Page 15 | Fertility Appointments and Beyond: Electric Boogaloo

thislittlebird · 2022-08-20T12:54:28+00:00

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

beckyCarlos · 19/12/2022 22:48

@kay00 how exciting! Hope youre feeling ok! Its ok to feel deflated/worried too :)

@JeanieJ hope youre feeling ok! X

Kay00 · 19/12/2022 22:29

Hi @Tinkerbell098 yes, I have my day 5 update.

So the good news is I have 1x very good day 5 Blast graded 4BA which we transferred into me today... So I'm PUPO (although I'm not the biggest fan of that term) 🙌

The bad news is that out of the remaining 14 embryos pretty much none have made it. 12 straight up failed to move beyond day 3, even the best looking ones. 2 others were still alive this morning but one looked like it had stopped.

The other is a bit of a wild card. When checked on day 3 it was only 4 cells, so lagging behind. Early this morning it had developed but was looking poor quality and much smaller than it needed to be on day 5. However by the time we got to the clinic it had started to form a Blast and the embryologist said it wasn't looking terrible. So we are going to wait and see if it makes full blast tomorrow, and if good enough then we might have one to freeze. I'm not getting my hopes up though... It really is a wild card.

Nature is weird.

Tinkerbell098 · 19/12/2022 22:19

@Kay00 those are amazing numbers. Bet you’re so pleased. Did you get any further updates? Are you doing a fresh transfer or a freeze all?

@JeanieJ oh I’m sorry. Get plenty of rest and hope you feel better soon X

Kay00 · 19/12/2022 08:57

Oh no @JeanieJ 😣 I hope you're not too poorly with it xx get well soon!

JeanieJ · 19/12/2022 08:53

@Kay00 that's good news. Fingers and toes crossed for today 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

I've finally come down with covid. After nearly 3 years. Can't quite believe it to be honest, thought I'd gotten away with it when OH caught it in Oct & I was fine. That's my Christmas break mildly scuppered 🤷🏻🙄

Kay00 · 18/12/2022 21:29

Hi ladies. I had my day 3 update yesterday, sorry I'm late to update you. I have been rushing around Xmas present and food shopping. This year 90% of gifts are chocolate based 😅

Out of my 15 fertilised eggs all 15 are still alive and lots are looking good (8 to 10 cells).

However the embryologist has said than an analysis of the embryoscope time lapse shows not all of them have reached this stage in a conventional way. She said that quite a few of them had an abnormal cleavage (they split in an unusual way, for example from 1 to 3 or 2 to 4 rather than 1,2,3,4, etc..). She said that they can correct themselves by pushing out any corrupted cells but many of these 'blip' embryos might not make it to day 5.

I read an interesting study that showed most eggs that have an abnormal cleavage in this early stage do not make it to day 5, so I will be interested to see which of my eggs make it to day 5 (if any). And I wonder if I had a large number of these abnormal cleavage embryos in my first cycle (where I saw a 92% attrition rate between days 3 and 5). Another study I read said that when abnormal cleavage embryos were PGS tested they were more likely to have chromosomal abnormalities. All very interesting really.

Luckily there were a few good 8,9,10 cell embryos alive at day 3 that got there via a normal cleavage... I hope they survive to day 5 🤞

I'll update you ladies tomorrow (day 5) x

Kay00 · 16/12/2022 22:14

Thanks ladies x I'm feeling less bloated again today too which is good.

The numbers sound amazing, but the real test will be between day 3and 5...

JeanieJ · 16/12/2022 12:00

@Kay00 wow, those are good numbers! Fingers crossed for you! 🤞🏻🤞🏻

beckyCarlos · 15/12/2022 18:40

@kay00 thats such good news! Glad you're feeling less bloated too :) x x

Kay00 · 15/12/2022 17:02

Hi ladies xx I'm feeling less bloated today, although I'm still sore across my whole abdomen. I'm just taking it easy and keeping an eye out for any worrying symptoms.

I heard from the clinic this morning. Out of my 21 eggs, 20 were mature and 15 have fertilised (using ICSI). So far, so good...

Original poster

thislittlebird · 14/12/2022 20:49

@Kay00 you would start to get it from the day of the trigger possibly (what trigger was it?) and that does sound a bit like it. Bloated in the stomach and then all over was how my friend described it.

If I had your experience with EC I’d never let a doctor near me again, as I said, you’re braver than me by a long way!

Like @99pctpractice said, drink 2 litres of water per day and lots of protein and electrolytes. Coconut water has lots in if you don’t want to drink loads of lucozade sport.

OP posts:

Kay00 · 14/12/2022 18:35

Thanks @99pctpractice. I was a bit dismayed at the lack of sedation at my clinic when I found out, but honestly it's not that bad apart from this one ovary which must be an exception to the rule.

I'm drinking plenty of fluids, and it's passing through which is a good sign at least :-)

99pctpractice · 14/12/2022 18:25

@Kay00 congratulations on 21 eggs!! Amazing - I cannot believe they don't give you sedation. That sounds absolutely excruciating! sorry you're now suffering with bloating, i think it can be a symptom of ohss, can you speak with the nurses at your clinic to check? I think drinking lots of fluids is meant to help, if you feel able to.

Kay00 · 14/12/2022 17:51

@JuniperandI welcome! I went straight to private for additional tests because the NHS was dragging it's feet. The tests weren't expensive and I was still able to get treatments (Clomid and later on IVF) on the NHS.

Ladies... I need a bit of advice. Apart from a bit of discomfort after the egg retrieval I felt pretty normal, but my stomach has become increasingly bloated. It hurts to touch and I can't even bend forward 😕 it's not so much painful around my uterus but all the way up to my ribs.

My OH is concerned about OHSS, but surely it's too soon to have it? On the day of egg retrieval? I am weeing and not struggling to breath, so maybe not OHSS? Or could be just the start?

Either way, I definitely didn't feel like this last time. Did any of you?

JuniperandI · 14/12/2022 15:38

Hi ladies

We've been TTC again since July after three CPs earlier this year. I've had a few blood tests and a private scan, and want to start making plans for sperm tests etc DH. How long does it take before the NHS will start agreeing to more testing for me and tests for DH? I'd rather not go private! TIA.

JeanieJ · 14/12/2022 15:06

@Kay00
Sorry you had such a painful experience, but that's good news on the 21 eggs 🙂

Fingers crossed everything goes well for you x

Kay00 · 14/12/2022 14:56

@thislittlebird I'm sorry you are still in a bad way 😔 the wait between the end of the cycle and the WTF appointment just seems to last forever!

I had my egg collection today. The first half of the egg collection went well, just the same as last time really. But the 2nd half (my left ovary) was insanely painful 😭 lt felt like she had impaled a nerve, and every follicle she pierced was excruciating 😣 I was writhing in pain and even called out in pain. Ugh. I feel much better now but I hope I don't have to do it again.

We collected 21 eggs (3 more than last time), which is amazing considering we reduced the stims this time. I'm pleased but concerned about the quality of the eggs... Let the hunger games commence!

Original poster

thislittlebird · 12/12/2022 13:21

@Kay00 I’m always a bit shocked your clinic doesn’t knock you out. I could not deal with it, I’d panic so you’re a better patient than me. So can you convince your dh to have a fragmentation test? It’s such an expensive process if it doesn’t work. Your second cycle might be great but if it isn’t it’s definitely an avenue to pursue.

@JeanieJ dh used impryl amongst other things, it did seem to improve things for him.

@beckyCarlos ugh yeah it was gross. I had to take myself back to the hotel, sausage van queue was about a million people long. Came back out in the evening and had a very nice bratwurst lol. Very few market stalls open at night, which was a bit odd.

I’m in such a bad way still. When you do a cycle and they just cut you off at the end until you book a follow up it’s horrible. I just want answers to what happened and if his “twitching” sperm is even capable of making a baby. Someone on another thread just had success on transfer 4 and I feel so gutted at how many embryos have failed now for us.

OP posts:

Kay00 · 11/12/2022 09:40

@beckyCarlos urgh it's so true. I'm starting to think about the upcoming procedure and I'm a little dreading it.

My clinic doesn't knock you out, so I just get a local anaesthetic and gas&air. I coped fine with it last time, I even found it interesting, but I had no idea what I was going in to... This time I have the memories of them piercing each follicle with a long sharp straw to suck out the eggs, and I'm just not looking forward to it 🥴. OH just needs to jizz in a cup and act the hero as he cooks us food that night 😑

beckyCarlos · 11/12/2022 00:50

Omg @thislittlebird I was in York today too! Was this your lovely weekend away? It was HEAVING while we were there. A reminiscent choice for us (I went to uni here, lots of husbands friends did too, but opposing unis, suprising we never met before 27 tbh!) But in hindsight with the crowds we should just have stayed in Leeds 🤣

@99pctpractice I saw the press about sperm numbers, shocking isnt it! And like I was sayong to my acupuncturist (/getting on my soapbox about) WHY in gods name is the answer to 'bad' sperm ''just' have ICSI' sod that. Im female, and I've 'just' had ICSI, and (I dont need to tell you all) its rough as balls (no pun intended), you can tell a amn dreamt that shit up as an answer to male factor issues. Just jizz in a cup guys and your women will do the rest 🙄

JeanieJ · 10/12/2022 16:58

@Kay00 I hope everything goes ok & you're not too stimulated 🤞🏻🤞🏻

The male factor thing is so annoying - clinics can be very dismissive and just focus on the woman.
OH has been trying quite hard recently - not drinking & taking up more exercise, taking supplements etc, so I can't complain too much about him.

Today we bought him some Impryl in prep for our cycle in Feb. Anyone tried this? It's so expensive 🤢

Kay00 · 10/12/2022 15:51

@thislittlebird my clinic were very dismissive of the idea that our poor attrition rate in Cycle 1 could be due to sperm issues. The consultant said there was no need to do a DNA frag because we're having ICSI anyway and that will select for the best sperm 🤷

It's a problem because my OH sees this as the green light to drink as much alcohol as he likes, do zero exercise and generally not get too involved in this process. In his eyes this isn't his problem... Which might not entirely be true.

@99pctpractice I'm not counting on there being many blasts to Freeze... Unfortunately. Plus my clinic is keen on a 5 day fresh transfer if possible. I'm hoping I avoid OHSS like I did last time 🤞

Original poster

thislittlebird · 10/12/2022 14:00

@Kay00 hopefully it’s not overcooking the eggs and you have more follicles growing maybe? Is this more than last time? Four days is a while, are they expecting any to be too big by then?

@99pctpractice i can’t stop thinking about this MFI issue right now tbh. Before we saw Ramsay we had been on supplements for months and the results were ok, I guess. First round was ok (had still been on supplements from about feb/March 21 until feb 22) and then we didn’t do all that stuff for the second, took it for granted I guess that it would be ok. And then they couldn’t do IMSI for our cycle so I asked for the SA from egg collection day. He had a concentration of 25 million (1 day abstinence) and the highest ever motility at 30% before prep but after they said they analysed 5ul of the sample and it contained “occasionally twitching sperm”. Wtf does this mean? Are all his motile sperm just twitching and not moving? If his sperm are barely swimming how are they going to work at all? So back to square one, he’s taking the supplements again but what was the sperm even like after the guys round? Was that also “occasionally twitching”? I think I’ll have to ask Guys for the SA from our first round to compare. He just had another one done last week by the GP and is seeing a urologist or andrologist at Guys in February. I’m just pretty angry right now. We’re also probably going to look into getting the varicocele removed privately in January and just hope it helps, which it might not. If no sperm are swimming how the hell are we going to get pregnant ever? I’m upset by all this and the money already spent. We should have done an SA before attempt 2 I guess. Lesson learned, we’ll get the clinic to freeze some if we can get it to improve in the new year, and will have to keep retesting I suppose.

@JeanieJ definitely drinking, life is too short for all this shit and no alcohol. We’ll be better behaved in the new year probably.

@beckyCarlos I’m in York, it’s all a bit manic round here today!

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99pctpractice · 10/12/2022 13:30

@thislittlebird there's been some press about a general issue with sperm: www.ft.com/content/1962411f-05eb-46e7-8dd7-d33f39b4ce72 and i agree, it absolutely sucks that nobody tries to address the sperm issues: there's so much burden on women to go through ivf/icsi at the first sign of issues, when men (not all, but some) have the power to alter their sperm quality in 90 days through lifestyle changes because they're lucky enough to get new ones, as opposed to women who are stuck with whatever egg quality they've got!

@Kay00 that sounds like great numbers. it's good that they're monitoring you so closely and adjusting your meds and i hope those ovaries don't feel too huge!! and good luck for your weds ec. will you freeze all rather than having a fresh transfer in case of the risk of ohss?

Kay00 · 09/12/2022 19:57

Hi ladies! A little update from me.

A couple o days ago I had my day 5 bloods taken and my Estrogen was high so they reduced my stims meds (from 150IU Meriofert to 112.5IU).

Today I had my day 7 bloods and scan. The scan showed I had 13 big follicles on one side and 12 on the other, most are in the 11-14mm range but I have 4 in the 17mm+ range already. My Estrogen was high again so the have reduced my Meriofert down to 100IU from tonight.

My ovaries feel massive already and they are starting to ache. I'm a bit worried as I have 4 days of stims left 🥴 and egg retrieval isn't until Wednesday next week 😬.

In my last cycle we reduced the Meriofert from 150IU to 112.5 on day 7, so this time we are using a slightly lower dose. Hopefully that helps improve the quality. My concern is that it feels like I'm stimulating more rapidly this time... Eek!