abc IVF experience sharing - 2021/2022

[Millymillymillymillymilly]

Hey everyone,

I've benefited so much from the last 2 abc ivf threads that I thought I'd start a new one and hopefully can contribute back to the community.

I'm 33 years old, AFC around 24 (based on the initial treatment scan) and the reason we are doing IVF is due to male infertility issues (morphology lower than 4%) and irregular ovulation. We are undergoing treatment at the Harley Street branch.

Here's my treatment timeline so far:

09/11 Tue - Bemfola injection 125
10/11 Wed - Bemfola injection 125
11/11 Thu - Bemfola injection 125
12/11 Fri - Bemfola injection 125 + 1st scan
13/11 Sat - Bemfola injection 125
14/11 Sun - Bemfola injection 125 + Cetrotide injection
15/11 Mon - Bemfola injection 125 + Cetrotide injection +2nd scan
16/11 Tue - Bemfola injection 125 + Cetrotide injection
17/11 Wed - Cetrotide injection + 3rd scan + Ovitrelle injection (exact timing TBC)

After my 3rd scan today, the nurse said I didn't have to do anymore injections apart from morning Cetrotide shot and the Ovitrelle which someone from the Create clinic will call and let me know when to inject as it needs to fit into their egg retrieval appointments (I still haven't received the call and my scan was at 08.30 this morning).

My follicles' growth was as below:

1st scan
11 < 6mm
10 10 mm

2nd scan
2 < 6mm
12

Ahhh @Millymillymillymillymilly I'm so sorry to hear that, how are you feeling?

Even though I'm sure theres only one thing you really want for Christmas,I hope you and your partner can make this one special and prepare yourselves for what I hope will be a super positive 2022 for you! It's also great that you have a couple of frozen embryos waiting for you too. Do you know long you have to wait before you can start again in the new year?

How has the support been from ABC since you got the test results?

Thank you for the kind wishes, I'm trying to stay positive but it's so difficult 😔

@Becky105 I hope your transfer went well & you are keeping well!

Hi everyone can I join in? I have just booked my scan and initial consultation with ABC for January 2022. Been reading loads around it and feeling quite anxious but excited!

Just wondering does anyone know if there are any more appointments after the initial 2 ? Or can treatment begin from your next cycle? The only reason I ask is because my consultation is end of jan but I start AF the week after and was hoping treatment could commence then!

Hi , can someone please help me .
I’m on my first round of ivf and day 7 of Bemfola 150 . I have 5 follicles . 3 haven’t grown between 1st and 2nd scan and I’m there again in the morning for scan 3 . They said I could stop and restart in feb but i decided to have faith and carry on .
Anyone had anything similar ?

@star2022 after the scan and consultation they book you in for an appointment with a treatment coordinator to talk through timings and medicines and considering the medicines need to be posted and they like them to be there a few days before AF is due, it might be a bit tight for time- any way you can bring it forward by a week?
In order to minimise risk of delays, I would recommend that you have the results of your last smear, TSH and rubella and Hep b immunity results (I got these as part of my day 3 bloods). They will ask for these before your treatment coordinator appointment.

@star2022 oh and sperm analysis, they asked for that too

@LondonladyTTC Thank you so much, that's super helpful! I did think it was cutting it fine, i'm checking everyday to see if there are any cancellations as I really don't want to be waiting till march!

Do you know if the semen analysis needs to be done within a certain time frame? As hubby had his done in May, same with my TSH levels. I've just booked my smear for next week as it was overdue and I read that on a previous thread that they need that done too. I think it might be worth me getting another TSH check and possibly SA unless they take into account any results in the last 12 months ?

The results are valid for a year so no need to get another unless they weren't good, he has made lifestyle changes, and you want to try and avoid ICSI

Hello all & welcome @star2022 @NDW84!

@star2022 - I was in a similar situation that AF was due soon after my treatment consultation, I also tried to get a cancelation but had no luck. However, once I had my consultation, they rushed the meds through for me and luckily they arrived before AF did :)

I was also told that a SA done within the last year was fine. We had 2 (one from Jan this year and the other from April).. but at the last min they said we needed to have another one done, so we had to pay £90 to get it done via Create or else we weren't able to proceed this month. However, the consultant we spoke to after said it really wasn't that helpful as it is all down to the sample they receive on the day so I don't think it's that important. But if you've got time to get it done, it might be worth having a more recent result, just in case :)

@NDW84! I'm sorry to hear your folicles weren't responding as they'd hope, mine were slow too - I was on Bemfola 125 and had to add on a couple of days to get them to the right size. How did your last scan go?

Thanks! @Sazles99

I'm going to keep trying to see if I can get a cancellation. Do they book your treatment consultation during your initial consultation? If so, how long did you have to wait before you had it?

I will definitely try and get a SA booked in Jan from our GP in that case as even on the email it says needs to be within 6 months. Thanks for the heads up!

What stage are you at currently? Have you had any scans yet? How have you found their service?

Thanks @Sazles99 - just taking it day by day really. The after support was ok from abc, they said I could talk to a counsellor and told me I need to wait for the withdrawal blood and then a proper period then I need to call abc when I get my proper period because that's when they will plan to do the second transfer I believe. However, like I said, we finally got off the NHS waiting list, so will be doing 1 full round with UCLH + CRGH. So just waiting for the nurse to book me in and see where that takes me. How did your transfer go on Wednesday? Hope it went well?

Welcome @star2022 - it is a bit tight but provided you have all the information that's needed for the consultation (like @LondonladyTTC mentioned, rubella, bloods) and no need for extra tests of info, you should be able to get your medication dispatched asap because the nurse did say they can do next day deliveries. However, with Christmas coming soon, a lot of people might be rushing to start too... so you might be pushing it.

@NDW84, welcome to the group too! Sorry to hear that your follicles isn't responding as expected but they can always catch up. So the nurse should up your dose and potentially have you stimming for a longer period.

@Becky105, hope your transfer well!

Hi @Millymillymillymillymilly wasn't sure if you were going to come back to the thread but glad you have. Thanks for creating this thread by the way, its so helpful.

I'm so sorry to hear that, can't even imagine what it must feel like for you. Glad you're in talks with nhs though, it's good you've been on the ball with them at the same time. That's what i'm currently doing, I've had my HSG in Nov which was all clear but waiting for them and apts are so long so my consultations are booked with abc in January and hopefully by then I might hear something back from my consultant or be put on the nhs waiting list at least.

When you say you need a second transfer, does this mean you will have to pay for that separately too? And would that process be different for you or will you have to do it all again? How do you feel about it all?

@star2022 just noticed there are appointments available in Wimbledon in case that is any use? I wonder if the other ones are still to open up as odd that there are no January ones showing!

@LondonladyTTC ahh that's so nice of you to check! My nearest is actually Birmingham which always seems to be so full! I was actually considering Oxford as that's my 2nd nearest but then I thought if there's quite a few appointments then maybe sticking to the one closest is better.

It's weird because they have quite a few for ultrasound but the virtual consultations only seem to be once a week.

At what stage are you currently in the process?

@star2022 I was very close to going through the process this month but we realised we had so many unhealthy events on (including DH having two stag doos!) we decided we would wait and get a bit healthier. We were planning on doing in with my cycle starting 18 Jan (wouldn't need another ultrasound as it is less than 3 months since I had one) but have just got an appointment though with the NHS fertility clinic for 8 Feb so now have NO idea what to do and whether to wait... I am guessing that given this the my first NHS hospital appointment the IVF wait time will be very long making me think I should just go ahead with ABC. How long is a piece of string!

Hope you manage to get an appointment!

@star2022

Yea, unfortunately we will have to cough up for the transfers at abc. We had to pay extra already to freeze our extra embryos which was around £750 (1 year storage) and I think any additional transfer is around £1500 or more each time. It’s a bit annoying but we are viewing it as insurance, we can always go back if the NHS route failed.

You should definitely keep the NHS ball rolling, you never know! I’ve waited for nearly 2 years and it’s finally happening!

@LondonladyTTC Oh yes that makes sense! To be honest, we kind of had a similar thought process and have decided that although its Xmas, DH and I are both on a major detox, lots of fruit and veg, water and no alcohol this month (as tough as that will be!) My friend had a successful ICSI early this year and she was advising us to do the above from what she had been told so we just want to make sure we make the most of it.

That's a really tough situation you're in! Have you any idea what happens at that appointment on the 8th? Is this your first referral appointment to Gynae from your GP? Or is this an IVF related appointment? As I had been referred to the fertility consultant in May and at my first appointment with the fertility consultant they just took a history of our situation, sent me for a progesterone blood test (which I had already done with my GP) and then had to wait 3 months for a HSG appointment which i had in November last month. And again having to wait another 3 months to see her after which I'm guessing i will then get put on the waiting list.

Just thought I'd explain all that in case you're at that part of the process because it still takes so long with the NHS.

@Millymillymillymillymilly It really is so expensive, costs add up and yes if you view it as insurance that's a good way to see it and you've lined up NHS route nicely. I started the process of contacting my GP Oct 2020 and I still haven't been put on the NHS waiting list yet so I totally understand how long these things can take!

Hi , on my scan today , 2 were doing great and one that was less than 6 on wed had really tried to catch up so that was hopeful . Bloods came back today as 980 ?
I’m not sure what it all means but they seemed hopeful .
It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done .
Thank you for your response .

Other 2 were still less than 6 . Do you think I have a chance ?

@LondonladyTTC I totally didn’t realise I missed quite a few messages from the 1st page so I’m sorry for asking questions you’d already answered!

I’m 32 DH is 35 both been TTC for 21 months now with not a single bfp during that time. It’s strange because he too is very fit and healthy, literally a gym addict & also had low morphology last year. However, after cutting out the odds pints he has & lowering his stress levels & eating more fruit and veg he managed to increase it from 2% to 4% if that helps anyone reading. Took him 5 months.

@NDW84 really wish I knew the answer but I have no clue as I’ve not yet started treatment. I hope someone else is able to help you, but I’m glad it all looks hopeful so far! It definitely seems so tough to get through. Fingers crossed for you!

@NDW84 I’m afraid no one would be able to tell you because everyone respond differently to the drugs but as long as you have eggs you have a chance! I know it’s tough but you just gotta hang in there. Wish you all the luck!

@star2022, NHS never told me I was on the waiting list, I was just put through all these tests and then waited for appointments after appointments. All of a sudden, I’ve done another appointment and medication was prescribed and nurses started calling me about next steps. So definitely keep at it if you can! Where I live I can have 2 full cycles on the NHS (and they allow you to have 1 private cycle without reducing the cycles you’re allowed, if I had 2 privately, I will only be eligible for 1 cycle only on the NHS)

Good luck!!!

Thank you so much :) I have another scan on Monday so I’m just keeping positive x

@NDW84 Good luck for tomorrow! Hope it goes well!

@Sazles99 How are you getting on? Have you had any scans yet? Hope you're getting on okay. Fingers crossed for you.

@Millymillymillymillymilly Thank you so much for that, that's really helpful, I've just checked my local ccg and they only allow 1 cycle on the NHS. Glad I checked now as i'm thankful i've booked in for private. Good luck with your next transfer!

@LondonladyTTC Managed to actually get a cancellation! So i've been able to reschedule my consultation the week before which now gives me 2 weeks before my AF starts so hopefully i'll be able start the process then! So glad!!

@star2022 that is brilliant news! How exciting!

Hi @star2022 I'm please to hear you managed to get a cancellation! I hope it all fits in ok for you and your next cycle!

We are in our 2ww now and it's even tougher than I imagined it would be! But we are nearing the end so I'm just trying not to think about it too much to be honest!

I've had a LOT of cramping and discomfort throughout the 2ww and while I've read that this is part and parcel of the progesterone and could be implantation pains, I'm just not sure they should last this long!

But only time will tell now 🤞

@NDW84 how did you get on?