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

@magnoliasinbloom it does feel like you’ve been having scans for ages now!

@Juno231 I've managed to not pass out with careful management for vaccines and the 3 bloods tests I've had for fertility reasons... so I might be okay, but it is still a bit petrifying. Hoping I get an early call then.

Thank you @Gracie2021 - that gives me some reassurance. I think we most likely have a male factor issue but we are both taking lots of supplements to try to get everything as good as possible. Any idea how long after that first appointment that any action happens?!

@paintfairy congratulations on your little girl. Hope all goes well. You are all filling me with confidence and I hope of we have to go that route, that I will too deem it a non-event! We too would need IVF with ICSI at this point - v low morphology... hope scan in a few weeks goes perfectly for you.

X

@magnoliasinbloom just want to say good luck for today and hope everything is looking more promising for you. Know the frustration of waiting on scan after scan so here if you need the rants or support xxx

@FlyOnTheWall89 afraid I'm not Uk based so no help on that side of things but hoping it comes through quickly for you.

@thislittlebird when do you find out about your other two embryos? 🤞

Not sure if I mentioned this before but fainted the day before my IUI and have been getting dizzy spells ever since. Waiting on an iron blood test to come back but pretty sure it's just another beautiful side effect of all the drugs. Feel so rotten.

@Gracie2021 yessss we just got a call. She said they’ve now frozen 4 🙌 and announced two more are still hanging in there and they will give them another day but they’re unlikely to make it. I’m over the moon with 4, especially since half might be crap because I’m 39 in May.

Oh no I’m so sorry you have crap side effects. Have you had others? Let us know what the bloods say. I’m still here not breathing fantastically, it’s not fun.

4 is fantastic @thislittlebird I'm so pleased for you. Especially when you're having such awful side effects great to know it was all worth it. Here's hoping the other two surprise you. Good to have that little bit of hope with them still in the running.

I'm back on progesterone now so have my usual awful symptoms from that. Terrible teeth/gum aches, night sweats, hot flashes, nose bleeds among others as well as my new fainting/dizzy issue. But look will all be worth it in the long run hopefully.

@thislittlebird 4!!!!! 🥰 so happy for you!!

@gracie2021 sorry youre having a rough time x x z

@Gracie2021 @beckyCarlos I’ve quite enjoyed talking to the embryologist because it’s been good news each time. I’m sure other people have had a worse experience of these calls and do not enjoy them!

I get zero symptoms of progesterone, it’s weird. As you say, it’s all for the bigger picture.

Excellent @thislittlebird! 4 frozen is super excellent! I would be thrilled with these results xx

@Kay00 thanks!!!! It’s such a relief to get over this hurdle. Every step of the process feels like another mountain to climb, you know? And when you’re getting on a bit it feels like an even steeper mountain 🙃

@Gracie2021 thanks lovely. I had my scan this morning and it was good news :) I'm triggering tonight and doing the IUI tomorrow! So we can still be IUI cycle twins. I'm sorry to hear you're feeling unwell from the progesterone again, I hope they ease up soon! I'll be joining you on that in a couple of days.

@thislittlebird that's amazing! It must feel so exciting and relieving. Hope you're feeling more relaxed now. Is your breathing better?

@thislittlebird great news on your embryos! 🙂
@Gracie2021 sorry you're having a rough time 😞

Little update from me ... got the call from the clinic yesterday to say my funding went through & had my long IVF chat today! (So fast)

I'm gonna be on the short protocol and start the period after next (6 weeks) all my pre IVF scans & blood tests happen in 2 weeks. So, I've got 2 more 'natural' goes before we dive in! Not sure how I feel about it - it's all happening so fast!

We got our final update, 4 frosties it is. Very pleased with 4, it’s more chances than we’ve probably had so far.

@magnoliasinbloom glad to hear your IUI is going ahead! I am feeling better yeah, I’m sure anxiety was making it all worse. I’m on prednisolone too and I think that’s helping my lungs out.

@JeanieJ thank you! That’s very fast!

@magnoliasinbloom fingers crossed!
@jeaniej we might be stimming at rougly the same time! I'm downregging from next Monday (not this one coming)
@thislittlebird super chuffed for you, partner, and 4 embryos on ice 🥰 such good news and inspiration 🥰

@beckyCarlos thanks!!!! I’m chuffed too. I’m assuming we’ll transfer the four in three goes, since that’s last one is likely iffy. I’m fine with that. Nearly a week until you start down regging???

@Gracie2021 how are you getting on?

@thislittlebird whats the process for FET? Do you have to have a normal cycle first?

yeah 8 days! I've started having weird IVF dreams, thanks subconscious! I'm not actively stressing about it but apparently deep down I am, I've only stress dreamt about one other thing in life (my degree, after submitting my last piece of work) and I cant say I've missed it 🤣

@beckyCarlos yeah, they want me to call them on my cycle after this one. Hopefully it’ll come on time, but the annoying thing is that I’ll be in Scotland from end of March to early April which is when that FET cycle is due to start so I’m hoping they don’t need me to come in for a scan right away and can wait a few days. I think they like to put you on oestrogen for it but my lining has been good at every scan I’ve had so I want to discuss with them the options and if I have to take it or they can judge it nearer the time.

Eight days will fly by!!! Funny, I’ve had some odd dreams (including one about my face growing and growing after the first of one of my injections) and I really didn’t realise how anxious I was until the transfer was upon me.

@thislittlebird I was a bit clueless about FET until a friend was looking to have baby #2 from one of her frozens and was explaining the process. Theres so much you dont know till you're in it! Ha, that dream sounds like my kind of thing, I can only remember one of my dreams but you had to have the injections in your boobs?! Freud would have a field day with me I'm sure!

@beckyCarlos I guess the FET fear is any problem with thawing but hopefully they’ll make it out ok. When will stims start for you roughly?

It’s almost like we fear the injections somehow 😭😩. It was the fyremadel that triggered my dream, I think the name is ominous and i wasn’t sure what was in it, and I have massive anxiety about meds since prednisolone made me have a giant face for a year. It’s all snowballing lol

@thislittlebird @beckyCarlos thank you! IUI went well on Saturday, 65 million sperm went in and morphology was 8% so hoping one of them gets to the right place. The ultrasound was on my stomach the whole time and we could see what was happening with the doctor pointing things out on the scan which was quite fun. Now just taking all the progesterone and making sure to keep warm and eat lots of warming foods. Feel more relaxed then I have in ages, knowing there's nothing to do but wait.

@Gracie2021 how are you feeling?

@magnoliasinbloom sorry needed a few days away so just catching up now and so so thrilled that your IUI went so well. Those numbers are fantastic and here's hoping it does the trick for you.

@JeanieJ @beckyCarlos great news that you'll have company through this and so excited for you both. Fingers crossed all goes smoothly. You'll be getting meds and all getting very real soon 🤞

Really struggling here tbh. Think I'm fine and then it all gets too much. I'm actually reaching out to a fertility counselor later today. Tested out my trigger as I realised I might be missing CPs by testing at 12DPO which is my usual. As of yesterday 9DPIUI nothing but negatives. Didn't test this morning but not expecting much anyway tbh. The thought of the back to back rounds ahead, juggling work, isolating etc is all just feeling like a lot so hoping talking it through with someone might help 🤞

@thislittlebird sorry thought I'd replied, clearly the head is all over the place. Glad you're able to move forward with the transfer soon but can see how it would unleash a whole new set of anxieties. Fingers crossed all keeps going smoothly. When do you start the injections again?

@thislittlebird roughly 17th march, I think, if everything is shutting down as it should 😊

@magnoliasinbloom those numbers sound amazing! It is so cool that you can watch!

@gracie2021 sorry you're feeling overwhelmed, it IS overwhelming though, and talking to someone will hopefully help 😊 Im anxious about trying to isolate too, work are amazing so I can wfh, but the uk govts approach of 'just drop everything' makes me SO nervous because I know if I test positive everything is off :/

@Gracie2021 I'm sorry you're feeling so rough. Fertility challenges are incredibly stressful and lonely and it's unfair that we all have to go through it :( Especially back to back egg banking, that will be a lot :( Counselling sounds like a great idea, does your clinic include it as part of their package or is this separate? We are always here to talk to as well xx

Just catching up..

@thislittlebird fab news on your 4 embryos!!! So pleased for you!! What a long road you've had to get hear but finally some good news for you. Any questions on the FET feel free to ask! Hopefully you can take this time to just switch off a little and have a bit of fun knowing you have your 4 embryos x

@Gracie2021 how did your chat go with the counseller? I hope you were able to have a good talk with them and it was of some benefit to you. Take care and I hope you see two lines on your next test. Everything crossed for you.

@magnoliasinbloom I bet that was amazing to watch it all happen on the scan.. and 65mil sperm sounds really good, how was the motility? I hope you continue to feel relaxed and chilled all the to test date.

@beckyCarlos @JeanieJ exciting times ahead ladies!

Had my follow up appointment to discuss our second cycle. I asked lots of questions but feel like I've forgotten all the answers and information the consultant gave me! She was lovely though and it lasted about an hour! Slight change of protocol, although same drugs but a smaller dose to reduce the number of follicles so that hopefully a better quality of eggs collected. She's booked me in tomorrow to do my AMH as it was last done a year ago (another reminder of how long this journey has been!) and then I'm good to start treatment again on my next period which is due next week!! Thinking about waiting another month though to get the diet back on track as wasn't expecting to start again so soon so have been having far too many treats!

@gracie2021 xx sending my love. You're dealing with a huge amount right now, I hope you're taking lots of time to do nice things for yourself xx

@dogmam that sounds really positive and exciting that it could start happening within the next few weeks!

I have booked in the BMI check for my OH and I for Thursday next week. This will kick-start our IVF journey and the paperwork will be in the post.