IVF or ICSI in May .. anyone else?

[Hyland]

Hi I will be on short protocol this time, so will start on day 2 of period. Which should be around 4th May.

We have had a failed fresh cycle
and a failed frozen.

So this will be our 3rd attempt but I suppose only our second cycle as such! Depending on whether you count the frozen as part of the original fresh cycle.

I am 37 next month and Partner is 30.

[JustTrixie]

Yes, me! Was thinking about starting a thread to find some cycle buddies. I have also had a failed fresh and frozen cycle, hopefully it is third time lucky for us both. I turn 35 in a couple of weeks. Currently on birth control pills and have a scan on the 25 April. If all looks good then I should start stimms at the end of the month - eek! It's been over 6 months since our FET so part of me is excited to get going again but part of me is absolutely terrified.

[Hyland]

Hey Trixie,

I will be having a scratch on monday 25th so a little anxiety about that.

We go to 92 Harley street in London/ Boston Place for our treatment so an hour and a bit drive each time. (privately no choice as i have a 13 year old)

Been trying now for 4 years and 5 months.

[Hyland]

.

[Vixxfacee]

Hi,

I am currently in the midst of a fet and fingers crossed will have an embies transferred in May. There is a thread for those of us going through a fet in April /May. There is only a few of us there but more the merrier!

[bananafish81]

Hello ladies from other threads!!

I think you all know me, hopefully will be doing another fresh cycle (no 3) in may, as soon as my hCG levels are back to zero after a miscarriage 5 weeks ago

We have 4 frosties from our last cycle but are trying again with a fresh so we can have a crack at genetic testing

The miscarriage wasn't due to chromosomal abnormalities so we don't really know exactly what caused it. So when we do eventually put something back (PGS results take 2-3 weeks, so the embryos have to go on ice, and do a FET transfer the next month) we're throwing the kitchen sink at it with immunes, thyroid, antibiotics, scratch, the lot

Hoping to join you in may - start date tbc, hopefully having a hysteroscopy in the next 2 weeks to un pregnant me!

Xx

[Vixxfacee]

Hi banana!

You are really going through it aren't you. How are you doing emotionally?

[bananafish81]

Hi vixx, how's it going?

Hope the down regging hadn't been too hard going - have you started on the oestrogen to make your lining nice and juicy for one of your beautiful blasts? So excited for you as it has been such a long time in coming and you so, so deserve this!

Emotionally I'm just fed up of miscarriage limbo. It's 5 weeks post ERPC and I'm still not un pregnant yet. In theory we'll schedule the hysteroscopy if my hCG isn't zero by next Weds. However based on the glacial pace it's been dropping, I asked the consultant's secretary if tomorrow's beta is another sloooow drop - and essentially not a chance it'll magically drop to zero in a week - can we just schedule the bloody hysteroscopy.

I just want to be un-pregnant-ed so we can bloody get on. I've been pregnant with no baby almost as long as I was pregnant with an actual baby FFS!!

[Vixxfacee]

Has the dr said that your levels going down so slowly unusual? It is so unfair and every step there seems to be something!

Everything is just waiting and waiting and waiting.
Are you having time off work?

I'm still down regging! I have done 3 weeks already. Have a scan tomorrow to find out if I can go on to the womb thickening tablets. My embies are 6 months old already!

[bananafish81]

Ah vixx good luck for the scan tomorrow, I'm sure everything will be looking great - given that you don't ovulate naturally I don't really understand why they needed to down reg you in the first place, but the good thing is you should be good to go tomorrow, hurrah!!

Keep us posted lovely

Yes we think it's going down slowly because of a 'good' reason. I've had persistent problems with thin lining, and one of the potential side effects of an ERPC can be adhesions (ashermans syndrome) - which is basically very very difficult to treat. The Dr said he was really careful not to scrape, so as not to damage my lining - which was a v good thing. However it's possible that in doing so a tiny fragment of tissue may have been left behind, so small that it's not showing up on the scan

So if he goes in with a camera, he can gently remove anything left behind, have a good old look around, and will give me an endometrial scratch while he's there.

So whilst it's massively frustrating that it's taking so long, adhesions would be far worse, so the softly softly approach was definitely the right way to go xx

[JustTrixie]

Really hoping you'll be good to go again in May Banana.

Hi Vixx, I didn't realise you could down reg for a FET, good luck with your scan tomorrow. Sounds like you've had a long wait to get to this point.

Hope the scratch is ok Hyland. We are really lucky this time as we are having treatment on the NHS and I work very close to the hospital so very convenient for appointments.

[bananafish81]

Hysteroscopy is provisionally booked for next Weds (27th)

Consultant agreed it was silly to keep coming in for betas

I'm to come in next Tues (26th) first thing for bloods, assuming it hasn't magically fallen to zero, I go in for the hysto the following day, and as soon as my hormone levels are normal (please, please), I can start stims

If by some miracle the hCG is zero (unlikely!) then we cancel the procedure and we can crack on with the cycle ASAP

So hopefully one way or the other I will be un-pregnant-ed before too long!

[bananafish81]

Hi ladies, hope you're all doing well - must be transfer time for you soon Vixx? Xx

[Simmy123]

Hi All,
I will be having my 3rd attempt at embryo transfer tomorrow (2nd fet). had my last acupuncture today but tummy not settled, U think I over indulged too much on strange food over the B/H weekend. Also feeling a bit nervous. Now off to bed after saying a special prayer.

[Simmy123]

Hi All,
I will be having my 3rd attempt at IVF in less than 24 hrs (2nd fet). Had my last acupuncture today. currently a bit nervous and my tummy is unsettling - the strange food I ate over the weekend haven't helped. Now off to bed after a special prayer

[JustTrixie]

Hi everyone. I am due to start injections this evening and then monitoring scan next Wednesday. Have done plenty of injections but this is a new one so slightly apprehensive. Will be looking at EC around the 16th and hopefully transfer around the 21st. It's going to be hard not to compare to last time but going to just go with it and hope for the best!

Best of luck today Simmy

[Fruitbatyogi]

Hello everyone,

I'm just about to start my first IVF cycle - short protocol so waiting for my period - should be this weekend.

Apprehensive, bit worried drugs will make me super emotional.

[JustTrixie]

Hi Fruitbat, I didn't find that the drugs made me emotional last time and so far so good this time. Obviously they can effect everyone differently but I've only been emotional in the lead up to testing (trying not to think that far ahead though!)

[Simmy123]

Thank you Trixie, my fet transfer went OK on Wednesday. Currently at home trying to relax, will be returning to work on 16/5. Currently experiencing some cramps but trying to keep myself hydrated and practice breathing exercise. My pregnancy test is due on 15/5. Not sure whether to count today as day 2 or 3 but counting down to 15th then from there it will be a different hurdle😊

Good luck with your injection this time round.

Hi Fruitbat, I didn't find that the drugs made me emotional, what I disliked about my fresh cycle was the injections - not only was I scared of needles, I could't find enough meat on me to inject the needle in😊
You will be fine.

[beanhunter]

Hi. Room for another? Currently in first cycle. Day 10 stims today and prob ec Tuesday. Feeling a bit fed up of the jabs at the mo and resentful the whole world is pregnant!

[DaftOne]

Hello, can I join you? I'm on day 10 sniffing Synarel (have down reg scan booked on 17 May). This is my first cycle, I'm 32, we've been trying 2 and a half years and have unexplained infertility. So far so good I guess... Trying to maintain perfect balance of positive thinking/not getting hopes up! Good luck everyone.

[DaftOne]

Banana, so sorry for your recent miscarriage.

[Disneysince1988]

Hello all,

I have just signed up and not too sure where to post.

I'm looking to try IVF but I have no clue about it.

I had a miscarriage randomly in December 2014 after 10 years of being told I can't have children due to ovulation.

We can afford approximately 6k for a cycle(I know it might not work on 1 but we will cross that if we fail 1st time).

Does anyone know roughly how long the process is from your 1st appointment/consolidation until the embryos are actually in (waiting until you find out if it worked).

I'm not even sure how I will see the replays but, any help or advise will be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks
A X

[Simmy123]

Hi Beanhunter,
Be strong and stay positive. Hope you are working on your diet to help with the quality of the eggs you produce.

Hi Daftone, good luck with your cycle. It is important to try to stay positive and stress free. Have you been taking any herbs or having acupuncture?

Hi Disney, I am currently on my 3rd attempt at IVF. Today is day 7 since my frozen embryos transfer.

The process from your 1st appointment to the date of embryo transfer can be between 2 and 4 menstrual cycles depending on the procedure you are undertaking
In addition to this time I would advice you to spend at least 3 months preparing your body before you start the egg collection stage - starting with health detox (cleaning all your organs) , fertility herbs, relaxing yoga, light exercise. Vitamins and minerals and healthy eating and possible at least 3 courses of acupuncture to relax the womb and stimulate blood flow (2 weeks, 1 week and the day b4 egg collection).
Look at this as an investment, £6k is a lot of money to part with so b4 you invest it you should have done all you can to ensure that you will get a good return on your investment. Make "Google" search engine your best friend it will guide you on how to prepare. The key words I type into Google is "HERBAL REMEDY for --- "

Books you may find helpful:

• Woman Code by Alisa Vitti
  
• 3 Steps to Fertility by Marina Nicholas
  

These are advice I would have foud helpful 2.5 years ago when I did my 1st IVF but I didn't receive them.
Are you in to the UK? Do you have access to free help care?

[Disneysince1988]

Hi Simmy123,

Thank you for taking the time to get back to me.

I am in the UK and have been going to my doctors regularly for 8 years or more about this. They are rubish so we have decided to go private.

All of that information has been really helpful thank you so much!

I have never heard of fertility herbs so I will look at them now.

Thanks you
A X

[bananafish81]

Hi ladies, and special welcome to simmy, fruit, bean, daft and disney

Obv wish none of us had cause to be in the situation of doing IVF at all, but lovely to have the support of others going through the same experience together

simmy I had cramps for a couple of days post ET, v common apparently. Thinking of you and everything crossable crossed - hope the 2ww flies by

disney in addition to the fantastically helpful post from simmy about the IVF process, I would def recommend the Zita West guide to assisted conception book, which is a fantastic guide to all things IVF

Not sure about timings as will vary hugely by area - the length of the cycle itself will vary according to which protocol you’re on (i.e. what combo of drugs - sort of what recipe!), long protocol is more like 6 weeks, short protocol about 4

The Zita West book has all this sort of info, so well worth checking out - has loads of helpful advice about all the terrific stuff simmy has said above, to help you get yourself match fit

fruit I didn’t find any of the short protocol drugs made me emotional, unlike when I was down-regging for an attempt at long protocol. It’s the 2ww that was the really emotional bit for me!

AFM, I had the hysteroscopy went well, bloods last week showed although my hCG is still very much not yet zero (even 7 weeks post miscarriage and after 2 operations), my system has apparently got bored with waiting and decided to kick back into gear. Hilariously, I was simultaneously both a little bit pregnant AND about to ovulate!!

Going back on Weds for more bloods & scans - depending on how things look, will hopefully start stimming in the next couple of weeks!