IVF/ICSI/FET - any more for any more?

[jumpingjackhash]

Hi all, we're about to start FET following an unsuccessful round of ICSI last year (well, we got the bfp, but then I miscarried shortly after ). But... time to get back on the bike and go again...

Anyone else going through this?

Hello everyone. Can I join you? I am going to be (hopefully) starting ICSI in the later spring, early summer. We have our referral appointment at the beginning of March so hoping all the tests come back ok and we can get on with things. I should explain that we're doing ICSI due to sever male factor. We're ttc no 1, my DH is 32 and I'm 31.

My one question for you at the moment is, do you have any views on hammersmith or guys and st thomas's? We get one go on the NHS due to our PCT funding so i want to make the best choice possible! Thank you and thoughts to all you lovely people going through this - its a bugger! x

Hi Chutney, welcome to the thread!

Do you get to choose your hospital if your PCT is funding (our PCT pulled all fertility treatment funding last year so no clue how it works)? I have no idea about Hammersmith, but we chose Guys for a number of reasons, mainly because their results are good compared with the national average and they're leading research into male infertility (where we have problems too), so we figured they'd be well placed to help us.

Plus the location is ideal for us (not our nearest hospital - which has a mediocre track record for ivf and is pretty grim when you're waiting for an appointment in one of the most miserable waiting rooms in London!). You will spend a long time there, so you need somewhere you'll feel comfortable, plus you'll need to pop in quite often for scans etc. so convenience might come into play.

I work a few minutes from Guys, so it's really handy for us there, and we live a reasonable tube/cab ride so post EC and transfer it's not horrendous. Practical, but when you're there what feels like every other day for a couple of weeks it does help!

The staff at Guys are also all really nice - they made me feel at ease, which is very helpful.

Welcome chutney

My name is ellangirl and I am a POAS-a-holic!
Spoke to nurse at clinic today (a courtesy call- nice touch I thought!) and asked her if the blood test on thurs would show any residual hcg from trigger or booster shot. She said 'oh no, it's all gone in 3 or 4 days', so knowing I had a test in the house I went and did it, and got pregnant 1-2 (cb digi obviously). Now I'm in even more turmoil in case it still is a false positive, although it's a week after booster now, or is it real. Aargh!! I am so over this waiting, and I know there's only more to come if it is a bfp

Hi ladies-hope all doing well this dreary monday eve? Sorry for absence-the whole IVF/ICSI/FET 'journey'-urrrgh hate that cliche!-was doing my head in a bit and have been doing my best to do nice positive unchild related things to be a happier person (which I havnt really been for the last 4 years!) BUT who am I kidding??!! I just WANT TO HAVE A BABY!!!!! Rant over promise-
Ellan sounds positive to me but must admit I tried not to get into trigger shot thing last time as knew it would send my head into a spin-if nurse says it stays for few days then a good sign I would think but don't want to build your hopes-thinking of you and sending positive thoughts your way.

Jumping am eagerly reading your progress. We have the one frostie too-its immense pressure I feel but could not continue with a fresh cycle without trying a FET think I would feel sad not to-only takes one right? Hope you're feeling better from the evil buserilin-I start it in 8 days or so-its lingering downstairs-then am on the oestrogen tabs too-just want to get on with it-what have your clinic told you, if anything, re thawing and success from x1 frostie-Statistics can, as we all know be twisted though and we're all individuals :) hope you're fine and sending (((( ))))
Hi to everyone else and welcome to chutney-sorry don't know anything re your clinics but wishing you lots of love and luck on the ICSI/IVF treatment-we're here to support each other.
xxx

Keeping things crossed for you ellan but that sounds promising.

pumpkin don't let my experience of the buserelin get to you - I think the more I moaned (which I did a lot!), the worse it seemed. Now I'm on the oestrogen tabs and have reduced that I'm feeling OK. The nurse made a bit of a deal about the sickness side effect of the tabs, but to be honest I've not noticed anything. I'm taking them in the evening to minimise any effects but otherwise I'm feeling quite perky!

Our consultant said the de-frost success rate is somewhere up at 75/80% (from memory), and we decided that was good enough for us to give it a go. In my head our frosty is a 'boy' and I couldn't make sense of cracking on with another full icsi round with 'him' sitting in a freezer on his own. I realise I sound odd!

Oh lizziebennet I'm sorry, how awful for you

lizziebennet I am so sorry to hear your news - how disappointing - in fact that word doesn't even cover it does it! absolutely devastating is more like it. make sure you have a good cry and take some time out for yourself - away from work etc... the pain is awful too isn't it - I had awful contraction type pains when my body was trying to reject our little one at 7 weeks too...

jumping i'm glad you are back to feeling more normal - how long before FET date - do you know?

pumpkin i;m with you there - I start the nasal spray in 9 days time - dreading it slightly.. trying to see friends etc before then so that i'm not ratty with them! All the meds are sitting in a boring brown box downstairs - I shudder when i pass it!

Hi to everyone else - happy V day - here are some for us all as I think everyone deserves these massively on this thread!
zb

Hi all-Yes-HAPPY VALENTINES girls! Hoping it is a cozy one-just sneeking a look on MN! lizzie am so so sorry-can't say any words really just feel sad for you as it is a really horrible experience-you said you didn't speak with anyone-hope there someone you can contact to know what will happen and am sure you're getting all the support you need in RL from friends and DP. Sending you lots of thoughts-Its heartbreaking and s**t you have to go through this rubbish time-not fair xxxx
Zeebee HELLO! another name from before.. 9 days? am expecting my AF around 22nd-bet it will play up tho... so starting inj buserilin-am wondering how those going through this for 2nd/3rd time feel? I am feeling pretty crap about it all really-frustrated w myself and gutted can not actually stay pregnant WHEN it works-would like to know how we can stay positive-I am trying xx
Jumping so interesting to hear your thoughts on your darling embie-this is such an emotional experience-so personal-really good we can all chat like this and support each other.
Well better get back to DH-have some tidying to do and then it's prawns, squid and panacotta with strawberries (not all at the same time!) and early night- to all xxxx

lizziebennet I just want to say how dreadfully sorry that i am to have seen your news. I truly am. All the best for the next few days.
chutney - welcome! I am sure that you will find this useful!
ellan that sounds good and positive... fingers crossed!
Best go as need to get to bed... knackered, but big hello to everyone. I really hope that things go well for you all.

lizziebennet no real words but appears to be devastating news. Time to cry , grieve, hug and take time out. You and dh are in our thoughts hugs.

Update review appt. they kind of suggested frozen I did query as only one frostiness my age and all. They said as use diff way of thawing 90% likely ok and sim rate frozen to fresh. Also said increase blasts does not really increase Preg rate just multiples. So many conflicting statistics. We asked re fresh to hope get sticky but if not more frostiness obviously more cost but think will be right for us. Shock though DH sperm count 2007 16 mill, may 2011 12 mill at ET 0.1 mill what the has gone on. Been off caffeine better food less alcohol and on welman etc. he was unwell a lot last yr in July v high temp v low bp and low oxygen levels as 4 months before not sure would affect this much. He needs repeat test and I'd same to freeze some. Having said that got fab fertilisation rate. I need a barrage of tests as have hit recurrent mc territory oh the cost and has to be done over 2 days as people keep fainting as too many bottles but less than if you donated blood! Enough of a moan. Thinking of all

lizziebennett I'm so sorry. I hope you and Mr Bennett are OK, thinking of you.

Zeebee am just waiting for Guys to call me back with an appointment for my scan to check my womb lining is thick enough, then it's on to tx (assuming frosty defrosts ok!). I think it's going to be a couple of weeks away. I know fet is much shorter than icsi but my God it feels longer!

Hope everyone is doing ok. Will check in again later for proper catch-ups.

How are you feeling today lizziebennet?
Busy my dh's has decreased a lot. Bearing in mind we did conceive naturally for our DS, the first tests last year were about 9 million, then went down to .8 for our first cycle. Now up to 3.3. Motility anywhere from 14% down to virtually nothing at times. They think he has an autoimmune response to his own sperm and that is why it got worse over time, and maybe it wasn't always this bad. Illness can also have a big effect, although if that is the case it should get better again as time passes.
Jumping good luck with your FET- am thinking thick thoughts for your endometrium!!
Pumpkin hope you enjoyed your valentines meal- sounds lovely! It must be scary going for a second time after having a miscarriage, but you know there is no reason why it can't work out this time so chin up, and enjoy those prawns and wine before they're off the menu for 9 months!

My news is I have another positive hpt today 14 days after EC, blood test tomorrow. Don't really feel anything much- don't think I'll believe it until I actually see a baby. I'm sure you all feel the same!

ELLAN brill news. Thanks to hear others have similar stories we are now trying to get menevit and see. 8 week wait for nhs sperm analysis so will prob go for repeat privately will ask them to do antibodies

LIZZIEBENNET: oh you should not be appologising for nature being a bit shitty. sorry you are going through it. take it an hour at a time and be kind to yourself

And the results are in- it's positive! A good number apparently though I'm trying to stay away frm the evil google. Don't know what to do with myself now!

Sending good up-the-duff vibes to all x

Lizziebennet you are so lovely for congratulating me. I know it must be incredibly hard but you sound so brave I really admire you! X

Completely agree with you lizzie! I think we're all in a good enough position to be able to appreciate when it goes right for someone - congrats ellan!

I've finally got an appointment for the scan to check the oestrogen tabs are working - Thu 1 March. That's nearly 3 weeks from when I started on the tablets and seems an AGE away. Anyone else taking them for this long? Can I expect the transfer to happen quite quickly after that (as in within days, assuming frosty defrosts OK)? When I met the nurse for the scheduling appointment she suggested we'd be doing the tx at the end of Feb, so even a week's delay seems like forever! [v impatient emoticon]

jumping gosh that does all sound like a long time! So by 1st march will that have been about 5 weeks from sniffs til then? i have my appt at Guys with the nurse this afternoon to go through the drugs. Waited for this date for AGES (Bored emoticon) .... also my job seems to be ramping up come March - just when (fingers crossed) we will be doing the FET, so that is stressing me out the thought of not being able to relax much! LIFE! It's got to carry on hasn't it!

congrats to ellan great news and will keep us allll positive on this thread. I must say my DH and I had a real wobble last weekend - I do feel i'm sort of half a person while all this stuff is going on - i can't relax 100% really - it's all so dominant in my mind and has been since last april! Exhausting!

Hello chutney - sorry I forgot to wecome you before.. I'm at Guys too - it's relaly great - very nice place to be and the nurses and doctors are all v professional. They have good stats too - and friends of ours had FET there and had twins successfully - so that always makes me feel positive towards guys.

Hope everyone else is well and enjoying their fridays!
ZB

I know zeebee - AGES! Seriously though, I started sniffing on 26 Jan, so yes 5 weeks - not that long in the grand scheme of things. I guess it just seems dispropoprtionately long compared with the full icsi. Just hoping and hoping that the little fella thaws out OK, or I'll be seriously miffed

Look at your job as a distraction from the more stressful side of the ivf, you're right, life has to go on. I know what you mean about it not helping you to relax, I'm sure there's some mysterious power at my work which senses when I need time for hosp appointments or to stay relatively relaxed and just presses that little button to make it all kick-off majorly!

DH on the other hand is being a super star - I'm basically getting my way about EVERYTHING because he doesn't want me stressing about anything - it's brilliant! but I guess there has to be a silver lining to every cloud, right?

Hi Ladies,

I am hoping that you don't mind me joining your group.

My partner and I are currently on our 3rd round of IVF. The 1st ICSI we have 2 embryos put back, we had a BFP, but then at the viability scan we were told that there was no heart beat. The second ICSI was not successful. Here is hoping that the 3rd time will be lucky for us.

Our first 2 attempts were on the long protocol, however the clinic have put us on the short protocol this time around in the hope that we will have more mature an higher quality eggs.

My partner started injections last monday, we went for a scan yesterday and were told that we had 6 follicles around the size of 10mm. not as many as what we had hoped there would be, however as they say it is all about quality and not quantity.

We will have another scan on Monday and Wednesday, egg collection is likely to be on Saturday 25 Feb or the Monday. So much quicker than what we are used to.

Wish us luck. I also wish all of you all the luck in the world.

xxx