IVF April 2023 - looking for buddies!

[Triselly]

Anyone out there starting/continuing IVF treatment next month (April 2023)?

I’m 36, first time everything, and due to start stims early April. Wondering if there are others who might like a thread to chat/vent?

If you’re out there and in a similar position, let me know!

@Triselly as I had pgta they won't transfer two for me either xx

Glad they tested and glad you got your injections @CR7. Will they keep an eye on you and test again or will you just continue now as is?

So I'm having a bad day ladies. Really gutted and feeling like my journey is over this transfer. I'm now 6dp5dt and I have been spotting and bleeding for 2 days now. It started light and I saw it as a massive positive, light pink initially and then yesterday dark brown... but it's got so much heavier today and instead of being dark brown has switched to being more red. I wasn't initially too worried as was thinking it's old blood and could possibly be implantation bleeding. But as today it became much heavier and more red I called the clinic. It surprised me that didn't seem too worried and just told me bleeding is common and they told me to try inserting my pessaries rectally instead of vaginally in case it's causing irritation. They said it isn't a sign either way and that I need to be patient... so hard!!! I'm also finding it hard not to lose hope as it feels like AF is coming.

Just want to cry to be honest. Why is this journey so hard.

@charja100 sending you a hug - this show isn’t over yet though, especially if your clinic says not to panic - how many days until you can test?

It is incredibly hard, we do understand ❤️

@Triselly thank you. I'm having a bit of a moment tonight. I seem to have lost all my positivity and am just finding it all a bit hard. I didn't expect to be positive the first round, I know that the odds are stacked against that but I didn't think I'd feel out so quickly. I think I'm just dealing with all the emotions of the last few weeks and it's gotten to me a bit today.

I think it’s very understandable to have highs and lows, especially when we’ve been pumped full of hormones and meds to do this and that. Please don’t lose all hope yet though, it really isn’t over for this round until it’s confirmed, and this thread has showed that there really can be some wild swings xx

@charja100 I asked today about spotting and bleeding and they said unless it's bad it doesn't mean anything but to call if it's heavy. They said it doesn't indicate one outcome or another.

It's so hard I know. I've been here before. You just need to try your very best to be calm and wait. It's easier said than done I know.

I am not due any check ups or testing now until we test on the Monday xx

I find week one fine and week 2 impossible

Hey @charja100, sending love and hugs your way. It's such a horrible wait and horrible limbo to be in. I never understood what people meant about the mental aspects of IVF being harder than the physical... until we got here. You are doing amazingly. One day at a time.

@RunningOnHope thank you. I just can't believe it hasn't even been a week. It's like my body hasn't even given this embryo a chance. If I hadn't had my progesterone tested I would have been sure that was the issue. I just don't understand it.

Has anyone else on this thread ever had similar, AF symptoms 6dp5dt (or equivalent) it just seems so soon to be AF. I'd like to know what to ask my clinic to explore what could have caused this.

@charja100 it must be so hard what you are going through and hard not to look for answers. I know id be the same. Thinking of you

@charja100 Sorry you're going through this :( I will say I do know people on progesterone pessaries who have had bleeding which has been attributed to that, so it really could be irritation.

Sorry this is happening @charja100 I hope the clinic can give some answers for you x

I’m on my third round starting in July, they’re upping medication to see if that helps. I feel like the first time I definitely thought it was going to work, the second I was 50/50. This time I really just don’t think it’s going to work. We were initially going to do 3 rounds of private after our 3 NHS ones but think we’re just going to leave it as 3 as it’s a lot to go through.

has anyone got any positive news after a 3rd round?

Morning all. I am on my way to my first scan since starting stims. Can anybody let me know if it's meant to be done on a full bladder? My clinic didn't mention and I am wondering if I should be chugging water on the train or not 😅

@lemons44 It will be an internal scan so they want an empty bladder for that :)

@lemons44 I think it’s just for ET that they require a full bladder.

@Toon92 Hi there - I’ve heard that odds of success increase with each additional round?

@lemons44 nope, you're fine!

Thanks all 😊 xx

@Toon92 have they done anything after each round to investigate and rule things out?

I had an unsuccessful round with the nhs, then went private as in only got one go.

Went private and changed meds. Did duo stim and ended up with three pgta embryos. First transfer of the three Didn't work. They made me do a lot of tests before we proceeded with embryo 2. Lots more monitoring and blood tests and investigations. Six months from transfer one to this weeks transfer two.

Discovered I have a displaced implantation window and my body doesn't absorb progesterone very well. Also changed my drugs a lot.

Your clinic should be doing similar and not just trying the same thing over and over again xx

@charja100 you absolutely need to speak to the clinic. It's not ok for you to be worrying and bleeding xx

Wow, that’s so interesting about the implantation window!

I had a long cycle first time and got 8 eggs, 7 fertilised and 1 poor quality blast on day 5 that didn’t implant.
second round they were keeping everything the same but then there was a nationwide shortage of buserelin so they put me on short cycle instead, 4 eggs retrieved, 2 fertilised and 1 early blast.
this time they’re increasing the medication so hopefully that’ll end up with more and better quality eggs. But now reading yours it doesn’t seem like they’ve done enough investigation/changes to it.

We’ve got ‘unexplained’ by the way.

@Toon92 I had busereline in Jan for my mock cycle and then they couldn't get it this time so gave me pro stap which is a one injection wonder and way easier xx

My first scan went well (I think) after being on 5/6 days of stims. She said I have 19 follicles so far with most in the medium range but some coming up very small so may not have a mature egg and one big whopper that is already miles ahead at 20mm. She's going to speak to the doctor about the big one but thinks we need to discount it as it will likely collapse in on itself by egg collection next week.
I'm feeling a bit crampy and uncomfortable in my belly already.
Hope everybody is ok xx

Good news @lemons44, sounds like everything's coming along nice, and hopefully have a good number at collection time. Have they given a probable date for egg collection?

Thank you @RunningOnHope
The provisional date is next Wednesday so a week today.

AUGH the stupid clinic's stupid cut off is 12pm so my period started ONE WHOLE HOUR too late to start stims today. Utter bullshit. Can't have the first injection until tomorrow now.