Omnom's journey for a sibling or ✌️

[Omnomnom:)]

Hi!

Been meaning to start a diary for a while so here goes ☺️.

Our history:
DH: 41 (Construction) and Me: 27 (SAHM).
Originally worked for the same company.
Met in late 2014.

2015 to 2017
So for 2 years we were TTC naturally. In the beginning we were naive enough to plan which month we would fall. 🙈 I suspected I had PCOS after 6 months as my cycles were so wacky and elongated. Tracking them was impossible and ovulation sticks quickly became a waste of time and money. I was so disheartened by the end. My awful GP reluctantly referred me to the hospital for further tests.

December 2017
We were refused NHS treatment because of my low BMI. I was never actually tested for fertility issues and they were happy with DH's sperm results (4% normal). I was asked to gain weight and return in 6 months. Despite the fact I'd tried desperately many times in the past, they simply wouldn't listen and we knew the time trying to gain weight would be in vain, so after much discussion, we decided to go privately.

2018
Nuffield Hospital confirmed my PCOS and were unphased by DH's latest sperm morphology result (2%). 6 cycles of clomid later and we had 1 successful round but ended in miscarriage @6wks. They recommended we try IUI however we were concerned with DH's low morphology and wanted to move forward with ICSI.

We left Nuffield and started researching IVF abroad. The UK costs were just eye watering. During this time, lots of gorgeous babies were being announced in the family and at work and I was finding it unbearable to cope. Everyone was so kind and understanding. I can still remember how guilty I felt. Discovering Reprofit shortly after came as a huge relief!

Early 2019
In the lead up to our first IVF, my PCOS symptoms all but disappeared and haven't (touch wood) shown up since. Think the clomid may have helped my cycles to self-regulate. Few tests at Reprofit confirmed that DH has teratozoospermia and the ICSI would thankfully bypass this. Woo! It was our first bit of good news in years.

June 2019 - Live cycle at Reprofit, Brno. 1 fresh embryo transferred with 3 on ice ❄️. Flew to Las Vegas at the end of June to get married on 3rd July. Offical test day was 4th July and was a very strong BFP 🥳.

After a very enjoyable and surprisingly uneventful pregnancy, our beautiful son, Beaux, was born on 14th March 2020. I'll attach the link to his birth story. He's an absolute treasure! So chilled and low maintenance. Bit nervous that the next one might come as a shock for us if they're not like him in any way. That hasn't put me off though!

Being the impatient lady that I am, I originally agreed to wait until the beginning of 2021 before our first FET but I managed to butter the husband up and bring it all forward to November of this year. Yay! DH always dreamt of a big family one day so when it comes to babies, he doesn't take much convincing, thank goodness.

We are currently in contact with our lovely coordinator, Eva. She was fabulous during our first cycle so I emailed a few weeks ago to ask what we needed to do to prepare for November's FET. Looks like we need the transvaginal scan and blood tests for TSH and prolactin so I've arranged these for 10th September using ultrasound-direct. Then Reprofit can then provide my FET protocol. Eeeek!

I'm super excited and I feel I should be exercising more caution. Beaux will be nearly 8 months when we start this initial FET and everytime I look at him I'm reminded just how incredibly lucky we were to fall last year. Even with 3 frosties waiting for us, it doesn't guarantee us a sibling. We can still hope with everything we have though. Feeling as passionate about this FET as I did before, it's just this time I'm wanting it even more so for my little family as I do for myself.

We've talked about what might happen if the FETs fail. It's hard to know where I might be mentally after those months of disappointment. Physically I could go ahead with another live cycle, of course. Its just wondering how I might be coping mentally. If I feel at any point that I'm no longer giving Beaux my very best self, then we may have to reevaluate the future. He deserves a happy, healthy mummy who can give him all the love and attention he needs.

Since my sons birth, I've gained a stone in weight so I'm 9st 4lbs and now a healthy BMI. Currently I'm still showing zero PCOS symptoms and (whether it be down to the pregnancy, weight gain, etc or not) I have regular cycles lasting 30-35 days. Feeling quietly confident that we should be good to go ahead without delay. Beaux is on the verge of 6 months so he's reaching an exciting learning phase now and we're in the early process of moving house again too, so September is incredibly busy for us and serves as the perfect distraction. I'll blink and it will be time to start taking meds.

Hopefully 🤞.

In the mean time I'm going to keep snuggling our little man! He's very recently been accepted for a modeling agency in London so I've arranged for a professional photoshoot and I'm itching to take him! Time to get together some lovely outfits I reckon.

Till the next time 👋 xx




Feel free to PM if you have any questions!

*Beaux's birth story
https://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=403925.0

** For anyone that is looking to cycle with Reprofit, Brno - a follow forum member, Dodoro, has kindly put together this website: https://ivfbrno.com/
Totally worth checking out, it's a plethora of invaluable info.

[FertilityFriends]

[Omnomnom:)]

Today was the scan and bloods with ultrasound-direct.

I had the same lady who did all my scans for Beaux which was lovely. The results showed nothing out the ordinary. Some minor signs of polycystic ovaries but there's a dominant follicle so she wasn't concerned. Everything else looked great and she can't see why we couldn't go ahead in November. I'm going to wait a week now for my blood results. Fingers crossed we have more good news.

Been keeping an eye on the news and we're going to be all good to travel to the CZ even with the quarantine period. DH has barely taken any time off this year so it doesn't affect his work and I'm still on maternity. Slightly worried about them restricting air travel though. Hopefully that won't be the case 🤞. Eager to get started.

👋 xx

[Omnomnom:)]

Opened my emails up to see my new protocol from Reprofit!

I didn't realise how simplified a FET cycle is in comparison to our live one:

Live protocol - 2019
CD2 - Puregon inj daily until CD12
CD8 - Scan to check follicles, lining etc
CD9 - Cetrotide inj daily until CD12
CD10 - Scan again
CD13 - Trigger shot (Buserelin)
CD15 - Egg collection
CD20 - Egg transfer
CD20 evening - Estrofem (x3, daily) and Utrogestan (x2 daily) until OTD. Then continued till week 12 if BFP.

FET protocol - 2020
CD2 - Estrofem x3 daily till told otherwise
CD10/12 - Scan to check lining
Utrogestan to be added x2 daily after the scan if all good
CD20/21 - ET 👍

I thought I'd be jabbed up to my eyeballs again. I'm relieved in a way. Got to say that the nerves are kicking in again though. Just waiting for my coordinator to email over my prescriptions so I can get them ordered ready for November. Can't wait to tell DH once he gets home.

Beaux is really starting to take to his new sleeping arrangements in his own room. We're both sleeping miles better for it. He used to cry when his pacifier fell out but now I watch him on his monitor and he'll just scoop it back in and he's snoring in no time. I love it. He's such a contented, little soul. Could I be so lucky to have another one?!

I was wondering (way, way, way further ahead than I should) about what the arrangements might be for those giving birth next year. I wonder if they'll have eased the ruling on birth partners and how long they can stay? In an ideal world, if I ever fell again, then I'd check that it was safe to do so and hire a birthing pool at our new house. Staying over night at the hospital was the worst bit for me. We're 5 minutes away from our hospital in an emergency situation so I'm sure we'd be OK to home birth.

Like I said, much too far ahead 😂. Can't help getting carried away!

👋 xx

[Omnomnom:)]

Meds are ordered 👏.

Took forever to receive the quote. Must be down on staff or something? Always a huge relief once they're here in front of me. Can't help but feel excited. Been taking folic acid in the mean time. Wonder if my body is like 'oh no, not again!' 😄.

My mindset is that everything IVF related is under control and makes perfect sense and everything Covid related is complicated and nerve-wracking. Ergh! There has to be something though right, otherwise my life would be too calm and easy...

So now I'm waiting on my period so we can get this October cycle out the way. Weird to think this could be my last uneventful one for a while. Lots of BFP's on this forum at the moment. Look forward to reading all the progressions. It can be so reassuring and uplifting.

Beaux is coming along in leaps and bounds. Knocking his meals back. We don't really do finger food, just maybe offer him a carrot/parsnip crisp (Ella's kitchen) once he's finished eating. He's piling on the weight and for the first time, he's no longer following the 50th percentile. We've spotted him scooting backwards along the floor and turning himself over. Its unhooking the arm that he sometimes struggles with, but he'll get there. No qualms with him whatsoever.

Less than a week now till we move! This house is bursting at the seams so its going to be a massive relief to be out of here. I'm already looking at Christmas decorations for the new place 😄 its an obsession. It keeps me busy though!

👋 xx

[Omnomnom:)]

Been a bit of a wally today.

My period is 3 days late and I (foolishly) took a test. I have no idea why. There's definitely not been any time for that recently 😄. It was of course a stark, white, blank glaring back at me. I suddenly felt like I'd been transported back to a time before Beaux and we went through all those years of trying. shudders

Why are BFN's such a mocking, slap in the face? I knew I wasn't pregnant and it was still insulting. Perhaps I'm not over all that just yet. What's worse is either the 'mild' PCOS is being a git or the stress of moving is playing with my cycle this month.

I feel mopey. Perhaps it's a good sign. I could be premenstrual, ha.

👋 xx

[Omnomnom:)]

Here we are, 10 days late for my October cycle 🤪 I could go insane! When I said I'd hoped to be quite distracted this month, I didn't mean so distracted that I'd completely miss my period. Beaux and myself have had a cold this week. I'm wondering if that hasn't helped? On top of the stress of moving as well...

I'm most certainly not pregnant, sadly. Not sure how this is all going to impact my transfer dates. I've completely missed the FET in November and its looking more like mid December I guess. Part of me is sad and impatient and the other part is like, this doesn't mean its not going ahead, so there's really no need to be sad.

Meds arrive tomorrow. The house is amazing. Beaux is getting over his cold now and he handled it brilliantly, despite the snot bubbles 😂. He had one really off-day where he didn't want to smile and refused his dinner but then he was back to his usual self. Hopefully his little immune system will be building up some resistance for this winters onslaught of germs.

Aaaaaaaand we're another week closer to Christmas. Eeeeek. That always cheers me up! There's a huge, central, 'pine looking' tree in the garden that I've already been eyeing up some lights for. My poor husband is probably going to really hurt himself decorating it but I reckon it'll be worth it 🤭.

👋 xx

[Omnomnom:)]

Nearly 2 weeks late but we have started what is hopefully the last cycle before the FET! Meds at the ready. Whether we go ahead will completely depend on how the dates will fall once I get my next period. Oh, and if they let us fly of course. I'm trying not to think about that too much though.

Now that we're beginning to really settle at the new place, Beaux is back in his own room. He's sleeping till 2 or 3am, having a quick feed and then I don't hear a peep till 9am. I feel relatively lucky. He's an absolute pleasure during the day. Very clingy but I'm learning little tricks along the way to keep him amused. I can't even imagine two of them 🤪.

I guess my next update will be in a while now. Aaaaah! Bring it on.

👋 xx

[Omnomnom:)]

Well, we've just been in contact with our lovely coordinator and she's advised us that travel to Brno won't be possible until the lockdown lifts. This wasn't necessarily a problem as I wouldn't have flown out until mid December but we can't be 100% sure that BoJo won't be tempted to extend the lockdown & the travel restrictions with it.

With my DH's work drying up somewhat and my maternity ending, we've been a little tighter with money anyway so we've decided that pushing the treatment back until January might be the best decision for us.

It would allow me to throw everything into Beaux's first Christmas and not feel my mind is elsewhere. Gives the husband some time to breathe too before we go full steam ahead. He's so disappointed at the prospect of delaying the treatment, but it's making me more sure that it's the right decision because it just means so much to both of us. Hate the thought of cancelling mid-cycle or something. Waste of meds as well. Ergh. We'll be staying in touch with the coordinator and deciding once my period arrives in 2/3 weeks time. Definitely think we should delay though and take away that additional risk and worry. 

Our little man is so unbelievably close to crawling forward! Eeeeek! Love these mega milestones, they're so exciting!

👋

[Omnomnom:)]

Think we might need to completely scrap my last post 😂   

Period arrived today so we spoke to our lovely coordinator and she filled us with confidence, gave us the green light and we've only just finished arranging flights, scans, trains, covid tests, hotels and everything else you can think of for December. We're just a tad excited!

Meds start tomorrow on CD2. Endometrial thickness scan booked for 5th Dec. Got a feeling the nerves are gonna kick in tomorrow. 

Beaux mastered crawling a few days after my last post and he's just starting to cut a few more teeth. We've had him in our bed for just under a week now. He would wake every hour or so wanting nothing but comfort (we'd exhausted all other things he might need) and we were all shattered and feeling sad. Shameful really but having him with us is so lovely. He loves it too and sleeps like a dream. I figure that this won't be forever. He just really needs us right now.

Just a good thing we don't need to be frisky to make a baby really because we've got no hope at the minute, haha.

Anyway, till the next update!

👋

[Omnomnom:)]

CD8.

The estrofem side effects are so icky. Its just snotty, EWCM continuously for days. Feels pretty uncomfortable too. Its also made my 'downstairs' super sensitive, almost like swelling. Just... not living my best life right now.

Few more days now until my scan on Saturday to check the lining. With it being a weekend, my coordinator has advised me that I need to see 7mm minimum. Anything less then that and I'll need to contact her via text on what looks like her personal work mobile or something. Love that level of contactability.. if that's a word 😄. Everything crossed that I won't need to of course.

Amazing news for Beaux in that he's been accepted into our favourite nursery. It's notoriously difficult to get into but thankfully Mum has contacts through the church who might have pulled some strings to get us a place. So in 4 months time, I will have a few days off a week to myself. I know he's going to love it too, bless him.

Nearly Christmas! Eeeeek. All the presents are bought and wrapped. Every evening is spent drinking snowballs or rosé (whilst I still can) with Christmas films or music. So chilled. Turning out to be a nice end to the year for us, considering covid and everything. We obviously don't know the result of this cycle but we're grateful that we're at least able to keep trying despite everything.

All goes well, OTD will be 28th of December. We didn't wait that long last time. I have every faith that we won't wait that long again, haha.

👋 xx