IVF Buddies: the next chapter

[RunningOnHope]

Hi everyone, thought I'd try making us a second thread now the old one is done -

Tagging @Triselly @lemons44 @CR7 @Flowerlover010 @pongom @WholeZebra @TheBirdintheCave @SarahShorty - will go back to the thread and see if there's anyone else to add in, but do tag those I've missed!

@Triselly will be thinking of you at 1pm. Remember not to start drinking before half twelve xx

@Valentina1985 I went private. It's not an option with the nhs xx it was also mega pricey but I'm 42 so didn't want to transfer something that was never going to work. I had seven blasts and only three would have worked in the end so for me it was worth every penny

@Valentina1985 I had two MMCs and my clinic didn't recommend embryo testing for me. I think it varies from patient to patient.

@TheBirdintheCave do you know why? I thought it would decrease the chances, no?

@CR7 , I am private but the hospital simply doesn’t have the service.. amazing I think!

@Valentina1985 My clinic's consensus was that the two miscarriages I'd had were just down to bad luck rather than any specific genetic issues (as they were different, one blighted ovum MMC and one regular MMC after we'd seen a heartbeat) so we had the same odds as any average couple in terms of making a successful embryo.

@TheBirdintheCave thank you! xx

@CR7 @Triselly Lubion was an option, but it's quite expensive and is daily injections in the belly just like in the run up to egg collection. So I went with Prontogest which is cheaper and once every 3 days.

If you do ever go on progesterone injections and you have a tiny body like me, just grab a bit of skin in the upper-outer quadrant of a butt cheek. Because otherwise it can go into the upper thigh, but.... it HURTS! I went to go and pick up more to see me through just past the OTD and they showed me that I have a short needle compared to the bigger needle. I think the colour drained from my face when she showed me. It was difficult to find a spot on me to mark out the preferred injection site as I'm a bit on the skinny side, so it's a little harder. I'm still on the pessaries, too.

Hi all. Haven't posted in a while .
I'm currently on day 8 of stims 😑
Not really had any side effects other than tiredness and pain in my hips but if that's all I have to deal with then I'm doing alright

Need advice!!! I am on day 9 of my stimulus with only 4 follicles: 9, 12, 13 and 15mm.
I started with 275IU of Menopur and increased to 375IU.... Do you think it is worth cancelling and restarting? I am afraid I will continue to pay medication... if lucky, go to egg retrieval and get very few eggs... Thoughts, please!!!

@Valentina1985 What have your clinic suggested?

@TheBirdintheCave , I am a private patient at Chelsea & Westminster hospital and honestly very frustrated. There is no individual treatment. Each time, is a different doctor or nurse and there is a tendency of 'just keep going'.... And this means me paying more and more meds with the risk of having to call it off or have no embryo to transfer....
Long story short: they just say, continue with the meds...

@Valentina1985 Hmm ok. I guess the choice is yours then BUT you've already spent so much to get to this point and that money isn't going to come back if you stop this cycle. I think it's worth seeing it to the end.

@Valentina1985 It’s impossible to say what is the best choice here - do you just have the one round? They may well find more eggs when it comes to collection, but I appreciate the frustration in trying to get more personalised information out of your clinic. You end up feeling a bit like you’re on an assembly line 😅

@MoonlightDreamer hello :) Hope you’re feeling alright - when do you have a scan? Remind me again, is this your first round? Xx

oh also ET was all good, now waiting until 30th to do a blood test 😩 Now begins the Pee Fear…

@Triselly Same OTD date as me! Fingers crossed for you xx

@SarahShorty @Triselly How cool that you've both ended up with the same OTD 😬

Yes it's great to have a OTD buddy!

My clinic does blood tests at 11dp3dt so it's a slightly shorter wait as opposed to POAS tests but it does involve a 5am start to be the first at the clinic and a horrible 6 hour wait for the results online, ugh that's gonna be horrible morning.

I read a quote earlier from BFN podcast about how trying to sense implantation is like trying to feel your hair grow 😂

@Triselly @SarahShorty if you can, I know it’s hard, try not to symptom spot. Just one moment at a time. I had no symptoms like some of the other ladies. And try not to text early if you can help it. I know it’s hard. I had 3 TWW. We are all here xx

Thank you @CR7 you are right of course, appreciate your voice of sense reminders! Hope you are feeling alright ❤️

Clinic messaged earlier to say none of our embryos were suitable for freezing again, so pretty sad about that, seems like there is a very high probability that I’ll have to go through more full cycles in the future, if we can ever afford it.

@CR7 thank you lovely xx I won't test. My DH keeps asking me how I'm feeling and if I've had any symptoms, bless him. It's hard for him. I'm very indifferent by comparison. I'm just taking medication as instructed and am viewing the OTD as just another day. I'm at peace with the idea that I may never become a mum, so it doesn't hurt anymore.

Hi @SarahShorty how are you doing? Indifference and acceptance seem like quite sensible coping skills, although don’t think I’ve quite managed them yet. Are you still keeping pretty chill about it all? ❤️

@Triselly I'm sorry they couldn't freeze any :(

Thank you @TheBirdintheCave I don’t understand why they can never freeze any, it makes me wonder about the clinic’s competency. If we have to go for our third round I’m going to be asking more questions.

Hope you are feeling ok - how’s it going? Xx

@Triselly I'm alright, thanks xx How are you? The indifference I think is because it's exhausting to be upset and angry all the time. All those times I cried while sat on the toilet, the negative tests, my period arriving etc add into that the pregnancy announcements at work and colleagues going off on maternity leave, it left me a very hateful, spiteful and angry person and I was always so tired. I hated absolutely everyone, even myself. I want this so badly, though being the way I was just wasn't helping.

@Triselly Yes definitely worth asking. My clinic had a cut off for what it was willing to freeze. I think nothing less than a 3BB was their range.

I'm ok :) We had a scan on Saturday so I could have the NIPT (I was a shaking, crying mess before we went in) but the baby was still there and having a good wiggle. Still finding it hard to accept that this might actually result in a birth in May. I have my first midwife appointment on Monday which is another milestone as I never got to go with the MMCs.

That sounds very understandable ❤️ I think anyone would get stress-fatigued by it all by this point, it’s exhausting. I’m hiding myself away as much as I can this week, just going on walks etc, as I find people too annoying to deal with at the moment. The stress (and probably the progesterone) is not doing much for my patience with coworkers right now 😅