35 and over and ltttc for baby #2 for over 2.5yrs!

[tommyg]

Mooshie quick reply the people I know with PCOS have always had it. My own cycles are anything from 5 - 12 wks, one friend is the same and another who is overweight is lucky to have 2/3 cycles per year.
I'd suspect that it is something to do with the diabetes that is screwing you up.
It used to be thought PCOS caused insulin resistance now they question IR causing PCOS. But the have a link.

Given you are going for a pump it might be better for you to get the pump before getting pregnant. As they won't want to faff if they don't need to when pregnant.

 

[Mooshie]

Thats what I had always thought about PCOS TommyG. I really don't think I have it but a few people have mentioned it now, and it makes you start to question yourself.

I agree about the pump, which saddens me somewhat as we've been trying for so long now, it'll feel like starting all over again! Some Type 1's do go onto a pump when they are pregnant though to help with BS control so I don't know how much of a problem it would be. I'm going to ask at my clinic appointment next friday. AF is due then anyway so i'll know for sure by then if we've caught this month or not! I'm also not sure how long the waiting list is to start pump therapy, there is a waiting list so it could be closer to the end of the year before i get it depending on how many people are waiting. Like I say though, i'll know more next week.

As for the insulin resistance thing, thats T2s. It's why they say women with PCOS as more likely to develop Type 2 later in life. Type 2s still produce small amounts of insulin, but Type 1 is auto-immune and my pancreas doesn't produce any insulin atall anymore which is why i need to inject. There are some T2s who inject insulin, but it's usually later on when they had it for quite some time. As there are a number of T1s who are insulin resistant, but again, it's generally when they have had it for a long long time.

I do also agree with you though, that it's most likely my diabetes that is causing my fertility issues although my consultants would disagree :/

 

[tommyg]

Mooshie I know type 1 and type 2 are different but basically lack of insulin is the problem with both. And if that is playing a factor in PCOS then it may well play a factor in the ovaries of somebody with type 1.
I think what I am really trying to say is, will having the pump, which in theory will keep your insulin levels more steady that you are able to currently manage, in turn help your fertility?

Cookie
Yip taking blood will be the answer for me too. How ever living in the land of hope I'm hoping that my iron isn't wildly high. My iron was checked 2 years ago when I first went to the fertility clinic and nothing was said. It was checked again in spring 2014 and was high so I'm hoping it isn't wildly high it's going to take ages to lower it.

Sorry your appointment didn't give you much hope. Have they checked your DH?

Orchard I'm really hopeful for you with the IUI, and hope you enjoy your trip.

Wish how are you doing? When do you leave for Europe?

Lanet How are you, is the baby girl doing ok?

Hope I haven't missed anybody

AFM Half tempted to try vitex to see if I can get things moving along. Not sure if it's a good idea or not. However random info I came across the other day Spearmint tea can apparently help some aspects of PCOS so trying it seriously it can't do any harm. But I'm less sure of trying vitex

 

[lanet]

Tommy I have very irregular cycles too, very frustrating but no pcos. I feel for you, not sure if vitex would make it worse or not.
Baby girl is good, we haven't seen the tachycardia in 6 weeks so that seems to be resolved. They do suspect a small hole in her heart but they can't confirm it until her echocardiogram after birth. It may close before then, be so small it doesn't cause any symptoms, or be large and require open heart surgery at 4-6 months. Not sure if I updated that here or not, forgive me if I'm repeating myself. So it's something we are watching. They did say it's very common though and doesn't cause any harm. Didn't make me feel any better though.

 

[tommyg]

Lanet good to hear she is doing ok. Hugs to you girl.

 

[Braven05]

Just dropping by to say hello to everyone. I haven't been on in a long time. I hope everyone is doing well!

 

[tommyg]

How are you Brave? How's the diet going?

 

[Cookie1979]

Mooshie - I can't say whether you have it, but I think it is something that is there from puberty usually. It is possible to have PCOS but have no cysts, and it's possibly to have cysts but not have high testosterone...like most conditions the symptions are wide and varied. A simple blood test would tell you whether your levels are high. xx

tommyg - Yes hubby had his SA, and the doctor went over his results the only thing that was notable was the shape of them, but she said she has never come across it being an issue. He has good mobility, they all swim in the right direction and plenty of them. He's going to have another SA around April, and as I said I'm having 2 cycles of blood tests and an hsg. I'm feeling abit more upbeat, I do think I would benefit from Clomid so I'm going to print off all the information I need and use it to back up my case. Also I've spoken to my mother in law and she said I'll only need one jab for the Rubella vaccine (she used to be a nurse), so hopefully could have it next week or the week after, then would have to wait a month til we try again, so the delay won't be too horrendous. Maybe the time to relax and not think about it will do me good. Really determined to lose more weight, and with my PCOS it will do me a world of good. So yes feeling much better.

I've heard mixed things about vitex, I was talking to someone who said it completely screwed up her cycle...then again others have said the opposite. I tried Inositol which is supposed to be brilliant for those that have PCOS but it stopped me ovulating, I was having at the longest 35 day cycles, that cycle was 60 odd days long and it only arrived once I stopped the inositol. Also had spotting that cycle and 2 cycles after that. Its made me very reluctant to try anything as I have the fear that it will screw it up.

Saying that has anyone tried soy? Isn't it supposed to be the natural version of Clomid? Thoughts?

xx

x

 

[Srbjbex]

Gosh this thread really does move quick! I am keeping up even if I don't always get chance to reply to everyone.

Lanet sounds like you are being well looked after and lots of monitoring for you and your babies. Keeping everything crossed for you for the next few weeks.

Mooshie - I have no experience of PCOS so cant offer too much advice, only support and hope that you get some answers soon

Cookie - sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your appointment. I think the thing to take from it is that you are now 'in the system' I think that is half the battle. I certainly got comfort from that and now I at least have the number of the fertility nurse at hospital to ring if I have any questions. I feel like someone is listening to us, even if things are moving slower than we would maybe like.

Tommy - really sorry to hear about your bad news. I hate the emotional roller coaster that LTTTC puts us all through. Hopefully your feeling a bit better now and certainly booking a holiday is a fabulous idea. Where are you going?

Orchid - any sign of AF for you yet? I bet you are super keen to get cracking!

Hi to everyone else I have missed.

AFM not much to update. AF has gone and we will be back into BDing again this weekend for the next cycle. OH got his date for his repeat SA. Its not until 5th March, so a month away but we need to wait that long for the chromosome blood test results to come back in anyway so it's fine, and it's not at my fertile time either so that's good. Means we will probably get another 2 cycles in before our next fertility appointment.

 

[tommyg]

Cookie I tried soy a while ago all it did for me was give me mid cycle bleeding.
My research on it is something to do with it pushes your estrogen levels higher, and when it drops you can get estrogen break through bleeding which is similar to what happens when someone comes to the end of the pill cycle. But no it didn't reduce the length of my cycle.

 

[Cookie1979]

How long are your cycles tommy? My current one looks like its going to be about 38 days long, which is a little longer than I'd like, for a while they've been between 31 and 35 days long.

bex - yes you are right, I'm on the system and hopefully things will get moving. I'm determined that if I'm not pregnant by the time I go back in June that I will get Clomid, I'll chain myself to her desk in protest until she agrees!! lol Just seems to be very little the NHS can and will do when you already have had a baby, she pretty just said IVF but would have to go private which is not going to happen. Will it be your second appointment? How long have you had to wait between appointments? Have you had a hsg? She said that I just need dye in my tubes and a scan, rather than a lap and hubby has to have a repeat SA around April.

xx

 

[tommyg]

My natural cycles are anything up to 12 weeks (too long and I'm too lazy to bother counting days ) currently 6.5 weeks.

 

[Srbjbex]

Cookie - yes it will be my second appointment. It is up to us to make the apt when all the test results are back. OHs chromosome test will take 6 weeks so then we will ring to book and I suspect the apt will be a couple of weeks after that so around 8 weeks in total between the 2 appointments.

I'm not having a hsg / dye test. We discussed it at the first appointment and the nurse basically said that the reason we aren't conceiving is due to the very low sperm count / morphology so she saw little point in me having any further testing. I've had all my blood tests done (FSH, thyroid, progesterone ) and they all came back clear and showed I am ovulating no problem etc. so no further follow up for me. It's all about the swimmers for us!

 

[Cookie1979]

Ah right ok. So what can they do about swimmers? Sorry if you have already gone over it on here. The doctor said if I get my hsg done earlier than she expects, then I can bring the appointment forward, but with 2 cycles of bloods being done aswell I think May would be the earliest.

x

 

[Srbjbex]

they cant really 'do' anything. Assuming repeat SA results come back the same then we are straight into IVF, or more likely ICSI. We will pretty much straight away be referred at the next appointment, although any ICSI/IVF treatment we will have to fund ourselves. Currently weighing up where to go, because the benefit of paying is that at least you get to choose. We can go anyway but will probably come down to a decision between the BMI Priory and the Birmingham Women's as they are both reasonable local to us.

 

[Cookie1979]

Oh well good luck bex, my hubby says no to IVF, but we will see...if we got to the point where we feel there is no other hope then who knows. Probably shouldn't hold my breath. x

 

[Mooshie]

Mooshie I know type 1 and type 2 are different but basically lack of insulin is the problem with both. And if that is playing a factor in PCOS then it may well play a factor in the ovaries of somebody with type 1.
I think what I am really trying to say is, will having the pump, which in theory will keep your insulin levels more steady that you are able to currently manage, in turn help your fertility?

Oh I absolutely agree, i think anyone with a chronic illness is at a disadvantage when it comes to fertility.

What are the differences of IUI/ICSI/IVF? I understand how IVF works but the other two i'm never sure which is which.

Cookie - my hubby has always said No to IVF too. I'm not sure how he would feel if we ever had to go down that road for sure.

 

[Cookie1979]

Mooshie - My hubby says we should put a cap on it, so if we don't conceive by the end of the year we should give up. Its easy for him to say, he's not as emotionally invested...but then again I'm 36 in May and our son will be 5 in November and I'm not sure I want the gap between them to be much bigger than 5 years. I dunno...I've said we are going to stop a few times now, but when the time comes I always change my mind. We will see. xx

 

[tommyg]

IUI - is basically homones to boost the egg, trigger shot, then artificial insemination with washed sperm.

Ivf the put the egg in a dish and let the swimmers go for it
Icis they inject the sperm directly into the egg. - helps for male issues. Then it's the same as ivf.

 

[coquis224]

Hello everyone

I have missed a bunch not being on here for a few days

Cookie-That stinks that you didn't get any answers at your appt. We both had the same idea of soy, I have some at the house right now too.

Tommy- Hopefully your iron will be ok so they don't hold you up anymore.

Bex- Sorry to here about your DH's swimmers Im scared that my DH might have issues since he's 38 and no kids.

Orchid-Any signs of AF yet?

Lanet- Hugs to your little princess! Also to answer your question- I did see a line but not sure of color and it was more than likely an evap. I got another one yesterday but today I did not test. I only have 3 left. I'm going to wait until Sunday when AF is due if it's not positive I'm going to try to induce my period. I have everything I need so sick of waiting.

Everyone else hello if I missed anyone I'm sorry .