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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

Fertility Appointments and Beyond: Electric Boogaloo

888 replies

thislittlebird · 20/08/2022 13:54

Hit capacity on the old thread, will tag you in!

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Kay00 · 24/12/2022 13:41

@Tillybabs it's mostly just spotting light brown/pink watery blood but occasionally with clots and fresh bright red blood yesterday. I had mild cramps the last two days too, but that seems to have stopped today.

My clinic have me on just 2 x eastradol pills daily and 2x progesterone suppository daily. I have actually upped the suppositories to 3x a day in a (likely futile) attempt to up the progesterone absorption.

@thislittlebird I actually did a test yesterday (4dp) which was negative, but it's very early even if this is implantation bleeding (which I doubt it is).

Unfortunately my clinic only tested my estrogen levels on transfer day so I have no idea if this bleeding in caused by low progesterone, although I assume it is.

I think my next cycle I'll plan for a freeze all and take the drugs that will give my eggs the best chance to make it to blast. I can fully recover my body before a FET. I think it's the only way that will work for me.

Tillybabs · 24/12/2022 10:33

@Kay00 I'm so sorry hun although I wouldn't write it off completely if you are just spotting?

I find it odd though that they only gave you suppositories because when I had my transfer I was told to take two twice a day plus I was also injecting Lubion once a day and this was with the NHS. If indeed it is AF already then it sounds like your progesterone is low and they should have tested you and given you more support x

Original poster
thislittlebird · 24/12/2022 09:19

@Kay00 maybe do an early test? If there is a chance it’s implantation bleeding it might show up already.

I think buserelin is aka Suprecur? My doctor has discussed doing a double trigger next time, so (I think this is right) LH and HCG, because I didn’t have so many mature eggs this time. Obviously you’d probably have to schedule a freeze all in that case because of lots of follicles but there’s no way they’re doing all they can. Are they the private(?) wing of an nhs hospital by any chance? Seems unusual for them to say that.

Did they test your progesterone and estradiol on transfer day? Mine was tested this time and it was super high progesterone because of all the follicles plus meds so if yours isn’t they should be acknowledging it.

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Kay00 · 23/12/2022 23:42

Thanks @thislittlebird xx. I certainly feel like I have put in a lot of effort, money and emotion for it all to be over so soon.

I'm still only 4dp5dt but have been bleeding on and off for two days and spotting since my egg collection. There's a slim chance this bleeding could be something else, but it's unlikely. I suspect my Luteal as support hasn't been strong enough (last time I started bleeding 8dp).

I have learnt that the Buserelin trigger (non-hcg) has quite low success rates due to the poor Luteal phase support it gives. But I asked my clinic for extra LP support and they said I was getting everything then have.

For reference I'm taking 2x cyclogest suppositories (progesterone) and 2x Cyclogest pills (eastradol) daily. When compared to what other women get in other clinics, my LP support is absolutely minimal... Hence the bleeding.

Original poster
thislittlebird · 23/12/2022 23:30

@Kay00 oh no, are you certain there’s no chance? Sorry if that sounds dumb, but I know people say they bled etc and it still worked. How many days past transfer are you now? Mine wasn’t the exactly the same as yours but I know the feeling of it being a waste. All that effort and money and emotion for nothing. It’s hard and i can understand why you don’t want to put on a brave face. I hope you’ve got some time off at Christmas to recuperate x

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Kay00 · 23/12/2022 23:04

Thank you @JeanieJ x if I'm honest, I wish Christmas wasn't in two days time, I could really do without putting on a brave face.

JeanieJ · 23/12/2022 17:24

@Kay00 I'm so sorry it hasn't worked out 😢
You poor thing, it's so crap especially after what you went through.

I hope you can take some time out to recouperate over the Christmas break

Xx

Kay00 · 23/12/2022 15:15

Hi ladies.

I'm bleeding bright red blood now, so my IVF cycle is over.

I can't believe I started bleeding just 48 hours after my egg transfer. And my period started 96 hours after.

£5k for a round of IVF. It was such a traumatic egg collection, of 21 eggs, to get one good embryo. One precious, good quality embryo. That immediately got flushed out of my body.

What a waste.

Original poster
thislittlebird · 21/12/2022 18:01

@JeanieJ yeah we’re going to need even more months if he does the other tooth in the new year 😔

Tbf to him, he has been good and took all the supplements all the way from our first appointment in Feb 21 (ish) until the ivf round in Feb 22. But both of us slacked off after that, then he got hit with all the stuff. It’s not like he’s a big drinker or smoker, he doesn’t smoke and barely drinks, it’s very frustrating there’s no cause for his largely immotile sperm.

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JeanieJ · 21/12/2022 17:37

@thislittlebird argh, he's been through the runner. It does sound like he needs a few months of 'project good sperm' before you do another round. It's a pain getting them to do anything though. Took me ages for me to get him to take any vitamins & quit drinking.

Original poster
thislittlebird · 21/12/2022 17:21

@JeanieJ yeah, he had covid in April, then a wisdom tooth extraction fever/infection in October and he has another tooth to come out yet. I’m gutted, I wish he’d had done both at once now.

Not sure whether he’s going to get it done in January or wait until after the next ivf round. Maybe it’s better to get it done and then it’s all out of the way and we have a clear run at improving things/having a better third round in mid 2023.

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JeanieJ · 21/12/2022 17:18

@thislittlebird that's crap about his results.
Didn't you mention he's been ill recently? Perhaps it'll just take a few months for things to replenish.
It's so frustrating how long these things take.
xx

Original poster
thislittlebird · 21/12/2022 17:04

@JeanieJ yeah mine don’t have a clue what’s going on!

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Original poster
thislittlebird · 21/12/2022 17:04

For him, not me

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Original poster
thislittlebird · 21/12/2022 17:03

@beckyCarlos oh god, I keep crying at all sort of weird stuff. Need to avoid that song. I can’t say I’m coping well with Christmas, and not being able to do another ivf cycle for months.

I forgot to say, we had our follow up with the lister and they basically said DH’s sample was atrocious. They’re right, it was, we compared it to past tests and it was the worst ever. The sperm were “occasionally twitching”. Discussed a different protocol for me etc but can’t do anything until DH’s sperm has improved and we’re going to freeze some in case he gets covid again. Got to get through a second wisdom tooth removal and infection first in the new year 🙄

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JeanieJ · 21/12/2022 16:43

@Kay00 oh, I'm sorry about your spotting and that the last embryo didn't freeze. You poor thing.
Fingers crossed it stays put though 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

@thislittlebird sounds like a total nightmare that they won't join the dots for you 🙄
It seems to be quite common. My hospital is Croydon & OH had to get referred to the urologist by our gp, not our clinic - it's so disjointed. They don't speak up eachother!

Original poster
thislittlebird · 21/12/2022 16:25

Ok so after three hours, more tears and rage, various emails and a call with a nurse it seems that there was a communication issue and it’s a joint clinic with andrology and the ACU. So it’s in the name of the ACU staff. All of this could have been avoided if we had been told this but no, they’ll just tell us nothing and I’ll get stressed out.

I still don’t like it, I don’t want to see the ACU at all. Guys have royally fucked me off the last few months, why can’t we see andrology without the ivf people? We don’t want ivf at guys, we want help with my husband’s male factor issues and I don’t want to have the chat in context of ivf there. I’m just so annoyed after the nurse called me to explain, she said ACU are there because that’s who will get you pregnant and I said no they won’t be since the whole experience has been a nightmare.

@Kay00 what progesterone are you on? when you start bleeding last time? Push for progesterone testing. My private clinic bumped mine up to injections every other day and pessaries twice daily.

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beckyCarlos · 21/12/2022 15:50

@kay00 I had some spotting the day after my transfer (bright red, I freaked out), nothing immediately after which was weird, but I do tend to spot in the week before my period. But I got a positive, so you never know! Can you ask for a progesterone blood test? Interesting my clinic does these for private cycles (and you keep pessaries plus take injections if you're low, which I suspect I am) x x

@thislittlebird aw man, that fucking sucks. I really hope you get answers from them, and that they do honour what they said and refer you x x x if it helps, I cried at a bloody Ed Sheeran song today, not any of the ones that are obviously sad, but theres a sneaky line in 'Perfect' and I was gone 🙈

Kay00 · 21/12/2022 14:44

@99pctpractice my clinic said I just needed to wait until 30th December to test. They said sorry there wasn't much else they can do.

However... I feel like there must be better luteal support out there for an 'easy bleeder' like me?

99pctpractice · 21/12/2022 14:10

Aargh @thislittlebird what a total balls up by the hospital. I'm so sorry that they are so shit and incompetent...you are totally justified in your rage, the amount of time effort and money you have put into this and every time you think you're getting somewhere you have to go back to ground zero 😢

@Kay00 all fingers crossed for your little embryo on board. Have they checked your progesterone levels? If you're bleeding already, that could be because your progesterone is a bit low? I'm sorry your other embryo didn't make it, ivf is just so hard.

Kay00 · 21/12/2022 14:05

@thislittlebird you are right to be angry and frustrated, you have had a rubbish set of interactions with these clinics.

I'm 2dp5dt, so 7dpo. It's early for me to be bleeding/starting my period, but in my last IVF cycle I bled for a good week before my test day

Original poster
thislittlebird · 21/12/2022 14:00

@Kay00 how many days are you? Are you sure it’s not implantation?

We can’t even get through to anyone. I’ve emailed andrology, the acu and his practice secretary to try to get it resolved. They don’t answer the phone. I’m so angry we have to pay for all this again when we should have had a referral to one of the experts who is now working with Guys.

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Kay00 · 21/12/2022 13:21

@thislittlebird 😣 oh my! That's incredibly frustrating. I'm so sorry! Did they say they will refer you to the correct person now?

Thanks all. No, my 2nd embryo didn't make it, so I have nothing to freeze.

And worse than that, I've started bleeding already. Just two days after transfer. So I think it's likely all over already.

It was such a traumatic egg collection. To get one embryo and my body didn't even give it a chance, I'm so disappointed 😭

Original poster
thislittlebird · 21/12/2022 13:12

@Kay00 fingers crossed for you

I’ve completely lost it today. We had our follow up with clinic, doc told us to find out which andrologist guys had referred us to in Feb. Turns out it’s none. They referred us to another fucking ivf doctor. I’ve flipped my lid over this, we were so pleased we had a plan, and didn’t have to pay for all the male tests again. I can’t really believe they’ve done it to us again. Since 2019 we’ve fought and fought and fought with them to get things done, to have something paid for because we do actually pay our taxes. And now here we are again with a referral to a fucking gynaecology ivf specialist and not an andrologist. I cried my eyes out and went crazy, dh and not coping well with my rage.

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JeanieJ · 20/12/2022 10:33

@Kay00 congrats on being PUPO.
I can imagine it's hard not to feel a bit deflated about the other embryos.
I Hope that other blast is ok to freeze & fingers crossed you don't need it this time 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻I know someone who recently transferred a not so great embryo and she's 🤰 so there is hope Xx