AFC varying

[MsWonky]

Hi everyone

I’ve been lurking for a while now and as I am about to embark on an IVF journey I was hoping someone may have some advice about AFC. I had a scan a few months ago around day 7 of my cycle and the doctor counted approximately 13 total follicles, I had a scan with a different doctor yesterday on day 22 of my cycle and they only counted 6-7 total follicles.

I am waiting for my AMH and FSH results but in the meantime I am having a total meltdown about having too few follicles. I’m 37 and have been TTC for 18ms. Physically I’m in good shape but to be totally honest, mentally this has all taken a big toll so I know I’m worrying about every tiny thing.

N.B.: the recent scan wasn’t planned for day 22, it was just our first appointment with the clinic and they do an initial scan during that.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

@thislittlebird I know what you mean about an IVF bfn, that will feel shiiiiiiiiiiit. I think you’re right to keep on trying in the run up to it, I’ve never been to take a month off as it would just seem like a pointless waste of time to me (although obviously every time af came I’d think “why did we even bother” etc etc).

Did you have any tests this month around ovulation or is it just a gut feeling you have? Basically up until this month the thought of IVF was such an awful thing, like finally throwing the towel in and accepting failure, but weirdly since we’ve decided to do it I’m actually feeling positive about the whole ttc thing for the first time. I managed to convince myself early on that I’d never have children, that something is catastrophically wrong but seeing all the test results has really buoyed me. Now, I know none of that is any kind of guarantee that it’ll work (and we have no idea what my eggs are actually like 👵🏻) but I cannot tell you how relaxed I feel. Very unexpected!!!

Soooo I’ll be starting on norethisterone in just over a week, obviously it all depends on how I respond to everything but we have a potential egg collection around 3/11! I’m pretty sure we’ll do the pgt testing if we get as far as having any embryos which would delay transfer to December I think - I’m trying not to get too carried away and assume it’ll all go to plan but it feels good to be in the professionals hands now! We aren’t telling anyone that we’re doing IVF though, we don’t know anyone who would be able to understand and frankly the thought of someone giving me a pity face while either bouncing their baby on their knee or rubbing their massive belly just makes me want to scream.

Ooohh get on ‘yer bike! I bloody love being outdoors (unfortunate that we live in a flat in London then 🤣) so I can see that being a good distraction with the bonus of being some sneaky exercise! We had our wedding photos come through today (got married at the being of August) so I’m going to get the magnifying glass out and be critical of my face in every shot 😂

@MsWonky I've been forced to take months off and that's been quite hard but I can't really relax about it all at this stage.

I did an OPK and it was positive but that could have been the trigger, so I really do not know. I just did not feel any different. Nothing changed through my whole cycle, from day 1 to day 21 (today), I've had no symptoms bar a couple of headaches in the afternoon and yesterday I had my first migraine in months, I used to get them once or twice per cycle around ovulation and my period. Not sure why I had one yesterday, maybe the progesterone caused it.

Yeah, there's nothing drastically wrong with your results so that's a positive. Relaxed is good! Similarly, I am looking forward to someone else being in charge as such. Let the professionals take over because we've done everything we can and it isn't happening.

Why do you take the norethisterone, is it a long protocol thing? Sorry, I'm not sure why they prescribe it to some people. We have told people, I've been quite open, but I may regret that further down the line. I just find it really hard to keep this all bottled up, I want to scream about the unfairness of it all really. I am very tired of pregnant women and women with young babies, I avoid them like the plague.

This weekend my friend told me, in response to me saying I'd got a BFN, that at least I was more fortunate than some people! Hmmmmmmmmmm. That went down well. I think she means well, but I don't feel very fortunate when every tom, dick and harry seems to be able to get those two lines but me. Then I told my other friend who lives abroad that I couldn't change jobs yet because we were starting IVF soon, and after some chat she suggested we adopt.

I tested again today btw and got an evap, so that was annoying. First evap ever, lucky me.

Realised my typo up there, should say day 27 not day 21

@thislittlebird Sorry for the late response, this week has been really full on at work!

Your friends responses are bloody ridiculous! I can’t get over how insensitive people are. I understand entirely someone not knowing what to say (like we all do when someone tells you something really traumatic) but some of the shit people come out with astonishes me.

How have you been? Still headachey? At this point I’m pretty good at not doing any symptom spotting as that truly truly drove me round the bend but when something is a bit different it’s a real mind fuck.

I’ll be on the norethisterone for around two weeks before moving onto injections, it’s to control the timing of my cycle I believe - I realise it’s silly not to know everything in depth but part of me is planning on just doing what they tell me when they tell me and trying not to stress out about it all. Good luck with that…

In other amusing news DH pulled his groin playing football this weekend so it’s a bloody good job we won’t be trying this month 🤣

@MsWonky I don’t even know what to say in response to the adoption thing really, like adoption is just that easy! I don’t think I’d be cut out for a child who has extra needs or trauma if I’m honest. Maybe I would, but when you have not had a kid before it’s a lot to think about.

I’ve been ok on the drugs I had bar a few headaches. I’ve just started again today, it’s cd2, so I went to the clinic for my depressing, repetitive transvaginal ultrasound and I start another cycle of letrozole 😔. I’m really not convinced this will work but if we don’t do it I’ll just be twiddling my thumbs/losing my mind until IVF.

Doing what they tell you is ok really. Just letting someone else deal with the planning for a change. So you’re on the norethisterone now?

He pulled his groin? Oh god, at least he doesn’t have to do anything for a while. I have a sprained ankle and it’s taking ages to heal, very frustrating.