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!

Thank you @RunningOnHope and @CR7 😅. I’m a bit nervous but mainly excited by this point.

That’s very exciting about the follicle scan on Wednesday, so let us know how it goes! I’m not familiar with Ovaleap but maybe it’s a good sign that you’re not reacting with bad side effects? At least you can get some insight on Wednesday and adjust the dose if needed.

Can I ask @CR7 what is the estrogen being taken for?

@Triselly

Everyone (I believe) takes oestrogen during IVF. I personally take a higher dose as my endometrium can be a little on the thin side. I've found this on google. It's the first hit I found so take with a pinch of salt but it sounds about right xx

www.verywellhealth.com/why-do-i-need-to-take-estrogen-during-ivf-2616548

@CR7 ah I see, thank you for the link! My protocol doesn’t seem to have that anywhere, maybe things are done a little differently here or maybe that will get introduced at a later point. It makes sense though!

@Triselly exactly xx different with everyone. Maybe because I'm doing a frozen transfer and at the moment you're stimming? Perhaps after retrieval if you're doing a fresh x

First stim injection done last night! I did numb out the area with ice for 5 mins beforehand and it was absolutely fine - I was nervous beforehand but now I feel much more relaxed. Now I’m just downing water as recommended by @CR7 😄 Don’t feel any different at all at the moment!

Hope you all have good Tuesdays, happy 4-day week!

Well
Done @Triselly 😇😇😇😇

Morning all - how is everyone? ☀️ 🌸

Well done @Triselly !

@lemons44 I have a cold 😭 Right on O day too. We've got our nurses consultation tomorrow at 9am and I'm thinking about backing out of the whole IVF thing. I really, really don't want to spend the money for something that I know isn't going to work.

@TheBirdintheCave i know the feeling. I too have thought about backing out many times. I keep thinking maybe we keep trying ourselves but that could never work either

Sorry you have a cold @TheBirdintheCave ☹️ 💗

Why do you think it won't work? Did they give you a success rate percentage based on your personal age, AMH, health etc? If not then maybe ask the nurse/doctor tomorrow and that should help you weigh up your decision x

@TheBirdintheCave echoing @lemons44 question below. My amh is disgustingly low but I've responded well to the ivf so far xx

We've not been given any personalised odds but we have a history of recurrent miscarriage now and I don't get pregnant easily so obviously have implantation issues too.

I feel like I read somewhere that the odds of it working in general are less than natural conception anyway.

It's just such a lot of money for such a slim chance.

Hey ladies xx I hope it's okay to join. I started TTC when I was 34, I had two very early losses within the year and then had my first round of IVF soon after I turned 35. I went for an egg collection in January, they got 14 eggs, 10 fertilised and 7 made it to 5 day blasts. Due to high AMH, I'm at risk of OHSS, so they went with a 'freeze all' and in the end 5 blasts were frozen. I admit I'm lucky to have got 5 as I'm told it's common to get 3, maybe 2 to freeze. Then an announcement was made at my work that a new starter who had got pregnant after I had my second loss, had given birth! So unfair. I excitedly went for my first FET on March 21st, but sadly miscarried 10 days later. Absolutely gutted. Now just waiting for the follow-up consultation to see if anything needs adjusting for the next transfer. This baby-making business is way harder than I ever bloody imagined.

@TheBirdintheCave it is. We estimate we have spent approximately £30k on our IVF. Two transfers, a mock cycle, genetic testing for seven embryos and three egg retrievals as well as surgeries. It's a lot. It's beyond a lot.

We have two pgta embryos left; heading for a transfer of one of them in a couple of weeks. Once these two are transferred that's the end of the road for us. We can't keep trying forever although I have much admiration for those who do.

Through recent investigations/ surgery we found out that I had a displaced implantation window so we are hoping that this transfer will work as the odds with genetic testing and now this extra knowledge is somewhere in the 60% success rate.

The genetic testing was the biggest plus for us as my odds increased by over 50% as I'm very old at 42 🤣

Only you can know what right for you and where the end of the road is xx

Welcome @SarahShorty, and sorry you've had a difficult time so far. Hopefully your follow up will be helpful, are you thinking of doing the next FETs fairly soon?

@SarahShorty welcome. We are all here xx

@RunningOnHope thank you xx It's not been great, but I know it could be worse. And yes, we'll be doing another single FET in probably early June now, as there is a gap between attempts. In the meantime we'll just try naturally and pray. We don't want to waste a cycle waiting for the next round.

@CR7 thank you xx We are all here and in it together.

My clinic rang me back a short while ago. My consultant has drawn up a new treatment plan, so I'll be interested to know what they say when I see them on Friday. I don't know what they could suggest besides different drugs or perhaps a slightly different protocol/regimen. Onwards and upwards!

@SarahShorty if you're in the headspace on Friday to share then please do. Between us all we have probably done it / are half way/ have got the tee shirt xx

@SarahShorty you'd be amazed what they can put in. Each of my cycles has been different. This time they are including steroids and mild blood thinners for me and have changed my transfer day having done a mock cycle with endemetrio xx

I'm feeling a bit nervous about my scan tomorrow. It will be after 7 days of stims. I feel like it won't be great news but I just don't know what to expect. They thought they could see 5 and 4 follicles on my left and right ovaries at the baseline scan but said it was really bad visibility, someone had to lean hard on my abdomen to get a view at all. So she felt there might be more that would become visible when they start growing.

I've only had one AFC before and that showed 11 in total, so I'm not expecting huge numbers. But at the consultation the dr said on this protocol they'd hope for 10-15 eggs, so I'd really like a few more follicles to be growing well, and I think I might just be setting myself up for disappointment by thinking about it too much!!

@SarahShorty sounds positive that they have a plan to offer you, even if it doesn't feel like much difference. Keep us updated on Friday!

@RunningOnHope try not to get too fixated on follicle numbers if you can xx I was told time and time again that it is often quality over quantity. My best result actually came from lower follicle numbers. We are all rooting for you xx

Hi guys! Day two stims for me today.

@lemons44 How are you doing? What do you have going on this week? 😊

@TheBirdintheCave Ah that’s understandable, it’s an awful lot of money to spend on a gamble. Have you considered looking abroad for IVF? It sounds like a hassle but apparently a lot of Brits are doing it. Greece is getting very popular as there is quite a price difference apparently.

Hey @RunningOnHope looks like we’re follicle buddies! 😂 I seem to have 11 too. I have heard the same as @CR7 , that follicle number really isn’t that important.

Hello @SarahShorty, hopefully you get useful info on Friday! Please let us know if you feel like it 😊

@Triselly We couldn't manage it as we'd have no one to look after the toddler :/ It's stupid because I'm not even paying for it, my parents are but I sort of feel worse for wasting their money.

I guess I'll see how I feel after our appointment tomorrow.

@TheBirdintheCave see what tomorrow brings xx