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

OMG skitoo 2 heartbeats that's amazing! Good work Bert and Ernie :) Here's to a happy and healthy pregnancy.

Jumping don't feel silly for worrying, I have rung up my clinic with some proper stupid and embarrassing questions believe me.

I am trying to drink loads of water, as advised, but I'm also feeling very nauseous especially after I've just eaten. I don't know if that's the drugs, or the cold TBH. I know nausea is a sign of mild OHSS, but I had no signs of that on my scan on Tuesday. I guess I'll find out more tomorrow....

Skitoo whoop whoop! Bert & Ernie! HUGE contratulations! Hope you have a good pregnancy!

Thanks for the reassurance on my neurosis!

skitoo congratulations. What a relief to see the heartbeats. Only 34 more weeks to go...
garden have been thinking of you a lot today. Hang on in there

garden I am absolutely gutted that the scan didn't go well for you. Am also keeping everything crossed you get good news in 10 days. I am thinking of you and sending you huge hugs xxx

Hi All... had our scan following 2 weeks on the DRs and good news - my womb measured 2.5 cm, so started the stims. Lovely nurse Jean at Guys tauhgt me how to use the pen type needle/injection thingy and it was v easy - in fact jsut felt like a small accupuncture needle going in - so I think i'll be fine doing that myself! I am still doing the nasal sprays - i in each nostril once a day, and i think my dose of Gonal F is low - 150 per day? anyway first blood test on Monday morning....jumping how right you are - it all seems to move so fast doesn't it? I hope your fols continue to grow - i;m sure they will...

skitoo amazing news on bert and ernie - how wonderful. so happy for you and it fills me with such hope too.

hellohoho nice to hear from you and great re your stims starting.

Feel better already now i'm not just DR'ing - not as tired...
ZB x

Morning all

Just got back from my scan.

Good news: I have over 20 follicles and some of them have grown to a good size, my ovary is a little trooper :)

Bad news: Scan shows a bit of fluid in my abdomen, but the nurse said it wasn't too much. And I'm feeling even more nauseous and dizzy this morning. So I had to have a blood test to check my oestrogen levels as they're worried about me possibly developing OHSS. They're going to ring back with the results this afternoon.

But all being well I'm booked in for egg collection on Monday. She said there's a chance they may have to freeze any embryos and transfer them at a later date, if I look like I may develop OHSS :( I'm hoping that doesn't happen but we'll see how it goes...

zeebee good news re: moving onto the stims. at your pen type needle and sniffable downregs. I'm doing it the old-fashioned way (not sure why my clinic is different): injectable down-regs and stims, with regular needles. It's a complete faff. But it deson't hurt at all to be fair, the needles are v fine.

Zeebee, glad you're feeling better now your not DR-ing. The injections aren't really that bad at all, are they?! Just wait until you need to inject when you're not at home - I had to do it in a loo earlier this week! (Also had to sniff a DR in the loos at work a couple of times - sure the intern in the next cubicle thought I was snorting coke or something!) What's your blood test for on Monday?

Hoho, good news on your ovary but sorry to hear they think you might have OHSS - hopefully their call this afternoon will be good news. Good luck for your EC on Monday though - that will be another hurdle cleared at least.

I'm having another scan of the follies tomorrow morning - hopefully they'll be big enough for EC on Monday (I run out of Gonal-F on Saturday - guess / hope they'll have more at the hospital if I need to take any more on Sunday?!).

It's weird but reassuring to think that someone else sitting in the waiting room could well be someone on this thread!

you're, not your!

skitoo wow Bert AND Ernie that's wonderful news! And my DS is actually called Bert in real life so I am especially happy for you xxx

hoho great news about the follies, and fingers crossed you can have your EC and ET as planned

jumping very best of luck with your scan tomorrow, I am waggling lots for you! If it helps, I was stimming for 14 days this time round, and my follicles had a growth spurt in the final few days of stimming and also in the couple of days before EC too

garden still thinking about you, and sending hugs ((()))

My blood test results were fine, so I'm ok and can go ahead with my egg collection on Monday WOOHOO!

jumping good luck for scan tomorrow, we might be having our eggs collected on the same day :)

Can anyone who's done this before tell me - what was egg collection like? And did you have your DH there for the whole thing? Did you need him there?

Mine is scheduled for 8am, which means DH won't be there till later on as he'll have to drop DD off at school, unless we make other arrangements. Not sure how I feel about this....

Hi hoho great news! It's worth checking with your hospital. My DH had to come with me at 7am, and had to produce his (ahem) sample around 8am just before I went in for my EC around 8.30. We had to make arrangements for my mum to stay over to take our DS to school because of the timings. My EC was very straightforward, and although it was just sedation not a general, I was totally knocked out (can't remember it at all), but recovered quickly and I was allowed home by around 11.30/12 ish. You're supposed to be collected and someone is supposed to be with you for 24 hours as you have had anaesthetic. So I guess your DH needs to be there for his sample, and then he or someone needs to collect you, but he doesn't need to be there the whole time if you see what I mean. Good luck, will be thinking of you xxx

Thanks danny yes they mentioned about the 'sample' [childish snigger]

As we only live 10 mins drive from the hospital, they very kindly said DH could er...'produce' it at home, and then drop it off at the clinic when he drops me off at 7.30 (we'll have DD in tow at this point). Then he'll leave me on my own [sob] to take DD to school and come back straight after.

I wasn't aware the timing of the 'sample' had to be quite so.... precise though.

They told me I'd be having a 'virtual anaesthetic'. Which puzzled me a bit (I imagined wearing one of those virtual reality helmets showing a completely blank screen). So that'll be sedation then

I'm going to ring the clinic tomorrow morning anyway as I'm worrying about it all now. just a bit.

Great news Hoho, I'm sure the EC will be fine although I did chuckle at the 'virtual anaesthetic', I imagine them using a Wii to 'distract' you or something!

Ladies, apologies for a me me post but I'm a bit emotionally exhausted so I don't have time for a long post but wanted to give you all an update.

I went to Guys for another scan yesterday because I was in quite a bit of pain and they told me they still couldn't see a fetal pole so they were pretty sure that they pregnancy wasn't viable. Oddly though, I thought I could see something and, as I am not a pixie blessed with patience, I booked a private scan this afternoon.

And the first thing we saw was a little heartbeat! I was in shock!

Everything is still measuring a little on the small size (my egg collection date puts the gestational age at 6 weeks and 3 days but the size of the gestational sac suggests more 5+6) so we're not out of the woods but I was gobsmacked when we saw that little heart flickering away like a trooper.

Big hugs and waggles all round and thank you so much for all your kind words - your support has really made a difference and I'm sorry I've been feeling too bleak to respond.

Lots of love xxxxx

garden sorry it's been so exhausting, I can't even imagine how difficult it must have been for you both but and big hugs for the next few days, I have everything crossed that the little pixie hangs on in there xxxx

GP what a rollercoaster. Also really routing for the little pixie and hope you're doing okay after the last few days.

skitoo OMG!!! when's the next scan?

Sorry not to name check everybody else but hope everyone is doing okay xxx.

Oh my god Garden, what a roller coaster, I have absolutely everything crossed for you. I really hope that little pixie has just been a slow starter and is now getting super comfy. Lots of love and hugs for you and DH, will be thinking of you and sending all the positive vibes I have xxx

x-posts Teds, how you doing lovely?

Yes can't believe it, we're still in shock. Next scan is week after next, just hope it's still real then and will then just be scared at the thought of 2 .

I am shattered! Working away from home for three weeks but paying my own bed a flying visit this evening which is a relief!

Hoping that the scan is all good next week too x.

Oh that's so nice to hear Garden!

Garden what hope! And I'll just keep hoping, hoping, hoping, that all goes well for you xxx

Skitoo what happy news, big congratulations! I wish you a very happy pregnancy xx. I wish you a very happy pregnancy xx. (see what I did there?! )

Wonderful news Garden, I'm so happy for you. Am still lurking about on here if ok, as finally can confirm my appointment on 11th Oct with the nurse who will take me through it all. Then it all kicks off after that, so game on! Am v excited about it all and trying to take care of myself in the weeks running up to it. This thread really has been the most informative thing I've found about how it all works and what I should expect, so thank you all for sharing and caring (trying not to sound all Jerry Springer about this ;) ).

Garden wow what an up-down week of emotions it's been for you. Little beanie sounds like he/she is settling in now. Thank goodness you got that other scan.
Skitoo WOW what super news-you must be thrilled. Bertie and Ernie are sure to be cosying cuddling each other!
xxx

Gosh garden how could guys miss that!! So happy for you...

Have been feeling quite moody today - on day 3 of stimson. Injections are fine- as long as you pinch enough skin before putting needle in - my mistake last night for not and it hurt! Ow!

First blood test tomorrow morning at guys.

Have lovely Sunday nights all
zb

skitoo fab news hope the lovely dazed feeling lasted and work can survive a few hrs.

To everyone else I hope the weekend has been kind to you all.

I am much better am in a better place mentally and changing my mind to no op ( even though nature had unbeknown to be decided that as well) was definately the right way for me feel it helped heal me quicker. Have not yet managed to ring Nottingham yet will try this week to see what happens next.
HoHo your post about your insided did make me smile.