results for a month or two. Grrrrrrrr   Now I'm going to indulge in some 'not during tx' food and drink...  

Melissa


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## Spangley

Oh Melissa that's rubbish. What blood tests did you have? So sorry to hear you're having to wait even longer. Good luck in getting an appointment sooner than that.

The sperm share scheme - hmm I've paid £200 to be part of it but I have to confess it all went in one ear and out the other. I think it's a scheme where you buy enough sperm to keep you going through a couple of cycles and no one else has access to it apart from maybe the people you're sharing it with. Else it wouldn't be a sperm share scheme. Help me out here Duff! Errr and there's a waiting list in the meantime cos there's no sperm anyway. Apart from in Belgium  

Still when we're old and grey we can look back and laugh about how we all lived through the Great British Sperm Famine in the mid-noughties


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## Tonia2

*Melissa * - That IS rubbish! How unfair are they to not tell you sooner! I'm so sorry to hear you have to wait for so long when you were expecting to get started soon. Here's some good luck smoking pumpkins to help you get an earlier appointment:       

There's so much happening on here!  you chatterboxes!! Good luck *Alison, Duff & Lucy * for the next few days. Can't wait to hear...         

*Jo & Heather * -Your civil partnership do sounds great! Hope it's a lovely time (not too stressful) and that the plan for Sandy Balls goes swimmingly! (Love the name, Heh heh!)

We put Gina back on the ferry to mainland Australia on Monday night,  unfortunately we didn't get to meet Rae as she had to return to the UK the day before Gina came over. We did have a very cool time though- Gina taught us how to cook some scrumptious vege meals, how to play our djembe drums properly, how to shrink our photos so I could upload them onto FF, taught me how to crochet... she's a wealth of wonderful information!!  And after 3 patient attempts over the weekend, she finally did get to see an elusive platypus (4 actually!) Gina's just lovely. I wish she would come back to Aussie around April so she could be our birth doula! 
It was really nice to meet in person someone from FF, - if any of you are coming over do let us know! ....If you're in the vicinity of Melbourne it's _very easy _ to get to Tassie!!

Thanks for all your kind thoughts re. me posting on here. I know I've loved to hear of others getting BFPs and their progress because it gives me so much hope and incentive, but I also know at times it's really hard and makes one want to scream! I think I just wanted you to know that I know that!  Don't give up hope!!

All is well with me, as far as I can tell.  I've not had too much nausea, just the occasional day, or time of day (morning / dinnertime). It usually reduces / is more managable if I eat. But I have started to get SO ridiculously tired.  On Tuesday after Uni I slept for 3 hours in the afternoon, got up had dinner, and went back to bed at 7.30, slept all night... it's pathetic!! Nothing else matters except me sleeping! The house is completely trashed and my uni work has fallen off the bottom of my priority list...  I don't think I ever remember being so tired so continuously.  I'm kinda relieved though as it most likely indicates that all is well in there! My scan is not for another 11 days... fingers crossed!

*Charley & Lee* how are you doing??

Good luck to all over the next few days, 
Tonia


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## duff

Melissa - how annoying! Sometimes it feels like everything takes forever, doesn't it? Please let us know what delicious food and drink you're going to have. I'm going out for a team dinner this evening with the people I work with and am going to be the only sober one there!



Spangley said:


> Still when we're old and grey we can look back and laugh about how we all lived through the Great British Sperm Famine in the mid-noughties


Won't we! So the sperm share thing. You know how each donor can only produce 10 pregancies plus siblings? Well, what the share scheme is, is that you buy one of those ten chances. So £2000 gets you an initial 15 vials of sperm to use for whatever treatment you are having. It actually works out a quite a good deal.

It's funny though, when we first started out on the donor route, I remember filling in my characteristics on a form so they could try and match a donor to how I look (bear in mind that I was the dp at the time). Nowadays there aint much choice, is there? It's not like I'm into breeding some kind of super-human or anything, but sometimes it just seems so totally random. Anyway, I have to keep reminding myself that those few charactersitics they give you about a donor hardly sum up a person. If I was the sperm donor, I'd sound really dull - "Brown hair, grey eyes, sales executive, likes watching films"


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## duff

Oh and Tonia - I love those lucky smoking pumpkins! In fact, they look very much like a woman I used to share a house with.  Obviously, she wasn't orange, but she smoked **** and looked sort of cross all the time.


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## Alison0702

Melissa thats not good and I can only imagine how cheesed off you are. I believe you should get tiddly and eat loads of naughty things..  

Lucy - Go follies go.....Nice big ones there   
Ooh not long till Saturday. Are you nervous or feeling ok?     
Cant remember if I said, but my clinic let you buy 10 ampules at once now for a one off fee of £1500 so at least you havnt got the worry of them being "out of stock"
However he still charges £340 to put it in - ooh that doesnt sound very nice does it  

Tonia - I know what you mean about Sandy Balls - it makes me chuckle every time Heather mentions it     
Glad you had a nice time with Gina. I wish more people lived up North so we could meet up. 
Make sure you take the time to sleep and relax now cos once mini aussie is born, you wont get a chance - look at Mable  

Duff - Ha ha ha ha  love the comment on your old housemate     
Yes that needle at the side of the knee - it flippin hurt. I told the woman off - well more like an ooh ooh ooh ohh ohh - thought she was going to hand me a banana.   
I'm off there at 5.30 so I'll be watchin where she's stickin those needles  
See how everyones using my smoking pumpkins for good luck now yeah! 
Good luck for LH surge.. 

Quite pleased to be one of the older girls who knows stuff  

Hello to everyone else and

               


to all


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## nismat

Hi all, sorry to have been on the missing list for so long - we lost our home internet connection almost 3 weeks ago, and are still not back on-line, as we can't work out what the problem is. It's a complete nightmare, especially as I work from home. I've been having to borrow a friend's computer intermittently and/or go to an internet caff, so I just haven't been able to get on to all my favourite sites.

Sorry if any of you were worried - I know that it's not like me to be gone for so long! Everything is going OK, time seems to be flying by and I can't believe that it's 16 weeks already. Nearly half way there  My bump is definitely starting to emerge more obviously and I seem to be fighting my way out from the fog of tiredness now (thank heavens).

*Lee-anne & Charley* - I'm so thrilled to hear that IVF no.2 worked for you - hurrah!! 

*Lucy * - will have everything crossed for your egg collection on Saturday - I hope that it all works out for you, even if your response hasn't been as good as you would have liked.   

Claire (feistyblue) - wishing you lots of luck for testing on Saturday   

Sorry - don't have time to catch up with everyone, but I hope to be properly back on-line before too long!

Tamsin


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Yay Tamsin your still alive!

Sorry we have not been on for ages- working and our little man = no extra time.  We got louis first pair of shoes yesterday and he loves them.

Lee's counting down the days to her scan on Wednesday and is so worried about having a miscariage as so many of our friends seem to be loosing their little bundles.  

Were off to a wedding on Saturday and little man has a lovely suit so i will post some pics.

HOpe everyone is ok, good luck for all those 2wwers

Tons and tons of baby dust

Charley, Lee and Louis
xxxxxxxx


----------



## RachandSue

Hi all,

Oh my god what a nightmare week! After fixing our laptop two days later the hard drive went  

We missed so much and now soooo much is going on! What with sperm share schemes - painfully large follies - 2 week waits!!!  

We just can't keep up with you all!  

So I'm just going to say that I'm happy for those of you with good news  , I'm sad for you with not so great news  , and I'm thinking of all of you whom are waiting  ! I think that will cover all of you!!!

Chat soon


Rach & Sue
xx


----------



## Spangley

Hi Tamsin - thank goodness you're ok. I was a bit worried I have to confess. So glad to hear it was only your internet connection keeping you away from us 

Thanks for everyone's good wishes, I'm just feeling excited today even though I know I should probably manage my expectations.

Trigger injection was last night at 9.30pm on the absolute dot. Clare had the speaking clock on speaker phone so the needle could go in at the exact moment. She's not anal or anything 

I'm having acupuncture at 6pm to relax me and help give those little follies an extra boost. I'm trying to drink gallons of water today so I'm extra hydrated tomorrow. Last supper is cauliflower cheese, mashed potato, veggie bangers and spinach. Think that covers all the bases nutrition-wise. Then we're due at the Bridge at 8am for an 8.30am appointment.

Please   let my follies have healthy eggs in them


----------



## duff

Spangley - It's funny you mention about "managing your expectations".  I've decided this cycle to stop trying to manage them!  I'm really excited today too, I've got the insemination tomorrow morning.  Best of luck with your EC and everything.  I'm really hoping this cycle is gonna be a good one for us, I looked at my moon calendar (hippy? me?  ) and I reckon it looks good.  There will be a new moon right on the day 10 of our 2ww.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get on with weaving my own mooncup.   



and here's another of those lucky grumpy lesbian housemates for you!


----------



## Spangley

I used to go out with a woman who looked like that. Didn't know you'd shared a house with her. She doesn't half get around 

New moon sounds good, maybe I'll just let myself get a little bit excited


----------



## lucky2010

good luck for tomorrow Spangley.

We're off on holiday tomorrow to Cornwall for two weeks. I hope the weather holds out.

Best of luck to all.

Rach and julie xx


----------



## MG

Just a quick message to Lucy: Just to let you know I am thinking of you this morning and sending you lots of positive energy. I hope they get some great eggs!       and of course I must add some      

Melissa


----------



## starrysky

The same from me - lots of        to everyone in 2WW and in the midst of treatment. 

Heather


----------



## duff

Hello all!


I had the IUI yesterday morning and all went well.  We've been doing this long enough now that the nurse knows to just keep chatting away to my gf throughout rather than telling me  what she's doing.  I don't think there's any words less likely to relax you than "I'm just putting the catherter in now.."    

I just found out that my sister is pregnant again!  Hurray!  We already have one fantastic niece, who is nearly four.  

Lucy, loads of positive thoughts and good luck to you!


----------



## Tonia2

*Lucy*- Good luck for your EC today     Here's to lots of eggies!
[fly] [/fly] 
* Duff * Fingers crossed,  I hope this IUI's the one!   
[fly]  [/fly] 
*Alison* How are you doing on the 2ww? Hope you're managing to get loads of rest.   

[fly] [/fly]
*
Rach & Sue, & Tamsin * - good to see you all back. Don't you just hate computers sometimes?! (Can't live with them, can't live without them!)

You know how I said I wasn't feeling too nausaus too often- well, that's changed. I feel sick _all_ the time! Think: constant motion sickness when you're not going anywhere.  Ugh. Not that I'm complaining. 

Love Tonia
x


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Good luck lucy i hope it went ok.

Hope your 2ww is not too stressful Duff.   

We went to a wedding yesteday and both spent he night throwing up.  It could be food poisoining or as i had 4 glasses of wine i could have had a reaction ( havent drunk for ages) and lee could have evening sickness!!!

Were booked in tomorrow for an emergency scan at 9am as lee keeps getting pains in her side.  She is convinced she is going to have an eptopic so they want to check her out.

Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend

Lots of luck and baby dust

Charley, Lee and Louis
xxxx

p.s does severe sickness harm the embryos


----------



## Tonia2

*Lee & Charley*-  sorry to hear your news- hope the scan reveals nothing untoward tomorrow, I'll be thinking of you.  I had quite a lot of pain in the first few weeks- sharp jabbing pains and lots of uncomfortable stretchy aches. I hope it's just that. Fingers crossed. 
I'm not at all sure whether being sick like that can harm the little embie at such an early stage. Most things I've read seem to indicate that it's fairly safe snuggled in there, because it's so small... Maybe you could post on the nurses board? 
Let us know how you go... 
Tonia


----------



## Alison0702

Lucy - Hope everything went well yesterday and eggs were fabulous.   

Duff - Happy 2ww partner! I'm only on day 7 now and dot feel anything. Although last night I had a elastic band twangy feeling in my left side so started to worry that is was early AF pains. How many IUI's you had now?

Tonia - Sorry your feeling rubbish - you shouldn't have said anything about not feeling ill  

Lee - Hope everything goes ok at the scan to tomorrow..  


As for relaxing......we drove down to Leeds last night for a friends housewarming party. Ended up going to bed (said loosly as it was a camping matress and about 1/2 inch thick) at 4am. We got home a while ago but I'm so tired now. 

Had a tiramasu which I stopped eating cos it was full of booze - then the woman who made them said "oh they're not good for anyone pregnant as they've got raw egg in them"  
Ju tells me off for being "too" over the top with things like that, and my consultant said just carry on as normal until you test so I should listen to them really and stop being an obsessive nutter. 

Anyway speak soon...lots of


----------



## duff

Best of luck for the scan, Lee and Charley.  

Hey Alison!  Wow, day 7 already.  It seems to have gone quickly (perhaps not to you!).  I'm going to write one of those signature wotsits so you can see how many IUIs I've had.


----------



## Spangley

Hello everyone and thanks for all your good luck messages.

Unfortunately it's no luck for us again. The Professor (ooh get me!) managed to get 2 eggs out on Saturday. Apparently one was better than the other. EC was absolutely fine and I don't remember a thing. So we went home hoping and praying for at least one embryo to put back but they rang yesterday to say neither had fertilised so we're back to square one. Absolutely gutted. We're going to make an appointment with the consultant again to see what he says. I think I know what he's going to say though. Clare's really up for spending the next few months trying to get my FSH down and trying again. I'm less sure at the moment but maybe I'll get my positivity back  

As for you guys - all fingers crossed for Alison and Duff on the 2WW. 

Good luck in your scan today Lee and Charley. 

Really hope it's me that's had the bad luck for this month.


----------



## duff

Oh Lucy I'm so sorry to hear this.


----------



## RachandSue

Lucy: I'm sorry to hear your bad news stay positive darling (easy for us to say I know)! But don't loose hope xx  xx

Charley, Lee & Louis: Hope all went well today. Let us all know.

Love and Hugs

Rach & Sue
xxx

PS: Had to get in n the smoking pumpkin craze as they make me chuckle!!

[fly]  [/fly]


----------



## MG

Hi everyone,

Lucy- I'm so sorry  . IVF/ICSI really does take a whole lot out of you emotionally and physically, usually more then you realise. It's no wonder you aren't feeling so positive at the mo as you are probably exhausted. A few months off might do the job FSH wise. My last ICSI was months ago but it took a while for my body to get back to normal. I have heard of other people who haven't responded well to stimms using other drugs with better results so I don't know if that is some use to you. I really feel for you hun and hope that you and Clare find your success soon.

Charley, Lee and Louis- I hope the scan went well?

Duff- I always found the 'I'm passing the catheter now' so irritating as it is never relaxing. Congrats on your Auntie news! Good luck for  your 2ww.                   

Tamsin- Good to hear from you and so glad to hear that alls well.

Alison- Halfway there now. How are you feeling?

Tonia- Sorry to hear you are feeling so sick.  

Rach and Sue- How are things with you?


I've had lots of alcohol, coffee and junk food of late. Well if there is no tx in sight I might as well have some time off of trying to be healthy. 

I'm planning my next junk fest right now...chinese food may be involved...maybe thai...perhaps a curry...oooh this indulgence business is so hard... 

Melissa


----------



## starrysky

Lucy - We were so very sad to read your news.     It is really hard to have treatment & for it not to work.  You must give yourself lots of treats now whilst you recover & we are both really hoping that you will find the right thing for you in future.  Big  

Duff - Hope the   goes well.  Good luck   

Charley & Lee - Hope the scan went well, Heather has had all kinds of bizarre aches & pains since about week 4.     

Alison - Raw eggs are only a problem if they have actually got salmonella (would think a little alcohol might cancel it out anyhow   ), just think of all those women who don't even know they are pregnant for months!  Our friend, who is also a GP, eats rare steak, runny eggs & soft cheeses when pregnant.

Melissa - Yum, a junk fest..... yes please.  We want curry & chocolate & alcohol!    

Tonia - We finally managed to find your bump painting picture & think it is Fab.  Now we both want one too!


News on us - Went for a scan today, all is looking good.  We are both looking forward to our holiday next week.

Love Jo & Heather.      

         

(Not to be left out!)

Ps:  We have added a scan pic of Boom - It is a fab 3d one but is very small & we are not clever enough to work out how to make it bigger!


----------



## LouisandPhoebe

Hello everyone

Lucy i am so so sorry to hear your news and i hope you and your partner ar ok.  TTC is such an emotionally draining time ( takes over your whole life) and its certainly taken it out of us today.  Lee even had an overnight bag packed as she was convinced she was going to be told she was having an eptopic.  We were seen straight away and told we were fine.  Lee is having one baby and we even saw the heart beat.  The reason for all the terrible symptoms was that her ovary had grown to 8cm because of all the ivf drugs when it shout be about 1cm.

I also got it tons of trouble at work for missing school to go to the scan and all i could say to my head was i was so happy the baby was still with us i think she wanted an apology!

P.S i did get cover for my class and paid for it ( The teacher who covers me on Friday so she knows the class and my head was away all weekend and i left her a message on her answer machine and i told the head of year and i was only gone an hour and a half)


----------



## Alison0702

Lucy - So sorry sweetie, really sad for you both. Hope you and Clare are ok. Huge hugs


----------



## irisbea

lucy, a big hug to you

Can any one help? ive been accepted by the Bridge to have ICSI using our friends sperm ( which is wonderful fabulous news), has anyone used their friend as donor (either resulting in pregnancy or not) as I think it would be useful for him to contact other peolple in the same situation either by email or to speak to.

Hes been generally very excited and positive about it but now I think hes a bit freaked out  now that its a reality.

You can message me directlyif you can help


love to all and positive thoughts


----------



## Mable

Sorry to hear your news Lucy - really thinking of you at this time. Hope the next step becomes clearer.


----------



## RachandSue

I know I'm off the topic but I thought I would try and put a smile on your lovely (not seen) faces with a few smiles from smiley central!!!







Oh I really hope this works as it looks like a lot of code at the mo!!!!

love to you all

Rach
xx


----------



## RachandSue

hmmm need a bit more practise maybe? but at least you can see them!!


----------



## Spangley

Hello everyone

I like your smileys RachandSue

Really glad the scan was ok Lee and Charley - I hope your head is being a bit more understanding now. Doesn't seem like she can really complain as you had your class covered etc

Iris - sorry I can't help as have always used anon donor sperm but good luck anyway 

Have a good holiday Jo and Heather - glad your scan was good

Melissa - enjoy all those indulgences  

As for us - we're feeling a bit jollier and have booked ourselves into a luxury guest house with a whirlpool bath in Brighton tonight and tomorrow. Feel a bit guilty (I know I shouldn't) that I got my GP to sign me off work for a week and now I'm not on the 2WW so I'm out and about. Then we've got an appointment with Mr Shaw at the Bridge on Friday to see what he has to say.  

Love to all

Lucy


----------



## Alison0702

Lucy - Glad you two are feelin better. Hope you had a great time in Brighton living it up in luxury  

Duff - Hows it going. How many more "getty ups" till test day?  

Rachandsue - I cant get into smiley central on my pc at all. Boo  


Well, I know I have 4 more "getty ups" till test day, but I already know it's another  
I have boobs like water melons and feel that they are going to burst out of my bra  
I also have a llittle back pain, cramps on and off and bloatedness.

I know people say that the symptoms are the same but I am sure this has to be for people who have had  ivf'y kind of treatment.  

I've had quite a few tears tonight but I will march on next cycle. We have decided that if no success by end of this year, we'll be looking at IVF in the new year.

Anyway, love to everyone, and sorry to be a miserable git


----------



## starrysky

Hi everyone

Spangley - hope you had a relaxing time in Brighton, it sounds nice, and that your appointment goes well. 

Alison - sorry to hear you're not confident, I am still crossing fingers for you. 

Duff - fingers crossed for you too. 

That's me on half pay now - it was bound to happen sometime, but if it has to be then there is no choice. Looking at all sorts of ways to keep ourselves going, but we are trying to forget it a bit until our civil partnership is over and our trip to the new forest next week. On a positive note Boom is 27 weeks today - third trimester at last, I never thought we would make it so this is a very happy day and I intend a drop of wine tonight. 

Love to everyone

Heather


----------



## duff

Hi everyone,

I feel like one of those internet weirdos telling you stuff like this but I just wanted to explain why I wouldn't be around much for this 2ww.  My best friend was killed in a road accident on Monday.  I'm one of the next of kin (the blood family are overseas) so there's lots to do with organising the funeral etc.  I've pretty much written off the whole conception thing this month.  It honestly, has hardly crossed my mind with all of this going on.  I'm still taking my progesterone but hardly remembering to eat my lunch, let alone brazil nuts and all that stuff. 

I am thinking of you though Alison - come on girl!  Instead of thinking your boobs are like watermelons, picture them more as a couple of lucky smoking pumpkins! 

 

all the best gang,

duff X


----------



## Alison0702

Oh Duff thats awful news. I am so sorry. Thanks for your lovely message..will be thinking of you too..


----------



## Fifebloke

Hi Irisbea

If you think it might help, I'd be happy for your donor to ask me anything.  You've got my email address.

Best wishes

David


----------



## blueytoo

Hi everyone

Sorry I haven't been very active on this thread but have been finding things a bit difficult.

After my BFPs last Thursday/Friday/Sat and Sun I went for a beta HcG on Monday and it was a low positive of 61. I had my repeat beta yesterday and got the results today and as expected they had lowered to 33 and so I my little ones didn't survive.

Just have to wait now for the miscarriage to start which I understand can take a while. Relieved to stop the gestone jabs in my bum though and relieved its not ectopic.

   to all

Claire xx


----------



## Tonia2

Oh *CLaire* I'm so sorry! No wonder you're finding things difficult  Take are of yourself as much as you can. 

*Duff * - you poor thing  you must be so upset! What an awful situation...I hope all the organising goes as smoothly as possible for you... Make sure you take time out to look after yourself amongst all the sadness and busy-ness.  Feel free to vent to us on here if you need to!! (you're so not an internet weirdo! thank you for letting us know )

*Lucy* - so sorry to hear your news on this cycle as well.  A rest could be a really good thing... but don't give up altogether yet! 

*Alison * -  I hope your predictions are completely untrue and you're pleasantly surprised this time around...

I'm so sorry to hear all the sad news this week  ...Love & hope to all of you

Tonia


----------



## MG

Hi all,

Duff-    What a horrible time for you. I'm sorry for the loss of your bf. Try and eat regularly if just to keep your energy levels up as it sounds like you have a lot to organise and get through. Take care of yourself sweetheart.

Claire- To go through all the tx and get a bfp and then m/c must be so hard to deal with. I know I'd be a mess if it happened to me. We're all here for you if you need to rant and rave or just feel sad.  

Lucy- I hope your appointment went well today.

Alison- 

Heather & Jo- Congrats on the third trimester! 

I'm off to see family for a week tomorrow and it may do me good to be away from all tx for a while . Although I'll find it hard not knowing how Alison's 2ww ends! So I shall wish you all well, especially with there being so much sadness on the board right now. 

Melissa xx


----------



## RachandSue

Hi gals,

I am sorry to hear sooo much sadness on the board at the moment.    I just thought I'd post before I go off to the quacks to start our journey.  

It's heart breaking to hear all your bad news as we feel as we all are getting to know each other so well that your pain becomes all of ours.  

Big kisses and hugs to all of you.     I'm sure that I can speak for everyone when I say this - no-one will think your weird if you share your sad thoughts I believe that the old cliche "a problem shared is a problem halved" is sooo true so keep on doing this as it helps us all to realise how precious our lives and journeys are.

Love to you all
xx

Rach & Sue
xx


----------



## RachandSue

Well would you blooming believe it? They couldn't do my smear tests today as they have realised I'm too close to my period!  
I know this is partly my fault as I did think when the doctor told me to book the appt. that it was a bit close but I had told him the date of my last period I think that he should have told me the correct information - I'm sooooo disappointed that now I have to wait again   (Sue thinks that it's funny that I'm disappointed about not being able to have smear - and I s'pose it does sound a bit crazy   but obviously she says she is disappointed aswell as this puts us back a bit) 

Bloods are on day 2 of cycle - don't think I've ever wished my period here so much!!!  

Love
Rach
xx


----------



## Alison0702

Claire - I am so sorry to read your news. It's just so unfair. Take care of yourself..will be thinking of you 

Rach and Sue - get used to praying for your period to come one minute, then praying so hard it doesnt come the next. It drives you batty! .  

Lots of

  

Needed on here at the moment

I didnt tell you as I knew I would get told off, but I did an early test yesterday morning and that negative sign appeared before I had even stopped peeing. I know it was early, but I _really_ know it hasnt worked. I will still test on Sunday, but not holding out any hope. 

Love to everyone
Alison
x


----------



## Spangley

Hello everyone

Oh Duff I'm so sorry to hear your news   I hope making the arrangements isn't too gruelling and that the funeral goes as smoothly as possible. Gosh don't really know what else to say - am thinking of you and really, really hope this cycle has worked for you even if it's the last thing you've got on your mind  

Claire - so sorry to see your news. So cruel to have a positive then a negative.   

Have a great break away Melissa 

RachandSue - sorry you've got to wait another month for your smear. I'm afraid if you're anything like us there always seemed to be one more thing that held us back from getting started. You will soon though I'm sure  

Alison   to you too but maybe there's still a little hope?    

We got back from Brighton this morning and went straight to see Mr Shaw at the Bridge. Really sorry to see so much sadness on this thread while we were away. He wasn't exactly giving us massive hope. There are 3 conventional medicine things we can do to improve our chances: 1) stick with short protocol, start stims on day 2 but only start suppressing LH surge when the leading follie is 14mm with a drug called cetrotide, 2) take Clomid as well as Menopur to improve egg quality, 3) measure FSH every month and go with tx on a month with a low reading. We can also try taking 50mg DHEA a day for a month prior to tx - it's a steroid and there's a theory that it boosts hormone levels. It's not licensed here though but is available as a food supplement in the States. And then there are all the complementary therapies we could add to the mix.

Clare's all for trying absolutely everything and going for it but Mr Shaw said we're only really playing for another couple of eggs, not masses so I'm not sure whether to go on, if I'm honest. I've been crying on and off all week really and in some ways wish I could draw a line under all this and move on. 

Either way there's no F***ING sperm.


----------



## RachandSue

oh Spangly its so tough to hear you so low, please keep your chin up darling.


----------



## Alison0702

Hi all

Just to say that I tested again this morning and still  

I have complete PMT and have been in a stinker of a mood all day. We're out tonight with friends so that'll take our minds of it all.   

       

Love to everyone


----------



## Spangley

Alison       Thinking of you  

We went out with friends last night and stayed up till 6.30am at a friend's house drinking. I am


----------



## Alison0702

Thanks Lucy honey....Glad you had a good night/morning - You look terrible  =


----------



## duff

Oh Alison, I'm really gutted for you. 

Claire - I also had a miscarriage earlier in the year and was absolutely devastated. I hope you are looking after yourself. I didn't think it at the time, but my accupuncturist was all excited and said it _nearly _ worked and that it was a good sign for future success.

Spangley - my heavens that all sounds so complicated! And you're right, there is no sperm anyway. 

RachandSue - I'm sorry to hear that the smear test/period thing has set you back. It did remind me of a joke though. A lesbian goes to the gynecologist. after the examination, the gynecologist says "You have the cleanest vagina I've ever seen!" and the lesbian says "Thank you, I have a woman in twice a week"...

..I'll get my coat..


----------



## RachandSue

Oh  Duff, I liked that!!


----------



## Alison0702

Hope everyone's ok...

Duff - how's the 2WW going chuck. Hope that the joke's improve mind..that one was poor       

Lucy - Hope you're ok  

Well,   arrived yesterday so started clomid again this morning. Take it for another 4 days then have a follicle scan 9th October. Think it might be an "emotional " clomid time rather than a "horrible cow" clomid time. Have just watched dog borstal and cried all the way through it  


On another topic....

There are a lot of get together's on this board, but nothing for us.
I would really like to try and arrange a meet of some description. What does everyone think?
Obviously as we are the only people from the North, we would travel south so if anyone is interested, shout and we could arrange something....Just a thought!


----------



## RachandSue

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe that normally I am as regular as clockwork - not this month oh bloody no!!!  
 s'posd to arive on Tuesday - booked blood tests for Thursday as they have to be done as near to Day two as possible. Do you think its here?? Do you?? Of course not!  
If it doesn't arrive today then I will have to cancel the appt. and pray it doesn't come until Saturday/Sunday. I am sooooo bloody frustrated - I'm trying not to think about it (ha!ha honest I haven't thought about it at all and I definately haven't been compulsivley knicker checking every hour not me!!!  )

I have been the moodiest woman know in history since last Wednesday   but no sign, I think there as been points when even Sue has wished it would arrive just so I will calm down!!!  

Just as an extra one of our beloved cats has gone and strained his leg (bloody inconvienient!) so he is driving me mad as he is to be kept in for a week to rest it! Shame he can't rest his miaow!!!  

I don't think I can think of anything else to moan about just yet but it won't be long and I'll be back judging by my mood!!!  

Alison: I think meeting up is a great idea, we would be up for it, not this week though eh? As normally I'm a really nice person!!! ha!ha!  

Love to you all

Rach
xxxx


----------



## duff

Hi everyone!

It's been a strange old 2WW because with all the shock last week and then funeral planning to do, I haven't really given it too much thought.  Who knows, perhaps this is a good thing because I usually obsess so much?  I dunno.  I'll completely understand if it doesn't work because of all that's happened but at the same time, it would be extra special if it does.  I had cramps on day 7 and 8 and some shooting pains in the uterus area that actually made me say "Ow!".  Since then, nothing.  I seem to be getting on well with the progesterone pessaries but this is such a strange and sad time that I really can't tell if what I'm feeling is PMT, pessary, grief or shock.  

Where abouts in the North are you lot?  I'm oop North next week with my gf, a pair of 3 year old twins and their Mums.  We've all got a fancy for moving out of London and want to have a look at the Hebden Bridge/Todmorden area.


----------



## irisbea

I think it would be great to meet up sometime especially as people are going through so much poo at the moment . We live in london  so if anyone else could travel to there it would be great.



If you are thinking of moving to hebdenbridge do go and spend some time there, im from near there and no amount of lesbian friendly schools could quite balance out the amount of rain and tiny horizens you get in the valleys. Good walking though.

My sperm donor is back on, never really off, just me panicking i think, phew! DP has another iui this week. come on stars, its about time they aligned to give us some good news.  j


----------



## Tonia2

hi guys, 
just to let you know I had my first scan at 9weeks +5days, on Monday afternoon and little Pipsqueak has died.   I've still been getting lots of pregnancy symptoms, even still, this week - sore boobs, nausea, really tired -  my ovaries are still producing heaps of progesterone, apparently, as if I'm still pregnant. It's completely doing my head in. I wasn't really listening by the time the Dr was explaining why all that was happening though...  

It was a bit of a shock, I had been pretty certain all was well because of all the symptoms I've been having, so we're both completely gutted.   I really didn't seriously anticipate it for a minute (perhaps very naively!).  Dr has given me until the weekend to miscarry, otherwise in for a D&C early next week. I'm taking some hideous stuff   from the naturopath that Gina put me on to and have had a reflexology massage today, all to try and induce a miscarriage, but nothing is happening as yet.  We're so sad we're never going to meet this little person and it sounds so weird but I really miss him (I was convinced it was a boy!).  It's quite disorientating to have all our plans completely totalled in an instant too and we're both struggling with knowing what to do next, not just in terms of ttc but also in terms of Uni, work, holidays, etc etc. The main thing is to get through the next week or two, I suppose!

Sorry to hear of your BFN too Alison.... & am especially sorry to be contributing more misery on the board at the moment!! I so wish I wasn't.

love Toni

PS. if we run away to the UK can we come and meet up with you all too


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## bagpuss1

OMG Toni,

I am so so sorry, I really dont know what to say. I am so sorry to hear such sad news.

Take care of each other,

Kerry


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## Alison0702

Tonia and Bron - I am so so sorry for you both. It's such sad news.  
Sending you massive hugs..will be thinking of you both


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## RachandSue

Tonia and Bron: We are so sorry darlings.   Big hugs and kisses from us both.    

Love Rach & Sue

xxxx


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## Mable

Just to say we are thinking of you Toni and Bron - your world must be shattering around you at the moment. I feel so very sad for you and can't imagine how you are getting through this.
Mable xxx


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## irisbea

Toni and Bron  My heart goes out to you  love j


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## Spangley

Toni and Bron - so many   Thinking of you both. You're right just focus on getting through one day at a time. But if you do feeling like escaping to the UK we'd love to see you


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## duff

Oh Tonia and Bron, this is the saddest news.  I'm so sorry to hear it.  I'll be thinking of you both.


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## friskypony

hi there, Tonia and Bron.
I've not been on her for a long time but wanted to say i'm so so sorry and know how you feel i lost my 1st little pea at 10+weeks. Don't give up hon
Frisky,pup and Morven xxxxx


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## LouisandPhoebe

Tonia and Bron,

We are so so very sorry for your terrible news.  I cant even imagine what you are both going through.  Were sending you lots of love and  .

Thinking of you at this sad time

Charley and Lee


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## duff

Just checking in with more bad news before we go off on holiday for a week, another BFN for me.  Take care everyone.

X


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## Spangley

Duff   I was really hopeful for you this time. By the law of averages surely we deserve some good news on this thread? Have a good holiday in Yorkshire


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## MG

Tonia & Bron- I was really shocked and sad to hear your news and I am so sorry for your loss . It is no wonder it is doing your head in after all the positive symptoms. 

Sorry to hear about your bfns Alison and Duff  

This board is really having some bad times at the mo. Group hug girls  

Love Melissa


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## Alison0702

Duff - Oh I am sorry to hear your crappy BFN news. Are you going to have another IUI next cycle?  Regarding any get togethers, me and Ju are the only northerners I think, so it's gonna be down south if anywhere. Thats ok though cos I work for BA so I can get a flight down 

Melissa - Hope you're doing ok chuck  

Lucy - How are you honey?

Heather and Jo - Hope you had a fabulous time and enjoyed Sandy Balls  

Have a good weekend everyone

xx


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## Spangley

Hey there - we'd love to meet up too. 

I'm just watching the Great North Run and feeling lazy  

Not doing too bad - a bit up and down. Had a letter from my consultant on Friday which even though it only said everything he'd told us in the appointment had me in floods of tears instantly


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## lucky2010

Oh my goodness, we have just returned from holiday and I have spent an hour at the computer catching up on all the (sad) news x

Tonia and Bron, I'm so sorry to hear your devastating news.... thinking of you.

Alison, was hoping for a BFP for you this time... next time x

Duff, sorry about the loss of your friend, a very hard time. Also sorry that you didn't get a BFP.... next time for you too x

Lucy, sorry for your news too x

Anyone I've missed, I'm thinking of you at the different stages in your tx.

I've just had to go to A&E for an x-ray as I've hurt my ankle... luckily it's not broken and I've just damaged the ligaments.... I'm not looking forward to a 14hr shift at work on it tomorrow though!

Love Rach x


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## Tonia2

Hi guys, 
Thanks so much for all your kind thoughts and posts, and all the PMs I've been getting. It's really reassuring to have so much support from 'people who know'! Thank you.  I appreciate it more than I can say. Thanks too *Frisky & Pup* - your experience has given me a bit of hope! I've also been chatting to someone from the 'waiting for the first scan board' who (sadly) had the same result as me at the first scan and she has also helped me get my head around it all; ...I'm so grateful for this website!

I still haven't shown any signs of m/c so will have to ring the clinic in the morning. I'm a bit nervous about a D&C but the midwives at work have reassured me that the consultant I'm being referred to for it is the best one to be having; and I'm kinda looking forward to having it all over with. It will be easier to start thinking about the next step then. I've still got incredibly sore boobs and have had to check in with Bron that the scan really was real, - that he did search high & low on the scan and there's not something else there!! The reality check helps.  I have a next appt. with my IVF consultant on 18th Oct - so though I won't have had a first AF by then, it will be good to start to make a plan. I'm glad it's so soon, often we have to wait months for an appt.

The weirdest thing is that Bron had a dream 2 nights before the scan that this was the result.  I dismissed it at the time, thinking it was just her anxiety and reassured her with all my symptoms... I'm _definatly _ going to be listening to her dreams more closely in the future!!  She has also dreamt about us having a little baby too, some time ago, so I'll hang onto that one!!

We've only had one comment from friends that was close to an "I told you so" ( Specifically, it was, "oh, that's why I said you shouldn't get excited or take any notice of it until not long before it's due". As if.  ) I won't be telling her next time we get a bfp! Everyone else has been wonderfully supportive and sad for us. It's nice to have it's importance to us so acknowleged.

So sorry you didn't get a BFP *Duff * - how are you doing? It must be so hard to lose your best friend. I can't imagine how painful that must be...   

*Rach* -ouch!  Hope the ankle heals soon.

love to you all, 
Tonia


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## starrysky

Hello all,

Just back from our hols & had to do a post after reading such a lot of very sad news:

Tonia & Bron - We feel gutted for you     what more to say other than look after each other, be kind to yourselves & allow the greiving to take its course but also try not to loose hope for the future.  

Duff - Really very sorry to hear about your friend & your BFN too - What an awful time you are having. Thinking of you.  

Alison - So sorry to hear of your BFN too, we were so hopeful for you this time....    

Love to everyone else   

  Just joining in the group hug.

We would definately be up for trying to meet up, we could get to somewhere in London too.  If Heather is not feeling too clever Jo may have to come on her own but hey ho...  Tonia & Bron, would be fab if you decided a trip to the UK is just what you need.

On a slightly more positive note - Our partnership webt really well, we had a lovely day & a nice relaxed holiday.  We are both saying that we do feel 'different' now we have done it & really glad that we have.

Longer post in a day or 2 when we have caught up with ourselves.

Love Jo & Heather.  xx


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## jennypenny

HI, my Dh & I have are TTC using donor sperm but due to over stimulating, no funding & now no sperm available at our clinic it has now been nearly a year since anything has happened 
  Have been told by friends that on GMTV recently there was a woman who had her kids using a sperm bank service which is UK based & charges 450 quid per attempt.
  Am really keen to try this but DH is concerned as its not regulated by HFEA and uses fresh semen which they say is tested for all STDs & HIV etc.
  Does anyone know anything about this? or has anyone tried it? we are at desperation stage
  thanks Jenny


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## friskypony

jennypenny think you mean man not included it is  regulated as are all centres.
Hope that helps
Frisky


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## irisbea

Hi Jenny Penny I have not tried man not included, i do know that there has been mixed feedback  about their service  in a variety of ways  so i would investigate this also bear in mind the success rates of vaginal  insemination vs IUI , you may be comitting yourself to a long and expensive process. The london womens clinic and the bridge clinic in london advertise regularly for donors and were in the past i think transporting this to other clinics so this may be worth a shot.

there are a few altruistic known donors out there if you trawl the internet, there are some links on queerparents.com. you could also consider import (although the HFEA seem to be being obstructive/incompetant regarding this right now ) theres a big bank in scandinavia which you will find on a search also quite a few in the USA.

Have you considered asking friends? i know this is really hard but i put this off for ages and wished i had initially. Also contact fifebloke on this site. He is a donor and extremley helpful. Good luck  j


As regards a london meetup how about he weekend of  4/5 nov either day, should it be a place suitable for children or will it be just grown ups?


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## Spangley

Hello Irisbea - 4th November lunchtime would be great for us but we're off to see my parents that evening and overnight. Would love to meet people's children personally as it would give me faith that it really can happen 
Lucy


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## Alison0702

4th Nov would be ok for us I think, but we have to get there from Newcastle like!!!!!!
Where were you thinking Irisbea? I dont know London. We can fly into Gatwick or Heathrow.

x


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## RachandSue

Okay this may sound mad   but if we work out how many of us want to meet on that weekend maybe we could host the meet at our house, we are in Maidstone not too far from a station, which makes easy access from London. How does everyone feel about that? Sue is at work at the mo, but I know she wouldn't mind!


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## Alison0702

Hey Rach that sounds good. Other meets take place at people's houses, so your not that mad  
Which airport would be best to fly in to then? We might make a weekend of it and stay overnight and see a show or something


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## LouisandPhoebe

Hello everyone

We would also love to meet up if you dont mind Louis too!  Were in Oxford but  we can travel ( but not too far as little man gets bored).  We had another scan today and lee  is 8 weeks 4 days so far.  The clinic were so nice it seemed so sad to be signed off to the NHS our nurse was so lovely.  It also seems that we have the go ahead for me to carry Lee's embryos on our next go ( if we are fortunate and Lee makes it to the end).  


Lots of love 

Charlie, lee and Louis

xxxx


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## bagpuss1

Hi guys,

Have just chatted with Helen and we would love to meet up with all of you, we are in Birmingham and dont mind coming down South so to speak!!!!!. Would you all be okay with Edie coming? 4th November sound great.

So sorry to hear such sad news from so many people.

We are both thinking of you all,

OMG Charlie and Lee, that is great news, we have been thinking of doing surrogacy with Helens eggs but have had a look on the Surrogacy UK website and they categorically state that we would be unable to do this, the HFEA have not been at all helpful and have refused to give us a definate answer althought they did not say no.

Love us three xxxx


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## RachandSue

okay well I reckon we could comfortably house 10/15 people for an afternoon/evening get together, we have no problem with people bringing little ones if people email or personal message me we can work out the finer details!


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## Alison0702

Evening

Hope you are all well. Really looking forward to 4th nov. Who's going so far?

I'm feeling a bit miserable today. Had an acupuncture apt tonight, and thought that relax me, but now I feel bizarre. The needle she put in my forehead has left a big lump which has given me a headache. I also feel sick and bit dizzy.
Have been gettin pains in my right ovary area  

Was meant to be going out tonight with friends but gave it a miss, so Ju went without me  

Love to everyone


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## Mable

Just wanted to send   to everyone.
M x


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## starrysky

Hi all,

Would you believe it?..... Rach & Sue, we are only down the road from you in Snodland!

Assuming Heather is well enough we would LOVE to come on 4th (only 1 slight hitch which is that Jo is at a course that day, but if you are thinking of running into the evening maybe we could join you all later.)
Would probably be 6:30/7pm - What do you think?

Alison - If you need a lift back to Gatwick on the Sunday, Jo says she will drop you if you want.  

Speak soon.
Heather.


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## irisbea

maidstone sounds fine, dont actually know where it is yet but ill look it up, will be nice to meet


DP having pregnancy/pmt symptoms so is feeling like shes going mad poor thing


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## Alison0702

Snodland...thats such a great name..not sure of it actually beats Sandy Balls    
Thanks very much for the offer of a lift back to Gatwick. If it all goes according to plan that would be great  

xx


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## Spangley

Hello everyone - hope everyone's well. Alison hope you're feeling better after your acupuncture experience   
4th should be good for us too.

Haven't been around much as work's been busy and I'm away on a course next week so had a lot to get done before that.

Nothing much to report - contacted the clinic in Brussels I was interested in but they were horrible and have a different much longer (8/9 months) waiting list for lesbians   When I feel up to it I'm going to write and complaing. I then got in touch with a clinic in Barcelona who were lovely and have no problem with donor sperm availability so hoping to go and see them at the end of November. They also do a scheme where you can adopt embryos which we think is quite interesting. I also had my first hypnotherapy appointment this week with someone who specialises in infertility and it was brilliant, really interesting.


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## Mable

Spangley - check out South Africa too. I know it seems like a long way, but treatment is really cheap there, good success rates and I think there is lots of sperm (of the blond hair, blue eyes variety!). Could combine with a bit of a holiday - Cape Town and Joburg are the main sites.

Also look at the abroadies thread on here. 
Good luck
Mable
ps might be able to make the meet up with Monty, now 6 months old


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## MG

Hello everyone,

Alison-I'm fine thanks hun. Been quite busy of late and in my spare time have been doing lots of thinking about what next. I hope your next acupuncture goes better!

Like Lucy I'm also quite curious about what treatment abroad can offer so have been looking into that, (sorry to hear about your crappy response from Brussels Clinic, Lucy) although it all comes down to money in the end! I have reached the point where my career is suffering because of ttc plans and I'm thinking about how many attempts are enough but I think maybe I'll know when that moment arrives...  

Lucy- Hypnotherapy does appeal to me as I feel mentally I could do with some help believing that IVF/ICSI could be successful for me. Would you recommend it? 

Although your meet up does sound good I'm afraid I have a family visit to occupy me! Maybe next time eh!

I hope you are all well. Take care! 

Melissa


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## duff

Hi gang!

Well the north wasn't as grim as they say it is.  We hung out with our friends and their twins but also hooked up with some old friends in the area.  It just seemed so different to London, so much less loud and frantic.  I didn't even mind the rainy days we had up there.  We went on long walks and I spent most of the week wearing a very fetching bright orange kagool.  

On the fertility front, I'm on a month off but we've got a consultation appointment coming up.  I think they're going to suggest IVF.  It does seem a bit crazy, having IVF when I'm pretty certain it's just a matter of time for me, but with the sperm shortage it makes some sense.  We have too invest in 15 vials of the stuff from the Bridge and they said IVF uses just one vial each time whereas IUI uses 2.  My partner's not overly keen on the idea of IVF because she found it really scary when we did it last year.  She really worried about hyper stimulation and stuff like that whereas I'm a bit gung-ho about it all.  

Hey bagpuss - last year we had two attempts at IVF using my eggs, donor sperm and my partners womb.  I think the rules are a lot stricter about surrogacy, but this was considered egg donation.  So I had to sign over my eggs/embryos to her rather than any sort of surrogacy arrangement where I have them back again afterwards.  

Take care all,
X


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## starrysky

Hi all,

Rach & Sue - Good news, Jo's course date has been moved so we definately can both come (assuming Heather is well!) on the 4th.  PM us with the details once you know.

Alison - Might be able to collect you from Gatwick too, depends when you are arriving & where you need to go to?  PM us with your flight plans (& maybe a mobile number just in case of some disaster!) & will see what we can do.

Spangley - We had a fab holiday in Barcelona, we are sure it must be MUCH nicer than Brussels anyway.  Embryo adoption, what does that involve?

Melissa - Heather's Hypnotherapy really helped her, she saw an infertility specialist in Harley Street, was fab & helped with some of the more painful parts of the procedure & the positive mental attitude.

Duff - Glad you enjoyed your trip, are you planning to move up there now then?  Our IVF still used 2 vials of sperm, not sure why?

News from us:  Heather had an almost admission to hospital on Friday   due to infection (?from Jo who had an ear infection?) but managed to escape!  Might be having weekly monitoring scans soon as the diabeties has cauzed extra fluid, apparently can mean early labour.  Not feeling too crash hot but due to 'officially' start maternity leave in a couple of weeks so looking forward to that.  Time is going a little more quickly now.

Looking forward to meeting most of you on the 4th.

Love Heather & Jo


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## RachandSue

Hello Everyone,

Sorry about no contact over weekend, we have been house/dog/parrot sitting at our friends house so a busy weekend!!!  

Everything is fine for the 4th, Sue says she is happy for everyone to come here, I am just a bit concerned about chairs - so if your sitting on a garden chair please don't get offended!!!  

I thought we could do a buffet lunch - kick off at one in the afternoon?  

Heather and Jo: I can't believe you guys are only in Snodland!!  

If you PM me a yes then I'll PM you back with our address and directions. 

As for what's happening with us, I am having my smear tests on Friday and my bloods will be hopefully two weeks after that and then maybe just bloody maybe if the forces bugger off and play in someone elses garden, we will be able to book an appt. with the bridge in November!  

Although I am really worried we won't be able to have any treatment due to no sperm!!! I'm quite low about the whole thing at the mo as I feel as if we are going no where fast!!  

Love to you all

Rach & Sue
xxx


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## Alison0702

everyone

Rach and Sue - Try not to be too down heartened..This is the easy bit - Honest!
We'll keep our fingers crossed for you starting treatment in November  
Don't worry about the garden chairs.....I like to sit on the floor anyway  

Heather and Jo - Glad that your course has been cancelled and that you can make the 4th. Thanks very much for your offer hun, I'll email you with our details when they are confirmed. 
Glad you didnt end up in hospital at the weekend. Hey its not long at all now is it!


Well, had a **** result from my scan today - didnt respond at all to the drugs so cycle abandoned this time. Think cos we've had a leading follicle for the last 2 months, not responding wasnt even in my head. I was really upset but had reminded myself what a load of ******* this ttc business is. BFN's are one thing, but when you dont even have a chance of trying to get a BFN, that actually feels a lot worse..  

Anyhoo, an interesting fact emerged from my chat with the nurse.

In Middlesbrough (thats the grim north to you Duff  ) the primary care trust offer funding for same sex couples who have proven fertility problems. I am now on a mission to find out whether Newcastle/Gateshead have the same scheme. I have an appointment at my doctors tomorrow to find out, so I will keep you updated. 

I am now off to have a nice BIG glass of wine to drown my sorrows  

Big hugs to everyone


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## irisbea

Rach and sue
1 pm is fine, i will make cake, please do not get despondent. There will seem like problem and frustrations keep coming, one after the other usually just when youve overcome 1 hurdle. I used to rant and rage and rail against the world but ive worked out that it really doesnt help. Im trying to cultivate a sort of zen like state of being where i imagine myself in 10 years time ( with the family i know will arrive in time) and think of how i probably wont even remember all these frustrations then.

I know its a bit pollyannna ish but it works for me

regarding sperm:- how nuts is it that we are surrounded by people that produce this stuff in quantities that could solve our problems and yet we cant get it!? Im increasingly thinking that as a community we need to think more laterally around this problem. There must be men out there gay or straight that would help if they knew what this help would mean. I like this mans web site its called knowndonor.com and i think it would be great if there were more people like him or rather i think there probably are they just need to be dont know...recruited i guess


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## duff

Alison - what a bugger for you!  I'm on (at least) a month off trying too.  right then, what can we do that we can't do when we're on a cycle?  We should make the most of this time.  I'm going to eat lots of unpasturised cheese, drink some beer and have a turkish bath and massage.  Ooo and I might even go out on Friday night to a nightclub.  

Irisbea - your zen stuff makes a lot of sense.  Where ttc is concerned, I really believe that it will happen in it's own time and what I do has very little to do with it (of course, during the 2ww this all goes out of the window!).


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## struthie

Time for a new home ladies,lots of luck to you all  

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=70371.0


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