IVF Cycle Buddies August/September?

[meadowlark3]

Anyone starting a cycle this month? I know there's a July/August thread, but seems that they've mostly all started on their cycles. I'm due to start DR tomorrow and if all goes well will have EC at the beginning of September.

Have not shared our IVF journey with too many people in IRL so would love to have a bit of company here. This will be our first go at IVF, so quite nervous at the mo!

xx

[Auchan]

I'm starting my FET cycle in a few days.

Didn't have a fresh transfer as we opted for PGS testing. We've got 1 embryo to transfer.

[BeHereNow31]

Hi!
I started on the July/ August thread, but you're right, most are further in the process than me really.

I am starting my first FET, after a failed fresh cycle. I am starting it all on Monday.

It's so nerve wracking the first time. I was crazy stressed. So just look after yourselves.

This time round I feel more relaxed and just taking each step as it comes. No crazy diets (avacado every day 😷) just acting as normal and staying happy!

Xx

[Decafplease]

Hi, i'm hoping to start downregulation from next week for an FET. Previous a failed FET and a failed fresh transfer. Fingers crossed we are 3rd time lucky!

[user1500330305]

I'm the same.
Failed fresh and failed fet -
Hoping to do further fet this month.
Fingers crossed for us all!

[meadowlark3]

Glad to hear from you all

Auchan I'm fairly new to this, apologies for silly questions, but do you DR for a FET? Is this your first go at IVF?

Beherenow Thanks for the advice and insight of experience. Trying to be more relaxed but so tough when so nervous and everything so new! Have you got any preparations before the FET on Mon?

Decaf fingers crossed, let us know how you get on Monday. I thought the third time was often the luckiest as the statistics improve each go. How many frosties do you have?

User fingers crossed for your third time luckty, too. When will you start your process?

AFM, nothing shattering for first day of DR, feeling a bit tired and a bit of a headache but nothing too extreme so far.

Have any of you had a scratch or planning ICSI?

[BeHereNow31]

No preperations for Monday, really.... I asked the hospital about me getting a scratch, and they felt that it wasn't beneficial. I feel ok with that just now. It would have probably added stress to the process. I will be getting an injection that work like DR. I don't drink caffeine and am going to stop with the alcohol for now.

Have you changed your lifestyle at all? Just asking out of curiosity!

We had icsi. And just have one frozen embryo to use 🤞

Btw, in my experience everything was easy, physically. Even the egg collection. I just slept. It's the mental stress that is difficult. 😔 So try relax when you can. Not sure if that helps, buts it my only advice!

[Auchan]

My doctor didn't think down regulation would be suitable.

It's my first IVF after multiple miscarriages and 2 ectopics. Lost both tubes so IVF was the only option remaining. I didn't get a great response. 3 mature eggs, 3 fertilised but only 1 made it to day 5 for PGS testing. Came back normal so we're ready for transfer.

[DippyDeeeee]

Joining!!

2nd round of IVF coming up

[Coco24]

Hello, please can i join too?!

Due to start drugs for FET this month.
Will be my first FET following 2 fresh cycles of icsi, one failed, one ended in mmc.
Hoping its 3rd time lucky.
Xxx

[Decafplease]

Thanks Meadow.
My 1st cycle was NHS, they were scared i would overstimulate, so ended up under stimulating me instead. 7 eggs leading to 2 embryos. Also but me on a FET only plan, so no fresh transfer, and no success. No more goes on NHS as i'm 40. Private cycle, very aggressive drug strategy, 11 embryos, 2 used for fresh transfer in june, with scrach, but didnt work. I'm very lucky to have 9 frosties left, but my counsultant keeps on that at my age most of them are probably genetically abnormal. I didnt do PGS. Who knows, its a toss of a coin! I'm trying to keep positive.
This time i will do the scratch & immune modulation. Fingers crossed for all of us! X

[Decafplease]

I see there are a few of us on a third go! Coco, user1500, i hope this is the one that works.
Behere, definitely the physical aspect is cakewalk compared to the emptional stress. My advice would be try not to overthink things, and carry on as close to normal as possible. There is very little you can control about the process, it's basically the drugs and your body, so just go with the flow. My consultant adviced moderately increasing my protien uptake (2 glasses whole organic milk). No alcohol obviously. Was much more militant about my diet on 1st NHS cycle, got worse response.

[gamberra]

Hi can I join you all?!
This is our fourth attempt this year after 1 failed IUI, 1 failed fresh IVF cycle and 1 failed FET. So really hope some luck is heading our way now!
I'm 38 and have low AHM, last time we only got two embryos to transfer (one fresh, one frozen).
For our first cycle I tried to cut back on work (self-employed), cut out caffeine/alcohol and even gave acupuncture a go... To no avail.
This time I've joined a gym and am back at work full-time. Working actually seems to be a useful distraction to try and stop over-thinking things - the worst part for me!
Best of luck to everyone :) XX

[Icedgem124]

Hello everyone - I've been waiting for one of these groups to start! I'm close to starting a short protocol aiming for EC early September.

It's our first IVF cycle on NHS - combination of male factor & PCOS! I'm mixed nerves and excited! Then worrying about all the things i should be doing to prepare! A bit concerned I won't have good quality eggs but will only know after EC I guess!

Good luck to everyone! X

[Auchan]

Has anyone started stimming yet?

I'm probably 2 days or so away from AF starting. It's FET so I'm starting with 6mg of estrofem and 1 aspirin for 10 days then first ultrasound. So nervous!!

[TickTock10]

Hi All,

Mind if I join? I just started my first cycle of IVF, so day 2 for us.

My husband and I have been TTC for 30 months now, we did several months of clomid without success. Our situation is unexplained, eggs/sperm are fine, and we have not had any MC. Skipped IUI. We have decided not to do fresh transfers, so we will wait a few months after the egg retrieval and do a FET. I'm not familiar with some of the acronyms used on here, so please do bear with me.

I welcome any tips, recommendations for a first timer =)

Goodluck to all!

[BeHereNow31]

I'm doing FET and a tiny bit confused at what the drugs I will take do, and when I exactly take them.... one injection and oestrogen tablets for two weeks or so...?
I just heard about 2 people falling pregnant. Thought I felt relaxed about it all, but that does make me feel a little down 😓

Hope everyone is taking care of themselves! X

[meadowlark3]

BeHereNow fingers crossed this frosty is a lucky one for you. I imagine the drugs will help prepare your womb lining to catch the blast? Just got an SMS with a friend's newborn baby and a pregnancy in my office, so talk all day is about scans and names and clothes. It does not help the stress! Any plans for staying relaxed this cycle?

Auchan congrats on the normal 5 day blast! If you don't mind my asking, how did you settle on PGS? I had a miscarriage and ectopic too. Still have one tube but DH has low sperm count so consultants said IVF was our best chance.

Dippy, welcome! Will this be a fresh or frozen cycle for you?

Coco, welcome and sorry for your losses. I've heard that frozen cycles are slightly more successful as your body's not overstimulated from the fresh induction cycle. Fingers crossed third time lucky! Any idea when you will start your drugs?

Decaf Thanks for the diet tip, I do enjoy a glass of milk now and again. Have you been told to avoid all alcohol, or just moderate a bit? Are you drinking tea and coffee?

Gam Welcome and glad you've found some good distraction this cycle. Keeping the worries at bay is not easy! Will you be doing fresh or frozen this round? Does your AMH have any effect on the IVF?

Gem Welcome! Good luck with your first cycle. I'm first go and NHS, too. Was quite nervous before starting my downreg meds this week but now feeling almost calm about it. Will you be doing long or short protocol?

TickTock Welcome! There are loads of acronyms, I'm still getting them sorted too :) I'm on my first go as well, so no advice to offer, but it sounds like everyone else recommends trying to stay as relaxed as possible. When will you start, and are you long or short protocol? Are you happy with your clinic?

AFM, I'm on day three of buserelin, no side effects noticed so far but I'm sniffing it, so not sure if it's going in correctly. I'm also trying to relax! Found I got a bit mad about supplements and timing with TTC so I'm trying to just eating well and get enough rest and time with friends and family. Is anyone doing any supplements, acupuncture, etc? I have a somewhat woo friend who offered to send me a crystal for DH to wear around his neck. She swore it worked for her infertile cousin!!

Hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend

Mxx

[BeHereNow31]

meadow thanks for that. Gives me a rough idea. So... plans to stay relaxed are; not think about the end result just yet, eat what I want (I'm quite healthy anyway, and won't be drinking alcohol or caffeine), spend time with family and friends- going for spa day, lunch etc.
Would love to go on holiday, but don't feel like right now is the best time. We are going away for a weekend in the U.K.

Do you have any tips?

How are you finding DR? I had a lot of headaches and hot flushes. But found it ok. Was just happy that it was all working x

[Auchan]

Meadowlark the clinic recommended it because of multiple miscarriages. They wanted to rule out genetic incompatibility and my "advanced maternal age" I'm 37 ffs! They called me geriatric. Czech doctors are direct

[Decafplease]

Auchan, I'm 40! It's got to the point i start prefacing all my questions to the consultant, embryologist, nurse etc with ' i know, at my advanced age, the stats are bad' just to get it out of the way! Got to laugh or i'd cry! 😂
Meadow, the doc said avoid alcohol during stims but only limit caffeine. Couple of cups of tea a day was ok according to him. So i stuck to just my morning cuppa. Post transfer as well, no alcohol, but i did have my morning cup of tea.

[Auchan]

There was no dietary advice except keep sugar and carbs really low as I used to have PCOS. I've been on a ketogenic diet for 16 months now so PCOS is no more and not a chance of me going back!

[gamberra]

Meadow, thanks for your message, yes am a natural-born worrier!
We're doing a fresh cycle this time, DR at mo and AF should arrive in next couple of days. We live in Spain so am at a Spanish clinic, I wonder how different things are here?!
Low AMH - basically we only got a few eggs last time, four in total but only two made it to blastos so we did one fresh cycle and one FET but neither stuck.
Trying a long protocol and higher drug dosage this time to see if there's a better response!

Is your DH up for wearing the crystal?! I can just picture DP's face if I tried that on him...

Auchan - can't believe you got called geriatric! The Spanish doctors have generally been pretty tactful but they did deliver the low ovarian reserve bombshell by saying 'you have the fertility of a 41 year-old'... It happened to be my 37th birthday! Felt like I'd aged four years in day!

[Icedgem124]

I'm on a short protocol because of my PCOS - still scared of OHSS! My AMH is 88!

Auchan I do try to stick to a low carb diet but I love sweet stuff! It's a nightmare! Well done to you for sticking to your diet!

[TickTock10]

Meadow: I'm not sure what short/long protocol is. I'm currently on day 5 of injections, I'm back in tomorrow for a scan for the doctor to monitor my dosage and to decide whether to decrease/increase it. Between day 5-9 I believe I will then have 2 injections a day, once in the morning once at night. Then I'm back in on day 10 for a scan, with a view to collect my follicles on day 11-13. Current scans looks like I will likely have 10 eggs so I guess we will then have to see how many will make it to embryos.

We are currently doing it private, the clinic has been fine so far, I have been seeing the doctor for the last 1.5 years, he isn't pushy, which has its positives and negatives.

I'm feeling fairly relaxed, thankfully, this process hasn't really impacted me, the only time I've been upset is when I first discovered what IVF involved, and the injections did make it seem daunting, but actually isn't so bad.

I tried to stop my daily coffee, had a bad headache yesterday which I put down to withdrawal symptoms but aside from that haven't done anything else. Just recently downloaded a book recommended under another post and kind of regretted it, as it has me obsessed over a few things which is prob a bit late for me.

How's things going your side? Hope you are hanging in there. Yes the woo thing, is it a white stone? It's called a moon stone, apparently it is supposed to help with fertility.

[Coco24]

Hello everyone, this board is getting busy, i went away for a few days and have lost track already!!!

Welcome to everyone! Fingers crossed this board will bring us all some luck!

Hope everyone alreading on their drugs is managing ok.

AF is due to arrive this weekend and i will start injections and tablets on day 2, feeling pretty nervous about it now!

Xx