WANTED- cycle buddies who are ttc#1 and planning a FET in April/May

[RoseBud2016]

I'm in need of some buddies!

A long story short is that I have been ttc#1 for 19 months now. I have severe PCOS and don't ov or cycle naturally.
Last year I was told that DH and I would only have a chance of conceiving through IVF, after numerous other fertility treatments failed.

In February this year we had our first ISCI IVF cycle at Reprofit in the Czech Republic (DH has 2 DDs so we are not eligible for treatment on the NHS) We got 12 eggs, 8 fertilised and 6 made it to blasts! We had one transferred and fell pregnant! But at 4+4 blood tests confirmed that the pregnancy wasn't viable and at 5 weeks we had a very early mc (I hate the phrase CP as I think it trivialises it)

The last few weeks have been such a struggle physically and mentally but we are keen to try again so are planning another trip to Reprofit to be reunited with one of our Frosties!

Scared and excited in equal measures and would love some buddies to share in this new and unknown part of the 'journey' with. X

[Vixxfacee]

Hi Rosebud,

I am joining you *waves

We have been ttc number 1 since miscarriage 4 years ago at 10 weeks.

I also have severe pcos and I am not ovulating regularly.
Clomid didn't work for me at all so was put forward for ivf which from start to now has taken over 2 years.

I had an egg collection in October and they got 28 eggs which 16 fertilised but only 3 made it and the rest discarded. Waiting list for the NHS transfer has been over FOUR months but we have 3 grade 5 blastocyst in the freezer.

I had to wait until my March period as there was a waiting list but finally! I started AF yesterday so I will be due to starthe injections on day 21 in preparation for 1 of my embryos to be transferred

[stealthbanana]

Hello lady

(Promise I'm not stalking you, I am on the app and didn't realise this was you!)

Glad you are on the mend.

We might end up cycle buddies as i will have a fet at some point in April. Assuming that is I manage to create some frosties - had EC today and so will know that within the week.

Hope you're feeling well xx

[Grumpelstiltskin]

Hello! tentatively marking place. Just had a MMC at 9 weeks after first round of IVF, and have a frostie waiting for when I feel back to normal and cycle has returned. Hoping this will be by May. Trying hard to look ahead in a somewhat positive sense after this last week so here I am!

[RoseBud2016]

Hello all!

Vixx Glad to see you here. Its been a long old NHS slog for you but the waiting is almost over! I'm counting down with you.

Stealth Hi lovely! Promise I'll pop my head in over on Conception at some point tomorrow. If you had asked me last week, I would have said not good at all but so far this week I'm doing ok thanks. Good luck with your day 1 report tomorrow xxx

Grumple I'm so sorry to hear your news. In a completely non-stalker way I have been following your story as you had IVF a few weeks before me and I was lurking on the IVF thread but never joined. I then lurked on the October ante natal thread when I got my BFP but again never joined.
Nothing anyone says wil make you feel better but just know that we are here and we get it. I didn't get as far as you so I can't imagine the pain of seeing a scan/heartbeat and then it being gone, but I do understand how the lost of the embryo also signifies the loss of a dream. It would be nice to be able to hand hold together! X

[Vixxfacee]

Ah frostie that must have been horrendous

[Vixxfacee]

You just slipped that post in before me.

Thank you. Looks like we are going to be on a similar timeline!

[stealthbanana]

No need to pop over anywhere rose. Just glad to see you're surviving. Sounds like it has been a tough few weeks, I've been thinking of you xxx

[RoseBud2016]

So it looks like my protocol for FET involves no down-regging. Straight onto estrofem from CD1 then add in progesterone a few days before transfer. It also means I have no injections which is nice, unless I decide to ask for progesterone injections as well as pessaries to make sure my progesterone levels stay alleviated enough.

Vixx I know on your protocol you have to down reg first before you start taking oestrogen, but do you have to add progesterone pessaries and/or injections later in the process?

How are you feeling today Grumpel? X

[Grumpelstiltskin]

Hi all, thanks for the welcome.

Rosebud sorry to hear that you've been through the same IVF ups and downs. It's so cruel to get that BFP and think all your fertility worries are finally over, then have to deal with more bad news. Whether you get to a heartbeat or not, that collection of cells is still your baby and it's terrible to lose it at any stage.
Great to hear that you have five little frosties waiting for you though, that's a properly fantastic number.

Can't believe your wait, vixx- hope this is finally your time. Your blasts sound amazing quality so fingers crossed for you.

As for me, I had an ERPC yesterday. Feel physically fine, just bleeding like a standard period and have very little pain today. I'm really glad I went down the surgical route so now it's over I can draw a mental line under it and start to look forward again.
First, we have to move house so that's at least a decent month-long distraction!

I have absolutely no idea about FET protocols either so will be interested to hear how you all get on.

[stealthbanana]

grumple So sorry you've had a loss. Fx the Erpc has at least dealt with the physical side and you can begin to heal emotionally. House move will be a welcome (though I'm sure frustrating!) distraction.

I'm not entirely clear on how FET works when you don't ovulate naturally but rose my doctor has indicated similar to you ie no down regging, just start estrogen and then add progesterone at the appropriate time. I guess I'll see at the appropriate moment!

[RoseBud2016]

Grumpel I can imagine, in a way, it's a relief that the ERPC is over and your body can now start healing. How have you felt over the weekend? Have your clinic said anything to you about next steps yet? I know it's very early days for you still but just wondering if they have a plan in mind for you?

Are you moving to a bigger house or different area? Does it need a lot of work doing once you get there? At least it's something positive and exciting (at times) to focus your energy towards in the meantime.

Stealth yes I think because our ovaries are already 'quiet' lazy there's no need for down regging which is good. Crappy ovaries have to have at least one benefit!

[Grumpelstiltskin]

Hi rose. Yes, am feeling much better now that the ERPC is over and have had hardly any pain at all. Thanks for asking. Now down to brown spotting so I'm hoping it's pretty much over. Still getting bfps (SO depressing!) but will keep my eye on that as I think it takes a decent amount of time for the hormone levels to drop.

Have just booked a hol for week after next so hoping that some sun will help with recuperation as well.

We're moving to a different part of London and house has been a long, ongoing renovation project so has only added to the general stress over the last year! Sodding thing. Once we sort out the last few bits and actually move, I hope it'll be time to talk to the clinic again. They want to wait till I've had a full AF cycle after the mc which I am definitely ok with.

Do you have a plan or dates for yours yet- or have to go to Czech Rep, right?

As well as my body recovering from the mc, I also want the next 6-8 weeks to get my thyroid up to par (have been torturing myself a bit by reading articles about how an underactive thyroid can contribute to miscarriage - had been put on a higher dose of thyroxine since BFP but it hadn't quite evened out. Just another fun thing to feel guilty about).

Sorry- what a long me me me post! Hope everyone else has had nice weekends.

[RoseBud2016]

I don't have a definite date but I'm on CD17 and once AF comes I'll start meds, and transfer will be between CD19 and CD21 of my next cycle- so long as my lining thickens nicely.
Problem is I don't usually have natural cycles so I have a doctors appointment tomoz to beg for more Provera to induce a bleed and while I'm there in planning to ask to have my Vit D levels checked and a check to see if I have thyroid antibodies on my blood (which apparently can interrupt implantation and cause early mcs) Is that the same as what you are being treated for? I also want to ask about NK cell tests too. The GP is going to hate me but I feel like I want all avenues explored before we embark on another transfer. I'll beg if I have too! its the one downside of having IVF treatment abroad- I can't just pop along for tests!
Interestingly we have booked a holiday too! We leave in 2 weeks. Cannot bloody wait! Where are you off to? X

[stealthbanana]

Yes lazy ovaries have their benefits rose. We may well be proper cycle buddies - I am guessing my af will turn up within the next couple of weeks. Will depend a bit if I've recovered, I am suffering with ohss post retrieval so hopefully that resolves itself soon!

I'm not sure a gp will do immunes but you can try. I know bananafish had her level 1s done basically at a private walk in place so you could ask her?

Glad you are both holidaying soon - anywhere nice? The blue skies today made me long for proper SUN!

grumpel am intrigued re your renovation. We are contemplating buying a full "renovator's delight" at the moment - London townhouse that requires full redoing (new floor plates, basement dug, rear extension, rewiring, new everything etc). Wondering if we have the appetite for it. How have you found it? Any advice? Are we better off just buying something done?!

[Grumpelstiltskin]

Stealth we've done similar re house - rear extension, full refurb including rewire and replumb, floors, plastering, windows, you name it! It's been a right slog as our builders are great but architects crap and there's been a lot of unnecessary and painful back and forth! I personally wouldn't do it again but can see the benefits to getting everything just so, especially now it's coming together.
Be prepared for it to take approx a year with paperwork and planning etc. If you've got the appetite or patience for that or it's the perfect house in the perfect place ( we were the latter!) then go for it. I've got many London recommendations for tradesmen now as well so pm me if you like!

Rose hope you're going somewhere sunny and relaxing. Seems like just the right medicine! We're off to the UAE for total lying around on a beach escapism. I'm planning on reading loads of books and enjoying the cocktails I'm now allowed to have. Bittersweet in a way but on the other hand hell yeah!

I have a slightly underactive thyroid that went nuts for no reason just before Christmas so have been trying to even levels out since then. Apparently it's super-important for it to be in good nick as the embryo needs your thyroid hormone for the first 10 weeks and a lack of can disrupt development and cause mc (well, according to the Internet this weekend) . Hadn't realised it was quite so important as both dr and consultant were keen I take a higher dose of meds but didn't spell out the risks. Like you, I'm obviously keen to iron out any issues before FET.

Exciting to think both of you may be gearing up to go in a couple of weeks! Hope your cycles play ball. X

[RoseBud2016]

Grumpel we are going to UAE too! How weird is that! We are spending most of our holiday in Dubai but also plan a trip to Abu Dhabi. We've been to Dubai before and absolutely loved it so we are very excited to go again. Especially after such an awful few weeks. We are there for 2 weeks. How about you? X

Stealth I hope you don't mind me saying this but I wonder if your consultant has been a bit overly zealous with your stimming. It's great you've got so many mature eggs but I wonder if it's a bit irresponsible of him, esp with how dangerous OHSS can be. It might take your body a little while to recover.

[Grumpelstiltskin]

Haha Rose it's clearly the place to go after infertility/IVF woes! Jealous you're going for two whole weeks, we're squeezing in 5 days as have family commitments over Easter. Just enough time to decompress hopefully!

[stealthbanana]

Oh you too! Am jealous of you both in the sun. Are you off over Easter?

grumpel this house is unusual in that it already has the planning permission done (seller bought for investment and now needs the cash). So we have that ready to go - it's just the actual build. Will think it over - your experience is consistent with what I suspected, hmmm. Not sure we're up for it!

rose I do want to talk to the consultant about what happened. At my last scan before trigger I "only" had 8 large follicles and a group of I think no more than 10 behind. My consultant said himself that he was aiming for c15 eggs and he didn't want more than 20 and that he didn't think I'd get more than 15! So those last follies have literally come out of nowhere and I'm not sure why. And they were mature too (well 33 of the 37 were). I thought I was hallucinating when I came around from sedation and he told me he'd got 37 eggs I do believe he's been responsible - he kept me on a v low dose of stims when we could have cranked it up & has always been adamant that I was high risk of ohss so wouldn't even contemplate doing a fresh transfer. But still I've clearly overshot the mark!

The good news is that pending a good report from the lab tomorrow (and PGS not revealing them all to be duff) I'll never have to go through this today.

[stealthbanana]

*again, not today

And sorry for the essay!

[stealthbanana]

And two not too! Gah!

[FeelingForSnow]

Hello girls,
Hope I can join your company. I am expecting to start meds in the first week or so in April. It will be our first ICSI. I am on CD13 and have long, irregular cycles (35-45). Nurse appointment on 1st of April (CD 30) and hopefully AF in a few days and then starting meds on CD3. I will be on antagonist protocol.

[RoseBud2016]

Grumpel Is it your first visit there? If so I almost guarantee you will want to go back! We loved it and cried when we left last time I just found it to be such a relaxing and genuinely fun place. You'll love it! Make sure you get an entertainer voucher for buy 1 get 1 free and go to Wild Wadi. Also book yourself onto a desert safari- the speed they drive over the sand dunes is insane! I figure now I am decidedly unpregnant I'm going to make the most of it and get thrown around a bit (a lot!) x

Stealth I think you're right to ask the questions, if only to help the consultant to learn from the experience for a future patient. What was your final embryo count to be frozen in the end? How are you feeling today?

Feeling Hello! I did my first ISCI cycle in Jan/Feb and so did Grumpel , and Vixx and Stealth have both been through the process once too so you are in good company and we are here if you have any questions or have a wobble about meds etc Which meds will you be on? X

[stealthbanana]

rose my final blast count was 20 frosties. Plus there were a couple of blasts that didn't make the freezer. So actually our conversion rate was v good - 37 eggs/ 33 mature / 31 fertilised / 29 day 3s. This makes me think I probably wasn't overstimulated anymore than was avoidable given I obviously got good quality eggs. I was thinking about also the fact that you have to bear in mind that my cycle started off as an IUI cycle and my consultant converted it precisely because he was worried too many follies were growing and I was at risk of ohss (+ octuplets ). So for many of the choices you might make like protocol selection I didn't have any options. Perhaps I was just someone who was always going to hyper stimulate and it could have been worse? (God forbid!) But I will be v interested to hear his thoughts.

Anyway, embies on ice and 2-3 weeks for the screening results to come back.

feeling welcome! As Rose says you're in good hands here.

[Vixxfacee]

Didn't know the thread had moved on.
Above I said frostie instead of grumpel sorry ! Ivf on the brain clearly. .

I have to have at least 3 weeks of injections and after a scan they will put Me on the tablets to thicken womb lining. Strange how we are all having different treatment.

Hi feeling *waves

[Grumpelstiltskin]

Stealth I am about your number of blasts!!! Also in nicest possible way. I have a solo teeny 4bb in the freezer so feeling a bit negative about the poor thing's chances to be honest.

Rose we're so excited about going away! Thanks for your recommendations, it's the first visit for us so v useful. Totally agree, will also be doing all the not-suitable-for-preggos activities with gusto. Fuck it.

Hello snow! Welcome to the IVF fun palace. Hope it all goes well for you.

Haha Vixx I totally hadn't realised I'd been renamed! To be fair I'm autocorrecting all over the place to infertility terminology these days.

Hope everyone's having a good week.