Bus 9 - Donkey Cart departing soon, all aboard with ivf, pcos, endo, sub/unexplained fertility jump on

[Marvellouslymadmum]

New thread 😊😊

@Misty84 @Alexis7890 We were only going to try naturally for three more months anyway so there are no cycles left by the time the sperm will have recovered (to it's normal shockingly bad levels) :( It's basically game over for unless we do ICSI.

Yes, the strength is what I’m concentrating on @Alexis7890. I spoke to my clinic yesterday, but as my OTD isn’t until Saturday, I think they just think it’s too early. They said to come in for bloods tomorrow, but only after doing a test in the morning to see if it’s still there. Which isn’t really reassuring, but I get their view. I think if I get a good beta tomorrow that’ll offer reassurance all round.

Re your rounds, if they’re giving your clinic valuable data, that could potentially mean you get avoid IVF, then that’s great. Do check what is and isn’t included though.

@TheBirdintheCave that does suck then. Do you know if you’ll need ICSI in any case?

Hi @Misty84 hope you’re okay and feeling more positive with the new sperm resultant. may I ask your history pls? Did you AMH and FSH results reflect your low egg number at collection? Thank you!

@OrangeBengal Yes as our problem is very low motility (13%) so that's what our consultant recommended unfortunately.

We've been pregnant naturally twice. Once produced our son (found out the day before ICSI cycle 1 was due to start). The second was a MMC at nine weeks back in April after three tries. We thought it was a miracle or that maybe our problems were fixed but clearly not.

I'm 36 now so age isn't on my side either. I'm not really willing to wait another two years to see if it happens again so ICSI it is :(

I completely understand @TheBirdintheCave, I really hope I’m successfully incubating our first and only.

Maybe speak to an acupuncturist re sperm recovery, I’ve heard good things re quality / quantity.

I did pre- and post-acupuncture on the day of my transfer and I think it contributed to my first implantation in 4 transfers (and 3 years of TTC in general).

Hi all, I've been missing again as struggling now. Having finished the clomid with absolutely no success and the fertility doc telling me I have no chance whatsoever unless I have Ivf with a donor egg (she's so dismissive because of my age and doesn't even listen to most of what I say) she has agreed to see me to investigate the endometriosis though which is something, if she doesn't just dismiss me from that too!
I'm looking into clinics abroad for ivf with own egg then donor egg anyway as I can't just sit around waiting anymore!

Hope you're all doing ok? @thislittlebird how are you doing? Did you get your hcg results?

@anotherscroller sounds like possibly pcos which isn't always evident earlier on and can appear as you get older. Might be worth exploring that as that's pretty much what happens to me x

@Marvellouslymadmum sorry I don’t think I know your story, that sounds really tough for you, could you see someone else who might not be so dismissive? How long did you use clomid for? I am on letrozole as my nhs trust uses that instead of clomid now

@Alexis7890 hi, my story quickly is ttc for 4 years, one mc 5.5 years ago, nothing since. I was put on clomid a year ago, did three cycles of 50mg and 3 or 100mg but it messed with my cycles and took me 10 months for those 6 cycles! This is an nhs doc so I don't know if I can see someone else really, I'm looking at going private abroad for ivf but I wanted the endo sorted by nhs first incase that's the issue so still hoping on that front!

@Marvellouslymadmum that sounds really tough. Do they know the cause of your struggles? Will they give you ivf on the nhs? Have you had endometriosis confirmed?

@Alexis7890 I'm really sorry to hear that you've ended up with over stim.... This happened to me too. I ended up with 62 follicles, my ovaries were 3 times the size and they moved behind my womb and were "kissing". My egg collection went ahead, by which point I was in a wheelchair and unable to go to the toilet, eat or drink. 2 days in hospital after egg collection on tramadol.
I know how scary it is when a doctor says you're overstimed but trust me, I don't want anyone to go through what I did. I think the NHS saw me as an egg incubator and put the eggs over my own life.
We've ended up with a massive haul but it's taken 2 months to recover and I've not had any embryos transferred. And won't until next year.

You're important too! Keep well xx

@Alexis7890 no we won't be given ivf on the nhs as we both have children from previous relationships but none together, I'm also over the cut off age in our area which is about 36 or something! The nightmare consultant just dismissed everything and puts it down to age but actually it's more likely a sperm meets egg issue, my partner struggled to conceive his boys with his ex and smokes again at the moment 🙄 I have confirmed adenomyosis and suspected endo, I'm going for another scan soon though unfortunately with the same doc and she will decide on looking at the endometriosis too, I'm hoping she will give me a laparoscopy 🤞🏻

Gosh that sounds so horrible! :O I'm glad you're ok!

I'm afraid of it happening to me. My ovaries are polycystic (though I don't have the syndrome) so apparently I'm more at risk of overstimulation :/

jumping on. I had an ultrasound yesterday she said large cysts on my ovaries and then said possibly fluid in my fallopian tubes but she couldnt see that and i’d need an mri to confirm further and i need to speak to a gynae. Been googling since and just feel really depressed and upset been crying all day from what ive read it doesnt look good for me ever being a mum 😞😢

@Luna92x don't give up hope, there's always things that can be done and other options

@ShirleyValentineManc that sounds horrible! How are you feeling now?

@Marvellouslymadmum would he give up the smoking to help? Has he been tested? Hope you get the endometriosis investigated, my best friend has it and I know how she had to battle to get it diagnosed!

@TheBirdintheCave I have pcos and they didn’t say this was anything to do with over responding

@Luna92x dont give up, how far through your tests and journey are you? There is so much they can do for people

@Alexis7890 only the beginning. I’ve had my suspicions for so long that something is wrong as never fallen pregnant I’m 30 years old so didn’t want to leave it to late to start testing etc. so my doctor referred me for the scan which is where I was told about cysts on my ovaries potential fluid in my tubes but she couldn’t tell. Since then i’ve come home and googled like made and just feel really pessimistic about the whole thing read some horror stories of people losing there ovaries and tubes and without either of them I will never be able to have my own baby 😓😢 xx

It may not seem like it @Luna92x, but you’re doing so good investigating at 30. Remember that IVF is made for people who have these kind of problems, transfers bypass fallopian tubes and go straight to the uterus. The cysts you should get investigated via MRI asap though as you want to minimise any issues as much as possible. I had 11 fibroids removed from my uterus last year via an open myomectomy. The surgery and recovery were tough, but I got through it and am now in the very very early days of pregnancy. Surgery doesn’t need to be the end of it.

@Alexis7890 he is trying to give up, he gave up before and that's when he had his sa, so I don't know how good those swimmers are with the smoking!! It's so difficult with the endo! Having a laparoscopy could really help

@OrangeBengal thank you so much for your reply! That is amazing news I’m so happy for you thats really put a smile on my face and also given me a lot of hope. I’m going to call my doctor tomorrow to arrange an appointment and I also have my day 21 (more day 23 now) blood test tomorrow which is checking my thyroid and everything really. Xx

I’m glad to have made you smile @Luna92x. The other thing to remember is also to get your DP checked out, both standard SA and DNA fragmentation. All looked amazing on my DH’s SA, but then the frag was bad. Thankfully sperm problems are usually fixable (sperm has a 3 month cycle). So if anything is wrong this could be treated whilst your waiting for / recovering from surgery.

Hey how is everyone?

I had my follow up today to see what happened with the 5 follicles….and they had all shrunk so this cycle isn’t going to happen. Going back next Tuesday to confirm but the doctor wasn’t hopeful and he seemed surprised they had all shrunk back to 9-10mm from 13-15mm. I was so optimistic this cycle after successful ovulation last cycle.

he said I now can choose if I want to carry on with letrozole one more time or move on to injections. I’m leaning towards moving on to injections as letrozole has now only worked once out for 4 tries. Can anyone explain how the injections for ovulation induction are done? How often you are monitored?

Hey @Alexis7890 I was trying not to hog the thread!! Are you asking what process for egg collection is? This usually includes a trigger for ovulation, mine was ovitrelle. I also had a stimulated FET where I was triggered with the same drug, though no egg were collected.

All good here. I had a very good second beta, so I’m just counting down to my viability scan on the 18th.

Hey how are you feeling? @OrangeBengal more about how many injections there are, how often they monitor you etc at the moment?

that’s so exciting for you, everything crossed for you!! The 18th will be here in no time

I’m feeling good thanks @Alexis7890, though trying not to go crazy with the waiting. No more monitoring. A ton of injections (3 per day), pessaries (2 per day) and pills (4 per day) excluding supplements, but I guess it’s what I need. Medication will be reviewed alongside the scan.

How are you feeling about your next steps?