Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

Anyone else about to start IVF?

997 replies

gardenpixie · 04/03/2011 11:47

DH and I have our first IVF consultation in a couple of weeks and I just wondered if there was anyone out there who was in the same position?

We've had loads of tests done already so the Dr says we may well be able to start the treatment cycle sometime next month or early May.

We've been TTC #1 for 3yrs now and I am on cycle 5 of clomid so will continue with that until I start the IVF drugs. There are no obvious medical reasons why we haven't conceived naturally, just a case of unexplained infertility, I guess.

I know the odds of getting pg still aren't great but I am really excited about the fact that IVF even exists (isn't amazing what they can do?) and, although I am a bit apprehensive of everything it will involve, I am thrilled to be given the chance to see if it might work for us.

I would love to hear from anyone with any advice or who is in the same boat,

thanks for reading Grin

OP posts:
womanlytales · 23/03/2011 16:41

Yup, today was the day. Am home now and quite sore. Trying to stay aeay from the paracetamol until night time. Now its the 2ww till Apr 8. How are u doing garden?

Original poster
gardenpixie · 23/03/2011 09:08

Womanly is today the day? I think I read on another thread that it was ... anyway, good luck if it is! Keeping fingers crossed for you xxx

OP posts:
Original poster
gardenpixie · 22/03/2011 11:11

You are so right - the amount of time I have spent waiting for everything... ovulation, AF, Drs appts, scans, drugs, results etc etc. It's enough to drive a girl crazy!

You make a really good point though about seeing ourselves as more than just a wife, employee and mother-in-waiting. It can really take over can't it? I worked out the other day that during the 3 yrs DH and I have been TTC, I have spent at least 1 yr in the 2WW (poss a bit more as my cycles sorted themselves out after the first year). EEK!

I keep reminding myself that I also need to be a fully rounded person rather than just freaking out about conception otherwise, when I finally do have a little person to look after, I'll be some obsessed, neurotic nutter!

I think that in my post IVF 2WW, I'm going to indulge myself by watching all the rubbish TV shows I love (ER, True Blood, West Wing) as much as I want and claim that it is intellectual stimulation to hone my articulacy and appreciation of great screen writing (except for True Blood, of course, that's just because I fancy Bill Compton Blush ).

Poor DH!

You are so right about us doing things we'd advise our friends not to do. It's such a tricky thing isn't it to keep sane during all of this? Oh well, if we can get through this, being a parent will be a walk in the park

Grin
OP posts:
womanlytales · 22/03/2011 11:02

Garden Thanks for keeping me company - seems like I am the only one on the list that has something going on right now.

About the symptom spotting, I hear you - the 2ww is just plain hard. One part of me wants to go all out and live in a state of fine-tuned sensitivity -- and the other part of me is thinking - I would not subject this to my worst enemy, why am I doing this to myself?
Like yesterday post the scan, I found it so hard to tune off... I went through a gazillion pages (ok - exaggeration - perhaps 3-4 sites / 8 - 10 page views) to look at all the threads around IUI -- some ones I recognized from previously reading them a couple of weeks back. However if I had a friend doing this, I would immediately jump in and say - stop, save yourself this.
The waiting game - whether it's waiting for our period to arrive or for treatment to start or for an outcome from the 2ww - is just plain misery that we unleash upon ourselves. The wierd part is this is so easy to do too. The difficult part is finding things to do that we really want to do, that lets us express ourselves as human beings and APART from the role of wife, mother-in-waiting, employee, daughter etc...
As to if I am taking anything during the 2ww - so far they have not told me anything. It's insemination and then pregnancy test. I will try and remember to ask them tomorrow before I leave the clinic.

Original poster
gardenpixie · 21/03/2011 19:56

OOOOOOOOOOOOH Womanly that is so exciting! Just a few more days until the various components will be shaking hands (or whatever it is they do).

Enormous fingers crossed Grin

Am OK - between 4 and 6 DPO and trying not to drive myself mad with symptom spotting! Just thinking that April 18th (my first consultation) isn't that far away and then we could be starting the drugs a month to six weeks after that.

Will you be taking anything during the 2WW?

OP posts:
womanlytales · 21/03/2011 18:09

So I take the Ovitrelle today and then DH's date with the pot and mine for insemination is for Friday. Now, I am really nervous.
How's everybody else doing?

womanlytales · 21/03/2011 15:03

LOL Garden Thank you for the visual about my egg's date with DH's swimmers - - totally feeds the romantic in me Grin
Not sure about DH's date with the pot - all depends on the phone calls I receive. Will keep you updated when I hear :)

Original poster
gardenpixie · 21/03/2011 13:21

Womanly woo hoo for your 18mm follicle - that's awsome! Very good egg making indeed!

Oddly I've found that without the HCG shot, I seem to ov a little earlier Confused when I'm on clomid. Maybe it quietens our natural LH surge...?

Anyway, I'm sure that with the FSH, things will be clearer for your body to deal with and I have every confidence that a fully ripened egg will be bobbing down the fallopian tube for a date with your DH's swimmers very shortly.

So pleased you are having a better time on FSH than you did on clomid Smile

When will your DH have to get romantic with a pot? Wink

xx

OP posts:
womanlytales · 21/03/2011 12:05

Best of luck Carebear - And good to hear that Guys & St Thomas is one of the best in the country :)
Garden Fingers crossed for you honey. I am very familiar with your swiathon and have all fingers and toes crossed for you. This weekend I learnt that a friend is now 4 months along -- and she was trying for a long while and also had a miscarriage which is awfully hard... So am happy for her and she truly believes that it does rub off. :)
The FSH injections have been fab really compared to my experience with Clomid. I even quite like doing the injections myself!!! (Now that can't be normal!) I told the doctor today and he was smiling -- He was remembering my not so great feedback on Clomid - LOL.
So the scan shows an 18mm dominant follicle. I have an Ovitrelle to take when they call to instruct me on that. After that it's sperm donation and insemination. Of course in my mind, I have already delivered this baby and am thoroughly in the seventh moon!!!!!! Who ever said 'one step at a time' surely wasn't thinking of me!!! LOL
Carebear I am reading your statement on being cautiously optimistic again and again - hoping it will sink in. Garden if you remember, on Clomid, I got to this stage each time but even with Ovitrelle ovulation did not happen. So FINGERS CROSSED.

Original poster
gardenpixie · 20/03/2011 19:40

Hi Carebear that's very exciting - the 11th isn't far away at all.

DH and I are going to Guys & St Thomas - they all seemed really understanding and switched on at the info evening. I have also been seeing a private consultant for clomid and when I said we had been refered to G&St T, she said they are one of the best in the country so enormous fingers crossed for you for the 11th.

Smile xx

OP posts:
CareBear1 · 20/03/2011 19:12

Hi Garden pixie (and everyone else), I'm in a very similar situation to you. We've got our initial consultation day at guys and st thomas' for ivf treatment on 11th april. We've also been trying for 3.5 yrs (I'm 33 DH is 35) and after endless tests and seeing a different doctor each time at my local gyne clinic (each one younger and more clueless than the last)they can't find anything wrong. We haven't been to an info evening but even on the phone the people at the bridge clinic seem a LOT more switched on so that has made me feel very cautiously optimistic. Am at the 'don't want to get my hopes up too high' stage.

Best of luck to you all, x x x

Original poster
gardenpixie · 20/03/2011 13:44

Hi Womanly - am doing well thanks. I actually didn't have my scan because my dr was running 45 mins late and I had to get back to work for a meeting...

Which wasn't ideal but I know I have ov'd without the HCG shot before and I'm pretty sure that I ov'd on CD15 or CD16 (Wed / Thurs). And we had been SWI-ing with due diligence so we have done all we can!

What I don't know is how many follicles were ready - sometimes I've had one and sometimes two so I am keeping my fingers crossed that the first time I have missed my scan is the time that I've super-ov'd and will be pg with triplets by the time I go for the IVF consultation next month Grin

How are you doing with the FSH injections? I hope they were Ok and that you haven't had any side-effects.

Good luck for your scan tomorrow!

Terra I read your thread about the fuck mix up with your appts and who you needed to see Angry hope you are OK and that you don't have to wait too long to see the right person

Luck have you had your info evening yet?

Happy rest of the weekend to everyone xxx

OP posts:
womanlytales · 20/03/2011 12:59

Good luck with ur cycle in may luck.

womanlytales · 20/03/2011 12:58

Hi, hope everybody is doing well. Garden, how did the scan go? I am due for my scan tom. Not sure what is in store for us..and am trying to manage the blues of my expectations.

Original poster
gardenpixie · 16/03/2011 08:13

Luck that is great news Grin how exciting!

So pleased you met a lovely nurse too - makes all the difference dealing with approachable people.

I might well be starting the drugs in May too so fingers crossed it'll be a good summer for us Smile

OP posts:
luckbealady · 15/03/2011 13:22

Hi all, just a quick update...

Had our appt yesterday and it was all v interesting. Met a lovely nurse consultant who made us feel v at ease. DH needs another sperm test to check whether we'll do ICSI or IVF and then full steam ahead on one or the other so I'll probably begin the drugs in May. Am now v excited!

Next stop is the info evening. If any of you are doing this at Seacroft in Leeds - see you there!

Happy Tuesday, everyone Smile

xx

Original poster
gardenpixie · 15/03/2011 11:37

Hi womanly does that mean you are brewing lots of lovely eggs? I always get more bloating at the beginning of the cycle; I think by the time I am near CD14, there is just one follicle so it's not as painful.

Off for ov scan now ... will report back later!

Smile
OP posts:
womanlytales · 15/03/2011 07:45

Garden, am doing well. Still figuring out the intricacies of giving myself shots. Lol. Feel a bit bloated and some abdominal pain.. but ignoring it is quite ok

Original poster
gardenpixie · 14/03/2011 10:23

*Terraviva" our consultation has just been moved back to the 18th (quite a relief tbh as we can both take the whole day off) so we can compare notes Smile

Luckbealady I hope your appt goes well today - keeping my fingers crossed that it's full steam ahead for you. Do let us know how you're doing Smile

Womanly how are you doing today? Are your injections OK?

Hope everyone's Monday is getting off to a good start Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
gardenpixie · 12/03/2011 17:33

I hope the injections go well! Will keep you posted on when I'm going to start mine.

Smile
OP posts:
womanlytales · 12/03/2011 11:37

I started my injection today in the morning. I am aiming for 7:30 am everyday. I need to take them till they say stop. My scan is on the 21. I think with ivf the dosage of fsh increases too.

Original poster
gardenpixie · 11/03/2011 15:10

It is hard to keep a handle on food when we're going through all of this isn't it? I think the most important thing is to avoid stress and go easy on ourselves about the odd kg here or there (that's my theory anyway and I'm sticking to it). Cutting our booze had really helped me keep my weight under control - made me realise how many alcohol calories I must have been consuming Blush !

As you ovulated on your own before, I'm sure the FSH will work; I have heard of people struggling to ov on clomid because it throws all the hormones out of kilter whereas FSH obviously just gets straight to the point.

We were told that most women need to take pre-IVF FSH for around 11 days but maybe you won't need as much if you are going for IUI? I guess they don't want to stimulate as many follicles for IUI as they do with IVF? Not really sure tbh!

Gosh we'll be so expert at all of this soon that we could set up as fertility consultants.

I think spring is a good time to start new treatments as everything is getting in the mood to flourish so lots of prayers to the spring gods I think! Grin

OP posts:
womanlytales · 11/03/2011 14:21

ooo I was not told about the RL booze..though I rarely drink as-is...but good to know. I wish there was such a thing for chocolate and easy sugars and large sized portions of food... I am really struggling with food at present..have put on 3-4kgs that I had lost!! Each time I take a vow to reform, I go directly for this huge serving of chocolate!!!! Not good!
Looking forward to being fsh twins with you garden -- you are so positive, it's wonderfully infectious :) I am to take the fsh everyday in the morning until they tell me to stop. My body did ovulate on its own once in 2010 near Easter..and so I am hopeful and praying hard.

Original poster
gardenpixie · 11/03/2011 14:06

Womanly lovely to see you! Please join us! It's great to catch up with you although sorry you've had a rotten time with clomid not inducing ovulation. Very strange indeed ... ovaries are odd things aren't they?

IUI with FSH sounds like a great option - at least it takes all the worry out of getting everything in the right place at the right time Blush How does the FSH work for you? Do you take it every day until ov?

I will be having FSH injections towards the end of next month or the start of May (depending on our timings) so maybe we'll be FSH twins as well...? Although I'm sure you'll be pg by then Grin

So good to see you again - big hugs and MN Wine
(I don't know about you but I've been told to stay away from RL booze while prepping for the FSH injections)

OP posts:
womanlytales · 11/03/2011 13:59

garden BIG BIG HUG - I have missed you so much. I actually dropped of Mumsnet altogether when we both went quiet on the frolickers thread.
Wish you all the VERY VERY best with your IVF cycle and the current clomid cycle. Do you remember how we were clomid twins?
After my three rounds of clomid(50) that included one round with Ovitrelle, we learnt that my body still refused to ovulate. Nobody knows why because each cycle I'd have one dominant follicle that grew to about 18mm..and then nothing. By the next cycle, the ovaries were back to starting out again - no pco either. VERY WIERD. Anyways so our consultant now has advised us to start IUI. He vetoed the Clomid 100 or another round of Clomid + Ovitrelle. We're doing IUI with FSH injections. My cycles are now 40 days apart (post Clomid when they were about 28-32.) HOwever the wait is over, I begin the injections tomorrow. Am relieved that we're starting again..but also anxious about what the future has in store for us.
Can I join this list too? It's not IVF but a precursor... Regardless I'll definitely hover to see how you are doing and send you a lot of luck and baby dust :)

Swipe left for the next trending thread