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

Kool I have never been delicate a failing i fear at timea but less confusion at others. great minds and all the rest.
Zeebee I would ask but sometimes find them monthly things painful so maybe similar

zeebee, the pessaries are horrible I think - just found out have to use them for FOUR WEEKS! Horrified... I put them in the back entrance and it's all very weird feeling but then I'm still getting over EC, so hard to say what's what. And well done for numbers fertilised, amazing!
Blacktreaclecat - well done with the injections - that's a milestone. My first one I had to do by candle light as I had a power cut! Ridic. You know you're getting used to it when you are 'jacking up' (as I like to call it!) in some swank bar in London in the toilets!
Hope my little blastocyst likes it in here - surrounding myself with nieces and kittens in the hope of waking up my uterus as if it's a rusty old diesel engine!

Hi congratulations to those who have just transfer. Wishing for a stress free 2ww with a happy ending.
I'm worrying slightly about follicles etc. I had a scan on Friday on day 5 of Stims- 187.5 menopur. I had 4 10mm and 20+ small. They upped menopur to 225. On cetrotide as well now. I was hoping for way more than 4 - I was predicted to be an over responder at high risk of ohss.
Can some of the smaller ones catch up?
Also anyone else have a mild allergic reaction to their injections? Menopur alone was ok but now with cetrotide I get redness and itching at the injection site. It settles down by next morning.
Xx

hi blacktreaclecat - when I was stimming I had a fair number that caught up towards the end. Also, the injection redness is probably more irritation that allergic - there are things in it that irritate a bit like nettle acid and it probably is just that. Good luck with follicles - come on follicles!

Blacktreaclecat- I had same reaction to Cetrotide last time, Pollykitten sounds right that it's just some annoying irritant in the med. If it gets worse though you should probably tell your nurse/doc.
I had my Day 5 BT this morn and have been told to up my Gonal-F- it's like getting a poor result in school, my ovaries are underachievers and need to try harder. Fingers crossed they show better results for the scan on Tuesday.
Anyone else find the Menopur hard to get through the skin? DH struggles with it compared to the Gonal-F. Thankfully he doesn't seem to be enjoying it...

Thanks ladies
Not having too much problem getting the needles through the skin. I am a dentist though so sticking needles in people is a strong area for me! I do find it difficult to be brave enough to do it to myself so Emla cream is needed... H also sings to me, Puff the Magic Dragon is favourite ATM. It is more difficult to inject when you are laughing so much your belly wobbles!
Does anyone find it difficult to summon PMA? I keep saying if rather than when and yesterday found myself googling treatment abroad.

What is PMA please? Newbie to forum-land

Sorry positive mental attitude

I'm finding PMA hard to manager even with day 6 blasto transfer yesterday - it's hard not knowing, although I know I'm lucky to have got as far as this.

manage

Hi guys-just wanted to pop in and say hi-Zeebee have you had transfer today? Was it either a day 3 or 5-I know clinics all do it slightly differently. I have no advice re the pessaries, I am on progesterone injections-although pain sounds awful-hope you re feeling better?
Pink and treacle will be waggling for your follicles-when are your next stim scans?
Hello to blacktreacle and Polly too.
I have my 6 week scan this week and am V E R Y nervous-am finding PMA very difficult to muster myself. Time will tell I suppose-eek! Take care all you lovely ladies xxx xxx

Evening everyone, sitting here wishing I didn't have to have baseline scan tomorrow in the middle of AF? I know the nurses will have probably seen it all before but still doesn't seem very pleasant :( did anyone else have this? Or was your AF over before scan? The paperwork says you don't have to wait so I've got to go with that I suppose.

Good luck with 6 week scan pumpkin

Hi PUMPKIN thank you for your thoughts... ET is tomorrow as they wanted to wait til blasto! So Think of me at 11.10! Had an awful reaction to the pesaries- so bad in fact that I woke at 6am and we rang the emergency doc. Stomache agony and my behind too - never felt pain like it. Anyway we went into ACU this morning to see anyone about it and I had a scan and spoke to a doctor there who said it's a normal reaction and that I should start taking the pesaries at the back end- this will releave the trauma my poor old front end has been thru with EC last week etc. So am now back at home in bed - not now going to work today as dr said to relax today and our ET can still go ahead tomorrow as planned - phew!
Sorry a bit of unloading there on my part!!

Good luck PUMPKIN with the 6 week scan - I am sending you good pessary filled vibes!!

Zb

I went for my baseline scan this morning, not too messy :/ and good news is I start stimming tomorrow :) another milestone reached

Just popping in to do a BIG WAGGLE for zeebee tomorrow-hope ET goes smoothly and you're resting up-am glad you havn't been in to work-I had 2 weeks off after EC and glad I did as was a bit raw in tummy area-poor you with the pessaries-your poor bottom
Cloco thanks for the good wishes on my scan-way to go you've got one more mile stone ticked off-it does get a bit like that doesn't it? What's your protocol for the stims? I was on gonal-f and Menopur as I was a slow developer so to speak.
How are jumping and hoho?? Hope the 2ww has quickened pace for you-Is your OTD very similar? Sending ((( ))) anyway.
Love to all
xxx

Hi, I'm new on here and just thought I'd give it a go. After over 2 years of TTC We started ICSI back in May and had a successful EC in August of 20, they were able to use 17 , 8 were fertilised and we had a 3 day embryo transfer of a 10 cell embryo. We were extremely positive, unfortunately 12 days after ET I started to bleed did a PT just to check but it was negative. We have 4 frozen embryos and have to wait until Nov for another ET. Had an emotional few weeks with various family members having babies or telling us they're expecting! We just bottle it up and put a brave face on either that or we tend to avoid them! Has anyone else experienced this? Just so I know We're not the only ones. Thanks x

hey sassy welcome to the unfortunate world of the fertility-challenged. I hope your journey is short & successful. It's a bummer when everyone around you starts procreating like rabbits and you're silently suffering inside, but it sounds like your DH is supportive. So no- you're far from being on your own. I've spent the last 10 years developing a very thick skin to pregnancy and birth announcements. It's not fun but with a supportive DH and maybe a friend in similar circumstances (if your friends are all having bubs, you'll soon find out which ones are also having trouble TTC) you'll get through it in one piece.
BUt take heart that your response to the ICSI was really good- 4 frosties is great. A shame you've had to wait so long for the next transfer though.
cloclo - that baseline scan is horrid isn't it. The first time I had to do it I was mortified and had a meltdown in the loos afterwards. Mind you, it didn't help that it was back in the day when UCLH made the TTC wait to have a scan with the heavily preggers. Well done for getting through another milestone.
Good luck tomorrow zeebee, very exciting. I can't believe your reaction to the pessaries was 'normal'. Surely that kind of a reaction should be dealt with ASAP? poor you.
AFM- I had acupuncture today and it was the most painful session I've ever had. Anyone else found that they're more sensitive to the needles when on the stim cycle?
Another scan & BT tomorrow- I hope my ovaries are performing better than on Sunday.
Good Luck with the scan pumpkin

Just catching up, glad to hear all's going well zeebee! I didn't get any discomfort with the pessaries but have finally seen the benefit of panty liners! Sorry, tmi!

Still waiting, due to test on Thurs (can I use any over the counter test? Not sure if I was meant to get one from Guys?). Just had a lovely relaxing weekend away which helped take my mind off it.

Need to dash now but will be back soon!

Hugs and waggles to all!

Just checking in.
Jumping made me lol.
Zeebee best of luck for tomorrow, hope you have a relaxing evening I will definately be thinking of you and sending positive vibes.
Pumpkin best of luck with the scan I know how nerve racking it is, you have been so strong we will all be 'holding your hand'
sassy welcome.
Come on all those follicles for those on stim

All ok here just waiting and waiting. Lets hope next month we get the go ahead

Pumpkin, I've been told to take 150iu of Menopur. Not actually sure what that dosage means. I start tomorrow then have to go in for a scan next Tues and Fri. What is the difference between Menopur and gonal-f?

Hi
Now have 20 follicles over 10mm. My dose has been decreased to 187.5 menopur and I have to go back tomorrow.
I think they are concerned about ohss. Drinking lots of water, eating protein. Anything else to do?

Hi
Zeebee good luck for your ET tomorrow, Pumpkin good luck with the scan, I have everything crossed for you both. Thanks Pinkforboys for the welcome, we are both keeping positive as we approach the second ET, we have a lot going for us and it's comforting to come on here and get it all out!! I do know a couple of people going through the same treatment and they have been supportive but I don't get to speak to them often. Family are supportive but often say things don't help. Good luck to everyone reaching for that next milestone. x

blacktreaclecat have you had any symptoms of OHSS? I had roughly the same number of follicles they monitored me but showed no sign of OHSS. After EC they were worried I would still develop it so told us that however many embryos we had there may be a possibility they would have to be frozen straight away rather than a ET a few days later. Fortunately I didn't develop it, drank loads of water etc. Just monitor it in case there is any change in how you feel. Hope that helps x

blacktreaclecat I was an OHSS risk and was initially prescribed Cabergoline which, after an oestrodiol blood test they were reassured I did not need. Have you had either the blood test or spoken to them about cabergoline?

OK, so on 3 days post-blastocyst transfer. Anyone else obsessing about their boobs/period pains/weird dreams + trembling in terror at the fear it hasn't worked? Absolutely bricking it.
zeebee good luck!
Pumpkin good luck!
jumping so you're waiting too? Torture, innit?