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

999 replies

Gardenpixie · 31/07/2011 09:15

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 Brew for everyone and an enormous waggle dance for many many more BFPs to come

OP posts:
jumpingjackhash · 11/08/2011 15:16

Garden - ha ha! I've just 'been to the optician to get my lenses checked'! Grin

I'll probably be known as the office hypochondriac or most accident prone employee by the end of this!

Thanks for the waggledance explanation - off to shake my arse!

womanlytales · 11/08/2011 15:43

Congrats bodecia.. best of luck for economic and thrilled you are at the very end of injections.
Am wobbly today, saw brown stuff and am in all states of panic... off from work and reading to stay distracted. I do not want to test so will just wait for the outcome.

Gardenpixie · 11/08/2011 16:02

womanly ((((((((((hugs)))))))))) try not to worry lovely, i am waggling for you, hang on in there xxxxx

bodeccia yaaaaaaay! Such good news!

jumping hope your lenses are ok Grin

OP posts:
HKP71 · 11/08/2011 16:30

Hi all,

I've just started down the IVF path, after 18 months of trying and four failed IUI's.

I started the Suprefact nasal spray a week ago, and I just wondered if it's normal to feel really emotional and weepy,and really cranky? I'm due to start the menopur injections on 25th August and am wondering if I'm going to get worse as time progresses! I'm getting married on August 27th, and I'm really afraid of my big day being spoilt because of how I'm feeling. I really don't know what to expect, and I don't know if I'm feeling this way because of the medication.

Any words of advice would be much appreciated.

Bodeccia · 11/08/2011 17:07

Welcome HKP. Well, when I got married, I was "really emotional, weepy and cranky" all at the same time, and I wasn't doing IVF :o

It is true that the IVF drugs have an effect on women's emotions, what you're feeling is totally normal.

You've got a heck of a lot on, and IVF forces you to take one day at a time. You haven't spoilt anything, and you won't :) I'm not sure how things have worked out that you have these two massive life events going on at the same time, but just breath and everything will be fine.

I would say though, that IVF hasn't made me want to go and jump on DH, if you know what I mean. I've had a bloated stomach, bruises from the injections, constipated ovaries (look through the thread to understand what I'm talking about Wink). Non of this is very good for the old wedding night...! Blush I haven't exactly been feeling like the most desirable woman on the planet. The best you can do is take each day at a time.

I would also say that each woman is different, the drugs effect us differently. I was really worried that I was going to lose it when I started taking the IVF drugs, either break down and cry in front of people I didn't know very well, or throw a tantrum in the middle of the supermarket or something. It was that lack of control that I was worried about. As it happened, nothing really major happened. As I said, each woman reacts differently, and what you're feeling today is totally normal. Be gentle on yourself :)

Ooh, womanly, hang in there! ((((( hugs ))))) You test on Sunday, right? I'm waggle dancing like crazy for you.

theowlwhowasafraidofthedark · 11/08/2011 17:23

Hi HKP71, I started to feel much better after a few days of starting menopur (side effects of the suprecur gone). So I think your wedding is perfect timing!

bugsylugs · 11/08/2011 17:42

Grrrr just did a really long post and lost it all.
womanly ((((hugs)))) wagge dancing here too
hkp71 hi and welcome so exciting
bodeccia great news re scan*

will try and put on what I have lost later
hope everyone has a lovely evening

Gardenpixie · 11/08/2011 18:29

Just a quick one for HKP welcome! I felt dreadful when I was on down regs. Grumpy, weepy, snappy, irked by everything etc etc ... I think it's totally normal because, as the others say, the down regs actually make your hormones sore and then bring them back down again so it's pretty tough going on your body and mind. I found though that as soon as I started the stims, I felt so much better.

Congrats on your upcoming wedding and come and rant here anytime you need!

Hello everyone else hope your evenings are going well

Xxxx

OP posts:
womanlytales · 11/08/2011 19:44

Yes I am to test on Sunday... freak. Way to everyone

nocakeformeplease · 11/08/2011 20:19

Bodeccia - brilliant news your scan all went well and it's all go for Saturday :) Can't wait to hear how you get on. Really interesting about the water/injections thing - I had an injection done yesterday and I barely felt it. At the time I assumed it was just because the nurse had just been gentle, but maybe it was more down to the vast quantities of water I've been consuming these last few weeks! I found the EC experience bizarre. It was the first time I'd had a GA and because (obviously duh!) I couldn't remember a thing about it, I couldn't quite grasp that anything had actually happened. I remember just laying there laughing in a slightly deranged fashion

Jumping Jack - it's a nightmare trying to get time off for all the appointments isn't it. Does your clinic do very early appointments - mine does them from about 7ish although obviously everyone wants these ones so you have to get in quick! I'm very lucky that 2 of my 3 scans this week were/are on Mon/Fri which are my days off but I've still had to make quite a few excuses lately which include the dentist, trains and DS puking everywhere.....

GardenPixie - glad all the timing worked out, normally its sods law that it all happens when you dont want it to. Will keep everything crossed that your follies behave themselves this time...

blacktreaclecat don't be nervous, we're all here to hold your hand :) I'm not sure there is an awful lot you can do with regard to the OHSS except drink tons of water. The good thing is if they are aware it may happen, they should be monitoring you very closely. There's also a drug available now that wasn't around when I had my first fresh cycle that is supposed to combat the symptoms - I think I'm going to be on that from the Saturday to try and make sure it doesn;t happen again.

Hello fatima - I'm afraid I dont have any experience of egg sharing either but I think it is a lovely thing to do. Funny enough I picked up a leaflet about it yesterday (god only know why as at 35 my egg sharing days are nearly over!). It didn't say much (and probably nothing that you dont already know) - just that you had to be 35 or under, fit and healthy with BMI between 20-30, no history of tranmissable diseases and and no more than two previous cycles.

womanly - oh my love, it's tortureous isn't it. You are doing the absolute right thing by trying to distract yourself. And I know's it easier said than done but try not to google too much. If you're like me you'll only focus on the negative stuff when there is every chance it's not bad news.

HKP - welcome and sorry you are going through a tough time at the moment. I'm sure you will feel better once you move onto the stimms.

Hello to everyone else I've missed.....

Thanks for all your comments regarding 1 or 2 - it's really helpful to get other people perspective. It's such a big decision isn't it. In answer to some of your questions jumping jack we dont have any history of twins but the consultant has put my odds of twins at 45% if we have 2 day 3's put back - seems very high to me. The only reason I can think he thinks that is because DS was originally a twin, but then as he pointed out himself, we only ended up wuth one baby - on the otherhand if we'd only had one put back we might not have DS now. Maybe he's trying to scare me into SET!! DP would be okay about freezing and having a FET but I'm very worried that we take them to blast but none of them make it (I should really stop reading FF). Like you Garden I know quite a few people who have twins through fertility treatment and luckily they have all been fine - however I was reading a leaflet in the waiting room that sugested that 1 in 12 twin pregnancy results in a death or severe disability or a baby :(.

If I fell pregnant naturally with twins I would be delighted and would deal with whatever happened but it feels like such a big responsibility to actually chose to put yourself in a situation where it may happen, especially as we would be going against the consultants advice . Anyway he has agreed that we can make the final decision but they will make me sign something to say they didn't recommend two if they do. Probably getting ahead of myself anyway seeing as we didn't even make it to ET last time! Maybe I should wait and see if/how many embryos we get first. Oh well, next scan tomorrow.....

nocakeformeplease · 11/08/2011 20:21

Sorry Ellan meant to say that I completely understand your reasoning over the SET. My heart says 2 but head says 1! Good luck for your scan tomorrow x

skitoo · 11/08/2011 21:03

Great news Bodeccia, everything crossed for you for Saturday. 'Waggle it, just a little bit' in your case, don't want you over-ripe Grin.

Well thats a pain with the Gonal-F isn't it, Gardenstimbuddy, I feel quite lucky then as my Menopur only had to be fridged until mixed, which should then last about a week on my current dose. Glad you're home and can chill out a bit now.

Welcome HPK, sorry to hear you're having such an awful time dregging, sounds like you've got loads to deal with all at the same time, poor you. Hopefully the stims will have a positive effect as the others have said and am sure you'll be having a completely amazing day that you'll forget all the drugs roaming round inside you. Ooh I love a wedding Smile.

Bugsy, I hate it when the internet fairies steal our lovely posts, so annoying Angry. I've given up on the previewing message as it always robs me then - so apologies for all my errors.

Womanly, I hope Sunday comes round quickly for you xx

NoCake, a great big waggle dance for your scan tomorrow.

Any news from Caramel ?

I'm signing off now, so waves to everyone else - thank crunchie its Friday tomorrow Grin.

Louiseteacher30 · 11/08/2011 21:39

Evening ladies!

Haven't been able to post for a few days due to lack of phone charger! As I'm on my hols I only have phone for internet too, so currently hanging out of the bedroom window in the quayside holiday cottage to get internet signal. Who did I choose to contact with my precious signal? My mother? No! Mumsnet IVF/ICSI forum of course!

Hope you are all ok garden lovely to hear you are on the stimms! luck my POAS buddy, when are you planning to test?

I am now 13 days post EC and 7 days post my 5 day blasto transfer. Can I ask when all our BFP ladies tested? Slightly tempted to test soon lol my AF is due on Monday although I was told this can be late when having IVF.

Feeling a bit strange at the moment, I have some of the same symptoms I had with my pregnancy earlier in the year- strange, water infection feeling down below (nice!) And the feeling of electric shock treatment going through my boobs. It could be just symptom spotting on my part but I certainly feel different. Also not sure how much is linked to the progesterone tablets.

Hitting the sack early tonight I'm shattered from all the sea air!

Louise xxxx

Louiseteacher30 · 11/08/2011 21:42

Evening ladies!

Haven't been able to post for a few days due to lack of phone charger! As I'm on my hols I only have phone for internet too, so currently hanging out of the bedroom window in the quayside holiday cottage to get internet signal. Who did I choose to contact with my precious signal? My mother? No! Mumsnet IVF/ICSI forum of course!

Hope you are all ok garden lovely to hear you are on the stimms! luck my POAS buddy, when are you planning to test?

I am now 13 days post EC and 7 days post my 5 day blasto transfer. Can I ask when all our BFP ladies tested? Slightly tempted to test soon lol my AF is due on Monday although I was told this can be late when having IVF.

Feeling a bit strange at the moment, I have some of the same symptoms I had with my pregnancy earlier in the year- strange, water infection feeling down below (nice!) And the feeling of electric shock treatment going through my boobs. It could be just symptom spotting on my part but I certainly feel different. Also not sure how much is linked to the progesterone tablets.

Hitting the sack early tonight I'm shattered from all the sea air!

Louise xxxx

koolforcats · 11/08/2011 23:45

Hi all Smile, sorry not to do name checks but it sounds like things are really happening, nice juicy follies, happy stimming and lots of ECs to look forward to . This waggling seems to be really working!

Louise I got my bfp when I tested on day 16 after EC, so 11 days from blast transfer. I was tempted to test early but not enough to actually do it. I'd read stories about people getting false early positives because of the ovitrelle injection (the one you take before EC) so I didn't think it was worth the risk. I'm not sure if that's true anyway, but 11 days didn't seem like the eternity I thought it would .

Welcome to all the new joiners, this is an ace thread, filled with happy, kind, waggly people.

(((Hugs))) to all x

luckbealady · 12/08/2011 09:59

oooh louise your symptoms sound exciting! Can you hang on another 3/4 days to test?! Smile I have no symptoms at all, apart from some a bit of residual ache in my ovaries from EC. But I keep telling myself it's too early to be getting any symptoms, right? Right??

Welcome HPK, hopefully you'll feel much better when you start the stims. You're going through a LOT right now, with IVF and your wedidng, so just take it steady, deep breaths and lots of little treats to keep yourself going.

womanly best of luck for Sunday, I have everything crossed for you Smile. And Bodeccia, don't worry, you'll be knocked out at EC, you won't remember a thing and you can enjoy the lovely anaesthetic [nostalgic smile].

Right, on...on, Biscuit Biscuit to eat, Brew to drink. Love to you all xxxx

womanlytales · 12/08/2011 11:06

Thank you all garden, bodeccia, bugsylugs nocake for the waggle dances and hugs - - it's keeping me sane, has me smiling (someone in another thread said she knew a friend who had pcos and had spotting through her entire pregnancy..)
Am hanging in there, too petrified to test and wondering if my stress is keeping AF at bay? Can that even happen? Or is it the progesterone pessaries?

Who knows? It's such a big mystery.

Louise - Good to hear from you :) I lurk on a thread titled 'Anyone testing on 11 Aug' and as much as I empathize with each person testing on that thread I also realize how completely pointless it is to test early.. and in my own whacky way I think it's pointless to test at all.. yes - am certainly nutty! So am afraid can't help with the when to test -- I think a sane reply has come from kool who says 16 days after EC. It's also when my clinic has asked me to test - 16 days after insemination.
hkp71 as shared by others I believe different folks respond differently to the medication - I hope you find a way to accept your reactions and hope it gets better as your body adjusts too.

Best of luck to all across all your different stages. garden hope the stims are treating you well.

koolforcats · 12/08/2011 11:22

Wow womanly sane is never a word I'd use to describe myself, so thank you lovely! I think you're doing amazingly well btw and also wish you a whole bundle of luck xx

Garden how are the stims? Are they monitoring you closely (although hopefully treating you less like a human pin cushion) this time? Oooh, who is the consultant you have a crush on?! I hope things are going (and continue to go) far more smoothly for you this time.

Luck I wouldn't analyse lack of symptoms at all - I've still not got any! Not that I'm worrying about it alot though Blush

HPK I must echo what the others have said. I know that I felt awful when I was down regging and felt so much better once I'd started the stims. Congrats on your imminent nuptials!

skitoo · 12/08/2011 12:20

Hey All, can I ask a quick question...

Am only 2 days in to stims but they feel quite different to the DR jabs Confused. The jabs are a lot more stingy and leave my belly feeling a bit sore and really warm, whereas I didn't really feel the buserelin at all. Is this normal, anyone else feel like that?

Symptoms sounds good Louise. I agree with Kool, I had hcg injections with my clomid cycles and the time it takes different people different times to metabolise, so can give false early positives. Hang in there with Luck for testing.

ellangirl · 12/08/2011 12:47

skitoo are you on menopur? If so, it stings less if you wait a couple of mins after mixing before you inject it. Also, try rubbing your tummy hard for a min or so first to warm it up before you inject there. Feel like I'm an expert after stimming for over 2 weeks :)!! Final scan this morning, all good, have 10-12 follies ready for EC on Monday morning. Feel like a walking pharmacy with all the things to take! I will have a pregnancy blood test 14 days after EC (but it will be 15 because of the Aug bank holiday). My Consultant said if I was pregnant, it would show up 14 days post EC on an HPT, but Caramel goes to prove that's not true eh? Looking forward to hearing lots more positive tests on here soon...

koolforcats · 12/08/2011 12:51

Hey skitoo (congrats with starting your stims btw) I'm probably not much help as I sniffed my down regs rather than injected, but could it just be a matter of the needles being a tiny bit different perhaps? Maybe the down reg ones were a bit sharper so went in easier and hurt less? Or do you mean the contents of the actual injection stings? I don't remember that happening but I'm sure everyone's different. I know if I went in at a bit of an angle rather than straight in (90 degrees, which I know is also an angle but ykwim!) it might have hurt a bit more. I'm sure what you're doing is right but in case you're interested, this is what I did - squeezed the bit of my tummy which looked the most cushioned ( Blush ahem), attempted a quick 90 degree jab, pressed the plunger, counted to 10 to make extra sure, then pulled the neele out fairly slowly. Then had a Biscuit Grin . If you're at all worried, give your clinic a call. Hope today's goes ok xx

koolforcats · 12/08/2011 12:54

*Ellan 'x posts - your advice was much better! Big congrats to you and your clever follies and all the very best for a happy EC Smile

Bodeccia · 12/08/2011 12:55

Hi skitoo, (excuse me while I talk about injections in the past tense, woot woot!!) I was taking menopur, and I really did notice the difference in the injections. It was much more stingy and hivey afterwards. The buserelin was nothing compared to the menopur.

I would try drinking a big glass of water 20-30 minutes before you're due to inject and see if that makes a difference. Definitely keep an eye on it, and if it gets really uncomfortable, tell your doctor.

Bodeccia · 12/08/2011 13:03

Hey ellan, great news about your scan :o

Good luck with EC on Monday!

Goddam! Totally missed the trick about having a biscuit after each injection, kool...

ellangirl · 12/08/2011 14:19

Biscuits? Where? Good luck with your EC tomorrow bodeccia! Hope they get lots of frogspawn... Thanks for the luck kool Grin

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