TTC first baby thread 26

@thislittlebird they put me on ovaleap 150 for 4 days then add in centrotide 250. Short protocol.

@XjustagirlX oh, so you’re not that dissimilar to me, yours is higher. I had 23 and 28 follicles at my scans so far and my AMH was 36 a few months ago. What treatment plan did they put you on?

@MIW01 good luck for Friday.

@thislittlebird I’ve got high amh at 45. And my pre ivf afc was 32.

I think EC will be Wednesday.

@XjustagirlX that’s afresh progress, do you have high AMH and AFC?

@MIW01 lucky you didn’t get it done pre-nhs funding though. I know people who have been told no funding, wish we all knew all this stuff when we started out.

@thislittlebird my 1 and only AMH test.

Excellent news @XjustagirlX keep us updated! I'm due to start next Friday 😊

I’ve just had my first progress scan. I have 11 follicles between 11mm and 15mm. 12 follicles between 8 and 10mm, and 11 follicles under 8mm do they didn’t bother measuring them.

My lining was 8mm which I’m so happy about as I thought my lining was an issue at one point but that seems good for me.

I’m going back on Monday for the next scan and they said I will be doing EC either Wednesday Thursday or Friday.

@thislittlebird this was an appointment at the fertility clinic today. We got shown how to do the injections etc.

@MIW01 is that lower than your last AMH? Or is this your first?

Is this protocol both of those things each day or alternating?

Fingers crossed for you. It’s nearly impossible to predict how these things will go, let’s hope you get the best outcome.

@thislittlebird indeed best explore all options.

IVF Update
AMH 3.9
which is low! As you know. It was expected but still disappointing but nurse said quite is more important than quantity.

Medication protocol is:
Menopur 375
Fernryhur 250
Scan dates: 6th, 11th & 13th of August
Provisional egg collection 16th August
Provisional embryo transfer 21st August

We are hoping for the best! Planning for the worst. Is the best way to put it I think.

@MIW01 no idea whether to do IMSI but part of me thinks why not give it a try 🤷‍♀️

How did the appointment go?

I didn't know about IMSI @thislittlebird and yes it all gets very expensive! I think seeing if there is someone you can be with for the injections is sensible.

I've got my appointment at the clinic this afternoon. Apparently my AMH results still weren't back yesterday! Am a bit nervous about what will happen today but glad it's happening.

@XjustagirlX at least you got it checked so you know it's a potential issue. I have a number of immune issues, so if it doesn't work first round, I will ask if I should be on low dose prednisolone to suppress my immune system a bit. Mine is known to overreact to the world in general.

yeah, all the way through they've said we'll need ICSI, but he is suggesting ICSI + IMSI. I don't really want IMSI because I'm not convinced by it's legitimacy and neither is the Lister clinic in their paraphernalia they send out, but it is used in some MFI cases. It's just a very big microscope basically that looks for the best shape sperm. I might try it on the first go maybe, not decided, of course it costs another £500 .

I hope I'll be ok with the injections, I'm scared of being alone. Maybe I'll go visit a sensible friend to do it with on day 1.

PCO is a bad name really, it's polycystic ovaries without the syndrome essentially. Lots of follicles and then slightly wonky periods, and lack of ovulation. But not the main symptoms that come with PCOS.

@thislittlebird that’s great news about the frag results and he doesn’t think it’s an issue.

Im sure you will be fine with the injections. The first one will be difficult but you will be a pro by the end of it.

So is he putting you forward for icsi? I’ve never heard of pco.

If I get pregnant with ivf then the clinic only give me progesterone. They won’t give me the prednisolone or the aspirin. I think this is because of Covid and prednisolone lowers your immune system (to fight the nk cells) and also it’s an add on which isn’t allowed with nhs funding. But my consultant said she was happy for me to take it but she couldn’t give it via the clinic.

@thislittlebird i meant it might be an issue because I haven’t been pregnant since getting the medication to see if it solved my early miscarriage issue.

@thislittlebird i went to the implantation clinic in Coventry and I had a biopsy to measure my nk cells.

I decided to do this during Covid because I wasn’t coping with everything being on hold. I still had to wait but at least I was on the list and it felt like I was making progress.

My result cane back high. Anything above 5% for my CD was high and I was 6%. He gave me progesterone prednisolone and aspirin to take next time I’m pregnant. But I’ve not been pregnant since.

@XjustagirlX is there a reason you think NK cells might an issue? I worry about all this stuff.

Just had our latest clinic consultation with the new doctor. He said the new morphology was great, and 0% high frag damage is ideal because that’s the main issue with dna frag. I’ll be on meriofert at different doses on alternating days, 150 and 225. Shitting it, no idea how ill do the measuring and injections alone.

He also recommended ICSI/IMSI and said I had PCO (no S).

Ah must vary between clinics then @XjustagirlX ours will only try ICSI if IVF fails with my fiancée's results. It's really annoying because we also paid privately for the COMET test. At least it means he will get his Varicocele fixed!

@MIW01 ye the clinics don’t typically take the sperm dna damage seriously enough. I’ve been really lucky with mine. My DH SA was all within the normal limits. It’s only because we paid for a comet test that they are letting us do icsi instead of ivf.

@XjustagirlX that's really understandable, I think it is completely expected to feel anxious about it. I am feeling very reserved as to whether our 1st round of IVF will work. I think my fiancée's issue is purely the varicocele as he's 35 and lives a good lifestyle, we both do and have done for some time. I think our issues are sleep and stress. I have put him on all the supplements to support him as much as we can in the meantime. Interestingly his SA was normal. He had 40 mil count, 49% motility and 4% morphology and I'm hoping it's improved since as he's been taking the additional supplements now. It is interesting that the fertility clinoc don't look at the DNA damage results! They're not interested in my thin lining either so I asked my acupuncturist to help sort that out and I ordered a load of Chinese supplements aimed improving the lining, reducing fibroids etc. Let's hope they help with something!

@thislittlebird ye my DH results are quite similar to yours. My DH is nearly 36. Thé consultant didn’t say it was bad. He did say something similar about the men in the sample being not representative. I really just hope icsi works.

It’s so interesting that sperm can improve through change of lifestyle and supplements. It should be considered much earlier on.

I remember being so happy when my DH Motility results changed
Swimming in the right direction 34% To 56%
Swimming in the wrong direction 5% To 19%
Not swimming 60% To 25%

This was just from reducing alcohol and not having baths and staring to take supplements.

@MIW01 i glad you feel you have your answer. It’s horrible when you have no idea why it’s not happening. I’m similar in that my issues don’t necessarily cause infertility.

I have a sluggish right tube (but shouldn’t affect the left side)
The coeliac gene (May cause miscarriages but shouldn’t prevent getting pregnant)
A thin lining - I’m concerned about this but the doctors don’t seem to be
I don’t process folic acid - shouldn’t prevent fertilisation just development of a baby
Nk cells - could be an issue for me

I really concerned that icsi works but then I also have an implantation issue so i just miscarry again.

That's great news @thislittlebird my fiancée had 7% high DNA damage which we now know is likely due to Varicocele. His graph looked very much like the "infertile man" example. So that in context with my results and family history very much suggest ours is mostly (I would say at least 80%) a male factor issue now we've had all our tests done. I have a few "mmmm not great but shouldn't be causing infertility" things, such as thin uterine lining, slightly low progesterone, 2 small fibroids, and questionable egg reserve, but bearing in mind females in my family all conceived OK with said issues (discovered later) by accident, I am thinking I am OK.

Looking at it I guess it’s “fine” in the context of age + knowing there’s a big motility issue. The overall results improved a lot though so I suppose that’s very positive for the ICSI (which we definitely still need lol).

I just went back to look at yours and it’s not that different, did he say it was terrible? Because he told us that the fertile example is for 25 year old sperm donors at the top of their game, basically, and that for a 40 year old this was good for DH. Your partner may be younger and maybe there’s an age factor he considered that’s different.