Assisted Conception and the bits inbetween

[soosy]

Welcome to the new thread I only hope I can link it to the old one

I have everything crossed for all you on cycles at the mo. Thinking of you all.

LL - my clinic said nothing about no drinking. they advise reduced alcohol in general to increase chance of success. I didn't drink, but I would not beat yourself up at all. I guess it might depend on what drug you are using for stim. I was on puregon.

Friday is big scan day then . . . lets hope we get lots of follicles!

LL Your trip out reminds me of some of my own kickbollockscrambles to airports. . . I wouldn't worry too much about the arguments - I find the drugs make me very 'highly strung' and if my DP wasn't an angel (and truth be said more desperate than me for a child) , I am sure he wouldn't tolerate me at all!

Don't worry about the scan - I am sure there will be some juicy follicles there for you. . . but tell DP to keep the laptops off the family jewels . . .

Londonlottie good luck in Norway and good luck to everyone else having scans this friday, no doubt you will keep me up to date on wot to expect. What I want to know is when does my DH to be need to go hospital with me i am gestimating that I will be ringing the clinic around 13 december but not too sure when he has to attend with me will it be this side of christmas?????

roseca I don't think he will - unless they want him to do a trial run (and he hasn't already done so) My timing went something like this:
Day 1 (period arrives) ring clinic and 'book in' for cycle.
Day 21 start DR drugs
three weeks later blood test to check DR drugs have worked.
two days after blood test start injecting
10 days after that first scan
another 3-4 days scans then EC (when DH/P needs to be there)
So I think it will be about 8 weeks after your period starts on the cycle you want to do IVF that you will be doing EC and DH/P will need to attend.
HTH

LL - good luck and oh my goodness about your flights!! It's horrid when you're rushing like that! (It's the worst when they are calling your name over the tanoy!) but glad you are all tucked up and ready for tomorrow.

Good luck to Sooty and Mowmi for tomorrow too!

I am feeling very new and very naive still. Esp as I'm only at referral stage and waiting for our appointment. Altho, I do work in the pharma world and someone mentioned down-regging the other day and my ears pircked up!! I called to get my 21 day progesterone test results on Tuesday, only to be told - yes everything is normal...i asked if my progesterone levels were right and low and behold, they aren't back!!! I'll call again tomorrow as they were only open from 10-12pm today and I missed the window.

Big waves to everyone!

Hi everyone
sorry for joining and then sudden absenteeism. Blame work.
Good luck with scans for tomorrow all

LL - sounds like you have had hell just getting to Norway. We are going to Ireland next weekend for our ET. We did it over there last time. so I know its going to be one long ride, hopefully a not too bouncy ferry crossing, stay for a couple of days and then come back home on 10 dec. I hope everything goes ok for you in Norway.

Blustar - I don't feel an expert in all of this either. And things change so quickly, I am still asking nurses questions all the time.

I am cooking nicely. Blooming drugs are causing all sorts of gaseous exchanges that are hilarious in sound and hideous to the nose. My DH is french and gets very easily offended. But the good news is that my endo lining is at 14mm already after a week on the estrofem. Just hoping it hasn't peaked too soon

Today i had to give a presentation to 1500 people and I was trying very hard not to trump in front of them all. I dashed out of the auditorium very quickly and into a loo to get some erm.. quick relief. Only to find I had dashed into the mens. Mortified does not describe it.

right have a date with a little blue pill, and then going to bed. Take care all and good good luck for everyone tomorrow

Hey lottie. Eeek at your flight to Norway - what a nightmare!! Totally reminiscent of mine and DH's trip back from NYC this summer - we couldn't find the car rental place to drop off our hire car anywhere and the minutes were ticking away...... V. lucky that our marriage survived that one.....

Good news about your scan. I'm sure it's unsettling at this stage to be told that anything's less than perfect, but six eggs sounds very good to me! The bright side of waiting until Wednesday (with nothing else to do than be on Mumsnet!!) is that you'll be totally bored relaxed by then, which can only be helpful. The morphine will help!!

Hope it all goes well!

Hello to everyone else here whose stories I don't know. DH and I have been TTC #1 for 13 months now. We have an appt to see a gynae in December and after that...... well, maybe I'll be joining you. Best wishes to you all in the meantime......

Congrats LL six follicles are good - though do remember you may not have an egg in each follicle. If you look back on these boards you will find that quite a lot of people get lots of follicles but only end up with one or two embryos. On my first cycle I got three follicles, two eggs and two embryo's - one 8 cell, one 5. So there really is a lot of variables in this business and quality is just as important as quantity. Six is a good number because you have enough to get a better diagnosis.

My good news is that I did get more follicles today ! I am up to five which is a record for me so I am very excited . It may not sound very positive, but the best thing (apart from maybe starting to think it might happen) is that I will get more diagnostic information as to whether to continue. Inerestingly it also puts me back in the 'range' for my age-group (39), so maybe the diagnosis of 'diminshed ovarian reserve' is sliding a little . . who knows, but it certainly feels a lot more worthwhile going through horrible egg collection for five not two!

Also, I am on a cetrotide cycle and my next scan isn't until Wednesday, I was a bit worried about this as it seems a long time away ? Does anyone know the difference between a lupron and cetrotide cycle in this regard? Does the cetrotide allow them to extend the growing period to a greater degree? My first cycle was lupron and I went into EC on Day 15 so I am wondering as the Dr was saying D17 for EC at the earliest - possibly not until D20! Any experience here ladies?

How did you go Mowmi?

I'm at work so need to be quick... All went well this morning. Lots of folicles (only good thing about PCOS!) next scan is Monday which is when they'll give me a view on EC.

Sooty - fantastic news on the extra folicles and LL don't be disappointed. You both need to remember it only takes one - I had loads of folicles (45+), 18 eggs and it didn't work nor we're there any to freeze! Quality not quantity ladies!!

Hello to everyone else x

Good news Mowmi the last thing we need is another slow start . . .

LL what a flight. this is stressful for you both so you were probably both letting off steam. try and do it at some poor unsuspecting Finnish waiter next time and not the father of your soon to be made embryos!!

Thinking of you.

treats everyone is lovely over here and welcoming but still have fingers crossed you will conceive naturally.

mowmi fingers crossed for you

Sorry LL I didn't answer because I was actually sending out a call for more information. Basically it is just a different way of suppressing ovulation while the follicles grow. On a cetrotide cycle you downregg on the pill (and I didn't downregg at all). And you don't start suppressing until D6. I think this was recommended for me because my last cycle which was a 'flash' protocol didn't work at all - the suppression drugs which are supposed to initialy fire up your follicles before suppressing them (contradictory I know) just sent me into menopause!

When I was on my first lupron cycle I went to EC on D15, but on this one they are talking D17 or D20 so I was wondering if that was influenced by taking the different suppression drugs - ie does taking cetrotide provide the opportunity for a longer growing period? Any views?

Am feeling quite crap today - I have a cold but I think I am starting to get midnight headaches from the cetrotide. Nevertheless am still very excited about having more than two follicles to 'drain'.

Also LL it seems amazing that a ten day stay in Norway is included in your costs and it is still cheaper than the UK, how is this so?

Hi all
Glad all the follies seem to be growing well everyone.

Ive started stims too (day 3) so am now on the roller coaster too. Trying to keep positive (this is our 6th and final attempt). As everyone says its quality not quantity.

Just to add something about the cetrotide question....... I know that cetrotide stops LH hormone which naturally matures eggs before ovulation. Therefore, they can delay ovulation until the follies are the right size and you trigger with pregnyl which is the equivalent of natural LH. Our clinic gets you to carry cetrotide around with you in the 2nd week of stims in case your daily bloods come up at bit high for LH so you can inject it at any time to stop a natural ovulation. Last time I had EC on day 17 of stims because of OHSS.

Good luck all

LL oh b*x finland/norway who can tell except the swedes when it comes to eurovision!! I was a bit spaced out yesterday as had just got back from holiday in CenterParcs. Hang in there and hope your cold does not become full blown. Amazed at costs. That is sooo cheap especially as it included ICSI. our final bill stood at £6400 for IVF +ICSI + 1 year freezer storage. btw it is cold here so is it absolutely freezing up there??

sticki fingers crossed for you.

First of all, good luck to ALL of who are busy growing follicles at the moment.

It is only a few weeks ago that i was at the same stage. Lottie i just wanted to answer your query about having more follicles at EC than on the day 10 scan. I was told that i had 9 mature follicles at day 10 - then on EC they got 13 eggs (the consultant also couldn't drain the last follicle as my ovary was hiding behind my bowel) Which means that i must have had at least 14 good follicles (bearing in mind that not every follicle has an egg). I just wanted to let you know that, as it may give you some encouragement.

Regarding the ICSI - we had to have it, as DH's count was so poor, but, as it worked, i have to say i am a fan!! At least you know that the sperm is where it is supposed to be

We are anxiously waiting for our scan on 10th Dec - can't wait to find out if there's one or two!

Once again, good luck everyone, i check back regularly to see how you are all doing.