About to start 1st cycle of IVF/ICSi - any advice?

[Keepthechangeyoufilthyanimal]

We are just on the verge of starting our first cycle of IVF/ICSI and I am feeling very nervous/excited/clueless about things!

So far, DH and I have been referred to a private clinic via the NHS, have had the relevant blood tests, I've a pre-treatment scan and DH has had a Surgical sperm removal and had some sperm frozen.
I have had my drugs delivered and am on day 3 of Northisterone tablets.
I am going for an injection teaching lesson next week and then I start injecting Menopur the following week I believe.
By my (very rough) calculations I am expecting egg collection and embryo transfer in the second or third week of October and testing date around the beginning of November which sounds really soon!

Just wondering if anyone has any advice about things I may not have thought of or be prepared for. (Our clinic have not been very informative)

Obviously I am prepared for it being the most difficult thing DH and I may ever have to go through and am trying to prepare for it emotionally as best I can without knowing the outcome.

But any lifestyle type things I may need to consider, diet/exercise, coping with work alongside any treatment etc.

Don't really know what I'm asking for really, I just don't feel prepared practically..(emotionally I think I am doing ok so far!)

TIA

KTC

[Ebright123]

Hi Tia,
I have just finished my first cycle and am waiting to do a test on Monday! Ivf is so different for everyone but my advice would be to, and I know it's hard, relax and carry on a normal life whilst doing it. It will be mentally hard and your emotions will be all over the place so make sure your partner is prepared! :-) ivf is never a certain thing but it's a great chance to take. If you want any questions I will be happy to try and answer. Emma x

[apb1983]

Hi Tia,

We are also just about to start our first cycle of ICSI. I have PCOS and DH has Low sperm and morphology so we were suggested to have ICSI.
I pick up my injections on 1st Oct 2013 and will hopefully start them on 11th October 2013.

I am just that one step behind you and would love to hear how you are coping and any advice.

I wish you good luck.

APB x

[woowa]

I've done it twice. If you can, try and book some time off work immediately after egg removal - it is REALLY tiring and can be quite painful. You can prob just take sick leave? I wasn't working so I don't know how sick leave works.

The other thing to think about in advance is what you and DH think about embryos. Are they "life" and therefore to be preserved at all costs? Or are they not alive yet and more disposable? I think we made about 8-10 embryos both times. First time only 2 survived and were transferred leading to one baby. Second time we had 4 reasonable quality embryos after 2 transferred, which we elected to freeze, even though the embryologist said it was a waste of money. 2 of these are now back inside me, and will hopefully make a baby (preg test in 10 days time...). So, to sum up, decide what YOU think about embryos, philosophically, in advance, and then stand your ground with the docs and scientists!

We also need to be prepared for failure. I say this as someone with 2 children from IVF/ICSI and with the possibility of more inside me now. I am NOT prepared for failure this time, I will be devastated.

On another note, my DH's sperm is AWFUL, but we have 2 children (and possibly more). I REALLY hope it works for you too x

[Chocolatemolehill]

Find a way to communicate with your partner in a mutually supportive way. You and him will go through it in completely different ways, feeling different things. It's really helpful to be able to talk about it in an open way, accepting your differences and not blaming each other for them.
Good luck!

[Dragini]

oooh I'm so glad I've found this thread. I'm also just about to start IVF with ICSI - with me it's unexplained fertility but because I'm getting on (41) and have been trying for years, the Dr thinks this will give me the bst chance of success. It's great to read success stories and this thread seems VERY positive :-) Thanks for sharing and good luck to everyone going through this!

[anroga]

Hi girls, we were told in August that we would need IVF (got unexplained infertility) we have got to pay for it as my fiance has two kids from a previous relationship, just starting to think about booking our first consultation (she put me on two cycles of clomid while we throught about IVF and I just finished my 2nd cycle and don't hold out much hope) and I wondered if you could tell me how long the treatment takes from beginning to end and when you find out if it has worked? xxx

[woowa]

about 6 weeks-2 months. Different clinics will do things differently, but in mine I was regulated by taking the pill for a few weeks, then I was started on Buserelin injections which tell your pituitary glad to stop producing hormones - this puts you into menopause so that the docs can then completely control your hormones as your body won't be producing an reproductive hormones of its own. I think this probably goes for a 2-3 weeks (as far as I can remember), then they will give other drugs to make your womb lining thicken and eggs start to mature in your ovaries. You'll have ultrasound scans to check the thickeness of the womb lining and blood tests to check your blood hormone levels (this is probably another couple of weeks), once your uterus and eggs are perfect then you'll have an injection to make you ovulate and the eggs will be collected 36 hours later. They'll fertilise them and then transfer back 1 or 2 embryos (assuming you have some) on day 2, or I think some clinics will leave till day 5 (if you have enough good quality embryos) and return them to your uterus. You take a pregnancy test 2 weeks later. It is quite a long process of the docs shutting your body down and restarting it. I'm on the 2 week wait and going mad... Hope it goes well for you.

[anroga]

Thanks so much for your message Woowa that has answered my question and will help me plan when to start treatment. Its alot to go through and takes longer than I thought but I think if this 2nd round of clomid doesn't work we have to go forward with the IVF as otherwise you will always be thinking what if....

I really hope all goes well with you, keep me posted xxxx

[Bunnygirlie]

Hi all!

Mind if i join you? I am a few steps behind you lovely ladies.

I have my laparoscopy and hysteroscopy next week and DH is due to have his sperm frozen soon. Then it is ICSI for us too! I have PCO and possible endo and DH has low sperm count.

Very nervous about op next week and whatever follows! x

Fingers crossed for all those on the 2ww!!!

[Mindfulmumatobe]

I have just started stimulation, here's my latest blog on coping with IVF:

mindfulmumatobe.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/sniffing-and-injecting-coping-with-ivf.html

[Smilingsuzy]

Hi. Can I join in please? We are going to have ICSI in March. My husband has had testicular cancer and fortunately has frozen sperm. I am 39 in Jan so we need to start soon (we met later in life). I am anxious because unlike alot of ladies I want to be a mum but it doesn't fill my every thought. I am worried that it will once we start.
Also a bit concerned because Hubbie had ICSI with a previous partner 10 years ago which resulted in preclamsia and still birth so his anxiety is through the roof.
Reading this makes us sound unsure - we are not, we want a family and are excited but also a bit terrified. I am bamboozeled by all the clinics and thought we had found a good one but I had bloods done then despite chasing the results never got them which has made me concerned about how they will handle our treatment. Im near birmingham - any advise?

Thanks

[Bunnygirlie]

Hey Suzy, can't advise about clinics as not that far yet but welcome to the gang

[Smilingsuzy]

Thanks bunny

[Dragini]

How's everyone getting on with this journey?

I'm now on day 5 of northisterone, so half way through! I've also started eating fish after being a complete vegetarian for 25 years, because my acupuncturist thought I had a slow blood flow which could have been causing fertility problems all along. I figured I was always going to eat fish if I was lucky enough to get pg and so I might as well prepare my body now.

[eurochick]

Good luck ladies. I'm taking a break after 3 cycles of natural IVF while we consider changing clinics.

I found the "egg buddies" thread in conception a source of great support during my cycles. That board tends to get a bit more traffic and threads move a bit faster!

[Keepthechangeyoufilthyanimal]

Sorry for disappearing off this thread after asking my initial questions - thank you all so much for the great advice everyone, I have definitely taken this on board.
Just a little update from my side - I am now on cycle day 9 - I am injecting Menopur and Cetrotide each night, went for a scan yesterday to check progress on my follicles and all looked great, back for another scan tomorrow.
It is all very exciting as it feels quite real now, after such a lot of being messed about to get to this point.
DH is also getting quite excited about it now - we are trying so hard to stay positive after initially feeling really let down by our clinic and negative about the whole process.

Hope everyone is feeling well!

[Bunnygirlie]

Hi, I have my lap tomorrow!!! So nervous!

[bikesaregreat]

Hi Ladies ,

I was having a lurk on this thread - mind if I join? I'm currently day 6 of buserelin injections (down-reg) and feeling a bit bummed out about everything. I have a baseline scan in 2 weeks, then start FSH drugs (I hear these are the proper crazy-making ones!!) and all the other bits (eggs out, fertilised, back in, hopefully) at the start of November. Just seems to have taken forever to get to this point...! Just nice to read posts from others going through the same thing. Thanks all!