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

@thislittlebird i have two friends who've told me about their EC, the clinic does 'waking sedation'... the official clinic info says youre really relaxed and, while awake, don't actually remember anything about the procedure after and certainly dont feel anything. Friend #1 said she was 'aware' of everything, her eyes wer closed but she could hear them counting eggs, and knew two different docs were involved etc. Friend #2 fell asleep as soon as the drugs went in and they had to wake her up for tea and a sandwich after 🤣 it seems very subjective! Definitely ask for extra help x

@beckyCarlos yeah, I’ve heard various things but mostly that people have been ‘asleep’ and I’m hoping that’s me. I will be telling them this, I don’t need to be aware!

@thislittlebird the transfer was so easy I wouldn't have even known they'd done it, had they not been showing me. Didn't feel a thing, never mind any pain.
EC the sedation is weird. I could have sworn I was awake the whole time. But I have no memory of anything bar about a minute and they couldn't have been that quick. The drugs relax you so you physically aren't anxious and mostly have no clue what's even going on. Much less stressful than going to the dentist!

I had a similar sedation when I had my (two) colonoscopies and endoscopy last year. I certainly felt like I was awake for the whole thing but remember nothing about the endoscopy and have huge blank spots about the colon part . It was all very relaxing considering!

I had my 10 day scan for my first letrozole/IUI cycle this morning. I have responded to the meds (yay!) and had a dominant 15mm follicle on my right ovary, but my uterine lining was still looking a bit thin. I have to go back in for another scan on Thursday morning to see if it has progressed, with trigger/IUI hopefully happening after that. They wanted me to do OPKs but having PCOS they generally aren't accurate for me. I might try and do some just in case anyway.

@magnoliasinbloom congrats that's fantastic. Fingers crossed that little follicle will do great for you. Try heat packs on your stomach for twenty mins a night. Also vit D and vit E are meant to be good for lining. Fingers crossed 🤞

@thislittlebird you poor thing hate that EC has such anxiety associated for you. Hope you're able to get knocked well out and can just wake up to good news.

Thanks for the advice @paintfairy. I have much the same idea myself. Plus the left ovary did nothing this month because of the cyst there so hopefully could get one or two follicles from that another month too. Also going to talk to the doctor about embryo banking and not going anywhere. Ear transfer just yet. Will see.

@beckyCarlos so sorry you have that worry too. You have this image for your life and it just feels like the universe doesn't want to cooperate but hopefully we'll both get there eventually.

Hi @Tillybabs great to hear from you. Sorry you're stuck waiting but glad you have next steps laid out. How long til your hysteroscopy?

I'd read about natural IVF @PurpleUnicorn01. From what I've seen financially it wouldn't be a good bet for us as the cost seems to be the same as a normal round of IVF so we'd be paying the same for one embryo instead of the hopefully 3+ we might have a shot with normal IVF. Going to ask about combinations FSH and clomid though as have seen some people online have good success with that.

Sorry for the rant yesterday folks. Just got hit with that out of nowhere and needed a moment to deal. Have my list of questions ready for tomorrow and have a thread of a possible plan of action in my head so hoping tomorrow we might finally have a decision on this cycle and be able to talk next steps going forward too 🤞

@thislittlebird my trigger was 1mg buserelin. I had Lorazapam the night before EC and the morning of, I would deffinetly recommend it if you're anxious, ask you clinic about it. It deffinetly took the edge off, felt mildly drunk. Then I had the sedation but I was awake so could feel stuff going on and hear them chatting.. Then fast asleep for an hour straight afterwards. When it comes to collection, from my 2 experiences, zero pain at all, very calm, basically lie there and let them do their thing. For me, I feel less during transfer than I do an internal scan, so if you're fine at scans than transfer will be a doddle. The worst part is the glaring lamp that is directed at your 'area' so they can see what they're doing!
With OHSS, if fingers crossed it works, then your pregnancy will bring the OHSS on, if you were high risk. I remember saying to my clinic after collection that I felt ok so would fresh be considered, but that didn't matter as the risk was later on if it worked.

@Gracie2021 ah bless you, what a really shitty time you've had. I'm pleased you've got your list of questions prepared. You sound like you've got a clear plan to move forward with this which is good. Fingers crossed for tomorrow that whatever the outcome you will know what your next steps will be.

@PurpleUnicorn01 how's your FET cycle going?

@Gracie2021 don't be sorry at all. It's not an easy process and for them to get it wrong and you now having to start the cycle again is really frustrating.

My holiday was fab thank you (you asked me on the other thread). My surgery is next week Weds, but it's pending a pcr test 3 days before so just praying that comes back negative.

@dogmam I'd have felt more comfortable with the buserelin but ovitrelle it is. Just have to hope I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't get OHSS :/ I'm going to speak to the doctor on the EC day if I'm not feeling well since the trigger.

The reason I'd asked for a sedative for ET was because I'd heard mixed stories about how it has gone for people so I'm concerned it won't be smooth sailing and I'll freak out. I don't like the speculum scenario, prefer the familiar wand.

@Kay00 I asked how awake I'll be and they said I can choose, so I'll be requesting not to be awake/aware! I had to be sedated for an endoscopy before.

@magnoliasinbloom good news!

@Gracie2021when will you be speaking to them tomorrow? Discussing your options including egg banking sounds like a good idea.

@Gracie2021 thanks! Eating all the almonds and avocados for vitamin e at the moment. I hope your appointment goes well today and you get to ask your questions! You're a trooper through all this :)

@thislittlebird thank you!

Hey guys,

Question -
So, I'm playing the waiting game for NHS funding for IVF right now.
However, I've never had a day 21 blood progesterone test - when I asked my Dr, he said I didn't need one because he'd seen that I'd ovulated when I had a scan, but the reason I'm worried is because when I temp, I'm always cold - max 36.6 & I have weak OPKs... I wonder if I just have low progesterone?
What do you think I should do? If I get accepted for funding will they just do the blood test at that point?

@JeanieJ hope you get the call soon. I think progesterone will only really be an issue when you're doing a transfer and they'll be doing bloods for that is my understanding plus supplementing your progesterone. Don't think it's an issue for the stims/egg collection part.

@magnoliasinbloom my lining is actually great now with those few changes but used to sit about 6mm. I also do acupuncture and would swear it helps my lining as my period changed completely since going. Hope it works for you.

Good that you can choose your level of awake @thislittlebird. Tell them you want puppy sleep hunting level. That's like max level 😁 how are you feeling?

So glad the holiday was good @Tillybabs and wishing you the best of luck for a negative pcr and a smooth recovery.

Thanks @dogmam feeling a bit more together now so hopefully can be fairly pragmatic through todays discussions and leave the emotion at the door til after. Can I ask how you're doing these days? Do you have long to wait til your next cycle.

Hope the TWW is going smoothly @PurpleUnicorn01 x

@JeanieJ they'll give you progesterone regardless when going through IVF so it won't matter! I don't think they'll bother to test you for it at this stage either.

I'm just off the phone with my doctor and we're converting this round to IUI but then going to do two dual stim back to back cycles to try bank some embryos before going anywhere near a transfer. Feel so much better for having a plan. Also going to rerun bloods for me and do a DNA frag test on hubby as I put the argument forward that even though he'd no risk factors, we'll have such a small number of eggs to work with that it made sense to do it and the doctor agreed. Also getting my testosterone checked so I can add DHEA if needed. Hopefully covering all bases. Feel so much better now that the limbo of this cycle has ended and the decision is made. Luckily for us because of the meds error they're going to roll all our money forward for the next IVF round. The relief.

@gracie2021 I'm so glad things sound a bit more positive for you now 😊 but dont ever feel you have to apologise for coming here and getting it off your chest, thats what we're all here for x x x

@JeanieJ I've never had day 21 bloods done, while I'm guessing, I suspect if you've had an internal ultrasound thats confirmed ovulation and youre fairly regular they won't be overly concerned. They also give you some form of progesterone (mine is vaginal, so sexy) but I know other ladies have injections, to help after stims/before and after transfer so nothing to worry about there. Although, I would ask the question anyway just to be sure! X

@Gracie2021 that's great to hear, so pleased you have a clear plan in place and that this cycle is free :) You'll be IUI cycle twins with me!

@magnoliasinbloom you just made me so happy. It always feels so much easier with company.... just got my instructions and I trigger tomorrow and IUI on Friday. Not expecting much tbh as we've had 8 failed TSIs and Ohs motility is good so not sure if we have much extra benefit from the IUI but trying to keep an open mind. Have two 16mm follicles today so maybe we'll be blessed and have twins and no IVF at all. A girl can hope right 😂😂

Thanks a mil @beckyCarlos and likewise here for the rants whenever you need them!!!

@Gracie2021 that's amazing! Can't ask for more than that from your clinic can you.. well apart from not making the mistake in the first place but you know what I mean. Plus you have the extra benefit of DNA frag test which you probably wouldn't have got would you if this cycle had went to plan. Sounds like it's all happened for a reason! But as you say, hopfully you won't need IVF anyway and you'll end up with twins from IUI. You never know!!
Yeah I'm fine, thank you, feel like the positive tests, being pregnant and the miscarriage was all just a distant memory now. I do have down days of course but what can you do. I think because I haven't told anyone what happened then life is just going on as normal. Follow up appointment 21st Feb then I guess we will go again with round 2. I've just had my first period since having surgery after Christmas to 'remove the pregnancy', it was awful, so heavy I wasn't expecting it but pleased I had it and hopfully cycles are back to normal now.

@Gracie2021 excellent news! I think life always seems better with a plan! At least now you can move forwards and get this show on the road! 🥳 IUI is weird- I had 3 rounds and it didn't work. But some people it does work for. So you never know!

@Gracie2021 great news that the injections won't be wasted and you can convert to IUI! Fingers crossed for you. Also great to hear you'll be egg banking, this sounds like progress and it must be great to have a plan.

This is all very good news, you must feel better already and the money is being carried over too!

@JeanieJ yeah, the pessaries should make up for any progesterone issues but I have normal periods and seem to ovulate???? and yet my progesterone has been low when tested. I think it's worth knowing so you can plan how long to take progesterone for. My clinic wants me to take them for 8 weeks IF we can get a positive but I'll be pushing back on that because I really think I should be on them for 12.

@dogmam sorry to hear about the period, sounds rough but fingers crossed it's all back on track.

@Gracie2021 how exciting! Hope the trigger and IUI goes well and that this is your lucky month :) :) Unfortunately my scan this morning didn't go as well - my lining is still too thin but more worryingly I look to have overresponded to the letrazole and have 2-3 other follicles growing quite big in addition to the dominant one I had on Tuesday. The other follicles could stop growing but we've been told to not have unprotected sex in case. Have a follow up scan on Saturday but have been advised there is a risk that the cycle will have to be cancelled due to risk of multiple pregnancies :( So strange as I was taking 5mg letrazole a day this cycle. On previous unmonitored letrazole cycles at both 5mg and 7.5mg I've had non responses so can't understand how I've overresponded potentially this time!

Fertility clinic rang again - scan has been pushed out to Tuesday as doctors feel a later scan will give the best indication of whether the cycle needs to be cancelled. I'm not feeling particularly hopefully and feels annoying that I'll have to wait longer to hear the inevitable bad news. My partner is reminding me to focus on the positive which is that I have responded to Letrazole (albeit too much) as given my previous non-responses we were worried about that.

@magnoliasinbloom I'm so sorry that absolutely sucks and especially being stuck in limbo for the weekend. That was me last weekend and it was the hardest part. The only positive I could find was that they wouldn't be giving it time if there wasn't a chance and hopefully the extra follicles will slow down over the weekend for you 🤞 hope you're doing ok x

@thislittlebird hope you're feeling ok and ready for tomorrow

@paintfairy I'll be honest my expectations are nil but I'm open to being surprised.

So sorry the first period was rough @dogmam but glad you're not waiting on it still and hope you're able to move forward again with your app on 21st.

@Gracie2021 thanks, feeling pretty flat but I guess there's not much that can be done until waiting until Tuesday. It's fortunate that I'm being monitored at least as I definitely wouldn't have wanted triplets!! Hope that your IUI went well and crossing my fingers this is your month :)

Thanks @Gracie2021! We’re home now, I’m on the sofa with a blanket and the telly on. Have you had the IUI?

@magnoliasinbloom your dh is right that responding to letrozole is great, fingers crossed for Tuesday.

They got 15 eggs, now I’m just praying some fertilise with that sample we carried across London 🥴.