Starting IVF late Aug/Early Sep - Join Me

[Shellster52]

My period is due any day now. I then start estrogen on day 21 of my next cycle and the following cycle, the fun of IVF begins again. I have had two previous failed attempts. I am doing a new protocol this time which I feel is tailored to my poor previous response so I feel like if this one doesn't work, nothing will so it is very nerve wrecking. If you are undergoing IVF around the same time, I hope we can support each other. I think it would be very therapeutic to have a place where we can let our emotions out and have someone who understands.

[rabbitonthemoon]

Hi, I will be starting ivf hopefully this autumn if I have any eggs inside me! I'll keep you company. I am about to start an fsh thread too. It will be my first round, I'm 36 been ttc for two and a half years with a borderline fsh. Unfortunately I had a chem preg last cycle which has totally thrown my hormones into the abyss so until I get another period can't start baseline tests. I'm hoping ill be cycling the end if sept.

What new protocol do you have?

[eurozammo]

Hi,

I'm rarely on this board (I usually hang out over in conception), but I will be going for IVF#3 in August. I'm 37, been ttc since I was 34. IVF#1 resulted in an mc at 8 weeks. IVF#2 resulted in a chem preg. Let's hope it'll be lucky number 3.

Due to a previous unhappy attempt at downregging, my cycles so far have been natural and mild stims. I'll probably go back to natural for August. I'm just heading for ov now I think, so I'm looking at EC in a month and a bit.

[Eggsiseggs]

Hi all!
I am starting IVF for the first time sometime in September. Been ttc for 4 years, lots of clomid and other nonsense, so are now bringing out the big guns.

Quite nervous: don't know what to expect at all.

Would welcome some company!

[Shellster52]

Hey Rabbit. Thanks for joning me. I hope you have eggs inside you and all goes well! My FSH was fine and I thought that meant I was okay but then I got my AMH tested and it was scarily low. My friend on the other hand has a higher FSH (bad) yet still has a higher AMH than me and she is now pregnant from IVF so hopefully you are in her boat. Must have been elated to find out you were pregnant after two and a half years, only for it to end and turn out to be just a chemical.

To answer your question, my new protocol is the estrogen priming protocol. I will take estrogen tablets 4mg daily from day 20 the cycle before IVF. The last two cycles of IVF, it just started stimming in the IVF cycle and all the follicles grew at different rates. The smaller ones died off and I was left with only two follicles. Hoping that the estrogen will keep them all at the same rate so they grow together and I get a few more eggs to play with.

Euro, you sound like you are just about there. I never even got to the embryo transfer stage. So it sounds like high hopes for your for round 3.
Can I ask about your unhappy downreg experience? I took the birth control pill the cycle before my 2nd IVF and I wouldn't do it again so I am curious to hear other stories.


Eggsie, glad you would welcome some company because I definitely need company too!!!! Four years is a long time. Have you got any answers as to what the problem is? Whatever the problem, I hope IVF is the answer for you.

The cycle following my last IVF, I had a whopping cyst on my ovary. Day two the following cycle I went in for follow up to see if I could try again and the cyst was gone but my hormones were all out of whack (a result of the cyst?) so I didn't ovulate last cycle - instead the follicle kept growing and turned into another whopping cyst which I discovered at my day 2 scan today. So now I have to wait another month!!!!! So frustrating.

Sorry I am blabbing on. Just need to chat after my disappointing cyst discovery today. Please feel free to chat away in return.

[Eggsiseggs]

So frustrating about your cyst shellster - have a load GAHHHHH! from me!

I have PCOS etc, so basically it is an ovulation issue. Am at the stage where I cannot be arsed taking one more herbal remedy, one more session of acupuncture, one more temperature, etc. Get the petri dish and needle out!

I really didn't want to do IVF as in my head it is the 'last resort', so I have dragged my heels a bit about actually arriving there, iyswim? So the thought of things being out of my control (how I will react to hormones/injecting, etc) is making me quite nervous. I have no idea what to expect, so company will be nice!

Fingers crossed for you both euro and rabbit

[eurozammo]

How annoying about the cyst!

Re: downregging, I tried it for my NHS cycle. I should have had the pill from days 1-21 of the cycle before the IVF one but they skipped that as the pill made my suicidal when I tried it in my teens and my 20s. So I started Burserlin on day 21 instead. It made me feel awful - depressed and anxious. I got as far as my scan about 2 weeks in to make sure everything was shut down and they asked me to downreg for another week to fit in with the clinic's availability. I couldn't do it. We had a talk in the waiting room and decided to cancel the cycle then and there. Mr euro didn't recognise the person the drugs had made me and I was so unhappy. We took 6 months away from AC and then had our first natural cycle. It was definitely the right decision for me.

Don't let this scare any first timers. My reaction was extreme (and no surprise given my experience on the Pill). I've been around various message boards for a couple of years now and have only come across two other posters who had a similarly bad time downregging, out of a large number.

[Shellster52]

Sorry Euro, when you said downegging was an unhappy attempt, I just thought you meant that your IVF outcome was not good - not that it gave you such personal side effect. I didn't mean to pry. You still seem to be getting good results with mild and natural stims if you are making it to transfer stage so I hope for you that one more time is all that it takes. I gather by what you write that you have no frozen embryos and are having to start the whole IVF process again.

So PCOS eggsi. I have often wished that this is my diagnosis (aside from my first choice of having no infertility diagnosis and just getting pregnant!). I have seen pictures of women's ovaries and their response to IVF. PCOS ladies always get a good response because they don't usually ovulate so they have lots of eggs inside them ready to go. So hopefully it works for you.

Well last time I had a cyst, my cycle was only 16 days long. I am now into day 3 of this cyst cycle so I hope it is another short cycle so I can get on with things. Then next cycle on day 20 (assuming the cyst is gone and my day 2 bloods are okay) I will start the estrogen until my period arrives and then the following cycle it's time to bring out the needles and start IVF.

The wait is torture so I am just typing to vent my feelings to get me through.

[eurozammo]

That's no problem. I have talked about my experiences on MN before.

No, no frosties for us. On the natural cycle, I got one egg, one embryo and mc'd at 8 weeks. On the mild stimms cycle, I got 4 eggs, 2 fertilised, put both back on the clinic's recommendation as they were low quality and had a chem preg. So there were never any spares. I don't mind that as the quid pro quo for avoiding the drugs!

[rabbitonthemoon]

Adding a little update to this thread. I think they move slower over here but I am ok with that. I've had a clinic hold up due to lost notes so it may well be October before things kick off for me. When are other people due to start?

[Shellster52]

When you say 'they move slower over here', where abouts are you rabbit?

[WannabeMaryPoppins]

Hey Shellster52, well it looks like we're in the same boat. I should get my AF in the next couple of days and then I start taking the hormones. This is my second round. We started IVF in August 2011 and DS was born the following April, so it really does work. I couldn't believe that we got luck the first time and just feel really grateful for the beautiful boy that we already have. We had the other 4 embyros frozen so now we are going for it again and just praying that we will be just as lucky (bearing in mind I am now 2 years older and over 35). My head is just full of stuff at the moment. On the one hand I am really excited about possibly getting pregnant but absolutely scared stiff that it won't work this time. It's really great to know that I am not alone and that there are so many other ladies out there going through the same thing.

[RaspberrySnowCone]

Hello, I'm due to start on day 1 of my next cycle and have a day 21 scan on 19 August. Been trying around 4 yrs. sort of excited but nervous and a bit overwhelmed more than anything. Short protocol, apparently I'm high risk for OHSS due to a PCOS left ovary and my right tube is partially blocked at the base by endo. Joy! We are having ICSI as DH has 1% normal forms which we are assured shouldn't be a problem but they didn't want to risk no fertilisation at all by just IVF.

[WannabeMaryPoppins]

Hi RaspberrySnowCone, we had ICSI too. Know what you mean about excited and nervous at the same time. Keeping everything crossed for you! Just waiting for my AF to start now so that I can start taking the hormones. Fun and games hey!

[eurochick]

Like me, rabbit is a regular over on Conception. As is rasp actually.

I know the Infertility board was campaigned for, but I find it silly that people ttc are split across two boards.

[Mindfulmumatobe]

Hi Ladies, I'm starting IVF in two weeks. I just had a laparoscopy for endometriosis and ovarian cysts removed. I've been writing about my experiences //www.mindfulmumatobe.co.uk and have set up a secret Facebook group to chat to others about treatment, coping techniques etc. Some of us meet up in central London at least once a month but the Facebook group is open to everyone. Give me a shout if you would like to join at [email protected]. The plus with chatting on Facebook is you get to know each other more as you know each other's real names and obviously see a picture of their face! the group is completely secret so no one can see your posts. Will frequent this board as well xxxxx

[evilgiraffe]

Hi everyone and my buddies euro and rasp, we start our first cycle of IVF on Monday I was diagnosed with endometriosis (and also had a tube removed) at the end of May and have been on zoladex implants - basically like downregging - ever since, so am quite impatient to get on with the DIY drugs! We've been trying for a little over 3.5 years, but with the endo diagnosis and imminent IVF we're feeling like this is the best chance we've had in all that time. We're also trying not to get our hopes up too high though! :)

Good luck to all! Is anyone else starting injections soon?

[TanBr]

Evening Ladies, I hope it’s not to late to join the party. I’m on my 2nd round of IVF. My ovaries only produced 3 eggs last time. I’m Scottish so not unexpected I guess 😆. I have gone with donor eggs this time. Only 1 made it to blastocyst. I’m now 9dp 5dt (I think I have the right lingo).

[KatRee]

Hi @TanBr - I think this is an old thread, but there is an active one with a number of us doing ivf cycles at the moment here IVF August/September cycle buddies www.mumsnet.com/Talk/infertility/4259746-IVF-August-September-cycle-buddies
Good luck 🤞

[TanBr]

Thanks KatRee