IVFers thread

Onlyaphase, don't panic too much yet, sometimes they just drain the cyst, a bit like egg collection. It happened to a friend of mine.

Good Luck for wednesday.

I was wrong it was 17 eggs not bad for an old lady like me!! 10 have fertilised, which is ok (average is about 50% apparently in ivf). Wait to hear about transfer tomorrow pm. Have had my acupuncture today and will have some more on Thurs which will hopefully do the trick!

Soosy, great news about your eggs - 15 is a fab number to have. And you get a whole drug free day tomorrow too! Best of luck waiting for that call tomorrow, tis a horrid time.

Clinic called tonight to say they think I have an oestrogen producing cyst on my left ovary, and to drop my Puregon dose to 400 units as well. Have googled oestrogen cysts and it doesn't look good really - they can really bugger up cycles. Will wait and see what they say on Wednesday now. Arse, this was all going far too well!

Hello nomoremagnolia, feel free to ask any questions and good luck.

Hello everyone else, Fantastic news about your response onlyaphase!

And SS why didn't they offer pessaries first? I know you can't cash your drugs in but I used to be able to give any left over drugs to my ACU for others (who can't afford drugs) to use, I don't know if you can do this still but atleast they won't be wasted. I have to start my progesterone pessaries tonight too, rectally too, mmm.

I have 15 eggs and am a little sore. I have to wait for the call tomorrow from the embryologist to find how we are doing. Hopefully there will be 2 embryos to transfer on Thurs.

Night night off to eat more chocolate to ease the pain!

Yay Onlyaphase that's fantastic!

I'm having a great day too as I was really struggling with the injections (I was fine in my fresh cycle with the normal ones but these progesterone have a bigger thicker needle and are horrid!) but went into the clinic today and asked if there was an alternative. They said I can take pessaries as there are some new improved ones! No more injections!

The only annoying thing is they won't refund the cost of the progesterone vials I haven't used so I've probably wasted £150 on those but frankly it's worth it as neither dh nor I could do the injections and it was all a pain (literally as my leg muscles are in a state after only 3 injectiosn and I'd have had about 10 more to go!)

How is everyone else?

Had a fabulous first scan today - lots of follicles, good lining etc. I was so worried about not responding to the stims, I feel as though a weight has been lifted off me. The clinic may bring forward egg collection or drop my stims dose, will find out later today. Am so relieved I am responding I can't tell you! To me it means that if this cycle doesn't work I may have time to try again later on.

Nomoremagnolia, good to have you join us. Hope your referral is quick and there isn't much of a waiting list. Whereabouts are you? I used to find my NHS consultant's secretary an absolute mine of information for waiting times etc if you have any contact with yours?

Hope everyone else is having a good day too!

Hello girls

Thought I'd introduce myself as I may well be lurking/posting on here in the next few months. We've been referred by the local hospital for IVF - I have no idea of how long it will be before we start, but I already want to find out all I can about it (I'm a bit of an information freak) so have read through your thread and will be following your stories/experiences.

I'm almost 30, DH 29, been ttc#1 for 2yrs, including 6mo on Clomid with no joy. I'm not ov'ing regularly and DH's sperm are not perfect either so IVF will hopefully be our best shot.
ps got my fingers crossed for you soosy

Yes good luck soosy!
Let us know how it goes!

Soosy, good luck for tomorrow. Will you let us know how you get on?

Oh ss I am sorry about your parents, and about your DS, no lasting effects from his scary start I hope. A dose of some particularly nasty virus, either that or just blow your top and say no its not happening. Difficult to do but if you are the one always putting yourself out then maybe you will shock them a bit into looking at life your way, for a little way

I know exactly what you mean about MIL! I have one too! Mine is just insensitive.

My collection isn't till 11 and I hate hanging around it's not like I can go for coffee, oh well at least I can take DS to school.

Thanks scrummer, wishing great things for your sister, and everyone else on this thread.

night night x

Thank you all for your kind words and advice. She is going to speak to the clinic on Monday and see if they can delay. Best of luck to everyone with your own treatments.

oh ar** I just wrote a long post and then lost it accidentally.

Anyway....here we go again.

Soosy sorry to hear about the loss of your mum. I bet she'd be so proud of you and your ds.

Only a PHase - you have my commiserations if your parents are as crazy as mine. It's such hard work sometimes. Like when ds was born he was in a bad way and in intensive care and instead of being there for us we had to spend our time calming them down as they were panicking .

They have phoned several times today and are just being so selfish about this trip down. I'm glad I've told them the truth really but I wishthey could be supportive rather than jsut causing stress.

Ha and then there's my MIL - we daren't tell her as although she is quite sweet and kind hearted she has said some ridiculously insensitive things about our infertility/ treatment.

Families eh!?!?

Sorry to rant.

Seems like it's going to be a busy week for us all with scans/ transfers and collections - good luck everyone!

Oh scrummer I have much sympathy for your sister, and you, in some ways the first cycle is the worst, as you don't know what to expect and you have to admit defeat in terms of conceiving naturally. When we found out we had problems, it was a relief in one way, but when we actually started treatment i couldn't stop crying. I think your sister should delay her treatment too and talk about the treatment, maybe get a nurses appointment to run through with her and her husband what physically will happen. Emotionally it is tough, so I wish them loads of luck.

SS sorry that your parents aren't helpful, i have to admit my mother was a complete star and I couldn't have done what I did without her. Sadly she died 6 months before I got pregnant with DS, and I was a mess, but I regard my Darling Boy as my present from her and he did save my life. What about your sister could she make life easier, otherwise I think that probably a dose of the norovirus would probably put everyone off!

Good luck

I would be very surprised if the clinic your sister is using didn't offer counselling - mine gives you one free session per cycle, and I would have thought that would be pretty standard. I'm not normally one to recommend counselling, but in this case it can only be a positive thing as it would get them talking in front of a neutral 3rd party.

Also, it is an incredibly stressful time for couples, especially the first cycle as no one knows what to expect, how they will feel etc. It can all get a bit much at times, especially coming on top of years of infertility and tests. It can all get built up in your mind as this great big thing hanging over you, and you can't even plan ahead as you don't know what the outcome will be.

Would suggest they delay the cycle for at least a month, there shouldn't be a problem doing this with a private clinic.

Yes they definitely should be able to delay things. The only hitch might be if they are on the NHS but even then it presumably wouldn't be a problem.

Thanks for your thoughts, I think the treatment is what is wrong. Normally I would say they are one of the strongest, most together couples I know. From experience is there much they can ask the clinic for at this stage - can they delay by a couple of months to get their heads straight do you know? I appreciate your comments, and hope that your parents do prove to be supportive. (Ours are not either and that is giving my sis extra pressure)

I very much think that your sis cannot go ahead if things aren't right between her and her dh. You couldn't do this alone.

I will have a further think about her situation and see if anything else comes to mind.

I've had to confess about the treatment to my parents as it was getting very awkward and causing more stress. Not that happy that I was pushed into a corner really but will be easier given circumstances!

Hi, sorry to but in on this thread, after lurking for ages I could do with some sound advice from people who are goung through what my sister is. You all sound amazingly strong about your cycles and please forgive me as my knowledge of IVF is VERY limited but I need to try and help my sister. She is due to start her first IVF treatment in 13 days but has just moved out of home leaving a totally bewildered DH behind. It turns out they have talked little about the upcoming treatment (scared of it failing I think)and I think it is all getting too much for her. She has had no counselling from the clinic (private, in Leeds)and I am sure that it is the forthcoming treatment has turned her from a very rational person into someone who cannot think straight. I don't think she is any state to begin treatment but I just don't know what to advise her. I don;'t live close so have not been able to see her. Any ideas? thanks a million

Oh my God SS, are you me? Know exactly how you feel about telling your parents, you have expressed it so well. Hope it works out for you next week, maybe just take it a day at a time. OR phone them up now and say you feel really ill, this virus has been going around and you think you will be out of action for about a week, so best to count you out of their plans next week?

Managed my first injection last night - fab tip about the ice, worked a treat. Found the Puregon Pen much better to use than the autoinjector we had last time, as that used to just push all the drug into you in one go, and the pen takes much longer so it doesn't hurt or feel uncomfortable later. My ovaries are aching a bit today already - maybe psychosomatic? - but am very happy to have aching ovaries as I hope it means they are producing lots of follicles. My worry this time (and my consultant's) is that I won't produce many eggs. Scan and blood tests on Monday to see how I am getting on.

Soosy - all the best on Monday for EC, hope you have lots of mature eggs.

p.s. and from you guys!

Hi Soosy

Last time we told them because it was a fresh cycle although we didn't give exact timings as we didn't want them phoning asking questions (we have a tricky relationship and they aren't the people I confide in!) but they know we had ds from IVF.

Thing is if the cycle fails I so don't want them thinking I am gutted that I couldn't have another and labelling me like that and fussing for every more or reading things into my behaviour due to this that so wouldn't be the case!

Anyway since the last post they have now started freaking out about something ridiculous - sort of related to the visit - and I just don't need this stress right now.ARGH!! God I hope I never drive my ds this mad!

Complicated I know. But overall I just don't want them to know.

I have told quite a few close friends so have support that way at least.

Oh god poor you SS, sorry my drug addled brain cannot think at the moment! Perhaps it would be easier just to tell your mum and then it would mean you wouldn't get so stressed. You can swear her to secrecy, in my experience mums are v good at secrets! Do your family know about your previous treatment. I have to say you are v brave keeping it all quiet, we couldn't it was just too complicated and anyway it was taking us so long everybody guessed anyway! Plus I suppose because DS's conception from donor means we have to be v open about the whole thing as I know that things tend to get found out, usually at the most inopportune moments. Good Luck! Sx

oops I think I might have confused you Soosy- I am PK - had a name change!
Great that you have loads of follicles and even though it hasn't been an indicator of success for you before it's much better that way than having only a few!

I think the bigger needle is because whatever I'm injecting is different to the fresh cycle drugs and is oilier so I suspect it wouldn't go through a smaller needle and also it needs to be given intra muscularly so maybe the other needles aren't long enough.

Trying to keep our treatment a secret from most of our family but my parents are down next week staying at sis in laws and they have just suggested sending my elderly gran to stay with me for a week from monday so she isn't alone .....I love her to bits but help this is not good timing given ET is on weds!! I guess I'd have to make up some reason for the drugs around the place and then say I had a work meeting on the day of the transfer....blimey my nose will grow with all these lies at this rate.

Hi everybody Hooray SS! Was it the brazil nuts or did you have some acupuncture. I know what you mean about the appointments and picking up children, but believe me it's less stressful than having your child with you in the ACU!
I would ask for a smaller needles as I don't think needle size is that important.

Good luck with your injection tonight onlyaphase, I find it much easier to do myself and be bold, it seems to hurt less if you just wham them in, or perhaps I am a sadist! Jeans just about fit!

Coggy, where are you? I hope you are busy with your AF and doing stims, mind you you might just have a better social life than we do!

PK Hope everything fine with you and you are on your way to transfer....

Scan ok today so on for EC on Monday. Huge number of follicles, no indicator of doing well sadly as I always seem to produce a huge number of eggs and I find pregnancy quite elusive!

S xxx

ET is back on for next week - weds. Hurray! Except I didn't feel so happy at the time weirdly - was v overwhelmed from the on off of the last few days, stressed re getting back home in time to pick ds up from nursery (the appointments were all late today) etc!
Did the first injection and they are way worse than last time - bigger thicker needle. Yikes! I just couldn't do it myself whereas with the fresh cycle I never had a problem really. Not sure what to do for tomorrow's - dh not keen and I could go to clinic but will really mess up my plans for the day given it is maybe a 2 hour round trip. Maybe if I ice like last time (the nurse didn't have ice today so I couldn't) it will be ok.

Anyway I've calmed down a bit now.

Soosy - wow not long til EC now!! Good luck for Monday - looking forward to hearing about how it goes and your embryos.

Only a phase - good luck for your injection tonight - hope you are less of a wuss than I was today!!

Hi to everyone else. have a good weekend.

Baseline scan today, all looking good so start stims tomorrow night. So not looking forward to starting injections - and DH who would normally do them for me is out tomorrow night so I'll have to do it myself. Boo. Will try the ice trick.

SaveS - I hate it when the appointments don't work out as you need them too, it just seems to add insult to injury. This time around I have purposely chosen late morning scans as I didn't want to take up the early morning slots that women who need to get to work on time need!

Soosy - hope you aren't too uncomfortable waiting for EC on Monday. Do your jeans still fit?

Hope everyone else is well