# First time here!



## Nadine75 (Aug 20, 2008)

Hi 
My name is Nadine and my partner Liz and i have been trying to get pregnant for what seems like an eternity. We had a long wait for treatment in Newcaste and decided to try a small clinic in Denmark. We had 4 IUI and 4 BFNs! But the clinic was amazing, openeing at 1am during some visits in order to be in time for Lizs' ovulation! Unreal.

At the moment we are back in Newcastle and because of 4 failed IUI's we are having superovulation with Menopur but it is not pretty and i dont think we were prepared for just how invasive this would be. We thought that flying to Denmark every month and having to perfectly time ovulation was stressful but this is something else! 

It would be so nice to hear form others who have similiar experiences. The menopur is causing nasty side effects but having never done this before we dont know if this is normal. 

Would love to hear from others! 

We also have an 11 year old son, Jack.  

Nadine


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

HI Nadine

welcome to FF   

I know how you feel about the feeling like an eternity   me too!

the denmark clinic sounds really supportive.  Unfortunately i dont know anything about Menopur as I am having unmedicated cycles (so far ... fingers crossed this is the last time).  what is superovulation?  is it drugs to stimulate the follies??  does it increase multiples?

I dont know if you have posted anywhere else but there are other areas in FF which might be good for getting feedback on menpor for example there is a peer support area.  you could check that out.

I can relate abit to the travel aspect of your denmark clinic experience as my partner and i live in spain and i come to london for treatment.  In june i missed my ovulation by two days ...!  so i am taking a whole week off work to try to insure i am in the same country as the clinic when ovulating.  although i had a palava this month as i had booked flights a month ago and then had to change them when my AF was a whole 7 days early!!!

does jack know about your sibling making attempts?
do you mind me asking how he was conceived?

How far are you and liz through this cycle and treatment? 

wishing you loads of           

aimee


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## Nadine75 (Aug 20, 2008)

Hi Aimee, thanks for the reply, its so nice to chat to people who are going through the same ordeal as we are. We tried 4 unmedicated cycles which did not work and are now using this drug to stimulate follicles. Liz is responding well to it but it is so invasive, far moret han our trips to Denmark. We have another scan tomorrow to see if it is working or not, and to check on follicle growth. We had a scan on Monday and no luck so far, so fingers crossed. 

The travel issue is a nightmare i know. I am not a very confident flyer so it was hell trying to time ovulaiton and deal with the whole flying phobia too!!! 

My son Jack was conceived naturally from my first marriage and my partner Liz has never given birth so she really wants to have this experience. So i am very excited at the thought of having another baby.
Jack does not know about anything to do with our treatment at the moment. i think it would be too much disappointment for him. Cant wait to tell him when we have good news!!

We started treatment in Denmark last November and have had 4 natural cycles of donor insemination. We were then referred to our local clinic to check that Liz was ok in terms of her fallopian tubes etc. Everything is good there so it just a matter of waiting i guess!!
So we have now started our drug treatment which stimulates the ovaries and hopefully will make it easier for us to get pregnant. So hopefully insemination will happen sometime next week and then that horrible wait for the pregnancy test and the feeling of doom that you are never ever going to get pregnant!!  

But we are trying staying positive, but realistic at the same time !! 

So how about you, where are you guys in terms of treatment? 

Nadine x


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

hi nadine

yes i dont blame you for not telling jack just yet. oooh fingers cross he gets a lovely little sib soooon!!!    

oh imagine flying phobia ON TOP of everything else!  

im ok with the flying DP gabs not so good!  

i am going to be basting next week too!  just like you and liz!!!  so we will be on our two week wait together!  lets keep in touch.

i am on another thread with other people txing at this time called summer sizzlers ... have a look if you fancy posting there.

its so hard waiting to find out isnt it?

the first one i didnt think i was pregnant and started spotting 8 days after basting and the other one i really really thought i was preganant and my sister was even convinced she was having sympathy symptoms!

oh the disapointment  

but i have had three months off recovery time and feeling good and positive.  

and also feeling if it doesnt happen this time, then i have got other things going on to distract me till christmas when we will have saved enough for the next one.  i am hoping to start a course in massage.  (hoping this is a psychological double bluff!!)  

have you chosen your donor?

we are choosing at the moment ... exciting!

aimeex


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## Nadine75 (Aug 20, 2008)

Hi Aimee
It's Liz here, Nadine showed me the site when I got home from work today.... Am sorry about the false symptoms of pregnancy... This happened to us a couple of times, now it almost seems too hard to think it could work, I guess it's a bit of self-preservation to avoid feeling hurt again... 
I'm glad things are going well for you both now, we've had four inseminations with lovely Liza in Denmark, she was gay too and she'd gotten her partner pregnant through insemination which was fantastic as she totally understood things...
Whereas here at the Centre for Life in Newcastle, things are a tad more clinical I miss Denmark but not all the travelling... We are as Nadine has told you in the process of super-ovulation although there is nothing wrong with me physically, it improves our chances slightly...
As for donors it was great in Denmark when we were with the European Sperm Bank we had loads of choice and an abundance of information... In Newcastle with the annonimity laws of the 2005 Human Embryo and Fertility Act it means that we have far less donors and therefore far less choice... We have picked pink 205 (I think he was called)!! We had the choice of three donors and as we have very little information apart from hair/eye colour (which we've matched to Nadine) and height and weight which we wanted tall and thin because the baby will likely inherit my chubby jeans and that was all we were concerned with... Although Nadine says if the baby is ginger she is sending it back which frankly I think is a tad harsh (ha ha)...
I hope all goes well with you both we will keep you updated with our progess, please let us know how you are both doing... Nadine and I watched a fantastic DVD lately i'm unsure as to whether it would be available in Spain but we purchased it through Amazon.co.uk called "Making Grace", which is a factual documentary about two New York lesbians going through the same process as we are.. We can thorougly recommend it if you can get it...
All the Best Liz & Nadine xxx


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

hay liz and nadine

good to hear from you liz!  

gabs and i have chosen our donor today.  i think they end up doing a big old sales job on us to make us feel better.  which maybe worked, but the guy i have been talking to this time is nice, but im not feeling quite as confident in him .... humph!  the cracks are showing.  

i think there is so much hope that these peopel are gonna help you achieve the amazing miracle of a  family i go into super charm offensive .... its very hard to be critical of them.  even in my head.

i am pleased about the anomimity law.  i think its good to give the child some kind of choice when they are an adult and i believe that them having information regarding the genetic history is important.  but i know there are lots of people who travel out of UK because its not so important to them.  

we are matching our donor on gabs.  she is the one in the picture looking at the camera ... im in profile.  so we ask for dark hair, eyes, olive skin.  thats about it really.

so are you a red head?  my sisters two nephews and one niece are beautiful redheads!!  (sister's husband's sisters children)  

dvd sounds great!  ill look it up!

im flying to london tomorrow!  oooeeee!  exciting!


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## Alison0702 (Apr 7, 2006)

Hi Nadine/Liz

Welcome to the thread  

Do you live in Newcastle? 

Alison


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## Nadine75 (Aug 20, 2008)

Hi Alison,

Nice to chat to new people! We live in Gateshead and have been here for about 7 years. 

How about you? 

PS) Your baby looks gorgoeus!! 

Nadine x


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## Alison0702 (Apr 7, 2006)

Hiya

Thanks..he is lovely I have to say  

We are in Blaydon. Do you know a couple called Jane and Helen who have a little girl called Charlie? We were at theirs oln Tuesday and I am sure they mentioned your names. Might be totally imagining it mind  

Keeping my fingers crossed for your treatment next week. I didnt go through ovulation induction as I refused and wanted to go staright to IVF but I hear it's awful. Keep your chin up


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## pipgirl (Jul 11, 2007)

Re superovulation


We had 4 normal iui then 2 medicated witch yes, does increase the amounts of eggs matured to two or three for release with a trigger shot..

I found the med cycle easier because, although i had to do jabs of a very low dose of maturing drug, i didnt have to time ovulation at all..the clinic do that for you through the drug you inject..yes it can mean you could end up with twins or even triplets but that depends on the scans the clinic do...ie when a mature egg is there they give the trigger.

If of course you mature too many eggs they will cancel ...shouldnt happen if they dose you right though!

Unfortunately none of our 6 iui worked and we went straight to ivf and it worked !! Woo Hoo!

Best of luck!

Pip


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## Nadine75 (Aug 20, 2008)

Hi Alison
Yes we know Helen and Jane, thanks for the good wishes, its much appreaciated 
Liz


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## Nadine75 (Aug 20, 2008)

Hi Aimee
Hope all has gone well for you and Gabs, fingers crossed and yep I am a red head...
Liz


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## Nadine75 (Aug 20, 2008)

Hi Pip
Thanks for that good luck with the pregnancy am pleased for you, hopefully we'll have good news before too long.
Liz


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## Texas Rose (Aug 15, 2008)

Hi Nadine,

Can I ask what clinic you used in Denmark? I'm starting to shop around for international clinics. 

Thanks!!  

JDF


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## Nadine75 (Aug 20, 2008)

Hiya it's Liz
We used the Diers Clinic in Arhus in Denmark, not sure where you are from but there is a direct flight to Arhus from London Stansted. I can't say enough about the clinic and the treatment, Liza Diers who runs the clinic is a very special lady. If you google "Diers Klinik" then you will get her website. If you decide to use it tell her Liz from Newcastle sends her love.

All the best
Liz


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## cazinge (Apr 11, 2008)

Nadine/Liz,

Do u have anymore info on the diers klinik? I have just looked at their website and am v impressed with the prices but am not sure whether the travelling expenses (NW Welsh coast - London - Denmark?!) will eat up any savings on treatment cost. 

Thanks 

Caz x


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## Nadine75 (Aug 20, 2008)

Hi Caz

I cannot say enogh about the Diers Clinic, it was such a positive experience and i only wish that it could have worked out for us over there. 

We travelled over a number of ways. We travelled easyjet to Stansted and then train to Heathrow i think where Ryan Air operate a direct flight to Aurhus. If you can time your ovulation and risk booking flights in advance then you will save money as both of those airlines are really cheap that way. We also flew direct frmo Newcatsekl but this was more expensive but once we added up the cost of flights, hotel and treatment it is pretty similiar to what we are paying in the uk to be honest, and a much better service. It can be quite stressful flying and having to time your ovulation. there is always the risk of wrong timing and you have to be really careful about that. 

Liza offered a fantastic servie and the choice of donors is huge as the law is different over there. The clinic is very central in Aarhus and close to the centre of town. There is a very reasonable hotel nearby, The Cabb Inn, which i think is a hotel chain over there, very similiar to a travel lodge. The rooms are small but cheap and very clean. We used to go over there for approx 2-3 days during Liz's ovulation and Liza would test for ovulation during that time. Once ovulaiton had been detected we were asked in for treatment. It is very informal and relaxing. It doesn't have a medical feel about it and I think that was what made it really relaxing. 

Hope this info helps, but if you get the chance to go, you really should. It is a special place and i wish you the best of luck. 

Nadine x x


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

Nadine and Liz

how is your two week wait??  

hope all well with you.  thinking of you      

aimeex


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## Nadine75 (Aug 20, 2008)

Hi Aimee
Sorry haven't been on in a while. The saga continues for us, I still haven't had treatment as such, but have had loads of internal scans to check for the follicles, today after moving up to three vials of the hormone injection last week and being a bit of a basket case, I have had a growth of 2mm in the follicle since Monday. I have to go back Friday again and check as what they don't want to happen is there to be too many follicles which take off and then I may risk having to have reduction surgery! At this point I can't wait for to have the treatment in order to wait again to see whether we are pregnant, have been told most women are ready in two weeks, this is week 6 for us. Trust me to be slower than the rest! Hope all is well with you guys and that you get the result that you desire.
With love 
Liz x


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

hay nadine and liz


ooh so does that mean the stimms arent working as quickly as they could?  and now theyre worried they might over stimm?  

its nerve wracking isnt it?  but judging from what i have learnt on FF all fairly normal for us peeps ttc like this.

well gabs and i are over the moon cos we got our BFP on monday.  waiting for wk 7 scan now which will be 29th september ...very happy and on top of the world.

keep me updated!  and loads of     for friday and a sprinkle of    for you guys too!


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## Nadine75 (Aug 20, 2008)

Hi Aimee
Good news, we have 2 follicles which are at treatable size, have treatment on Monday afternoon, then the wait to find out if we are pregnant starts. At least we've gotten to treatment stage thought tht it was never gonna happen. Congratulations to you and Gaby, you must be so thrilled... Hope we have positive news soon...
Love Liz & Nadine X


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

hi liz and nadine

you are having basting tomorrow?  thats great!   loads of   remember it only takes one egg!! so two follies is great.

good luck with 2ww.  if you feel youre going nuts feel free to message me!

aimeex


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