London TTC buddies chat thread

[Leeze]

thanks Soph, it is such a relief to finally get somewhere nice!!

that's a real bummer re the sperm morphology but good that the Doctor is making the referral for you straight away. Would you OH consider making lots of lifestyle changes for say 3 months or so to see if this helps and then go back for another test? When my OH got his SA back and the concentration levels were on the lowish side we looked into lots of things to help this. Mainly things like:

- no alcohol (or no more than 4-6 units a week)
- lots of fresh fruit and veg - preferably organic - and generally eating healthily ie not lots of processed food or saturated fats
- 8 hours sleep a night
- exercising 2-3 times a week even for 30 mins
- taking supplements - the nutritionist we saw recommended BioCare Male Forte tablets

I did a quick google search, there's probably better sites but this one even says test again if less than 4% as low sperm morphology can be temporary

https://www.ehow.com/way_5521965_ways-improve-morphology-sperm.html

xxx

 

[Clanger]

Hey ladies,

Mk8 sorry to hear about your downer day, how are you this eve? It's so hard when friends just seem to sneeze and end up pregnant straight away isn't it. It's totallt normal to feel happy for them but also sad for you...because you are going through a tough time at the mo with all the tests and ttc worries. I know you want to protect your hubster but I hope you can vent to him about how you're feeling too so you're not carrying the burden on your own. Anyway...how was the app today, really hope it went well.

SophieBee I am so sorry to hear you have yet another setback what a difficult time you're having at the mo. I really feel for you and hope you are managing all this sadness and stress ok. Were the other numbers..motility etc ok. If so this could be a hurdle that could be jumpable without ivf/icsi. As Leeze says and as am sure you know sperm ar meant to respond very well to lifestyle factor changes (obidient little buggers)...have you got Mr Bee on high doses of vits like zinc etc already? If not may be an idea to start lacing his cakes in them asap! There are lots of stories on b and b about spermy results improving lots after lifestyle changes. Also...am definately no doc but from what I've read 3% isnt awful...its just slightly below average...and if the other numbers are good there should be some good strong swimmers in there somewhere. Guess now you have to focus on a lavish sunny holiday then come back and think about solving this problem....but sun and sea and grilled cheese are waiting so enjoy and know that this hurdle can be jumped when you get back. Hope work is getting easier too.

Leeze, huge congrats. Am so pleased you found yourselves a home...could tell the looking was stressing you out! Flat and time frame sound perfect...you must be incredibly excited! Really hope it all moves quickly so you and bump can get settled very soon. Are you and Mr Leeze going to get away on hols this summer or will you be focusing on housey things?

All ok here...though am being a massive belch factory a lot of the time at the moment. Terrified and excited about the 12 week scan approaching. Mostly looking forward to telling the world so I don't have to hold my tummy in all the time!

 

[mk8]

Evening wonderful London ladies!

Leeze- very happy to hear of the flat news. Crouch End too- a lovely part of town! I know it well and it will be fantastic for the little one when he/she arrives

Interesting info on the sperm improvements. You know, your TTC issues seem like a lifetime ago that I totally forgot that your hubby had lowish spermy levels. Hopefully my hubby's swimmers are good lil troopers but in the meantime, no harm in "lacing his cakes" with good vits/food etc as Clanger suggests!

Sophie- I echo what the other wonderful ladies say here. I am sorry to hear that you had another set back. How is Mr Bee doing? Hopefully he is OK. You know what though hun, I see this as good news in a way because you have now figured what the potential road block is and therefore now able to fix it to get that BFP ASAP! How did the appointment go? Please do keep us updated on it. Huge hugs to you hun, I know it is an incredibly tough time for you but from what I know of you, you are one tough cookie and you WILL get that gorgeous baby Bee to hold in your arms

I do not know much about ICSI... need to google it! But regarding IVF, my friend's sis in law gave birth to two beautiful baby girls first try with IVF and my friends bro and his wife also gave birth to gorgeous twin girls. So whilst it has been a "longer" journey and certainly a rollercoaster one, maybe like in Tescos, you will get a case of "buy one get one free"


Clanger- wow.... 3 months?! My goodness how time flies. I am so happy for you and Leeze. You both deserve this and I just hope that Mrs Bee and I get to join you soon. Please promise to return to visit when you have both "popped". Hopefully Mrs Bee and I will be sporting nice round baby bumps ourselves by then and you can keep us updated on everything we need to know!

As for me, I had some good news from the docs. I am not dying of ovarian cancer- HURRAH! I was pretty relaxed the whole day and arrived at my appointment 30 mins early (trains ran on time- shocker!), I signed in and was about to leap to the ladies because I was bursting to pee when my name pops up on the monitor to tell me my doc was ready to see me. A doctor, ready to see a patient 30 mins early and as soon as she checks in... not good I thought! But turns out the doc just had no appts so buzzed me in. Haha. Results in a nutshell:
- I had slightly elevated free androgen index (which I understand is used to test PCOS)
- However, my internal ultrasound indicated that I do not have PCOS so he ruled that out (I forgot to ask why my androgen index was slightly higher- dammit!)
- My uterus and ovaries looked "fine", whatever fine means. Have no idea what they look for.. imagine cysts, fibroids etc?
- My blood count was good
- I do not have a thyroid issue (I didn't even realise he was testing that!)
- He couldn't tell if I was ovulating OK despite doing an LH and FSH test on my bloods because they fluctuate throughout the cycle so its hard to say whether it is too high/low. He told me that I need to do bloods on CD2 and CD14/15 for that but he didnt want to ask me to do that yet for another 6 months.
- He cant tell if my tubes are blocked from the procedures I had
- I noticed that the report said my uterus lining was "thin". I remember the scanning guy asking me when I last had my period as I guess he thought that could be an issue. But he seemed comforted by the fact that I had finished my period just 3 days before so I guess my lining was building back up again. Doc didn't mention that any how.

So next step- just seeing what the gods bring us. I didn't push my doc to refer me for more tests for now. I think this TTC journey has been quite stressful. I was stressed on cycle 1! Doc said the next stage (if I am not preggers) would be for hubby to do a sperm analysis and me to do bloods.

For now, I am thinking it may be best to just kick back and spend time with the hubby and see if our BDing efforts reward us with a sticky lil bean. I did ask him if he wanted to do the SA. He said yes but that he was v busy with work at the mo (which he is). I can imagine it is scary and I don't want to push him. Trying for a baby should be happy right and I feel like it has become a chore. I will definitely go back to the docs in 6 months if nothing happens by then, maybe sooner, who knows- we all know how up and down TTC can be! But for this month anyway, I think I am going to try to de-stress and go with the flow!

...... Hubby just walked into room and we had a chat about everything. I told him my mum went to HK and saw a fortune teller (mums eh?) and she told me that the guy said it wont happen in the next 3 months so not to get my hopes up too high but that my luck will change towards the end of the year... interesting! I know it can be a loada mumbo jumbo and who knows, maybe he said no kids and mum doesnt wanna tell me that! Anyhoo, hubby and I got on that topic and he said that he wants to do a full body check (he gets a free one with Bupa) and will look up getting a SA. Did you ladies get that privately?

Take it easy chicas. x

 

[mk8]

Hello ladies! Weekend is here! YEAH! It's my birthday on Sun... turning 31 WOuld have been nice to have a baby bump, but hey, trying to remain relaxed and hopeful.

I have a question about Clear Blue Fertility Monitor... Leeze- I recall this worked for you. I am wondering whether it is required if DH and I are BDing every other day. It is however tiring and I wonder whether it may be better for DH to rebuild his soldiers and hence we BD every 3 days or something. In which case, I am worried we could miss the peak day. Oh I don't know. Part of me worries all this "extra work" will stress me out. But I am willing to do anything for that BFP and perhaps I can be a little bit more mellow with the CBFM because it means DH and I arent pouncing into bed so often when we are not in the mood. Hmmm...

 

[Leeze]

a quick hello from me as I've suddenly hit a wall of tiredness!

Clanger - I hear you on the belching factory, I've had quite bad indigestion the last couple of weeks and have started cutting out onions and peppers from my diet unless very well cooked. A shame because I love them both! How exciting that it's not long till the 12 week scan, although I think I remember you saying it was going to be nearer to week 14. I definitely found it a relief when I could tell work people, that was the hardest one for me trying to be normal at work!

MK8 - I think unless your OH has a low sperm count then normally it's fine to DTD every 2 days - but I have also heard it can be good to leave it 3-4 days partly so you've both got the energy but also to give time for the swimmers to get stronger!! I also remember reading that sometimes the swimmers are stronger first thing in the morning so it's good to DTD early on sometimes if you can. Mind you, I also remember reading something that said most women ovulate around 4pm (not sure how true this is) - so it can be good to do it around midday or so too so they can be ready and waiting for the egg! Personally, I liked the CBFM because it helped me know the 2-3 days leading up to the most fertile days, and also helped me work out really clearly when AF was due each month. I also psychologically liked knowing we had hit the peak days, and like you say not feeling so stressed about having to BD when not in the mood or too tired when you know it's not a peak day. If you haven't got one, then I'd suggest checking out a superdrug with a pharmacy department - I've seen them a couple of times for about £30 when normally they're about £50 or more. Good that nothing serious came back with your tests. Re the SA, my OH got this done through his GP. Seemed to be very easy to do, no questions asked of him at all about how long we'd been TTC - the GP just referred him straight to the hospital and he had an appointment about 2 weeks later.

Soph - I hope you're doing ok and getting excited about your hols

we've just been discussing ambitious plans to get a side extension to our new home before we move in - might mean we end up moving after the LO comes after all but would be worth it in the end as would be less upheaval once we'd moved. difficult one to decide on really

big hugs all round

 

[SophieBee]

Hello - very quick one from me as I am working all weekend. Bleurgh.

Mk8 - Just to echo what Leeze said, I don't think that there are any hoops for blokes to jump through to get a SA booked. It is a quick and easy procedure, so all he has to do is ask his GP for details of the clinic. Obviously it is going to be a bit of a daunting thing for any bloke to go through, but given you've already had some fairly invasive tests yourself, it stands to reason that he should get himself checked out. Mr Bee was obviously a bit gutted by his results, but he knows that it's not about blame or fault - it's just about finding out what the story is and then dealing with it. I honestly think it would be a sensible thing for anyone starting out on the TTC journey to be able to get the basic tests first, but I guess the NHS can't really afford that!

Thanks for all your positive messages re Mr Bee's SA results. We thought it was a bit odd that the GP was being so negative about our chances of conceiving naturally - the SA results were recorded as being "possibly contributory", so we thought they probably weren't as bad as the GP was making out. Maybe he is looking at our chances as a couple though - so the combination of factors from both of us might mean that our combined chance is very slim. I think the best thing we can do is wait and see what the fertility specialists say to us. If it means IVF then so be it.

Anyway, better get back to work. Don't know if I'll get a chance to check in again this weekend. Have a very happy birthday mk8!
XX

 

[mk8]

hey girls,

leeze- ambitious plans indeed but YOU CAN DO IT! when are you due to complete? its so exciting to move into a new home. what are your plans once the little one arrives? are you going on maternity leave for long?

clanger- hope you are doing well.

sophie- when are you due to see the fertility specialist? hope they sprinkle tonnes of babydust on you! please do keep us posted.

bday weekend with dh was lovely. i have to admit, i felt a bit low this morning having turned 31 with no bfp as yet. ive given up opk-ing, temping and taking prenatals this month. i didnt want to think about ttc every day. its kinda worked. i do keep a note of when we bd and what my cm is like, though i prob note it down every 3-4 days. wondering what approach to take next month if this month isn't a success. hmm...

 

[SophieBee]

Hey mk8

Fertility appointment isn't for a while - couldn't get anything until 22 August. Still, what I'm hoping is that my thyroid thing will be on the way to being sussed by then, which might help things along. Who knows! I got myself in a bit of a panic as I found out that my PCT will only pay for 1 full cycle of IVF (despite guidelines saying everyone should be given 3 cycles). Gave myself a talking to though - there's no point in worrying about anything like that at this stage, so that wobble is over and done with. Bit of a pain though, living in such a tight fisted part of London.

Anyway, will of course keep you posted, but it's a way away yet!

Glad you had a nice birthday - I know how you feel about hitting milestones, I got sad when I knew that 2011 would be another no-baby year. But 2012 is going to be a good year. It's the olympics - and I've got tickets (yay!) - and hopefully you and I will be welcoming new arrivals as well.

XX

 

[mk8]

ooo lucky you for getting tickets! we got a big fat nothing. boo!

well enjoy the holiday with hubby until your appt in aug sophie! if you do go via the ivf route, hopefully it will work first try. stay positive (know easier said than done). i hear that acupuncture helps if that time does come. cannot believe that the nhs are so tight these days! how much does ivf treatment usually cost?

also hope that the thyroid issue gets under control very soon.

im going away in july also- croatia with the hubby cannot wait! never been so if you ladies have, feel free to recommend some cool things to see.

take care lovely london ladies. x

 

[Leeze]

hi lovelies

Soph - did the GP speak with you about IUI? This is normally a lot cheaper than IVF and as far as I understand they can still select some of the strongest sperm to use. I read an article this week in the Evening Standard about IVF and apparently about 30% of trusts will only give 1 cycle - some of them are even worse and don't offer it at all. Let's hope you still conceive naturally before it gets to that stage, I certainly wouldn't rule it out. Well done for getting Olympic tickets, let's hope you're sporting a lovely bump when it comes along! Not long till your holiday now, are you getting excited yet?

MK8 - glad you had a good birthday weekend. Sorry to hear you were feeling a bit low about turning 31 and no BFP yet. I feel pretty confident that this will be your year though, when your baby decides it's time to come along! Try and keep up that positive energy that you're so good at giving to others. Will it make you feel any better if I tell you I'm going to be 39 next month? I'm trying not to have a crisis about it, but the thought of the big 4-0 looming ahead is a bit scary! I've never been to Croatia but I've heard lovely things about it from friends. I bet it will be fabulous.

Clanger - how are you doing? Not long now till your next scan and you can stop worrying about keeping it a secret. Have you bought any maternity clothes yet or are you still able to wear your normal clothes?

We're hoping things will go smoothly with the flat purchase and we'll race forward to completion. We haven't got a date yet but we're hoping it will all be done and dusted ready for us to have it by early September at the latest - that's about 12 weeks away I think. Then we reckon there's about 6 weeks or so worth of work we want to get done to it so we might still manage to move in before the LO comes. If we end up having to stay in my flat a bit longer then we'll manage, the main thing is we now our lovely flat will be happening soon xx

 

[SophieBee]

Hi all

Leeze, I have looked into IUI as it is so much cheaper - but it seems to me that the chances of success are very low. I don't really understand why it has such a low success rate, but from what I can tell you would probably end up spending the same (or more) on multiple IUI rounds as one IVF. I think my PCT offers a choice of 3 IUI or one IVF. As I say, there is no real point in worrying about what we are going to do until we talk to the specialist.

Mk8 - I think the prices vary depending on what clinic you go to and on what treatment you have (do you just have IVF or do you have it with ICSI or IMSI - these can add another £1500-£2000 on top). It's generally going to be somewhere between £4000-£7000. Some NHS-based clinics offer self-funded, which is a bit cheaper, but still going to be around £2000-£3000 I think - again, I'm not sure if this includes the extras that improve chances, such as IMSI (which isn't even offered by many NHS clinics). Anyway, I'm not going to worry too much about all that unless we really have to (mainly because I don't think we can afford it!).

I've hear Croatia is lovely, so I bet you have a lovely time. I can't wait for my holiday!! Only 9 days to go!!

Leeze, best of luck with all the plans for the flat - it sounds so exciting!

Got a bit of a mad weekend ahead (but at least no work) so not sure when I'll be back on. Hope you all have a good one and I'll definitely pop back before I head off to Greece

 

[mk8]

Hello ladies

Just a quick hello to all of you. Seems like you are all doing OK. Good to hear it!

Sophie- liking the relaxed mode you are in. Have a great time in Greece! On the IVF front, here for you whenever you want to talk about it or to share any info OK?

I on the other hand had a tough day yesterday. I was so down and had a cry with the hubby. It was terrible and I hate feeling this way. I ought to be grateful that I have a nice home, a loving hubby and a job I enjoy (most of the time), plus a caring family and fab friends. But I just feel like such a failure and moreover, I feel like I cannot do anything except wait right now. Docs wont investigate anything for now and to be honest, I think I that's the best thing, I am insane enough as it is. This rollercoaster ttc journey is nothing like what I expected. Anyway, my negativity is over for now. Speak soon. In the meantime, stay happy ladies.

x

 

[mk8]

Hi girls

Me again. I am afraid I am still feeling negative and I need to rant. I'm sorry. AF preview arrived. Spotting today and it isn't implantation spotting for sure. CD26 so spotting appearing a day earlier than normal. Which could mean that my LP is shorter than normal. On average I think my LP is 11 days, which isn't super long as it is. I am starting to seriously wonder what is wrong. I keep telling myself that something is. 6 months, aged 30/31, timing has been great, BD regularly throughout the month, what could be the issue? To top it off, had a chat with my mum, who I love but she has no tact. Two comments that made me blubber when I got off the phone:
- Normally, people get pregnant right away, so it does make you suspect what is up.
- You will be 32 next year... I hope you will be OK if you get pregnant.
Now I know they aren't the most scientific comments, but coming from your own mother, it really hurt. Just made me feel more like a failure. She also told me something that I cant get out of my head. She went to see a fortune teller in HK, one in a temple (she's a buddhist) and he told her I shouldnt get my hopes up in the next 3 months but luck MAY change near the end of the year. Great.

 

[SophieBee]

Oh mk8, so sorry to hear you are feeling low
I don't know what to say, other than you aren't alone. Don't be afraid to rant and moan and get it all out - there are very few people that we can talk to in "real life" about this stuff, so please don't hold back!

I'm shattered and off to bed, but will try to check in again tomorrow xxx

 

[Clanger]

Hi Ladies,

Sorry for not having been chatty lately.

Sophiebee...off to Greece! Am excited for you...you deserve serious time out and lots of grilled cheese (my fave Greek snack), alfresco wine and of course lots of ice creams. I really hope you can switch of and be in the moment and leave the challenges you've faced back in the UK! When I have thought about your fertility news...what strikes me is that both your issues...thyroid and slightly low morphology...could easily be resolved with intervention...your thyroid meds and vits, health drive etc for the swimmers. So...while it's great that you have a clinic date...it may be that your issues can be resolved soon and ivf/icsi is not neccesarily needed. Depending on what the nhs offers you I think it is fairly reasonable price wise to get a sperm analysis done privately so you could always get Mr Bee's goods examined again in a while to see if changes make any difference and also to check that it wasn't just an "off" sample. Anyway, I feel hopeful for you and so glad you're going on a sunny hol!

Mk8...lovely, so sorry you are on a downer. It's horrible feeling the months tick by and having all sorts of worries pop into your mind. I think your Mums comments were not very well informed and unhelpful....I really feel for you...but Mums do like to put their foots in it don't they! What I want to say to you...and I know it's easy for me to say as I am pregnant...please rememebr that just because you know lots of super-fertile people doesn't mean that is the norm...the stats show that over 6 months is a normal and average time for ladies of our age to take to conceive. I know...it's SO hard when you have friends who get pregnant after just sneezing within 3 feet of their men...I know it can make you feel inadequate...I know it just doesnt seem fair when you try so, so hard with ttc and others just seem to get their with no effort or stress. I wish I had super sonic baby dust for you and Sophiebee. But I hope you remember that I got my first bfp after 8 cycles of ttcing...I was freaking out there...then got another one straight after. What's that about? I reckon stats and the law of averages have a lot to do with it....did you watch that programme recently...Human Life or something? Anyway it was about conception and baby making andwhile I knew the facts of life already (honest!) it really made you realise what a bloomin miracle conception is. Facts like...70% of fertlised eggs don't make it past a certain point...so you could even have conceived a few times and not known...also the fact that if 2 swimmers reach the egg at a similar time the egg dies. Anyway...I recommend looking it up on iplayer if you didnt catch it. There's also a thread on first tri called how long did it take you to conceive and you can see there the real range of time taken...even for the same women with different pregnancies. Anyway...I know its super sh*tty and so sorry you're sad. You are doing all the right things and pushing ahead with the tests...and all looks great so far! Hope you can keep a bit of faith and distract yourself with exciting Croatia plans. Thinking of you. Oh one more thing............HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY LOVELY GIRL!

Leeze, wow house news is fantastic....what great plans you have...we wil need pics (speaking of which I am also cheekily requesting a Leeze pumpkin bump pic). Scan date is approaching too! Are you having the 2nd tri energy/glow etc phase or still feeling tired and sicky? Any new purchases?

Onto moi...ladies have had a challenging week hence not been chatty. Have been spotting brown for a week on and off...its scared the life out of me and and terrified. Midwifes etc don't think I need to panic unless it gets worse. But I have been in tears and a mess. While I know my last mc was different as it was so early...I remember looking up brown spotting everywhere and finding lots of reassuring things...but it didn't turn out well. So...can't seem to reassure myself or relax.Also was mean to be on holiday with my girly friends at the moment in the south west by the seaside. I cancelled (and lost all my train and hotel costs) as a) had planned to tell them all am pregnant but didnt feel able to with this going on and b) Feel terrified this is going to get worse at any point and don't want to be away from home and Mr Clanger if that happens. I also don't feel as pregnant anymore...aversions and sickness seem to have pretty much gone. I can empathise with what you were saying about ttc Mk8 as...and I hope it's ok for me to say this ladies and I don't cause offence...I could never have imagined how terrifying and stressful pregnancy would be for me. I know how lucky I am to be pregnant and when I believe in the pregnancy and that I will be a Mummy in December I feel amazing...but my state of mind is not good and I find it so hard to believe that...I just feel terrified. Sorry for the big fat moan. Hopefully the spotting bogs off and my scan goes well...all thoughts/prayers/finger crossing greatly received!

Love to you all.
Clanger
xxx

 

[Leeze]

hi lovelies

it's just a quick check-in because I'm at work at the moment. I will post more over the weekend

Soph - I agree with what Clanger says, I reckon you could well still get your BFP the natural way with the help of some meds and lifestyle changes. have you considered acupuncture, I can't remember? I think this really helped me. But, at the moment, I think you focus on having an amazing holiday and have some much-deserved time away with Mr Bee

MK8 - so sorry you're on a downer, honey. If you're anything like I was then you will go through this every month around the time AF is due and for a few days afterwards. I would then pick myself up about CD8 when it was time to start the BD-ing regime again. I think nature has a lot to answer for in terms of our monthly cycles. And, don't get me started on Mothers!! I love mine but she is so tactless sometimes. To be honest, I didn't really discuss TTC with my Mum because she got pregnant the first time both times and whenever I mentioned anyone else's TTC problems she kept on about how she couldn't relate because it happened so easily for her. Like Clanger says, about 75% of fertilised eggs don't make it - and most couples will take 6-12 months to get pregnant the first time round. Let yourself feel miserable for a few days, do some things that make you feel good (a bit of retail therapy maybe, or a nice massage from Mr MK8), and I bet in about a week or so you'll be feeling a lot better.

Clanger - that really sucks that you've got spotting, honey. You know how I am for stats, I've probably said this one before but once you've seen a bub and a heartbeat your chances of anything going wrong are about 2%. I know lots of women on here that have had spotting in the first 16 weeks or so and everything has been ok. I had a bit of spotting around 12 weeks I think. If it's brown and not too heavy then normally it's not a sign of anything serious. Also sometimes if you BD it can bring on a bit of spotting. And you know, after 12-13 weeks your placenta takes over so it's really normal not to feel the same signs that you do in 1st trimester. I have a lot of days now where I don't really "feel" pregnant. I think from about week 13-20 you can feel pretty normal a lot of the time. I'd suggest you take some time to rest and really try your hardest not to worry. It's good you've got your scan coming up soon, let's hope you get the reassurance you need then.

I'm doing ok, a bit tired and stressed from a hard week at work. Starting to do some sorting out/clearing out in the flat which is really boring but also very necessary. Can't wait for scan on 20th June to see LO again and find out the gender. I haven't bought anything else yet except for a baby sling to carry bub around in so I don't need to use a buggy all the time in the first couple of months (in case we're still at my flat on 2nd floor). I haven't taken any bump pics yet but if I remember I will get Mr Leeze to take one over the weekend and post it!!!

 

[mk8]

Hello ladies

Thank you all for your kind words. You are so supportive and I tell hubby how wonderful you all are. Even he has a peep on this thread now again when he is sitting next to me too!

My mood has bounced back to being positive today- TTC mood swings eh?! CD1, cycle 7. Here's hoping it is lucky number 7 for me eh? I have decided to take pregnacare and vitB complex 50 again - build up whatever it is those things build up and lengthen my LP somewhat hopefully.

Clanger- oh honey, I am so sorry that you are going through such a tough time. Huge hug to you. Of course I do not take offence to what you say my dear. I am bummed I am not pregnant but that doesn't mean you ladies sporting wonderful bumps should stop sharing, ranting, celebrating etc about the things that are going on with your pregnancies OK? You girls are wonderful and I genuinely hope that you give birth to healthy babies and live your happily ever afters! OK, now I have got that straightened out... Clanger, as you have read, I hear that spotting brown is perfectly normal during the first trimester. I know easier said than done but the stats are on your side. Stress is of course no good for you or the bubs. Tell yourself everything is OK, believe in it! Make sure you eat well, drink lots of water, sleep well and find ways to ease your stress levels- soothing music, a stroll with hubby, a movie, a bubble bath etc. Take care of yourself hun. Also, I heard that you get morning sickness most right at the start then things level out. So don't read too much into things... try not to anyway, which I know is much, much easier said than done. Here if you want to chat ever OK?

Leeze hun- hows the flat purchase coming along. You and bump good?

Sophie- sounds promising all these extra things you/dh can try. Woo! Leeze- you mentioned acupuncture...how does that help?

Hugs too all you wonderful ladies. Take it easy. xx

 

[Leeze]

anyone fancy something interesting/different this weekend?

https://littlelondonobservationist.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/exploring-eel-pie-island/

Eel Pie Island - hippy/artist community has summer opening

catch up more later xxx

 

[SophieBee]

Hi all

Glad you're feeling a bit better mk8 - and fingers crossed that 7 is a lucky number for you.

Clanger, really hoping that all is well with you - I'm sure it is, as the other ladies have said.

Leeze, I know acupuncture worked for you, but I'm really not into the whole complementary medicine thing so it's not a path I'll be considering. I doubt it would work for me as I wouldn't be able to put any faith in it actually doing anything - I think you have to go with an open mind, and I'm afraid mine isn't!

As I say, I'm going to wait to see what the specialist says as at the moment all we have is a sheet of results (all of which were on the low side - the morphology is just the one the GP focussed most on) and what the GP has said. I'm sure there will be another SA as part of the referral and we'll see what the specialist says as regards to our chances. Thanks for all the positive messages though.

I'm in a really crappy place at the moment. I'm feeling just awful about my Dad and can't seem to see anything positive about anything at the moment. I know I've got the holiday coming up, and I'm really looking forward to that, but I know it's only a temporary break. I just can't seem to pull myself out of this depression and nothings seems to help. Oh well, guess I'll just have to focus on the holiday and see how I feel after it.

Hope everyone is doing OK and had good weekends xx

 

[mk8]

Leeze- that looked interesting!

Sophie, I am sorry to hear that you are feeling so down. I don't have any words that will magically make it all better, but I (and the others) are here for you whenever you need us.

I can appreciate that you are in an incredibly tough place at the moment. You have a lot happening in your life right now and naturally, you will have some very low points.

I hope that you are enjoying spending time with your dad and that he is in relatively good spirits. BIG HUG to you Soph.

With regards to the TTC situation, I totally understand how you can have a feeling of a lack of despair. It is of course tough to be told that there are barriers to conceiving naturally but with the meds that are available on the market these days and the progression of science, I am hopeful that there is a way for you to get that BFP and hold your little bundle of joy in your arms. Wait to see what the specialists say and if you are not convinced or happy with their opinion, seek another. Do you or your hubby have insurance that covers these kind of referrals at all?

I was talking to my hubby about the "what ifs" last night. I have been feeling rather antsy too and am losing hope. But I am incredibly, incredibly lucky to be married to my husband. He is (as he calls himself!) my rock. He hasn't promised me that we will have our child, but he has reminded me that whatever happens, we have each other and that life is OK even if it is just us two. Obviously I will be heartbroken if we cannot have a baby, but I am trying hard to focus on the things i should be grateful for in life.

Enjoy your holiday Sophie, whilst it is only temporary, the break will do you good. As I said above, you have been through so much recently. You are a tough cookie but all tough cookies need a break. I know it will be near impossible, but try to shelve TTC thought whilst you are away. Think back to when you just enjoyed spending time with Mr Bee and have fun.

Here's a positive story that I hope will make you feel a bit better. I promise you this is true! I know somebody who was in her late 20s and was trying to conceive for 2 yrs. It turns out that her hubby had a sperm issue- low motility. They started to head down the IVF route but before they actually did the procedure they were both put on meds and they conceived! The meds must have kick started her eggy and his swimmers. Now I am not saying that this will definitely happen to you, but what I am saying is that docs do get it wrong, little miracles do happen and we need to keep fingers and toes tightly crossed that the good will happen to us.

Hang in there Sophie. xxx