TTC for 12 months +

Hey ladies. Having a massive downer. I have lost all my symptoms. BT not until Sunday, but I know my body far too well to already know it's going to be a negative. Nurse called yesterday seeing how things are, I didn't say how I am feeling cos I really didn't want to hear her tell me to remain positive and it's too early. Why can't they just acknowledge how we feel in that moment and not to try make us feel better? There are times I NEED to feel these feelings as its all apart of the process but also coming to terms when it doesn't work. A plan is already in place for a negative and we'll do the exact same for next cycle. So just have to wait for CD1 hopefully on Monday morning. Oh I realised that BT is 14 days after IUI, but 13DPO.

Hang in there Fairylight this whole TTC can just be really !!!!

I'm sitting here ready to pull my hair out, also had an IUI and had BT yesterday. I phoned OFS this morning but the nurses didn't answer so waiting for a call back. Today's CD28 so should have sign today that CD1 is on it's way tomorrow, nothing yet but symptoms could be for AF or other argh.

Oh Mushroom so sorry to hear about your dog, that's really rough. Would you get a puppy?

Oh Tulip, that really sucks :(

So sorry to hear Tulip xx hugs

Sorry tulip, big hugs

Hello again everyone, I've just caught up on the last few months of posts *phew* lots to read, really nice to see some people's baby dreams come true! Commiserations to Tulip and the rest of us who are still waiting...
I think when I last posted I in the 2ww and was feeling really upset. I started spotting a couple of days later so it was kind of a relief to know those upset feelings were PMS. I still held a little hope until the BT but it was a BFN. Which really sucked but DH & I had a consolation holiday together which was really nice.

I just had my second IVF egg collection on Monday, this time using Gonal-F instead of Puregon. Not sure if that was what made the difference but they collected a whopping 19 eggs! We also used ICSI this time, and of 14 they tried to fertilise, 12 worked. Which is a much more hopeful number than the 3 we had last time (and only 1 of which made it to day 3).

I missed the call from the lab so they called DH and he agreed to their recommendation of freezing 4 immediately and growing the other 8 on. Had a call this morning to say we had some grade 2, 3, and 4 embryos, they'll keep watch until Sunday then let us know if there are any worth freezing. My expectations are lower this time, so if we get one decent looking day 5 blastocyst I'll be pleased, plus we've got the 4 day 1 up our sleeve.

It's hard to know what the best course of action is for the fertilised eggs, they said borderline day 3 embryos probably do better in the womb so it makes sense to transfer on day 3 rather than day 5 (i.e. thaw one 1-dayer at a time and see if it reaches day 3 to transfer) but if it didn't make it to day 3 we'd have to wait a whole extra month for our next shot. Times by 12 for the number of day-1s is a long time. Growing them to day 5 lets us know what we have to work with or not, but maybe we'd have more luck if we froze at day 1. No-one really knows so we just have to be patient and hope for the best. With the numbers dropping at each stage I've started calling it "The Eggs Factor" *ba-dum-ch*

Since it was such a high number of eggs we have to wait for my natural cycle to return (about 2 months I'm guessing). It's kind of a blessing since you don't have to use pessaries and I like giving my body a break.

Due to our low fertilisation numbers at the first round (3 from 9 eggs) and the fact we've now been trying for 5 years we've been added to the public funding list. Fingers crossed we don't need it though.

Since we've had so much trouble TTC I've been getting worried for my sister who is 35 and no sign of a suitable partner on the horizon (she's been looking but has only found duds so far). I mentioned the AMH test to her since it could either reassure her that there's no hurry or if things didn't look good at least she could make informed choices about what to do next. I thought the GP could order the test but it turns out they just referred her to Fertility Associates, told her the test was $80 but that was it. So DS phones FA thinking she's making an appointment for the blood test, gets there and it's a Dr consultation with a scan and everything, DS goes along with it because she didn't even know it was a private (not publicly funded) appointment then they whack her with a $270 fee at the end. She calls me in tears because she doesn't have the money to spare. If I'd known where the appt was I could have queried it but no-one said to her she'd have to pay for the appt and I think at the very least the FA receptionist who booked it should have told her at the time. She's going to write them an email but I'm not sure it'll get her anywhere.

Does anyone know if single women can get funded for IVF? I seem to remember before we were referred we had to have been actively trying for 6 months but how does a single woman do that except by "accidentally" forgetting birth control or fibbing about trying, neither of which seem very moral. Hopefully it won't come to that but because of my experience I do worry for her and think the earlier she can get on any necessary waitlists (e.g. sperm donor) the better

Big hugs Tulip, gutted to hear.

Hehe Soda on the 'blood test lady' - my son used to be all matter of fact about mummy getting another blood test as well - though I had to go to a place right next to BK, so he'd get chippies if he was a good boy!

Hi Merrily nice to meet you too. Sorry you're having TTC troubles. It must be really frustrating having unexplained infertility. My experience with FA was they were very quick to rush us into signing up for IVF, we got a second opinion and I had more tests like checking my tubes weren't blocked which FA didn't mention doing. The specialist we went with took a step back and we tried monitored cycles using clomid first, then clomid and IUI before looking at IVF. IVF is a huge expense plus a lot to go through physically and emotionally.

Does it help if I say I know how you feel. :-) Try keeping busy and when you feel down jump on here and say hi as you'll always find a sympathetic reader.