Fertility Appointments and Beyond.... the next chapter

[Tinkerbell098]

I have created a new thread as the previous one is about to fill up. I've tagged some of us here, but apologies if I have missed anyone.

The thread is for anyone who has started/ about to start fertility investigations or treatment. Come join us, we are a lovely bunch :)

@tillybabs
@thislittlebird
@kay00
@jeaniej
@PurpleUnicorn01
@paintfairy
@dogmam
@flutterby8
@Ughmaybenot
@dancingfairydreams
@beckycarlos
@jkjellyhead
@juno231
@decaffe
@bumble44
@BritinNZ
@tinkerbell098
@pinkginpls
@thedaydreambelievers
@everymumday
@wanderlust16
@lori23ttc
@Gracie2021
@Sofasogood1
@99pctpractice
@magnoliasinbloom

@thislittlebird welcome back! I always put weight on so easily! You might find you loose a couple of those pounds quite quickly. For me the last few pounds are the hardest!

@Kay00 thanks! Had a shit journey back from Heathrow first, before the weight gain realisation. I live on the new Elizabeth Line and i cockily thought I’d be able to get back from Heathrow on it. Lol, error, it was shut. I spent ages dicking around on the tube and saying very, very bad words at ticket barriers if they didn’t work straight away and then was super tired, woke up too early on Cyprus time for my weigh in and yikes what a bastard it was. I was eating fairly well away. Not much bread, lots of barbecued vegetables and prawns and roasted vegetables, fruit and yogurt for breakfast. Sigh. I guess if this next transfer fails I’ll have to keep it up until I’m back at a weight with a buffer, if that makes sense? Where I can gain some without going back into the overweight bracket again. I want to feel better about myself because I don’t feel very good about by body or what it isn’t able able to do right now. I hope you’re right and it snaps back a bit faster this time, but I have little faith in it.

Hi Ladies,
I just wanted to come on and thank you all so much for being so helpful & welcoming
Feeling a little deflated today, but I took some time for me so I feel a little better.

I need to go get questions/notes etc ready for my consultation with the clinic on the 4th. If anybody has any suggestions of things I should ask about - hit me up.

Hope you all have a great day x

@Kay00 I'm so sorry about your bfn. I hope you're ok and take some time out to regroup and plan your next steps. Big hugs to you ❤️

@99pctpractice I can totally relate to those feelings you have. We are the same age and I too beat myself up about it but it's not our fault

@thislittlebird I'm glad you had a nice holiday even with your meltdown which is completely understandable. Don't beat yourself up too much about your weight. You have lost it and can lose it again.

@RMS0209 welcome!

Urgh. I have been a complete cow today 😬 my poor OH! I feel really irrational and emotional. I'm up and down and have been for days. I guess its the post-IVF come down, but I'd been quite proud of how little I responded badly to the IVF meds as I was taking them. I guess I'm also still processing the failure.

@thislittlebird sorry to hear about your shitty journey home. Hopefully you forget that part of your holiday quickly, and you can look back on your happy sunny memories 😎

@Kay00 not sure I follow, you were pleased with the response, you mean? I think that’s perfectly normal, it’s nice to feel like it’s working when it does go right. Even if it then doesn’t go well not long after.

I’m losing it today. It’s a month until the transfer roughly and I guess I thought it would feel quicker once I got back from holiday. Can confirm it doesn’t feel quicker, I’m trying to console myself that I have time to shift some weight (again).

I had a bit of a meltdown this afternoon. Saw a house online I liked in Cornwall and got angry that I can’t move, can’t have a baby, don’t have a job I can do from home entirely that would enable me to move. Then remembered how we could have done it by now because dh got a good job but the ivf got in the way last autumn and we turned it all down, and now we’re still no further along than a year ago.

@thislittlebird I'm back on the diet today too 😆 well... its a less calories, and less Ultra-processed food diet. I need to cut out the crap and return to simple home made foods and bought food with less ingredients.

My follow up appointment has been booked for mid July... which also feels ages away!

I have this exact meltdown about once a month @thislittlebird . It puts so much of life on hold. from the small (races, holidays) to the huge (moves, jobs)

@thislittlebird just coming back online again after my own little meltdown so absolutely no judgement here. Don't forget that even if you're not on medication this very second that your body is recovering from earlier medications and your hormones will be up and down and making everything so much harder. Looking at the opportunity cost of everything infertility robs from us is just icing on the cake. Add in that post holiday slump and the tricky travel and it's all just a lot at once! Hope you're doing ok today.

Sorry you're struggling too @Kay00 I always find the end of an IVF cycle so so hard hormone wise even without the emotion. It's like normal PMS times a thousand which is what I've been having the last few days too. Crying for no reason and not even able to tell my partner why but just so so emotionally delicate. Hope you're being gentle on yourself especially with digesting the post transfer emotions as well as all the hormones. Sending a big virtual hug xx glad you have your follow up scheduled even if it feels so far away.

@RMS0209 afraid I'm the opposite end of the spectrum with abysmally low AMH so no much help in terms of the medicine. But here for support and the rants and whatever's needed any given day. Welcome.

@dogmam thinking of you too, how are you doing? So sorry to see the wait for your follow up but fair play on having the other bits lined up and hope it'll feel better to have a plan of action after all this. Can't remember if you'd said but are you able to squeeze in a holiday to relax and rejuvenate?

@magnoliasinbloom looking to see you there. Hope you're keeping well and everything is going smoothly for you.

CD2 here and just took my first estrogen, baby aspirin and prednisolone today. Have my first scan for 27/6 so this is definitely a longer process than I'd anticipated. Had a follow up call with my doctor on Monday too. She said they were able to get more information from doing ICSI this last time (due to my partners motility dropping to 15% out of nowhere 🤷‍♀️) and there's definite egg quality issues, listed about 3 😂🙈🙈. She said our two good embryoes have about a 50-60% chance and our other three about a 30% chance each so we'll see how we go. Coming off of the worst darkest PMS I've had in a long time so just so grateful that my period is here and we can get cracking on this.

@TheDaydreamBelievers did you have any result from the 5mg after or are they upping your dose? Sorry if I missed your update. Hope the side effects aren't too bad. Think I remember terrible night sweats while on Letrozole so hope it's treating you well.

Hi @Gracie2021 cycle day 2 for me too... hello cycle buddy x

@Gracie2021 we could only do day 21 bloods as day 28 I was away. The day 21 bloods were a "probably". I'm concerned though as my positive OPK was CD18 and cycle ended CD27 - seems a short luteal phase?

@TheDaydreamBelievers glad you got your "probably" but yes luteal phase is a bit short. Letrozole for me lengthened my luteal phase from 10/11 to 12/13 days. Have you talked next steps or bigger dose or anything with your doctor?

@RMS0209 CD2 cycle twins it is. I love this part of the month. No more mad crying and I'm so full of energy.

Hi everyone. Hope you don’t mind me joining this thread. Just a bit of background, I’m 35 and been TTC my third baby for 15 months now. We had no problems conceiving our first two and my youngest is only 2 (nearly 3). We’ve had all the tests. I don’t really understand a lot of the results but basically we’ve been told everything is ok. AMH is 18 which seems to be the key test.

I just wondered if anyone has tried letrozole despite ovulating naturally? My clinic won’t prescribe it if you are ovulating, regular periods etc but trying to determine whether there’s any point going private and trying it?

Also, just wondered if anyone has any thoughts on when the right time to go for IVF is? I feel 15 months is still a little premature. We have been advised to give it 18-24 months in total but obviously we are paying so it is up to us. My head feels like it might explode 🤯🤯 don’t know what to do about anything at the moment!

@Hoping43 my understanding is letrozole has no evidence it works if you are already ovulating. In your shoes, how long id wait till IVF would depend on my age. Are you 43 yrs old?

@TheDaydreamBelievers im 35 years old

@TheDaydreamBelievers it sucks so much, doesn’t it? I’m so tired of being childless and never knowing if I will have kids, and being stuck in every life area. All I do is tread water, it’s so frustrating.

Someone on the infertility forum described it like a game, where you’re stuck battling enemies and you can’t level up. It seemed like a really apt analogy to me.

@Kay00 i was bad on the old diet today. The holiday was such a good motivator for me to work out and eat well and now I’m not feeling it as much. But I do want to keep at it for the ivf generally. July really feels like ages away, glad I’m not alone!!!

@Gracie2021 we can start a meltdown club lol. Thanks, I’m feeling better today. It really does rob us if so much, infertility is torturous because of that. We don’t get the experiences and the comparative ease of starting a family other people get. It’s exhausting. So if your period has started, is this countdown to transfer? When will that be?

@Gracie2021 @TheDaydreamBelievers letrozole made me ovulate earlier but my LP remained the same. Strange how it works.

@Hoping43 anecdotally, letrozole didn’t work for me and I seem to ovulate ok.

@RMS0209 hope you’re feeling a bit better, new cycle is sometimes a weight off like @Gracie2021 said!

@Hoping43 i think Letrazole really only works if you aren’t ovulating regularly - it works by decreasing your estrogen production which triggers FSH production to stimulate follicle growth and ovulation. If your body is already naturally doing this then maybe not much point? It did work for me but I was ovulating every 150 days 🤣. If you don’t feel ready for IVF but want to take a next step would you consider IUI?

@Gracie2021 doing really well thank you. I’m glad you’re feeling good and energised in a new cycle too!

Thanks @magnoliasinbloom how do you know if you’re ovulating regularly? I had a progesterone test 2 months ago and it was 34 which they said meant ovulation had occurred then I did one last month that was 21 and they said it probably had occurred but I likely mistimed the test. They said as my cycles are regular there’s a 95% chance I’m ovulating. Obviously I can’t pay to have my progesterone tested every month so do I just assume it’s fine?!?! X

@Hoping43 others will know more than me but in addition to progesterone testing you could try ovulation tests and basal body temping to help confirm ovulation? Although as you said if you are getting regular cycles then that is a good sign. I wonder if your fertility clinic could explain your test results to you further beyond 'it looks fine' as maybe that would give you some further insight too (i.e. sometimes results can be 'normal but not optimal' for ttc). I take it your partner has had a SA done too? :)

@magnoliasinbloom yes we’ve had everything done and his results we’re all within normal range. All my results are within normal range. My FSH was 9.6 which worried me but they have said my AMH is normal so that’s all fine. I use OPKs and I’ve always had a peak except one month out of 9 months of using them. I’ve not tried BBT

@Hoping43 Hi! I know you from another thread :) The consultant we had said letrozole/clomid is only given if you don't ovulate regularly. She said if you have regular periods, that is a sign that you do ovulate each month. In addition to doing OPKs, I also started temping since Jan and each month I see a clear temp shift which coincides with when I get peak OPKs so I can confirm I ovulate. Maybe worth giving it a go even if it's just for a couple of months. I understand it's a hassle and not for everyone, but if you really wanted to confirm, I would suggest it as it is quite clear to see if you are in any doubt.

Any of you ladies starting a fresh cycle towards August? I think I'll be starting down regs beginning of Aug and transfer end of Aug if all goes well. Excited to be starting soon!

@hoping43 I'm jealous of your FSH, mine was 16.6 two years ago when I had it tested 🙈

@tinkerbelle098 maaaayyyyybe me if we're lucky...

Just had our review appointment which went really well, we're going to do a short protocol this time with higher stims, still aiming for quality not quantity, just need a scan to check my womb is back to normal (although I have had a negative pregnancy test), and as soon as were registered privately and a nurse consultation comes up we can book it, and will be ready at the next available cycle 🥰

@beckyCarlos oh amazing news. Are you going with the same clinic or have you changed clinics now? Fingers crossed the scan goes ok and you can start soon. X