# First Timer "Newbie Natter" Chit Chat Thread



## Cloudy (Jan 26, 2012)

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Welcome to the IVF forum Newbie Natter Thread!

This is the first timer chit chat thread for people waiting to start their first cycle before you move onto Cycle Buddies threads. I thought I would create it and see if anyone finds it helpful. There seems to have been a lot of ladies recently who don't know where they "belong" and I thought I would create a special place for you all wether you are starting your first cycle in the next month or next year!

Useful Links

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=68.0 
Cycle Buddies threads normally start the month before people are starting treatment. They are a brilliant place for support in the days immediately running up to your cycle starting, and day-to-day through DR, stims, EC etc

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=324578.0 
Top Tips and other useful links.

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=325156.0
Some ladies experience of having a scratch

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=324908.0 
Peoples experience of how long they have to stim because it isn't always ten days!  

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More useful links coming very soon!


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## Stephkb6713 (Aug 11, 2014)

Hi guys

My name is steph (so you don't have to call me by my username lol) and I am brand new to all if this and was hoping to meet some people who are going through similar stuff so hopefully I've come to the right place. 

My husband and I have been together for 5 years and have been trying for a baby for around 3. With no success we found out his sperm count is really low so we have had to seek help. We had our first consultation with a consultant in May and I had to have a scan which came back fine and hubby had have a repeat test which still came back low. So, we went back to the doctor today and we have been approved for icsi treatment. I am really scared!   I know it is an amazing thing that we are getting the help we need but it's just not what you expect to have to do to have a family when your were little if you know what I mean. Just wanted to see if anyone else feels the same way about it really or if I'm being silly. So many things keep running through my mind. What if it doesn't work? What if something goes wrong!? What if it puts strain on our relationship? (We know a couple that separated over it for a while that's why it worries me). Mine and my husbands relationship is totally solid but apparently it is quite a gruelling process to go through and I don't know what I can do do really prepare myself for what is to come because I don't know what to expect. I hope someone can empathise with this... Xx


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## Cloudy (Jan 26, 2012)

Ah Steph, massive hugs   

You aren't alone sweetie. The wonders of pregnancy are shoved down our throats all the time and we spend so many years paranoid that we might get accidentally get pregnant, it's hard to get your head around the fact it isn't always like that for everyone. It's super hard and natural to worry about the "what ifs", i think taking one day a step at a time is the only way I get through it. With regards to your relationship we make an extra effort to spend time together when we are cycling, and also agree that if either of us snaps, the other doesn't snap back - it's not always easy and we have had the odd argument whilst I have been on the drugs, but we always talk it through and agree that I was right in the first place!  

Xxx


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## Lovingwomen (Sep 14, 2013)

hello steph and cloudy,
I am in a different circumstance to you,  am in a same sex relationship of 7 years and have always known I wanted to have a family. So I find myself going for our first round of ivf soon. I'm currently on the pill which I stop taking September and start the down regging injections on the 2nd. I have had 3 IUIs which didn't work unfortunately but looking positive for my coming cycle. 
I know what you mean about a gruelling process however you will deffo get through it together! Just remember you are always right


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## Itsallokay (Aug 10, 2014)

Hey everyone, 
I'm new to all this too... We've been trying for 4 years and have finally made the decision to start ivf. Our projected pill start date is 29th Aug and we're excited. 

Earlier this year, I spent 3 months with a natural fertility specialist doing accupunture, Chinese medicine, understanding the emotional/mental blockages, fertility massage, affirmations and all that left field stuff. whilst it had mulitple benefits like improving the length of my period and emotional/mental health, it didn't result in a BFP... I also did a course in Mindfullness to help me relax from my stressful job! The meditation techniques also work a wonder for stress caused from these fertility issues! 

So now we're onto the hard stuff, where my husband wanted us to start 6 months ago. Regardless, i feel like I'm actually ready now to start with the science. 

So, in advance of the start date I'm looking after my body with a gluten free diet, loads of vit pills, daily fertility visualisation meditation and yoga etc. From reading all the posts, the first cycle seems to be a learning curve for doctors and ourselves so I'm going to keep my eyes open, so to speak.

We don't know how long the journey will take but it will end with a baby! 

Xox


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## Zombie (May 7, 2014)

Hi all,

I'm new to the IVF process too.
DH and I have been married for 7 years and I came off the pill on our honeymoon. We started 'properly' trying (OPKs, Temp charting, Cervical mucous checking, Sperm Meets Egg Plan etc) 4 years ago and to no avail.
I apparently have 'mildly cystic' ovaries and DH's sperm wasn't of amazing quality but after 2 years of tests and what feels like jumping through hoops our referral for IVF has been sent to the local clinic.

I now have no idea what's next or even how long it will be before we get an appointment through - the person I've been dealing with at our local NHS hospital has been very vague throughout. Although I know another few weeks is nothing compared to the years we've spent trying, I'm feeling very impatient now!!


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## Belle82 (Mar 24, 2014)

Hi everyone, my name is Jenn and I am completely new here. 

My journey has been a bit different as I have a 5 year old son with my ex husband. I had 7 mc before my son and 3 after. After my husband and I broke up I met the love Of my life and we would love to have a child. Problem is he has a very low sperm count, under 500k. He was ttc with his ex wife for years an they tried ivf which didn't work.  We are looking into ivf and I have read a lot of info on these boards but a lot of it I don't understand. My doctor wasn't much help as I have a child we are not entitled to help on NHS. So we are looking at private clinics. Does anyone recommend any books or websites that go through in details the whole process and options and drug options etc as I find it all so overwhelming I really feel like I don't have a clue about it yet. 

Thanks for any help
Xxxxx


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## chocoholic17 (Mar 27, 2014)

Dear All
I am due to start all going well on 29th at Hammersmith hospital.my coordination appointment is this Thursday ..excited but nervous..my hubby and I have been trying for 2.5 years, I had a laparoscopy in may and also suffer from hashimotos thyroiditis.


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## Jomojo (Jan 17, 2014)

Hi everyone, hope u don't mind if I join!

My name is Jo. DH and I have been ttc since June 2012. We were diagnosed with unexplained IF in April and referred for IVF. We have our first appointment with the consultant at the clinic on 2nd Sept then starting DR on 6th Oct with EC and ET possibly taking place wk commencing 10th Nov. eek! 

Itsallok - I hav also been trying to increase our chances with diet, meditation, fertility yoga, accupuncture etc. I've noticed some improvements with my cycle , clearer skin and longer periods ( and hamstrings!) and so on but still no bfp either! Just out of interest, the daily visualisation meditations that u do- is this from a cd/mp3?

Jenn, so far I've read Zita West's 'guide to fertility and assisted conception' and 'the complete guide to ivf' by Kate Brian. Both were helpful but I think the Kate Brian book is a bit more comprehensive.

Xx


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## Karmas (Aug 18, 2014)

Hi hope you dont mind if I join in, we are right at the very very start of our journey - we have our first NHS gyne appt on Thursday ( _well not really the first appt as we have had all our initial investigations - 3 laps and chromosome testing normal bloods etc well over a yr ago now_ )

We have been married 5 yrs and already have a 15 & 12 yr old had 3 Mc's and I have both blocked/twisted tubes  as well as adhered ovaries

We are self funded and are planning on egg sharing at BWH (west midlands) I have no clue how long its going to take or how many times Ill have to stab get hubby to stab me my needle phobic self or even if I will have to. 
But I guess we will find out in the end. 
Good luck to all of you starting your journeys


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## Belle82 (Mar 24, 2014)

Thanks Jomojo I will need to pick that book up. There are ao many different types of treatment plans and drugs and stuff it all seems quite overwhelming. Quite often when reading the forums I don't actually know what people mean in their posts lol xxxx thanks so much for advice xxx


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## fingersx2013 (Apr 24, 2013)

Hi girls

I'm new to ivf too

I had 2 unsuccessful iui cycles at the end of last year!

Always knew we needed treatment as my oh had cancer and became infertile through treatment. We are using a donor sperm.

Just started my stimm injections on wed. Feeling bloated and uncomfortable already! Hoping it all goes to plan this time and it's 3rd time lucky for us....


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## Fairy_secrets (Aug 16, 2014)

Hi everyone,
                  I wish I had joined this forum a long time ago instead of just lurking. My partner and I are 30 and have an assortment of fertility problems. We are dealing with crap sperm - told last September that we would only ever conceive with ivf. During the testing process I had a hsc scan which was "inconclusive" no dye in tubes, bumps in cavity. That lead to a lap and dye, which revelled endometriosis, pre-polypol (sp?) lining and slightly slow inflamed tubes. Finally undergoing first cycle of ivf.


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## Itsallokay (Aug 10, 2014)

It's comforting to read that we all have similar hopes and fears.  Welcome to the gang, it'll be good to share experiences, hints and tips as we work through this. 

Jomojo -- the visualisation was found on YouTube. I think I searched preconception visualsation meditation. I listened to a few until I found one that suited me. I did read a post from a Lemonlulu who had used cd's from Circle & Bloom. Their offer looks good, but it's not free!


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## Cloudy (Jan 26, 2012)

_*BUMP.....BUMP.....BUMP.....BUMP......BUMP......BUMP.....BUMP.....BUMP.....BUMP.....BUMP*_


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## mle123 (Aug 19, 2014)

Hi All. I'm 25 and my husband is 26 he has a five year old from a past relationship. We were only able to try for a few months as I have severe endometriosis and being off contraception results in me being almost bed ridden. I've been on menopause injections for a year in preparation and now we are being referred directly for IVF just awaiting first appointment.


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## Kirstyjane13 (Aug 29, 2014)

Hi all. Hope its ok if I join, I'm 24 and my partner is 30. 
We have been ttc for around 19 months. But I have blocked tubes 
So we've been referred for ivf. Jist waiting to hear back if ive been accepted by the clinic we chose 
Nice to meet you all. Kirsty x


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## Cloudy (Jan 26, 2012)

_*BUMP.....BUMP.....BUMP.....BUMP......BUMP......BUMP.....BUMP.....BUMP.....BUMP.....BUMP*_


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## Mrs.C (Oct 4, 2014)

Hi can I join please? I'm having ivf in November?


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## Louielly (Oct 10, 2014)

Hi all,

I'm a newbie on here too...... My name is Louise and I'm 36. Hubby and I have been TTC our first baby for 3 years now with no hint of a BFP. We have just been accepted for NHS funding at Oxford Fertility Unit and our first appointment is 22nd Oct. I'm hoping to start ASAP but may have to wait until the new year due to a holiday over Christmas   We've been classed as 'unexplained infertility'.

Good luck to everyone. It's good to be able to speak with girls in the same situation x


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## pollita (Feb 23, 2011)

Hello everyone!

First time I have ventured into the IVF section, no idea why! I am Steph, single, 29. I have been trying by artificial insemination for almost 18 months with no luck (6 attempts) so I've moved onto egg-sharing IVF. I had all the tests and consultations back in May and June, so when I got the call last week to say I was matched and ready to start the nerves kicked in big time. 

It's such a relief to see that I'm not alone with the worries and anxiety of it all because sometimes I think that having doubts means that I'm making the wrong choice. I'm worried about the injections, the cannula for egg-collection, egg-collection itself...I'm basically just a big ball of fear


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## Sparklystar81 (Apr 15, 2014)

Hi everyone hope u don't mind me posting a message, my name is carley, I was also very scared and worried about starting ivf earlier in the year and had no idea wat to expect, but I found it absolutely fine and felt it made our relationship even closer. The treatment didn't  work which was sad but we soon picked ourselves up and r now looking forward to starting a new cycle in January. I'm not worried at all about starting it all again and feel very chilled out about. I'm here if anyone has any questions. Sending u all lots of luck xxx


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## kep79 (Apr 27, 2014)

Hi, my name is Kerry and am about to enter the weird and wonderful world of IVF/ICSI. I have two children frm my previous marriage, conceived naturLly but took four years. Have now married the most amazing man and we want our first together. We were ntnp for 6 months, and have been attc for 18 months.

I have pcos, and dh has low morphology. I have had a lap/dye/hystero/adhesion removal/ovarian drilling. Since the OD I seem to be ovulating more regularly and more strongly, and post-ov prog has increased loads.

We are in the process of selling pur current house, and trying to find a new one! As soon as we have moved we will start IVF (or potentially ICSI) in Shrewsbury. So looking at a Jan or Feb start. Just in time for me hitting 36!

Kx


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## Chloe889 (Aug 4, 2013)

Hello
I have just started on the IVF process, in fact I have just had an endoscratch this morning   and start down reg injections on Tuesday. We are here as I lost both Fallopian tubes over a period of three years to ectopic pregnancies, with a natural pregnancy ending in missed miscarriage in between. All really sad and hard to come to terms with    
I have read A LOT but still not sure what to expect! Fingers crossed for a smooth process..
Lots of luck to everyone
X


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## mrs_X (Aug 18, 2014)

Hey everyone,

Glad to have stumbled across this topic as i didn't know it was here.

My husband and are are relative newbies to IVF/ICSI.
We have been TTC for nearly 6 years with no success due to hubby's extremely low sperm count.
We started on our ivf path about 3.5 years ago but i was a smoker (gave up immediately) and my BMI was too high, however we were approved for funding but failed at the last hurdle as the clinic said in their presentation that they wouldn't deal with anyone outside of the BMI level so we had to let our funding go.

fast forward to now and i'm not 4 stone lighter and we've just been to our first consultant appt today.
We have filled in the forms with the consultant and now have a month's wait to see if the board approves us for funding again (we had 7 month wait for approval previously so hoping  for a speedier process this time around).

We finally decided to go to Oxford rather than Care Northampton as they seem more suited to our needs of IVF/ICSI and to deal with hubby's low count (1st SA less than 10000, 2nd zero, 3rd 2 only).

We probably won't be starting til the new year now as the Christmas shut down at the clinic and waiting for funding will mean we wouldn't have enough weeks to do the cycle before they close for Chrimbo.

so more patient waiting for now....


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## laura-f (Jul 14, 2014)

Hiya All,

I am a newbie to this page.

I am 24 - DH is 25. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2012. We have been TTC for 2years.

I am currently on metformin which I started approximately a month ago... I am thinking it is starting to help me as I had my first cycle in 4 months In September. 

We found out last week my DH has a lower than average sperm count. Just seemed to be one thing after the other.

First appointment at the Royal Berkshire Hospital on the 10th November - which I am now starting to worry about.

Laura x


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## Sparklystar81 (Apr 15, 2014)

Hi Laura, I too was so worried about it all but it was much better then I thought, I was terrified of egg collection and injections (needle phobia) but it was not half as bad as I thought! Being on here helps a lot too as u can talk about it and everyone knows how u feel it's a real comfort. Good luck Hun x

Carley xxx


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## Cloudy (Jan 26, 2012)

Bump!


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## Cloudy (Jan 26, 2012)

I've noticed quite a few newbies recently so thought I would bump this up again for you - it's often scary being a newbie and waiting to join cycle buddies.

Good luck ladies, and check out the information on the first page with links to useful threads.

Xxx


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