Trying for a baby (12+ M/not straightforward)

Triggles

Miss Pink - sorry to hear of your loss. Hope you're feeling more okay physically now. I know the emotionally sometimes takes longer.

Nicki and myaccount - hope you get BFPs tomorrow - good luck!

I just joined this thread not too long ago, and I really was not feeling great about my chances of getting pregnant, but I got a BFP on Friday. I've tested each day since, and they are getting darker, so I'm breathing a little bit easier, although I'm in no way out of the woods yet. My diverticulitis symptoms have kicked in a bit - probably due to slight constipation (sorry TMI) - so GP put me on amoxicillin for the next 5 days to make sure no dreadful intestinal infection develops.

JoJo77

Hooray, Hoooray, a BFP! Congratulations Triggles and what a lovely early Christmas present. I'm sure everything will be fine, especially with a GP that is looking after you well and not taking any chances:j

liloandstitch

Well done Triggles

Hugs to Nicki - keep your chin up - AF not here yet so there is hope you could have implanted later - I do know how you feel though, be kind to yourself and if you want to pm, feel free.

Sorry its a BFN for myaccount08, perhaps a late one for you too? Ill throw some hugs in your direction too.

I wish I cleaned when things get tough, Im not 'houseproud' (anyone who has seen my house will agree!!!) but it drives me nuts - too much work and not enough time.

Hugs to all - lilo

VK-2008

congrats on being the first bfp lets hope tis start of many

af still aint here fingers crossed se stays that way

Nicki

No, sadly we are out, this month and quite possibly permanently. We went to see the consultant last night, and his starting point was that OH's SA was now so poor that our only option was IVF with ICSI. The success rates of this given my age, and the fact that I also have a fibroid which is of a size which would reduce implantation chances by 50% are not encouraging for us at the moment. Added to which we had said from the outset that we wouldn't go down the IVF route again. Having said that, I think OH is wavering. We still have a lot more talking to do, but it seems that as far as conceiving naturally or semi-naturally is concerned, its not going to happen for us.

I'm not sure whatever happens that I'll be going down the IVF route at the same clinic as when I complained last night about the nurse, I was told that she was known to be ""abrasive" but was the only one they had at that clinic. Tbh IV is stressful enough without having to put up with unpleasant behaviour by the nurses on top.

Poppy9

When I was trying fertility treatment I looked into supplements. Both myself and OH took a daily multi vitamin and mineral tablet. OH who had average sperm count on his first test had a much improved result 3 months later at his retest.

I also took Agnus Castus as I was the one with problems to try to stimulate ovulation when trying for no.2. It didn't work for me and I was in the situation that HA wouldn't support second round of fertility treatment as I had one child and having reduced my working hours greatly to be at home with my one child we couldn't afford to pay privately. A couple of friends though who had unexplained infertility took AC and conceived.

Triggles

Nicki - so sorry. We are not in a financial position to try IUI or IVF, and since I'm 43, we couldn't get any aid from NHS either (not that we would qualify with a 2yr old already). If it helps, I echo what Poppy said - we had both DH & I on multivitamins. DH was taking a regular multivitamin, plus cod liver oil pill - granted they were to avoid him getting colds as he gets chest infections quite easily - but I think it did help. There are supposed to be some natural things to take that will help with sperm count. I'm just curious - are they going to remove the fibroid - or is it just in pregnancy that it causes a problem? I apologise if that seems a rude question - I don't know much about them. I agree with you about the rude nurse though - it really makes things 100 times more difficult when you have mean medical personnel.

myaccount - hoping to hear a BFP from you - I didn't get my BFP with DS until 16dpo! and I even had 2 betas drawn that cycle on 10 and 11dpo to check it as I was having my appendix out and they were negative. So late BFPs can happen.

Well, a ton of fluid later and 24 hours on antibiotics, and I'm feeling a tiny bit more comfortable. The bowel cramping is relaxing a bit (sorry if that's TMI), and I'm pretty sure the bloating feeling is more pregnancy bloat than bowel at this point. The test line has gotten darker and started showing within a minute this morning, so I'm cautiously breathing a small sigh of relief. Still such a long way to go before I relax though. Thanks so much for the congratulations and I hope to see a bunch more BFPs over the next month from everyone here!

nottslass_2

Nicki wrote: »

No, sadly we are out, this month and quite possibly permanently. We went to see the consultant last night, and his starting point was that OH's SA was now so poor that our only option was IVF with ICSI. The success rates of this given my age, and the fact that I also have a fibroid which is of a size which would reduce implantation chances by 50% are not encouraging for us at the moment. Added to which we had said from the outset that we wouldn't go down the IVF route again. Having said that, I think OH is wavering. We still have a lot more talking to do, but it seems that as far as conceiving naturally or semi-naturally is concerned, its not going to happen for us.

I'm not sure whatever happens that I'll be going down the IVF route at the same clinic as when I complained last night about the nurse, I was told that she was known to be ""abrasive" but was the only one they had at that clinic. Tbh IV is stressful enough without having to put up with unpleasant behaviour by the nurses on top.

Hi Nicki,
Would it be worth getting a second opinion re your fibroid ? I Also have a fibroid,but was told its more to do with positioning than size - mine apparently is at the top & My consultant has said that it won't affect the outcome of my treatment.

Anyway,as for me I had my down regging scan today- everything is going to plan,I'm just waiting for a phone call to confirm the blood test results,and should start the stimms on Thursday.

Baby Dust to everybody

Nottslass x

Nicki

Thanks everyone.

I went to the Health shop today and as I was browsing the vitamin section, the male SA came across and asked if he could help. Working on the basis that I would never see him again, I said I was looking for something to help with male fertility. Lo and behold he is taking supplements for just this (and his history is almost exactly the same as ours, with him and his wife being a similar age, and having had children together a similarly long time ago to us), so he was able to give me two huge bottles of horse pills for DH together with lots of life style advice about foods to eat and avoid, which is really going to make his Christmas! Surprisingly though, when I mentioned it to him on the phone, he wasn't in the least reluctant but was in fact mad keen to get started (go figure!). He even appeared to have been doing some research of his own, as he volunteered without being told, that he would need to give up caffeine.

For me, my fibroid is also at the top of the uterus, but the consultant said that although it wouldn't block the egg coming into the uterus in that position, its size was such that it would make the endometrium thinner (more surface area to cover) and this would reduce my chances of successful implantation. It is removable, but if he removes it, then I would not be able to ttc for at least 3 months (even assuming all went well with the surgery and there is always a risk to fertility with this kind of surgery) and given my age, that's probably too long to wait. If anyone can recommend any supplements which help with building/maintaining the lining of the womb though, please let me know and I'll certainly give them a go. I did ask about taking progesterone supplements and he did say that he would prescribe these if we decide to go on with further IUI or IVF treatment.

At the moment I'm thinking we should take December off to consider the options, during which time I'd like DH to take his pills, watch his diet, and ideally lose a bit of weight as he's outside the 20-25 BMI range (and its not muscle sadly!) I'm still using my Clearblue monitor so we can still try naturally and if there are supplements which can help me as well as him then I'll give them a go too. At the minute the only thing I'm taking is folic acid, and I am ovulating regularly and my CM is OK. I do get noticeable pre-menstrual symptoms from a few days after ovulation though (hence why I've thought I might be pg for the last few months) so I suspect I do have lower progesterone than optimum.

If we do go ahead with treatment I think it will be at a different clinic, though I need to discuss this further with DH. I was upset last night when I saw the doctor and heard his advice, and when I then just caught sight of the nurse after this, I felt much more stressed and anxious. I don't think I could cope with a stressful medical procedure and having to cope with her, even if she didn't do anything else at all to upset me, so goodness only knows what I'd be like if her behaviour continued to be as it currently is. My DH had to go in on his own to see her to be given the details of the IVF drugs, procedures and costs, as I wasn't up to even being in the same room with her when it came to the crunch!

LADY_A_5

hey, i didnt wanna read and run, but seen as i have yet to start my treatment feel a lil akward posting does that make sense??

anyways, i would like to say, nikki, i hope you and oh get your wish, i know im just a name on a forum but these issues really tug at my heart strings. soppy eh lol.

for all that post on here i hope the treatment is not being too hard on you, i do enjoy reading it all so i know what to expect, and although i had my diagnosis a few years ago, so much could have changed in my body in this time. last time they said my overies and womb were fine, but who knows now a few years later. so its good to know there are other treatments available other then the ivf i was offered.

also, i know it may not be everyones cup of tea, but there are surragacy and adoption route that can try before maybe giving up all hope, i know its not the same etc, but just remember there are some out there that dont have a parent, just a biological donor.

i shall post now and again just to say hi etc but will prob leave posting while i get my treatment started, hopefully in the new year

love to all baby dust to all and relax, easy to say i know!

xx