Anyone else about to start IVF?

[gardenpixie]

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

Hi dannygirl- we have a miracle DS too-mindblowing how the hell it could have happened isn't it!! it is a short protocol that you're on- they use it for women they expect to be poor responders for ovarian stimulation, as it kind of gives the ovaries a kick up the backside by using the drugs alongside the natural raise in hormone levels at the beginning of your period. That's how I understand it anyway. Means it will only be a couple of weeks from start to finish for you.

Hi Ladies,

Hope you dont mind me jumping onboard. I will give you the short version of our Journey so far. TTC#1 for 3 years, DH and I are due to embark on our IVF PGD jorney. Our probes for PGD are currently being worked on, due to be completed at ANY time. We think our cycle will begin October time. Are any of you ladies due to start around that time? x

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1182013-IVF-PGD

This is the link to my old thread - it explains my journey and treatment in more depth x

Eek garden I just realised that my notw comment could have seemed like a big insult - I do hope it didn't cause offence, I was just referring to the type of people who might be so sneaky as to look at your diary....sorry

Welcome newmember

Hope you got on well with your drug trilogy caramel

afternoon all!

Good luck kool and caramel with your EC!! How exciting; I am doing lots of dancing (well my feet are, under the desk - the rest of me is like a serene swan, oh yes).

garden I am having great difficulty in my swan-like state to not shout out the worst swear words I know at your former employers. UnbeLIEVable, what absolute **ers!!! [hangry] I'm glad about the silver lining though; it sounds really exciting for you and you deserve for it to go well. You're so right about life being on hold whilst TTC. I think we have gone slightly too far the other way and are probably going to be moving house next month -yep, around EC ET time! anyway, best of luck with your new venture.

Welcome dannygirl and newmember. danny I can echo caramel's words about the injections; I was dreading them, but they're fine, and it's amazing how quickly they become part of your routine. I jab at 8pm, so that I know I'm home and relaxed and, most importantly, awake! Don't think I could draw up a syringe at 6am!

Bella, lovely news about your little bean, how amazing for you. Sending you happy, baby-growing vibes [hsmile].

Not much to report here, I'm 5 days into the downreg and don't feel too different, except I'm a bit crabbier. But then this is PMT time anyway, so it's probably no different. I am craving but again, that's my usual state. Tra la.

love to you all, keep jabbin', sniffin', on truckin'!

xx

Boo my potter smileys don't work .

You and I are on the same time frame, luck, I'm day 6 too, and I haven't really noticed anything different. The injections really are no big deal. I get my DH to get the vial sorted out then I stick it in (I like to get him involved with something then at least he feels like he's part of it). Don't worry dannygirl, you really will get used to them :)

Welcome newmember, lovely to see you

Hope things are calming down for you kool

Waves to everyone else :)

Thanks everyone for your good wishes. AF arrived today which means I start injecting tomorrow!! Yikes! I love the idea of DH doing the jabs so he could feel involved but he would totally freak out....unless there is a spell for that xxx

Thanks Bodeccia, things defo calmed down for me, I'm all set for EC on Wed .

Good luck tomorrow Caramel! Can't wait to hear how you get on. You can be my mentor!

Luckyour posts always make me chuckle. I could just imagine your feet dancing away . Glad that you and Bodeccia are getting on well with the down regs, I was an emotional wreck on them so you're doing far better than I did.

Dannygirl all the best for your first injection, remember, don't think about it, just do it!

Morning ladies,

Anyone else need a ?

Care how are you feeling today lovely? When will your FET get underway? Do you have to take any drugs leading up to it or do they just monitor you and transfer when you're ready? I hope you are OK, sending more (((hugs)))

Caramel eeeeeek how exciting that as I type, the Drs may well be collecting lots of lovely eggs all set for their date with Mr Caramel's swimmers. Good luck with it all, I hope you are feeling OK and do let us know how it went

Kool i can't believe you are ECing tomorrow! What a busy week for the thread. How are you feeling about it all? I might not be able to post tomorrow as I'm going to my uncle's funeral but I will be doing secret waggle dances for you for lots of lovely ripe eggs! [waggle dance emoticon]

Bodeccia you are the queen of spells and MN creativity! How are you today? Here's a special witchy to help with your spells

Danny how did your first injection go? I agree with all the advice from the other ladies - after the first one, you just get used to getting it out of the way. I was quite surprised at how little it hurt! I hope it's gone well and that you're feeling OK on the meds. Does that mean you're set for EC in a couple of weeks?

Ellan lovely to see you! How are you? Any more enormous round trips to the clinic? Hope you're well

New welcome! I don't know much about PGD but DH and I will be doing at least half of my eggs with ICSI - maybe more if we don't get very many. Have you been through all the other tests? Where are you having your treatment? Sorry, lots of questions!

SwannyLuck hello oh serene lady, how are you this tranquil morning? Crikey you do have a lot lined up for next month - presumably it gives you a free pass from any packing / unpacking / moving? Are you excited about the move?

Womanly I hope you are well too lovely, what's new with you?

Waves to everyone else!

I have just been cleaning my dog's teeth and trimming his nails as we are about to take him to the vets for his vaccinations and I wanted to make sure he was all polished and neat round the edges so the vet doesn't think I'm a bad dog mother ! Just got time for some milky porridge and TTC friendly herbal tea before we go ...

Have a lovely Tuesday everyone xxxx

Hi ladies
Caramel & Kool - good luck with your ECing tomorrow. I'm really interested to hear how it goes.

Day 6 of menopur injections for me today. First scan tomorrow to check follicule growth so feeling quite excited (not sure if that's the right word!) about it.

Hi everyone,

Can I join your thread? We have been trying for #1 for 8 months, but due to a dodgy cycle with early spotting and low progesterone readings, I got referred to clinic after 6 months trying. After more tests, it turns out there is nothing wrong with my progesterone, but DH has low sperm count and motility, and consultant advised is this morning that ICSI is our best option.

We prob won't start treatment till September or October, but thought I would come on here to read some of your stories. I've been told the chances of success are about 40% per cycle, which is encouraging. We only get one cycle free, so time to start saving up in case it takes a few more goes.

Have been reading through the information leaflet and it looks quite intensive. How much time off work has the procedure lead to for some of you?

Welcome cloclo! Wow a 40% success chance, that's pretty good! There are several of us doing ICSI on here, so join the club.

I'm also interested in how long people have taken off. Obviously am planning a couple of days off around EC (which I can get as 'special leave') and then a week after ET, but that would be annual leave. What have others done? How did you feel? Am worried my head will be a shed during the 2WW so am pondering taking the whole fortnight off and just doing lovely memememe things

yay! hometime!!

xx

Ladies I'm massively behind with where everyone is - so very sorry but hopefully you will forgive me if I tell you that I was cooking pasta at 1.00am as that's when I got home from work and I had to eat! And I thought July and August would be a nice quiet time to have treatment [hconfused]

Very quickly, caramel really hope all went well today and that your eggs and Mr C's sperm are steaming up the petri dish as I type [hblush]

And kool lots and lots of love and luck that all goes well tomorrow. I'm joining GP's waggle dance and really hoping all goes well.

Finally, GP must properly read your post but sounds like your former clients are a bunch of cnuts and w8nkers who frankly don't deserve someone as wonderful as you x.

Hello ladies - quick one from me as on work phone overseas but just wanted to wish Kool all the best for tomorrow and send lots of positive vibes over for Caramel, everything crossed for some good news from you soon .

Waves to everyone else, hope all is well with you all xx

Good luck kool and caramel for your ECs tomorrow! I'll be thinking of you both.

Welcome cloclo take a seat, there's plenty of room [hsmile]

For the time taken off question: I'm a teacher, so I only have a couple of weeks left of work (at school) before the holidays start (read: work at home [hconfused]).

I don't suppose that's much help as the time I have off is already pre-determined.

Still waiting for AF to show... that's been my first week of injections now, and my DH says: when are you going to become a monster? You've been alright so far...

I've told him I'm saving up a big episode just for him [hgrin]

I'm a teacher too, but seeing as I can't start ICSI until September at the earliest, I am going to find it all a bit difficult. I know I will prob need two days for egg collection and a day for egg transfer, but also going to be a lot of mornings for scans etc too I'm guessing.

Think I'm just going to have to go and tell the head about it all tomorrow, was trying to avoid mentioning we were trying, but now I know we are going to need this sort of treatment I think I'm going to have to come clean :/

Aw thanks guys for your well wishes, I'm feeling quite excited about EC tomorrow! I wonder how Caramel got on today?

Garden, so sorry that you have your uncle's funeral, that's sad. Will be thinking of you too, ((()))

Owl good luck with your scan tomorrow, I hope it's all going to plan.

Welcome Cloclo! The tricky thing about how intense it all is really depends on how you respond at different stages to the drugs. As you said, it's a given that you'll need the day of and after EC off work and ideally as much relaxation after transfer as possible. Obviously this'll be tricky with school so unless you can miraculously time transfer time around a half term, telling your Head is probably the best option. I'm a teacher too but not working at the mo and last week when on my stimulating drugs I was going in for blood tests and scans at least every other day. I did think that if I'd been working it could have been tricky to try to do it without letting school know. Wishing you all the very best.

Teds oh my very goodness, you work too hard, do you want me to write you a note?!! I LOVED your thoughts on Garden's nasty old employers - spot on!

Thanks Skitoo, ooh I hope you're working away somewhere exciting

Bodeccia thanks too. Glad your down regs are still going well. My DH enjoyed making similar comments!

So I'll let you know how I get on tomorrow....eeeep!

Loads of luck for tomorrow kool and hope it went brilliantly today caramel. garden hope the funeral goes as well as can be expected. For me, it's one injection down...er....loads more to go! Wasn't as bad as I feared, thank you for all your advice and encouragement. I think Just Do It is a very good mantra xxx

Hi all! I am so excited to hear how everyone's going at your various stages. I love that there are other people going through this all at the same time! bodeccia my DH is dreading the mood swings I keep warning him about- I'm a hormonal bitch every month as it is! Good luck tomorrow kool, and caramel let us all know how it went! owl how were your follicles looking??
Well Poor DH is flying off to leeds tomorrow to do another 'splash and dash' to be frozen as a back up. My AF still hasn't shown up on day 38 (so 6-8 days late now) so I have to do a HPT tomorrow (ha! chance would be a fine thing) then go in to have my zoladex injection to down regulate anyway. No idea when I'll have AF then?! Egg collection would then prob be around August 10th...

Hi just a quickie from me to wish kool loads of luck for tomorrow, will be thinking of you.

Caramel hope it went great today.

Gp I admire your resilience. Am ok hon bit better after exercise and fresh air at. Weekend. X

Hi Ladies

My scan went well today, 7 follicules on each side - no idea if this is a 'good' number but stimming drugs continuing as before.
Good luck for today kool & hope it went ok caramel.

GP hope all goes ok you seem to have had a sh*y run of luck.

Cloco - my scans & appts so far have been 8.30-10.30 which has made fitting in everything else much easier than I was execting. EC & ET will be more difficult I suspect.
Good luck to everyone else with the injecting etc - I'm almost enjoying doing mine now, finding it very satisfying watching the fluid going in! [weird emoticon]

Wow - everyone has been busy!

I arrived in work this morning to find my boss has dumped a project on my desk that was due last Thursday. She's had weeks to work on it and now it's a case of 'Teds, this really must be submitted today, please sort out all the stuff I've failed to sort in two weeks, in, err, two hours...' Anyways, I'm taking that as a cue to look at MN

Care sorry that you've been a bit down xx Like GP also wondering if you have any news on FET?

womanly had AF turned up yet? Think you are waiting on this before you start the next round?

GP sorry to hear that on top of the work stuff your uncle has died Hope that the vet commended you on being a good dog mum and really pleased that you have a positive plan on the work front. Also glad there is movement on the short protocol. Not sure quite how it works but if it might mean EC in mid-August we may end up as EC buddies - fingers crossed for both (all!) of us.

skitoo hope you are having a lovely wonderful break. Are you still on for starting down regs on the 22nd? I'm starting on Friday so we will be down-reg buddies

caramel the injection information is really helpful - though sorry you've had to go through this. I'm really hoping I'm on these pen-things though Also really hoping that all went well with EC yesterday.

Bodeccia luck are you both taking your down regs by injection rather than by sniffing? I is

owl welcome! I think 7 follies on each side sounds like a good response - not too much, not too little.

Welcome Danny glad the first injection went well! I think I'll be adopting the 'just do it' mantra too. Or to be more precise, the 'FFS just stick it in and get on with this awful state of affairs as there isn't anyway round this horrific injection thingy' mantra

Welcome 'New' too. We started off with just male factor too and that meant we have moved through the system relatively quickly. This has been a lovely thread for me and I'm sure it'll still be going in Octobr. Although obviously all of us due to cycle before then will have lovely BFPs by then

Ellan loving the 'splash and dash' - hope Mr Ellan does the business today! We might be drug buddies too? Unless the HPT gave you a surprise this morning?

Welcome Cloclo I'm taking two weeks off that will probably tie in with EC/ET and the start of the 2ww. However, luckily the boss is out of the office for two weeks before this and one week after which definitely makes things less pressurised.

close on choices between IUI/IVF/ICSI for us it was relatively clear so can't be very helpful on this. I think Guys will talk all this through with you at your first appointment.

Finally, Kool really hope all goes well today. Not sure how your DH is at the moment but hope he's able to support you today/share today with you or if not (and don't mean to cause offence by this) hope that all goes well and that Guys treat you like a princess xxx. I shall be in Guys later for my 'this is how you take drugs' session so I'll be the one in the ACU waggle dancing

Finally, finally, I'm quite enjoying this at the moment

Very long post. Sorry! Also Bella lovely, amazing news on that heartbeat . Bondi hoping all is well with you too x.

Aw, you guys all seriously rock! I'm so grateful for your kind thoughts and well wishes, it means so much.

All went really well this morning and they collected 10 eggs. The anaesthetic was lovely! They've decided to do ICSI which I'm happy about, so I'll wait for the call tomorrow to see how things are looking. Was a bit worried last night as my lovely acupuncturist is going to be away for my transfer but she used to work at Zita West and said you can go to the Zita clinic for the pre and
post transfer session so that set my mind at rest.

Teds you really make me chuckle . I'm sure you'll get the pen type injection as that's what people at Guys seem to get. You can see the needle but you don't have to do any syringe filling, it's all in the pre filled syringe. You're so sweet, I really was well looked after today. My mum came with me as it wasn't the right time for my DH but he's feeling quite well and is really pleased with how it has all gone. I wonder if I walked past you in the waiting room today?!! Hope your lesson goes well

Maybe I'm still a bit anaesthetised but I'm feeling a whole lot of (((()))) for all of you lovelies right now! Thanks again Garden, you should be really proud of starting and maintaining such a lovely thread. Thinking of you today xx

Owl, 7 sounds like a really steady amount, great stuff