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Infertility

Our Infertility Support forum is a space to connect with others in the same position, discuss causes, treatment and IVF, and share infertility stories of hope and success.

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Original poster

How long does one cycle of ivf take?

25 replies

Idbeloveandsweetness · 22/04/2013 20:53

If I started tomorrow how long would it take roughly?

I've always said we wouldn't go for ivf because of various reasons but starting to change my mind.

Has anyone experienced any horrific side effects?

OP posts:

sammisatt · 22/04/2013 21:00

3 weeks down regging, two weeks stimming then 2week wait. I had no real side effects except for horrible weepy mood and greasy hair during down regging. Sore ovaries towards the end of stimming. It's not nearly as bad ad you expect it to be.

sammisatt · 22/04/2013 21:02

Just to add, the physical effects are v totally manageable but its very hard emotionally.

JethroTull · 22/04/2013 21:04

I had no side effects. Bit headachey but it was ok. The injections were manageable. The emotional roller coaster was hard work but it all faded into insignificance when we got a BFP.

Original poster

Idbeloveandsweetness · 22/04/2013 21:04

I can't decide whether it's for us it not... We'd have to self fund and I know the odds are still heavily against us.

We need to talk to a dr I think. A different one to the first one who told us that dh having only 25% motile sperm and only 2% with normal form was ok. I think he may have lied.

It's encouraging that physically you weren't too bad. Can imagine emotionally it is very traumatic. Do you mind me asking if your attempt was successful?

OP posts:

Original poster

Idbeloveandsweetness · 22/04/2013 21:05

Also I'm diabetic. Not sure how it would affect that...

Basically I'm scared.

OP posts:

Original poster

Idbeloveandsweetness · 22/04/2013 21:08

Dh is very much let's go for it. But tbh he has no idea what it entails and given that most of it won't actually affect him physically I don't think he's that interested in finding out. Bar the likely cost of it all of course.
Our nearest clinic has success rates of 35% for my age range.

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Original poster

Idbeloveandsweetness · 22/04/2013 21:10

Sorry 35% with icsi.

OP posts:

mrsden · 22/04/2013 21:16

It depends on which protocol you do. I'm on a mild version, and it will be four weeks from start to finish. Egg collection was today and we find out tomorrow of any have fertilised. I havent had to do the down regging. The Stims have been totally fine, no symptoms at all. Even ec today was fine, no pain. The worst part is the waiting.

Original poster

Idbeloveandsweetness · 22/04/2013 21:27

What is a mild version and how do they decide which you need? Grateful for any advice or info x

OP posts:

MumOfTheMoos · 22/04/2013 21:27

If memory serves me right from start to finish its about 6 weeks.

I didn't have physical side effects and emotionally I had already decided that all the fertility treatment I was having was going to be one long process of finding out that we wouldn't be able to have our own children but knowing that we had tried our best. We had two IUI that didn't work and 1 IVF that did work

For me, I had to try it because I didn't want to be left with any what ifs. But I was very clear to know what my plan would be if it didn't work. We were very clear that by hook or by crook we were going to have a family and knew that adoption would be the next thing.

MumOfTheMoos · 22/04/2013 21:28

Good luck mrseden!

MumOfTheMoos · 22/04/2013 21:30

Re the physical side - being pregnant and childbirth is much more 'physical' than ivf!!!

sammisatt · 22/04/2013 21:31

The needles are actually fine and that was the bit I was scared of. I think you have to go into it with realistic expectations. We expected to have to do it at least three times. However we were very lucky and it worked first time and we got twins. Lots of luck to you.

Original poster

Idbeloveandsweetness · 22/04/2013 21:34

Thanks.
I'm not scared of the needles - used to injecting. Who knew that would come in handy?!

What I'm most worried about is migraines. I can't take the combined pill because it caused horrific migraines with stroke like symptoms (slurred speech, loss of feeling in one side) so I don't even know if I'd be approved for ivf. Can you be told it is not suitable for you?

I also worry that we can only afford two cycles when I know statistically it will take at least three.

Glad it worked out well for you Samisatt x

OP posts:

mrsden · 22/04/2013 21:35

Thank you! Every step is nerve wracking, that's the hard part not the physical side.

Our problem is low sperm count so in theory my ovaries work ok. With mild ivf there is no down regging so the ovaries aren't shut down. I started with stimming on day 3 of my cycle, then on day 9 I added in another injection to prevent ovulation. Then there was a trigger injection on Saturday and ec today. We got 7 eggs today, you can potentially get more on the longer cycles but my clinic thinks that quality is compromised then. If any have fertilised then I will have a transfer on Wed. I would really recommend you find out about this version of ivf, it's cheaper too because fewer drugs are involved.

beginnings · 22/04/2013 21:37

My longest cycle on a normal protocol was two weeks of down regging, 10 days of stimming, 48 hours until collection and then five days until transfer so 31 days. Wow, it really didn't feel that long!

The cycle that resulted in my daughter was more like 14 days. One day of down regging before stims, 10 days of stimming (might have been 12), one day until collection, three days until transfer. Ten 41 weeks until DD! The reason for the difference was that I'm hard to stimulate as I have a low ovarian reserve so we worked off my own cycle rather than fully down regging. The first time the pill was used but further tests discovered that I had thrombophilia so I can't take the pill.

It is much harder emotionally than physically but I did 4 cycles in eight months which is a lot. We self funded three of those. PM me if you want details of where we went. They were brilliant. Absolutely bloody brilliant.

Best of luck.

beginnings · 22/04/2013 21:38

Ooh fingers crossed mrsden! Hope you get good news tomorrow!

Original poster

Idbeloveandsweetness · 22/04/2013 21:46

Hoping for good news mrsden x
That's really useful information too, thank you. My cycles are exactly 28 days and I've been checked to show I'm ovulating. I will look into this a bit more.
We are going to the dr on Friday to ask for a private referral.

Thank you for all advice

OP posts:

piprabbit · 22/04/2013 22:03

Idveloveandsweetness - it's such a hard decision to start thinking about IVF, I hope your journey is a smooth one.

Do you have a clinic in mind? Your GP will need to know exactly who he is writing the referral to, so once he has agreed to refer you in principle he won't write the referral until you can give him the details of the clinic.

I found it easiest to find my clinic (through personal recommendations, results statistics and they were lovely when I spoke to them) then they helped guide me through the whole process including the GP referral.

One of the first things after referral that we did was pay them for an initial consultation (a couple of hundred pounds including a sperm test for DH). This was our chance to ask loads of questions, to understand what protocol they were recommending etc. etc. At that satge we weren't 100% sure we would go ahead, but though the money was worth spending to clarify a lot of things in our heads.

In the end we went ahead. Our first round of IVF took about 2 months. Emotionally it was fine (although like being on tenterhooks the whole time) although I was very poorly after the egg collection. Good news was we got pregnant first time and DS is now nearly 5yo, statistics (taking into account my age) was less than 25%. So we were very lucky.

piprabbit · 22/04/2013 22:03

Sorry for the typos

puddeycat · 23/04/2013 06:59

Our ivf took 9 weeks in total. I have poly cystic ovary syndrome so they coasted me along on injections for a bit longer than normal at a lower dose because with pcos u are more prone to over stimulating the ovaries.
I had egg collection on 8th April and out of 35 follicles I only got 4 eggs, and only 1 fertilised. Because it wasn't very good quality I had it put back after 3 days. I've just done a test this morning and I have my BFP!

piprabbit · 23/04/2013 08:25

Congratulations puddeycat - so thrilled for you .

mrsden · 23/04/2013 08:31

congratulations puddeycat wonderful news!

The clinic has phoned and out of the 7 eggs only 2 were mature. Both have fertilised though and transfer is scheduled for tomorrow.

OP - the hardest part really is the emotional roller coaster. I couldn't sleep last night for nerves. Then I burst into tears after speaking to the embryologist because I was so upset that 5 out of the 7 were no good. Now I have to get my head ready for transfer and then the 2 weeks of waiting. I really haven't found the physical side tough at all. I agree that it's best to find a clinic and then have a really good chat about what protocol they suggest before deciding whether to go ahead or not.

blondebaby111 · 23/04/2013 10:38

I cried a little before I started ivf especially when I recieved all my meds, it was a little so over whelming but I found it all so much easier than I ever imagined! The hardest part was the waiting to see if eggs had fertilized and then the 2ww was hard too. I found injections very managable (and I'm scared of needles). The downregging, which was a nasel spray for me was fine but it did mess up my sleep at times as I was waking with hot sweats which led to more greay hair but its not horrendous. Just about to start all over again for round two and I'm so relaxed this time as I know what to expect.
Good luck, you will be fine xx

Katie0691 · 22/02/2016 01:50

Hey all you lovely ladies. I was wondering if anyone could help me. Me (almost 25) and my partner (almost 26) have been together 10 years, TTC for 4 years have finally received our letter for our consultation on 29th of this month. Does anyone know how long it will take from that appointment to taking the pregnancy test? I'm someone who hates not knowing, and the not knowing exactly when things will happen is driving me mad! Also, how do the drugs make you feel? I'm scared I'm going to turn into a mad woman!
I'm the one with the problem, I have PCOS and endometriosis. It will be NHS funded, and according to my letter I am entitled to either 2 rounds of IVF or 3 IUI's.
I am absolutely terrified about the whole process, where as my partner is so calm and just takes things as they come. I'm so excited and really hoping I will be pregnant in the next few months!

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