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

[Marvellouslymadmum]

New thread 😊😊

Thinking of you all and praying for positive outcomes in the future for everyone xx

@Misty84 Congrats and good luck!

Thank you @Lauralozzle and I’m so sorry to read about your latest result. I really really hope this works out for you eventually, certainly continue with what you have left in this package before making any big decisions about DE x

@Misty84 congratulations hope everything is still going well for you?

I'm just in my limbo land again, cd53 no af want to start all my vits have them all here but didn't want to start until a new cycles incase it knocks things off course 😕 so waiting it out once again!!

Thanks so much @Marvellouslymadmum, it is ok so far I’m nearly at 8 weeks. Not far to go until I get to the point I reached last time🙏 Very surreal, cannot believe that this dream is within grasping distance. Hoping for a better outcome this time because I’m on progesterone and medication for my elevated NK cells. And my partner has been seeing Jonathan Ramsay for a while now, his repeated defrag test was much better. Still has the anti sperm antibodies of course but somehow one has made it again!

Argh that’s such a long wait for you- CD53! Hang on in there. My periods had become very irregular and lasted only one day- barely even needed one pad, was convinced I was in perimenopause! Don’t give up 🤍

@Misty84 congrats! Sorry for the delay in replying, I've been going through a cycle and it was too hard to see announcements so unfollowed various threads. Hope all is ok.

My periods got very light and short in y late 30s too and acupuncture got them to go back to normal, or seemed to.

@Marvellouslymadmum @Lauralozzle hope you're both ok!

I've had a positive test with this cycle but after my last chemical I'm very nervous tbh and there was a whole year between our two positives, so I'm pretty twitchy. Waiting for bloods this week to confirm what's going on.

@thislittlebird tentative congratulations for you! I really hope it sticks! Did you do anything different this time?

Our last fresh transfer was another negative. We still have two in the freezer so we’re looking at a FET in October.

@Lauralozzle I hope so too! My body is doing a lot more stuff compared to the chemical cycle and I'm not spotting so far, so I guess that's good. The next set of worries are about whether it's ectopic etc etc.

Yeah, we did a few things different. In our egg collection in March we used a double trigger, prepped the sperm more quickly/washed it for the antisperm antibodies issue, and because I'm now (or nearly was) 40, we decided to do PGT-A testing. We tested 3/5 embryos, only this current 4AA was euploid. We transferred a 5AA fresh which failed, and we have a 5CC frozen but it's not good odds for that one.

Then when we got round to this cycle I pushed for low dose (10mg) prednisolone because I felt I'd had an immune response to the fresh 5AA, and the only time I had implantation was on the chemical a year ago. We also tested my progesterone on transfer day and it was low, so they increased my Lubion injections to daily, so I'm on 2 x 400mg Cyclogest and 1 x Lubion daily and I got it tested last week and it had gone up. Also on Arovi/Clexane blood thinners.

I don't know which thing or maybe all the things made the difference so far, but I guess we could have been putting abnormal embryos back in, and this was was euploid.

How many have you done now and with what meds?

Oh my gosh @thislittlebird CONGRATULATIONS, that is amazing news!!! I’m so pleased for you.
That’s ok about not replying to me- I know it’s incredibly difficult to face positive announcements and I always feel guilty about it even though we’re all aiming for the same thing.
I feel very similarly to you in regards to having been here before, so I don’t have confidence and it’s very hard to imagine this going all the way even though there’s no bloody reason why it shouldn’t. Lots of people have years of failure followed by success and I really hope that’s us and it’s our turn now.
I’ve got everything crossed for you! All the changes you made sound like they could make all the difference!🙏 xx

Ah @Lauralozzle best of luck for your transfer in October, not long to go now, how are you feeling?

@Misty84 thanks, it's all very strange and abstract though iykwim. You spend all this time UNpregnant and then when you are it's hard to believe it'll work/continue. Last time I started spotting at about 6dp5dt, and it carried on most days until it was a confirmed loss at about 5w 2 days. No spotting so far, I do suspect my progesterone was always a bit low in the past cycles. We haven't got excited or anything, trying to be pragmatic and get past the next hurdle, then the next one.

I just had to exit various online places for a while because you go into it having done this 5 times previously with 6 embryos and can't imagine another outcome. I know my/our age counts against at this stage, so it's nice to know we've achieved the first obstacle. A lot of hurdles to go.

I hope the changes make the difference. It's hard to believe you're like everyone else who gets pregnant when you've done ivf and it's taken 4 whole years!

Are you 10 weeks or more now?

@thislittlebird I know, over 4 years here too and nothing but shit luck (or luck that didn’t last). Also not excited this time, just quietly hopeful with each passing day/week. Yes 10 weeks now, last time I physically miscarried at 10.5 weeks (although the baby had died earlier). It is like checking tick boxes just hoping to get to the next stage and feeling powerless.
IF this continues I’ll be due a week before our wedding!- so we will have to cancel our wedding, not that we’ll be doing that until AT LEAST 12+ weeks! I don’t know when we’ll finally feel confident🥴 Haven’t even told my mum this time…waiting and waiting…x

@thislittlebird I’m so happy for you. I know it was a slog to get to this point!

So, first round we only had one day 5 blast which was crap.

This second round we used double trigger, different meds and I ended up on stims for 12 days rather than 9 days. We used ICSI again, but this time with AOA and zymot chip. We haven’t done PGA testing but out of the four eggs that fertilised we have 3 blasts. Fresh didn’t work but I’ve got a full blast and an expanded blast in the freezer. Don’t know grades, but told they’re good quality. I’m on my second round but only had two transfers so far. They won’t do further tests (blood clotting/immunes/ERA, Alice, Emma) until 3 failed transfers. So I’m preparing myself for that, which I reckon we’ll inevitably need.

@Misty84 yeah that’s it, just cautious optimism that it will continue/go well. What date is your due date? I get it, I haven’t told family. We didn’t last time but they knew we were doing a cycle so asked how it went. I don’t want them to ask how it went this time.

Did you know ahead of the 10.5 weeks?

I’ve just been booked in for bloods tomorrow, I’m now suddenly nervous. The last time I did this my HCG wasn’t good and falling.

@Lauralozzle honestly such a slog, it feels earned lmao.

You never know, you might get lucky third time. It’s good you’ve got two blasts on ice and you’re aware of the potential uphill struggle. We used IMSI last time too, actually, which could have helped. I understand now why they say it needs 3 rounds on average. Are you doing medicated or natural modified FET?

@thislittlebird OMG I'm so hopeful for you! Very tentative congratulations and everything crossed that this works for you!

@Misty84 glad you're getting on well so far, let's hope you have to cancel that wedding! 😂

@Lauralozzle I hope the next one goes well for you.

I must admit I've had a bit of a meltdown this morning, I contacted the doctors just over a week ago asking for a blood test as I thought my iron levels were low again, keep getting dizzy and nauseous and tired a lot. They took my blood Thursday and this morning rang me to book an appointment because of the results but not until a week tomorrow!! Looking at my results I have very low Ferritin levels again, high serum alanine transaminase (though lower than last time), low haematocrit and haemoglobin, low neutrophils, slightly low white cell count but the one that got me was my FSH of 92!! 😢 so that with the fact I've had no af and it cd72 I assume means I'm firmly within or even through the menopause somehow?! I'm only 44 😞 I know there will still be a slight chance if I have another af but it's difficult to test Lh as it always shows something and now I just think I have no chances left. Sorry to bring the thread down

Oh best of luck for your blood test tomorrow @thislittlebird. Definitely the next hurdle. Please let me know how it goes (if you want to share). The fact you feel different is encouraging.

I started brown spotting at 9 weeks and the EPU scan at 9.5 weeks confirmed it was lost. That scan, and waiting for the foetus to come out, was the worst I’ve felt throughout all of this. Rock bottom grief.

But must focus on the here and now, really didn’t think I’d get another opportunity.

I’m really sorry to hear your update @Marvellouslymadmum, of course it’s concerning so you will you have to wait a week to talk this all through with the doctor? So frustrating!😟

@Misty84 yes, unless I can get a phone appointment before then. I know they say you need a consistently high fsh and no af for 6 months or something before they confirm menopause but I don't think it could be that high and not be? I mean I was already happy with going for de ivf but I did want to do a tandem cycle first which they may say there is no point to now. I'm ok with that I just feel a bit sad that I'm only 44 and it's possible I definitely now can't get pregnant. I feel a bit miffed that others still do it over 50! But at the same time having not got pregnant in the last 5.5 years since the mc I knew it wasn't likely - let's say I'm conflicted 😂 I'm also annoyed as our finances have taken a bit with all this house stuff and I don't know if or when we will have the money to do the ivf.

@Misty84 I'm bricking it tbh. Bloods for HCG and progesterone tomorrow morning, hopefully it'll go well. When I had my positive with Guys, they just immediately booked me in for a 7 week scan and offered no tests, which was very annoying. Clearly I didn't need the scan. I guess I should be reassured I'm still getting symptoms at the moment.

Yeah, I can imagine it gets worse when you have to go through that.

@Marvellouslymadmum that's frustrating, sorry to hear that. Did you think you'd been peri for a while? Is there any early menopause in your family? you have to have no periods for a year to be counted as menopausal, I think? I think the over 50s are using DE or frozen eggs of their own, and even then it's still very rare.

@Marvellouslymadmum The expense is nuts, I honestly can’t believe how much we’ve spent on ivf and all the other consultations/tests/treatments/supplements…the list goes on!

@thislittlebird It’s very hard to imagine success. Still feeling like it’s a pipe dream even though we’ve had that elusive bfp! Best of luck for tomorrow morning xx

Hello all 👋
Almost 38 here TTC #1
I have pcos and we also have male factor.
We've tried naturally on/off for the past 17 years and did several rounds of OI this past year. Currently about to embark on an ivf (icsi) journey

@Misty84 honestly, the cost and my age are HUGE reasons I really need this to work. I'll update you on my HCG and progesterone tomorrow.

@MoonlightDreamer welcome aboard! We have male factor, it's a bugger. 17 years is a long time. ICSI will be a good idea with male factor, when do you start?

@thislittlebird no, not at all! I thought I may be just starting peri but all the tests I've had previously have been absolutely fine! No early menopause in the family apart from my sister, who had to have a hysterectomy so it triggered the menopause early. Hope everything goes well with your blood test tomorrow 🤞🏻

@Misty84 it is a huge expense! Once we've got the move all sorted hopefully things will get back to normal and we can save up (preferably quickly!)

@MoonlightDreamer hi and welcome, that's a long time to be trying! Hope it goes well for you

It shouldn't take us long to save up once everything is sorted again as we are not planning on going to Prague or similar to do it hopefully!!

Hi All - first post
31 & TTC1, been lurking for a while.
Advised I have PCOS about 5 years ago, periods a bit all over the place for years but have gradually got more regular. Recently put on pill for a few months to see if it'll 'jump start' my cycle, anxious that'll have set me back.

Trying a range of supplements to see if that makes periods more regular in the mean time!

@Marvellouslymadmum Well congratulations on your move! Doing things like that help your life progress even when (temporarily) stuck kids-wise. We bought 2 years ago and even though it used up A LOT of savings I didn’t regret it, at least it’s something tangible not like the black hole of fertility treatments!🤪 It was very good for our mental health (plus the dog of course😉)

@thislittlebird How long after doing the tests do you receive the results?

Welcome @MoonlightDreamer, I can’t imagine trying for 17 years!😱 What has made you decide at this point to try ivf and not sooner? Will you be going private or NHS?

Hi and welcome @Pcosdegallo. That’s good that your periods are becoming more regular! At 31 I am hopeful for you that with guidance you’ll get your baby 🙂