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!

@SaraSS dont worry i dont get half of the terminology. I think it does mean i am? One the other girls could probably answer that for me 🤣
Heparin is blood thinning injection purely because i found out i have a blood clotting condition i knew nothing about and i have to take it alongside Norethisterone as that can cause blood clots! But so far so good! The Norethisterone is delaying my period so they can roughly plan when i stim and when they will collect my eggs.

@Flowerlover010 oh wow, I find it all fascinating how they can control our cycles so much, and the whole process really!
It sounds like long protocol from my minimal knowledge 😅
How are you finding the injections? I'm 50/50, either I'll be absolutely fine or it will freak me out.. time will tell!

@SaraSS honestly i am the biggest wimp as i also have/had a needle phobia. I honestly thought i wont be able to do it and would have to cancel my whole ivf. I didnt have my husband around to do it for me so had to do it myself. I worked myself up something crazy. Anyway i highly recommend an ice pack because 1. Psychologically and 2. It apparently helps with bruises and it has done for me because I expected some especially with blood thinners and i have none. I know one of the stims needles is a bit thicker but again i will just use ice pack. My stomach was so cold id convinced myself on the first one it won't hurt so i just went in slowly with it and it didnt. The liquid does sting a bit for me but im getting used to it. I will be a pro by time i start stims! You wont believe me until you do it, but you will be fine. If i can do it anyone can!

@Flowerlover010 oh bless you! Well done for doing it! And good tip with the ice pack - I'll definitely do that!
I'm so excited and nervous all at once! I can't wait to get started but also just want it to go well. This is our only NHS round, so everything crossed it works!

Morning all, good luck for today @lemons44 - let us know how transfer goes if you’re feeling like it.

I had my first ever hint of a line this morning. Thought I’d be delighted but definitely not ready to believe anything yet. It’s 10dp5dt and a very faint line. Tests on 6dpt and 8dpt were stark negative. Also it’s a clear blue ultra early - I’ve never tried a clear blue before so part of me feels like there would always be a bit of a line on them?

Still, it is a blue line that came up within a minute and that’s encouraging. Testing again in a couple of days to see if there’s any progression.

@RunningOnHope Omg! Can we see a pic? I will say those particular tests are notorious for faint lines BUT if it's definitely blue and came up immediately then it's odds on that it's positive :)

@lemons44 Good luck for today!

Morning all,

@Triselly sounds like we are both feeling very similar. I'm not expecting our second embryo to be good enough for freezing so I think we will just have this one shot too. We should find out the quality of our two embryos when we arrive at the clinic. I'm really feeling the progesterone emotions too. I feel very hormonal like how I get in the days before my period.

Hi @SaraSS I haven't had any of those meds. I did have a TINY bit of nausea but I was on different meds for down regulation so I'm sure you won't have this. The feeling was super fleeting and would last only a few seconds and then I would be fine though so barely anything and definitely bearable. I'm sure you will be totally fine on your meds. How exciting that you are starting soon!

@Flowerlover010 I was on long protocol. I had to have a medication for three weeks before starting stims. The idea is that is suppresses everything, basically tricking your body into menopause so everything stops. Then you move to stims and it boots everything back up. The idea is they have more control over the outcome by starting from more of a blank canvas.

Hope everyone is doing ok. x

@lemons44 thinking of you today xx

@lemons44 very best of luck today!xx This was by far the best bit of the whole process for me, I was worried it would hurt but didn’t feel a thing, and it was absolutely amazing to see the tiny tiny puff in the screen where our embryo was.

@RunningOnHope oh that sounds really hopeful! Fantastic news - this is the board’s first positive! 🎉

Good morning to everyone - hope that everyone is doing well xx

@RunningOnHope interesting your view on clearblue as i wouldnt use anything else! Ive heard bad things about cheap tests and all of my clearblue have been 100% accurate with my 3 positives and all my negatives in the past! This is just my view obviously but i think you tested too early for the other ones. Fingers crossed the next one is even darker and you need to iluse clearblue again for a fair comparison! Fingers crossed! X

GIRLS I NEED ADVICE!

One of our embryos is 7 cells and one is 8 cells and they are both top quality for day 3. Honestly I feel like crying with relief.

They asked if we wanted to wait until Saturday for transfer to see if either gets to blastocyst stage but we’re gonna go ahead and transfer one today as there is an argument it will grow quicker inside me than a lab and it’s a bit risky waiting until Saturday in case they both die.

But we need to decide what to do with the second one. We can see if it gets to blastocyst on Saturday and then freeze it, or we can freeze it today. She said the difference in thaw survival rate between the cleavage stage that it is at the minute and blastocysts stage is about 10-15%. She said they are having very good survival rates at the minute of thawing day 3 embryos. Even if it loses a cell when thawed at this stage it usually just grows it back.

If we don’t freeze today we risk it not making it until Saturday and having nothing in the freezer.

What would you do?!

@lemons44 good luck with your transfer x

@lemons44 thats a tricky one! I dont want to sway you either way as its a big decision and hard to know what to do unless you're in that position. I guess my only thought process if it was me is, you're going to put a day 3 one in now anyway so maybe you could give the other one a chance at day 5? So they arent both the same? I dont know!! Thats just my thought process.

@lemons44 Honestly, I don't know what I'd do. On paper I feel like it makes sense to wait as the embryo is growing well (and top quality too!) so it sounds like it would easily make it to day five for freezing BUT I also understand the hesitation as there's always that 'what if'.

@lemons44 ultimately whatever decision you make you wont really know if its the right one. Go with your gut x

@lemons44 the clinic should also be guiding you xx I would personally wait for day five xx this is such a great result for you

I’m not sure if many of us feel comfortable giving advice for a medical issue like that @lemons44 - sorry! But so happy for you that 2 of them are looking so good at the moment - let us know how the ET goes if you feel up to it! ❤️

Thanks ladies, and yes totally understand not wanting to give advice!
we are still undecided. Going to talk some more to the embryologist when we get to the clinic.
thanks for all the good luck messages. Xx

I’d definitely be asking the embryologists what they would recommend, @lemons44! Really glad all is looking good with them so far. Good luck today!

@RunningOnHope how exciting!!! We definitely need photos of that line.

@lemons44 so happy for you and how you the embryos have developed! What time is your transfer? I think I’d probably wait until 5 days. But it’s really hard to decide and would also be asking their thoughts.

I wish I’d taken a photo when it first came up, or within the time at least, as it was full thickness. Now a few hours later it’s down to a thin line and a bit fainter, looks like this. A friend said that’s normal for clear blue and they tell you to look within the time because it can go skinnier afterwards… but I’m not sure. If anyone else just showed me this, I’d be cautious about it.

@RunningOnHope honestly as i said in my previous message id 100% trust clear blue over any other. The fact you saw a stronger line than that within a minute is a very good sign. Also remember you are still testing considerably earlier than your OTD if its monday. But i do still understand your scepticism!! Its so hard. Only a few more days xx

Thanks @Flowerlover010. Four more days til OTD so we'll do one Saturday morning to see if it's any darker, then final one on Monday before we ring the clinic to tell them either way. Hopefully it will be very clear by then.

@RunningOnHope they are definitely more accurate within the first few minutes as you know. They say not to look at them after that so it defo sounds positive. Throw this one away. You know you saw the line and looking at this will send you loopy xx

Today is only day 9 for us remember, if we transferred on Tuesday

I don’t know if any of you in the ttw might find this useful, but Bettina Rae does fantastic yoga classes on YouTube for helping relieve stress during the ttw, and indeed for all stages of IVF:

They’re not too long (15 - 25 mins, but there are longer ones) and I’m finding them very helpful.