IVF / ICSI - everyone welcome for questions, hand holding, and waggle dancing

[Gardenpixie]

Ladies, we ran out of space on the old thread so here is a sparkly new one with dedicated areas for waggle dancing, hormonal outbreaks of bonkersness, sniffing, injecting and progesterone pessary related fartiness.

For anyone thinking about starting IVF / ICSI or going through it at the moment, do come and say hello. These wonderful ladies have kept me sane through the last few months and are a source of all knowledge concerning tests, down-regging, ov stimulating, DIY injections and much more so if you need any info or just some company, do join us.

So here's a welcome for everyone and an enormous waggle dance for many many more BFPs to come

Hi all, super quick post from me as am on my mobile so can't really write properly!

Not great news from me... Follicles all looking good with five over 18 but my estradiol levels are sky high so no EC on Monday for me. Have to wait to see if th levels come down. Have a horrid feeling this cycle is turning out like last time and heading towards a great big fat cancellation.

Hope all is well with everyone else , will check in properly tomorrow xxx

Sorry just a quickie as my internet keeps going down and I keep losing what I have written but just wanted to say how sorry I am Luck and how inspiring your post above is. Kool sums it up perfectly for me - not what I can add except look after yourself and Mr Ted and do whatever brings you happiness and comfort at the moment. (Oh and DS was from a FET so they can work :))

Hang in there Teds - there really is only so much they can tell in the dish and some embryos just prefer to be back where they belong. I will be keeping everything crossed that that is the case with yours.

Big hugs to womanly - hope the next couple of weeks pass quickly,

Hi to everyone else - will post properly when I can xx

Oh Garden, just seen your post. I am absolutely gutted for you - why does this all have to be so bloody hard. I will be praying the levels come down and EC can be rescheduled xx

Hi Skitoo - just seen your post too. Great news about your scan, its surprising how much of a spurt they can have between trigger and EC. Sorry if I came across as preachy before, I didn't mean it like that - I just know with myself, no matter how well each stage goes I always want a little bit more. FWIW I genueinely think your numbers sound great - although on both my cycles I have managed to get a reasonable number of eggs, after the way they have both gone I am seriously thinking of going for mild IVF next time which normally results in between 2-7 eggs. Good luck for Monday.

Caramel - have fun camping!

Louise - hope you feel better soon

Ellan - good luck for tomorrow, can't wait to hear how you get on

Welcome to Bext and hello to everyone else I've missed

Oh Garden, just seen your post, I'm so sorry sweets, what an absolute sh**er. Is there anything they can give you to try and bring the levels down, or do you just have to wait and see? Hang in there, your follies are doing amazing so have everything crossed that it comes back down and you get back on track just a little bit later. Will be waggling like mad for you today. (((((((hugs))))))).

Good luck for today Ellan, hope you will be heading home real soon xx.

Nocake, absolutely not preachy, exactly what I needed to hear, so thanks .

Hi! I am on day 4 of Down Reg injections.
I am with the Oxford Fertility Unit but live in Bournemouth.
My DH is great but I think he is getting more stressed about this than me!!
How long did it take for everyone to start feeling effects of the injections?
Is anyone on the same timetable as me? I am due for EC on the 19th of September.
Thanks to Scrummybumb and skitoo For inviting me on here, I was a bit lost!!

Garden I was so to hear about your estradiol levels, can they give you something to bring them down or is it just a matter of watch and wait? I'm so incredibly frustrated for you, so goodness only knows how you must be feeling. What would the risks of EC be with high levels? Is it linked with OHSS again? Sorry, I feel as though I should know the answer to this. We're all rooting for you so, so much hon xxx

garden thinking of you and waggling like mad for you... really hope things change for the better and it means you can carry on with the IVF round - my fingers and toes are crossed - so are my cats paws in fact as I type this!!
Hi to flyfox - i am yet to start DR - fingers crossed it will be on 8th Sept - not long to go now. Had my blood results back yesterday that say my hormone levels are normal, so I really hope that means the IVF will be a simple proceedure (HA!)

Happy weekends to everyone else - jumping have you started your DR's yet? I rang Guys and explained about my day 1 even though me and DH hadn't been for our baseline appt yet and she said that we couldnt start the DR's until after we've seen doc - make sense to us - roll on 5th sept appt!

Off to a wedding now -- it's going ot be hard to keep off the today!
Bye
ZB

Hi Flyfox, glad you found us .

I'm at Oxford too! Thats quite some journey for you though, is it the nearest or did you choose for another reason? I was incredibly lucky and didn't get any side effects from the down regs, which I was quite surprised at. Lets hope that you don't too. I'll let you know how I get on there next week.

Zeebee, good news on the bloods. 5th Sep will be here before you know it, with the bank hol weekend and then it'll be all go . Enjoy the wedding, have a sneaky for me please .

Waggling like crazy for u garden, hang in there, there is a whole wknd for the e levels to settle down - big hug.

Hello everyone, I'm home-yay! Had transfer this morning- only one had made it to blasto by early morning when they checked, so barry the blast is on board! It was an early blast only, so I have no idea what that really means for our chances but there's not a lot I can do about it! They were going to continue culturing another couple which may make it to blast by the time they check tomorrow, if so they can freeze them. If not, there's no point. Have probably damaged my chances by getting straight on a flight but I couldn't wait any longer to come home!
garden hope things settle down. I didn't have my oestrodiol checked at all during stims, did they just check because they suspect OHSS? Can they not still do EC but delay transfer by freezing them until your next cycle?

Skitoo I was given a choice of 5, Oxford had the best rep and I am so glad I chose it as every one has been great. But yes it is a hike and the car has just broken which is no help at all!
zeebee1 Thank you, Good luck with starting! I'm still finding it odd that I have got to this stage, A part of me thinks I am going to wake up and it's still months away!!
My DH is getting a little silly at the mo, and being unreasonable; is it just me or is anyone else having this problem?

Hi flyfox In my experience I am the silly and unreasonable one! Why have you been referred if you don't mind me asking?

Hey everyone,

Welcome flyfox you will really find this little home useful-wealth of lovely ladies on here

Ellan hope barry is settling in well and welcome home-must be a relief to see your little one and the family after what has probably seemed like an age.

Garden how are things now? They must be able to do something about the levels? I'm so sorry for all the worry you're going through-it really is crap but worth it in the end hopefully. When do you see the clinic again? Waggling

Well my AF has turned up-funny how when starting IVF you're actually pleased to see it for once! Here we go ICSI cycle 1-hope we get further than before and at least get to ET-Start buserilin injections tonight. Off for a walk in the woods with my lovely DH-have already apologised in advance for my inevitable moodiness in the coming weeks!

Love to allxx

Hi all,
Thanks so much for all your waggles! Keep them coming!

Just a quick post from me as am on my mobile again. My estradiol is still high - on friday, it was 21000 and it needs to be 14000 before they will let me do the shot. Sadly there is nothing they can do to get them down, just have to wait and have blood tests EVERY DAY. I spoke to the dr today and she said that I can keep going just taking the ov suppressant for a bit longer without compromising the quality of the eggs. She seemed very positive and I suppose I should trust her but it's a bit hard having been told twice that EC would be tomorrow! And after last time, I just cant help thinking that this is not going to work for me. I have been considering doing mild ivf at the create clinic as they aim for up to 7 follicles so they use much less stim drugs so avoid the need for blood tests and the risk of OHSS.

Anyway, I guess i will just have to hang on and see what happens...

Love and waggles to everyone

Xxxx

PS I actually had a little bee do a mini waggle dance on me today, I think she wants to be our mascot!

gp - fingers crossed for you, sounds like you have a bit of time for everything to calm down. I've heard good things about the create clinic but hopefully you won't end up there.

ellangirl good luck with barry, fingers crossed for you.
All good here, scan is this week (around 7 weeks) so fingers crossed. Feeling pretty nervous
Good luck to all

Evening all

Delighted to hear ET has been and gone for you ellan, I bet you're glad to be home. Sending Barry the blasto vibes to snuggle in. I hope your's are embedding nicely too nocake, and as for you teds, I hope your superteds (don't care what the nurse said!) are also holding on. I keep sending little thoughts to mine: hold on buddies!
Am waggling for all you ladies :)

Good luck skitoo for EC tomorrow, I'm sure it will all go well :)

Hi flyfox, welcome aboard this crazy ride we call IVF! When I was DR-ing I was prepared to go nuts at any time, but in fact I seem to be pretty OK (maybe you should ask my DH...). I know this won't help you, as all women react differently to the drugs. I think you just need to know that any weirdness you feel is completely normal, and any normality you feel is also... completely normal. Go with the flow, hon

Good luck with DR-ing too pumpkin. Hope this cycle goes better for you this time :)

Garden: it is difficult to know what to think when you have conflicting evidence in front of you like that. The daily blood tests are a bummer, but I guess that will tell them what they need to know (drink plenty of water!). Has your estradiol come down at all since Friday? I really hope so. I can understand why you would be surprised to have EC tomorrow under these circumstances, but I'm really glad the dr is optimistic for it going ahead. These people have seen it all in IVF, I'm sure of that. Take heart. I have everything crossed for you my lovely :) As has that bee :o

As for me, I guess no news is good news. I keep going to the loo expecting to see blood. It hasn't happened yet. I'm not obsessing about POAS, which I'm glad about. I had a little cramping for a couple of days after ET, but that was all. Life chez Bode is weirdly normal. I test on bank holiday Monday.

((((( hugs all )))))

Well done Boddecia for being strong and not POAS I hope I will be as strong-thinking about going away somewhere with no chemists during the 2ww! (if we're lucky enough to get that far this time)
Skitto good luck for today-sending waggles and hugs. Let us know how you go later on.
Owl hope its all going well. When is your scan? You ll feel more reassured then.
Garden really waggling for you like mad and sending huge (((()))) Went for a walk through pretty lavender fields at the weekend and think I met a few friends of your friend the bee!

Well for me, 2nd DR injection down-quite a few to go. They really don't agree with my skin and it looks like have been dragged thru a big stinging nettle after but don't care and am definately not moaning!
Lots of love all Happy monday xxx

GP so very sorry to hear your news. Are you having another blood test today? Really hope that the estradiol levels start to drop. Think I might need to do an 'anti-waggle' so that your bits behave themselves x.

ellan glad to hear that barry is on board and that you are home.

skitoo is EC today?! Really hope that all goes well.

pumpkin are you on the short protocol as you started on the drugs when AF arrived? Sorry to hear about the stinging nettle Also, quick question, did you just have one cycle break after your last try? Trying to work out how soon be able to try again.

Thanks to everybody who posted such lovely messages. We were both very sad and teary on Friday and Saturday but, we threw ourselves into the DIY yesterday and got lots done so feeling a bit more positive about life today!

Lots of ((((hugs)))) to all the other ladies out there.

Hi Teds so sorry to hear the pesimistic news from your clinic-so there is still hope, yes? Try and grasp that-hope is a wonderful thing... Not too strenuous with the DIY! To answer your question though I think am on long protocol-starting DRs with CD1 have a scan on 31/8 to see if I can start stimming, then follow ups on 6/9, 8/9 and 11/9 with provisional EC on 13/9. They now have my records from last cycle-follicles only measured 16-18mm after 11 days of stimming at EC-no wonder eggs weren't mature. Feel quite short changed by NHS to put it politely. WHY did they not just give me a couple more days stims?? Had to have 2 cycles in between-which I have thought felt like an eternity! Will check back in tomorrow-off to my sisters now to play in her garden-in the big paddling pool!
xx

Teds I'm a bit as I thought you said you had both on board? Doesn't that mean that they could still be nestling in as we speak? I'm really sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick. I know you said their growth hadn't been great but they might be much happier in you rather than in a petri dish. I still have it all crossed for you.

And Garden your last post sounded a bit more promising, although what a PITA about all the blood tests again as I know you'd hoped you'd managed to avoid as many on this protocol. Like Teds I'm limiting my waggling and giving stern looks instead. I do hope you had more encouraging news today.

pumpkin I'm so pleased you're back in the game! I wish you all the very best and hope it goes much more smoothly this time. Not surprised you feel short changed, why on earth would they have done EC without the growth they needed? I hope your poor skins starts calming down too.

Skitoo I do hope all has gone well today.

Ellan I hope you're feeling relaxed being back where you belong!

Teds - try a stay positive, embryos do better inside us than in the petri dish.

Hi ladies,

teds I bet your superteds just didn't much like the decor in the petri dish so are much happier nestling into a properly furnished uterus with all the mod cons an embie could possibly want! The drs are good but they are not infallible so I for one am still cheering for the teds!

pumpkin I am really shocked that the clinic did EC with follies that weren't ripe. Do you know why? Did they just stick to the "normal" dates? At least you are in good hands now

Ellan I hope Barry is doing well!

bodeccia your patience is truly awe inspiring! I am sure it will pay off!

Thank you everyone else for your waggles and stern looks. I am sorry not to do a full post, DH is currently hovering impatiently as we are meant to be heading off to see one of his friends so I'd best go shortly.

Just wanted to update you that my hormones levels have dropped enough so EC is now on for Wednesday. I am still shocked as I genuinely thought it was game over this time round but all of you waggling and being stern with my ovaries clearly worked!

I will be working at home tomorrow so will have plenty of time to catch up and post, especially as I don't have to go into the clinic for more blood tests!

Lots of love and waggles all round!

Xxxxxxx gp

Fantastic news Garden xxx

Garden, am so happy that things are going ahead for you on Wednesday .

Sorry but am feeling pretty , we only got 3 eggs this morning and was told that one wasn't great quality. I know there's still hope that we'll get one embie from it but am struggling to feel optimistic. Not looking forward to the call in the morning.

Sorry not to post more xx