Fertility Appointments and Beyond.... the journey continues

[Gracie2021]

New thread for us to continue our fertility clinic appointment progress...

Some of us are waiting for initial appointments, some are having tests and some are starting treatment!

@tillybabs
@thislittlebird
@kay00
@jeaniej
@PurpleUnicorn01
@paintfairy
@dogmam
@flutterby8
@Ughmaybenot
@dancingfairydreams
@beckycarlos
@jkjellyhead
@juno231
@decaffe
@bumble44
@BritinNZ
@tinkerbell098
@pinkginpls
@thedaydreambelievers
@everymumday
@wanderlust16
@lori23ttc

@Gracie2021 honestly I think my in laws were a bit confused by it all and don’t know what to say. Which is fair, but I was sort of hoping they’d ask how things are. I think it makes people awkward.

Hello to you just next door 👋🏻. We have caps on nhs prescriptions if required, so I have a few chronic conditions like eczema, asthma, sinusitis, and I have a prepaid prescription of £100 for the year, but that doesn’t cover me for private sadly. So any and all nhs is covered but not the private fertility stuff.

This month I’m probably not in the position to go private (well, we are, but I don’t want to pay if I can help it). I’ve downloaded the fertility circle app, I’ve bought new running shoes which have not arrived (injured my ankle and haven’t been since then, it’s healed now but I need better ones) and I’m going to get a bed routine. I manage it for a day and then stop again, I’m a nightmare. Guys ivf emailed me to say I can have an appointment mid February which isn’t too bad, I’ll take them up on that since I’ll be waiting for embryo updates then.

The lack of sleep is really making everything worse, including my health conditions. It really sucks. I’m going to start taking Kalms again as well.

That’s very similar! I’m hoping I can keep the period at bay until then. I’m a little worried I haven’t ovulated this month, which would be typical 🙄

Good to hear from everyone!
@thislittlebird I'm sorry youre not sleeping. I often struggle with getting to sleep becuase my mind wont switch off, eventually I have a good nights sleep becuase I'm knackered but in the thick of it its awful. No help, just solidarity!

Surprisingly good news from me today! Letter through the post... hysteroscopy booked for the 20th! Of January! Covid swab booked for 17th! No idea what this means for treatment yet, but its a step in the right direction and its much sooner than I expected!

Now I just have to put it in the box until it happens, and NOT google anything about it 🤣

@thislittlebird On the topic of BPAS Fertility, their prices are up on their website if you wanted to have a look. I remember seeing £700 for IUI, £3500 for IVF/ICSI. The only thing is that the medication costs are not on the website - they have a disclaimer saying that they don't profit from medication costs, whatever that means.
I'm thinking of doing a consultation with them as the initial consultation is free and £100 for a follow up

@beckyCarlos it’s really horrid. I went from panic attacks in the night for a couple of days to now just not sleeping, am exhausted. Need to get some better habits or I worry I’ll mess up my ivf ☹️

Great news on the lap, it’ll fly by!

@acaciabluebell thank you! I did check a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t see anything. The first consultation being free is really great. Tbh even with three medications costs being full whack that’s still half the price almost of a cycle for my at the private clinic I nearly used. It’s such a long overdue move, I’m glad they’re doing it. Also worried the waiting list will be long because they’re in demand. Is ivf/icsi really the same price? It usually costs £1-2k more for ICSI, just my luck. I’ll go and check it out. Let me know if you decide to do the consultation.

@thislittlebird my mam told my dad this week and he was just confused by the whole thing too. Think we get so immersed in this little IVF bubble we forget some people don't have a clue what it all involves. I have my mam and one friend who are great for support and cheerleading and I just tend to rely on them to the exclusion of anyone else.

Have you tried setting alarms for the bedtime windows routine, trying a calming bath/shower and setting an automatic shut off on your phone at a certain time? Mine goes automatically to do not disturb at 11pm and I find I sleep so much better if I read in bed rather than play on the phone.

Glad you have the app date in February anyway. It will hopefully come quickly.

@beckyCarlos yay delighted you got your date and that its moving so quickly for you!

@acaciabluebell if it's a free consultation can't do any harm anyway!

Just heard from my clinic. They've told me to go ahead and trigger today. Going to wait and trigger wed morning and give the two smaller follicles a chance to catch up. Feel very bold!

@Gracie2021 I'm from Ireland too, but live in LDN. How do you find the process over there?
@thislittlebird sorry you're having such a crappy time. I don't sleep either when things are stressful. I recently got a weighted blanked which helps x

I just did my IVF funding appointment today. Felt like we got no info from the nurse 🤷🏻 my husbands swimmers are apparently fine, but we were wondering whether it's worth doing a sperm dna frag test privately. The nurse flat out said no 😐 she wasn't having ANY of our questions - clearly busy.
Anyone done one? Part of me wonders if it's worth doing anyway ... we could be wasting our time though ...

@JeanieJ Thanks! It really is crap. I don't like feeling so out of control. How does the blanket help? I have eczema that''s been awful since we started ttc, it's flared up again now and I'm hot and itchy at night, I hate it. Which part of London are you? I'm south east.

We did the DNA frag because my husband has low motility and we wanted to check it before going into ICSI. His results came back as ok, not perfect but decent and he has 0% high frag and the doctor cleared us for ICSI as such. I think if it had been worse results he would have advised some time spent on supplements or something or more tests before IVF, not entirely sure. Afaik you can do it direct with the lab in Belfast from what I recall, and it's not as expensive that way.

@Gracie2021 If it hasn't worked to date then no harm giving it another day I guess. I know they want us to only have two follicles but it's not like it works anyway :/

I wish I wasn't in this bubble, would love to not know what a follicle is all over again! I'm going to bed and will try reading my book and maybe a vegan hot chocolate.

@thislittlebird oh to not know what a folicle was! I remember how scared I was when we first had 'truly' unprotected sex, I was worried I might actually get pregnant (depsite wanting a baby lol)...such an innocent fool! My husband got a weighted blanket, its not my jam because I feel like its weighing me down and constricting me and I cant move under it 🤣but he loves it, its like a hug in a blanket, and its meant to make you feel calm and supported and snug (a bit like a thunder vest for dogs)

@pinkginpls I can imagine it must have felt really rough being given no other option than IVF...it is such an awful feeling when it really hits home that this isn't going to happen naturally for us, I have been there too and I just bawled for a weekend! I hope you are feeling a bit better after a couple of days to process. I just try and remind myself that when I have my baby it won't matter how the pregnancy came about. Amazing that the funding application has gone off too. What kind of crafts are you into? xx

@Gracie2021 that's amazing about the follicles and that you can trigger! Crossing my fingers for you - crazier things have happened that it all works out the month before IVF :) and at least you can try with the knowledge that IVF is just around the corner as well. My goals are travel focused too - wanting to do some certain holidays and also my husband and I would like to move apartments and try out a new part of London this year. Additionally I want to work on improving my gut health as I suspect that is a big driver of my PCOS symptoms and also do yoga 3x a week!

@PurpleUnicorn01 best of luck for your scan!!

@thislittlebird sorry that you're struggling to sleep! I have been there. What has really helped for me is no phone an hour before bed, wearing a sleep mask to sleep, reading in bed before lights out and magnesium supplements at nighttime. I also keep the night light function on my iPhone on all day and my work laptop switches to night time function at 4pm. I also have cheap blue light blocking glasses that I'll often wear to watch TV or if I do have to use my phone in the hour before bed! Hope you find some relief.

@beckyCarlos the irony of using two methods of contraception for ten years "just in case".....

@JeanieJ tbh it's easier in some ways here as you know you have to pay so there's less waiting once you decide to go for it.... sucks having to pay but fairer in some ways too. Sorry you didn't feel like you got what you wanted from the app. I asked about the dna frag too and was told no. Didn't push it but if the first IVF cycle goes badly I'll be pushing for it then. There seems to be no appetite to run tests on the men at all....

@magnoliasinbloom love the goals. Where is on the travel list for the year? Italy and Greece are on line. Not getting too creative and want to keep it as cheap as possible. You'll be busy with travel and a move. I take probiotic supplements everyday for gut health and find it helps a lot.

@PurpleUnicorn01 is the scan tomorrow?

@thislittlebird think the blanket is supposed to calm you. I definitely like the weight and it does calm me ...although this week I have my period, so I'm too hot ... keep waking up in a pool of sweat.
@Gracie2021 - I know what you mean about it being a bit simpler/fairer in Ireland... my sis is about to do IVF (she's in a same sex couple, with no known fertility issues) and seems to having a more straightforward experience... but costly. 🤢

Question - has anyones AMH fluctuated? My doc told me it would only go down. First AMH was 14.3 and 6 months later, it's 15.7 ...I dunno if that's significant, but contradicts what he told me. I did start taking a load of supplements between the tests

@JeanieJ I suspect it might be a bit hot for me. With my skin as it is I tend to need to keep fairly cool. I didn’t sleep well again last night, my anxiety is just too much.

My AMH mine has, it went from 36 to 31, my results went like this:

AFC 27 / AMH 36
AFC 23
AFC 38 / AMH 31

So I’m pretty convinced if follicle count can go up and down so can AMH, since the hormone is released by follicles.

@beckyCarlos honestly kicking myself for waiting as long as we did. I was really out here thinking I’d be fertile lol 🥴

@jeaniej and @thislittlebird I think 'technically' it can only go down (if you look at it on a yearly/longer term basis) but it can definitely fluctuate as @thislittlebird says - at my last scan I had six (six!!!) Folicles, where before I only had 4, which would mean my AMH that month would have been higher (but since its £80 a pop I wont be checking again haha)

@magnoliasinbloom definitely recommend yoga, I dont go to real life classes but I follow Yoga With Adriene on youtube (she has monthly 'programmes' curated from her video catalogue, and theres currently a 30 days of yoga programme for January, no session longer than 30 mins) I find yoga great for switching my mind off and focusing on breathing and stuff x

@Gracie2021 @magnoliasinbloom yes scan is tmrw. @JeanieJ i wouldn't worry about AMH mine was 6.1 which and classed as low but i got a good quality eggs. Don't let it weigh you down.

I've only had my AMH checked once which I find very strange but that's all they seem yo want.... but with an average AFC of 5-7 and AMH of 9.4 I'm not sure I want to know if it's gone any lower.....

@Gracie2021 Italy and Greece would be incredible :) Hopefully everywhere stays open and we can book! We've got a wedding in Italy in May and hoping to tack a trip to Slovenia on the end as well! Also hopefully meeting my husband's brother in Chicago in the summer as well (I'm a NZer living in London and I've not seen any family in almost 2 years due to the pandemic). What probiotics do you take? I've taken probiotics for a year but still seemed to be having gut problems so I got some testing done at the end of last year, the testing also came with a nutritionist consult that gave me some specific guidance on foods/supplements so I'm hoping that will make a difference.

@thislittlebird I have heard good things about Yoga with Adrienne! I have worried in the past that I'd struggle to keep up online without a teacher in the front of a class to look at but I should give it a go! x

@magnoliasinbloom lovely to have a wedding to look forward to in there too and Chicago is fab. Hope you get to enjoy it all now. I'm using optibac at the minute but switch them out every second time as was told it's good to mix it up. I also a don't tend to eat bread or white rices etc too much as disagrees with me. I'm not religious about it but tend to be mainly gluten free.... easier since WFH.

@gracie2021 I didnt realise you were in the low AMH club! Mine was 2.4! My consultant said that is 'awful', but I'm only 33 (now 34, ignoring that fact, in my head I stopped getting older in covid, which technically means I'm still 32...), which is 'excellent'. He's very blunt but it means I take him seriously when he say something is good. When I have a wobble I tell myself its quality not quantity, and all the ubiquinol, diet alterations, and not using plastics/perfumed stuff must be having a good impact 🥰

Oh and @gracie2021 and @thislittlebird lol at my naive younger self stressing about whether the pill would be enough protection and maybe I need a condom too, it really is ironic all the times I though 'but what if'. But we live and learn haha. Might start a separate savings account now for my hypothetical childrens private fertility work up fund!

@purpleunicorn01 another fellow low AMH-er, literally noone I know has low AMH going through IVF so this has made me feel so much less alone 🥰

P.p.s add AMH to the list of things I wish I'd never heard of and havent had to explain to literally anyone I've told about this, even people having IVF

@beckyCarlos @magnoliasinbloom thanks for the yoga recommendation, I'll look it up. I never know where to start with at home yoga.

@PurpleUnicorn01 what you said is basically what my GP said too. Don't pay much attention to AMH, which is fair.

@Gracie2021 they only want it for your protocol, I suppose. Mine was only done twice because I initially paid for it back in February 2021 because I was worried I was menopausal (my periods were being weird), and then again with the clinic at our appointment in August.

I have immune issues in terms or flora and fauna and all that, have had gut issues in the past, have constant eczema issues which is also related, and thrush issues. I started taking optibac for when the thrush is bad (which is usually to do with my hormones at certain times of the month) and actimel every day and it does seem to be helping.

I'm mostly vegetarian so at the moment I make a shake for breakfast each morning with a spoon of whey protein, flax seed, oats, peanut butter amongst other things hoping that getting the vitamins and nutrients in the morning is a good start and might help my eggos.

I've got my new HIIT shoes (still waiting for the running ones), so I'm going to do that in a bit.

I got my ivf prescription email today, it consists of:

2??? x Gonal-f 900units/1.5ml solution for injection 1 pre-filled pen

8??? x Fyremadel 250micrograms/0.5ml solution for injection pre-filled syringe

1 x Ovitrelle 250micrograms/0.5ml solution for injection 1 pre-filled pen (CD4)

45 x Cyclogest 400mg pessary

Not sure what the numbers of gonal f vs fyremadel are about, maybe it'll make sense when it arrives on Friday.

I'm not sure what to do about my period tbh. I thought I might have ovulated already, I had some EWCM or near to and some ovary pains a few days ago. Now this morning I had a lot EWCM, more than usual, so I will assume my body will ovulate later again, as it used to. If I ovulate on around day 18 (today is 16) I'll be just scraping into my IVF window. I have no good idea of when to expect my period and it's hurting my brain :/

Maybe I'll do an OPK or two, it's never worked yet but you never know.

Hey ladies, I am reading a lot about IVF funding. Does anyone mind sharing their experience about how it all started? What questions do they ask during your application? Do you get to choose the fertility clinic?
I belong to the SWL CCG and wonder which clinic is the best... I read King's is probably the largest and has the best stats but it is about an hour away...

Thanks in advance all x

Well, it’s better late than ever I guess. Never had an OPK this dark without meds since Oct 2019 lmao.

@pinkginpls what stage are you at? And who is applying for funding? I got to choose but it was just my GP asking me if I want Guys or Kings on the phone. However, I did have a bit of a mare to get that point of a referral. Went round the houses a bit before he did it, had to change GPs.